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Spurs owner Daniel Levy's shot in the foot moment comes just a bit too soon for Hammers to fully benefit as it is understood that Tottenham's U-18 manager, Ryan Mason, will apparently lead the senior side out for the London Stadium derby, despite being younger than many of the first-team players. Levy has just jumped in to bed with the Devil from a financial point of view with the announcement that 'old sour puss' himself, Jose Mourinho, has been appointed manager in place of Mauricio Pochettino who was sacked after five years in charge.

If all goes according to plan, West Ham United will be able to call on the services of the irrepressible Michail Antonio following the international break, Antonio's energy and presence have been sorely missed. Along with Lukasz Fabianski's, the injury sustained by Antonio required surgery, however the 'beast' as he is referred to in the dressing room, is fighting fit again and ready to take his place in a team that has become devoid of raw energy in his absence.

Hammers penny pinching finally came home to roost, big time, against Burnley during Saturday's lamentable performance, which ended in a 3-0 defeat that could have been far worse from a scoreline point of view, but could not have been much worse from an injury and performance perspective.

Burnley: Pope, Bardsley, Tarkowski, Mee, Taylor, Hendrick, Westwood, Cork, McNeil, Wood, Barnes. Subs: Hart, Lowton, Pieters, Long, Brady, Lennon, Rodriguez.
West Ham: Roberto, Fredericks, Balbuena, Diop, Cresswell, Noble, Rice, Snodgrass, Fornals, Anderson, Haller. Subs: Martin, Zabaleta, Ogbonna, Sanchez, Lanzini, Yarmolenko, Ajeti.

There are times in life when being resilient and resistant to change can be commendable qualities, however West Ham United's beleaguered manager Manuel Pellegrini has found himself between a rock and a hard place when it comes to his team selections. Ahead of this Saturday's clash against Burnley at Turf Moor, Pellegrini's modus operandi is being called in to question by an increasing amount of fans.

Stubbornness, recalcitrance and arrogance are three 'qualities' not necessarily wanted or appreciated by the vast majority of people, but to politicians and football managers, particularly those who have experienced a modicum of success, they are meat and drink. The Hammers hierarchy finally pushed the boat out by bringing in 'serial' winner Manuel Pellegrini to the club.

As expected, following yet another poor result on Saturday, the airwaves have been full of 'professionals' putting the boot in on West Ham United, in particular manager Manuel Pellegrini. The venerable Chilean has been around the block many times, so it will come as no surprise to the 65 year old that the daggers are out for him due to his massive £10 Million per year salary.

Football fans can be a fickle bunch, none more so than those of West Ham United. As disgruntled fans left the London Stadium following the 3-2 defeat by Newcastle United, there were calls for under fire manager Manuel Pellegrini to be replaced as his side suffered a loss that meant they have only earned two out of a possible fifteen points in the Barclays Premier League, whilst also losing 4-0 to lower league Oxford in the League Cup during the same period.

West Ham: Roberto, Zabaleta, Balbuena, Diop, Cresswell, Noble, Rice, Yarmolenko, Snodgrass, Anderson, Haller. Subs: Martin, Lanzini, Sanchez, Fornals, Ogbonna, Fredericks, Ajeti.
Newcastle: Dubravka, Lascelles, Fernandez, Clark, Yedlin, Shelvey, Hayden, Willems, Saint-Maximin, Almiron, Joelinton. Subs: Darlow, Dummett, Carroll, Gayle, Krafth, Atsu, Longstaff.

Many Hammers fans will be hoping this Saturday's match at the London Stadium will not be a 'ground hog day', the home team's performance during last weekend's match against Sheffield United wasn't exactly insipid, with the exception of Robert Snodgrass and Felipe Anderson, it just lacked urgency. Fans were quick to voice their displeasure at the end of the game, citing one or two glaring issues that need attention.