The Hammers have six games in the next twenty days that will determine the outcome of the season, signalling the return of Premier League play. All of this begins in Newcastle!
In what location were we? These days, football is not just about stopping and starting. Like waking up out of the blue and not knowing if you are in the middle of another international break or if you are waiting on a VAR review. My confusion is comparable to that of David Moyes, who is considering a game-changing substitute to make after his team has fallen behind: “Ben Johnson for Lucas Paqueta, that should do it!” while he watches the sidelines.
With all the disruptions we face these days, it is more important than ever to have a Recap button similar to Netflix. Because commercial interruptions interrupt the show so frequently, I have always thought that recaps are meant for Americans who have short attention spans. I am beginning to get the hang of it now. Thankfully, we can always rely on the attention-grabbing fan sites that feature five or six paragraphs of “season summary” before the big revelation of the headline at the very end of each story. The one where a trustworthy journalist breaks the big news that the manager might get a new contract offer if West Ham wins the Europa League. Who was aware?
Thus, West Ham held onto seventh place in the Premier League and one of the coveted spots for European qualifying at the conclusion of the previous episode. With the exception that, should they win their remaining games, all four of the teams listed below would pass them. Amazing content! Now comes a stretch of six games in twenty days that will be crucial to the season’s conclusion and the club’s near future. After those games, the Hammers might have fallen to 11th place and been eliminated from Europe, or they might have muddled along somewhere in the middle. They might even still be in seventh place and in a Europa League semifinal. In my opinion, I fall short of what is expected.
The other teams vying for seventh place include Newcastle and Wolves; Tottenham is aiming for Champions League qualifying; and Fulham, an unpredictable squad near the top of the Premier League standings, are the teams playing in the forthcoming league games. With a ridiculously small roster that was purposefully reduced in size, it is a difficult run to navigate around the two-leg Bayer Leverkusen match.
The first game of the weekend is a long trip north to Newcastle, where it will begin early on Saturday afternoon. Both the Geordies and the Hammers have picked up eight points from their previous six games, reflecting their equally apathetic recent performances. The hosts have been beset with injuries, and the two teams have the worst defensive records among the top 10. Theoretically, they are equal.
But by now, we ought to be well cognizant of Moyesiah’s perspective. He views Newcastle as a major club, but his Hammers are little, sleekit, cowrin, tim’rous beasties. Get ready to be underawed and uninspired. Increasing the low-block setting to its highest and hoping for the best is the only viable alternative. Moyes is unlikely to be impressed by the fact that the majority of other teams have recognised the defensive vulnerabilities of the Geordies, which include their riskily high line, the gap between midfield and defenders, Dan Burn, and Dubravka’s hesitation to sweep outside his area as a stand-in keeper.
Bravery, not caution, is what Newcastle must defeat. Despite their defensive shortcomings, they have scored in every home league game this season, with just the top four teams outscoring them. Will a strategy based on keeping them out of it succeed? Will the standard strategy of retiring deeper and deeper make sense if we score first? Even Moyes’s and men’s best-laid schemes can end tragically.
Edson Alvarez is serving a two-game penalty after receiving 10 yellow cards, which is not helping West Ham’s cause. Edson, who is only behind Fulham’s Palhinha in the top division yellow card standings, put up a strong effort. The burden of proof moves on the lonely Kalvin Phillips, who is the only viable active ball-winning option in the middle of midfield in his absence. There is little likelihood James Ward-Prowse or Tomas Soucek can play that part. Flynn Downes—whatever happened to him?
Mohammed Kudus, who left out the Ghana team for their friendly against Uganda and Nigeria, is the other person who raises doubts. Hopefully, this was not an actual injury but rather a preventative step (or just because he did not fancy it). With the exception of Alvarez for Phillips, the starting lineup versus Villa should be the same, assuming he is healthy. When Kudus leaves, JWP enters the picture.
It was encouraging to watch Jarrod Bowen perform at his best in an England jersey on Tuesday. If the Germans have not already spread their towels on it, it should increase his chances of winning an all-expense-paid summer holiday to the Euro benches. More significantly, Jarrod needs to return to his former level of Premier League scoring. With nine games remaining, he needs two more goals to tie Paolo Di Canio’s record of 16 goals in a season. In 2024, Bowen has only scored one in a league match—a Brentford hat-trick.
The hosts on Saturday have a lengthy injury list. Tonali is on a long-term suspension, and Miley, Wilson, Pope, Joelinton, and Botman are all hurt. Additionally, Trippier, Barnes, and Livramento’s fitness is in question, so late testing will be necessary. One wonders if high injury rates are the result of training regimens that are too demanding to continue for extended periods of time or if they are just the product of unfortunate circumstances.
When Eddie Howe was at Bournemouth, I used to be a big supporter of his because of the fantastic job he did in leading the team to their first-ever Premier League promotion. Though the way the game is played is great, there is something cynical about him and his goon, Jason Tindall, that makes them hard to like. I sincerely hope that Howe is not hired by the London Stadium when he is unavoidably fired before Newcastle wins any titles. A man whose face is much too small for his skull should never be trusted.
Given the conditions, this is a game that can be won, but only if you approach it positively and with the appropriate mindset. Our forwards should be able to pull Newcastle all over the place if they are playing at their best. However, in previous games, aggressive intent was rarely displayed for the full ninety minutes. The manager’s toolkit does not seem to include playing the entire game on the front foot. The Moyesball strategy mostly depends on opponents stepping over their lines in front of goal, as well as VAR and Alphonse Areola’s man-of-the-match feats.
When playing a team wearing stripes early on a Saturday, West Ham has never prevailed away from home. That run is certain to continue this weekend. That final bit was actually something I made up, but Peter Drury will undoubtedly know the answer. It is a draw, I believe. AYI