[Siorac]

That’s definitely not true. Arsenal at home in 2009 (worked) City away in 2012 (failed)

Also the Camp Nou in 2008. We just shamelessly parked the bus that day.

 

[Berbasbullet]

Can’t remember. Did they pepper him with pea rollers all game or something? Was that the game Nani scored that mad goal that should have been disallowed? Would have been around that time.

I can’t remember that I just remember spurs shooting from ridiculous positions and smashing it high and wide all the time.

 

[Schmeichel's Cartwheel]

No, the weird Nani goal - which was a perfectly good and legit goal, no idea why you think it should have been disallowed - was a year earlier. De Gea started the next season in shaky form and Spurs were basically shooting from everywhere, to no avail, and we won 3-0.

Of course it should have been disallowed. He grabbed the ball with his hand thinking he’d won a foul then kicked it in the net

Ah yes, the Welbeck header & T-Clevz masterclass. I remember now.

 

[Siorac]

Of course it should have been disallowed. He grabbed the ball with his hand thinking he’d won a foul then kicked it in the net

Ah yes, the Welbeck header & T-Clevz masterclass. I remember now.

Well, Heurelho Gomes learned that day to always play to the whistle. He also just assumed he got a free-kick even though he could have simply passed the ball to a teammate as he had ample time to do so.

 

[Squeaky Bumtime]

I'm assuming you meant 'strap in', but had a little Freudian slip there. Either way, let's hope we all enjoy the ride!

Yes..

 

[PoTMS]

The players need to be told to rack up the goal difference today. If ever there was a time for us to get 6, this is it.

 

[Schmeichel's Cartwheel]

Well, Heurelho Gomes learned that day to always play to the whistle. He also just assumed he got a free-kick even though he could have simply passed the ball to a teammate as he had ample time to do so.

Agreed. Although with VAR that goal is 100% disallowed & Nani is booked for the blatant handball.

 

[Squeaky Bumtime]

The players need to be told to rack up the goal difference today. If ever there was a time for us to get 6, this is it.

We'll be lucky to win I think, let alone rack up the GD.

 

[bosnian_red]

Looking at their results this season, they haven't been blown out too many times. City beat them 5-0 on opening day, Leicester beat them 4-1 in January and Burnley beat them 3-0 in November.... never more than a 2 goal deficit other than those. Big ask but I think we can get 3. Anything more is too big a stretch.

 

[PoTMS]

We'll be lucky to win I think, let alone rack up the GD.

If we are considering ourselves lucky to beat West Ham at home, we don't deserve Champions League.

 

[Squeaky Bumtime]

If we are considering ourselves lucky to beat West Ham at home, we don't deserve Champions League.

Those are the circumstances.

 

[christinaa]

The players need to be told to rack up the goal difference today. If ever there was a time for us to get 6, this is it.

Let's just hope that we win.
Our team looked very very tired against chelsea.

 

[McGrathsipan]

Can we all stop putting our head in the sand and proclaim that fatigue is something that can be overcome just by having the right attitude or ‘manning up’??

Fatigue is because of what you did in the past, and doesn’t get solved because you have rest in future.

No player will complain if selected, all are desperate to play. The problem is when they play, that will do so without being in a decent condition.

The issue will be in the short sprints that our players will lose because of tired muscles, and not having stamina after 60
minutes and the very high risk of cramp are serious muscle issues.

These issues have been visible in past 2 games and will be even more of a risk on Wednesday.

Agreed but West Ham have played the same amount of games give or take. Fatigue has got to be a common issue.

We must find a way to win.

 

[Champ]

That’s definitely not true. Arsenal at home in 2009 (worked) City away in 2012 (failed)

I'd take SAF's word over yours....no offense

 

[Alemar]

So weird:
We are guaranteed top 4 if we get 2 points out of our last 2 games, but not necessarily if we get 3 points.

It’s normal given we have a match with a rival

 

[12OunceEpilogue]

Agreed but West Ham have played the same amount of games give or take. Fatigue has got to be a common issue.

We must find a way to win.

Agreed. I've just had a little look at West Ham's line-ups since lockdown, and though they are arguably less reliant on a top starting XI than we are at the minute important players like Antonio, Soucek, Bowen, Rice and defenders like Diop and Cresswell have started every game, and very often have played the full 90 minutes. Unfortunately they've enjoyed two comfortable wins recently and got the chance to withdraw Bowen and Antonio, but for sure West Ham have gone full tilt in many games since the break to drag themselves clear of relegation and their big players have played a lot of tough minutes.

I'd say we have worse fatigue issues because we've had to rely on our starters too often, but that's a problem of our making, and we've also had a bit more injury trouble, with Shaw being a big loss given he's key to our system.

 

[The Brown Bull]

Rest everyone. The only thing that matters is that you beat Leicester.

This has to be in jest.

 

[The Brown Bull]

This game will say a lot about the character of the team. I hope the players realise that and do their job properly, simply we cannot be nervous and to slow today. West Ham will punish us if we are not on our A-game.

Not feeling optimistic though and I think West Ham will walk away from this with a point or even three points.

Are you for real?
West Ham are 16th for a reason.
They are shite.
We should be looking at this game as the game where we secure top 4.

 

[The Brown Bull]

Just fecking destroy them 5:0

This.

 

[RashyForPM]

The importance of tonight’s game for us can’t be overstated. It doesn’t only determine top 4, it determines whether we sign Sancho, Partey etc etc, it determines whether we have to play Sunday-Thursday-Sunday and tire the players out, amongst so many other things.

Win, and we confirm ourselves in the top 4 at the end of the gameweek for the first time all season bar Gameweek 1. We’ve bottled every single opportunity to do precisely that all season, but if there was ever a time to change that, it’s the penultimate gameweek. I’ve got many important things going on right now and where I live, the game starts at 1am. Still though, I’ll be watching and cannot wait. Come on!

My preferred lineup:
DDG (if he breaks the record, we’ll win.)
AWB Bailly Maguire Shaw
Pogba Matic
Greenwood Bruno Rashford
Martial

Full strength. Forget Leicester. Win this and we’ll only need a draw there!

Prediction: 4-0, Rashford X1, Bruno X1, Martial X2

 

[SuperiorXI]

Ole needs to be (metaphorically?) holding the severed head of Moysie at the end of the match for sure.

 

[Relevated]

The importance of tonight’s game for us can’t be overstated. It doesn’t only determine top 4, it determines whether we sign Sancho, Partey etc etc, it determines whether we have to play Sunday-Thursday-Sunday and tire the players out, amongst so many other things.

Win, and we confirm ourselves in the top 4 at the end of the gameweek for the first time all season bar Gameweek 1. We’ve bottled every single opportunity to do precisely that all season, but if there was ever a time to change that, it’s the penultimate gameweek. I’ve got many important things going on right now and where I live, the game starts at 1am. Still though, I’ll be watching and cannot wait. Come on!

My preferred lineup:
DDG (if he breaks the record, we’ll win.)
AWB Bailly Maguire Shaw
Pogba Matic
Greenwood Bruno Rashford
Martial

Full strength. Forget Leicester. Win this and we’ll only need a draw there!

Prediction: 4-0, Rashford X1, Bruno X1, Martial X2

More than anything, it is a huge huge step back to glory. This means everything.

 

[Reddevil1978]

When we lost to West Ham in September this was the stating team.

De Gea
AWB Lindleof Maguire Young
Mctominay Matic
Pereira Mata James
Rashford

Lingard replaced Rashford at 61 mins
Fred replaced Matic at 71 mins
Gomes replaced Mata at 81 mins.

If we play the usual first 11 (Williams for Shaw if not fit) we would surely have too much for them.

If I was playing against Greenwood, Rashford, Martial, Bruno and Pogba I would be shi##ing myself.

 

[Inigo Montoya]

That’s definitely not true. Arsenal at home in 2009 (worked) City away in 2012 (failed)

What he said and what he actually did are 2 different things. He's hardly going to admit that a Utd went out for a draw.

Wenger never admitted that his 2005 Cup winning side played for a draw to earn a penalty shoot out. Coaches just don't...that's the way

 

[Dansk]

The players need to be told to rack up the goal difference today. If ever there was a time for us to get 6, this is it.

At the same time, we need to avoid a Crystanbul moment.

 

[Inigo Montoya]

More than anything, it is a huge huge step back to glory. This means everything.

Step forward...

 

[Nou_Camp99]

Westham can't go down now. They need a 14 goal negative swing and results to go against them too in next 2 games.

Will that mean they are more relaxed and open the game up a bit more? I hope so. Knowing Moyes he will still park the bus though just to be sure.

 

[red4ever 79]

We all know our best XI barring injury. Couple of decisions for Ole to make regarding De Gea and whether Shaw is fit.

I would expect the usual
De Gea
AWB Lindelof Maguire Shaw
Matic Pogba
Bruno
Greenwood Martial Rashford

 

[Foxbatt]

We need to be on the front foot from the kick off. We need to get to the second ball and not let West Ham dictate the pace.
One issue I have now is we don't take shots from long range compared to other teams.

 

[Santoryo]

Those are the circumstances.

No those aren't. You're just being dramatic.

 

[Kaos]

Hindsight bias, but I'm annoyed that we played Bruno, Martial and Pogba on the weekend when it amounted to nothing.

 

[Jaxa]

I would drop De Gea this game just to take him out the limelight for a bit and 100% west ham will be targeting him with long shots,

Apart from that,

----------------------------Romero-------------------------------
---AWB-------Lindelof-------Maguire-----Williams---------
----------------------------Matic--------------------------------------
-------------Bruno--------------------Pogba---------------------------
----Greenwood--------Martial---------------Rashford--------

 

[croadyman]

I feel we're destined for defeat here given every time we can get ourselves into the top 4 we blow it and literally the only result tonight that won't see us move up the table is a defeat

Another scenario I could see is we draw, Chelsea loose and we go up to 3rd as a result

Yeah that is a possibility if Liverpool are still focused on the game tonight rather than just picking up the trophy

 

[Strelok]

So weird:
We are guaranteed top 4 if we get 2 points out of our last 2 games, but not necessarily if we get 3 points.

Not that weird if there's a 6pts match.

 

[freddie the red]

25 years since those Irons helped give Dalgleish, Redknapp and co a party at Anfield so, even though we can't relegate them, I'd like to see a Fawlty type damn good thrashing this evening!

 

[Squeaky Bumtime]

No those aren't. You're just being dramatic.

I hope you're right.

 

[Squeaky Bumtime]

If we start slow again and concede first. Ugh.

 

[Hammerfell]

14:00?

 

[Riz]

Hindsight bias, but I'm annoyed that we played Bruno, Martial and Pogba on the weekend when it amounted to nothing.

Hopefully Martial and Pogba are ok considering they only played 1 half. Likewise Greenwood.

But starting Matic, Bruno, Rashford and AWB was unnecessary in my opinion.

 

[Gasolin]

14:00?

Where do you live? It's 18:00 in the UK, 13:00 in NYC for me.