There hasn’t been a tougher place for West Ham to travel to and try to pick up a result at over the last half century than Anfield. Without a win at Liverpool since 1963, Sam Allardyce’s men face a tough task trying to knock off an in-form Brendan Rodgers side that are on a nine game unbeaten run in all competitions. We spoke with @stehoare of TheBibTheorists for his thoughts on this weekend’s game.
What do you make of West Ham’s season thus far, and have they exceeded your expectations for them?
West Ham have had a very good start. To be 7th at this stage is proof of that. I must admit I’d not really given much thought to how they’d do this season, but if I had, I’m sure I’d have thought they’d be lower than they are now.
West Ham comfortably won the reverse fixture earlier this season, what’s different between that Liverpool team and the one we’ll face this weekend?
A lot. We’ve had a change in shape, style and personnel and we look much better than earlier in the year. We look much more solid at the back, and create more chances too. Unfortunately we just haven’t had anyone to put the ball in the net on a consistent basis.
Andy Carroll and Stewart Downing will be returning to Anfield this weekend, why didn’t they work out at Liverpool?
I liked Andy Carroll as a guy, he seemed a genuinely nice fella, but he didn’t do enough at Liverpool. He always looked a yard slower that everyone else, and simply didn’t score enough goals.
As for Downing, he looked like the weight of the shirt was too much for him. He obviously has the ability but he never transferred that onto the pitch. By the time he left, he’d almost become a joke amongst the fan base.
How do Liverpool plan on containing West Ham’s versatile attacking options in Andy Carroll, Enner Valencia and Diafra Sakho?
I don’t think that’ll be the plan at all. Liverpool will look to impose themselves on the game and take the attack to West Ham. We’ll play how we play and look to dominate the ball and create chances.
Daniel Sturridge’s eagerly awaited return to action appears to be taking place in this game, just how much have you missed him this season?
We’ve missed him like you wouldn’t imagine! The other strikers in the squad haven’t played well enough and that’s partly the reason why we find ourselves playing catch up in the race to qualify for the Champions League. I think people underestimate just how good he was last season. Luis Suarez got most of the credit for how well we played, but Sturridge was a major part in that success. He’s a natural goalscorer, and they don’t grow on trees. When he’s back, I’m sure we’ll improve a lot.
What do you believe will be the key to the game?
I think we need to take our chances. We’ve created numerous chances in recent weeks but not taken them. I think we’ll be able to create these opportunities at the weekend too, it’s just a case of whether or not we can put the ball in the net.
That’s not to underestimate West Ham though, they’ve got the ability to cause us problems. I think we’ll need to defend set pieces well and not leave ourselves too vulnerable to any counter attacks.
Finally, a score prediction for the game?
I think we’ll sneak a 2-1 win.
