They say never change a winning team but Graham Potter is pondering doing just that when West Ham take on Newcastle.
The old adage held true for West Ham in Graham Potter’s team selection after they beat Arsenal.
West Ham started with the same team against Leicester City.
And for the first time in a year, the Hammers recorded back-to-back wins.
There was plenty of room for improvement in West Ham’s victory over Leicester, though.
Eddie Howe’s Newcastle will provide a far sterner test.
Even without the likes of Magpies stars Anthony Gordon, Lewis Hall and Sven Botman, who will be missing at the London Stadium.
If back-to-back wins have been rare for the Hammers during a dismal 14 months, how about three Premier League victories on the bounce?
Newcastle find themselves in a major quandary for the game.
Howe is under pressure to get Newcastle back into Europe.
The weekend’s results saw the Toon drop down to ninth with a win needed to go back into sixth spot with 10 games to play.
There will be renewed hope West Ham can secure a top 10 finish and £15m boost if they beat the Magpies.
It seems like a distant memory now given that 12 long days have passed since West Ham were last in action.
But Hammers fans weren’t overly impressed with the performance against the Foxes despite a relatively comfortable 2-0 win.
Leicester stunk the London Stadium out by parking the bus.
One thing that really stuck out like a sore thumb for the Hammers last time out was a lack of creativity and guile.
Hammers lack guile and will need it against Newcastle
That is something Potter needs to address in the summer.
But he also has options to improve that against Newcastle.
Potter will have watched video of West Ham’s surprise 2-0 win over the Geordies from November.
The best player on the pitch that day was Carlos Soler.
That emphasises just how key it will be for the Hammers to have someone in midfield who can link the play, particularly on the counter attack.
Lucas Paqueta and Soler were fundamental to that win.
Potter weighs Paqueta start against Newcastle
Now Potter is weighing up a big West Ham change for Newcastle after watching the reverse fixture back.
Brazilian magnifico Paqueta has been back in training this week after a knee injury.
Rather surprisingly, Potter revealed Paqueta is ready to face Newcastle, both mentally and physically.
The Hammers boss insists the 27-year-old has been unaffected, on the surface at least, by the news around his now imminent spot-fixing trial.
It seems highly unlikely Potter will put both Paqueta and Soler back into the side.
Even if the win over Leicester wasn’t much to write home about.
But the manager will most certainly be pondering how he can get Paqueta back into his starting XI.
Ward-Prowse to make way if Potter brings back Brazilian
One option is to switch to a back four.
But the Hammers have looked pretty solid in a five – Potter’s preferred formation.
James Ward-Prowse has been good since being recalled from his Forest loan.
He would be the most likely candidate to drop out of the team and that is what the manager will be considering.
That may seem harsh on Ward-Prowse but it is different horses for different courses in the Premier League.
Ward-Prowse was moved on last summer because of his limitations in open play.
Some supporters might not like the thought of dropping Ward-Prowse after two wins. But they will soon be getting restless if the Hammers lack the guile to get at Newcastle.
It may be Potter decides he needs Paqueta’s quality back in the side.
Especially as he has been back to his old self under the new Hammers boss.
These are the kind of decisions that will tell West Ham fans a lot about Potter and his approach.
The Hammers don’t have anything to lose here. So the manager should be going for it given Newcastle’s injuries and the pressure they are under.
Paqueta’s recent lay-off might mean Potter wants to ease him back in, though.
So these are the line-ups the West Ham boss is deliberating over to face Howe’s Carabao Cup finalists.
Predicted West Ham starting XI for Newcastle if Paqueta is recalled:
Areola, Wan-Bissaka, Kilman, Todibo, Cresswell, Scarles, Soucek, Alvarez, Paqueta, Kudus, Bowen.
Predicted West Ham starting XI for Newcastle if Potter switches to back four:
Areola, Wan-Bissaka, Kilman, Todibo, Scarles, Soucek, Alvarez, Ward-Prowse, Paqueta, Kudus, Bowen.
Predicted West Ham starting XI for Newcastle if Potter sticks with winning team:
Areola, Wan-Bissaka, Kilman, Todibo, Cresswell, Scarles, Soucek, Alvarez, Ward-Prowse, Kudus, Bowen.
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