please log in to view this image please log in to view this image Match Officials Referee: Michael Oliver Assistants: H Lennard D Cook 4th official: Andre Marriner Team News West Ham are without Winston Reid (Hamstring), Victor Moses (Hamstring), Diafra Sakho (Thigh), Manuel Lanzini (Hip) and Dimitri Payet (Ankle). Aaron Cresswell and James Tomkins went off injured against Villa and will undergo fitness tests. Saints are again without Graziano Pelle, Cedric Soares, Fraser Forster, Florin Gardos and Jay Rodriguez but have no new injury concerns. Key players Actually a lot of West Ham's key players are missing but I'll go with: please log in to view this image Cheikhou Kouyate will be key to the midfield battle, along with Wanyama. He's a but more of a threat on the opposition goal than Wanyama as well. For Saints I'll go with: please log in to view this image I went with Wanyama last time so I'll go with Mane this time. Saints attack will be based on pace with Pelle injured and Mane and Long have that in abundance. If this guy plays well, he is very hard to stop.
Head-to-head The last three Premier League games between these sides at Upton Park have produced a total of 13 goals. None of the last 12 Premier League games between these two played at West Ham's ground have ended in a draw (nine wins for West Ham). Southampton are aiming to win successive league away games at West Ham for the first time since 1992. West Ham United The Hammers lost their opening two league games at home this season but are unbeaten in the subsequent six. West Ham have recorded five successive top-flight draws for the first time since October 1968 - they've never drawn six in a row before in the division. They have conceded just two goals in their last five matches. The last time the Hammers won their final league game of a calendar year was in December 2008 (2-1 v Stoke City). Southampton Saints were unbeaten in their first six Premier League away games this season but have lost their last two on the road. They have won just two of their last 15 Premier League away games (W2, D5, L8), scoring 11 goals. Sadio Mane has six assists in 18 league appearances this season - twice as many as he had in 30 Premier League appearances last season. Shane Long has scored five and assisted two goals in his last seven Premier League starts for Southampton. They last won their final league game in a calendar year in December 2010, beating Huddersfield 4-1.
Will be tougher than the Arsenal game as West Ham will be more in our face and not give us so much room. The team's confidence will be back, but this may be counteracted by the increased wariness of the opposition. Win would be fantastic, but the Arsenal win makes a draw a decent result over the Xmas period.
Don't like Andy Carrol,I remember at st Mary's once he was throwing himself to the ground at every opportunity trying to con the ref, embarrassing is an understatement. Sad thing is he won a few with his acting.
Is that game when he gave Hooiveld a hard time. Actually Jos loved that game and came out of it OK. I thought they would end up in a punch up but they were laughing and hugging in the tunnel after (seen on match day uncovered or something as I recall)
Will be interesting to see what changes he makes. Reckon we could go for - Stek Martina Fonte VVD Targett Reed Romeu JWP Juanmi Long Ramirez That's the fine changes he alluded to - and we would have Mane Wanyama and Tadic to call on if required. I'm trying to second guess RK here and would be reluctant to leave out Victor or Wanyama myself as they were two of our best players yesterday.
I'd have hoped it would be unchanged if the players have recovered in time. With the most fatigued ones getting subbed off between 60 and 75 mins. He's probably changed his mind about rotating much after a 4-0 win.
Win tomorrow and we'll climb 3 places guaranteed. Liverpool aren't playing until Wednesday and Everton and Stoke are playing each other.
Do we play to control possession or hit them on the break? If we score first then last night's tactics are fine 'cause Mane and Long will exploit the channels/gaps..
Eight games without a win. One goal in their last four games. Two home wins all season. If we score first, their fans could turn on them.
