No Scamacca as Spuds come a knocking!

It's a big night at the London stadium as West ham 'welcome' their neighbours from Totty Hot Spuds.

In fairness, the Spuds have looked sharp this season whilst Moyes' men have stuttered. However, all that usually goes in the bin when it's a derby fixture.

Gianluca Scamacca is mysteriously absent leaving Michail Antonio to lead the line. New boy Lucas Paqueta is on the bench. 

West Ham United: Fabiański, Coufal, Kehrer, Zouma, Cresswell, Rice (c), Souček, Bowen, Benrahma, Fornals, Antonio

Subs: Areola (GK), Randolph (GK), Ogbonna, Emerson, Downes, Coventry, Cornet, Lanzini, Lucas Paquetá

Wow! It's been a big turnaround week at West Ham

It's been a weird season so far for West ham. Holding on to all our big players was a decent start and then the wait as a host of exciting signings have arrived.

Suddenly we have a squad - it seems the board have realised that without 18-20 top quality players it is inevitable that form will decline - typically in the run in when the 'big' clubs tend to make their squad depth count. 

However, with a host of top quality signings all across the pitch the Hammers look ready to do serious business. However, three straight defeats brought a sense of dread with some wobbly types doubting the Moyes plan. 

Thankfully, the win at Villa has settled nerves and after a terrible first half where our back 5 made Villa seem like they had an extra man  reversion to a back four brought some rhythm and ultimately a decent performance and three points.

With Scamacca and Kehrer looking sharp, enter Lucas Paqueta to add some Brazilian magic to our midfield and suddenly we look ready to take on all comers. 

Meanwhile, quietly in the background we have progressed in Europe with two decent victories and can look forward to Thursday nights under the lights against the likes of Steaua Bucharest and Anderlect. 

Upgrading a season ticket for the three game Europa package highlights the success of Gold and Sullivan. Affordable family football in the top tier and in Europe is truly ours. At £42 for the three games it's tremendous value. Hats off lads!!!

The season has finally kicked into gear. The Spuds could be in for an East end surprise on Wednesday. 

Happy days - and a team to be proud of with a host of international talents and a healthy representation of our own products. This is the fabled West Ham way.

COYI!!!

Hapless Hammers Stumble to Half Time

It's been further disappointment for the Hammers in the first half of their clash away to Villa. Moyes has gone wth 3 at the back but the net result has been to make it seem like Villa have an extra man as they have lorded possession.

Declan Rice is (again!) Misfiring while our front players look like they have only just met for the first time.  Scamacca has been isolated and ineffective.

Ben Johnson has gone off injured with Vlad Coufal on as a replacement. 

In all honesty, we have barely strung three consecutive  passes in the whole half! 

West ham have come out on top in all the the most recent 5 games with Villa but are unlikely to continue that run based on the first half action.

Moyes has much to think about as the team look clueless. Mercifully, he has plenty of decent options on the bench with Antonio, Benrahma, Cornel and Lanzini all capable of shaking things up.

COYI!

Wild Man Moyes Rolls the Dice with Brave Starting Selection

It's little surprise that David Moyes has shuffled his ever increasing pack for the trip to Villa today, but all the same he appears to have gone from his ultra-conservative former self to a tinkerman approach to team selection. 

There are five changes from the side that brushed aside Viborg in midweek with a number of significant surprises!

Perhaps most surprising is the immediate inclusion of Emerson Palmieri with the red hot Said Benrahma dropping to the bench. Michail Antonio looks set to enter as an impact substitute as Scamacca gets the starting berth up front. It's a big game for Pablo Fornals with Pacqueta about the enter the equation, while Ben Johnson maintains the right back spot ahead of the recovered Vladimir Coufal. 

We can expect some interesting defensive changes in the coming weeks as Moyes may go to a back five and has plenty of options across the back line with Oggy regaining fitness, Dawson soon to return and Aguerd on the mend. 

Jarrod Bowen and Declan Rice are both back today after a midweek rest. 

It's time to start getting some points on the board as Moyes' men are firmly on the bottom of the league after three consecutive defeats. 

COYI!!!

West Ham starting XI: Lukasz Fabianski; Ben Johnson, Thilo Kehrer, Kurt Zouma, Aaron Cresswell, Emerson Palmieri; Declan Rice (c), Tomas Soucek; Pablo Fornals; Jarrod Bowen, Gianluca Scamacca.

Subs: Alphonse Areola, Darren Randolph, Ben Johnson, Vladimir Coufal, Angelo Ogbonna, Flynn Downes, Conor Coventry, Maxwel Cornet, Michail Antonio

Hammers Coasting at the Break

It's all going according to plan for Moyes' men out in Denmark as they lead 1-0 on the night and are 4-1 up on aggregate.

Gianluca Scamacca scored a strikers goal half way through the half to complement a powerful performance from the big man. Elsewhere, Viborg have been feisty and not afraid to use their superior height to creat some decent chances and will feel unlucky to be behind. 

Lanzini is running midfield, while Ogbonna looks in control at the back. Benrahma et al are buzzing about.

An early second goal should allow Moyes to give valuable match time to some of the youngsters on the bench, including recent signing Flynn Downes as well as Coventry and Okuflex.

Don't rule out a Viborg comeback though as they have moved the ball about nicely and could easily have scored twice in the first half only for heroics from Alphonse Areola.

COYI!!!

Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes as Hammers Look to Nail down European Action

Here we go! A crunch second leg vs Danish minnows Viborg. The Hammers have had an underwhelming start to the campaign and need to keep their range of competitions alive by defending their two goal advantage from the first leg. 

Moyes is confident enough to rest Antonio, Bowen and Zouma, while Declan Rice is still suspended. Its an offensive-minded starting XI with Lanzini, Cornell, Benrahma, Fornals and Scamacca up front. Viborg will surely hope to take advantage of the Hammers lack of height with set pieces.

However, Ogbonna is back to partner Kehrer at CB, while Cresswell returns on the left and Ben Johnson replaces the concussed Coufal. 

First goal is crucial. 

Fingers crossed we won't have an AstraGoogly experience!

West Ham Unitedstarting XI: Areola;  Johnson, Kehrer, Ogbonna, Cresswell; Lanzini, Soucek; Benrahma,  Fornals, Cornell, Scamacca. Subs: Hegyi, Randolph, Zouma, Swyer, Downes, Coventry, Ekwah, Okoflex, Bowen, Antonio, Mubama.

Naughty Boys Sit Out Viborg Clash

It's a new season of European action for the Hammers as Danish side Viborg visit the Lobdon stadium for the first leg of the Europa conference play off. 

The Danes swept aside the Faroe Island champions in the last round but should find a strong Moyes side a different proposition tonight.

There are lots of changes for the Hammers as Rice and Cresswell carry over bans from the Eintracht Frankfurt debacle at the end of last season, whilst Headmaster Moyes has to watch from the stands as he has to serve a ban for kicking the ball at a petulant ball boy in the same frustrating clash.

Back to tonight, Moyes has selected an interesting starting XI with Scamacca leading the line up front, Ogbonna back in central defence and acting captain for the night, Cornell making his debut on the left wing ahead of the incoming Harrison Ashby, Ben Johnson gaining more experience at CB, Conor Coventry starting in central midfield with Flynn Downes on the bench, Areola in goals and Lanzini starting with Benrahma and Fornals on the bench alongside Antonio. New German recruit Kehrer is also on the bench.

There's a lot of talent on show with plenty in reserve. This will be interesting! 

KO is 7.45. The referee is Italian.

West Ham United: Areola, Coufal, Johnson, Ogbonna ©, Ashby, Souček, Coventry, Cornet, Lanzini, Bowen, Scamacca
Subs: Randolph, Trott, Baptiste, Kehrer, Zouma, Downes, Ekwah, Fornals, Chesters, Okoflex, Benrahma, Antonio

Hammers already short on numbers and we haven't yet kicked a ball

Worrying news from the London stadium as Craig Dawson has not made the squad and Ben Johnson has had to move into makeshift centre back!

Hardly ideal with Erling Haaland in waiting to open his Premiership campaign. The loss of height and physicality will impact both in defence and attacking set pieces. Hmmm.

Scamacca is on the benck and may fancy a run at a DePorteless City defence. At 6ft 5 he may trouble Ake in particular.

Tense, very tense....

West Ham United: Fabiański, Johnson, Cresswell, Zouma, Coufal, Rice (c), Souček, Lanzini, Fornals, Bowen, Antonio

Subs: Areola (GK), Randolph (GK), Ashby, Downes, Coventry, Benrahma, Vlašić, Okoflex, Scamacca

Worrying News for West Ham as Here Come Dumb and Dumber!

 

Arghhhh! We're back and full of hope for the season ahead. Watching the amusing scenes at Ye Olde Trafford as Brighton are two up, the failure of the ref to award a stone cold penalty for a blatant push on Danny Welbeck has reminded us that our referees lack the precision of most other elements of Premiership footie.

And with the school of diving excellence AKA Man City coming to the London Stadium you'd have to worry about the match officials for the Hammers opener. Michael Oliver tends to favour the bigger clubs while on VAR is the remarkable Mike Dean!

Deano has retired as a ref but its a measure of the contempt for reason at the FA that he has been kept on in his new role. His calamity list is almost endless but perhaps what provokes fans ire even more is his remarkable capacity to make games all about himself. Just how he might manage that in his new capacity awaits to be seen.

Teamsheets are imminent and the atmosphere is building at the London Stadium. Time to open a new bottle of valium for the season ahead!

COYI!!!

Here We Go: Hammers Take on the Borg!

The new season is upon us already and what better (?worse) way to begin than receiving the League Champions to a full London Stadium?

With 62,500 capacity (soon to be 66,000) we can make Stratford a real fortress this season. 

However, the Hammers will have their work cut out against a frighteningly impressive Man City who have added the World's most wanted striker in Haaland to their ranks and are, apart from LaPorte, at full strength.

Meanwhile the arrival of Aguerd, Scamaccha and Cornet has added to Moyes options but all three are unlikely to be ready to contribute to today's action.

Moreover, the Hammers have looked tepid in preseason, leaky in defence and blunt up front as Moyes has focused upon a heavy conditioning programme over results.

We can expect a similar side to that which chiselled out a draw with City in last season's run in. City looked off the boil in the Charity shield and vulnerable to counterattack which has become the go-to strategy for Moyes against the big guns.

It's more hope than expectation today but in reality this is the best time to take on the ruthless borg thst is Pep's Man City.

You can get 8/1 against a West ham win - probably worth a punt given the unpredictability of opening fixture results?

Kick off is 4pm.