"The pressure may be right back on them" - Alan Shearer makes prediction for West Ham vs Manchester United

After a gripping 1-1 draw with Fenerbahce, Manchester United are gearing up for a challenging encounter against West Ham United. They will face off at the London Stadium in the Premier League on Sunday, October 27. Alan Shearer shared his thoughts on the upcoming fixture, noting that it’s difficult to predict due to Manchester United’s inconsistent form.

The Red Devils have endured a rough start to the season, and are currently languishing in the bottom half of the table in 12th place. They have only managed to gather 11 points from eight games - three more than their upcoming opponents, West Ham.

Erik ten Hag is also a man under mounting pressure, as United’s struggles for consistency continue. Despite losing only once in nine games across all competitions, their overall performances have arguably been subpar, with five of those matches ending in draws. In short, getting all three points will be crucial, especially after a morale-boosting 2-1 victory over Brentford at Old Trafford in their previous league outing.

Alan Shearer believes that, despite United’s slight improvement in recent weeks, they are likely to fall short again. He has predicted a victory for the Hammers, a result that could seriously jeopardize Ten Hag’s immediate future at the club.

This is tough to predict because of the unpredictability of Man United. Can they kick on and get another result like last weekend? I suspect not. The pressure may be right back on them this weekend," Shearer wrote in his column for Metro.

"West Ham, with the atmosphere at the London Stadium may have enough to take the points on Sunday just as they did in their last home game against Manchester United last season. I am going to pick West Ham to win."

West Ham have themselves faced a tough start to the season. Julen Lopetegui appears to be struggling to implement his style, and the results have also been disappointing, with only two wins in their eight league matches so far.

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Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag believes injuries are hindering performances

Manchester United finished their lowest-ever eighth in the league last season, partly due to numerous injury problems throughout the year. Despite five new signings aimed at improving the squad’s quality and depth this season, the injury situation has remained similar.

New arrival Lenny Yoro has been sidelined for several months and has yet to make his competitive debut. Meanwhile, Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw, Tyrell Malacia, and Kobbie Mainoo have also been ruled out. Antony also joined them after picking up an injury in the recent match against Fenerbahçe on October 24.

Ten Hag believes this is a key factor in their struggles, saying that they would be a difficult team to beat if all their players were available. He said via BBC:

“Yes, it holds us back in our levels and also in our position in the league. When you don’t have the players available, you can’t line up the best team. We all have to work together on this point - the players, the coaching staff and all the other staff. We have to do better at that because we know when we have them we are a really tough team to play and we can be really successful."

Ten Hag faces several major tests ahead, both in Europe and domestically. After the match against West Ham, Manchester United will face Leicester City in the Carabao Cup Round of 16 on October 30. It will be followed by a league clash with Chelsea at Old Trafford on November 2.