Surprises as Hammers Attacking Midfield Square Up

Things are looking up at West ham with the change in management and a sense that we can wipe the slate clean on a season that has stuttered and dipped.

As David Moyes looks to his available resources he will feel that he has decent options in the absence of other options beyond Seb Haller, Michail Antonio has again reverted to a central role up front - and with good effect!

In midfield we have a number of talented players - none of whom have quite kicked into gear. Felipe Anderson was our record buy and is generally thought to have underperformed - especially in comparison to last season when he was almost unplayable at times. It is interesting that in fact his stats for the season to date are stronger than his attacking midfield team-mates. 

Pablo Fornals has grown and grown but still rates lowest in terms of overall contribution. Meanwhile, Andriy Yarmolenko started well with a series of goals but has been hindered by injury. In contrast. Manny Lanzini  seems over his injury troubles and is now coming back into form and has a tremendously high accuracy in his passing game. 

COYI!!!

The Image That Sums Up This Evening's Carnival at the London Stadium!

Shock horror, we are back on form!!! The final scoreline of 4-0 barely did us justice as the Hammers simply swept an abysmal Bournemouth aside. When it went to four many will have been checking the record books as we looked capable of anything!

Key to our win was the intense desire. The Hammers just simply got to everything first and never let Bournemouth get any momentum. At the centre of that was a rejuvenated midfield as Noble coasted to a MOTM performance while Declan Rice just hoovered up anything that went astray. As a consequence, our defence looked protected and pushed up to keep the pressure on the Cherries.

With goals for Haller and Anderson, our two biggest signings, suddenly we look like a side that can push on with confidence restored. Snoddy had a stunning game, constantly probing at a hapless Bournemouth defence.

Speaking of which, spare a thought for Bournemouth. They put in the least impressive performance we have seen from a visiting side for some time and really never looked up for it. Eddie Howe will be devastated by such a meek contribution from his troops.

For us, its Gillingham in the Cup, followed by the Blades away, Everton at home and at visit to Leicester where we can assess how much we have moved forwards since that disappointingly poor defeat against their second string a few days ago. 

But, of course, the last word goes to Mr Moyes. The Academy of Football posted the above image as the game ended capturing an unlikely Christmas occurence!

Bobby Bubbles Player Ratings as Hammers Robbed at Old Trafford

A penalty brace from the endlessly likeable Paul Pogba was enough to claim the victory for a disappointing Manchester United side at Ye Olde Trafford yesterday evening. Nevertheless  there were many positives  for the Hammers  as  they  came within a whisker  of  completing  a rare  double  over the Red Devils.

Here are Bobby Bubbles' ratings:

Pellegrini: It takes balls to go to Old Trafford and stand toe to toe with the home side but that is the Pellegrini way and the travelling West Ham faithful were given plenty to appreciate. The Hammers dominated for much of the game and can feel justifiably aggrieved at coming up short in terms of points gained. Once again, Pellegrini demonstrated his belief in rotating the squad bringing in Zabaleta, Masuaku and Snodgrass. Apart from the overall performance, there were also excellent showings from Fabian Balbuena and a return to best form for Felipe Anderson. However, on the downside Manuel Lanzini hobbled off and looks set for a further period on the sideline. Pellegrini deserves particular credit for the second half showing where, despite a number of referee howlers in the first half, West Ham remained unperturbed sustaining what was an impressive performance  9/10.

Fabianski:  calm and assured as always. You really thought he might save the second penalty but unfortunately Pogba served up an unsaveable strike! 8/10

Zabaleta: excellent performance before running out of puff. You have to wonder if he would have done better against Martial for the second penalty. Still has plenty to offer despite the ageing legs. 7/10.

Ogbonna: never look troubled despite Manchester United playing a relatively attacking formation. Issa Diop has a real battle on his hands to regain a starting place. 7/10.

Balbuena:  it's great to have him back  and he again  showed great composure  and  was not really  under pressure in any way. Good distribution coming out of defence. 8/10

Masuaku: one of his better games where there were no defensive errors. Maybe he still has something to offer next season? 7/10.

Rice: The best midfielder on the park throughout and greatly overshadowed Pogba who had very little influence apart from the two penalties. 8/10.

Noble: Captain Claret loves getting stuck into Man United and looked to be thoroughly enjoying proceedings yesterday. Still has plenty to offer. 7.5/10.

Lanzini:  Starting to look more like his old self but still a little off the pace. Excellent assist for Anderson's goal and also had a decent shout for penalty when he was held back in the box. Let's hope his injury is nothing serious as he needs game time to get back to his best 7/10.

Anderson: Possibly our best player against Chelsea and again yesterday was our man of the match as he tormented Manchester United again and again. The switch to the right wing was an interesting experiment which worked well and increases our attacking options. Denied a perfectly legitimate goal in the first half before scoring what could easily have been a match winner in the second. 9/10.

Chicharito: We've said this before but he really doesn't offer enough to the general play. Limited contribution before being substituted. 5/10.

Snodgrass: will be furious about the first-half penalty which was  extremely soft  and it's debatable whether he actually made any contact with Juan Mata. However, he didn't allow this to discourage him and  delivered a series of excellent  corners throughout. 7/10.

Substitutes
Antonio: Tremendous stuff had a few barnstorming runs at the Utd defwnce, cracked one against the bar and was denied by a super De Gea save after a good header. Deserved more. 8/10.
Diangana: No major impact 5/10.

Fredericks: Oops. Clumsy challenge on Martial gave away the game.  3/10.

The West Ham Way Part 6: Refereeing Nonsense Denies West Ham at Old Trafford

Quoted at 7/1 against for a win before the match, Manuel Pellegrini's troops were clearly offended by the bookies lack of faith and reacted with an excellent performance. However, how many times have we said this, "but for some poor refereeing....deblah blah" and that was once again the story of the day as Man United were gifted the win by match referee Graham Scott who made a series of bad calls in the Mancs favour.

First up, Felipe Anderson scored  a perfectly legal goal but sadly referee Graham Scott and his henchmen failed to notice that Defender Diogo Dalot was playing the Brazilian on side.

Next up, Scott awarded Manchester United a penalty for an innocuous challenge by Robert Snodgrass on the easily toppled Juan Mata. Grrr.

Half time 1-0 to the wrong side.

However, the Hammers spirits were not dampened and they emerged for the second half full of determination and levelled the scores within 4 minutes of the restart with a delightful Anderson strike.

Thereafter, West Ham dominated proceedings going close on a number of occasions while the home side offered little in attack.

West Ham  could feel unlucky not to have been given a penalty  as Manuel lanzini was held back in the box  but  the matchday officials  were nowhere to be seen when the call was potentially going to go in West Hams favour.

Then, poor Michail Antonio was doubly disappointed as first he rattled the bar and then was foiled by an incredible save by David De Gea as somehow the Spaniard managed to keep out a thumping goalward bound header - pushibg the ball just outside the post.

In reality, at that point West Ham should have been at least a goal to the good and as they pushed forward sensing a victory, were caught on the break with another close offside call going man united's way as Anthony Martial found himself through on goal and was pulled down by a desperate lunge from Ryan Fredericks resulting in perhaps the only correct call by Mr Scott all day as he awarded a penalty allowing the otherwise anonymous Paul Pogba to score a second from the spot and give Manchester United an unlikely and remarkably fortunate win.

If Scott had got the earlier decisions right then West Ham would almost certainly not have been caught pushing up with just 10 minutes to go.

The normally restrained Pellegrini was visibly annoyed in his post match interview and made it clear that he felt West Ham had been outdone by poor refereeing decisions. In his post match interview, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer conceded that Manchester United had 'got away with it' but countered that these things balance out over the course of a season.

With Spurs on an impressive run of victories and feeling buoyant having just moved into their new stadium, West Ham will be hoping that some of this bad luck is balanced out with good fortune when they visit White Hart Lane in a fortnight's time. Before then, Leicester City visit the London Stadium next weekend as the two sides do battle for the very middle of the middle of the Premiership table!

COYI!!!

Player Ratings as Referee Robs Hammers Deserved Win over Liverpool

Lukasz Fabianski - 8

Another assured performance as Poland's player of the year demonstrated his class again. A few inaccurate distributions aside, he looked calm throughout.

Ryan Fredericks- 7

Another confidence building outing as he looked a solid part of a Hammers defence that simply refused to take any nonsense from Liverpool's much fabled attack. 

Issa Diop - 8

Back to his best after a few below par perfirmances of late. Served notice that he planned to stifle Firminho, Mane and Salah and duly delivered. Classy and still only a kid!

Angelo Ogbonna- 7

Solid throughout with plenty of sound decision making once again. 

Aaron Cresswell - 7.5

Looks back to his best and had a good night defensively and also has developed a good understanding with Anderson. Masuaku is well behind him in the peckibg order at this stage. 

Declan Rice - 8.5

Tremendous again. A mate commented that he looks like a combination of Bryan Robson and Roy Keane. Hard to disagree! A big resence on the pitch throughout and getting bolder going forward as well.

Mark Noble - 8

Under the lights Captain Claret looked totally up for it from the kick off. Ran and ran and harried Liverpool while constantly keeping us ticking over. 

Robert Snodgrass - 7.5

Solid performance although a few clever bits didn't quite come off for him. A remarkable rehabilitation from the player we farmed out to Villa!

Felipe Anderson - 9

Superb. Gave Milner a hard time throughout and provided an outlet with his quick feet. Put in a few decent set pieces as well! MOTM. 

Michail Antonio -8.5

His best performance in a long time. Has rediscovered his pace and it all flows from there. Gave the usually dominant Robertson a tough time and wrapped it up with what should have been the winning goal but for a terrible refereeing decision!

Once again put in a solid 10 minutes as he helped us see the game out.

Five Talking Points From Hammers Victory Over The Saints

1. It's all about the system: With so many injuries we had no right to boss this game away from home, yet such is the Pellegrini system that even without Arnie, The General, Yarmolenko, Lanzini, Zabaleta, Wilshere, Chicharito et al we still played like a tight unit and shrugged off the setback of an illegal goal to win with something to spare at a ground we have won only one of our previous nine visits.

2. Declan Rice is the real deal: Looking through the green-tinted spectacles of a Paddy, Decky really looks like the player that Mick McCarthy can build an Irish side around. An amazing abilty to read the game, fabulous link up play and always there to tidy up when his team mates mess up....err 'Roy Keane' anybody? Sort out a long contract and lets enjoy having a lynchpin who dictates games with his football nous. We used to see Rice as a Rio in the making but he's shown this year that he has what it takes to boss midfield play at the highest level. Anyone else loving this?

3. Michail Antonio is too nice for his own good: It's pretty obvious that Michail does not think like a full back but he never shirks the responsibility when asked to play in a position he is unsuited to. Just when he seemed unplayable on the right wing SuperSlav asked him to fill in at right back and to his detriment he obliged. Pelle needs to avoid wrecking his buzz just when he is back to form and fitness. Stop this right back nonsense NOW! The January window requires a new right back as a major priority and let Antonio rampage further forward.

4. Anderson is the new Payet: Right to the end most true Hammers hoped that we might salvage the Payet mess mostly because we knew he was a real talent and worth the admission price on his own. There is a certain level of technique that most players can only dream of and Filipe has that. Yes, he loses posession a lot but his high risk manoevres open up opposition defences in an era where mass defending has stifled open attacking football. Filipe is that rare thing - the locksmith who can open the tightest defensive systems. As we push to higher levels we will need his Brazilian genius to compete. Aside from being a brilliant finish, his second goal kept Southampton's back four honest in the crucial final quarter....did anyone think we would concede a silly scrappy backs to the wall goal in the final few minutes tonite? Thought not. Thank Filipe's incisive counterattacking for that.

5. Ogbonna's West Ham career is far from over: Breaking up the excellent Diop-Balbuena partnership was a real worry tonight, but in reality Angelo fitted in delightfully and bailed out the usually excellent Issa Diop on more than one occasion with his situational nous. Did anyone ever imagine that Winston Reid would be under so much pressure to get back into the game squad when he returned? We all applaud Pellegrini for his attacking style but the centre back arrangements right now aren't too bad are they!

Anderson's Fairy Tale Unfolds...

Manuel Pellegrini has shown the kind of mettle that makes for great management since coming to West Ham last Summer. After a dreadful start that saw his side bottom of the league after 5 games, he refused to panic and even goaded the sporting press who were already calling for his head by saying that he would never change his style no matter what.

Since then, his players have adapted to his attractive and open style and the results have started to flow. After a deserved victory over Crystal Palace today, the Hammers third in a row, they have now hauled themselves up to tenth and are even eyeing Man United who are just a few points ahead and lying in sixth position. With plenty of winnable games ahead in December, 2019 seems set to see the Hammers push to a higher level.

Central to Pelle's revolution was the arrival of Brazilian winger Felipe Anderson. His transfer was drawn out before he eventually moved from Lazio to the Olympic Stadium for a club record £47million transfer fee! At the time many fans were quite sceptical about the merits of his arrival, especially since he had failed to make the cut for a relatively mediocre Brazilian squad for the World Cup.

Moreover, feedback from our contemporaries at Lazio indicated that he had enjoyed mixed fortunes in Rome and had fallen out of the starting XI and picked up an 'inconsistent' label.

And so to the Premiership. From the start it has been obvious that Felipe can play a bit! Initially he visibly struggled with the intensity of English football but demonstrated a determination to adapt. His commitment to the cause was also obvious as despite his preference for offensive play, he has not been shy in tracking back to help out with defensive duties and these 'turnovers' in possession frequently lead to some of our best attacking opportunities. Modern soccer has become like rugby whereby most teams can defend to a high level and using turnover possession is often the key to winning games.

The English game has really started to suit our Brazilian talent - Anderson likes to take chances by playing high risk balls that sometimes don't come off but when successful can carve open the opposition. In that sense, the lower emphasis upon holding possession in the Premiership (compared to the ball-mongers of Serie A for example) suits Felipe's style.

At West ham we have had a lot of skilful wide players in recent years but the majority have not been prolific goalscorers. Anderson brings all the jinky and incisive dribbling of a good winger but also has that crucial ability to take responsibility for the finished product himself. As such, defenders cannot rely upon him passing the ball as he is quite capable of finishing attacking moves on his own. His cracker against Newcastle last week was an excellent example of this where his direct and pacey running knocked the much bigger Newcastle defender aside as he plummeled the ball into the net.

Defenders cannot afford to stand off him but equally, his quick feet make any rash defending likely to end in embarrassment! His strike against Palace today was through the eye of a needle and demonstrates his incredible technical skill. His free kick was similarly tantalising and poor Wayne Hennessy could do little to keep it out without presenting Chicharito with a tap in!

Finally, the London Stadium has been a less than joyous place since our move 3 seasons ago. We were promised attractive and entertaining football - at last we have a squad who look capable of getting results while also playing football that amuses, titillates and inspires. We all yearn for a new Paolo or Payet to liven up our matchdays. Anderson is the closest we have come since Payet's disappointing exit. If he can keep up his recent form we might honestly start to mention him in the same breath as Mr Di Canio.

Just maybe, but whatever else, we are dreaming again. Thankyou Felipe!

Even better, in the past few games the unrest of last season seems a long long time ago. With Arnie out our other big names stepped up. Happy days!

COYI!!!

Player ratings as West Ham come from behind to beat Palace

Bubbles the Bulldog was there to witness a great comeback from his beloved Hammers after they had trailed 0-1 at half time, running out 3-2 victors. Here's what he thought of the West Ham players on the day:

Lukasz Fabianski - 7

For once caught out and he was slow to react and come out to clear the danger as Palace got a soft opener. Otherwise looked assured with good distribution. Could do nothing about Palace's free kick that clanged off the crossbar just before half time or for Schlupp's goal.

Pablo Zabaleta - 7

Blessed with a wise old footballing head, Pablo looked solid in defence throughout and added to the forwards momentum with some ambitious runs in the second half. Was unlucky not to score with a deflected scorcher early in the second half.

Issa Diop - 7

Booked in the first half for a 'necessary' challenge on a marauding Andros Townsend and came close to a second yellow just before half time for a crude lunge on the edge of the Hammers box. Otherwise, was solid and dominant, as usual!

Fabian Balbuena - 7

Solid throughout with plenty of sound decision making and a determination to pass out from the back. Looks to have a great Hammers career ahead of him.

Arthur Masuaku - 6

Looked a bit shaky for the first 20 minutes as things were just not going his way. Might have done better to clear the ball for Palace's opener. Grew into his role as the game progressed and had a fine second half opening up space on the left and whipping in a fine cross that Chicharito should have converted late on. Arthur is a player of extremes!

Declan Rice - 8

Outstanding once again. You constantly have to wonder how a 19 year old can look so assured in the holding midfield role? Numerous important tackles and always in the action when needed. He plays like a young Bryan Robson or even Roy Keane depending on which country you think he will ultimately opt for!

Mark Noble - 7

Another big performance from Captain Claret. Might have done better from a few good attacking positions in the first half but keeps us ticking over and makes sure that heads don't drop when things go against us.

Robert Snodgrass - 8

What a rehabilitation for a player who bacame an outcast last season. Looked like the player we paid £10 million to Hull for three years ago as he zipped about the pitch and created numerous chances. He will be delightwd to have scored the goal that turned the tide with a classy curling finish just after half time.

Felipe Anderson -9.

Our MOTM. A constant threat throughout with jis nimble footed play tjat creates opening after opening. Topped a cracking performance off with a stunning goal on 65 minutes that looped over Hennessy and will surely win him goal of the month for the Hammers in December? He is now our top scorer this season with six goals to his name.

Lucas Perez - 6

In and out of the action in the first half but largely ineffective and will have fallen back down the pecking order after Carroll's impact. Harsh to be substituted so early but Pelle is ruthless and the change worked.

Javier Hernandez - 8

Looked lively throughout if caught (? unfairly) for two offsides early on when we looked to be building momentum. Looked very comfortable alongside Big Andy in the second half and picked up a trademark poachers goal as Hennessy spilled Anderson's rasping free kick. Almost bagged a second from Masuaku's excellent cross soon after that. A good days work!

Substitutes

Andy Carroll (for Perez, 46') - 8

Created a palpable sense of fear in the Palace derfence and won the free kick that led to Hernandez's goal. Adds plenty of muscle when defending set pieces as well. Great to see him back in action.

Grady Diangana (for Hernandez 75') - 6

Brings a frisson of excitement to proceedings but we were reminded of the naivity of youth as he lost Schlupp to allow Palace's second goal. He will learn!

Pedro Obiang for (Anderson, 84') - 7

A solid 10 minutes as he helped us see the game out.

Player Ratings as Red Hot Hammers Thrash Magpies

It was a perfect start to the December campaign for Manuel Pellegrini's men as they picked up a win away to an on-form Newcastle side. Pelle will have been very pleased with the all-round display as West Ham were simply much better than the Magpies on the day. He will have enjoyed getting one over on Rafa Benitez who was all too frequently mentioned as a possible replacement for Pellegrini during the Chilean's difficult beginning at the club. Strating with an unexpectedly aggressive formation, Pellegrini threw down the gauntlet to the Geordies and watched as his troops ran the show pretty much from start to finish picking up a deserved 3-0 victory that included a rare clean sheet. Happy days and a real confidence boost ahead of Tuesday's tussle with Cardiff City at the Olympic Stadium. Here are our player ratings:

Lukasz Fabianski: 7/10

Had to make quite a lot of saves, mostly for shots from distance as Newcastle enjoyed a fair amount of benign possession and were often forced to shoot from distance as the West Ham defence looked tight and enjoyed achieving only their second clean sheet of the season. Very solid presence and has been a great acquisition.

Pablo Zabaleta: 7/10

Has proven the doubters wrong as he clearly still is at Premiership level and again demonstrated his clever footballing brain as he snuffed out Kenedy. With Ryan Fredericks out for some time, the yellow card he picked up today was the one down side in a great performance.

Issa Diop: 8/10

When the Hammers forked out £20million for the young Frenchman in the Summer many of us wondered if we were a bit hasty! Remember Savio anyone? Issa has totally silenced any doubters with a series of top performances. Yet again today he was strong and assured and took little nonsense from Rondon et al.  

Fabian Balbuena: 8/10

Another fabulous signing who enjoyed a top performance again today, showing physicality in defence and guile in possession. Superb stuff. Reminds me of Steve Potts (albeit taller!).

Aaron Cresswell: 7/10

More reliable defensively than Masuaku and this game demonstrated the difference between the two players. Cressy needs game time to build the relationship with Anderson which will see him recover to the high standards of two seasons ago that got him an England call up. Let’s hope his injury isn’t too serious.

Declan Rice - 7

Another top performance both defensively and moving forward. Has that appealing habit of moving the ball quickly. Started the move that led to Anderson’s goal with an aggressive header out of defence.  Great positional awareness allowed him to boss the midfield.

Robert Snodgrass - 8

His rehabilitation at West Ham has been an important aspect of the new regime and much needed given the relative shortage of midfielders at the club. Great cross for Chica’s first but all day he looked likely to create something.

Mark Noble: 8/10

Captain Claret just kept going all day making sure that everybody did their job while also covering an immense amount of territory. Stupid booking but otherwise he once again silenced the doubters who feel he may have too many miles on the clock – his savvy leadership more than makes up for any lack of pace. Excellent stuff!

Felipe Anderson: 8/10

When he’s good, we rock! Enjoyed himself out there today and managed to concede possession less than he sometimes does against sterner opposition. Delivery from set pieces might have been better but plenty of craft and also graft in terms of tracking back. Surprisingly strong to stay on his feet for the goal!

Chicharito: 9/10 (MOTM).

Undoubtedly his happiest day in a West Ham shirt. Pellegrini opted to play an attacking formation and gave the Mexican only his 3^rd start of the season but he gave us all plenty to ponder on as he demonstrated that if you give him the service that he will deliver goals- two today in a MOTM performance.

Marko Arnautovic: 7/10

A day when it didn’t quite happen for Marko as he missed a number of decent chances, especially when West Ham were just 1-0 up. Did manage an assist for Chica’s second goal, so not a totally quiet day but we have great expectations for our talisman!

Substitutes

Arthur Masuaku (55'): Looked very nervy and gave away a free kick with 12 minutes left that could have ruined a great day.

Pedro Obiang (70'): Solid stuff as he shored up the midfield and allowed us to close out the game.

Jack Wilshere (85'): Good to see him back and great to get a few game minutes. Nice through pass to assist Anderson for the third goal.  

Hammers Boss Burnley in First Leg of Claret n Blue Cup

The Hammers picked up a confidence-boosting win yesterday against an out of sorts Burnley side at the London Stadium. After a host of changes to the side during the Summer, Manuel Pellegrini's players are starting to look like a decent unit. Things are really looking up as the Hammers face into a series of fixtures against lower half sides in the Premiership. Here's our player ratings from what was a thrilling 4-2 victory:
 

Lukasz Fabianski: 7

Pulled off one crucial save. Couldn’t do much about either goal. He exudes confidence.

Pablo Zabaleta: 8

Captain for the day and boy did he lead the side through example. Poor Ryan Fredericks will just have to wait as understudy to the Argentinian ace who is enjoying an extension to his fine career.

Issa Diop: 6

Once again a solid performance but will be annoyed to have conceded two goals to such basic tactics as Burnley employed.  

Fabian Balbuena: 6

Similar to Diop, solid but caught out for the first goal. At £3.5 million Is he the bargain of the season?

Aaron Cresswell: 6

Did nothing wrong but would like to have shone a bit more on a day when the team were so dominant.

Declan Rice: 8

Starting to strut as he grows in confidence. A real presence in midfield these days and is now probably the first midfielder on the team list?

Pedro Obiang: 6

Reasonably quiet day until his injury forced an early exit. His is the thankless enabling role in midfield.

Robert Snodgrass: 6

Is repaying Pellegrini’s faith in him with better and better performances each week. He is now playing like the prospect we received from Hull City a few seasons back and had a major impact upon the pace of the game yesterday.

Grady Diangana: 9

A real crowdpleaser – pacey, skillful, cheeky. Maybe needs to try a little less but along with his individual skill is now linking better and better with team mates. Denied a definite penalty and also forced a challenge that could have drawn a red card in the build up to Anderson’s first goal.

Felipe Anderson: 9

Probably shades the Man of the Match award with two goals and a host of important interventions over the 90 minutes. When he is on form he is superb. Consistency will be the key but aren’t you just salivating at the prospect of teaming him up with Lanzini in a few weeks time?

Marko Arnautovic: 8

An endless irritation for opposition defences with his pace and aggression. Had fun teaching Tarkowski a lesson after falling victim to a nasty early challenge. Always involved and it cannot be overstated how much he drives the team forwards.

 

Substitutes

Javier Hernandez: 7

Scored one and was unlucky with another. That’s his job and he did it!

Michail Antonio: 6

Delightful chest down for Chicharito’s goal and looked happier in a hammers shirt than he has done in a long time.

Angelo Ogbonna: 5

Took his time entering the fray in a stoppage time wasting substitution!

Happy Days Ahead As Hammers Adopt the Pelle Way

It's been growing and growing - after a dreadful start, Manuel Pellegrini's side are finally adapting to his system and what a pleasure it is to watch. Our last home tussle with Burnley was an unpleasant affair as we imploded on and off the pitch. Yesterday may well have been partly the result of fan's expressing their feelings so forcefully, but either way we are a different club now.

Yesterday we were treated to a proper game of footy, with the Hammers dominating with flowing and positive football. Even without Noble, Yarmolenko, Lanzini, Reid and Carroll, we won easily and were in no way flattered by the 4-2 scoreline. With 63% possession, 80% pass accuracy and 20 shots, 10 on target - there is no way we could have put on a performance like that under Allardyce or Moyes (ED: or Bilic, tbh).  

Up front, Anderson had his best outing yet and with good options out wide (Snoddy, Diangana, Yarmo, Antonio) we can afford to have a wide player who is a bit inconsistent. Diangana reminds me of Kylian Mbappe with his almost unmarkable performance that should have delivered a penalty as well as a sending off. The lad has mayhem making ability in bucketloads. As always, Arnie brings belief and 100% commitment. I will say it again - what were Stoke doing playing him out wide?  It was also good to see Chicharito taking his chance with a cool finish just when we looked capable of throwing away a well deserved win.

As we push towards mid table, it's time to look to where we are heading - between now and the 2nd January we have ten Premiership games, 8 of which are against bottom half clubs, with Man City and high flying Watford visiting the vibrant fortress that the London Stadium is becoming.  Who knows where this will bring us to, but we will be really hoping to be safely nestled in the top half of the table come 2019!

After the Summer, we were disappointed to miss out on Portuguese midfield dynamo William Carvalho, but with the rise of Declan Rice is anybody still wishing that we had persuaded the reluctant Carvalho to join us? Similarly, many of us were worried about the departure of Ginge Collins, but after a rather harsh introduction to Premiership life at Anfield, Diop and Balbuena have been excellent. Yesterday, we shipped two soft goals which shows there is still room for improvement but in all honesty Winston Reid will have a real job getting game time when he returns! 

Finally, on this positive weekend - perhaps the most exciting aspect of the Pellegrini era is his confidence in playing youngsters. Grady Diangana has added to the Declan Rice feel good factor and you get the sense that Pelle isn't done yet! If you were a young talent looking to break through the ranks, West Ham is a club that you can believe in to give you a chance to show what you are capable of. 

Happy days!

COYI!!! 


 

Hammers Dispel the Bogey Boys - but who was MOTM?

Sunday's victory at Everton is likely to go down as a major landmark in the Pellegrini era, marking the end of a troubling start to his leadership and the beginning of what should be a push up the Premiership rankings. Having only beaten Everton twice in our previous 22 attempts at Goodison, it was especially pleasing to get the better of our bogey team. The significance of the result was further emphasised by the fact that in their Premiership history Everton have scored more goals against West Ham than any other team!

That said, the manner of the win was a major talking point as Pellegrini's team demonstrated pace, mobility and precise passing that simply left Everton chasing shadows for long periods. Despite a four game losing streak, his calm assuredness was demonstrated by a team that looked confident and determined. There was a sense right from the beginning that this was West Ham's day! 

Add to that the presence of Theo Walcott on the Everton team (have we ever beaten a team he was playing for before?) and with our least popular referee, Martin Atkinson, officiating, this was a day when we picked a few bogeys! 

The one uncertainty from the game was who should get Hammers MOTM? Declan Rice was superb and seemed to be everywhere, Felipe Anderson was a constant thorn in Everton's side - both in attack and defence where he provided tremendous support for Arthur Masuaku in keeping Walcott quiet, Diop followed up his MOTM performance against Wolves with a similarly assured display at the heart of our defence, while Arnie created one and scored another - all the while urging his teammates on to keep the pressure on the tired looking Toffees, but with two goals in his first starting competitive game, Andriy Yarmolenko surely gets the MOTM award? 

You'd imagine that it's a pretty happy training ground this week out in Romford! Let's hope we can be as fluid against an impressive Chelsea side who come visiting next Sunday! 

COYI!!!

 

 

Felipe Anderson: Arnautovic or Feghouli?

As the Summer transfer period trundles along in the background of the World cup, the biggest target in West Ham's sight is Lazio's Brazilian talent, Felipe Anderson.

Lazio and West ham are locked in a game of wits regarding a transfer fee with personal terms of 80k per week agreed with Anderson himself. Lazio are holding out for an alleged E40k while the Hammers have offered 30k.

However, a deal seems likely as Anderson is mainly employed in a substitute role by Lazio and although a real attacking force when on form, he is prone to inconsistency. Therein lies the principal factor that has limited his game time at Lazio and that explains his absence from what looks a pretty modest Brazilian World Cup squad.

40 million for a player who doesnt make the World Cup and more often than not fails to make the starting XI at a club that finished a modest 5th in Serie A last season? You can see why the Davids sometimes take a cautious approach to the transfer market where its easy to waste hard earned resources!

That said, Anderson is now 25 years old and ready to push on. His ability in terms of skill is not in doubt as he has earned a host of accolades as the best dribbler in Serie A (!) And has in impressive assist and goalscoring record in what is a defensive league. His speed, ball control and positional versatility make him an ideal player to fit into the attacking berth created by Manny Lanzini's injury, while he is equally capable as a winger.

So, Arnautovic or Feghouli? The Lazio coaching team have commented on how Anderson is a confidence player who needs game time. With Mario gone and Lanzini out of action, it looks like the Brazilian may get a decent opportunity to strut his stuff at West ham.

If the clubs can agree a fee it looks like a good deal for all concerned!