Villa vs West Ham | PL | 25.1.24 | Predictions and Match Thread

[stubbo-admin]

Match Centre:

Odds:
West Ham: 11/2
Draw: 7/2
Aston Villa: 4/7

Pre-Match Press Conference:
Official Press Conference

Tactical Preview: 
Babbling Irons

Watch-along:
Hammers Chat Watchalong

Streams:

SportHD 

(With all live streams be mindful they can carry viruses etc.  Don't click on any ads and use a VPN).
  

[El Scorchio]

What message is Potter sending to Sullivan? Are there any other players he could have had on the bench?

True it may not be intentional but he doesn’t really have to even say anything. The bench speaks for itself about what absolute dire straits the squad is in. 

 

Beggars belief given what we've spent the past two seasons on failures. We have to spend at least the same again to be at least competitive.

It’s unforgivable. Even a fully fit squad is way short in terms of the quality needed in this league in defence, centre mid and striker. 

[nychammer]

What message is Potter sending to Sullivan? Are there any other players he could have had on the bench?

True it may not be intentional but he doesn’t really have to even say anything. The bench speaks for itself about what absolute dire straits the squad is in. 

 

 

Beggars belief given what we've spent the past two seasons on failures. We have to spend at least the same again to be at least competitive.

[Takashi Miike]

AWB should be RCB, this will show if he was taking notice in the cup game when Coufal was a disaster there. I don't see how we keep the ball up the field, it's tragic the approach he's adopting in consecutive games

[El Scorchio]

Scarles is really the one question mark for Potter I suppose? Hard to make a case for anyone else being in the starting 11 imo but that defence looks fragile to say the least.  

This is the culmination of attrocious recruitment over many seasons and a complete lack of planning and leadership from Sullivan.  A squad that is “not fit for purpose”. Potter has got a mountain to climb to turn this club around. The insurmountable barrier is Sullivan

Exactly. That’s the only feasible change but in this game is scarles instead of Emerson going to be in any way a difference maker? No. 
The only other options are bringing in players who most of WHO have been cunting off as not good enough to play for us anyway. 

pick your poison but for me Potter has so few options. Start to panic if when 3-4 players are back and we are still lining up like this. Hint- we won’t be lining up like this. 

[Sir Alf]

Call the police asap, double raping predicted at Villa Park with Cresswell and Coufal the victims.

[Sir Alf]

Scarles is really the one question mark for Potter I suppose? Hard to make a case for anyone else being in the starting 11 imo but that defence looks fragile to say the least.  

This is the culmination of attrocious recruitment over many seasons and a complete lack of planning and leadership from Sullivan.  A squad that is “not fit for purpose”. Potter has got a mountain to climb to turn this club around. The insurmountable barrier is Sullivan

[Massive Attack]

People keep saying I can’t see what else he could’ve done today 

SCARLES

 

 

It was ridiculous our Man of the Match in the Cup game has been dropped to the bench ever since that outstanding performance. Should have kept him in the side after that display.

[ragingbull]

A lot wrong with this Scarles should be in front of Cresswell but we shall see if Potter got something up his sleeve.

[Sir Alf]

Cresswell and Coufal ?  Both past it. 

[Any Old Iron]

Oh dear, this geezer seems to be just as clueless and negative as Lopenoclu. 
With that shitty line-up anything other than a heavy defeat would be a fucking miracle. 
And apart from anything else it’ll be yet another game in a long series that will be very hard to watch. 
As usual I feel for our long suffering travelling fans. 

[Sir Alf]

Heavy defeat incoming I think.

He probably feels he has to start defensively and try not to concede but that midfield wont be winning the middle of the pitch.

He doesnt have many options but Ings gawd help us. Its a championship level team aside from a couple of players. 

Think it might be another very long afternoon

[Maverick180180]

People keep saying I can’t see what else he could’ve done today 

SCARLES

[Alfs]

Given what's on  the bench I'm not sure who else GP could have picked to make it a stronger line up.  Ings maybe, but he's hardly prolific.

[twoleftfeet]

He had options, he just bottled it.

Back 4 of AWB, Alvarez, Kilman & Scarles

Midfield 3 of Soucek, Irving & Soler

Front 3 of Kudus, Ings & Paqueta

Alvarez at centre back , Watkins would run him ragged .

And Watkins won’t run Coufal ragged? At least Alvarez puts a tackle in.

[claypole]

How have we got to this? Considering the money spent 

[Maverick180180]

Scarles wins man of the match against Villa away 
subsequently gets dropped and isn’t even deemed good enough to play against Villa away 
is this cսnt Potter for real, does he have any idea why we were so bad under Lopetegui 

[Jaan Kenbrovin]

17th richest club in world football. Playing with 1 CB and 0 Strikers.

5-0 Villa.

[El Scorchio]

Hope Potter puts Coufal in at RWB this time. Was an awful decision to play him at CB in the cup game when AWB is so clearly the better defender. Perhaps Potter doesn't like the way Coufal tends to bring the ball up the field quickly rather than slowly pass backwards and sideways all the time.

 

 

That’s what I’d do. He’s got to have some pace on the back three or we are done. 

[Tomshardware]

Can only see a heavy defeat here with that lineup.

[Solidbond1]

He had options, he just bottled it.

Back 4 of AWB, Alvarez, Kilman & Scarles

Midfield 3 of Soucek, Irving & Soler

Front 3 of Kudus, Ings & Paqueta

Alvarez at centre back , Watkins would run him ragged .

[Takashi Miike]

five defenders again, zero width and no striker. why not fill the bench with goalkeepers, utter dogshit

[collyrob]

It’s an awful line up. But there’s not many options really. 1 available CB (who’s shit and allow) and  1 strikers (who’s shit and slow) . The squad is a mess 

[twoleftfeet]

He had options, he just bottled it.

Back 4 of AWB, Alvarez, Kilman & Scarles

Midfield 3 of Soucek, Irving & Soler

Front 3 of Kudus, Ings & Paqueta

[Jean-Luc Paul Goddard]

Hope Potter puts Coufal in at RWB this time. Was an awful decision to play him at CB in the cup game when AWB is so clearly the better defender. Perhaps Potter doesn't like the way Coufal tends to bring the ball up the field quickly rather than slowly pass backwards and sideways all the time.

[THUNDERCLINT]

That team has 7-0 Villa written all over it.