Forest star Jesse Lingard has sent a social post that seems seriously ominous for West Ham ahead of their crunch relegation six-pointer.
West Ham face Nottingham Forest this weekend in another huge relegation six-pointer.
The Hammers dropped into the bottom three with defeat to Spurs at the weekend while Forest managed a 1-1 draw against Man City.
That increased the gap between Forest and West Ham to five points.
David Moyes is a man under severe pressure. And he knows West Ham must win five or six of the remaining 15 games to have a chance of staying up.
Anything but a win for the Hammers at home against Forest is unthinkable.
Now a player whose career Moyes helped rejuvenate at West Ham could come back to bite him… again.
Forest star Lingard has sent a social post that seems seriously ominous for West Ham ahead of crunch relegation six-pointer.
When Lingard snubbed West Ham for Nottingham Forest last summer it caused quite the stir in the football world.
West Ham’s year-long pursuit of Lingard came to an end when the David Moyes favourite made something of a shock announcement that he was signing for newly-promoted Forest.
The midfielder was widely criticised and accused of chasing the money by joining Forest after reports abound that he was offered £200k per week by the club of Brian Clough.
Forest star Jesse Lingard sends social post that seems seriously ominous for West Ham ahead of crunch relegation six-pointer
That criticism turned out to be inaccurate and unfair, though, when the reports were blown out of the water by respected journalists at both The Telegraph and The Athletic who said he is actually on a base salary of £80k rising to £121k pw at Forest – less than he had been offered by the Hammers.
Lingard recently lifted the lid on the real reason he chose Forest over West Ham, saying they showed him ‘more love and respect’.
How West Ham could do with a player in the kind of inspired form Lingard displayed during his magical six-month loan at the London Stadium.
The midfield ace has missed the last two Forest games through injury.
But he has posted on social media that he is back in time to face West Ham and it will undoubtedly give fans a sense of foreboding.
Particularly after Lingard scored a last gasp winner for Man United in a 2-1 victory over West Ham the last time he played at the London Stadium.
Lingard posted a series of photos and video clips of his return to training on Instagram, saying: “Back in my happy place, we always bounce back stronger.”
Worryingly he is looking sharp too, even firing in a carbon copy of his goal against West Ham for Man United.
West Ham always seem to suffer at the hands of former players or clubs on winless runs. Striker hasn’t scored for a year, enter the perennial gift horse West Ham.
Let’s hope that isn’t the case when Lingard returns this weekend.
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