David Moyes has transformed West Ham in just under two years, from relegated threatened battlers to a team with genuine top six aspirations and with an eye on the top four! Chasing success on FOUR different fronts requires a lot of careful man management, a feat that Moyes is coping with rather well at the moment.
As a consequence of now being referenced as 'high flying hammers', the pressure is on to maintain the club's upward trajectory, part of the pressure is to select teams that are capable of (a) getting a result, but also (b) of providing entertaining football for the club's burgeoning fan base both domestically and globally.
Having seen imperious displays by Alphonse Areola and Issa Diop playing for Hammers B team, or the Manchester United away team as it is now more commonly known, there has been a clamour for both of these superb players to be included in Moyes starting line up to play Villa this Sunday afternoon.
We are talking about a totally new and unique situation for long suffering Hammers fans, one in which they suddenly have a thoroughly decent first team as well as an incredibly competent B team and even a good C team! Of course with having so many good players at his disposal David Moyes needs to tread carefully, but this group he has assembled ARE NOT prima-donnas, they are a team.
With all that said, expect few if ANY changes to last Sunday's starting line up in the victory over Tottingham, perhaps Vlad the Impaler will replace Ben Johnson? Although Johnson has performed magnificently while deputising for the Czech International who was, 'taken out' during one of Hammers rare defeats this term.
It should be remembered that the club travel to play Genk in Belgium of Thursday for their EUEFA Europa League Cup game ahead of a 'mighty clash' against Liverpool at the weekend. - Ed
