Spurs v West Ham Preview

The games are coming thick and fast. Maybe too fast as my usual ‘getting hopeful for a match’ is non-existent! I am really not looking forward to tonight’s match against Spurs.

How could I? How could anyone? Yes, I know we were the first team to score at the Armitage Shanks. I know we were the first team to beat them there as well but that was last season and we are in a messy scenario right at the minute with a very realistic chance of going down.

We are away to one of our rivals, some would say our main rivals, although for me, that’s still Millwall. Hate them! Spurs have already beaten us this season at the London Stadium and I can’t see anything other than them doing the double over us at their place.

TEAM NEWS

Ogbonna could be fit but will probably have a late fitness test. I’d prefer to rest him and get him 100% fully fit. We really need him, not just to free Rice back into midfield but because he’s been good for us all season.

Haller isn’t back in training yet, which is another massive blow. He may not have been firing on all cylinders all season, but he was starting to look good, playing up front with Antonio.

Snodgrass looks like he will be out for a period with a back problem. Again, a huge loss in my eyes. Snodgrass is the type of player we need in this run-in. We need a battler more than a flair player.

PREDICTED LINE UP

I would be tempted to go for a complete overhaul tonight.

Back four of Ngakia, Balbuena, Diop & Cresswell.

I have only gone for Cresswell as I think if we bring in Johnson, we are making the back four very inexperienced. Although I would like to see Johnson replace him at some point in the game.

I’d bring Balbuena back in. I know Moyes doesn’t rate him, but I and the majority of West Ham fans don’t rate Moyes and he’s still getting game time! Balbuena started well for us and I can only really remember one game where Roberto was in nets and Balbuena made a couple of massive errors. But he was probably distracted throughout the game, wondering how Roberto had ever made it as footballer and how he ended up on the same team as him!

Rice must return to the midfield alongside Noble allowing Soucek free reign to get up and down the pitch as he can.

Noble stays in the side only because he always puts on a performance against Spurs. Our captain needs to lead by example on the pitch during this run in, something I’m not sure he done against Wolves.

Antonio will no doubt have to be up front on his own since Haller is out. I don’t really like Antonio as a lone striker, but I don’t want Anderson near the team the rest of the season or probably next. He is a good player when he wants to play but all far too often, he doesn’t seem to want to play.

In behind Antonio I’d have Wilshere and Bowen.

I’m slowly starting to have a man crush on Bowen. He has impressed me greatly since we signed him. He is such a good player and he is working tirelessly throughout games. I just wish half the rest of the team were joining him in that!

Wilshere is fit so get him on the pitch. He is a very good player. He is better than Anderson / Lanzini and when he gets injured (which is a given), we can replace him with Fornals. I just hope its not after 2 or 3 minutes!

So, based on the above, my starting team tonight is:

The game is on Sky at 8:15pm. I’m still going to sit down, have a few beers and watch the game to see if anything will change my mind and we aren’t destined for the Championship.

I suppose Antonio does love a goal against Spurs and we seem to love getting under Mourinho’s skin. If we can keep a clean sheet we could be in luck. Afterall, if the goalkeeper impersonator, Roberto, wasn’t in nets for the Home game we would have won 2-0! (3-0 if Rice’s goal wasn’t ruled out by VAR).

Let’s go out, attack and put a dent in Mourinho and Spurs hunt for European spot!

COYI!

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