West Ham v Wolves away, Saturday 3rd January, 3pm

buffybegoodbuffybegood
in Match Threads
Let's see if we can start 2026 with a bang, well, with 3 points at least. However, Wolves will probably be thinking the same thing, as they haven't won in the PL this season. They're well on course for challenging Derby for the lowest ever points total in a PL season, but they did pick up an unexpected (or maybe not 😂🤣😂) point at Old Trafford last night.

3 points here could mean we're only a point behind Forest (they are away to Villa on Saturday) when we play them at home next Tuesday, so this is the first of 2 huge matches in the space of 4 days.

COYI ⚒️⚒️⚒️
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Comments

  • stevesteve
    Wolves got a point at Man U yesterday ,so won't be a given
  • YeoldhammerYeoldhammer
    If we kick off 2026 with a loss here. :p
  • LukerzLukerz
    2-1 Wolves
  • LukerzLukerz
    edited January 2
    This is going to be horrendous; a really nervy game for us. 1) because it’s almost must-win, 2) because we will be the favourites, so will have the pressure on us & 3) because we all know that, given Wolves’ situation, how ironic it would be if their first win is against us (which isn’t impossible as they’ve beaten us before this season). Then you throw in it’s Wolves first home game of the new year (fresh start?) & the Nuno factor of him facing a former club where he made his name. This is a day to stay away from all technology.

    I would be going the same 11 (minus Todibo) as we played against Brighton, as I thought we played fairly decently overall against a good side, with limited options. I would consider replacing Areola as I think Hermansen deserves the chance to play in our side now we are not completely abject & I am not convinced by Areola.

    Hermansen
    Walker-Peters - Mavropanos - Kilman - Scarles
    Potts - Magassa
    Bowen - Fernandes - Paquetá
    Wilson
  • IronHerbIronHerb
    I'm not against Hermansen starting over Areola.
  • stevesteve
    Me neither
  • alderzalderz
    I know Areola has his moments of quality, but he’s so unreliable on crosses and with the ball that he’s definitely not the future for us. Meanwhile we have a young keeper on the bench who got rave reviews last year and we spent £20m on. To me it’s a no brainer that if you’re going to have a keeper that flaps at crosses you might as well invest the time in the young one and help him develop
  • YeoldhammerYeoldhammer
    Theres no way you put Hermansen in for this game surely ? imagine having your confidence rocked even more to bring him into a pressure game against a team who have not won all season.
  • alderzalderz
    Yeah fair point. I just hope he comes back in at some point
  • stevesteve
    Perhaps against QPR
  • LukerzLukerz
    Yeoldhammer said:

    Theres no way you put Hermansen in for this game surely ? imagine having your confidence rocked even more to bring him into a pressure game against a team who have not won all season.

    If the alternative is Areola flapping at more corners & costing us goals v Wolves, then yes you do.
  • IronHerbIronHerb
    Pablo is on the bus to Wolves, just don't know if he is registered or not. 🤷‍♂️
  • FortuneseekerFortuneseeker
    edited January 2
    Did Hermansen not perform too well at corners and crosses earlier in the season? Don't think anyone did so to be fair. Anyway he was a particular pick by GP to play to his style of football, is that now the same way as what NES wants to?
  • OutcastLondonerOutcastLondoner
    Maybe bring Hermansen it as some point but Areola has had some really good games recently (not without mistakes altogether) and I feel just when we’re settling a bit performance wise we don’t need to make a change to a keeper who was awful the last time he had a chance. I’m not writing off Hermansen but it feels like the wrong time to make this change.
  • jay_in_cptjay_in_cpt
    Areola has earned us a few points rather than cost us IMO...
  • alderzalderz
    jay_in_cpt said:

    Areola has earned us a few points rather than cost us IMO...

    He’s done both, tbf
  • BubblesNeverDiesBubblesNeverDies
    The goal that Areola conceded from the corner was down to the defence not doing what it says on the tin, IMO only of course.
  • jay_in_cptjay_in_cpt
    IMO Potter made the initial mistake of rushing Mads in too quickly, his appearances were nothing short of horrendous…
    Tomorrow is probably IMO the biggest game for us at the moment, the 3 points are there and we need to take them, IMO It’s not the right match to put him in again, let’s see what he’s like in the F A Cup 1st IMO…
  • claretandblueskyclaretandbluesky
    edited January 2
    I think there is also the point that we need our keepers in the best possible place regard confidence and dropping Areola may not help that. If Mads comes in against QPR ( as would probably be expected for the second keeper) he gets a chance to earn the shirt rather than it just be taken from Areola.
  • LukerzLukerz
    edited January 2
    Throw Pablo straight in

    We know Wilson won’t start 2 games in 4 days, so I’d rather not Paquetá up top again
  • claretandblueskyclaretandbluesky
    I think start Wilson but have the new guy ready to go pretty soon after half time if needed. It's a huge ask to go straight in when he has likely not even had a training session with his team mates.
  • Brother_SledgeBrother_Sledge
    I think Areola would have got much better contact on the ball if Kilman hadn't crashed into him.
  • IronHerbIronHerb
    Thing is he wasn't trying to catch it or punch it. He just tried to slap the ball away, which he tried again later and missed altogether. 🤷‍♂️
  • jay_in_cptjay_in_cpt
    The bigger problem for me is obvious, the CB's are the issue rather than the keeper at the moment ( I'm not talking about the future )......IMO
  • ASLEFshruggedASLEFshrugged
    Wolves may have lost four of the last five but they've also scored in four of the last five; against Arsenal, Liverpool and Man Utd (twice)

    Rob Edwards uses a 3-5-2 with Hwang Hee-chan starting up front five games in a row. 6' 6" Tolu Arokodare - signed from Genk for £24m on deadline day - has replaced Jorgen Strand Larssen in the starting line up for the last two

    At the back GK Sam Johnstone has also been dropped, replaced by Jose Sa for the last three

    There are a few noticeable absences, CB Emmanuel Agbadou is at AFCON while CB Toti Gomes, CM/AM/RW Marshall Munetsi, CM/AM/LW Jean-Ricner Bellegarde and LWB/RWB/LW Rodrigo Gomes are all out with injuries. CB Santiago Bueno faces a late fitness test and DM/CM Andre is available after suspension

    One player Edwards singled out for praise in his press conference was 18yo Wolves youth product CM/AM Mateus Mane who got his first two EPL after Christmas

    Chances are they will score...
  • jay_in_cptjay_in_cpt
    ASLEFshrugged said:





    Chances are they will score...

    But all teams score against us, as long as we score more today!
  • LukerzLukerz
    Rumour that Paquetá is out with injury
  • LukerzLukerz
    They struggle at home, they have played with a lot more freedom away from home, some of their recent home results have been 1-4 to Man Utd, 0-2 to Brentford, 0-2 to Palace, 0-1 to Forest. So 1 goal in their last 4 home games.
  • LukerzLukerz
    Just for context, our relegation rivals (Leeds, Forest, Burnley) have all won at Wolves this season.
  • buffybegoodbuffybegood
    edited January 3
    Areola, Walker-Peters, Mavropanos, Kilman, Scarles, Potts, Magassa, Fernandes, Bowen ©, Summerville, Wilson
    Subs: Hermansen (GK), Igor, Golambeckis, Mayers, Rodríguez, Kanté, Earthy, Souček, Pablo

    As expected, no Todibo, but also no Paqueta either. Mavropanos and Summerville start.

    Pablo on the bench.
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