West Ham vs Fulham | PL | 27.12.25 | Prediction and Match Thread

[stubbo-admin]

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Match Centre: 

Live data by Scoreaxis

 Odds: 
WHU: 9/5
Draw: 5/2
Fulham: 17/10

 Pre-Match Press Conference: 
Official Site

 Match Preview: 
Analytics United

 Watch-along:
Hammers Chat

Streams:

Sport+

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Well in the post-Christmas haze, we gear up for a game that is absolutely massive.

The first of a run of 6 matches that will determine if we're in the fight to stay up, or prepping for the Championship, West Ham host Fulham in what really is a must win.

Whilst the visitors have had a poor start to the season, they're an established side that know what they're doing, have a manager who has firmly embedded his way of playing on the Club with an enviable attacking outlook, and they played us off the park in recent times.

West Ham no longer have Fullkrug for a selection option with his deal to Milan sewn up. Diouf and Wan Bissaka remains away at AFCON, but other than that there are no lingering injuries or selection issues, although Scarles was withdrawn in precaution in the last game.

Predicted LineUp.

Areola

KWP. Mavropanos. Todibo. Scarles

Magassa

Fernandes.  Paqueta

Bowen.           Wilson.       Summerville

Subs:Hermansen, Myers, Kilman, Potts, Rodriguez, Irving, Soucek, Earthy, Marshall

Predicted Result:

West Ham 2 - 1 Fulham
(Bowen, Paqueta pen)

A win feels a long time ago, and I don't expect this to be a pretty performance but more in hope than expectation think we'll scrape this over the line....more because of how desperately we need it. 

COYI.

[Tomsdad]

These next five games are a great chance to get us up the league. A few players in and who knows where we could be.

Starts today. 2-1.
 

[Sir Alf]

Nuno is failing like the previous 3 but changing him will make little difference imo. Tactics are the lesser part of the problem to the appalling squad. Only diffrrence migyt be with someone like Bielsa ( bloke at Leeds a few years back) there would be a lot more excitment and goals for the neutral but our goals conceded would almost certainly increase a lot more than goals scored. Imo. A Payet like purchase in Jan the last hope so basically were fvcked I think unless there is some devine lije turnaround in performance and we get everything go our way

”The end is nigh, abandon all hope”.

[Takashi Miike]

Picture of Crackheads typical Trainining Ground shooting drill practice..




 

[fraser]

Bowen is by far our best player, not the walking liability. 

What div called Bowen a liability?

Nobody you div..  

[Keep dreaming]

Bowen is by far our best player, not the walking liability. 

What div called Bowen a liability?

[Massive Attack]

Picture of Crackheads typical Trainining Ground shooting drill practice..



 

[Takashi Miike]

until he starts showing as much dedication to scoring goals, as sitting back, I'll remain convinced we're going down. parking the bus, week after week, doesn't build momentum

[Massive Attack]

People could cut Crackhead a fair bit of slack with not beating the likes of Arsenal, Man Utd, losing to Villa and yet I remember vividly that even the hapless twat Potter managed to convincingly beat both Arsenal and Man Utd away, as well as a draw away at Villa this same calendar year.

That's how bad Crackhead has done thus far with much of the same players. Just 2 poxy wins against a horrific newly promoted Club and a win against an out of form Newcastle Team both at Home and no results against any of the better Teams bar the Man Utd draw. Fucking pathetic.

[Fauxstralian]

To get any sort of momentum in these next 4 crucial games we have to win today
Unless we win 3 of the next 4 I suspect we will be 10+ pts from safety and looking right down the barrel 
To that end Wilson has to play so that Bowen isn’t the only goal threat. If we are ever to keep a clean sheet then Kilman can’t play
A back 4 & a striker … it’s not rocket science 
COYI

[Come On You Irons]

CoYi its opinions. Imo we play better away but you’re right his only wins have been at home. Loss wise, we’ve lost to Leeds, Arsenal and City away ( the latter 2 not a shock any season) but lost to Brentford, Palace, Villa, Liverpool at home and home is supposed to be where you get you’re points. Leeds if they stay up will survive on home form. Thats the point but time will tell. 

The Palace defeat was under Potter.

Under Nuno we are 2 wins and 3 defeats from 5 games at home and 4 draws and 3 defeats in 7 games away, so the home form is undeniably better than the away from under him.

It was under pathetic Potter that our home form really sucked.

[Sir Alf]

Stats being stats, you could also look at the season overall and our home form then looks even worse factoring in the Potter era.  Its been a long long while since anyone felt confident we will win a home game hasnt it while away we seem to have picked up points.  Just my perception. 

[Massive Attack]

Bowen is by far our best player, not the walking liability. 

[Sir Alf]

CoYi its opinions. Imo we play better away but you’re right his only wins have been at home. Loss wise, we’ve lost to Leeds, Arsenal and City away ( the latter 2 not a shock any season) but lost to Brentford, Palace, Villa, Liverpool at home and home is supposed to be where you get you’re points. Leeds if they stay up will survive on home form. Thats the point but time will tell. 

[Come On You Irons]

Word on the street is that the baffling Nuno is starting calamity Kilman and not starting Wilson. In a game we need to win. If so the man has lost his fucking mind. 

Explain that to me please someone. 

This is a manager who thinks his fellow Portuguese native speaker Paqueta is our best player and thus considers him undroppable/ first on the team sheet.

Any manager with balls and anything about them would have dropped the liability long ago.

[Nick QQQ2]

Today is an absolute must win if we want any chance of staying up.  If Bowen turns up we win this one but it will be edgy in the bowl.   

[Mad Ferret]

Fancy us.

Nervy 2-1

[Come On You Irons]

The Bowl seems to be a curse. Nuno’s tactics although probably ( imo only ) best suited to the very limited ( criminal ) number of squad options we have, means we are better suited to away games or teams that do not sit deep with numbers behind the ball. We are so limited in terms of goalscorers with the over reliance on Bowen and our back four ( CBs particularly ) always concede a goal.  A recipe for relegation that has been a constant since the last 18 months of the Moyes era.

Again only imo, the Jan window has come too late to fix the lack of central strikers and fixing central defence with a better/physical/more athletic/reliable CB than Kilman or Mavro. Albeit, on this subject of playing Kilman over Mavro,  the only conclusion for me is it should never have been attempted by Nuno. Mavro will have a rickett every few games but does compete, is quicker than than tortoise like Kilman and competes far better in the air.  Kilman reminds me of how Michael Keene ‘s career and reputation fell apart although interestingly has been revived recently under the coaching of Alan Irvine at Everton. 

Anyway, we will likely have to rely on an apprentice LB in Mayers too so wouldnt be surprised if we see a back 5 which will piss off those fans who think we should attack, attack, attack. Callum Wilson probably wont start and we have to rely on Paqueta not being over indulgent and losing possession or attempting too many Hollywood passes. The sad truth is that, paradoxically, he is the one player that can create chances. 3 dispossessions or turnovers for every chance creating pass is the trade off though and I guess why Moyes used to say he was such a frustrating player.  

Over 90 mins you have to use you’re bench nowadays as most midfielders or central strikers find it impossible to not tire by 60-70 mins and thats ultimately where Nuno has no options. Although I would say not picking or using Earthy or Fearon ( who have pace and legs ) over the useless Guido, Soucek and Irvine will be a “we will never know” shadow that hangs over Nuno’s tenure.

Moreover, we need all the “marginals” to start going our way. Ref decisions and VAR, injuries. rebounds, avoid sending offs or giving away penalties and every player playing at peak level.  Previous seasons that has often been the case but this season very little has gone our way to allow us to blag some results evrn when undeserved. I can only recall the Bournemouth away game where we stole a point. Then again, if youve got a decent squad, well coached and balanced you dont rely on “ luck” or the margins. Unfortunately we do.

Most frustrating thing will be going ahead only to draw so thats what I expect because that will see our relegation resemble “death by a thousand cuts” which is what this season feels like.   Im resigned to going down and will be ok with Championship football as Ive experienced all our previous relegations but while mathematically possible I like most will be tortured mercilessly by that thing called “hope”

Is that why Nuno's only two wins in his 12 games have been at home and why he hasn't won in all 7 away games he has overseen since he came in?

You don't half talk some shit.

[Vexed]

Word on the street is that the baffling Nuno is starting calamity Kilman and not starting Wilson. In a game we need to win. If so the man has lost his fucking mind. 

Explain that to me please someone. 

[Massive Attack]

Think Wilson ought to start this one at the expense of Paqueta.

Feels like the kind of game we win by the odd goal with both teams scoring.

In Crackheads 12 games in charge he has only started Wilson 5 times consecutively and most of them were our best performances of the season as a Team so far.

H Newcastle - W
H Burnley - W
A Bournemouth - D
H Liverpool - L
A Man Utd - D

Joke he hasn't started him more, in particular Leeds, Brentford, Everton, Villa games. Blatantly been caught shagging his other half in 1 of the Portakabins. 

[Sir Alf]

The Bowl seems to be a curse. Nuno’s tactics although probably ( imo only ) best suited to the very limited ( criminal ) number of squad options we have, means we are better suited to away games or teams that do not sit deep with numbers behind the ball. We are so limited in terms of goalscorers with the over reliance on Bowen and our back four ( CBs particularly ) always concede a goal.  A recipe for relegation that has been a constant since the last 18 months of the Moyes era.

Again only imo, the Jan window has come too late to fix the lack of central strikers and fixing central defence with a better/physical/more athletic/reliable CB than Kilman or Mavro. Albeit, on this subject of playing Kilman over Mavro,  the only conclusion for me is it should never have been attempted by Nuno. Mavro will have a rickett every few games but does compete, is quicker than than tortoise like Kilman and competes far better in the air.  Kilman reminds me of how Michael Keene ‘s career and reputation fell apart although interestingly has been revived recently under the coaching of Alan Irvine at Everton. 

Anyway, we will likely have to rely on an apprentice LB in Mayers too so wouldnt be surprised if we see a back 5 which will piss off those fans who think we should attack, attack, attack. Callum Wilson probably wont start and we have to rely on Paqueta not being over indulgent and losing possession or attempting too many Hollywood passes. The sad truth is that, paradoxically, he is the one player that can create chances. 3 dispossessions or turnovers for every chance creating pass is the trade off though and I guess why Moyes used to say he was such a frustrating player.  

Over 90 mins you have to use you’re bench nowadays as most midfielders or central strikers find it impossible to not tire by 60-70 mins and thats ultimately where Nuno has no options. Although I would say not picking or using Earthy or Fearon ( who have pace and legs ) over the useless Guido, Soucek and Irvine will be a “we will never know” shadow that hangs over Nuno’s tenure.

Moreover, we need all the “marginals” to start going our way. Ref decisions and VAR, injuries. rebounds, avoid sending offs or giving away penalties and every player playing at peak level.  Previous seasons that has often been the case but this season very little has gone our way to allow us to blag some results evrn when undeserved. I can only recall the Bournemouth away game where we stole a point. Then again, if youve got a decent squad, well coached and balanced you dont rely on “ luck” or the margins. Unfortunately we do.

Most frustrating thing will be going ahead only to draw so thats what I expect because that will see our relegation resemble “death by a thousand cuts” which is what this season feels like.   Im resigned to going down and will be ok with Championship football as Ive experienced all our previous relegations but while mathematically possible I like most will be tortured mercilessly by that thing called “hope”

[Sweep]

Think Wilson ought to start this one at the expense of Paqueta.

Feels like the kind of game we win by the odd goal with both teams scoring.

[El Scorchio]

Home win. Just because it has to be.

[Massive Attack]

Hopefully we get stuck in to them early doors and get the crowd right up for it on our side so to lay a marker down setting the tone for a very busy important Christmas period in quick succession. 

1-1 Bowen Respect the cunting point

[Monsieur merde de cheval]

Death or Glory over the next Four 
If they can't turn up for the no marks over the river and the benders then it's as good as over.
 

[Come On You Irons]

Alas, I can't see anything other than an away win with Nuno considering Paqueta to be our best player (rather than the liability he is). I hope I'm wrong though, of course.

West Ham 1-2 Fulham.