Deportivo Hammer
08/03/2019

Last weekends win against Newcastle was one of the most comfortable wins I have seen in a long time.  I felt we controlled the pace and tempo of the game and fully deserved the three points.  If anything I think we should have pushed on and got at least 2 or 3 more goals.  But a 2-0 victory on what was a special day for the great Billy Bonds.

This weekend we travel to Wales to take on our old friend Neil Warnock.  It’s been a long time since his Sheffield United days, and I’m sure he is still a little annoyed about the whole Tevez affair.  Well fact is I think he could be taking another team down this year as well.

Cardiff at the moment are sitting just under the dreaded relegation line.  Two points away from Southampton in 17th they have not been in good form recently losing their last three games.  Two of them were at home as well.  Which should see us take the game to them.

Two wins in our last 3 games sees us return to form at a very important part of the season we are soon running out of games and need to find the consistency that has been lacking this season and carry that through to the end of the season.  We are four points away from Watford and Wolves at the moment and It’s going to be a race to the wire on who ends up 7th.

Sol Bamba had a season ending injury last game out,  Which is going to cause a slight reshuffle to their defence.  But the rest of the squad all look to be competing for the right to start. 

The good news for West Ham is that Cresswell and Balbuena have both been given the all clear for today’s game.  While Cresswell should go straight back into the starting eleven, Balbuena may need to wait a while before he gets back into the team.  Wilshire, Yarmolenko, Sanchez and Reid are all still missing.  

Predicted Teams : 

Cardiff City : Etheridge, Peltier, Manga, Morrison, Bennett, Arter, Gunnarsson, Murphy, Camarasa, Paterson and Niasse. 

West Ham United : Fabianski, Fredericks, Diop, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Rice, Noble, Snodgrass, Lanzini, Anderson and Hernandez.  

I don’t have to agree with all of Pellegrini’s decisions, he sees the players every day in training and if he feels that Arnie is better coming from the bench then so be it.  It’s his decision and I back him all the way.  I fully feel we are going to win this game and do so in some style.  So I’m going to back West Ham to win the game 3 goals to 0 with Hernandez getting two goals and Arnie getting one as well.  Similar to the Newcastle game I expect us to not get as many goals as we should.