--- title: "View from the opposition: West Ham" canonical: "https://readliverpoolfc.com/first-team/view-from-the-opposition-west-ham-2/" type: "post" language: "en-GB" author: "Ben Smith" section: "Articles" published: "2015-08-26T21:19:16Z" modified: "2015-08-26T21:19:16Z" --- # View from the opposition: West Ham Liverpool will be buoyant going into Saturday’s game with West Ham United, having [acquitted themselves brilliantly at Arsenal](https://readliverpoolfc.com/2015/08/25/four-findings-arsenal-0-0-liverpool/) on Monday night. The Hammers, on the other hand, may not be in such a good mood, despite them toppling Arsene Wenger’s side less than three weeks ago. The East Londoners have lost back-to-back home games in the Premier League since their triumph at the Emirates; and to see how they’re feeling ahead of their trip to Merseyside, I spoke to [Dean Ammi](https://readwestham.com/author/deanammi/) – co-editor of [Read West Ham](https://readwestham.com/). **What’s the general feeling like around West Ham and Slaven Bilic at the moment; having crashed out of Europe and lost to two sides you probably should have beaten at home, but having that win at Arsenal sandwiched in between?** It is an interesting atmosphere at the moment. The team were booed off at half-time against Bournemouth, but the win at Arsenal is still in the back of people’s minds; it shows that we are a different outfit this season. ![Tom Dulat/Getty Images Sport](https://media.readliverpoolfc.com/readliverpoolfc/2015/08/484870894.jpg) It is still very much a transitional period at West Ham, with nine new arrivals and more to come. The Europa League would have been a good ride to have during the final season at the Boleyn, but ultimately it is the manager’s decision to prioritise competitions and if we had not got any points from the Arsenal game, we would have had zero points at this moment in time. **After seeing what you did to Arsenal, do you believe that you can do a similar job at Anfield or have those subsequent performances destroyed your confidence somewhat?** In a way, yes they have. However, it is arguable that the reasoning behind the disappointing performances at home to Leicester and Bournemouth was a hangover effect from the victory at the Emirates. The players got ahead of themselves and suddenly thought they could beat anyone, without even concentrating. Having said that, it was a tough task getting something from Arsenal away, and that performance on the opening weekend showed that we are capable of competing if we are at the top of our game. **There’s a bit of a striker crisis at West Ham going into this one – so who do you think is going to play up top?** To say it’s a striker crisis would be an understatement. Mauro Zarate, Enner Valencia and Andy Carroll are all currently sidelined with medical issues, whilst our top goalscorer from last season Diafra Sakho is having an absolute nightmare with regards to off the field events. The last striker to score for the Hammers, Modibo Maiga, has since been sold too. ![Mike Hewitt/Getty Images Sport](https://media.readliverpoolfc.com/readliverpoolfc/2015/08/483082263.jpg) Elliot Lee from the Academy could be brought into the first team setup whilst the club continue to negotiate deals with continental forwards. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if we played some form of false nine without a main focal point up top. **The Reds have kept Stoke, Bournemouth and Arsenal at bay so far this term; what makes you think West Ham can buck that trend?** Nothing to be honest. I genuinely can’t see that trend being bucked. Perhaps I am being rather pessimistic but having conceded six goals to two teams who were both playing in the second tier in 2013, the team will be set up to defend until the morning comes, rather than try and break down the Liverpool backline. **In what way are the Hammers going to cause Liverpool problems? You’ve been a threat at set pieces against us in recent meetings.** Well, on the counter is the most likely scenario. Dimitri Payet already has one goal and one assist since making his move over from the other side of the Channel. His pace could cause one or two problems for youngsters such as Joe Gomez, and as you say, his set pieces are second to none. Cheikhou Kouyate is a large aerial threat, as is Winston Reid, so balls into the penalty area may well be our prime hope of success. ![Julian Finney/Getty Images Sport](https://media.readliverpoolfc.com/readliverpoolfc/2015/08/4851315901.jpg) **We’re pretty excited about teenager Joe Gomez at Anfield, and you’ve got an even younger starlet on your hands in Reece Oxford; is he likely to feature on Saturday and how big a future do you see for him?** His future is gigantic, provided he isn’t rushed into things. Young players in the Premier League often get overhyped when they put in a great performance. In the end, the pressures of living up to the heavy expectations can often backfire. We’ve seen this in the league with the likes of Adnan Januzaj. Oxford could be a key player in the future for both us and the England national team. Whether or not he will feature on the weekend remains to be seen, as Bilic will most probably favour fellow central midfielders Pedro Obiang, Cheikhou Kouyate and Mark Noble. **Which Liverpool player(s) are you most concerned about coming up against?** Philippe Coutinho looks a real handful. His trickery could cause various problems for our defence, especially with Carl Jenkinson suspended and the veteran Joey O’Brien having to take his place in the side. ![Julian Finney/Getty Images Sport](https://media.readliverpoolfc.com/readliverpoolfc/2015/08/4851318782.jpg) In addition to this, Martin Skrtel has been a rock at the back for the Merseyside team and I can’t see many balls getting past him. **And finally, let’s get a score prediction from you. How’s this one going to pan out?** 1-0 to Liverpool.