Lopetegui’s preparation for the Newcastle trip had better be extraordinary. It seems from news reports yesterday that the West Ham board view both this and the Arsenal game as ‘winnable (really?) but Eddie Howe’s team, currently in Saudi Arabia enjoying warm weather training, are planning to welcome back three long-term absentees.
‘Newcastle United will soon add three players to Eddie Howe’s strongest matchday squad’: According to a report in chroniclelive.co.uk. It seems that just when the under-pressure Hammers’ coach is desperate for a win to save his own career at London Stadium, he is going to have to take on a Magpies’ team getting near to full strength.
Kieran Trippier is close to fitness, others will come later in the month and there’s a suspension for defender Dan Burn.
And of course, the single most loathed (by West Ham fans) player in their squad has to be one Callum Wilson who just loves to score against us. Speaking just ahead of the international break, his coach confirmed he was ready to go but” There was no real injury but a feeling in his body he couldn’t push as hard as he wanted to push, and needs to push to play at this level. Physically you have to be perfect at this level. With the two-week gap, it probably makes sense to wait.”
What he means of course is he wants to ‘wait for his favourite West Ham to come visiting’, being the same West Ham against who he’s scored 12 times in 14 games. Fresh as a daisy and fit again, Wilson will be raring to add to his 12 tally in nine days’ time.
Wouldn’t you just know it. There’s a certain inevitability behind the outcome. Who’d be a Hammers’ away supporter? The longest round trip of the season, and nemesis Callum Wilson bound to score in the first fifteen minutes.
I admire – and feel sorry for you die-hard Hammers away fans: At least I’ll get to sit on the sofa with a mug of tea in the warm, and wait for the disaster to unfold on TV.
