Prediction: Manchester United vs West Ham

August 27th 2010

Manchester United are already trailing Chelsea after conceding a late equalizer at Craven Cottage and the team need one strong performance to win back some of the lost confidence. West Ham have little to hope for at Old Trafford after the comprehensive defeats to Villa and Bolton, and this looks like the start of yet another very difficult season for the Hammers.

United are clearly not firing on all cylinders just yet but they had a great chance to come away with three points from Craven Cottage, a place where even the title contenders regularly drop points. The confidence was high after the opening win over Newcastle and United dominated the game from the off, and managed to score the early goal through Paul Scholes, who once again rolled back the years to lead his side to what would have been a victory if only Nani hadn’t missed a penalty to make it 3:1. The second half performance against Fulham should serve as a wake-up call for the players and it is highly unlikely Sir Alex Ferguson hasn’t pointed this out in no uncertain terms. Even without Paul Scholes, who could be rested and long-term absentees Anderson, Ferdinand and Hargreaves, United are the hot favorites here and their win should never come into question.

West Ham fans must have hoped this season would be at least a bit different than the last two, but the team gave them no reason to believe so judging by the performances from the start of the season. The Hammers first allowed Villa to beat them without even putting a fight, before losing at home to hard-working Bolton side, and I really don’t see how Avram Grant is going to prepare his side for what awaits them at Old Trafford. The club managed to sign some decent players like Barrera, Hitzlsperger and Reid but nobody can expect too much of them, especially in the opening rounds. It is much more worrying that players like Cole, Noble, Parker and Upson aren’t pulling their weight and unless that changes, the Hammers will be in for another disappointing season. Avram Grant will have to make do without Hitzlsperger, Collison, Hines and Kurucz, but in all fairness, the absentees are unlikely to be sorely missed.

Conclusion

United need a convincing performance to make amends for the dropped points at Craven Cottage and if anyone can motivate his players after such a slip up it is Alex Ferguson. If they continue playing like this, West Ham will not be able to pick up points from much smaller grounds than Old Trafford and everything suggests they are in for a beating here.

Verdict: Home win Manchester United (1)

Best Odds: 1/6

Bookmaker: Paddy Power