West Ham legend gives worrying verdict ahead of Newcastle United clash

West Ham look to turn the tide of poor form when up against Newcastle United at the London Stadium this weekend but club legend Tony Cottee isn’t holding out hope for a positive result.

The Hammers languish 19th in the top flight table after nine matches with just four points on the board. Nuno Espirito Santo has earned just one of those since taking over from Graham Potter last month.

The last two performances against Brentford and Leeds United have been particularly worrying and the visit of Champions League side Newcastle United is, on paper, an even tougher fixture for the London outfit.

West Ham v Newcastle United prediction

Cottee, speaking exclusively to London World via the home of non-GamStop Casinos, was asked whether he believes West Ham could get a result. He said: “Of course they can. I never know what West Ham team is going to turn up at the moment I think the last couple of years have been very Jekyll and Hyde. Are they capable of beating Newcastle? Yes, of course they are.

“I don't know what to predict. I've got a little predictions league that I do every week where I have to predict what West Ham's score is going to be and I genuinely don't have any idea. I've got to go to the game, I'm a season ticket holder and I won't know until the game kicks off and we’re about five minutes into the match. Before the game, you just never know. But just pick your best players in their best positions and go with a formation that's going to give Newcastle a few concerns.”

Cottee also reflected on the past few results and admitted that it would be very hard for Nuno and the side to take positives from the matches given the manner of performances. West Ham lacked any goal threat against Brentford and then conceded two in 15 minutes against Leeds United.

Tony Cottee reflects on West Ham struggles

The former striker said: “With any defeat and obviously I had it as a as a player and I've done brief spell managing, you watch a lot of games when you're working in the media and I always think that the morning after a football game is when you sit down and you analyse what's gone on and try and take the emotion out of it because I think everyone's a very emotional on match day whether you're a fan or a manager - you're very emotional and it's not easy to assess what's gone on.

“But when the dust has settled and you sit down the following morning and remove the emotion and try and look at it from a you know a common sense, laid back point of view then I just don't see what West Ham can take as positives out of the last three games.

“Yes, there was a lot of positives in the Everton game, but the last three games I think Nuno’s sitting down scratching his head saying well you know we didn't really look like scoring, poor defensively, overrun in midfield, conceding from set pieces and I just don't see the positives. It has been really, really poor.

“Having said all that we're only nine games into the season and a lot can turn, we’re only a quarter of the way into the season. There's been many teams before that have started poorly and stayed up, many teams that have started the season well - I remember Man United winning 10 games on the trot back in ‘86 and they still didn't win the league. So there's so much that can change over the course of the season, but West Ham can't keep playing like they are.

“Something's got to change and I think the manager needs to step it up a bit and I think the players need to step it up because otherwise come Christmas, they’re gonna be in serious relegation trouble.”

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