West Ham United will travel to Sunderland on Monday knowing that a win would all but secure Premier League football for another year.
Following Saturday’s results the Hammers know a win would send them ELEVEN points clear of the relegation zone with just six games remaining.
The Hammers faithful will hope for a better display than the one they witnessed on Wednesday night despite victory the Irons were booed off after a turgid display against ten-man Hull City.
Monday night’s Sky Live fixture (Genius from Sky by the way) gives the players the opportunity to prove to the fans that they can play an attractive style of play, and by doing that help their manager who is beginning to lose the fans after his cupped ear gesture at full-time.
Sam Allardyce has the option of winning some of the doubters back by playing a more attacking team, with many fans calling for Big Sam to place attack minded full back Pablo Armero in the starting eleven. Sam Allardyce though will more than likely play is safe, knowing a win here would probably be enough to secure Premier League survival.
The Hammers fans will be pleased to hear that Winston Reid will return to the squad after missing out on Wednesday through illness and the return of Matthew Jarvis could force Mohamed Diame into his natural central role.
Ahead of the clash, Allardyce spoke to gathering media about the boos he was greeting with on Wednesday night.
He said” “I think, like everything else, it’s a small minority but small minorities are good at voicing their opinion, we all know that. It was all borne out of frustration because they expected us to win more comfortably than we did.”
He added: “In the cold light of day, everyone realised how important that win was and everybody has got to realise what we have done in the last eight games – we’ve got 15 points in those eight games and that is about a top-six finish in the Premier League, or at least a top-eight. So, our form has never been as good and our results have never been as good. Overcoming three consecutive losses with a victory was very important.”
Thanks to their cup heroics Sunderland find themselves with games in hand on the teams they are chasing for Premier League survival.
Unfortunately for them they can’t seem to turn their cup form into league form as they languish in 19th place, Monday night’s fixture is a massive game for Gus Poyet with a tricky run in picking up points on Monday is simply a must.
With some Black Cat’s players with their mind on next season already, Poyet and his staff will have to get his men focused on the task in hand, which is keeping the Mackems in the Premier League.
Sunderland are a massive club, and it would football suicide for Sunderland if they were to go down, they have players on big money, and poor players at that, Jozy Altidore just to name one on big money.
They do though have a good recent record against the Hammers at the Stadium of Light, and they do have some good players that could hurt the Hammers, with Craig Gardner and Adam Johnson particularly threatening.
Ahead of this must win game for the hosts, Sunderland first team coach Charlie Oatway told SAFC.com, that the squad remain confident despite their league position.
He said: “Confidence is a thing that you can only take for yourself so I don’t really know exactly how people are feeling, from what I’ve seen, nothing shows me that there is anyone lacking in confidence, not by any stretch of the imagination.”
It is a must win game for both teams for very different reasons, for Sunderland a win would close the gap on the teams above them and they still have those crucial games in hand. For the Hammers a win would all but secure survival with still Palace to come to Upton Park, the visitors will believe victory here would put them in touching distance.
Last five:
Sunderland:
- 02/03/14 Manchester City 3 – 1 Sunderland (Capital One Cup)
- 09/03/14 Hull City 3 – 0 Sunderland (F.A Cup)
- 15/03/14 Sunderland 0 – 0 Crystal Palace
- 22/03/14 Norwich City 2 – 0 Sunderland
- 26/03/14 Liverpool 2 – 1 Sunderland
Up Next: Spurs (a), Everton (h), Manchester City (a), Chelsea (a), Cardiff (h)
West Ham United.
- 22/02/14 West Ham 3 – 1 Southampton
- 01/03/14 Everton 1 – 0 West Ham
- 15/03/14 Stoke City 3 – 1 West Ham
- 22/03/14 West Ham 0 – 2 Manchester United
- 26/03/14 West Ham 2 – 1 Hull City
Up Next: Liverpool (h), Arsenal (a), Palace (h), West Brom (a), Tottenham (h)
Last five: (head to head) (It makes for pretty grim reading if you’re a Hammer)
- 14th December 2013: West Ham 0-0 Sunderland
- 12th January 2013: Sunderland 3-0 West Ham
- 22nd September 2012: West Ham 1-1 Sunderland
- 22nd May 2011: West Ham 0-3 Sunderland
- 5th December 2010: Sunderland 1-0 West Ham
Key Men:
Sunderland: Adam Johnson, Ki Sung Yung, Craig Gardner
West Ham United: Mark Noble, Andy Carroll, Kevin Nolan
Bowdenwhu predicts: Sunderland 1-1 West Ham United
Come on you Irons!
Tweet me @Bowdenwhu
I’m not sure what all the fuss is about, “must win game!” As the weekend results have proven, the teams at the bottom and are favourite for the drop are all relegating themselves! They need to win every game. Where as teams above them a draw seems like three to the teams below them. Our season is over and we can start planning for next year, however, we shouldn’t be to smug though as the main reason we we aren’t involved in a relegation dogfight is that there are at least a half a dozen teams in general and at least four in particular who are worse than us. Three of these teams will be relegated! As for Monday night well it has 0-0 written all over it! My only worry is that the mackem’s are desperate for a result where as we are not and we could therefor be on the wrong end of a sore one!
I also don’t see this game as a “must win game” although to win it would probably put an end to all the nonsense and hyperbole.
I seems for many West Ham supporters the Oxford dictionary term for “supporter” has changed, and it now means you can go to a game to abuse the team that you’re meant to support because you paid your money? Save your money if thats the case and stay at home!!!
COYI
I cannot stress enough, just how important a must win game this is. Sure, we are talking a possible temporary 11 gap if West Ham win? but if West Ham get beaten & if Sunderland then proceed to win their 2 games in hand they have over West Ham, then they could get to 34 points while we are playing Liverpool & then Arsenal. If we only have 34 pts after tonight, then there’s a good chance we will still have 34 pts after the Liverpool game & Arsenal games, leading us into the game at home to Crystal Palace (who will be desperate) on 19th April still stuck on 34 pts, by that time all of the other teams who are between 1-5 pts below us could have made up ground, including Sunderland, (if not gone above us). If we don’t win tonight, the pressure to win against, (Liverpool & Arsenal??), then Palace, followed by (West Brom, who will be desperate for points) & then Spurs & Man City will be enormous. Come on, get real folks, getting 3 pts tonight is shaping up to be THE most important 3 of the season, lets do it know, WHILE WE STILL CAN! COYI, PLEASE!!!
Things were looking fairly cruisy, until Palace beat Chelsea, before that Liverpool had only just managed to beat Sunderland 2-1, and West Brom have come to life & should have beaten Cardiff. Norwich, Hull & defintely Swansea will all improve. Villa are with us on 34 pts & will get more points. We could be 18th in no time. I am not saying we will, but could easily be. I do not like our fans complacency. Sure we justy need 1 win, BUT WE STILL HAVE TO GET IT SOMEWHERE!