Former Liverpool striker Michael Owen has claimed that fans will be witness to a “different” West Ham United side against Bournemouth this weekend.
The Hammers were thrashed 4-0 by Liverpool last Sunday, and new boss Manuel Pellegrini will undoubtedly want to get some points on the board after the horror show that day.
Owen – who also used to play for Newcastle and Real Madrid – said that the Irons have had high expectations piled on them after splashing the cash this summer on ten signings.
“Manuel Pellegrini will have another week to work with his new signings and I feel we will see a different Hammers’ side against the Cherries who got off to a winning start against Cardiff on Saturday,” he wrote on the BetVictor blog.
“Expectation has been high for Pellegrini’s Irons and I think it would be folly to write them off after just one – albeit mediocre – performance.”
OPINION
Owen is right not to write off the Hammers after the Liverpool clash, as they still have so much to offer despite the result. The new signings did not have enough time to gel together before the trip to Anfield, which may underpin why West Ham were so poor that day. Owen claims that we will see a “different” Hammers’ side this weekend, as Bournemouth are undoubtedly do not pose a huge threat like Liverpool did – and they will need to improve upon last week’s antics to have any sort of impact on this game. Nevertheless, they have had the pressure piled on them, and sometimes a team can crack under heavy expectations. They will need to show that this is not the case, and that they do not represent a club trying to throw money at their problems. Pellegrini will need to switch things up in order to achieve a result at home to the Cherries, and fingers crossed they can still make a positive start to their season.
