West Ham v Wolves: Inside track on the Hammers

We spoke with Henry Tomlinson, West Ham journalist, to get a better look at David Moyes' side.

See what he had to say here.

How have the Hammers started the season so far, and has there been some good transfer business conducted?

The season started the worst possible way when Newcastle cruised to a 2-0 victory at the London stadium. Since the defeat there has been a reaction from the Hammers, a 3-0 win over Charlton in the League Cup and a solid performance against Arsenal. The game against the Gunners unfortunately ended in defeat, despite the promising signs.

West Ham seems to be a Jekyll and Hyde team at the moment, you never know what sort of performance is going to be produced. There is an extremely tough run of fixtures coming up and the Hammers to needs find consistency quickly or could be going in to November on zero points.

The transfer window has been without a doubt the worst in a while. No new faces have been signed to improve on the team that finished 16th in the league last season, while similar placed clubs have all strengthened. The worst part of the window so far is the sale of Grady Diangana to West Brom.

Diangana grew up at the Hammers and had a great season last year at the Baggies on loan. The youngster impressed massively during pre-season; he quickly became the main cause of excitement ahead of the new season. So, when he was sold to a potential relegation rival, it caused a big outcry from fans and players alike.

If nothing in the market changes quickly for West Ham, they could easily be left behind.

What are the expectations at the club this season among fans?

The expectations of West Ham fans this season is very low. So far the club has had a very poor transfer window which has seen the ambition of fans basically to just avoid relegation.

The club ended last season very well and could have built on a squad full of confidence, however this has not happened meaning the club are in a very precarious position. Should the club sign some players between now and the end of the window this could change of course.

There always seems to be turmoil at the London Stadium of late, what is the situation behind the scenes, and has it affected the side on the pitch?

At the moment all West Ham fans want is for the current ownership to sell the club to someone who can fulfil the promises that were made to them before the stadium move.

The Diangana transfer was a catalyst for many fans to turn against the board on social media. The hashtag #GSBOUT was the number one trend on Twitter in England for a few days afterwards. Even some of the players spoke out against the transfer, Mark Noble, the captain, tweeted his own disappointment which was supported on social media by many of the players.

So of course, it will affect players’ performances on the pitch.

What kind of football can we expect to see from David Moyes' side this weekend?

David Moyes has already tried two different formations this season. The side gave Arsenal a good game last Saturday after setting up with a back five. This formation is likely to be carried over into the game against Wolves.

Going forward Moyes has preferred the work-rate of Michail Antonio as a pressing forward. It is likely the Englishman will be selected ahead of record-signing Sebastien Haller.

The football really depends on which West Ham side turns up. If it is the team that played Newcastle, Wolves can expect a very slow attacking team which won’t create a lot of clear-cut chances.

If the team that played against Arsenal turns up then Wolves will be in for a much tougher match. The Hammers were quick going forward and a bit more solid in the defence. But as I said it’s Jekyll and Hyde.

What's your predicted XI?

Formation: 5-2-3

Fabianski, Masuaku, Cresswell, Obgonna, Diop, Fredericks, Soucek, Rice, Fornals, Bowen and Antonio

Who are the danger men Wolves will need to keep an eye on this weekend?

West Ham’s dangermen at the moment are all stuck on the bench as Moyes has lost faith in a few of them. Felipe Anderson showed glimpses of his old self in the League Cup and needs significant minutes in the Premier League.

It terms of the players who will most likely start the game, Tomas Soucek is definitely a threat for a lot of teams. The tall Czech plays as a box-to-box midfielder and is as good at defending as he is attacking, his late runs in to the opposition box can lead to a lot of goals.

What have you made of Wolves from afar, do you think they have what it takes to compete for a European spot this season?

Wolves appear to have made some good moves in the transfer market so far. I am very excited to see what Fabio Silva can do.

The Portuguese striker is very highly-rated, and I think will be a great acquisition for Wolves. If Silva and the other new signings bed in well with the existing talent that is Neves, Adama and Jimenez, then there is no question that Wolves should be at least challenging for a Europa league spot at the end of the season.

Your match prediction?

As much as West Ham showed improvement against Arsenal. Wolves should have far too much quality going forward to be stopped by the Hammers' fragile defence.

West Ham have always struggled to break-down the Wolves defence when they have played in the past. This means it would be very surprising to see goals from West Ham, let alone see the Hammers pick-up a result.

As positive as I would like to try and be, Wolves have beaten West Ham in every game since they were promoted, and I think that trend may continue.

2-0 to Wolves.

You can follow Henry on Twitter here.