I was happy to oppose West Ham versus Wolves in midweek and won’t be doing any different when Stoke City visit Upton Park on Saturday.
West Ham’s woeful effort against Mick McCarthy’s men on Tuesday, when beaten 3-1 in front of their own fans, saw them slump to a fifth successive Premier League defeat and quite how they are no bigger than 2.20 to stop the slide versus Tony Pullis’ troops is beyond me.
The Hammer’s confidence levels versus their fellow relegation candidates last time out beggared belief and in truth the score line probably flattered them. Joint-owner David Sullivan has given manager Gianfranco Zola a public vote of confidence this week but that usually spells trouble and I’m not sure where the next win is coming from.
While the Premier League table indicates that Stoke are much tougher opposition on home soil their form on the road this season has been ok, despite a lack of goals, and their Welsh manager is sure to have them wound up for the trip to east London.
It is testament to Pullis and his coaching staff that the Potters enter their 32nd game of the season already with top flight safety for next season assured and that should ensure the pressure is off on Saturday.
Defeat at home to high-flying Tottenham in their latest fixture was no disgrace and hard-earned draws prior to that versus Aston Villa and Burnley were far more indicative of Stoke’s progress this season.
Victory at Fratton Park, albeit against beleaguered Portsmouth, before those valuable points showed that Stoke can get the job done on the road and it is worth noting that, despite just eight goals scored away from home, they have managed to bag 13 points on their travels.
The notable lack of cohesion going forward from West Ham at Upton Park on Tuesday convinces me that Carlton Cole and chums will have a tough time breaking down a resilient Stoke rearguard and it is one which has conceded just 16 goals in 15 away fixtures.
That is a remarkable statistic for a bottom-half side and with the likes of Ricardo Fuller set to cause the hosts trouble at the other end, one should be enough for Stoke to earn at least a share of the spoils.
It is getting near that time of season when teams in need of the points are continually underpriced and that certainly appears the case in point with West Ham. They may yet survive, the three clubs currently below them in the table are truly awful, but the Hammers can be opposed until they show signs of a revival and right now that looks a long way off.
2.5pts Lay West Ham (vs. Stoke) @ 2.22 (Betfair)