Saturday's televised fixture against Watford in the Barclays Premier League represents an opportunity for West Ham United to erase the memory of "The match where it all went wrong". We of course refer to West Ham United versus Watford game at the London Stadium at the end of the summer, a chastening of a match that had started so unbelievably well yet ended in ignominy and despair. For thlrty odd minutes. odd being the operative word, West Ham played the best football seen in the claret& blue for at least thirty years, probably longer! It was like watching Real Madrid, Barcelona or Ajax in their heyday, or as someone else said "like the Harlem Globe Trotters on crack!". Hammers majestically swept aside those 'ruffians' from Watford with a myriad of flicks, tricks, rabonas and a whole host of breathtaking skills that saw Hammers shoot to a 2-0 lead within 33 minutes, those in the Stadium, intoxicated by the display, licked their lips in anticipation of a tumult of goals and the chance to say "I was there son! It was at this point Hammers season self destructed, both in the short term, which saw Watford claw two goals back before half time and then go on to win the match 4-2, and in the long term because following this match an already under performing Dimitri Payet decided he had had enough of the English League and all that it entails by beginning 'le sulk' which would eventually lead to his return to Marseille.
A lot has happened since the last match, Watford went on a good run, but then imploded, whereas West Ham went on an abysmal run flirting with relegation, before the inspired push which sees the club sitting above this saturday evening's opponents in the relative security of tenth place.
It will be interesting to see if Slaven Bilic selects Big Andy Carroll, who at best would surely only be a substitute given that he has hardly trained all week, the match also comes a fortnight too soon for 'Daffy' Sakho, which is a real pity because he would relish taking on Troy 'Bruiser' the Watford captain who deludedly reckons he is a cross between Dolph Lungren and Maradonna. A Hammers team lacking the physical prowess of Big Andy Carroll and the 'Sackman' might seriously struggle to make an impression on a Watford side that are most definitely not shrinking violets, thankfully Cheik Kouyate won't have to play at right back, but who will make way for him in midfield? Perhaps Slaven Billic has a 'cunning' plan? - Ed
