Burnley Vs West Ham Sat 25th 3pm KO
Burnley have really failed to meet most peoples expectations this season as they ran away with the Championship and looked like they could make the transition comfortably. I expected them to be mid table at this point rather than not only bottom but below the other two teams they led into the Premiership from the Championship.
We will be seen as an opportunity for three valuable points for them and that could play into our favour as they come onto us rather than try and get a point. We played better against Forest than Everton but being away we could need to play better again. We need to take these points against opposition at the wrong end of the table, as we need keep ourselves within reach of the euro places, but also ensure they don't take away the buffer we currently have between them and ourselves.
I would like to see Kudus up front and Bowen in his usual place. I do recognise Soucek got the winner but I was thinking Fornals or Benni may have been a good introduction as Soucek was very quiet aside from his two chances and didn't really have much influence.
Head tells me 1-1, heart hopes we nick it 1-2 with a late Bowen curled into the bottom corner.
We will be seen as an opportunity for three valuable points for them and that could play into our favour as they come onto us rather than try and get a point. We played better against Forest than Everton but being away we could need to play better again. We need to take these points against opposition at the wrong end of the table, as we need keep ourselves within reach of the euro places, but also ensure they don't take away the buffer we currently have between them and ourselves.
I would like to see Kudus up front and Bowen in his usual place. I do recognise Soucek got the winner but I was thinking Fornals or Benni may have been a good introduction as Soucek was very quiet aside from his two chances and didn't really have much influence.
Head tells me 1-1, heart hopes we nick it 1-2 with a late Bowen curled into the bottom corner.
Comments
Trafford (21)
Vitinho (24) O'Shea (24) Beyer (23) Taylor (30)
Gudmundsson (33) Berge (25) Brownhill (27) Koleosho (19)
Amdouni (22) Rodríguez (34)
It's certainly a young team and a relatively new team with just six players remaining from the side that got relegated in 2022
Of those six LB Charlie Taylor, CM Josh Brownhill, RW Johann Berg Gudmundsson and CF Jay Rodriguez have all started in recent games with RB Connor Roberts dropped to the the bench and club captain CB Jack Cork left out of the matchday squad.
Ex-Hammer Josh Cullen was suspended against Palace for picking up five yellows and on the bench against Arsenal
Their top scorer with 3 goals in 7 Premier League games and by all reports best player, 23yo South African CF Lyle Foster, is out with mental health issues.
It's going to be a long season for Burnley...
Coufal - Zouma - Aguerd - Emerson
Soucek - Ward-Prowse
Kudus - Paqueta - Benrahma
Bowen
He didn't have great games after the last two international breaks but those were against City and Villa so maybe against Burnley we could afford to put him on the bench
Areola
Coufal - Zouma - Aguerd - Emerson
Soucek - Alvarez - Ward-Prowse
Kudus - Paqueta - Benrahma
Fabianski, Mavropanos, Ogbonna, Kehrer, Cresswell, Fornals, Cornet, Ings, Mubama
https://www.thewesthamway.com/2023/11/21/isnt-as-bad-exwhuemployee-west-ham-injury-updates/
Kudus has been left out of the Ghana starting XI against Coromos having suffered a "pain in his back" during training but according to the Ghanian FA website he's on the bench
Cometh the hour, cometh the man...
He's scored 4 goals
He's had 5 starts and all 4 goals came when he started.
This is maybe one of the very few times I would advocate starting Ings
Areola
Coufal. Zouma, Aguerd, Emmerson
Soucek, Alvarez, JWP
Kudus, Paqueta, Benrahma
We do still have goals in this team with Kudus and Paquetta and we know Soucek can pop up when needed.