Leicester v West Ham, 28th May, 4.30pm

buffybegoodbuffybegood
in Match Threads
Our final game of the league season, and a warm up for the ECL final next month.

Leicester sit in 19th, needing to beat us and hope that Everton lose at home to Bournemouth and Leeds fail to beat Spurs to survive. A win for us could see us rise from our current position of 14th to as high as 12th if Wolves fail to win at Old Trafford and Chelsea lose to both Man Utd and Newcastle by sufficient goals to overturn a 6 goal deficit. Our lowest possible finish is 15th if Bournemouth beat Everton and we fail to win.

It's the first time since 2nd April that we've had a full week between games, having played 15 matches in the last 7 weeks. Injuries permiting, I suspect we'll see what Moyes deems to be our strongest side out, with 10 days after this to the final in Prague. I'd expect to see

Fabianski
Coufal Zouma Aguerd Cresswell
Soucek Rice
Bowen Paqueta Benrahma
Antonio.

COYI ⚒⚒⚒
«1345

Comments

  • welovethehammerswelovethehammers
    Agreed. Strongest team possible imo considering the team will have a decent rest before Fiorentina.

    The most important thing is for our team to come away from this match injury free.
  • YeoldhammerYeoldhammer
    Strongest team for sure. A good warmup before Fiorentina. Think this game could go the same way as the Leeds game especially if Leicester lose tomorrow to Newcastle.
  • OldCastleSwiftOldCastleSwift
    I'm torn. I get the warm up thing, but imagine we play our strongest team and we lose Rice, or Zouma, or Bowen to injury.

    I think Zouma might be rested because he's probably the biggest risk given his history. Antonio might get a half. Rice 60 minutes maybe.

    Just want to get to 7th June now.
  • LukerzLukerz
    edited May 2023
    Important to take momentum in. We’ve won 4 of our last 5 games. Resting the squad will mean it will have been almost 3 weeks without match minutes. Strongest 11.

    Fabianski
    Kehrer - Zouma - Aguerd - Cresswell
    Soucek - Rice - Paqueta
    Bowen - Antonio - Fornals
  • OutcastLondonerOutcastLondoner
    I think we should go strong because now that we have 5 subs we'll be able to take off most of the key players when they've had a decent run out. Don't think going in cold is a good idea.
  • stevesteve
    Must go strong keep them sharp
  • LukerzLukerz
    How bad are Leicester? Somehow managed to keep it 0-0 so far.
  • stevesteve
    Kind of wanted Leicester to win to make it a fun last day .But then I saw John Terry =)
  • buffybegoodbuffybegood
    Pope with a really good save in the 92nd minute, probably the first shot on target he's had to deal with.
  • buffybegoodbuffybegood
    Finished 0-0, enough to guarantee Newcastle a top 4 finish, but leaving Leicester needing to beat us next weekend to have any chance of staying up.
  • MrsGreyMrsGrey
    Wrong Fred?
  • stevesteve
    Lukerz started it Miss not me =)
  • MrsGreyMrsGrey
    Yoof.

    What can you do.
  • claretandblueskyclaretandbluesky
    I would rest at least Zouma and Antonio as they are probably the most likely to get injured, and both will be vital to our chances in Prague. I would probably leave Rice and Bowen on the bench as well simply to avoid the possibility of getting injured in a match which means nothing.

    I would use the spaces to give some match time to Fornals, Ings, Ogbonna, Muamba and Downes who may all have a part to play from the bench in Prague in a match that could easily go to extra time.

    If there is an argument for keeping players match sharp then surely Areola must be the first name on the team sheet. He is going into the final colder than anyone else.
  • thornburyironthornburyiron
    I’m sure Everton and Leeds would complain if we made wholesale changes given what’s at stake at the bottom.
  • BubblesNeverDiesBubblesNeverDies
    Can't see how they would have any justification given our own circumstances.
  • FortuneseekerFortuneseeker
    thorn, Everton can't complain after we virtually relegated the "Dirties" for them on Sunday!
  • thornburyironthornburyiron
    If we rest players due to the final then those players won’t have played for nearly three weeks which is not ideal in my mind. There’s still 10 days between next Sunday and the final for recovery. Injuries can occur at any time including in training.
  • jay_in_cptjay_in_cpt
    Don’t think anyone could argue with a different line up unless say 10 out of the 11 have never played in 1st team ( yoof as Mrs G would say )🤣😉
  • MIAHammerMIAHammer
    thornburyiron said:

    I’m sure Everton and Leeds would complain if we made wholesale changes given what’s at stake at the bottom.

    We made wholesale changes for the Brentford game before our semi final. Precedent has been set.
  • alderzalderz
    We kicked off against Brentford 64 hours after playing AZ Alkmaar, and the game ended 100 hours before we played the second leg.

    We kick off against Leicester 169 hours after our game against Leeds ended, and 241.5 hours before we kick off against Fiorentina.

    I do think there's a bit of a difference between the two situations, tbh.
  • OutcastLondonerOutcastLondoner
    You’re particularly statty this week
  • IronHerbIronHerb
    Leicester is live on SKY

    https://www.whufc.com/news/leicester-game-be-screened-sky-sports
  • ASLEFshruggedASLEFshrugged
    Leicester went with 5 at the back away at Newcastle and it earned them a point but they need a win to stay up so more likely to revert to the usual back four

    At the moment Dewsbury-Hall, Evans, Ndidi, Pereira and Soyuncu are all being assessed,

    Dean Smith has been in charge for seven matches but only four players have started all seven; GK Iversen, RB Castange, CB Faes and MC Tielemans

    Vardy and DM Soumare have started 6 out of 7, AM Maddison and CB Soyuncu 5 each, DM Ndidi, LW Barnes and LB Kristiansen 4 each
  • ZakkkerZakkker
    IronHerb said:

    Leicester is live on SKY

    https://www.whufc.com/news/leicester-game-be-screened-sky-sports/

    SKY clearly saw great appeal in this match, otherwise they wouldn't have picked it. The match will be interesting, I'm looking forward to it =)
  • buffybegoodbuffybegood
    It's one of the few matches where something is at stake. If Man Utd get a point tonight, all the CL and EL places are decided, with only Villa and Spurs competing for entry to the ECL, so it's the relegation battle that will attract the attention on Sunday.
  • thornburyironthornburyiron
    Sky have got Leicester and Everton and BT are showing Leeds.
  • FortuneseekerFortuneseeker
    buffy, I would back Leeds to win then as we all know Spurs don't do the ECL as it is thought to be beneath them!
  • buffybegoodbuffybegood
    Fortuneseeker said:

    buffy, I would back Leeds to win then as we all know Spurs don't do the ECL as it is thought to be beneath them!

    Would be the first time in 10 years or so that they haven't qualified for Europe in some shape or form, and with us possibly winning a trophy they might have a rethink.
  • jay_in_cptjay_in_cpt
    Referee: Hooper, Simon
    Assistant Referee: Holmes, Adrian
    Assistant Referee: West, Richard
    Fourth Official: Donohue, Matthew
    Video Assistant Referee: Kavanagh, Christopher
    Additional Video Assistant Referee: Robathan, Daniel
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