West Ham vs Wolves: The inside track on the Hammers

We spoke with Dave Evans, West Ham correspondent for The Recorder, Sam Inkersole, West Ham writer for Football.London, Henry Tomlinson, Hammers writer for 90 Minutes At A Time, and Joseph Connor, creator of IronsHome to get a proper look at Nuno's next opponents.

Take a look at what the quartet had to say below...

West Ham have obviously not had the best start to the season so far, why haven't things clicked so far?

DE: I think it was inevitable when you bring in so many new players as well as a new manager that things are going to start slowly and hopefully build some momentum.

They have brought in nine new players and spent over £100 million so these are not players that are going to be squad men, most of them will be pencilled in to start Premier League games for the Hammers.

What also didn’t help is an opening day fixture at Liverpool. They are perhaps the best attacking side in the Premier League, were unbeaten at home last season and with new recruits will definitely be looking for a tilt at the title. They simply overwhelmed a West Ham side that was fielding three new players in defence as well as a new goalkeeper.

The home defeat by Bournemouth has been the biggest disappointment, especially after they took the lead.

They just couldn’t cope with the Cherries' direct style and defensive mistakes and a poor second-half show coast them dearly.

The Arsenal game was a much better effort, despite the 3-1 scoreline. Again they took the lead and created a host of chances which they should have taken to put them firmly in control.

However, Arsenal levelled in the first half and then took the lead through an own goal by Issa Diop.

West Ham still created chance, but as they pushed forward, Arsenal grabbed a third for a lucky win.

It was a good performance from West Ham and now they will be looking to add some wins.

SI: It always takes time to bed in a load of new players and considering West Ham brought in nine new signings for the first team this summer, that's a fair few to get up to speed.

A lot of them didn't have experience of the Premier league before either so they were given a rude awakening at Liverpool but three games in now, we are starting to see the Manuel Pellegrini style come to fruition and why he bought those players specifically to fit his system.

HT: Despite losing our first three fixtures, over the course of the three games there have been steady improvements in performances.

There is still a lot of high expectations from this season. Pellegrini has also struggled for results in the past when he has come in to a new team but has always seemed to excel wherever he has been.

But the struggles from the start has been the team adapting to a completely new style of play and also the fact there are a lot of new faces in the starting XI which will take time to fully gel and understand each other.

JC: Obviously with a new manager and so many new players, it will take a few games for Pellegrini to know his best team which fits the system.

We still look to be struggling at the back and in central midfield and Pellegrini still doesn't know his best team, although Felipe Anderson looks to have settled in very well after Arsenal.

What sort of transfer business have West Ham done this summer? A lot has been said of the amount of money they've spent. What have you made of their business?

DE: In terms of West Ham’s usual business in the transfer window this has been a hugely surprising summer from the board as they have spent over £100 million on players.

They have backed new boss Manuel Pellegrini with plenty of cash with the prized signing being Brazilian midfielder Felipe Anderson for a club record £42m.

He is beginning to show just how much of an influence he will be this season, while other new faces are still taking time to blend into the squad.

Goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski is an experienced Premier League man, while Jack Wilshere also had a wealth of experience which he brings from Arsenal.

Ryan Fredericks surprisingly swapped Fulham for the Hammers, but had a tough time at Liverpool in the opening game,

New to the Premier League are Andriy Yarmolenko and Issa Diop who have both struggled to adapt to their new surroundings, while Lucas Perez and Carlos Sanchez only arrived on deadline day and are still feeling their way into the team.

Fabian Balbeuna has also arrived from Brazilian football and looks to be a decent defender.

Overall, West Ham have invested in the future of the club soundly with experienced, top class players as well as promising youngsters coming in. It will take a little time, but this squad seems to e their best one for many a year.

SI: It's tough to judge their business with only a small sample size of three games but the results have been a bit indifferent.

Club-record signing Felipe Anderson looks like the real deal after he shone against Arsenal while at the other end of the spectrum, Fabian Balbuena has looked shaky after arriving from Corinthians in Brazil.

Lukasz Fabianski has probably been the most impressive signing of the summer and he's had to pick the ball out of own net nine times already this campaign.

HT: The business this summer on paper has been fantastic on paper, Anderson and Yarmolenko are top players.

When they have fully settled in then I expect them to be the main attacking threat in the team.

Wilshere on a free transfer has the potential to be the signing of the season in the centre of the midfield especially if he stays fit, that's a big 'if' though.

Also, Fabianski has already proved that he is a top 'keeper with some of the saves he has pulled off already this season.

I do think the money that has been spent by the board was down to the pressure by the fans which erupted dramatically last season which I believe forced their hand in an attempt to get back on the good side of the fans.

JC: I think we have bought very well this summer.

Signing Fredericks and Wilshere on a free has been great business and improves the team.

The squad depth has been improved massively with players such as Lucas Perez and Carlos Sanchez being brought in to improve competition.

Felipe Anderson looks to be the best of the lot though, pace, dribbling and skill - he has it all.

Although the lack of a proper central defensive midfielder is still worrying, hopefully Carlos Sanchez can fill the void.

Manuel Pellegrini is the man tasked with getting the Hammers firing this season, how has he settled in? Is there any worry he could be axed given the volatile state of affairs we've seen at the club in recent years?

DE: He is such an experienced manager and he has settled in well simply because he has been given everyone he wanted in terms of back-room staff and signings, which has not always happened in the past at West Ham.

He is a man of few words to the press, but he is slowly forming his best XI and despite the tough start, confidence is high that he can get it right sooner rather than later.

He likes to play attacking football and that has endeared him to the fans more than the negative David Moyes already.

I don’t think the situation at the club in recent years can be described as volatile.

They took a long time to finally sack Slaven Bilic who was very popular at the club, while David Moyes did the job he was asked to do and kept West Ham in the Premier League, but he didn’t look a good fit as a long time prospect for the club.

Unless things go disastrously wrong, they will certainly give Pellegrini plenty of time to get things right and protect their investment.

SI: It would cost the club an absolute fortune to get rid of him at any stage over the next three years and having been given a carte blanche to completely transform the club, him departing at any stage seems unlikely.

If the Hammers were in the relegation come the closing stages of the season then maybe, but they really shouldn't be and I don't think they will be.

HT: I think he has settled in well, and results will come its just going to take time in order for everyone to adapt to his style of play.

In our recent history we have never been a club to sack a manager after a poor run of result or to have a knee jerk reaction.

Since our last relegation only one manager has technically been sacked and that was Bilic last season.

JC: I personally can't see him getting sacked due to the project we are going on with him.

He and Mario Husillos, who worked together at Malaga look to revamp the club and challenge the top six in two to three years.

Pellegrini has a challenge on his hands but after heavy backing in the window will mean it is very unlikely he will get sacked any time soon

Have the Hammers really settled in at the London Stadium yet? There's been plenty of reports surrounding the atmosphere there since the club left Upton Park.

DE: A lot of the atmosphere depends on what sort of results West Ham are getting at the London Stadium, just as it did at Upton Park in the past.

When the Hammers are playing well, the roar from the crowd can be an intimidating one for visiting teams, but the problem has been that West Ham have not won enough games in the stadium.

Obviously, there was a big protest and pitch invasions at the stadium last season against Burnley.

Much of that was pre-meditated and since that day there have been no problems within the stadium.

It takes time to make a new ground a fortress, but with 56,000 at every game instead of the usual 34,000 at Upton Park, the volume can certainly be higher.

SI: No, they haven't but that excuse doesn't wash anymore. They've had two seasons now in their new home and it's time to simply get better at home.

They're going to be there for the next 97 years, it's not going away, so the excuses need to stop.

HT: I do believe that the majority of fans have settled in to the ground, and in regards the atmosphere, it is never going to be good when the results and quality of football are awful.

There are plenty of famously rich atmospheric stadiums that when the home team aren’t doing well the atmosphere will be quiet.

I’ve been to Old Trafford and Anfield when the they have lost badly and the atmosphere was awful as the fans had nothing to cheer about. This goes the same for the London Stadium, at derbies we have won against Chelsea and Tottenham the atmosphere has been electric.

It will always be different to Upton Park but there were plenty of times when I was there and the atmosphere was horrific, when we were being thrashed by many teams.

So overall the reports over the atmosphere at the London stadium doesn’t mean much to me as I think it happens at most stadiums when the teams not doing well.

JC: Personally I think we are getting used to it, both fans and players.

There has been some really good atmospheres at the ground and we all have to accept that Upton Park will never come back and get behind the team at the London Stadium.

We have been training at the stadium before a match-day to settle the players who have never played in-front of such a big crowd before.

Although there are still things to improve at the stadium for sure.

Marko Arnautovic has started the season well given that West Ham haven't been firing on all cylinders, does he carry the biggest threat for them this weekend, if not, who does? And why?

DE: If he is fit for Saturday’s game, Marko will certainly provide the biggest threat.

He scored five goals in pre-season and has notched in the last two league games against Bournemouth and Arsenal, but he did limp off during the game at The Emirates. He is essential to the way West Ham play with so much strength and pace which frightens defenders.

If he doesn’t make it for Saturday, and he should, then Mexico international striker Javier Hernandez is always a threat, as is club record signing Felipe Anderson.

Both can hurt the opposition, especially at home, but Arnautovic remains the main threat.

SI: If he's fit then absolutely, he picked up a knock against Arsenal and will have a fitness test later this week.

Arnautovic is West Ham's talisman, he's key to any success they have and when he doesn't play, the Hammers lose a lot of their impetus and attacking play.

HT: Arnautovic is the talisman for the team, there is no doubt about that.

When he plays we are a much more dangerous side as he has a wide skill set, he’s rapid, strong, good on the ball and can finish as well as anyone else. Although, there are other threats in the team.

Felipe Anderson has looked better with every week that has passed, and with his pace he could hurt many teams if he gets in the mood.

JC: Arnautovic is definitely the main threat at West Ham. He is the talisman, the man we look to for a moment of magic.

His pace, power, finishing and love for the club is impeccable. He will definitely look to hit the target against Wolves and score his third goal of this season.

Fortunately, it's not just Arnautovic who is a threat. Felipe Anderson has shown his quality away at the Emirates and against Wycombe in the Carabao Cup and is a massive handful. Both him and Arnautovic showed very good spells together.

Players like Yarmolenko and Jack Wilshere have huge amounts of quality and on their day, are both huge threats.

How do you expect West Ham to shape up against Wolves? What's your predicted XI?

DE: West Ham played two strikers against Bournemouth in their other home match and that is likely to be the case again for this match. They play an attacking style with overlapping full-backs and they will look to get their midfielders linking with Arnautovic as often as they can.

Starting XI could well be: Fabianski, Fredericks, Diop, Balbuena, Cresswell, Sanchez, Wilshere, Anderson, Snodgrass, Hernandez, Arnautovic.

SI: It'll be a 4-5-1/4-3-3 hybrid formation. Predicting an eleven is pretty tough as Pellegrini has made changes for every game so far but it won't be too far away from the team that played against Arsenal, depending on Arnautovic's fitness.

HT: I think West Ham will set up in a 4-2-3-1 formation: Fabianski, Masuaku, Diop, Balbuena, Fredericks, Sanchez, Wilshere, Antonio, Anderson, Yarmolenko, Arnautovic (if fit, as he picked up a knock last week). Otherwise Perez could come in for his first start.

JC: We will definitely play Pellegrini’s favoured formation with the 4-2-3-1.

My predicted XI is Fabianski- Fredericks, Diop, Balbuena, Masuaku- Sanchez, Wilshere- Yarmolenko, Felipe Anderson, Snodgrass- Arnautovic.

Providing Arnautovic is fit, this could be the team with only one change from the side that lost away at Arsenal.

Do you think Pellegrini will look at Wolves as a target for three points given their recent promotion to the top flight?

DE: After three defeats from three, Pellegrini will certainly be targeting this game as a big chance for three points.

Wolves have started fairly well, but haven’t won a game either and after the boost of their performance at Arsenal as well as their first win in the League Cup at Wimbledon, they will be confident of beating Wolves for their first league win, especially on home turf.

SI: He does that for every game, not just the visit of Wolves. It'll be a very tough ask, especially after coming of the back of the draw with Manchester City and the quality signing Nuno Espirto Santo has made this summer.

Newly-promoted teams normally offer a good chance of three points but Wolves will be no pushover at all.

HT: I think it would be normal for Pellegrini to target Wolves for three points, however after their start to the season I don’t think he can underestimate anyone in the league this season.

JC: Definitely. Especially it being a home game too, Pellegrini will look to get a big win under his belt against Wolves.

He will know the players they have brought in and will set the team up to deal with them accordingly as well as implementing his attacking style.

Are there any injury worries for West Ham at the moment which could influence this game?

DE: Certainly, the knock that Marko Arnautovic suffered at Arsenal could have a huge effect if he doesn’t make the team for this one.

Michail Antonio is still not 100 per cent fit and has been in and out of the team, but when he plays he can certainly have a positive influence.

SI: The aforementioned Arnautovic is oviously the big one. There was a worry over Michail Antonio but he appeared in the Carabao Cup second round tie against AFC Wimbledon so he'll be fine.

The only other injury concern is Mark Noble, who missed the Arsenal game with a back injury and wasn't involved in midweek either.

HT: West Ham are without Winston Reid, Manuel Lanzini and Andy Carroll for definite.

Mark Noble and Marko Arnautovic could be doubt with fitness tests booked in later this week.

JC: Arnautovic is the only really concern as he came off injured against Arsenal but there have been reports he is confident he will make Saturday.

If he misses out it will affect the team massively and we will be relying on the likes of Chicharito and Lucas Perez to fill the huge void left by the Austrian if he cant play.

Lanzini would thrive and we miss him massively in attack, but he is not expected back until late December.

What have you made of Wolves from afar? Do you think they have a team capable of cutting it in the Premier League this season?

DE: Wolves certainly look like they will cut it in the Premier League this season. They won the Championship last season at a canter and the manager seems to know his Portuguese players as he has recruited some classy players for the new campaign.

Rui Patricio looks to be a vital signing with all his experience, while the likes of Neves and Moutinho should help the strikers find the net.

They showed in the game against champions Manchester City what they could do and though they were slightly fortunate to get a draw in the end, they never stopped fighting and playing decent football.

They should be around mid-table without too many problems as long as they can score the goals they need in the top flight.

SI: Like the Hammers, Wolves haven't won yet but at least have two points on the board heading into the game this weekend.

Some of the signings the club has made have been pretty spectacular, Joao Moutinho being one and I'm a big fan of Adama Traore, but the spine of the team is still there and with Ruben Neves and Diogo Jota, there's a lot of creativity.

Wolves will be an exciting side to watch and they could be the kind of team to thrive in east London.

HT: Wolves spent big in the summer and it looks like it could be paying off if they carry on their early form, and if they do then they won't be anywhere near the drop zone.

I like Nuno as he’s spent well and got Wolves stuck to their system and aren’t playing like their scared of anyone as shown by their approach to playing the champions last week.

JC: They played fantastically against Manchester City and getting a point off of one of the best sides in the world is a huge achievement.

They have a quality midfield in Neves and Moutinho which can cause problems to anyone on their day. Signings like Rui Patricio and Adama Traore are very good coups for Wolves too.

I think they will achieve at least 12th this season and push on for a top ten finish.

Your match prediction?

DE: I think West Ham may want the win slightly more than Wolves who will be coming down from their display against the champions.

With home advantage, I predict West Ham to get home by 3-1.

SI: I think the Hammers will pick up their first win of the season this weekend but it won't be easy, it'll be a tough game and I can't see them keeping a clean sheet, so I'll go 2-1.

HT: 3-1, I’ve got to be positive, as West Ham needs to get off the mark before the International break.

But I am concerned that Wolves can and will threaten us with their pacey wingers such as Adama Traore and creatively in Midfield from Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho.

But I do think the Hammers do have a better side and I’ve got to back them to pick up their first points this season.

JC: I think West Ham will take all three points as we have been playing much better recently especially in attack.

If Arnautovic plays I think we will win 3-1. If he doesn’t, a 1-1 seems likely.

You can follow Dave, Sam, Henry and Joseph on Twitter by searching for @recorder_hammer, @Sam_InkersoleTM, @EplHenry and @Irons_Home.