So the difference between West Ham’s seventeenth place and Liverpool’s twelfth is seven points. Perhaps the ‘relegation derby’ heading is a little tongue in cheek but it shows how far last season’s Premier League champions have slipped that they are now looking nervously over their shoulder after spending something over £400 million in the summer window.
Arne Slot appears to be a man keen to take big gambles – after being humbled 4-1 by PSG midweek his Liverpool side have been given the day off training today, Friday, as reported by rousingthekop.com, in a move which could be genius or could backfire spectacularly as his beleaguered aside will be travelling tomorrow Saturday:
“Arne Slot risks angering Liverpool fans even more as infuriating pre-West Ham plans are revealed”.
Is how the Liverpool fan site puts it.
The speed of the Reds’ descent from invincible champions to mere ‘opponents’ has been breathtaking. Much of course is due to the wholly understandable hangover from the dreadful Diogo Jota accident, but there is no doubt Arne Slot is looking over his shoulder now, after such a profligate summer and such spectacular transfer misfires.
With West Ham on something of a fragile upward path, it could be an intriguing encounter on Sunday. Don’t expect Nuno’s men to take the day off as preparations will be focussed on shoring up the defensive frailties that allowed Bournemouth to come back from a two-goal deficit.
Eagle eyed observers will be poring over yesterday’s ‘inside Rush Green’ video and Nuno’s pre-match press conference for news of Crysencio Summerville’s possible return, which would offer West Ham a boost in their attacking play to enable the Hammers’ head coach to try and go toe to toe with Liverpool for the first time in years.
Recent memories of 0 – 5 drubbings are still too fresh in the memory to be forgotten – but perhaps, just perhaps, there is room for more cautious excitement this time around.
It’s quite simple. Really.try and play deep for most of the game or be in the lead and do it and it’s not going to be a pleasant watch
Experiment before or during liverpools visit and we are talking 4_0 min.liverpool are having problems but lucky them to be playing west ham at the right moment so they can work their problems out of their system..don’t get me wrong.i am from liverpool and have supported west ham for over 50 years nothing would give me greater pleasure than to see liverpool get done.some of us had to go to school aged 13 after liverpool had given us a good hiding.
West ham and liverpool have two different cultures they believe a win is inevitable trust me.we see it always as a massive hurdle to overcome
Liverpool sing walk on we sing I’m blowing bubbles etc which I love.we inhabit two different realities.liverpool demand success which for us is to avoid relegation
We are always chasing while they are always leading.stop salivating because its liverpool and get at them and keep getting at them.if the adults in the team are too nervous then through in some hungry youngsters.play
.put are favourite Czech in front as a number 9 then don’t watch your nervous system won’t be able to cope.i said in a previous article we have to be beating the likes of Burnley.bouremouth.crystal palace etc.and hope for pickings against liverpool.i hope sunday doesn’t cause too much damage
I have seen some of the greatest players in west hams history get a tanking against liverpool.its not just a footballer problem.its a mentality and expectation problems
The moral of the story liverpool are down and not out plus they remember who they are ans completely understand who we are. When slaven was told we havenot won at anfield in decades he sniffed and said so what.a shift in mentality remember the score 3 nil win.i wasthere.i had to have a lie down when I got home.come on you irons.
I don’t think it was defensive frailties at Bournemouth, the defence was beseiged due to having no attacking presence following the withdrawals of Guilherme and Wilson. Guilherme while not an attacking threat was at least an attacking presence who kept Bournemouth occupied if not troubled. Wilson was both a threat and a presence.
Take both away and every Bournemouth player became offensive because we had no outlet and posed no threat for them to guard against. Terrible subs followed by another terrible sub to take Fernandes off.
I think it likely that poor decisions have cost us points against all of Brentford, Leeds and Bournemouth.