West Ham United Vs Leicester City: Q & A with Leicester Mercury’s James Sharpe

West Ham United

Despite some world-class signings, West Ham United’s failure to live up to the expectations has been, well, the subject of amazement. Is Slaven Bilic really the man to be blamed?

"“No, I don’t think so. Not fully, anyway. I can’t say I know all that much about the goings-on behind the scenes but from a distance it strikes me that their problems are with the characters in that dressing room. You need strong ones, especially when things are not going well. And it appears that West Ham do not have them. Where Bilic perhaps did fail is in not nipping that in the bud. There were rumours that he let the players turn up when they wanted and did not instil much discipline. If that is the case, then Bilic does have to take part of the blame for letting the situation get to that”."

What is the one area that David Moyes needs to make immediate improvements to?

"“He needs to get the squad fighting for one another. They need to find a togetherness, and a team spirit. That is so important when a team is struggling for results. When Leicester were bottom of the table for 140 days, Nigel Pearson still had the team fighting for him and for each other. Eventually, that came through”."

Javier Hernandez, Marko Arnautovic, Joe Hart, Andy Carroll, Manuel Lanzini, Pablo Zabaleta, Mark Noble – some big names there. Could there potentially be some big egos too? Egos failing to get along in that West Ham dressing room?

"“Again, it comes down to togetherness. The best teams, the most successful ones, are always more than just the sum of their parts – however good those parts may be. West Ham have some quality players in there. Like I say, I do not know much about the inner workings at West Ham but, if you’re not singing from the same sheet, that causes problems”."

If West Ham United were to start performing around the Christmas period, continuing that long run till the very end, how far up the table do you see them going?

"“Outside of the top six, all the teams are a much of a muchness. If West Ham can start stringing some performances and results together, then a top-half finish is not out of the question. It’s a big if, though. At the moment, relegation is their biggest concern”."

The Olympic Stadium is yet to see the kind of show that they saw at Upton Park when Slaven Bilic first arrived. Could Friday be the night when the Hammers light their new stadium up?

"“At the risk of comparing everything to Leicester, once Puel’s appointment was made all those underwhelming feelings were put to one side and the fans gave him huge support when he was introduced to the new fans. It will be interesting to see if the West Ham supporters do the same with David Moyes. They have made no secret of their opinion over the appointment. If Leicester get an early goal, I can see the fans turning on their team again”."

James’ final prediction: 3-1