Any West Ham United players or fans thinking this could be a good time to play Liverpool might need to think again.
West Ham face the daunting trip to Anfield in desperate need of every point they can get.
The Hammers have slipped into the relegation zone since David Moyes was re-appointed following the sacking of Manuel Pellegrini at the end of December.
One win from eight Premier League games under the Scot tells its own damning story.
Moyes under fire but a good time to play Reds?
Moyes was heavily criticised for his perceived negative tactics in the no contest 2-0 defeat to Manchester City last time out.
Many pundits and fans feel games against the likes of City and Liverpool are ‘free hits’ and that the Hammers should go for it given their desperation for points.
With the league title all but confirmed, an injury to captain Jordan Henderson and the fact Liverpool go into the game having lost in the Champions League in midweek, many feel it might be as good a time as any to face Jurgen Klopp’s men.
But any hopes the Reds might take their eye off the ball with the league unofficially done and dusted and that important second leg against Atletico on the horizon might be forlorn.
Think again as Klopp sends ominous warning
That’s if Klopp’s ominous warning is anything to go by.
Speaking ahead of the game Klopp said his side will be fired up to atone for their rare defeat (Yahoo News).
“It felt after the game like a (proper) defeat, it felt the next morning like a defeat,” Klopp said ahead of West Ham (Yahoo News).
“Nobody thought ‘yeah but in the league we are like this’. But the thing is, that’s what I mean to put it right, is to get the other feeling back, I don’t think that we ever lost after we lost that feeling, the feeling of how a win feels, but we won a few games and so no, we lost it and the difference is massive, the difference is massive. Much more than three points.
“It’s really from sunshine to hardest rain and that’s how it should be. If you really want to be successful and if you could be successful, what we could have been in that game, then it has to feel really bad and that’s how it felt. So yes, we want to put things right (against West Ham) even when it’s a different competition.”
West Ham face tall order to survive
West Ham face a tall order to stay up.
The Hammers play six teams in the bottom half in their remaining matches.
The East Londoners need at least four or five wins to have a realistic hope of staying up.
And a rabbit out of the hat result at Anfield would be a massive boost.
West Ham’s remaining fixtures:
Liverpool (A)
Southampton (H)
Arsenal (A)
Wolves (H)
Tottenham (A)
Chelsea (H)
Newcastle (A)
Burnley (H)
Norwich (A)
Watford (H)
Man United (A)
Aston Villa (H)
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