Article: West Ham v Saints match thread | Southampton FC, Football

#WHUFC starting XI: Adrian, O'Brien, Cresswell, Reid, Tomkins, Kouyate, Noble (c), Vaz Te, Downing, Zarate, Cole

#WHUFC subs: Jaaskelainen, Demel, Poyet, Diame, Morrison, Valencia, Sakho

 

Pleased to see Long and Pelle starting....don't like Graziano alone up front...too easily marked out of the game.

 

Emmanuel Mayuka exists ... wow.

 

Interesting that Wanyama is on the bench - but glad Steve Davis won't be playing on the wing again (unless it's 4-4-2?)

 

Good to have a relatively speedy forward starting against what is quite a static defence.

 

Really like the team. Lots of fast mobile players which West Ham will struggle against. Get the ball moving early on and we should control the game with that team. Bench looks very strong too, plenty of options & would like to see Cork introduced at Half time if we have a repeat of Millwall.

 

Need either Victor or Corky in the middle today. Prowsey will get bullied.

 

RK does know that we are playing away to West Ham doesn't he?
RK does know how West Hoof play doesn't he?.
WTF is he doing?
Only playing one DM and leaving our battering ram on the bench...hope he knows what he is doing because I am very nervous that we will get battered (physically) with this small light weight midfield

 

By whom? Nolan is injured and Diame on the bench.

 

Pelle will still be playing alone upfront even with Long in the side, I assume he will start him from the wing which is a relief as it means Davis won't be there. It so frustrating with a central midfielder out wide, we had nothing down that side against West from last weekend.

 

Maybe Ron figured that the ball will bypass the midfield with all the long balls from the back........HOOF!

 

I like how adventurous RK is being. He clearly isn't coming for the draw.

 

West Hams strengths are being aggressive and powerful, why try to match that (we cant), might as well and try to play to their weaknesses.

 

That's just about the best bench we ever had!

Edit: not that that's saying much...

 

How about 6ft 5 Kouyate? Prowsey can take set pieces, but for me his all round game isn't on a par with Victor or Jack.

 

Not sure I would describe that West Ham starting 11 as being too aggressive and powerful, they're missing a few players key to that style (Carroll, Diame, Collins, Nolan), so I think we could be stronger than them if we wanted. Maybe that's why Wanyama is only a sub, Koeman isn't as worried about them being too strong for us in midfield.

 

Seems strange to have Victor on the bench for this game. Worry that JWP might get bullied against hammers midfield. Am happy to see Long n Pelle starting though, we could do with them forming a partnership.

Hopefully come in at ht leading... Then bring Vic on

 

If he's the guy I noticed playing for them last weekend, my first thought was "Christ, they've got themselves another Diame. And a bigger, more physical Diame at that".

 

Kouyate and Noble..

 

That's the one, and he looks like he can play a bit too. That said, I trust Koeman and only he, the players and staff, know the game plan today.