West Ham vs Leicester City | 27.2.25 | League | Predictions & Match Thread

[stubbo-admin]

Match Centre:

Odds:
West Ham: 4/6
Draw: 16/5
Leicester City: 9/2


Pre-Match Press Conference:
Official Press Conference


Tactical Preview: 
Babbling Irons


Watch-along:
Hammers Chat


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]

Personally I don't want to see a Back 4.  Potter has always (pretty much) favoured a back 3 with aggressive wing backs, and no reason that shouldn't continue.

We look more secure with a Back 3 and have the personel to make it work...and in reality, the 'In Posession' shape in a back 3 is no different to a back 4....3-2-2-3.  The debate is whether your wing backs in a Back 3 are able to offer suitable attacking contribution to not just be seen as 'defenders getting forwards'. 

The debate for me is more about midfield composition...as one of the nerds channels was saying....we lack an effective two-man pivot, as no combination of two really gives us a complete unit (in the way that Alvarez + JWP + Soucek does). 

To play Ferguson, either one of them has to drop, or you have to ask Scarles and AWB to drop in as a centre back to get the 3-2-2-3 shape in posession when the other side is pushing forwards.

I'd have a go without Soucek, but I can see the argument for keeping things the same.



 

 

fair point you make 

but I do feel that every time we’ve played with 4 at the back this season, the problem hasn’t been the formation but rather the players selected to do it 
I think the Villa cup game is an example of us playing with 4 at the back with the strongest line up available and was working really well until the injuries kicked in, in that game 
but we haven’t tried that since 
instead it’s only been tried with players playing out of position or dross like Rodriguez brought back into the side

We played three at the back in that cup game with Scarles and Sullerville as the wing backs with Kilman Mav and AWB as the three, unless I’m mistaken

[El Scorchio]

Personally I don't want to see a Back 4.  Potter has always (pretty much) favoured a back 3 with aggressive wing backs, and no reason that shouldn't continue.

We look more secure with a Back 3 and have the personel to make it work...and in reality, the 'In Posession' shape in a back 3 is no different to a back 4....3-2-2-3.  The debate is whether your wing backs in a Back 3 are able to offer suitable attacking contribution to not just be seen as 'defenders getting forwards'. 

The debate for me is more about midfield composition...as one of the nerds channels was saying....we lack an effective two-man pivot, as no combination of two really gives us a complete unit (in the way that Alvarez + JWP + Soucek does). 

To play Ferguson, either one of them has to drop, or you have to ask Scarles and AWB to drop in as a centre back to get the 3-2-2-3 shape in posession when the other side is pushing forwards.

I'd have a go without Soucek, but I can see the argument for keeping things the same.



 

 

 

 

 

 

Totally agree. He’s made it clear a three is his preferred way and it seems to work pretty well. The only time I recall a 4 was for Brentford and it was terrible. Three all the way for me, as long as the CM combo can work. 

[Maverick180180]

big game for us (and them) and one we really need to win. I think Ferguson needs to start, at home we need that focal point upfront.

would be nice to end the season with some momentum.

Having spent the first half of the season arguing with you, I now fully agree with you

[Sir Alf]

Problem of a slow central midfield comes into play when we are at home against teams that sit deep.  We have to play 3 in there to compensate and as qe saw against Brentford second half and against Palace we struggle to break teams down.

Having Ferguson this time might help but he’s still not match fit. He will need 3 or so games to get that and at the same time need to avoid injury reoccurrance which often happens after long spells out. Yes he’s training and had one full half but its not the same as regular 90 mins.

Kudus more central again might help although he thrives on space and Leicester will put 9 or so behind the ball to try and deny that. We ultimately need Ferguson to hold it up and feed to Bowen and Kudus or maybe wing backs AWB and Scarles to overload down the flanks. But if there is a turnover who in midfield has the legs to get back or get over to cover? Todibo might help in that respect as he’s quite quick for a CB

In short, just because we beat Arsenal using a low block and counter it doesnt mean that will work at home against Leicester so we will need to take risks pushing players forward. Hopefully we have a few players like Todibo, Ferguson this time to prevent costly turnovers and to provide covering should they spring a fast counter because that is our weakness and has been for a long while going back to BFS

 

[goose]

big game for us (and them) and one we really need to win. I think Ferguson needs to start, at home we need that focal point upfront.

would be nice to end the season with some momentum.

[Maverick180180]

Personally I don't want to see a Back 4.  Potter has always (pretty much) favoured a back 3 with aggressive wing backs, and no reason that shouldn't continue.

We look more secure with a Back 3 and have the personel to make it work...and in reality, the 'In Posession' shape in a back 3 is no different to a back 4....3-2-2-3.  The debate is whether your wing backs in a Back 3 are able to offer suitable attacking contribution to not just be seen as 'defenders getting forwards'. 

The debate for me is more about midfield composition...as one of the nerds channels was saying....we lack an effective two-man pivot, as no combination of two really gives us a complete unit (in the way that Alvarez + JWP + Soucek does). 

To play Ferguson, either one of them has to drop, or you have to ask Scarles and AWB to drop in as a centre back to get the 3-2-2-3 shape in posession when the other side is pushing forwards.

I'd have a go without Soucek, but I can see the argument for keeping things the same.


 

 

 

fair point you make 

but I do feel that every time we’ve played with 4 at the back this season, the problem hasn’t been the formation but rather the players selected to do it 
I think the Villa cup game is an example of us playing with 4 at the back with the strongest line up available and was working really well until the injuries kicked in, in that game 
but we haven’t tried that since 
instead it’s only been tried with players playing out of position or dross like Rodriguez brought back into the side

[Russ of the BML]

Taking my daughter to this one. Her first game under Potter since we got rid of Loppy. Just hoping for a good atmosphere, good performance, good result, lots of goals scored by us, and goals scored by Bowen and Kudus (her favourites). 

Not hoping for much am I?

[stubbo]

Personally I don't want to see a Back 4.  Potter has always (pretty much) favoured a back 3 with aggressive wing backs, and no reason that shouldn't continue.

We look more secure with a Back 3 and have the personel to make it work...and in reality, the 'In Posession' shape in a back 3 is no different to a back 4....3-2-2-3.  The debate is whether your wing backs in a Back 3 are able to offer suitable attacking contribution to not just be seen as 'defenders getting forwards'. 

The debate for me is more about midfield composition...as one of the nerds channels was saying....we lack an effective two-man pivot, as no combination of two really gives us a complete unit (in the way that Alvarez + JWP + Soucek does). 

To play Ferguson, either one of them has to drop, or you have to ask Scarles and AWB to drop in as a centre back to get the 3-2-2-3 shape in posession when the other side is pushing forwards.

I'd have a go without Soucek, but I can see the argument for keeping things the same.
 

[Percy Dalton]

If we let this lot do the double over us I'm saying the cesspit is definitely jinxed.

[Maverick180180]

The formation against Arsenal is designed to play against a team that’s gonna have the majority of the ball,
could still work against Leicester as they’re so shit 
but ideally we should be bringing in Ferguson for his first start and going back to a back four 

[El Scorchio]

I like that team as well. I have an inkling that Soucek starts though, for some reason.

FWIW I was listening to a podcast with Mark Noble on it the other day- good listen. Said bar none Soucek is the worst dresser at the club. Random tracksuit every day, top at trousers not even matching, does not give a fuck. Good lad. You can take the boy out of Eastern Europe and all that

[wils]

Well surely we can't fuck this up.  Leicester in miserable form.  RVN looking like the worst managerial change since Real Madrid stuck Lopetegui in charge...and we've just derailed number 41s latest silverware hunt.

Reckon this will be a home win, but tighter than we'd like, with Potter still trying to get a tune out of us when on the front foot.

Prediction: Home win - 2-1 (Ferguson, Bowen; Vardy)

Lineup:

Hard to see much changing after the weekend, but maybe (just maybe) Ferguson comes in for Soucek:

Areola

Todibo  Kilman  Cresswell

AWB  Ward-Prowse  Alvarez  Scarles

Bowen (c)  Kudus

Ferguson

Subs:
Fabianski, Mavropanos, Emerson, Soucek, Irving, Soler, Guilherme, Ings, Rodriguez

COYI!

 

I quite like this team and would go with the same score prediction. I must admit I am quite enjoying Paqueta not being in the team. His over ambition and sloppiness frustrates me too much. I feel his absence allowed us to get that win over the line last week despite Mavropanos' best efforts to scupper it.

Been enjoying the games again recently so looking forward to this tonight.

[twoleftfeet]

I imagine Leicester will try and do to us what we did to Arsenal which is low block and try and break on the counter and sneak a goal.

An early goal for us will make it a totally different game.

I would like Ferguson in for Soucek but I wouldn't be unhappy with an unchanged side.

3-0

[BRANDED]

We’ve been so poor at home that I’m not confident.

[honky cat]

Same as arsenal. I don't think it's boring and cautious as AWB and scarles are well able to get forward. It's not Moyesball. I'd like to see Ferguson get a proper go at this. I think he is staying next season regardless. 
It's not a must win, but it is for potters credibility and the poor bastards who have been paying and going over there all season.


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[Mike Oxsaw]

We are absolutely NOT in danger of relegation - even the maths suggests that the universe will end before that happens.

On that basis, we should be able to open up and play a bit.

I'm going against the cautious on here: couple of nerve settling early goals, at least 3-0 by half time and a second half stroll, blooding a few more of the youth and at least 3 more goals.

[fraser]

I didn't see the game Sunday just the highlights. 

I would keep the back three though as we've looked good away with it and absolutely shit with a four. It will be more a three than a five against Leicester though with Scarles and AWB more forward than back. Don't want to do what we did against Brentford leaving Vardy lots of space in behind. 

I'd take out Soucek and replace with someone more attacking, I'd rather it be Guilherme than Ferguson just because he's our player but it won't and Ferguson will do 

I expect us to win, just hope we can click at home for once because it has been painful over there. 

[Takashi Miike]

the goldfish brain of some on here is unbelievable. kudus/bowen in a 4-2-3-1 never fucking works, but you want him to try it again? other than the brazilian youngster, who for whatever reason isn't allowed to start games, we have no option for the left side other than kudus who hates it. I'm all for dropping one of the three CMs but I just don't see soucek being dropped, and it's a backwards step taking ward prowse out of the team after such a good display. no, I'd go again with the same team, and if we need more ammunition up top, bring on brighton's player

[Manuel]

We need to be careful in this one and not get carried away. I would start the same team and be cautious. 

Little wonder you loved Moyes coming out with that claptrap. Watching in front of your tv I assume? What about the 50 odd thousand that have been bored to tears for two years at home games?? Spare a thought for them, no? Careful and cautious, Leicester at home? Not for me.

[Manuel]

I agree in regard to Ferguson and although it's hard to see anyone from Saturday being dropped, we surely won't be going out again with 5 across the back and only 2 up front as we did against Arsenal?  so a strong case for Fergusen to start IMO

I would be dropping Cresswell, and NOT Scarles and staring a 4,3,3 with Bowen, Kudus and Fergusen leading the line, AWB, Kilman and Todibo have nailed down starts unless injury is a factor.

The midfield 3 i would keep as is as well after the Arsenal game, JWP, Soucek and Alverez 

Agree. Leave out the old fella, bring in Ferguson and tweak the system. It's Leicester at home ffs. Respect them, yes, but come on we need to be going for this.

[Mex Martillo]

Thanks Stubbo

[Mex Martillo]

We need to be careful in this one and not get carried away. I would start the same team and be cautious. I haven't forgotten our trip there. They sat back and got us 3 times on the counter. We had about 30+ shots on goal, but struggled to get a goal. They will try the same on us, I feel it'll be a frustrating evening that won't be an easy win. Potter and team will be up for it though.

[Sydney_Iron]

I agree in regard to Ferguson and although it's hard to see anyone from Saturday being dropped, we surely won't be going out again with 5 across the back and only 2 up front as we did against Arsenal?  so a strong case for Fergusen to start IMO

I would be dropping Cresswell, and NOT Scarles and staring a 4,3,3 with Bowen, Kudus and Fergusen leading the line, AWB, Kilman and Todibo have nailed down starts unless injury is a factor.

The midfield 3 i would keep as is as well after the Arsenal game, JWP, Soucek and Alverez 

[Manuel]

I'm expecting nothing less than a win, I doubt it will be a thrashing though. I see that Leicester have sacked and brought in two new coaches, so that might make a difference to them.

I hope Ferguson starts, if not you would have to wonder what the point was.

2-1

[Alfs]

3 - 0 is 14/1.  I'm having some of that!!