So it seems like one rarely seen West Ham United player could be handed a shock start vs Liverpool in the Carabao Cup tonight.
West Ham head to Merseyside to take on Liverpool in the Carabao Cup third round – the scene of our disastrous showing in the quarter-final of the same competition last season.
West Ham sold out our 5,812 ticket allocation for the Carabao Cup clash with Liverpool last week, and those travelling fans will be praying for a better performance than the one that David Moyes’s team served up last term.
Julen Lopetegui will undoubtedly make numerous changes from the team that lost 3-0 to Chelsea in the Premier League on Saturday.
He has already confirmed that Lukasz Fabianski will come into the side in place of Alphonse Areola tonight.
However, I expect the Spaniard to make at least three or four more changes to his team as well.
And one of them might just shock you…
Rarely seen West Ham man could be handed Carabao Cup start vs Liverpool
Tonight’s game against the Reds will obviously be incredibly hard for the boys.
However, I want to see two things from us – a properly committed performance and at least an attempt to implement some kind of tactical plan from Lopetegui.
So what does J-Lo have up his sleeve for tonight’s contest? Well, it seems like the Spaniard could be set to hand out a start for a rarely seen Hammer.
The Athletic claim that Andy Irving has an outside chance of making his first ever competitive start for West Ham at Anfield tonight.
Now that really would be a big call from Lopetegui.
It is often a chastening experience for players who make their full debuts at Anfield.
Andy Irving a West Ham hero
Andy Irving joined the Hammers from SK Austria Klagenfurt on transfer deadline day back in the summer of 2023, for around £3 million (Sky Sports Austria).
The 24-year-old was immediately sent back to the Austrian side on loan, and he suggested midway through last season that he’s hoping to play a key role for the Hammers at some point in the future.
Irving had to wait until Saturday’s clash with Chelsea before he was handed his first Premier League start for West Ham.
The Scot came on as a second-half substitute, and he actually put in a fairly decent performance.
However, there are doubts regarding whether he’s actually good enough to be playing Premier League football for the Hammers.
And if Andy Irving does start for West Ham against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup tonight, it really could be a baptism of fire for him.
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