West Ham fans travel in hope to St James’ Park on Sunday.
How much expectation they are feeling…read their comments below.
Newcastle United having a key role in this relegation battle.
The result on Sunday won’t seal their fate either way.
However, two points behind Spurs and with only a couple of matches each to play, West Ham fans clearly seeing a win or a defeat could be defining either way…
West Ham fans commenting via their Knees Up Mother Brown message board:
‘It wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest if Newcastle roll over. Biggest obstacle to them spending their money was Liverpool and Tottenham. With the totts out the premier League . That could be made easier.’
‘Looking at the Premier League table, only three teams (us, Burnley and Wolves) have lost more games this season than Newcastle…………so every reason to believe we can nick a win on Sunday.’
‘Both teams will cheer when Callum Wilson scores the winning goal.’
‘If we win this game, I think we stay up. There is no way Chelsea will pass up the opportunity to send Spurs down, despite recent form.
If we don’t win this game, we won’t stay up imo.’
‘The newcastle chat i’ve seen is mostly about how relegating spurs is not only funny, but very much in their best interests.
i expect the players to be professional, but the gulf in motivation will be vast.’
‘The only experiment I might consider is starting Wilson. I know he’s not as effective against defenders at the beginning of a game, but he does take his chances if and when he gets them. And there’s the playing at his old club factor. Wilson is churlish enough to want to stick it to his old clubs. I believe he score a lot against Bournemouth. We need an early lead in this one so give him his chance paired with one of the other two.’
‘Man in the middle is gillett
Var is Pawson
What have we done to deserve them two Sunday ?’
‘I’d like to see how many rugby tackles in the box we can get away with before the Ref blows up for a penalty to Newcastle
Then keep rugby tackling every Newcastle player throughout the game until there’s no one left to send off bar Hermansen
Ok , it’ll most likely get us relegated but we’ll have made our point.’
‘After two deflating defeats we’re still in with a chance…..it’s mental.
It’s not the despair, I can take the despair. It’s the hope I can’t stand.’
‘If anyone thinks Newcastle are just going to roll over, think again. It’s NEVER that easy, we all know it. I was texting my Newcastle mate as he was on his way back from Forrest, he had this to say “I was well behind him (Howe) until today. They were waiting to get beat and if (in Howe’s words) the 11 on the pitch were the best in training this week then that reflects badly on him and his coaching staff.” We need to treat this game as a cup final and set the tempo from the off. There’s no guarantees Chelsea will beat Spurs, and we simply must do all we can to give ourselves a fighting chance going in to the final game.’
‘Firstly, I’ve already made my peace with playing in The Championship next season.
Secondly, I feel weirdly positive this morning about staying up. I am convinced Chelsea will beat Spurs so in my head it’s in our own hands. Win both games and we stay up.’
‘Since going out of Europe their season went a bit ‘meh’ but they seemed to get it back on track against Brighton (who were poor defensively that day though). Pope seems to offer up a gift per match too. I think we can score at least one up there, can we keep them out?
No idea what their appetite or desire will be for this one, finishing above Sunderland is their only drive, that feels like it means more to Sunderland though. Hopefully they are ‘on the beach’.
I can see a score draw, we do have a chance to go and get a win here though.’
‘I’d bring Pablo back in for this one. We need an extra man in the middle more than one at the back for this one. Their strength is their midfield so we need to match that energy in the middle of the park.
I like Todibo and he’s a fantastic one-on-one defender in those channels, which was perfect against Gyokeres, but Newcastle are a completely different team.’
‘You just have to hope that Newcastle, who have been dreadful for a few months, now have their heads fully on the beach knowing they’re safe.
If we win this its very plausible we go into the last game outside of the bottom 3, terrifying.’
‘I’ve got this one down as a nervy 0-0 will be in with the Maggots so half hoping we don’t score for fear of a slap!!
That said if we get three points, will take a dry slap!’
‘Hope Gordon is back, might mean they drop Barnes, unless I’m imagining it but Harvey Barnes must have a superb record against us.’
‘Yeah Barnes does have a great record against us, and he’s scored in the last two weeks.’
‘If we have any hope of winning this by more than the odd goal nicked late on or on the counter/via a set piece, we need to be more adventurous than the usual low block.
If we are going to press high, we need to press high properly, and not our usual tactic of doing a half hearted high press with 3 players that the opposition easily beats.
We need absolute energy for this. Newcastle will be at 90% tops, they don’t have much riding on this.’
‘Can’t be playing 442 against their midfield, 433 freeing Bowen & Summerville up a bit, also Wilson needs to start. Get an extra man in the middle, don’t want a basketball game at St James’s.’
‘I don’t know how people are saying they’d take a draw.
We are on 36 points, Spurs on 38 with superior GD. A draw means Spurs can draw both of their remaining games and stay up, or win only one of them and stay up.
Any pressure they might have will be all but lifted. Win and Spurs go to Stamford a point behind us, knowing that they need to get a win to go into the last day with their own fate in their own hands.’
‘Lose this we are toast imo.’
‘Start Wilson and let him get a goal or two shooting downhill at the Gallowgate end. Sub him off after 25 minutes when he’s knackered.’
‘I think it is guaranteed that Newcastle will get a penalty for a hold or grappling at a corner.’
‘Don’t forget the one they’ll get for Gordon kicking the back of one of our defenders legs!’
‘I know previous form doesn’t mean much at this stage but this calendar year, Newcastle have lost at home to Villa, City (twice), Brentford, Everton, Sunderland and Bournemouth. St James is not a fortress.’
‘If we beat Newcastle, and Spurs lose to Chelsea, we go into the last day with our fate in our own hands.
Draw with Newcastle and we’re behind Spurs whatever happens. We’ll need to beat Leeds final day, and hope Spurs dont win either match or get two draws.
Lose and we’re toast unless Spurs somehow lose both remaining games.
We need to beat Newcastle. No ifs, buts or maybes. We absolutely have to win, or we’re all but gone.’
‘More recently, they have lost 5 of their last 7 at home.
Beating Brighton in their last home games wasn’t as easy for them as the 3-1 scoreline looks either. Brighton started terrible, went two down, should have pulled level in the second half, gifted Newcastle a third on the break in injury time.
Newcastle is not a happy home. If we go there and get into them, the natives will be hostile (internally) and give the players and manager some stick.’
‘St.James Park is not where I’d want us to go on their last home game of the season. I know they are safe/no Europe etc, but they want to finish above Sunderland. They are playing for something. It’s very rare for anyone to roll over. Spurs were lucky at Villa for that reason…We will not have that.’
‘We are getting the best out of Wilson using him the way we are. I don’t really get the outcry for him to start at all.
He’s the best finisher at the club. Having him on the pitch if we need a goal at the end of the game against tired defenders while he’s fresh is a big advantage.’
‘They are a one man team (Bruno Guimaraes) this season and unfortunately much better since he returned from injury three games ago. But if West Ham can do what they have successfully done in most games this season – using their strikers to stop supply to and from the central midfielders – there should be a decent chance to be in command of the game. Their defenders aren’t great playmakers so shutting down that midfield goes a long way.’