If It Ain't Broke Don't Fix It Team To Face Watford

When West Ham United moved from the Boleyn Ground to the London Stadium hopes were high following a seventh place finish in the Barclays Premier League, the season got off to a rocky start with a narrow 1-0 victory over Bournemouth. Not long after Watford were the visitors and for the first 25 minutes Hammers and in particular Dimitri Payet were in their pomp, racing to a 2-0 lead courtesey of more flicks and Rabonna's than a Ronaldo birthday party, jubilant fans couldn't believe what they were seeing, and then it all went wrong!

Watford scored twice before half time and then went on to win the game 4-2, the match proved a turning point and thr beginning of the end of Payet's relationship with the club. The manner of the collapse is something that Slaven Billic never recovered from, and from that day on he looked a shadow of the touch line 'prowling bear' that he once was. Disillusion quickly spread throughout the squad, one that had been appaulingly recruited during the summer but also one lacking direction, some of the performances were atrocious, every time a ball was lobbed over the top the pitch at the London Stadium looked enormous further exposing what was already a shaky defence.

Fast forward to now and the club and players do have direction and more importantly a team spirit that is infectious, despite a ridiculous injury list the squad have coped and come through the short and long term loss of two talismanic players in Marko Arnoutovic and Manuel Lanzini. Players have stepped up to the plate and performed above and beyond all expectations, so when it comes to team selection for Saturday's game against Watford manager Manuel Pellegrini might well elect to select the same starting line up, and indeed the same squad with the possible inclusion of Lucas Perez, essentially 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it'.

Of course being West Ham, the club is bound to suffer when Dominos Quina, sold to Watford for an insanely low £1 Million, returns playing for the visitors. What is the betting that he scores against his old club? We at the Org are using one of those new account deals that are always being offered in order to 'lump on' Quina scoring, if he doesn't all well and good, if he does we make some Christmas drink money. It is not uncommon for fans to do this, it is a sort of Karmic insurance policy and betting on the opposition hoping that they will fail is an old school technique.

Hammers have the chance to 'reach for the stars' this weekend, however they have just as much chance of being brought down to earth with a bump by a Watford side that blows hot and cold but on their day can be dominant, they are also a very physical side so a certain Mr Anderson had better be careful because you can guarantee that he will be targeted by Troy Deeny and Co, particularly Deeney who has an extreme aversion to flair players. Watford will definitely try and 'Bully' West Ham, but in Issa Diop and the General Fabian Balbuena they will find the situation a lot more difficult than when they were facing Ginge Collins and an unfit Winston Reid.

If the players can keep their heads and the fans can stay on board, the Sky is the limit. - Ed