How late is too late? Pressure is mounting on Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal after his squad capitulated against Leicester City this past weekend. He will look to pick up the pieces this coming Saturday when the Red Devils square off with West Ham in an all-important Premier League showdown.
Read on for a complete preview of this matchup and while you’re at it you can check out our preview of the MLS game between Sporting Kansas City and the New England Revolution.
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West Ham United vs. Manchester United Betting Preview
Where: Old Trafford, Manchester
When: Saturday, September 27, 10:00 AM ET
Line: West Ham United (+700) at Manchester United (-400); tie: +440 – view all EPL lines
What’s at Stake
[sc:Soccer240banner ]Grabbing all three points is a must for Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal after a string of bad results have left the Red Devils in 12th position with only five points after five games. The Hammers, on the other hand, are playing some excellent football of late and can climb to as high as third with a win on Saturday.
Betting on West Ham United
West Ham United are on a high after beating last season’s Premier League runner-up Liverpool 3-1 at Upton Park last Saturday.
The Hammers struck quickly, scoring two goals in the first seven minutes as they dominated a Liverpool side lacking in imagination. A late goal from Morgan Amalfitano sealed the victory for the London side which climbed to eighth in the league table with seven points this season.
Key to the Hammers’ rise to the top this season is the inspired play of Stewart Downing. The former England international has been a revelation since moving into a more central position in the midfield. In the game against Liverpool, not only did he create two goals but he also marked the Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard out of the game.
West Ham has clearly benefited from manager Sam Allardyce’s decision to bring a more attacking brand of football to their ranks. In the game against Liverpool, he decided to utilize a 4-3-3 formation with Downing pushed up high the pitch. It worked wonders as the 30-year-old regularly beat the Liverpool defenders and was the focal point of every West Ham attack.
It’s that kind of mentality that they should possess when they travel to Old Trafford this coming Saturday. They may have lost their last six games there but this is a Manchester United squad that is ripe for the picking. United have already allowed eight goals this season, including five in their last game against Leicester City.
The Hammers can take heart in the fact that they are unbeaten on the road so far this season. They won 3-1 against Crystal Palace and drew 2-2 with Hull City in their last two away games.
Manchester United are in all sorts of trouble after another devastating defeat at the weekend, this time at the hands of Leicester City.
When Ander Herrera put United ahead 3-1 in the 57th minute, it seemed like the game was already over. Not with these Red Devils though. Leicester City fought back, starting with a David Nugent penalty that changed the momentum of the match. When the final whistle was blown, the Foxes were 5-3 to the good as they beat United at home for the first time since 1985.
It’s back to the drawing board once again for manager Louis van Gaal who is feeling the heat right now after another horrible performance. Some are questioning his decision to replace Angel Di Maria in the 76th minute when the game was still tightly poised at 3-3. Even his own players were puzzled by his decision.
There is a lot of finger-pointing happening in the United camp right now. And that is definitely bad news heading into their match against West Ham this coming Saturday. With all the hoopla surrounding their vast array of attacking stars, it is their problematic defense that is their primary concern heading into this weekend.
Gone are the days when you can put Ferdinand, Vidic and Evra on the team sheet. Nowadays you will see Jonny Evans and Tyler Blackett as your central pairing at the back.
To make matters worse, their already fragile defense has been rocked by injuries ahead of their meeting with West Ham. Evans left the match last Sunday on crutches and will be unavailable for the foreseeable future. With Phil Jones still out because of a hamstring injury and Blackett suspended for the next match, it leaves Chris Smalling as the only fit center back in for the game against West Ham.
16-million pound man Marcos Rojo will deputise at the back alongside Smalling but considering United’s frailties at the back, it still begs the question: why did United invest that much money on their attack (140 million pounds) without spreading any on their defense?
Even with their problems at the back, United will feel confident heading into their game against the Hammers. Manchester United are unbeaten in their last 10 games with West Ham in the Premier League, with the Red Devils winning nine of those ballgames.
Writer’s Prediction
Manchester United (-400) cruise to a four-goal win.
