Wolves Vs West Ham | PL | 1.4.25 | Predictions & Match Thread

[stubbo-admin]

Will update all the match day stuff in the next 24 hours. Until then...what do you predict the team and score will be?

For me....2-1 to West Ham.

---------


Match Centre:

Odds:
West Ham: 5/2
Draw: 47/20
Wolves: 31/20

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).
  

[Takashi Miike]

Last night’s starting eleven must have contained a subliminal message from Potter to the Board. It’s the only reason I can think of to explain the selection.

the subliminal message was "I want more defenders & central midfielders"

[nychammer]

"Yesterday most of the fans were crying for players to be given a chance, find out what they’ve got, try things and so on.
He does exactly that last night and the criticism comes,"



No one was asking for that fucking team, set up like that. Stop making fucking excuses, it's cringeworthy. The manager has a half a billion pound squad.

Central midfield has been our biggest problem, Stevie Wonder can see that, and from my own perspective, I was asking for Alvarez & Soler in central midfield along with Paqueta, not world beaters by any means but they can at least get about the pitch faster than snails pace and both at least try to look forward when passing. Neither started, however, you saw the difference second half when both were in there.

Would you swap our squad with Wolves'? No you fucking wouldn't, they looked like they were going down when their manager rocked up, they look much better than us now. We were 13th when Potter took over, looks like we might end up finishing 17th, one place behind Wolves.

He has Jarrod Bowen and Kudus at his disposal, and he's made the pair of them look like they wouldn't get in the Barnet team. Kudus didn't play last night, which is unfortunate for Potter, because he's been an easy scapegoat for our shit performances because he's been single handedly been trying to get us up the pitch to at least try to threaten the opposition goal, mostly getting doubled up on all game.

It's about time the excuses stop, and this manager is made accountable. He's had more than enough time to know who should be starting, and to produce so much better than what we are being punished with watching.


 

FFS he has a squad that he didn’t sign. Give the bloke a fair crack and some money to spend. No manager is going to transform us into euro contenders any time soon so stop expecting it. Yesterday’s second half was good, we just lack cutting teeth but we’ve known this for a few seasons. 

[Sir Alf]

Time for one of my diatribes ( appologies as always ).
Im still sticking with giving him a transfer window and a couple of months next season. More in hope than belief it can turnaroumd at this point.

I’ve driven most insane on this and other sites for years, and especially since Rice went, about central midfield being the key to transforming this squad.  

We would be better to spend most of our budget on this area imo as it will take 2 bery strong, fast, athletic players that run all day in there but they also need to possess good technique. Every team wants that type of player but us more than pretty much any other team.  Kante is one template but also a bigger physical presence that moves at speed.  Alvarez is worth keeping but needs one or both along side to start dominating the middle of the park.  

So by end of August, I will be hoping to see this profile of player brought in. If Macaulay or someone has unearthed a young unknown player or two that fit the profile then perfect we get them at a decent price but if not we will be looking at having to pay 35-50 million and big wages as its that important to build an “engine room” that can dominate most teams.  

If Potter or Sullivan go for a budget, “adequate” option then then the “writiings on the wall” for Potter. We simply cannot connect defence to attack by playing thru a press currently and are loathe to risk commiting enough players forward, we cannot press turnovers or cope with being pressed. It took putting 4 central midfielders on 2nd half to get some control in the middle last night but it left us with only 2 genuine attackers and unbalances the side. We need wing backs overloading down the flanks. All made impossible by not being able to cope with fast counters if we lose possession because we have no central midfielders who ate quick enough to do the chasimg back or recovery runs.  

Potter gets this area sorted and it will go a long way to making it possible for us to attack and create far more chances assuming he will stick to a controlled possession game. Actually having strong, fast ball carriers in the middle opens space and the opportunity to go forward, pinch possession and launch counters.  And far less of side to side and forward then back again as we try to slowly pull teams to make space and openings. Which doesnt work when teams sit deep and compact with 8 or 9 behind the ball.

Anyway, milestone one for me is pur summer business and failure to address our biggest weakness then its highly likely Potter is toast before xmas. I am hoping Potter proves a success but at this stage its hard to see without some big changes.

[goose]

I'm so bored of us being shit.
We were shit from Jan to May under Moyes, shit from August to Dec under Lopetegui, and now shit from Jan to May? under Potter.

We don't have that bad a team, why the fuck are we so poor all the time??

[Keep dreaming]

Yesterday most of the fans were crying for players to be given a chance, find out what they’ve got, try things and so on.
He does exactly that last night and the criticism comes,

Maybe Potter isnt the right man for West Ham, but fucking hell, who would be with the dross of players we have been gifted from the past 5 years of total neglect and beyond incomptence of player recruitment?
Could go on and on, but where we are at the moment, my views are:

1. Potter is an upgrade on Moyes and Lopetegui. His interviews are refreshingly upbeat. He is clearly trying new ideas. He is giving new players a go and he has stopped the rot.
Wether he stays or not after this season is only for Sullivan to know.
2. We havent got a mobil striker. This issue has been neglected for the past 5 years or so.
Fullkrug is a good player, but he is too old for the PL. Antonio wont return any younger, Bowen isnt a striker and Ferguson isnt even close to being a top PL player.
3. If our forwards were bad, out midfield is even worse. A group of slow paced, backpassing bunch of idiots.
Paqueta is a shodow of his best and probably on his way? Soler wasnt the player we hoped he would be, and wont be here in august. JWP is probably our best midfielder, and even hi is old and slow, which says it all about the rest of the midfield.
4. The defence is all over the place. Todibo is the exception, but we dont know if he is here in august.
5. Come august, we probably would need 7-10 new quality players to strenghten the XI. We all know that wont happen. Maybe 2-3 new players and a couple of loans.

Critizice Potter, but remember what he took over, and dont forget who put us in this position. We are now harvesting form the The "Sullivan, Brady, Allardyce, Steidten, Moyes, Lopetegui" era. And in the meantime, fans gets mad at eachother ...

COYI

 

without an argument, why do you think Potter is an upgrade on Moyes or Lopetegui? You also say he’s stopped the rot, what do you mean by that?

assuming you’re referring to the amount of goals we was letting in under them two then yes there’s improvement there, however, it’s come at the cost of destroying all attacking play. Potters picking up less points and scoring less goals than both managers.

It’s a solid fact that right now he’s doing a worse job, I believe that he can do much better than this, my issue is this constant praise he seems to keep getting for being so bad. People don’t get praised in the real world for doing a job badly for the simple reason that they’ll continue unless they get told what they’re doing isn’t good enough.

I admire you backing him, which I’ve got no problem with whatsoever, but I really don’t think he deserves the praise of being rated as doing a better job than the previous two managers and I really do think that until he gets given a reason to buck his ideas up, nothing is going to change.

I dont out and out back Potter, i just think its to early to call for his head. Criticism is all fair and square, but the emotions runs a bit to high!

[Trilby55]

It’s depressing . And I feel four weeks in to next season nothing will have changed .

[Eerie Decent]

Yeah, I think the message was 'I'm out of my depth'

[,]

Last night’s starting eleven must have contained a subliminal message from Potter to the Board. It’s the only reason I can think of to explain the selection.

[Maverick180180]

I'm fucking sick of reading "Not Potter's squad" etc 

That doesn't excuse the absolute shit negative football we've been playing under him... Yes our squad might be lacking but it's the same squad that Lopetegui had and he's averaging less points a game, so if he's so much better regardless of the squad he inherited he should be doing better than the bloke he replaced who he's far superior to right? 

Couldn’t agree with that more 

[Maverick180180]

Yesterday most of the fans were crying for players to be given a chance, find out what they’ve got, try things and so on.
He does exactly that last night and the criticism comes,

Maybe Potter isnt the right man for West Ham, but fucking hell, who would be with the dross of players we have been gifted from the past 5 years of total neglect and beyond incomptence of player recruitment?
Could go on and on, but where we are at the moment, my views are:

1. Potter is an upgrade on Moyes and Lopetegui. His interviews are refreshingly upbeat. He is clearly trying new ideas. He is giving new players a go and he has stopped the rot.
Wether he stays or not after this season is only for Sullivan to know.
2. We havent got a mobil striker. This issue has been neglected for the past 5 years or so.
Fullkrug is a good player, but he is too old for the PL. Antonio wont return any younger, Bowen isnt a striker and Ferguson isnt even close to being a top PL player.
3. If our forwards were bad, out midfield is even worse. A group of slow paced, backpassing bunch of idiots.
Paqueta is a shodow of his best and probably on his way? Soler wasnt the player we hoped he would be, and wont be here in august. JWP is probably our best midfielder, and even hi is old and slow, which says it all about the rest of the midfield.
4. The defence is all over the place. Todibo is the exception, but we dont know if he is here in august.
5. Come august, we probably would need 7-10 new quality players to strenghten the XI. We all know that wont happen. Maybe 2-3 new players and a couple of loans.

Critizice Potter, but remember what he took over, and dont forget who put us in this position. We are now harvesting form the The "Sullivan, Brady, Allardyce, Steidten, Moyes, Lopetegui" era. And in the meantime, fans gets mad at eachother ...

COYI

 

 

without an argument, why do you think Potter is an upgrade on Moyes or Lopetegui? You also say he’s stopped the rot, what do you mean by that?

assuming you’re referring to the amount of goals we was letting in under them two then yes there’s improvement there, however, it’s come at the cost of destroying all attacking play. Potters picking up less points and scoring less goals than both managers.

It’s a solid fact that right now he’s doing a worse job, I believe that he can do much better than this, my issue is this constant praise he seems to keep getting for being so bad. People don’t get praised in the real world for doing a job badly for the simple reason that they’ll continue unless they get told what they’re doing isn’t good enough.

I admire you backing him, which I’ve got no problem with whatsoever, but I really don’t think he deserves the praise of being rated as doing a better job than the previous two managers and I really do think that until he gets given a reason to buck his ideas up, nothing is going to change.

[Eerie Decent]

"Yesterday most of the fans were crying for players to be given a chance, find out what they’ve got, try things and so on.
He does exactly that last night and the criticism comes,"



No one was asking for that fucking team, set up like that. Stop making fucking excuses, it's cringeworthy. The manager has a half a billion pound squad.

Central midfield has been our biggest problem, Stevie Wonder can see that, and from my own perspective, I was asking for Alvarez & Soler in central midfield along with Paqueta, not world beaters by any means but they can at least get about the pitch faster than snails pace and both at least try to look forward when passing. Neither started, however, you saw the difference second half when both were in there.

Would you swap our squad with Wolves'? No you fucking wouldn't, they looked like they were going down when their manager rocked up, they look much better than us now. We were 13th when Potter took over, looks like we might end up finishing 17th, one place behind Wolves.

He has Jarrod Bowen and Kudus at his disposal, and he's made the pair of them look like they wouldn't get in the Barnet team. Kudus didn't play last night, which is unfortunate for Potter, because he's been an easy scapegoat for our shit performances because he's been single handedly been trying to get us up the pitch to at least try to threaten the opposition goal, mostly getting doubled up on all game.

It's about time the excuses stop, and this manager is made accountable. He's had more than enough time to know who should be starting, and to produce so much better than what we are being punished with watching.

 

[Takashi Miike]

Yesterday most of the fans were crying for players to be given a chance, find out what they’ve got, try things and so on.
He does exactly that last night and the criticism comes,




 

Reminds me of Allardyce being asked to play some of the younger players now and then so he throws them all together in a cup game to show us why he shouldn't play them at all. 

People want to see Guilherme given a start but instead of having experienced players around him, Potter puts him where he has to try to link up with two other youngsters: Scarles on the left and Ferguson up front.

People were tired of Potter playing 2-3 DMs ahead of a back 5 so instead of just keeping Alvarez there he puts JWP and Paqueta in as a midfield 2, allowing the other team to dominate the midfield. 

The criticism is deserved.

it's clear he hasn't got a fucking clue what he's doing. one game recently, and I can't remember which because they all blur in to a mediocre blob of shit, he had alvarez as the most advanced of the three CMs. I can be patient if I think he's doing his best to improve things, but not when the cսnt is as arrogant as this prick. just over one goal a game at brighton, and playing this defensively/negatively? it's unsustainable

[THUNDERCLINT]

West Ham fans have got to be amongst the most astute when it comes to spotting mangerial frauds. The fact so many can see through this one 11 games in is damning.

If the break clause rumour isn't true the only way we out him is to break him, shouldn't be hard the flake is nothing more than a thimble full of talent floating in an ocean of ego.

[Keep dreaming]

Yesterday most of the fans were crying for players to be given a chance, find out what they’ve got, try things and so on.
He does exactly that last night and the criticism comes,



 

Reminds me of Allardyce being asked to play some of the younger players now and then so he throws them all together in a cup game to show us why he shouldn't play them at all. 

People want to see Guilherme given a start but instead of having experienced players around him, Potter puts him where he has to try to link up with two other youngsters: Scarles on the left and Ferguson up front.

People were tired of Potter playing 2-3 DMs ahead of a back 5 so instead of just keeping Alvarez there he puts JWP and Paqueta in as a midfield 2, allowing the other team to dominate the midfield. 

The criticism is deserved.

What you are sying is that criticism would come nevertheless.

[Jean-Luc Paul Goddard]

Yesterday most of the fans were crying for players to be given a chance, find out what they’ve got, try things and so on.
He does exactly that last night and the criticism comes,


 

Reminds me of Allardyce being asked to play some of the younger players now and then so he throws them all together in a cup game to show us why he shouldn't play them at all. 

People want to see Guilherme given a start but instead of having experienced players around him, Potter puts him where he has to try to link up with two other youngsters: Scarles on the left and Ferguson up front.

People were tired of Potter playing 2-3 DMs ahead of a back 5 so instead of just keeping Alvarez there he puts JWP and Paqueta in as a midfield 2, allowing the other team to dominate the midfield. 

The criticism is deserved.

[Keep dreaming]

Indeed, and the first half was just as bad as it gets. Boys against men.
Second half though, should have had a penalty and two open game goals. Would the tone been different then maybe?

All in all, i really dont think that any other manager in the world would be able to turn the quality nor the mindset into the majority of our shit squad.

[fraser]

I'm fucking sick of reading "Not Potter's squad" etc 

That doesn't excuse the absolute shit negative football we've been playing under him... Yes our squad might be lacking but it's the same squad that Lopetegui had and he's averaging less points a game, so if he's so much better regardless of the squad he inherited he should be doing better than the bloke he replaced who he's far superior to right? 

[Rossal]

Yesterday most of the fans were crying for players to be given a chance, find out what they’ve got, try things and so on.
He does exactly that last night and the criticism comes,

Maybe Potter isnt the right man for West Ham, but fucking hell, who would be with the dross of players we have been gifted from the past 5 years of total neglect and beyond incomptence of player recruitment?
Could go on and on, but where we are at the moment, my views are:

1. Potter is an upgrade on Moyes and Lopetegui. His interviews are refreshingly upbeat. He is clearly trying new ideas. He is giving new players a go and he has stopped the rot.
Wether he stays or not after this season is only for Sullivan to know.
2. We havent got a mobil striker. This issue has been neglected for the past 5 years or so.
Fullkrug is a good player, but he is too old for the PL. Antonio wont return any younger, Bowen isnt a striker and Ferguson isnt even close to being a top PL player.
3. If our forwards were bad, out midfield is even worse. A group of slow paced, backpassing bunch of idiots.
Paqueta is a shodow of his best and probably on his way? Soler wasnt the player we hoped he would be, and wont be here in august. JWP is probably our best midfielder, and even hi is old and slow, which says it all about the rest of the midfield.
4. The defence is all over the place. Todibo is the exception, but we dont know if he is here in august.
5. Come august, we probably would need 7-10 new quality players to strenghten the XI. We all know that wont happen. Maybe 2-3 new players and a couple of loans.

Critizice Potter, but remember what he took over, and dont forget who put us in this position. We are now harvesting form the The "Sullivan, Brady, Allardyce, Steidten, Moyes, Lopetegui" era. And in the meantime, fans gets mad at eachother ...

COYI

But thats my point below, JWP and Paqueta are more than capable of playing forward. So is Mavro and Kilman etc.... 

Of the starting 11 last night, only Ferguson, Bowen and Mavro were on international duty. So he has had 2 weeks working with the majority of that 11 and thats the best he can come up with?  its fucking shit. 

We're acting like he has been left with the squad Avram Grant had.  The fact that JWP only passes sideways and Paqueta was awful is on Potter, don't make excuses about the rest of the season etc. He has been there long enough to change it. He is either a shit coach or they aren't listening to him. Either way next season is looking bleak already. 

[southbankbornnbred]

"He needs time, of course. He hasn’t even signed a player he wants. So he needs transfer windows to get rid of so many poor players."


He signed Ferguson and can't get a tune out of him.  He has some good players, players that can be far better than what he is getting out of them. That's the issue for us.  He needs to shape the squad more to his liking but lets not pretend like he has a basket case squad here that can't score against the likes of Palace, Newcastle, Wolves and Brentford. 

Can’t argue with the idea that Ferguson has been a miserable loan deal for us.

But there’s no “pretending” that we can’t score against the likes of Wolves, Ross: we’ve literally just watched it happen.

Last night was like having pins inserted into our eyes. Dismal. He has got a lot of work to do, and he has to start showing some coaching/tactical improvements.

[Keep dreaming]

Yesterday most of the fans were crying for players to be given a chance, find out what they’ve got, try things and so on.
He does exactly that last night and the criticism comes,

Maybe Potter isnt the right man for West Ham, but fucking hell, who would be with the dross of players we have been gifted from the past 5 years of total neglect and beyond incomptence of player recruitment?
Could go on and on, but where we are at the moment, my views are:

1. Potter is an upgrade on Moyes and Lopetegui. His interviews are refreshingly upbeat. He is clearly trying new ideas. He is giving new players a go and he has stopped the rot.
Wether he stays or not after this season is only for Sullivan to know.
2. We havent got a mobil striker. This issue has been neglected for the past 5 years or so.
Fullkrug is a good player, but he is too old for the PL. Antonio wont return any younger, Bowen isnt a striker and Ferguson isnt even close to being a top PL player.
3. If our forwards were bad, out midfield is even worse. A group of slow paced, backpassing bunch of idiots.
Paqueta is a shodow of his best and probably on his way? Soler wasnt the player we hoped he would be, and wont be here in august. JWP is probably our best midfielder, and even hi is old and slow, which says it all about the rest of the midfield.
4. The defence is all over the place. Todibo is the exception, but we dont know if he is here in august.
5. Come august, we probably would need 7-10 new quality players to strenghten the XI. We all know that wont happen. Maybe 2-3 new players and a couple of loans.

Critizice Potter, but remember what he took over, and dont forget who put us in this position. We are now harvesting form the The "Sullivan, Brady, Allardyce, Steidten, Moyes, Lopetegui" era. And in the meantime, fans gets mad at eachother ...

COYI

[Django]

The midfield again was the main issue. The three at back will only work when we get some dynamism in there. I don’t know why weve hardly ever seen soler soucek and paquetta as a three. The Newcastle game is the only one where looked solid and inventive in there. Granted we got torn apart the game after but JWP and alverez offer so little from a an attacking perspective. 
 

[Rossal]

"He needs time, of course. He hasn’t even signed a player he wants. So he needs transfer windows to get rid of so many poor players."


He signed Ferguson and can't get a tune out of him.  He has some good players, players that can be far better than what he is getting out of them. That's the issue for us.  He needs to shape the squad more to his liking but lets not pretend like he has a basket case squad here that can't score against the likes of Palace, Newcastle, Wolves and Brentford. 

[southbankbornnbred]

Got to agree with those last few posts.

The sport has become really fucking dull below the very best teams. Turgid, slow, repetitive, risk-free, nervy shit. And we’re one of those sides, there’s no escaping it.

I’m afraid Potter has imported the biggest problem he had at Chelsea: his teams are shot shy. It’s depressing and predictable to watch.

He needs time, of course. He hasn’t even signed a player he wants. So he needs transfer windows to get rid of so many poor players.

But he also needs to buck up his ideas. His approach is too negative and too fucking dull for my eyes. Asking us to pay a small fortune to watch that is going to be a challenge!

[Takashi Miike]

I went last night and fucking hell modern day football is dire. It's play not to lose, not play to win, playing out from the back is suicidal when you're west ham or wolves we inevitably kick it long anyway. Sideways and backwards all night, no wonder half the premier league teams can't find a striker, there's none being produced anymore because every midfielder is a fucking robot, run,stop,go back rinse and repeat.these players are completely average JWP is a robot huffs puffs plays an easy ball to the centre half or full back, gets it back plays to the next centre half. Thought he was this ball playing set piece magician? His corners don't beat the 1st man. It's not just West Ham it's the premier league in general, I've been a few times this season and it's bored the arse out of me from both teams Wolves are shit and so are we. It'll be rinse and repeat for years, the 3 that come up will go down and Liverpool or City will win the league and the cups, and everyone else will play this shit modern football that doesn't go anywhere, I'd love a maverick type of manager that shakes the whole thing up, but Potter deserves a window or 2 and see what he can do.    

 

 

spot on, and apparently he wants a footballing goalkeeper so we can spend even more time passing it around in our own half. it's turgid depressing shit

[GBHammer63]

Here’s an idea, why not come out of the blocks at the start of a game and actually try to win the fucking thing, manager after manager has been too cautious and frightened to let the team make a mistake, Potter has to take a bit of the blame but it really does go to show what a shit state Sullivan let Moyes leave us in. How many rebuilds are needed?
Not having a go at teams ain’t my West Ham and the sooner this manager realises the quicker he’ll have all the support behind him.
With the squad we have (even though it’s predominantly Moyes doings) Potter is only getting marked a D so far from me. Ant wait for this boring season to be done with just to be entertained by more of Sullys lies and manipulation when the transfer window opens.