West Ham vs Spurs | PL | 4.5.25 | Predictions and Match Thread

[stubbo-admin]

There won't have been too many matches this season where we go in as relatively strong favourites with this bookies, but the game this weekend is one.

Big Ange and his mates come to town, in a game that is most notable (as a footballing spectacle) for being between two teams that can lay claim to having had the most disappointing seasons across all of European football.

Few would have predicted either would be languishing where they are before a ball was kicked, but we go into this game as the 'worst of the rest' with the relegation places sewn up (thank fuck) and all that's left to play for the worst kind of bragging rights.

Let's hope at the end of this one we can be claiming whilst we might be shit, we're not as shit as the Lilleywhites from North London.

Team I'd like to see:

Areola

Wan Bissaka Mavropanos Todibo Scarles

Soucek Alvarez Paqueta

Bowen Fullkrug Kudus

I'd have Kilman out for this one. He's made some high profile cock ups in recent weeks, and Mavropanos is deserving of the start. JWP has been an ever present non-entity so I'd have the fight brought by Alvarez back for this one in a game where we're likely to be on the counter, with Paqueta looking his best in games when he's dropped back to make the play.  Soucek remains our second most likely goal threat so has to play, and the forward line looks so much more functional with the big German in.

It feels an easy team to pick, with the only real conundrum Scarles or Emerson...but I'd bring the home grown talent in for this one...quite simply it will mean more to him.

Prediction: 1-1

Feels like this will be a game with added meaning this season purely for the lack of other interest. Spurs of course are still fighting in Europe, but whilst their fans claim it's our cup final not theirs, they always seem pretty bothered when we fuck them over.

But continuing the theme of an unsatisfactory season, I'm going for an unsatisfactory result that helps no one, leaves ol' Cock Piss firmly mired in the critics sights, and sees us continue to limp towards the 24/25 finish line. 

---

Match Centre:

Odds:
West Ham: 6/5
Draw: 13/5
Spurs: 2/1

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).
  

[onsideman]

The Nerds on Analytics United try to give a balanced account of the last game.  Like me, very long winded but some interesting insights. They end up questioning the fitness and recruitment which everyone has questioned.





 

I remember how truly excited these nerds were upon Potter's appointment so forgive me if I don't bother with this, Sir Alf. 

[Sir Alf]

The Nerds on Analytics United try to give a balanced account of the last game.  Like me, very long winded but some interesting insights. They end up questioning the fitness and recruitment which everyone has questioned.



 

[Massive Attack]

They could have borrowed 1 of Potter's small blankets to cover our entire defence there.  

Still, at least we don't concede early 1st anymore..

[Far Cough UKunt]

Pathetic.

That's the sort of thing you see with a Sunday pub league football team. As you say, pathetic.

[oioi]

Pathetic.

[southbankbornnbred]

I get no sense of professional insight or analysis from Partridge. Just stuff any fan could come up with.

I know he's not a fan of the media, because they've often asked him hurty questions rather than just listened to him "Alan" on or repeatedly gasp for air. So he's often on the back foot at press conferences, rather like his teams in games. I'd genuinely like to hear his analysis of a match - any match - when he's supposedly being a leader, in a professional environment, talking to his coaches and players.

[GBHammer63]

Brady has only ever had one senior level job. The old adage about 1 year’s experience 30 times over. Doesn’t count just being a glorified assistant. All this “businesswoman of the year” stuff has no substance. And Sullivan made a few bob in an industry where many would feel morally uncomfortable and a bit “grubby” then made his real money by investing his porno earnings in property.  Smart move but even Robbie Fowler became a multi millionaire via investing in property.  

We are the rank amateur club, run by amateurs.  But unfortunately nothing we can do about it but wait until Sullivan dies. Then hope again that his sons dont take over or that they have the sense to get professional help ( with running a club like a proper DOF )

Thats it. Try to outlive Sullivan is the only hope. 

 

He looks like most parts of him are dead already, so hopefully not too long.

[Sir Alf]

Brady has only ever had one senior level job. The old adage about 1 year’s experience 30 times over. Doesn’t count just being a glorified assistant. All this “businesswoman of the year” stuff has no substance. And Sullivan made a few bob in an industry where many would feel morally uncomfortable and a bit “grubby” then made his real money by investing his porno earnings in property.  Smart move but even Robbie Fowler became a multi millionaire via investing in property.  

We are the rank amateur club, run by amateurs.  But unfortunately nothing we can do about it but wait until Sullivan dies. Then hope again that his sons dont take over or that they have the sense to get professional help ( with running a club like a proper DOF )

Thats it. Try to outlive Sullivan is the only hope. 
 

[Fauxstralian]

Brady doesn’t care
Arsenal fan pocketing £2m a year to be an abysmal part time CEO
If she was on that comedy show she is on as a contestant ‘Sir’ Alan Sugar would have fired her years ago
 

[onsideman]

£1.5bn to curate the oldest, slowest squad in the division. What stellar business people 

[Keep dreaming]

we have been in a free fall more or less the past 3 years. Moyes spent 1,5b on an overaged first XI only fit to defend and counter. While Lopetegui and Steidten crashlanded their attempt to rectify this shit.

Has it occurred to someone here that we actually are plain shit.

[GBHammer63]

Sullivan and Brady have been sowing since they arrived, only luck that we haven’t reaped more.
They know that they cannot run a football club but don’t care a fuck so long as that shit hole is brimming, amazing to think it could have got this bad and unfortunately the support that keeps going only maintains Sullivans facade.

[Ladysmith]

To be fair Potter was spot on, Spurs scored against the run of play!

[Massive Attack]

"I actually thought we attacked too fast and turned the ball over too quick"

AAHAHAA!

Yeah Alan, you mad man, slow the fuck down won't you, we don't want to see any of that kind of front foot nonsense at our Club in such a derby. 

 

[Massive Attack]

The only time the Gutless wanker doesn't lose his bottle is when he's nervously sipping on one constantly during 1 of his laughable press conferences.

His revealing main ambition during the game was to "Disrupt Spurs" a Team without 9 1st Teamers rested in what is supposed to be a fierce London Derby. We should be concentrating more on ourselves taking it to them at Home especially with zero pressure on us to get a result. And he clearly brought the wrong size blanket again forgetting to cover his thick head as we conceded early yet again, something he claims he has rectified since coming in. Hah!


Just 3 more painful games to go.....

[Takashi Miike]

[Sydney_Iron]

A  of warm bothered from me!

This season cant end quick enough, fucking dire

[Massive Attack]

I've seen countless west ham sides . Being shorn of our best players . Including during the whole of January yet the same ones pointing out totts absences were silent when we had them then . 

Eh? We've had 9 absentees and many of them purposely left out the side in January?

[Pshyco scored all 4]

And that's no defence of us were shite .  

[Pshyco scored all 4]

I've seen countless west ham sides . Being shorn of our best players . Including during the whole of January yet the same ones pointing out totts absences were silent when we had them then . 

[Massive Attack]

Half strength Tottenham team & those that played had an eye on the Europa game obviously 





 

No Maddison, Solanke, Bentancur, Van der Ven, Udogie, Romero, Porro, Johnson, Bergvall (9 1st teamers) and yet we still struggle to beat them at Home and never looked like doing so.

Spurs were so relaxed in fact they only bothered to use 1 Sub and that was an Academy kid for Richarlison after an hour given a little run out, as we desperately scrambled to make all 5 without much of an impact. Truly inspiring stuff, Partridge. Pathetic. 

[Mex Martillo]

Can't remember the last manager we had who improved a player if I am honest.  Most of them now seem to have gone backwards.  Kilman looked ok for about three matches, Todibo was meant to be the next big thing, and Kudus is a shadow of what he was when he first came, same with Paqueta.  As Alf says below I thought Cresswell did ok today, as well as constantly talking he still has decent positional sense to compensate for the lack of legs.  I still cannot understand that when he was younger our best outlet was Antonio but as a club we have purchased a sucession of strikers totally the opposite to what Antonio gave.  It's absolutely baffling.  

Potter does worry me though.  Paqueta and Soucek as a midfield two?!  Lucky they weren't over run.  Soucek always has been slow but looks like he is running through treacle these days.  Yet again Todibo doesn't last a game and when it's 1-1 Potter again brings Coufal on in a position he isn't familiar with.  Just can't see his thinking half the time.

Add to that list JWP. Comes to as a well known scorer from set pieces and has never done that for us! That last free kick, I was sitting here thinking this is the moment to get that set piece goal and win us the match. I am fucking delusional!

[Mex Martillo]

This season just keeps on disappointing.
Thought Paquet never even touched their kid who fell over trying and succeeding to avoid Paqueta. Can that be a yellow? I think Paqueta was right to be pissed off.

[Massive Attack]

What was Paqueta doing when Oliver (who was diabolical) called him over after booking him & refused to come over?
He’d obviously said something after the booking as Bowen got called over by Oliver 
Easily could have sent him off and probably should have.
Wonder what odds a red card for him were?

 

Well this is Paqueta...

[zico]

Can't remember the last manager we had who improved a player if I am honest.  Most of them now seem to have gone backwards.  Kilman looked ok for about three matches, Todibo was meant to be the next big thing, and Kudus is a shadow of what he was when he first came, same with Paqueta.  As Alf says below I thought Cresswell did ok today, as well as constantly talking he still has decent positional sense to compensate for the lack of legs.  I still cannot understand that when he was younger our best outlet was Antonio but as a club we have purchased a sucession of strikers totally the opposite to what Antonio gave.  It's absolutely baffling.  

Potter does worry me though.  Paqueta and Soucek as a midfield two?!  Lucky they weren't over run.  Soucek always has been slow but looks like he is running through treacle these days.  Yet again Todibo doesn't last a game and when it's 1-1 Potter again brings Coufal on in a position he isn't familiar with.  Just can't see his thinking half the time.