Jeff Stelling and Michael Dawson debate ‘horrible’ West Ham United fixtures live on Sky Sports
Jeff Stelling and Michael Dawson have had their say on the “horrible” Premier League fixture list that West Ham United have to contend with in their fight against relegation this season.
Despite picking up a hard-fought 1-0 win against Fulham last weekend, David Moyes’ side remain just three points above the relegation zone with nine games of their season remaining.
Speaking live on Sky Sports Soccer Saturday, and as shared via Football Daily, Stelling and Dawson issued their worries about the tough upcoming fixtures, which include home matches against Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United, as well as a tough trip to Manchester City.
“This is a dreadful, dreadful run isn’t it,” Stelling said.
“It’s a horrible run in Jeff, horrible,” Dawson replied. “And it doesn’t get any easier tomorrow with Arsenal, I know people are saying it’s a London derby, but I don’t see any other result than Arsenal because they can punish you.
“If you surrender that much possession at home, the West Ham fans, who are on edge anyway they’re not happy, they’re team was 7th last year, scoring goals in Europe and having a great season.
“They probably over-achieved, in my opinion, and now they’re in trouble.
“I think they will stay up because of the players they have got. I do believe that David Moyes, it’s only him and Steve Cooper that haven’t been sacked in the bottom half of the table, and I don’t see why they would change it.
“David Moyes is the right man to keep them in the Premier League this season.”
Very tricky
Facing Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United and Manchester City within their last nine games of the Premier League season should leave West Ham fans very worried.
After months of poor football, the odd result picked up here and there, and the club’s insistence that Moyes is the right man for the job, it seems like the relegation dogfight could go all the way to the last day of the season.
When throwing into the mix the Hammers’ Europa Conference League commitments, it suddenly doesn’t look very rosy at all.
If West Ham United advance past Gent and into the semi-finals of the European competition, they will face two more midweek fixtures that will be sandwiched in between Premier League weekend matches.
The Scot is going to have to utilise his squad extremely well over the final weeks of the season if he hopes to keep the club in the Premier League.
The likes of rarely-seen Flynn Downes and Manuel Lanzini are going to have to step up and deliver the goods in Europe while Moyes tries to navigate this Premier League run-in that is littered with tough tests.