⚽West Ham United v Chelsea: match thread

[neathiron]

If Antonio is anywhere near the starting lineup, I’ll lose all faith in Lop’s mental ability.

If he does then it's a Twist early doors for me. Surely he can't be that stupid again.

[HoustonHammer24]

Team that started the second half should be starting in this one. Todibo will come in for Mavro eventually, but I think he stays on the bench for this one and comes into the starting XI for Liverpool away. Same with Soler and Fullkrug (if fit).

---------------Areola--------------
AWB----Mavro---Kilman----Emerson (if fit)
---------Alvarez----Guido---------
Kudus--------Paqueta-------Summerville
---------------Bowen--------------

Subs: Fabianski, Coufal, Todibo, Cresswell, Soler, Soucek, Ings, Fullkrug, Antonio

[WCpete]

And if Fullkrug isn’t ready Ings needs to come on ahead of Mic

[Bucksexile]

It's an unknown.

Chelsea is a bit of a shambles.

Nothing to fear this game.

Good defence, speedy midfield and switched on front 3.

28 - 0.

[WestHamLyallStyle]

It's an unknown.

Chelsea is a bit of a shambles.

Nothing to fear this game.

Good defence, speedy midfield and switched on front 3.

28 - 0.

...you've been talking to SullySpecial...

[MB]

Their pace will bother us given the space we leave in behind. Thankfully most of their players cannot shoot straight.

At least you are safe behind the goals at the London Stadium!

I think we could nick it, but we need as much pace as we can get in the side.

[rigoberts song]

Please don't play Mav never want to see him our shirt again .

[UpneyHammer]

Can we please start our best players in this game Julian?

Areola
AWB Todibo Kilman Emerson
Soler Alvarez Paqueta
Kudus Bowen Summerville

I think he’ll set us up to keep it tight for the first 60 mins of the game before then letting the handbrakes off

[TommyHammer]

Would preferably like to see something along the lines of:

Areola
AWB - Todibo - Kilman - Emerson
Alvarez - Rodriguez
Bowen - Kudus - Summerville
Ings

Paqueta, Fullkrug etc to come on

[hammers92]

Please don't play Mav never want to see him our shirt again .

A very decent 3rd choice back up.

[the pink palermo]

Genuinely struggling to think of a starting XI for this one. I'm not sure where we went so wrong in the first half yesterday, whether it was the personel , tactics , or both.

Where i am clear is that in the absence of a fit JC Todibo we need to find an alternative to Mavropanos, to which end Alvarez becomes our only legitimate option.

I understand the arguments about that potentially weakening the midfield but i'm fine with having Rodriguez as a single screen, provided he doesn't go wandering too far forward. Paqueta gets the nod ahead of Tomas, and he can play in an advanced position alongside Carlos. That though is a midfield trio of bookings waiting to happen.

In front of them Summerville, Bowen and Mo, while assuming Emerson is fit, he and AWB are the full backs.

Its a bit of a mess, but the late arrival of an unfit Todibo and non arrival of a mobile striker dictates the reshuffle.

---------------------------Areola---------------------

AWB --------Alvarez-------Kilman-----Emerson

---------------------------Rodriguez---------------------

-------------------Soler--------------Paqueta-----------

Kudus -------------------Bowen-------Summerville

FWIW I think Paqueta is a problem, im not sure he does enough to justify his star status, one glorious pass, 15 months ago, aside. Soucek is the early pacemaker for the boo boys this season for no other reason than he is perceived by some to lack the passing ability a fluid midfield requires. His, intercepted pass , did afterall lead to the Fulham goal yesterday, however, im not sure others suffer the same scrutiny.

Seven of my starters have joined the club in the Steidten era, five of them with the new Coach.

Bench - Todibo, Fullkrug, Soucek, ings, coufal, Fabianski.

[neathiron]

Genuinely struggling to think of a starting XI for this one. I'm not sure where we went so wrong in the first half yesterday, whether it was the personel , tactics , or both.

I was shocked you went with Antonio in your starting line up for the Fulham game tpp. You're pretty clued up on all things West Ham so just wondered what you had seen in Antonio in the previous games that the majority of us on here was struggling to see?

[Shabu]

Please don't play Mav never want to see him our shirt again .

Why?

[the pink palermo]

I was shocked you went with Antonio in your starting line up for the Fulham game tpp. You're pretty clued up on all things West Ham so just wondered what you had seen in Antonio in the previous games that the majority of us on here was struggling to see?

Its the absence of a legitimate like for like, no more than that. Ive shifted Bowen centrally , a good finisher, but it means Mo really has to step up to the plate.

Wonder goals one game in eight arent enough. Both Mo and paq need to start putting a run of 7/10 performances together.

[SullySpecial]

This will obviously be the match where Jackson can hit a barn door.

[cadiz_hammer]

Please don't play Mav never want to see him our shirt again .

FFS

Another one for the ignore list...

[Chrissieboy]

I see an embarrassing loss again. We don't pressure teams when they are out of sorts and still ionvite pressure through the simple fact we do not know our strengths. What is our best starting line up? Who plays where? Who takes charge? Wgo is our playmaker? How do we attack? Lopetegui needs to show why he replaced Moyes. I wanted Moyes out but am still not sure why we went for such a similar conservative manager. At least he makes subs, but why start similar starting lineups in the first place? Hoping fuller changes will come sooner rather than later.

[Gsbgsb]

Whilst I want to win the situation reminds me a lot of the Tevez game we lost to Spurs way back when. The result was poor but for the first time in months we saw a pattern of how we were going to play going forward (and eventually survive).

The result Saturday is in many ways less important than establishing what we are aiming to achieve as a team. 5 games into this season (including Bournemouth) and for me we have been largely a shapeless, directionless mess especially in the first half of games.

[Korea Hammer]

Chelsea have an average age of 23. We need to have more intensity and get in their faces. Rodriguez and Alvarez need to show them they're in a battle.

[funky chicken]

This is West Ham United. We snuck a draw against Fulham last time out while playing poorly, so of course we’re going to beat Chelsea this coming Saturday!

Won’t be the usual 3 goals at home to this lot though, as we’ve somehow gone from a team who scored 60 league goals in 3 of the last 4 league campaigns to a team that doesn’t trouble the opposition keeper anywhere as much as we arguably should.

I’m feeling a narrow 2-1 win, where we fall behind to a token cock-up from Greece’s answer to Titus Bramble and we come back to win in the 2nd half. Bowen to carry on with his good run, with one of the goals and for some reason I weirdly fancy Micky to get the other for us. Albeit, I think Micky will come off the bench to grab the goal as surely he’s finally being dropped from the starting 11. Otherwise Jules is more patient than I give him credit for!