West Ham vs Chelsea - Preview

Thank god we're back to normal fixtures after the International break, however it's not a nice fixture to come back to. Last year’s equivalent fixture was possibly one of our best performances of the season. We left Chelsea reeling. If memory serves me correctly Maiga scored. I doubt he will even be on the pitch this afternoon.

 I suspect this will be another strikerless lineup, as Carlton Cole has failed so far to prove he is worth a place in the starting lineup. But how much longer can we really go on for without playing with a striker? At some point I think Sam is going to have to bite the bullet and make a choice and stick with it. The 4-6-0 lineup looked like a masterstroke after the Spurs game, but since then it hasn’t worked at all. Perhaps we are starting to realise that Vaz Te meant more to us than we thought.

Jussi will be looking to prove that he isn’t a Joe Hart, and that his errors against Norwich were a one off. If not, Adrian may well be licking his lips in anticipation. The main selection dilemma is at left back where Rat is out and Joey O’Brien may not be fit. I think therefore that George McCartney may well return to the starting lineup after far too long on the sidelines.

Our boys currently find themselves on their worst run of results since ‘Big Sam’ took over at Upton Park. Two losses and three draws have seen them slump to 16th in the league, outside the relegation zone only on goal difference. While the rise of Ravel Morrison has been well documented it has distracted some from their problems in front of goal. They have scored in just five of their 11 league games so far this season and boast the worst current home form in the league. Yeah, I know, it's not a nice read, sorry.

We all know the talent Chelsea have got especially going forward, I'd  put money on Lampard scoring against us yet again. I also expect to see a  hell of a lot of Oscar, if we are going to get a result we're going to need to keep him quiet among everyone else.

Razvan Rat was injured on international duty and will be a doubt for Saturday’s game. Winston Reid has undergone ankle surgery and will be a long term absentee, but Joey O’Brien and James Collins should be fit.

Fernando Torres will not be ready to face West Ham as he continues to recover from a adductor muscle injury.

I'm sorry to say this but I really can't see anything more than a loss here and my accumulator agrees.
I predict a 3-0 loss, but we can hope of a repeat performance from last year.

COYI