The return of Lawro

Mark Lawrenson has begin the season as perhaps he doesn’t intend to go on given his first Irons prediction of the new term.

Yes he reckons we will lose but he sees no repeat of the spankings we have taken in the past from Pep Guardiola’s champions.

The BBC pundit has always appeared to have a downer on the club but this time around he has some reservations it seems given the players that have arrived at the London Stadium.

Writing on his website column he says: “I was impressed by Manchester City in the first half of the Community Shield last week, and I like the look of their new midfielder, Rodri.

West Ham have had a busy summer signing a bunch of players and I am looking forward to seeing how they shape up, but I can’t see City slipping up.

City generally go to London Stadium and spank the Hammers – their four visits have seen them win 5-0, 4-0 4-1 and 4-0. I don’t think it will be quite that easy this time though.

Lawro’s prediction: 1-2

CandH says: We know the season is back for certain when good old Lawro re-emerges with his musings and he’s the guy we all love to hate.He’s a miserable old git of course but you have to admire anybody who sets themselves up for the amount of stick he’s prepared to take. In fairness he is hedging his bets a little having seen what the Hammers have been up to this summer and we have the feeling that we might see an adjustment in his forecasts over the next nine months to what we have seen in the past.