West Ham v West Brom: Inside track on Albion's FA Cup opponents

We spoke with Henry Tomlinson, sports journalist and football writer, to get a better look at David Moyes' side.

See what he had to say here...

How have things been at West Ham of late, we obviously saw David Moyes come in once again, has he taken to the job well?

David Moyes came in to replace Pellegrini and re-invigorate the players. This worked as we beat Bournemouth 4-0 however, that is where the positivity ends.

West Ham struggled to beat Gillingham in the cup, a draw against a woeful Everton side and two poor defeats to Sheffield Utd and Leicester City has seen the club fall to equal points with the relegation zone. There is little joy at the club at the moment in the league.

How have West Ham managed in the FA Cup so far - have they opted for a strong side previously?

West Ham have only had one game in the FA Cup so far this season, a 2-0 win away to Gillingham, thanks to goals from Pablo Zabaleta and Pablo Fornals.

The club put out a very strong side, including players like Sebastian Haller and Felipe Anderson.

The team however, laboured to victory after a very poor first half, they were lucky to go in at half-time not behind.

What's your predicted line-up for the weekend?

My predicted line-up for West Ham United would be:

Randolph; Masuaku, Cresswell, Diop, Ogbonna, Zabaleta; Rice, Sanchez; Antonio, Haller, Lanzini.

Antonio will often move to form a front two with Haller, this will see Lanzini drop in behind the pair and player as a number ten behind the strikers.

Are there any injury worries at the London Stadium right now that could impact the game?

West Ham are diminished at the moment, Felipe Anderson and Andriy Yarmolenko are both injured and will probably miss the game, this has seriously blunted the Hammers attack in recent weeks.

In defence Ryan Fredericks is missing due to injury, this has left the team vulnerable on their right side as Pablo Zabaleta does not have the pace to get up and down the pitch anymore.

Another worry for West Ham is Michail Antonio, he is such an important player for the club. He gets the best out of Haller and changes the look of the team when he comes on.

Antonio’s physical attitude, however, means he can succumb to injury. The winger has just comeback from being injured and would be disastrous if he had another setback, especially with the club’s position in the league.

Who are the players in form for the Hammers going into this game? Who do Albion need to be wary of?

The team has been so poor it’s hard to say anyone who stands out. If I had to pick a couple, it would be Pablo Fornals, the Spaniard started the season slowly has but has been adapting slowly and is starting to show his quality in recent weeks.

Michail Antonio is the other dangerman in the side. His pace and strength make him a brilliant forward for the club and is probably our most important player at the moment.

Grady Diangana is a man intrinsically linked with both clubs this season, what have you made of his development at The Hawthorns and do you think the Hammers will be happy to let him finish the season in the Midlands?

It’s great to see Grady developing so well at West Brom.

Last season there were glimpses of his quality, however he was just a bit light-weight for the Premier League at the time and suffered as he was easily knocked off the ball by defenders.

Although, he has really picked up this season, five goals and five assists in his 22 appearances is a great return for the youngster.

His form has seen a debate between Hammer’s fans start, some that want him to return to help the club and others that want him to stay and continue his development and not be pushed into a relegation battle.

Either way Grady is showing his potential under Bilic and hopefully he continues to show his quality and become a great player for West Ham in the future.

How do you think fans will take to Slaven Bilic on his return to the club, albeit as an opposing manager?

I believe Bilic’s stock at West Ham has only risen since he has left.

Following appointments of Moyes and Pellegrini have shown that the board will not fully back a manager. An example of this is since Bilic was in charge we have needed a CM to play next to Declan Rice, however, the position has never been addressed majorly much to the fans dismay.

I think this has led to a lot of fans sympathising with Bilic and turning against the board, this has led to protest movements in recent weeks, that are likely to build unless there is investment before the end of the January transfer window.

Bilic however, I hope and presume he will receive a warm reception and I hope he returns it back to the West Ham fans.

Do you think Bilic has what it takes to get the Baggies promoted this season, having seen him work at West Ham previously?

I think Bilic definitely has the ability to get West Brom promoted, also the strength in the squad for the Baggies is very good.

Although, Bilic if not fully backed by the board can work as a one season wonder and then fade off, that is what happened at West Ham.

Bilic is a brilliant manager and is fantastic at endearing himself to the fans, that is why he is so loved as a manager.

I am hopeful he and West Brom have a successful season.

Your match prediction?

It’s a really hard one to call, West Brom have slowed down in recent weeks, losing one, drawing two and winning one of their last four matches. Also, with promotion the main aim for the Baggies this season, I can imagine Bilic shuffling his pack slightly, this could play into West Ham and David Moyes’ hands.

Moyes needs to play as strong side to get a win to relieve some of the pressure building at Stratford. A win could go a long way to bringing some joy to the Hammer’s fans this season if they managed to have a good cup run.

If West Ham lose however, I can imagine it won’t be long until we see protests at the London stadium, similar to what happened during Moyes’ last reign in charge.

2-1, although a FA cup upset would not surprise me in the slightest.

You can follow Henry on Twitter here.