West Ham have Man Utd’s number and they’re calling to make a point

West Ham’s recent form under Sam Allardyce may have raising Upton Park eyebrows, but his side’s great record against Manchester United is expected to see them claim a pressure-relieving draw at odds of 4/1.

On their return to the Premier League last season Allardyce’s Irons were a nut sufficiently tough to crack to cause your auntie to give up on the job in favour of another Quality Street toffee.

For few sides was this more the case than a Manchester United team on the way to winning the league title.

The sides’ four clashes in 2012/13 encompassed both league commitments and a replayed FA Cup tie.

Both games at the Boleyn Ground ended 2-2, while United mustered a pair of 1-0 wins at Old Trafford.

Such a concerted period of intransigence against the Red Devils spoke volumes for the insightfulness of Big Sam’s training ground tutelage.

With the Red Devils likely to be without both Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie for their bout of Eastender-entertaining, the Irons have every hope of filing down the mould of those single strike losses until they resemble a goalless draw.

The 0-0 is a princely 14/1 in Coral’s correct score betting and, make no mistake about it, this is the most likely final reckoning if West Ham are to escape with a point.

All five of their draws this term have finished goalless, with three coming away from home and a further couple shutouts endured in losses at Selhurst Park and the KC Stadium.

The importance of United’s classiest strikers cannot be understated when it comes to breaking through West Ham’s tough and disciplined shell either.

In those four 2012/13 duels United notched six goals, of which Van Persie provided three and Rooney one.

Already a more prosaic proposition under their new boss, the likelihood of them being without the pair gives Allardyce’s charges every chance of a proud away point.