West Ham Utd 0-5 Manchester City (10/08/19)

[NW5hammer]

We shouldn't be a shambles. This team knows each other and the system. I'll be looking for a lot of energetic pressing and better ball retention. Of course, City will dominate possession and win, 0-2, but I'll be satisfied with a coherent, committed performance and delighted if we can score one, let alone two. Heart hopes for 1-1.

[Colours never run]

"small army of silky playmakers" he at least got that right, yes we do. The ignorant twat lacks respect of what Pellegrini is all about though.

[artlin]

5-0 to West Ham.

Haller scores all 5 with 5 assists for Fornals.

Just took out a mortgage on my house to give to William Hill based on this insider knowledge.

[HammerAl]

Outrageous piece of writing, that. Very disrespectful.

[HammerAl]

Sterling will have an absolute field day against Cresswell.

[bluebutterfly]

I think we will just scrape it 3-2. Won't be there but watching

[Hammersfaniow]

As for the match:

——————Fabianski—————-
Fredericks-Balbuena-Diop-Masuaku
—————Rice—Wilshere————
-Fornals———Lanzini———Anderson-
———————Haller———————

Subs: Roberto, Cresswell, Ogbonna, Yarmo, Antonio, Hernandez, Ajeti

Starting lineup picks itself if fit, bench gets a little tricky. Plenty of attacking options, less so defensive options. Snodgrass, Noble, Sanchez, Reid, Cardoso, Zabaleta, Johnson all fighting for spots on the bench

Heart says 2-2, head says 2-3

Close. Anderson will be on the right, Lanzini on the left and Fornals centre behind Haller

[jonbentleywhu]

No better time to play City.

2-2
Fornals 20'
Haller 45'
De Bruyne 60'
Aguero 80' (Pen)

COYI

[frankiemac]

Sterling will have an absolute field day against Cresswell.

no chance.....

bernardo silva will be playing that side!

[Bonzos4Lagers]

Famous win coming up. 4-2.

[Tackler]

------------------Fabianski

Fredericks Balbuena Diop Masuaku

----------------Rice Wilshere

-------Lanzini Fornals Anderson

------------------Haller

3-2 massive win coming up and WHAT A WIN!!

[jonbentleywhu]

Famous win coming up. 4-2.

imagine the confidence boost it would give for the following games. we have a decent run brighton/Watford/villa/norwich

[Clacton-ammer]

This time last season before the Mickey game I said it's good to play a top side early as they are not settled yet, we know I was spot on writing that...

Can only see a Man C win, I just hope we see something in our football/fight/work rate that gives us hope to get off the bottom of the table after our 2nd game of the season Saying that Norwich are playing the Mickeys I think, so we might be 2nd from bottom..

[submerged]

I had a dream that we were 3-0 up at halftime. Then I woke up. So guessing 3-5.

[jonnysissons]

If we can prevent them from scoring for the first 15 to 20 minutes then we may have a chance of a positive result.

Team selection for me is difficult, think we should start Iron Mike to try to rough them up a bit at the back.

Really looking forward to this one. Am interested in seeing who's renewed and who's moved in to my area of the BML. Had a decent enough atmosphere there last season so I'm hoping some will be attracted to that and want to come and join the fun.

Result? I'm with Paddy.

COYFI

[Haarlemammer]

With yesterday’s revelation that Andy Carroll passed a medical, the existence of Douglas Adams infinite improbability drive is surely proved. On this basis, 0-0 appears to be the most improbable result, so I may lump a quid on...

[ageing hammer]

This is who I think he will play.

——————Fabianski—————-
Fredericks-Balbuena-Diop-Masuaku
—————Rice—Wilshere————
Anderson-------Fornals———Lanzini
———————Haller———————

Subs: Roberto, Cresswell, Ogbonna, Yarmo, Antonio, Hernandez, Snods

Prefer to play them first and hope it's one of those first day shocks.

It's going to take time for the team to gel and once this game is out of the way we should have a better chance of settling down and putting a run together. I am optimistic for the season as we got off to a terrible start last time and cannot see that repeating itself this time around. If we get a rub of the green with injuries and less of the blatant decisions by refs who keep robbing us of wins against the "top " teams then we should finish higher than last year.

Hope the crowd get behind the team to give the new players a big welcome regardless of the result.

[WorcesterWHU]

Didn't we actually play pretty well against them last season, despite getting a 0-4 tonking? (I didn't see that one but seem to remember people saying they were just really clinical).

I just want us to make sure they know they've been in a game.

[Johnny Byrne's Boots]

Sane out for six or seven months

[Danny's Dyer Acting]

In games like this id be tempted to start Snodgrass next to Rice and try to get to HT 0-0 and then turn it into a 45 minute game. Throw fornals on to replace snod and give it a right go.

If we were deeper into the season I'd be behind something like that. I can't help but think what the new signings, and even the likes of Wilshere/Anderson/Lanzini, would think about Pellegrini backing down at the first challenge to how he wants to set up?

Go at them. Catch them cold. Give them a bloody nose.

Arguably the most subjective area of all, and the one likely to cause the most debate this season, is around when an incorrect decision is deemed inconsequential...........

Naby Keita’s goal against Southampton, when Mohamed Salah was offside in the build-up, would have stood under VAR rules. It was deemed that as Southampton had defended two crosses following the offside, the goal was no longer the same phase of play

Really like this part from that VAR article. Sets a really clear line of how far back they should go and it's one of the biggest issues the naysayers were bringing up around the usage.