Nuno Espirito Santo looks set to make three big changes for West Ham’s crucial Premier League clash with Newcastle United as he comes to his senses.
West Ham have been cut adrift in the bottom three of the Premier League.
Back-to-back wins and a six-goal swing is already required for the Hammers to climb out of the bottom three.
Even that is dependent on results elsewhere.
Next up for Nuno Espirito Santo is Eddie Howe’s impressive Newcastle United.
The Magpies have overtaken the Hammers in recent seasons and the gulf in class between the two squads is shocking.
Predicted West Ham team for Newcastle
With just one win in nine games, West Ham are looking like genuine relegation candidates.
The likes of Alan Shearer and Jamie Carragher make the Hammers relegation certainties.
With one win, and only four points, from nine games so far, this is West Ham’s worst ever start to a Premier League season.
After damaging defeats to Brentford and Leeds, the Hammers must start pulling off the odd shock result.
Beating Newcastle would certainly come under that category.
Ahead of the game all eyes will be on Nuno’s team selection after he left fans baffled in the last two matches.
Nuno made sweeping changes to the side for the Bees and Leeds despite encouraging performances against Everton and Arsenal.
Nuno’s changes included dropping some of West Ham’s best and most athletic players including Aaron Wan-Bissaka, El Hadji Malick Diouf, Mateus Fernandes and Soungoutou Magassa.
The West Ham head coach randomly started Andy Irving and suddenly brought young left-back Ollie Scarles in from the cold to play out of position at right-back.
When Wan-Bissaka came back into the side he played him in central defence while fans were also puzzled by the decision to start both crucial games without a striker.
The changes were disastrous, by the manager’s own admission.
Nuno sees sense with three big West Ham changes
Nuno’s response when asked about his baffling West Ham changes spoke volumes ahead of the Newcastle game.
He admitted they didn’t work and he must continue to look for solutions.
We think that will come in the form of three big changes against the Magpies as Nuno comes to his senses.
Scarles is injured and out for some time after a shoulder operation.
So he will need to be replaced.
El Hadji Malick Diouf, who played wingback in a five in the defeat at Leeds, should drop back in at left-back to take Scarles’ place.
But Scarles’ place in the starting XI will see Soungoutou Magassa come back into the side, much to the delight of fans.
Irving will be the second change, being dropped with Mateus Fernandes coming back in.
Although his physical presence and competitiveness could be sorely needed against an aggressive and powerful Newcastle team, Tomas Soucek looks set to be the third change.
Soucek struggled against Leeds and was subbed off.
Nuno then faces a huge call over whether to start Callum Wilson against his former club or young striker Callum Marshall.
Both looked in good form in training ahead of the game.
Expect the Hammers to show a lot more aggression when pressing Howe’s side.
That’s after West Ham stars got a dressing down in training for Newcastle over the issue at Rush Green.
If Nuno opts to play Lucas Paqueta as a false nine again, then it may be Soucek keeps his place.
But if not we think Wilson will get the nod.
Predicted West Ham starting XI to face Newcastle:
Areola, Wan-Bissaka, Todibo, Kilman, Diouf, Magassa, Fernandes, Paqueta, Summerville, Bowen, Wilson.
The official teams will be announced at 12.45pm.
