West Ham’s season kicks off in just over an hour with the League Cup / Carabao Cup home tie against Portsmouth set to have a huge crowd -advance sales suggest something approaching 55,000 in attendance.
9000 away fans will create a cracking atmosphere regardless of the likely controversy over the threatened attendance of former Chairman David Sullivan.
With an incomplete squad still coming to terms with relegation, West Ham will have to cope without Disasi, Wilson, Fernandes, Summerville, Traore, Potts and a hand full of others likely to be leaving in the next month.
So with players still due to join in the remaining weeks of the transfer window, Nuno’s side today will probably be very different from the Championship side starting come 2nd September when the window closes. We hope.
Lewis Orford gets a start
An hour before kick off and West Ham’s starting line up has been released, with the surprise inclusions of Lewis Orford and Edson Alvarez in a new look Hammers midfield – without James Ward Prowse.
West Ham United:
Hermansen| Walker Peters, Mavropanos, Kilman, Scarles | Kanté, Alvarez, Orford, Bowen | Pablo, Castellanos
We will have a ‘final whistle, first impressions’ article at 5pm so check back to compare your own thoughts with ours and post your own responses live.
Come. On You.Irons!
That bench includes too few attacking options (for a game being played at home).
Why oh why KILMAN. I must be getting grumpy like Victor Meldrew. I DON’T BELIEVE IT THEN AGAIN THIS IS W HAM WE ARE TALKING ABOUT 🫣
Man of the Match contender Mick.
Still no sign of Magassa, is he injured?