After another topsy turvy weekend in the Championship, the teams are back in action on Monday and Sam Allardyce’s West Ham side will be looking to put their shaky recent performances behind them as they face a struggling Coventry (West Ham 4/9, draw 10/3, Coventry 6/1).
After an inconsistent start to the season, the Hammers looked as if they could dominate the division but have lost three of their last five games and, with a number of key players out injured, are starting to struggle.
This includes Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to Derby but boss Allardyce has been handed a major boost with Jack Collison, George McCartney, Julien Faubert and captain Kevin Nolan all returning from suspension.
Of this quartet the midfield combination of Nolan and Collison could be vital if the East London side are going to get back on track. Nolan is the true talisman of the team and has a habit of scoring important goals (Nolan 11/8 to score at anytime).
Collison on the other hand is arguably West Ham’s most creative influence and is sorely missed when absent. Many of the club’s supporters believe they could have stayed in the Premier League last season if he hadn’t got injured early in the campaign.
The pair are more than likely to go straight back into the side and look out for them to make a major impact at Upton Park.
Coventry have been the league’s strugglers this season and are certainly a club in trouble both on and off the pitch. They have spent most of the season propping up the table but have had a resurgence of late, winning their last two games against Brighton and Bristol City, and will be hoping to continue their fine run when they face their inconsistent opponents.
Their key man is certainly striker Lukas Jutkiewicz, who has been a rare shining light in their poor season. The 22-year-old was tipped for greatness when he moved to Everton as a teenager but never made his mark at Goodison and often found himself farmed out on loan.
However, he now appears to have found his feet and has scored a number of vital goals this season. His form has attracted the interest of a number of the division’s top sides and he has been tipped for a possible move in the recently-opened transfer window. Despite the speculation, he will be looking to make an impact in the match and look out for him to get on the scoresheet (Jutkiewicz 9/4 to score at anytime).
Despite Jutkiewicz’s fine form, its hard to look past the Hammers, especially at home. With their star names returning they will have added impetus going forward and will be looking to get their season back on track with a comfortable victory (West Ham 5/1 to win 2-0).
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Newcastle skipper Kevin Nolan has given his support to under-fire boss Chris Hughton, claiming he should remain in charge at St James’ Park no matter what happens in Sunday’s Tyne-Wear derby with Sunderland (Black Cats 5/2 to beat Newcastle).