Southampton vs West Ham Boxing Day Preview
I’m not so sure there’s any such thing as an easy win for West Ham these days, but if there were, it would be against Southampton.
The South Coast club have a paltry six Premier League points this season, with one of those earned in their last game against Fulham. The presumption seems to be that they enjoyed a new manager bounce against the Cottagers, but new gaffer Ivan Jurić was sat in the stands.
More likely, it was the decision by the caretaking coaching staff to abandon sacked coach Russell Martin’s insistence on attacking football and revert to something more pragmatic.
Jurić has spoken about his high-pressing style of play, and perhaps the Saints team we’ll see against West Ham will be nothing like what we saw against Fulham, which could play into Julen Lopetegui’s hands.
The Hammers’ gaffer spoke yesterday about building on a three-game unbeaten streak, and realistically, he has to. While Southampton vs West Ham is not a must-win fixture for Lopetegui, losing to the worst team in the league would set tongues wagging about his future again.
For that reason, there is pressure on this game for the Spaniard, but Jurić will sense opportunity. Southampton will have viewed the three games against Fulham, West Ham, and Crystal Palace as favourable and would have undoubtedly targeted the home game against the Irons as winnable.
Lopetegui must do everything he can to avoid the second-half blitz which has become a feature of Hammers games as we struggle to play well after half-time.
That being said, even if the Saints’ new boss does reorganise his defence, I don’t see Southampton having the firepower to beat us
