West Ham United v Huddersfield Town - Brace the Hammer Predictions

It’s time for the Brace the Hammer prediction article, which has fast become the most depressing series on the website. For the 2017/18 season our usual format is:

*chirpy introduction
*optimistic preamble about the game
*negative predictions from the other writers
*Jack ignores logic and predicts West Ham win
*crushing West Ham loss
*everyone re-evaluates their lives

Well this week, I’d like to announce that nothing has changed in this weekly example of how far our expectations of West Ham United differ from reality. I will change nothing in my bold prediction in the hopes of an elusive Hammers win!

The Irons welcome Huddersfield Town in the first home game of the season. We come back to London Stadium on the back of three successive defeats, in each West Ham have conceded at least 3 goals.

Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images

There are few positives to mention here, the club is doing badly. Fans are angry at the owners. The manager is on the verge of unemployment and we are bottom of the league. Makes me question why I care so much about this group of young millionaires who are good at playing football.

It’s still too early to put much stock into the prediction or Premier League table so we won’t add them here just yet. Both are equally depressing for myself to look at, as I’m bottom of both.

Here are this week’s predictions:

Em

1-0 West Ham

The Kiwi Hammer

3-2 Huddersfield win

David Wagner has gone 3 games undefeated so far in the top flight. With West Ham's defense looking shaky at best, I wouldn't be surprised if West Ham lose this one

Wallace Milner

Huddersfield are in great form. West Ham look like a Sunday league team. I think Chicharito will be able to score if any midfielder can provide service.

As for the rest of the team... it's hard to have faith. West Ham's defense is set to bombarded by a powerful and quick frontline. It's impossible to have much confidence.

Huddersfield 3-1 West Ham

Photo by Nigel Roddis/Getty Images for Premier League

Trevor Criswell

1-3 to Huddersfield

New season at the Olympic Stadium starts with a whimper. At this point, you can't predict a win without the team, you know, winning a game. But with the players getting the previous weekend off, who knows! The side may come back invigorated and ready to (re)start the season.

Tom Atherton

I'm not confident for this one, although we're back at home for the first time this season, it's going to be such a hostile environment to play in and that could benefit Huddersfield.

Not much optimism from me until this manager / board 'crisis' is sorted. 1-1.

Pete Schlenker (The Artist Formerly Known as HammerPete)

West Ham over Huddersfield 2-0.

Slaven delays D-day by at least a week as Huddersfield returns to earth and starts their slide down to their rightful place at the foot of the table.

Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images

Jonathan Liebling

Aside from the usual 'must win' rhetoric, West Ham players have had the privilege of not being in the spotlight all week. That pleasure went to the Davids and their bizarre antics. Hopefully with the board taking the heat this week, the squad was able to just focus on the match. The Terriers are good and are a nice story, but that they're not that good. They'll be coming into a wild home opener where fans will be itching for three points.

4-0 to West Ham

Andrew Jones

West Ham 2-0 Huddersfield for me, as the first home game of the season will be the needed turnaround for Bilic and the club

Chad Hoy

Well… I want to say West Ham will win, but things aren't looking good. With Carroll on the bench and Reid coming back in though maybe the squad will have some kind of turnaround. I mean, you'd think that playing Huddersfield could be an easy win but we'll see. I'll predict an ugly 1-0 win for the Hammers.

And that's pushing it.

Andy Kostka

West Ham 1-2 Huddersfield

The reception for the team and manager Slaven Bilic might get nasty if the play isn't clean right from the off. Without Manuel Lanzini in the squad, the Hammers' attacking threat is certainly further diminished with Marko Arnautovic still serving a suspension. While Winston Reid may be available to play again, I don't hold out hopes for a clean sheet performance.

Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images

Jackson Schmidtke

1-0 Loss.

No Manu, no Fernandes, and no Ayew (does he even play when on the field?), combined with all the turmoil surrounding the club and we have a recipe for disaster on our hands.

It's going to be a really ugly game but the Hammers defense will make an error that allows Huddersfield to score (cough Fonte, cough). The loss spells the end of Slaven Bilic's reign while sad it is not undeserved. The board had a golden opportunity to sack him but couldn't muster the courage to do it. Now we've got a real mess on our hands.

Vamos

Ever the optimist I'm going for the win; but in games like this I feel the draw is always on the cards. Despite all the reports about Slaven being able to field a full-strength team we're still not sure about Andy Carroll and it seems there's now a doubt over Manual Lanzini in the longer term.

I don't think the situation is as positive as everyone seems to be making it out to be and it could well be a battle for a single point at the finish. I'll still stick with a Hammers win though on this occasion but I think it will be close.

Garett Kerber

2-1 West Ham

I want to predict a Huddersfield win because of the respect I have for what David Wagner has done there, but I think West Ham will get the 3 points to stop the bleeding. (At least until next week when the reasons many want #SlavOut rear their ugly head against Tottenham) Call it a band-aid win

Jonathan Lines

I think we'll win 2-1.

It seems to contradict most logic, given our struggles against teams that move the ball and play with pace, as well as our own lack of confidence and squad depth. However, take Burnley, Crystal Palace and Swansea last season as evidence that Bilic has the knack of winning a home game when he most desperately needs to. This one is now bigger for him than any of those, and I think the team will deliver, just, on what'll be a nervy occasion.

Jack Kavanagh (Me!)

I am making my long-awaited return to London Stadium after almost a year away so we are obviously going to get a glorious victory. This is the turning point of the season, where we earn an important win against the league’s surprise package.

Give me 2-1 to the Irons