‘Don’t mean to disrespect Man Utd’ – Paul Merson just made uncomfortable claim before West Ham clash

Manchester United head down South this weekend in hopes of claiming back-to-back Premier League wins for the first time this season.

A clash with 15th-placed West Ham United awaits Erik ten Hag and his men at the London Stadium this Sunday, with only three points separating the sides ahead of matchweek nine.

United enter the weekend in 12th place, having claimed only one more win than their opponents in the opening eight matches. Remarkably, the Irons have scored four more goals than United’s measly seven.

Both Ten Hag and Julen Lopetegui, who succeeded longstanding servant David Moyes over the summer, are under mounting pressure with each dismal performance they oversee, so losses for either could have significant ramifications on their tenures.

Paul Merson shares uncomfortable United claim

Paul Merson has shared his pre-match predictions in the latest instalment of his weekly Sportskeeda column, and it won’t fill the Old Trafford faithful with much hope in the build-up to the fixture.

He believes the Red Devils face a ‘massive test’ against a committed Hammers side who know that a win over the 20-time champions could well come as a substantial turning point in their season. Not only that, but West Ham also boast their home advantage for the affair.

“I don’t mean to disrespect Manchester United,” Merson began. “But this is a great game for West Ham to turn their season around. We all know they haven’t clicked as well as they would’ve liked, but if that happens on Sunday, this could be a massive test for Manchester United.”

After last night’s 1-1 draw with Fenerbahce in Istanbul, United have recorded only one victory in their last seven matches across all competitions. Should they continue at this rate, you’d struggle to see how Ten Hag sees in the new year in the M16 hot-seat.