All of the pre-season preparations and hype over summer transfers has reached boiling point and now West Ham United are getting ready to kick-off the 2019-20 campaign.
Starts don’t get much tougher than the one the Hammers have been handed though, with Premier League champions Manchester City visiting the London Stadium tomorrow lunchtime.
I have spoken to popular West Ham social media outlet West Ham Central in the first of a series of Q&As before matches this season, to get the lowdown on the Hammers’ pre-season and how he thinks the match against Man City will go down.
How do you feel West Ham’s pre-season has gone? What’s gone well? What could’ve been better?
West Ham’s pre-season has been a mixture of good and bad moments but we have had a lot worse. Losing both games in the Premier League Asia Trophy was a bit disappointing, as Manchester City and Newcastle are teams we will be facing this season. Our defence has been very leaky all pre-season, but our attack has also been great. I can see a lot of goals in our games this season.
Which players impressed you most during pre-season?
Our stand-out players from pre-season were definitely Jack Wilshere and Manuel Lanzini. I would include the new boys Seb Haller and Pablo Fornals too.
Do you think Pellegrini is happy with his squad? Should he be?
Pellegrini says he is pleased with his squad and that he is pleased to have two players in every position so if the boss is happy, that is enough for me.
Which new arrival are you most looking forward to watching this season?
It has to be Haller, our record signing. Goals, assists, strength, awareness, he has all you want from a lone striker. Him and Fornals will link very well.
What are West Ham’s aims for this season? Predicted league finish?
Our aim, for the players, the manager, the staff and for the fans, is to finish in that 7th position and qualify for the Europa League. We have failed miserably when given the chance in the past, but we now have a better squad and a better manager who will prepare us properly. Predicted finish: 7th or 8th.
How much will West Ham miss Noble? Is it a chance for his potential successor to come in and shine?
Mark Noble is much more important to this team than most people think. He is the leader, the controller, the puppeteer. I can see him only playing parts off of the bench this season which is a shame but Wilshere and Rice is surely the partnership that will play.
Who do you think should be the first names on the team-sheet? Predicted XI?
Fabianski and Rice should be the first names on the team sheet. Our two best players last season. Predicted XI vs City and our strongest, in my opinion: Fabianski; Fredericks, Diop, Balbuena, Masuaku; Rice, Wilshere; Lanzini, Fornals, Anderson; Haller.
Biggest threats on the City team? What are the strengths and weaknesses West Ham must look out for?
City’s whole 18-man squad is basically a threat to us and everybody. We need to look out for Sterling if Cresswell plays. De Bruyne and Bernardo are also clear threats. Their attack will be too much for us and I can’t see us conceding less than three goals. The plus is that I feel our attack could score against their defence which has been weakened since Kompany left.
Score prediction for tomorrow’s opener against City?
West Ham 2-4 Manchester City
