Accrington Stanley visit West Ham United at the London Stadium for what will be a lively EFL cup tie, against the backdrop of doom and gloom surrounding Slaven Billic's side the visitors will hope to further compound the negativity by causing a cup upset. It is beyond doubt that the magnificence of the new stadium does make visiting teams raise their game, it is like playing at Wembley for all but a few and something that Hammers need to adapt to quickly.

In a way it is a back handed compliment that the schadenfreude usually reserved for when the Chelsea'a and the Manchester United's of this world are struggling, is associated with the goings on at little old West 'am. The reason for the inclusion in the nose bleed stakes is the general resentment that the cockney boys managed to blag a brand spanking new stadium. Add to that the humbling that Hammers dished out to several big teams last season, a fresh manager full of ideas and a really impressive squad.

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i10Phillips9RondónSubstitutes2Nyom:3Olsson4Robson-Kanu7Morrison8Gardner13Myhill18Berahino
WestHam:13Adrián30Antonio19Collins21Ogbonna26Masuaku8Kouyate4Nordtveit16Noble27Payet
11Zaza10Lanzini Substitutes1Randolph7Feghouli14Obian17Töre24Fletcher28Calleri35Oxford

According to various media outlets, some who can spell and some who cannot, West Ham United believe they have found a resolution to the segregation of fans issue by adding a further three rows of vacant seating to enhance security. Yes, that is three additional rows will be manned by well meaning but hopelessly under trained stadium staff, that's it? The only barriers between opposing fans are less than a metre and a half high and could be vaulted, to be politically correct, by a person of diminished stature!

The groundswell of opinion among fans and the massively negative press that followed the 2-4 defeat to Watford at the London Stadium has, as expected, invoked an immediate response from the club with the blame for events being firmly placed on the stadium management and particularly on the security company they use. The 'robust' response on the club's official website is as follows:

From the beginning of the season It was only to be expected that there would be more than a fair share of media coverage given to any negativity with regards to West Ham United's tenure of the London Stadium, given the jealousy surrounding and muck raking involved in the decision process to appoint Hammers as the anchor tenancy, despite it being the only realistic option to avoid having a 'white elephant' stadium as has happened in other host countries.

West Ham United's line up for the Watford match was impressive, and despite the odd early warning sign everything was going to plan for the first 40 minutes. Two goals from Michail Antonio, the second a work of art created by Dimitri Payet seemed to have set Hammers on route for a resounding victory, and then the ginger pele had a moment of madness by dispossessing his own keeper and giving the ball to the opposition who promptly scored! Two minutes later, another catastrophic error, this time by Winston Reid, saw the visitors score again and turn the game round on it's head.

Adrian. Byram..reid.collins.masuaku.kayoute.noble.antonio.lanzini.payet.za za.

We don't like Spurs, and probably have a disproportionate dislike for all things Tottenham, but we would appeal to anyone who knows a Spuds fan or if any read this: Would you please put your ear to the ground and help find this low life!

For those traditionalists who were brought up on 3pm saturday kick offs this weekend will come as something of a relief, West Ham and Watford fans will be able to go back, albeit briefly to a sense of time before football schedules were dictated by the TV companies. This will be West Ham United's first Barclays Premier League match at the London Stadium to start at 3pm, in fact it will be their first match of the entire season to start at the traditional time!