It’s good news that Kieron Dyer is back in training. We could do with him on the right hand side at the moment. He won’t, of course, be involved against Sunderland.
We’re now only two above the relegation zone, but a win against Sunderland will only lift us to 13th. Diego Tristan is included in the squad for the first time but will start from the bench. The main question is whether Zola will persist with the 4-3-3 formation and start with a front line of Cole-Sears-Bellamy. Cole, it appears, will sign a new 4 year contract next week, and according to the Sunday Mirror is targeting an England callup.
I would expect the team to remain broadly the same as against Portsmouth. Ilunga’s injury wasn’t too serious and he is expected to retain his place at left back, although it would be interesting to see Walter Lopez get a run out. I saw him against Watford, as as the game went on, he became our best player.
Midfield is the only area where changes may be made. Personally, I’d play Etherington, Parker and Behrami, with Sears floating around the right hand side.
Come on you Irons!
PS You may have noticed that the Links have disappeared. I was trying to edit them, and the whole thing got deleted. Now I can’t seem to reinstate it. Doh!
Iain do you rate Carlton Cole? First touch, Pace & Finishing are all with any striker thus my doubts about him
i’d go 433:
Green
Neill
Ilunga
Upson
Collins
Behrami
Parker
Collison
Etherington
Cole
I strongly fancy us tomorrow. Kenwyne Jones and Cisse are going to be a right handful, but i’m backing Upson and Collins to keep them quiet… Bellamy and Behrami to bang them in at the other end.
Sunderland 0 West Ham 2
Bellamy
Bellamy upfront with Cole and Ethers obviously
I would definitely make you right about Dyer, if he can come back from his horrific injury (and yes on this occasion I agree it was an impact injury Curbs not cos you signed a crock) to make the same sort of impact he did last season though admittedly it was shortlived I think he could be a revelation for us!
I think that this is game we are not expected to get anything from, great lets do what west ham do best and get the result no-one expects- on this occasion a win..
As an aside, I am really down-hearted for once not by the way the Irons are playing but by the way my fellow hammers are talking about the team/ club/ board/ players- if we look at it all logically I think we have great cause for optimism and potentially we could be looking at the start of another Fergie/ Wenger era but at our beloved club. Come on you Irons!!
P.S. A big shout to all the Hammers travelling up for the game who are victims of the TV scheduling, fair play!!
rip reg varney
No Collison, iain? hmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
Need to keep it tight for the first half, Jones ran us ragged last season and Cisse is a real handful.
Zola has to play Bellers up front where he can hit on the counter. Cole was atrocious last week, as was Etherington, whose distribution is appalling given the positions he gets in Boa Morte had a decent game before last week and will give you more defensively. I would also like to see Lopez given a run out. From what I have seen of him he looks pacy, so I would go with:
Green
Behrami
Collins
Upson
Ilunga
Faubert
Parker
Collison
Boa Morte?Lopez
Sears
Bellamy
COYI
Cole and Bellamy up front I think should gell given time.
Green
Ilunga
Upson
Collins
Faubert
Etherington
Bowyer
Parker
Behrami
Bellamy
Cole
But….alas i still think we’ll get beat 1-0.
Just can’t see where the goals are gonna come from at the moment and Cisse always bloody scores against us. COYI!!!!
GK Robert Green
RB Lucas Neill (c)
CB James Collins
CB Matthew Upson
LB Hertia Ilunga
RCM Valon Behrami
CM Scott Parker
LCM Jack Collison
RF Freddie Sears
CF Carlton Cole
LF Craig Bellamy
Subs: GK Marek Stech, LB Walter Lopez, RM Julien Faubert, CM Hayden Mullins, LCM Luis Boa Morte, LF Matthew Etherington, CF Diego Tristan
Carlton Cole to get a brace, while Jack Collison to have a fantastic game and pull the strings in Midfield.
I would love to see Sears play the central strikers role with etherington and Bellars to either side, An option which should offer blistering pace!
I would also like to see Scott Parker as our captain, Pretty sure he was outstanding as captain at Charlton and Newcastle respectively!
GK Green
RWB Faubert
CB Collins
CB Upson
LWB Illunga
RCM Behrami
CDM Parker (CAPTAIN)
LCM Collison
RF Bellamy
ST Sears
LF Etherington
Subs = Lastuvka, Neill, Tomkins, Mullins, Boa Morte, Di Michele, Cole, Tristan
AWAY SO A 4-4-2…WITH FAUBERT GIVEN LICENSE TO ATTACK FOR THE 1ST TIME. WE AINT SEEN THE BEST OF HIM. PLAY LOPEZ ON LEFT WING BECAUSE ETHERINGTON CAN’T SHOOT OR CROSS UNLESS IT’S INTO THE STANDS. IT’S LIKE HIS FOOTS NOT CONNECTED TO HIS ANKLE PROPERLY…KIND OF FLOPS AS SOON AS HE STRIKES THE BALL.
SEARS TO THE BENCH….PLAYERS BACK SO HE SHOULD MOVE TO THE ROLE OF COMING ON AT THE END OF A GAME WE’RE IN FRONT IN.
MUST PLAY COLLISON…..WHILST TELLING NOBLE TO WATCH AND LEARN.
Green
Behrami Collins Upson Ilunga
Faubert Parker Collinson Lopez
Bellamy Cole
I may as well join the mass delusion in evidence here. West Ham to win 8-1 with a Boa-Morte hat trick.
Not impressed with Faubert. One to sell.
We have the players to beat Sunderland. We have the players to give anyone a game! What we lack is what Gallas was talking about: mental strength. We lack that never-say-die attitude. Even when Man. Utd. go one-down, you never imagine they’re going to lose, and neither do they!
If we can just ride out Winter and get 10-12 more points on the board, Ashton, Dyer, Noble and Gabbiddon will be back, and we can kick-on.
Iain, I agree that a Dyer return would be more than welcome, but on the right?!!How could you say that when we have some class there already?And we are so unbelievably poor on the left hand side with Etheringt and Boa Morte both of whom I hope never wear the shirt again and for me are one of the main reasons for our lack of recent success. that they both must go in January. I agree with those showing faith in one of our greatest prospects that being the highly talented Jack Collison and I go along with Lee and Gorgonzola whosw team selections would closely resemble my own ie minus the the 2 players of general liability mentioned above. I too, would love to see Lopez play and despite my disenchantment with our poorer players I am very excited about the future with Zola as our manager.
I think 4 -4 – 2 will be better against sunderland and the team ALL need to be ball winners, Keano has got his team fighting for every scrap and the chase the ball for 90 mins.
Green
Faubert Collins Upson Illunga
Behrami Collinson Parker Bellamy
Cole Tristan
Bellamy could do and great job on the left and get in amonst the goals, it worked for devo, I have a good feeling about today as long as we keep tight and consentrate.
With bowyer,sears and ethrington on the bench we can always change things if need be to hold on to a lead or go for a goal. I think this would give Keano something to think about a may just distrupt his game plan.
Really need the points and confidence that would come with a win especially when you look at our coming games. I’d start with the same line up as last week, clean sheet was a good result, backing the boys to achieve the same result (clean sheet) whilst puttin a couple in the net this week.Word is Tristan will undergo a fitness test, would like to see him comin’ off the bench if we need goals. Predcition 2-0 Irons.
lets forget 4 4 3 dont think it suits our strikers they seemed so static,we played better when we played the second half 4 4 2 against portsmouth……
bellars
cole
ethrington
collinson
parker
sears/behrami
collins
upson
ilunga
faubert(just coz hes quicker than neil)
Dont care about starting line up…dont care about formation….dont care taktics… I just wont 3 much needed point and dont care how we get them. A last second , jammy, off side own goal by the hand of god will do me. Come on u Irons.
Agree with Tony. Even if the ball goes in off someone’s nose on the 89th minute in a dull 90mins game I will be a VERY happy man.
I’ve had this down as a loss or MAYBE a draw, but I fancy Tristan to get one in for us. This guy has lost his way big time but you cant deny we ‘was’ a world class player and you don’t lose them skills it’s all about confidence and if he can get some of that back we might have the buy of the season.
COME ON TRISTAN! prove to the world you still have what it takes!
Hope Dyer makes it back. He’s had so much bad luck I really feel for the bloke. He’s also a terrific, creative, player who has a big influence on games.
I also hope that we manage to keep things tight today. Upson or Parker would be my captain of: -
Green
Faubert RFB
Collins CB
Upson CB
Ilunga LFB
Bellamy LM
Collison CM
Parker CM
Behrami RM
Cole CF
Sears CF
I’m making no predictions about the score – only that Sears will get one. He’s looking more and more the part from week to week.
I would like to see Zola stick to his principles but at the same time feel that 442 is the way forward.
COYI!!!
I would like to see Spector back in, Neill seems to be increasingly ineffectual while he is negotiating his new deal. The left side is the big problem… Matty gives his all, has great pace but cannot cross the bal, end of. Boa is too temperamental, so I would play Collison instead. Up fron bellamy and Freddy select themselves, and although Cole cannot finish he is a great hold up man and so has to be included.
Green
Spector Collins Upson Ilunga
Behrami Parker (C) Collison
Bellamy Sears Cole
i woulg go, 4-4-1-1,
green
berhami
upson
colins
ilunga
faubert
parker
collison
boa morte
tristan/ cole playing slightly deeper
bellamy playing off the last defender, try and nick it 0-1 !
match is here http://livefooty121.blogspot.com/2008/11/channel-1_11.html