Former West Ham player Gary O’Neill has warned his side to expect a hostile reception at Elland Road when they face Leeds United in a crucial relegation clash.
The pressure is on Leeds manager Daniel Farke to deliver a positive result against West Ham after his side slipped to a frustrating defeat against Burnley.
West Ham fell to a damaging 2-0 home defeat against Brentford, after which Jarrod Bowen admitted a lack of confidence in the Hammers’ dressing room, having lost all four of their games at home to start the new Premier League season.
Leeds host West Ham in a crucial game at Elland Road, with the Whites sitting four points clear of their opponents as they head into the game.
As attention begins to turn towards a classic relegation six-pointer, O’Neill has warned West Ham not to expect any favours from the Leeds crowd.
Gary O’Neill sends Elland Road warning to West Ham
Speaking on Monday Night Football after West Ham’s defeat against Brentford, O’Neill expressed his concern that the Hammers would need a “seismic shift” to get something out of the game against Leeds.
With Leeds expected to make several changes for the game, O’Neill warned that the atmosphere at Elland Road will be “unforgiving” for the away side.
He said: “Having watched that this evening, I have real concerns about them now. I think they look lost from a tactical perspective. Of course, Nuno’s only been there five minutes, and he needs time, but they look lost.
“They look short of confidence. They don’t look together. We’ve spoken about Brentford, but I think Brentford will finish somewhere in the six or seven towards the bottom of the league, and they’ve just absolutely torn West Ham apart this evening at their home ground.
“So that’s going to need a seismic shift, that performance. West Ham, Nuno’s got a hell of a job on here to get this team in a place where it’s competitive.
“You go to Elland Road in four days. Elland Road’s going to be unforgiving and they’re going to need a big improvement on that to stand a chance.”
Leeds United need to be wary of West Ham’s away form
West Ham have suffered a dreadful start to the season at home, claiming no points from their opening four games, scoring just twice and conceding 12.
However, their away form has been marginally better, as the Hammers have claimed four points, with one win, one draw and two defeats, according to Statmuse.
| Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals Scored | Goals Conceded | |
| Home | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 12 |
| Away | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
West Ham claimed a 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest at the end of August, with Bowen, Lucas Paqueta and Callum Wilson all scoring after the 80th minute to complete a smash-and-grab.
However, with just one point from their five games since, they are a side who lack confidence, particularly in attack, that Leeds should be aiming to put to the sword.
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