Wolves vs West Ham | PL | 3.1.26 | Predictions and Match Thread

[stubbo-admin]

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Match Centre: 

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Odds: 
WHU: 11/5
Draw: 15/8
Wolves: 8/5

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Wolves-discussion post-Brighton

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Well it's the first game of 2026, and arguably the most vital of the season to date.  For too long the striker who hasn't scored for 50 games, the team who can't keep a clean sheet, or the goalie who's never saved a penalty have looked at a fixture against West Ham as the perfect time to exorcise the demons, and there is no doubt Wolves will be thinking the same today.

Winless across the whole of the season so far Wolves will be eyeing this as there chance to get back in amongst the wins.  West Ham simply can't allow that to happen.

Not so much a 6 pointer, but more the freebie every other side has cashed in all already, losing here would hand the rest of the league 3 points over the Hammers.

Injury wise, there are some doubts.  Todibo injured hsi groin vs Brighton and is likely out, with Mavripanos to deputise.  Paqueta went off having done something to his back, and must be considered a notable doubt for this one, and KWP was also subbed off having picked up a knock vs Brighton.

This leaves the squad increasingly threadbare and could pose some unwelcome returns to the first XI for such a crucial game (Soucek..I'm looking at you!).

In better news, our first new signing of the year (Pablo Felipe) has travelled with the squad and we believe will be available for selection (though International Clearance remains unconfirmed).  Whilst the skids look to have hit the Traore deal, Castellanos looks likely to be available for Tuesday night....but of couorse none of this helps in this vital game.

We also desperately need Areola to re-up his game.  After a few good performances, the aerial demons returned against Brighton, and his distribution was as woeful as ever....for a guy that can over-arm the ball to the halfway line, why not do that instead of the aimless punts up field he seems to lack any directional control over?!

Anyway...

Predicted Line Up:

Areola

KWP    Mavropanos     Kilman     Scarles

Potts    Magassa

Bowen         Fernandes        Summerville

Wilson

Subs:

Hermansen, Myers, Golambeckis, Soucek, Rodriguez, Kante, Earthy, Paqueta, Pablo

I'd expect Paqueta to not be risked, but maybe be on the bench for emergencies in this one and Pablo to be looked at to come on for Wilson, despite speaking no English and having met most of the squad on the coach ride North.

KWP seems likely to recover (thank heavens) but Todibo seems very unlikely.  Will be interesting to see if Wilson starts the game, or he brings in Soucek.  Whether Earthy or Irving makes the bench will also be interesting to see.

Predicted Score:

I unfortunately can see any of the results possible in this game.  We're under strength, talk is their performances have been better than their outcomes suggest, and we have such a soft underbelly.  But defeat here is unthinkable, and we simply have to find a way.  I'm going for the dream debut for Pablo getting the late winner and becoming an instant hero.

Wolves 2 : West Ham 3 (Wilson, Bowen, Pablo)

COYI

[ATHammer]

[zico]

 

I've recognised this pattern at home all season. It is a team with zero guts, pride and fight in it bar a few (mainly English) players. A team with no pride, no fight and no leaders is destined for relegation. Compare us to Leeds and it's chalk and cheese in those stakes.

Nuno has overseen this epic failure. He has failed to instill any pride and passion in the players and his walking down the tunnel at the final whistle yesterday summed him up. I see he dug out the players in his post match comments. I suppose in his warped mind he thinks that is most likely to get a reaction against Forest. I doubt it will work as it's clear the players are not playing for him. This is why I would fire him (alongside his atrocious record of two wins in 15 games) and get a passionate manager like O'WALL or Bilic in to replace him.

 

 

It's a sign of the times with many a Club these days (especially lower ones) and it probably started for us under Redknapp when too many average foreign players came into the club and were probably on more money than the English lads which probably affected spirit.  I think I remember Cottee writing in his book that there were two dressing rooms to change in, the English one and the Foreign one.  

Having top quality foreign players is fine, but the problem is when you bring in extremely bang average ones who are just not used to the League.  They have no idea of the history of the club although that's so diluted now anyway because of the move to the bowl.  Mind you most of the fans in the stadium have no idea these days either as the flat reaction to Billy Bonds passing showed.  

It doesn't help when you have managers that either haven't a clue or dismiss it.  Slaven at least "got it" and in one season it showed.  Pards also seem to embrace it albeit going a tad over the top, although when it was going well his team was mainly British lads although it went to the heads of some.

We have had a few that "got it".  I could never fault the likes of Lanzini, Pablo, Oggy and even Soucek and Coufal when their legs stuill worked but I doubt the likes of Magassa and Fernandez have any clue.  Far from me just battering foreigners the likes of Kilman are in that bracket where they either don't care or are just too weak to contribute.  It's happened to many a Club who has come up over the years.  Backbone of British players gets you promoted, not deemed good enough for the top flight, scatter gun approach to bringing a load of foreign players in to replace them then that Club go back down anyway.  It of course depends on the country they come from.  The Czechs seem to battle away, but the Brazilians for instance don't seem to do well, the lesser quality ones anyway.  Maybe it's all about national mentality.

The excuse used to be that the foreign players were cheaper than their home grown counterparts, but I don't think that's the case so much now.  How much have we wasted on players with big price tags from the continent?  Yet probably our most successful outlay in recent years was Bowen from Hull who were in the Championship.  Surely there are players in the Championship who would do a better job than some here right now.  Summerville for instance is a good player, ok with very little end product but he was never going to be the finished article coming from the Championship.  That's what coaching is about.  Yes it's donkeys years ago but Greenwood converting Hurst from a wing half to a centre forward.  Lyall improving David Cross, history is littered with examples of a coach improving a player, but that hasn't happened here for a long time.  That was my main bugbear with Moyes, in the main he didn't seem to improve anyone, and that's continued with every manager since, and if anything the players are getting worse.

[twoleftfeet]

Let’s get Igor in if Todibo is still out. Can’t do any worse than Kilman 

[Come On You Irons]

Shropshire, ive got no problem letting a gutless pathetic coward player know exactly what i think of them 

Yeh I gave him plenty after the game personally i think his a soft cսnt because it didnt even rile him up he just carried on looking confused, but doing it while he is playing during the game for west ham just didn't feel right

Booking your own player is pathetic and Tottenhem-esque. But it doesn't surprise me. We have so many post-96 Muppets amongst our support these days. Embarrassing cunts.

[Shropshire_Iron]

Shropshire, ive got no problem letting a gutless pathetic coward player know exactly what i think of them 

Yeh I gave him plenty after the game personally i think his a soft cսnt because it didnt even rile him up he just carried on looking confused, but doing it while he is playing during the game for west ham just didn't feel right

[Mad Dog]

Not that I want to defend this piss poor excuse, he did wipe out a Brighton player on tues (just before they used var to give us the penalty)

Still a pathetic cսnt though and I never want to see him in a west ham shirt again

[Gary Strodders shank]

Lots around me booing Kilman when he was on the ball aswell I get the blokes terrible but you never boo your own player hopefully when we go down it weeds out that type of support

 

You have a short memory if you think that stuff didn't go on in the past. 

 

 

Players not putting in a shift back in the 80s and 90s would get dogs abuse from the chicken run and elsewhere but nowadays we are so far from the pitch they wouldn't hear it.

I think every fan paying to watch has the right to vent his or her spleen when a player is nicking a living and not putting the effort in.

I'm waiting for Kilman to wake up and do something like get angry and wipe someone out but he just seems to be in permanent snooze control.

We need a leader who will shake them up and remind them of their responsibilities.

[Come On You Irons]

I think any West Ham fan will agree that we can forgive a lack of ability, after all we have seen enough players with that trait over the years, but it's the lack of effort, desire and fight that pisses me off.  These overpaid mercenaries are in the position a lot of us would have loved to have been in.  I would love to have been good enough to play for West Ham and would like to think that I would have put in 110% every week.  Watching that yesterday I didn't see much effort, bar may be Scarles doing what he could, Wilson puffing away, trying to hold it up with no-one around him, Summerville was at least running around without much of an effect and whilst Bowen was as bad as anyone I'm not going to knock him as more often than not you do see the effort from him.  The rest though many weren't even going through the motions, it was worse than that.  Where are the tackles, where are the blocks, where are the voices?  When the chips are down the least you can do is put a foot in, run around at pace and put your body on the line.  There was none of that.  Would love to see the tackling stats this season because I reckon we would be right at the bottom.  

I've recognised this pattern at home all season. It is a team with zero guts, pride and fight in it bar a few (mainly English) players. A team with no pride, no fight and no leaders is destined for relegation. Compare us to Leeds and it's chalk and cheese in those stakes.

Nuno has overseen this epic failure. He has failed to instill any pride and passion in the players and his walking down the tunnel at the final whistle yesterday summed him up. I see he dug out the players in his post match comments. I suppose in his warped mind he thinks that is most likely to get a reaction against Forest. I doubt it will work as it's clear the players are not playing for him. This is why I would fire him (alongside his atrocious record of two wins in 15 games) and get a passionate manager like O'WALL or Bilic in to replace him.

[zico]

I think any West Ham fan will agree that we can forgive a lack of ability, after all we have seen enough players with that trait over the years, but it's the lack of effort, desire and fight that pisses me off.  These overpaid mercenaries are in the position a lot of us would have loved to have been in.  I would love to have been good enough to play for West Ham and would like to think that I would have put in 110% every week.  Watching that yesterday I didn't see much effort, bar may be Scarles doing what he could, Wilson puffing away, trying to hold it up with no-one around him, Summerville was at least running around without much of an effect and whilst Bowen was as bad as anyone I'm not going to knock him as more often than not you do see the effort from him.  The rest though many weren't even going through the motions, it was worse than that.  Where are the tackles, where are the blocks, where are the voices?  When the chips are down the least you can do is put a foot in, run around at pace and put your body on the line.  There was none of that.  Would love to see the tackling stats this season because I reckon we would be right at the bottom.  

[Dick Shaftsbury]

Lots around me booing Kilman when he was on the ball aswell I get the blokes terrible but you never boo your own player hopefully when we go down it weeds out that type of support

 

You have a short memory if you think that stuff didn't go on in the past. 

[Mad Dog]

Shropshire, ive got no problem letting a gutless pathetic coward player know exactly what i think of them 

[Shropshire_Iron]

Gutless wanker couldn't wait to fuck off and not face the fans like they normally do at the end of games to show their appreciation for the travelling support. Sums him right up. Fucking stealing a good living off us.

=12.35pxBowen was the same he shit his pants and ran away we are a team of cowards, stood in the freezing cold watching that lot barely jog about pass backwards and shit themselves when they have to win a header, the least they could've done was come over and face the music Soucek and a few others did. Bowen and Nuno straight down the tunnel that's our manager and captain zero leadership

[Shropshire_Iron]

Lots around me booing Kilman when he was on the ball aswell I get the blokes terrible but you never boo your own player hopefully when we go down it weeds out that type of support

[Shropshire_Iron]

Bowen was the same he shit his pants and ran away we are a team of cowards, stood in the freezing cold watching that lot barely jog about pass backwards and shit themselves when they have to win a header, the least they could've done was come over and face the music Soucek and a few others did. Bowen and Nuno straight down the tunnel that's our manager and captain zero leadership 

[Mike Oxsaw]

Juat seen highlights, how the fuck was theirs a penalty and how was soucek's not?

Soucek went down exactly the same manner as the Brighton player couple of days ago

100%. The corner straight after the guy did the same thing...facing Soucek away from the ball, arms round and purely blocking him making a move to get to the ball.

The Ref isn't the reason we lost, but fuck me the inconsistency is disgraceful. The game is currently setup that the ref and VAR can in any situation give a decision in any direction they like, and can then justify it as correct.

The penalty that was given against us....if he'd said "no penalty" VAR says "not enough contact" and doesn't overrule it.   But because he gave it it stands. 

We've been on the end of some horrible decisions this year which have compounded our ineptitude. It's almost like the 'decision' has been made that THIS is the year West Ham go down.

Well, we did get a bit above ourselves recently and win a European trophy, so now, like Leicester we need to be put back where we "belong".

Keep an eye on Palace & Forest if they happen to do the same and I don't thing football's authorities (the media/sponsors) will take too much of Villa at the top, either.

[Monsieur merde de cheval]

Gutless wanker couldn't wait to fuck off and not face the fans like they normally do at the end of games to show their appreciation for the travelling support. Sums him right up. Fucking stealing a good living off us.

Who takes over and can sort these assorted cunts out though ?.
Id go for Craig Bellamy as a wild card , but no chance he'd entertain us .
I don't want cod lips ..he was bang average at Boro and  has always viewed himself as above us.

[Monsieur merde de cheval]

Gutless wanker couldn't wait to fuck off and not face the fans like they normally do at the end of games to show their appreciation for the travelling support. Sums him right up. Fucking stealing a good living off us.

He couldn't give a monkeys about WHU.
Unfortunately sacking him is pointless, there  is nobody out there that can make any difference with these players  now.
Signing off on two unknown forwards for the best part of 50 million euros when it's central defenders and a midfielder we need first and fore most is staggeringly incompetent.
It's Sullivan all over though, when the shit hits the fan he ALWAYS goes for  forwards from dubious sources

[Monsieur merde de cheval]

Mark Robson is way ..way out of his depth.
It was embarrassing watching him .

Relegation has been calling for 3/4 yrs ...the Club have had it coming and quite frankly , they deserve it.
Some games forever reside in the memory bank for infamy .
this one will be up there  for sure.
Oldham  /Charlton/Reading / levels of utter humiliation.

 

 

[Massive Attack]

Gutless wanker couldn't wait to fuck off and not face the fans like they normally do at the end of games to show their appreciation for the travelling support. Sums him right up. Fucking stealing a good living off us.

[Mad Dog]

Agree it wouldn't affect thr result, im more bothered about the inconsistency of shit refereeing

Alan shearer tore the team  and rhe receuitment to shreds on motd

[stubbo-admin]

Juat seen highlights, how the fuck was theirs a penalty and how was soucek's not?

Soucek went down exactly the same manner as the Brighton player couple of days ago

100%. The corner straight after the guy did the same thing...facing Soucek away from the ball, arms round and purely blocking him making a move to get to the ball.

The Ref isn't the reason we lost, but fuck me the inconsistency is disgraceful. The game is currently setup that the ref and VAR can in any situation give a decision in any direction they like, and can then justify it as correct.

The penalty that was given against us....if he'd said "no penalty" VAR says "not enough contact" and doesn't overrule it.   But because he gave it it stands. 

We've been on the end of some horrible decisions this year which have compounded our ineptitude. It's almost like the 'decision' has been made that THIS is the year West Ham go down.

[Mad Dog]

Juat seen highlights, how the fuck was theirs a penalty and how was soucek's not?

Soucek went down exactly the same manner as the Brighton player couple of days ago

[smartypants]

There lies the problem, the wit and originality is nothing like it used to be, same old shit songs (yes we invented some of them) are now being sung by div 1 and 2 clubs as well. The only ones I enjoyed today were bubbles and Billy bonds claret and blue army, which needs to be sung more. Days like today really make you question what it’s all about now. 

[wils]

I wouldn’t mind if that latter chant was sung when we have a well established run of losing away/home. Like Wolves could have sung it today. But our fans sing it when we are mid table with eratic form. Just out of boredom rather than wit. 

[Come On You Irons]

The board got the brunt of it and it just seemed to be individuals calling out manager. Go know ls what the players thought when pretty much the whole away end are were singing West Ham are shit Olay Olay.

Some of our supporters really are embarrassing cunts. Why would you sing that about your own club? I also have never got the "how shit must you be, we're winning at home/ away" chant.

This kind of shit never got sung in the past. These modern post-96 Muppets are pathetic.