Taking a Pessimistic Stance on the End of Season Table

Football London provided a link for wannabe-Nostradamus types to predict the results of all relegation-relevant games between now and the season's end.

We told Rory Nostradamus to think negatively about West Ham results and boy did he get grumpy - predicting not a single win in our remaining fixtures!

But even with four draws Moyes men will likely stumble over the line given the accordion like nature of the bottom half of the table!

If our tealeave reader is correct then Forests home form will see them dip ahead of Leicester and Everton! That would see two shock relegation-ers! 

After the heroics against Arsenal at the weekend, Hammers fans will be hoping for a few wins and in reality two victories should be easily enough but as veterans of relegation mud fights we know that the run in can throw out some crazy results!

Moreover, with 3 points for a win a sudden shift in form or fortunes could yet save Everton or Leicester.

Maintaining our superior goal difference could yet become vital.

Right, lets get back to Gent tomorrow night. They looked decent in the first leg but surely we will play better in the home leg?

COYI!!!

Arthur Masuaku: Asset or Liability?

As the Hammers continue their quest for Champion's League football next season they are facing a tough time with injuries depleting an already thin squad. With Declan Rice and Michail Antonio sidelined for at least a few weeks, David Moyes men dug deep to overcome fellow high flyers Leicester at the weekend in a 3-2 thriller. 

One major positive on the injury front has been the return of Arthur Masuaku to his left sided berth where he slips into a back five formation that allows him to push forward while helping out at left back. This is a system that was very effective for the Hammers up to him being sidelined for surgery in December and has again worked as since his return the Hammers have picked up vital wins at Wolves and then at home to Leicester at the weekend.

However, not all fans are pleased to see Arthur return with some referring to him as a 'liability' while a more objective analysis indicates that he conceded possession 11 times during the game, including needlessly losing the ball in the run up to Leicester's opener that sparked a nervy-tingling comeback!

That said, many other fans hold Arthur in high regard as he is skillful, cheeky, brave and passionate. He struggled at times with focus when asked to play at left back earlier in his career but David Moyes recognised his value as a left sided midfielder come defender and he became a revelation once positioned further forward. 

Moreover, during Sunday's game Arthur was instrumental in West Ham's best play - first whipping in a tantalising cross that Jarrod Bowen almost netted (before painfully crashing into the goalposts) before then sending a similar cross in that caused the chaos in the Leicester box that opened things up for Lingard's classy opening goal. Then at the start of the second half he nicked possession as Leicester attempted some defensive tippy-tappy which initiated the sequence that led up to Bowen's crucial goal. 

add to that another second half cameo where he rounded three Leicester players in a move that had the trickery of his famous move against Spurs a few season's back.

But then there was the error that cost Leicester's first goal. For sure, Arthur got robbed but frankly the CBs should have done better against Ikeanacho and unusually Fabianski flapped as the well hit shot went right through him. Not a good moment for Arthur or the rest of our defence!

That said, what about the bigger picture? Arthur has great pace that is vital when opposition sides break against us. This allows us to throw players up for set pieces, which as we know with Soucek, Dawson et al is a real source of goals. He also provides excellent cover for Cresswell - would Arsenal have gotten three goals against us all from the left flank if Arthur was back for that game? 

He also holds possession when others would lamp the ball forwards as he has a fantastic pair of pins - neck and neck with Benrahma for the best close control in the squad.

He is also classic West ham - naughty, amusing, unpredictable and determined to play ball. The foundation of our success this year has been our courage to take chances going forwards - no settling for possession-keeping sidewards passing, when we see an opening we go for it - probably because we know we can defend well if we lose possession. In modern footy you have to take chances on the break as sides are too organised if you give them time to get set up. Turnover ball is key. That's why Bowen, Benrahma, Masuaku and even Lingard lose possession a lot. It's also why we consistently carve teams open on the break when things click.

David Moyes is recognised for his ability to organise a team defensively with committed and disciplined teamwork. Less appreciated is his awareness of how to frustrate opposition teams and create decent scoring chances despite conceding the Lion's share of possession - a ploy that requires courage and risk taking. When he returned for his second spell we expected hard work and endeavour - having succeeded in setting up his defence he has now added craft and guile in attack. Ask fans of other clubs if they like to watch West Ham games for entertainment and exciting football - right now every game is toe to toe which is stressful but definitely not boring!

There will always be room for entertainers at West ham and any fans who can't live with that need to catch themselves on. Arthur is nicknamed King dribbler for his ballet-like skills....Long live the king! 

COYI!!!

Hammers in Dramatic Double Veteran Swoop!

WARNING: This is a sarcastic and ironic piece. If you are one of those inexperienced West Ham fans who gets overly earnest and uptight when we get into relegation threatened mode then perhaps this skit may not amuse. Otherwise, for the veteran circus-watching fans in the absence of any news here we go...

An Artists impression of how the hybrid signing might look

You could feel the sense of panic rising last night as West Ham crashed to a depressing 4-1 defeat to the Foxes of Leicester! David Moyes rose admirably to the challenge of capturing the depth of dysphoria by labelling the performance the worst under his reign at the club. Even the normally self-aggrandising Brendan Rodgers could hardly find superlatives that were magnificent enough to praise his troops, and by extension, himself!

No wonder then fans are calling, nay, screaming out loud for reinforcements as the current crew look out of ideas and frighteningly lacking in either pace or creativity across the squad. But fear not! for help appears to be at hand with reports in the Daily Mail that West Ham are in the market to swoop for a double solution in their chase for Ronaldo Vieira!

In what will be the first of a new wave of hybrid cut n shut players, the Hammers have opted to combine the ace goalscoring abilities of Cristiano Ronaldo with the box to box physicality of Patrick Vieira, probably. 

With the Hammers board finding it hard to bring in new recruits, this novel approach of combining two players into one is the ideal solution. However, with a combined age of 77 years, the Hammers face possible criticism for elder abuse. Given the ongoing torture of average fans by the circus-like management, that will hardly raise any new concerns for the club who remain stoic and focused in the face of external and internal criticism.

Other fans have expressed concern as to how the club might transport the double player to matches given his considerable physique? However, our resident sports transport technician, Alfie Windybottom, has reassured those with short memory that the Benni McCarthy seat is still available on the team coach having been specially constructed to accomodate the striking ace when he arrived to ease similar January window woes in 2010. 

Meanwhile, in other news, Sampdoria have understandably rejected a paltry £12 million bid from an English club for their Star Midfield dynamo Ronaldo Augusto Vieira Nan who at 21 years of age is now a regular in their squad, spearheading their campaign to avoid the drop from Serie A as they are currently 16th and just 4 points above the relegation zone. The lad has excelled since joining the club for £6 million from Leeds United in 2018 and is one of the rising stars of Italian football having played in every game for Sampdoria so far this season.

One Sampdoria fan chuckled "Sampdoria selling Vieira right now would be conceding to the inevitability of relegation - it would a madness akin to West Ham not bringing in new players when they are in a state of freefall or, even worse, selling Declan Rice!"  

Meanwhile, with Michail Antonio back from injury, West Ham can heave a sigh of relief as the sometimes striker, sometimes right winger has also been a massive success in the past filling in at right back  were West Ham also, once again, need reinforcements.

All in all, things are looking good for the Hammers and this superb move will surely end the foolish carping about a perceived need for new signings. The club did not get to its lofty position as the 16th richest club on the planet by squandering cash during the annual January histrionics!

COYI!!! 

Rodgers and the Jammie Dodgers

It's more hope than expectation tonight as David Moyes troops head for the King Power stadium in search of much needed points against high flying Leicester. The Hammers lost 2-1 in laste December to the Foxes, with Manuel Pellegrini departing 2 hours later as they wre just a point above the drop zone, but in reality, they are now only separated from Bournemouth in 18th position by goal difference.

The Hammers were easily beaten in December by an under strength Leicester that did not have the services of Jamie Vardy on the night but still coasted home, even missing a penalty along the way! Brendan Rodgers is not everybody's cup of tea, but it's hard not to be impressed by his achievements at Leicester who are looking good for a Champions League spot and still represent the model for other clubs trying to progress from second tier Premiership status.

Moyes' men will need to show a lot of grit to get a result tonight but Leicester have been stuttering of late, while West Ham look hungrier and more disciplined. However, without Felipe Anderson and Andriy Yarmolenko, the Hammers look a bit soft up front and really need Manny Lanzini to rediscover his form if they are to create enough to get a result. Sadly, it looks like Michail Antonio is not quite ready to bring his abrasive style to the mix, so Seb Haller will need to lead the line with minimal support up top. 

Having said all of that, it is West Ham, and this is the kind of low-hope fixture that they have a knack for springing surprise results from. Mystic Mark Lawrenson reckons Leicester will prevail 2-1, which raises hopes that the Hammers might nick a point but Reggie the realist feels that that's an unlikely scenario. West ham are 6/1 against, with Leicester at 1/2 and the draw at 7/2. 

Let's hope for some much needed luck - after the Sheffield United debacle Moyes and Co will feel that they deserve a Jammie Dodger or two!

There's a taste in my mouth....Pelle goes for bust!!!

As the Joy Division classic goes...."There's a taste in my mouth, as desperation takes hold". A sentiment that rings loudly as Manuel Pellegrini has announced a radically reshaped Hammers for this evening's clash with the Vardy-less Foxes.

OUT go Roberto, Zabba, Noble, Oggy, Snoddy and Antonio (along with the suspended Cresswell).

IN come Frederick's, Fab, Diop, Masuaku, Anderson, Lanzini and....Sanchez!!!

We really are in a mess right now. It feels like the last throw of the dice for the beleaguered boss. Even without Vardy, a disciplined and organised Leicester will undoubtedly be licking their lips!

Fingers crossed...

COYI!!!

West Ham United: Fabianski, Fredericks, Balbuena, Diop, Masuaku, Sanchez, Rice ©, Fornals, Lanzini, Felipe Anderson, Haller

Subs: Roberto (GK), Zabaleta, Reid, Noble, Snodgrass, Antonio, Ajeti

Chaos and Uncertainty as Hammers Face Foxes

The Selhurst Park Noble-Ogbonna spat summed up West Ham's plight just now - chaotic and pointing to a deep unrest at the club. With just 2 wins in twelve, Pellegrini's troops are in freefall and cant seem to get a bounce of the ball right now!

Meanwhile, Leicester have been one of the big positive stories of the season and are well deserving of their second place berth in the league, having regained the tactically disciplined style of their Premiership-winning season in 2016. 

However, West Ham's poor form has corresponded with the absence of Fabianski in goals and he may well return today, while Leicester have not won in three and were well outplayed by Liverpool in a 4-0 thrashing on Boxing day.

No wonder the pundits are lacking in consistency in their predictions as Robbie Savage reckons on a Leicester 2-1 win, Charlie Nicholas has gone for a hammers 2-1 victory, while Mystic Mark Lawro reckons on a 1-1 draw. The bookies are more definite in quoting the Foxes at 10/11 and West ham at 11/4.

More worrying is that West Ham's odds on relegation have shrunk to 11/4 - the 4th most likely club to take the drop - an amazing stat given the Summer investment!

Rory Nostradamus is going for a 2-2 draw.

Hmmmm....

Starting XI Revealed: But Which Version Will Turn Up?

The Starting XIs are out and Manuel Pellegrini has gone with a predictable starting XI. The real question today is whether the real West Ham that we saw outplay Man United last week will turn up or will it be the meek pretenders who were totally ineffective against Everton the week before!

As the great John Peel commented about the wonderful Mark E Smith and the Fall......Always different, always the same!

Perhaps Pellegrini's biggest challenge during the Summer is to try to get his side to be more consistent - something that has eluded West ham throughout our history!

Jack Wilshere is on the bench after a 4 month absence while Arthur Masuaku retains his place - two players hoping to impress as Pelle inevitably looks towards next season. 
Starting line ups:

West Ham United: Fabianski, Zabaleta, Balbuena, Ogbonna, Masuaku, Rice, Noble, Antonio, Snodgrass, Anderson, Arnautovic.



 Subs: Adrian, Fredericks, Diop, Obiang, Wilshere, Diangana, Perez.


Leicester City: Schmeichel, Pereira, Evans, Maguire, Chilwell, Tielemans, Ndidi, Gray, Maddison, Albrighton, Vardy.

 Subs: Ward, Soyuncu, Iheanacho, Barnes, Okazaki, Mendy, Fuchs

Time for Arnie to ACTUALLY come back!!!

After all the injustice of last weekend's defeat at Old Trafford, West Ham will look to get back on the horse today as Brendan Rodgers' Foxes arrive looking to recover their momentum as they chase seventh place. A win today for West Ham would pull them back to 2 points from Leicester in that battle.


The corresponding clash in October was overshadowed by the tragic deaths of Leicester owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha along with four others in the horrific helicopter crash straight after the game. The game itself was another one where Hammers can feel hard done by as Leicester grabbed a late equaliser after a gallant 10-man West Ham had held the lead for 50 minutes.

As we await the team announcements, Marko Arnautovic looks set to return after illness while Manny Lanzini is out after limping off last week. Arnie has managed an incredible turn around in popularity from being West Ham's go-to man to a forlorn figure of contempt. However, while fans may still feel aggrieved about events in January, the ultimate outcome of those 'negotiations' was that he has a 4 year contract at the club. Right now he makes for a remarkably unattractive signing in terms of his perceived value, existing salary, playing form and attitudinal desirability! In short, he is unlikely to be the subject of much transfer interest in the Summer. It's surely time to heal and move on - a goal or two today (or even a decent performance!) would perhaps start that process!

Elsewhere, Snoddy has yet to serve his one match suspension for giving guff to drug testing officials while Samir Nasri remains a doubt. At the back there will be interest in whether Arthur Masuaku has earned a starting spot as Aaron Cresswell returns. Pelle's decision will say a lot about his views on Masuaku remaining when Summer comes. Felipe Anderson will presumably continue where he left off against Man Utd - the rotation between right and left wing was a big success and may well be used again today.

Noble and Rice look set to man midfield with Rice looking to boost his ratings for PFA young player of the year as he is in the final six candidates. Raheem Sterling is probably most people's favourite and has 17 goals this season. It's sometimes hard to remember that the Man City star is still only 24. Marcus Rashford will also fancy his chances. Rice is the best betting odds at 20-1 with Rashford 10-1 and Sterling 1/5 on.

As for Today - West Ham are underdogs at 9/4 with Leicester 5/4 and the draw 5/2. Given the Hammers unpredictability you'd have to feel that 9/4 represents very good odds and worth a tenner!

Rory Nostradamus says it'll be 2-1 to the Hammers.

COYI!!! 





 

Here comes the battle of the toothless tigers

The excitement is building ahead of the Hammers evening clash away to Leicester. If the teams were using the odd shaped ball then Leicester without Jamie Vardy would surely be dubbed the toothless tigers, while the,late withdrawal of Marko Arnautovic leaves the Hammers pretty light up front. Manuel Pellegrini's troops will look to halt a disappointing run of close defeats, and have Chicharito and Grady Diangana leading the charge in place of Arnie and Yarmo. The Hammers are 3-1 against for a win, while the Foxes are evens. With the lack of firepower leading both sides the draw at 5-2 looks the best value. Kick off is at 5.30.

COYI!!!

West Ham United: Fabianski, Zabaleta, Balbuena, Diop, Masuaku, Rice, Noble, Snodgrass, Diangana, Felipe Anderson, Chicharito.

Subs: Adrian, Fredericks, Cresswell, Ogbonna, Coventry, Powell, Antonio

Leicester City: Schmeichel, Amartey, Soyuncu, Maguire, Chilwell, Iborra, Ndidi, Maddison, Albrighton, Ghezzal, Iheanacho.

Subs: Ward, Evans, Mendy, Pereira, Gray, Vardy, Okazaki

Still Waiting for the Great Leap Forwards

So here we are, at the business end of the season and in a relegation battle that could very easily end in tears. On the face of it we look unlikely to go down and the bookies have us at 14-1 against taking a drop. However, does anybody think its impossible that we might lose all three remaining games? If so, you would have to worry that Southampton, who have a much better goal difference, might win one of their remaining games and suddenly we would have the biggest (not best!) stadium in the championship. Everybody knows that you need to win 10 games to be sure to stay up and we currently have managed a mere 8 victories. A stat that says it all really about a season that has been truly disappointing.

As a consequence, today's visit to Leicester really is a massive game for us. Thankfully, the Foxes home form has been patchy and with their season essentially over they may not be 100% focused on today's clash. Rumour has it that they are struggling with injuries and may field a weakened side. All good then, but what about us? Many fans have started getting itchy with one penning an open letter to David Moyes pleading for an attacking strategy today. The colder eye would feel this is unlikely to be Mr Moyes' approach as Leicester are a side that is set up to counter attack. Lest we forget, Vardy and Mahrez are still at the club, so perhaps a patient approach seems more prudent.

All of which raises the question - can we defend well enough to rely on keeping it tight? sadly not - we are officially the leakiest defence in the league (a whopping 67 goals so far!), so perhaps we should go for an open game? Whatever else, we definitely need to be aggressive and drive the intensity of the game to test Leicester's desire. On a negative note, you'd have to say that this is the type of game that we have been losing all season, but we are due a bit of good fortune against the Foxes after their dodgy late penalty courtesy of referee Moss scuppered our top six aspirations this time two seasons ago. Back then we mistakenly thought we were about to make the great leap forwards!

With Man U and an in form Allardyce-led Everton waiting, we really need something from this game. My head says you'd be happy with a point but that depends on Swansea and Southampton's results. A bad day at the office could see us in massive trouble this evening and slash those relegation odds.

It's definitely not boring! 


 

It's Cheggers Time as Hammers Try to Get Transfer Engine Rolling

Most West Ham fans are relieved that our board seem to have opted to maintain a more dignified silence in their efforts to capture new talent in this Summer's transfer market. Last year the club became a laughing stock as despite all the bravado we ended up having to make disastrous last minute deals for Simone Zaza, Jonathan Calleri and Andre Ayew. Of these, only Ayew has enjoyed any success and even with that many question his £20 million fee.

This year it’s entirely different. As a result, the headline-starved media are coming up with all sorts of bizarre suggestions for transfer deals. One amusingly outdated concept is the player swap - something that has not been a part of transfer dealings for many a year (Think Harry Redknapp and his genius 1993 deal swapping Julian Dicks for Mike Marsh and David Burrows). In the past 48 hours alone, the Hammers have been linked with three separate outlandish swap deals! 

First up, HITC have suggested that West Ham get into bed with West Brom and swap Robert Snodgrass for Nacer Chadli! Chadli can be good, albeit frustratingly inconsistent, but Snodgras surely deserves another run at least until Christmas next year?

Then Football London have suggested Snodgrass could be swapped for Marco Arnautovic at Stoke!

Finally, HITC have decided to really put it out there with suggestions that the Hammers might swap Andy Carroll for Leicester City's misfiring Islam Slimani! Hardly good value to swap the Premiership’s most physically adept forward for a player who has not adjusted to the Premiership with any great success? 

All of which suggests that the days of folk redistributing unwanted underperforming possessions on Swap Shop are unlikely to return! Patience looks to be the best policy in this transfer market - we are not (yet) big enough to drive the market but will be ready to respond once the merry go round starts to gain momentum. 

 

Dazza Sparkles as Bale's Dragons are Thwarted

Darren Randolph had to endure a terrible sledging at Bournemouth recently as his goals conceded tally against the Cherries increased to an embarrassing 23 goals in five encounters!

Bournemouth fans treated the visitors to a series of amusing chants, including the pick of the crop "It's happening again" as they mocked the hapless keeper.

Things hardly got any better last week against Leicester as despite dominating the game, the Hammers ran out 2-3 losers having conceded three soft goals. Randolph can claim innocence for two of the goals, but was clearly at fault for the opener.

Hammers famsite Claret n Hugh were prompted to run a poll that has so far found that 70% of fans think Randolph should be dropped in favour of Adrian who has been patiently waiting in the wings.

However, Dazza struck back last night with an assured display for Ireland against a Wales side that included a fully fit Gareth Bale. The Irish claimed a useful point that keeps Wales 4 points behind them at the half way stage in what promises to be a closely fought group that also includes Serbia and Austria.

Randolph looked vonfident behind a makeshift back four and apart from keeping a clean sheet, distributed the ball well as he used his ground skills to provide an extra defender as Ireland frustrated the offensive-minded Welsh.

The game was a physical affair with Wales resorting to some unsavoury tactics in the second half - Taylor being red carded cor a disgraceful leg-breaking challenge on Seamus Coleman. The referee has to take some responsibility for the incident as he bottled giving Bale a red card for a similarly cynical and dangerous challenge on John O Shea just minutes before.

Either way, Dazza sparkled in a performanxe that will undoubtedly boost his confidence.

Toothless Foxes Turn to Benjamin

As many predicted, Leicester have struggled to maintain their amazing form of last season and go into today's clash with West Ham just two places above the relegation zone. With only 4 wins from 18 games, they are finding goals hard to come by and their offensive problems are further compounded by the absence of Jamie Vardy today.

Last season the Hammers felt robbed by a soft penalty decision in the final minute of their visit to the King Power stadium and had to settle for a point. Jamie Vardy opened the scoring that day but then got sent off for diving. As a consequence, with Riyadh Mahrez off-form of late the Foxes will be relying on former Hammers target Islam Slimani for goals.

Although the Hammers are five points better off it is noteworthy that they have a worse goal difference than Leicester due to a series of poor defensive performances in November.

In an unusual gesture, Leicester will be giving out a free beer to all home supporters before today's game - proof that the Soccer God's love us and want us to be happy as Benjamin Franklin (might) have said!* It appears that the three and a half thousand travelling Hammers fans will not be afforded such generosity but will be able to get a taste of Leicester's finest in the form of a pint of Vardy's Volley - a light ale named after their ace striker that is available in local pubs!





Meanwhile, Hammers fans will also be celebrating the news that Dimitri Payet looks set to stay at the club at least until the end of the season. The Bookies have lengthened his odds of leaving during the January transfer window and he is now 1/4 on to stay.


After thrashing Swansea last week, the Hammers will be hoping to continue their good form and it looks likely that Slaven Bilic will stick with the same starting XI and 4-4-2 formation as last week. That means that there will be no starting place for Pedro Obiang or Manny Lanzini but expect both to figure at some point.

Big Andy Carroll will be on the prowl again and is looking mighty sharp since returning to action four games ago. He appears to have made the necessary 'dietary and lifestyle changes' that manager Slaven Bilic recently demanded after he was caught over-celebrating with Darren Randolph. As such, if he adds to his two recent goals he is unlikely to copy Massimo Maccarone's celebration after scoring for Empoli this time last year whereby he took a swig from a spectator's beer!






Either way, We will be looking for a Hoppy Ending!










*Actually Franklin was referring to wine rather than beer.

Hammers Already Pointed Towards Top Four Glory!

With only one match played already the mighty Hammers are forcing their way up the table in a push for ultimate Champion's League glory. 

Hammers fans will be hoping to kick on from where they left off last season but already early results emphasise that this is a different ball game and nothing should be taken for granted.

Leicester, who were seemingly unbeatable last year, followed up last week's Charity Shield defeat by losing today to relegation favourites Hull City!

Despite getting (yet another) dodgy penalty decision in their favour, the hapless foxes conceded twice to a Hull City side that looks suspiciously like the one that was relegated two seasons ago.

Leicester are thus now BOTTOM OF THE LEAGUE!!!

Quoted at 14/1 for relegation in the preseason, those odds will surely be slashed to 10/1 or less. Oh how the mighty have fallen!

 

Ex Hammer Supplants the Pope

Errrr....wrong ex-Hammer, dude!

It's almost too bizarre to take in......Leicester City are Premiership champions!!! They started the season at 5,000/1 - that's a long shot compared to the 2,000/1 odds quoted against the Pope playing for Celtic!

But as we all know, despite his interest in footy, Pope Francis simply couldn't compare with the celestial skills of ex-Hammer Carlton Cole.

Observers are putting 'the Leicester thing' down to a rupture within the very core of World football. It has been known for years that just as with the Bilderburg group who control world politics, FIFA has been dominated by twelve foot high lizard aliens for decades and now, with Sepp Blatter and his cronies gone, anything is possible in the previously conservative world of football.

Speaking of which, for those who missed out on the Leicester betting fest, Man City are 6/1 against winning the Champion's league outright.

However, despite his latest MOTM performance at the weekend, there are no available odds for Mark Noble getting a late call up for England's Euro squad. None whatsoever.

 

Top Hammers Defect to Arsenal

Yeuch!!!!

First up, sincere congratulations to Leicester City for completing possibly the greatest shock success in a major soccer league in modern times. Their Premiership title surely ranks even higher than the Greece Euro championships of 12 years ago. One wonders are the odds of them repeating the triumph next year greater than avoiding relegation? ....Just a thought!

Meanwhile the race for the Champions League continues. The Hammers bid looked to have been snuffed out by a run of terrible refereeing decisions, but Man City's defeat to Southampton has reignited hopes. With three games left the Hammers are 5 points adrift of City who have two remaining fixtures. Their next clash is at home against the Gooners.

If West Ham can win all three remaining fixtures they will need City to capture less than four points as the Moonies superior goal difference essentially equates with an extra point. City have the hapless Swansea in their final match so we need an Arsenal win at the Etihad - a tall order, but not impossible....it's a rare sentiment in these pages but in hushed tones we are starting to mumble....'Go Gooners' !!! .......splutter, splutter.

Man United have a point more than the Hammers but inferior goal difference such that we simply need to keep winning (including in the remaining home fixture with them) to leapfrog Van Gaal's men. Next up is Swansea at home before the tricky away trip to Stoke. Fortunately, Mark Hughes side are well out of sorts and may not quite provide their usual challenge. 

All in all, 10-1 against our achieving fourth place are probably the right odds. Oh for better luck in those draws that should have been victories against Chelsea, Arsenal, Palace and Leicester. They say that luck balances out over a season......hmmmmm.

Cheering for Arsenal will be.........'strange'!!!

Either way, this has been a fantastic season in which we have been equal to any other side - home or away. We enter the Olympic Stadium in the best shape (financially, managerially and squadwise) that we have ever been in during the Premiership era.

COYI.



 

 

How West Ham Can Defeat Leicester City...

It's a measure of how impressive the Foxes record is this season (only 3 defeats and only one at home), as well as the tactical masterclass that Claudio Ranieri demonstrated in his two victories over Slaven Bilic's side this season, that the Hammers are 6-1 against to emerge from the KingPower stadium with a win today!

However, apart from Man Utd whom the Hammers have yet to play at Upton Park, Bilic has toppled all the Premiership big guns this season. The midweek FA cup effort may play a part in terms of fatigue, but it highlighted the need to push Michail Antonio further forward to allow for his forthright, often unpredictable and aggressive style to shake up that solid mass that forms the Foxes defence. The news that Winston Reid should be fit can allow for either Tomkins or Byram to assume right back responsibilities.

In midfield, Leicester are energetic but do allow the opposition heaps of possession. With Payet and Lanzini about this could well have consequences as they are more than capable of the spectacular and can create chances with minimal opportunity.

Up front, the Foxes defend deep and rely on the aerial prowess of Huth and Morgan. This is usually very effective but if there is a striker who can unsettle that trend it has to be Andy Carroll. If Payet et al have enough decent possession to put quality balls in, Andy will be loving the opportunity to enhance his 'unplayable' tag. However, note the words 'decent' and 'quality'...most sides have failed to get these against the Foxes this year!

But, if course, Leicester are sharp up front. Winston Reid's pace will be crucial against Vardy.eanwhile, Leicester's other big hoal scoring threat in Riyadh Mahrez is somewhat quieter of late.

But perhaps the most exciting prospect will be the Koutate vs Kante and Noble vs Drinkwater battles in the middle of the park. Maybe Bilic will try and swing midfield our way by replacing Valencia with Obiang or Song?

Either way, the Hammers desperately need a win to revive their European hopes, and deserve some luck after the refereeing misfortunes of their last three Premiership games. Even for the objective neutral, 6 to 1 against are attractive odds, surely?

Hammers Receive Two Further Champions League Boosts

Just as Winston Reid confirmed that he is fit and injury-free after Saturday's clash with Manchester United, poor Vincent Kompany has sustained yet another injury and has been substituted tonight during Manchester City's Champion's League tie against ex-Hammer Sergei Rebrov's Dynamo Kiev.

The double news is just the sort of thing that can tilt the balance in West Ham's favour as they chase the teams above them for one of the much-coveted Champion's League spots. The release of a table depicting current form over the past eight games confirms how SuperSlav has timed the Hammers run to perfection as they top the Premiership on performances during that crucial period! even better, both Arsenal and Man City are in the bottom half of the table!!!

With the Hammers facing a tough tie away to a recovering Chelsea side, Arsenal face a tricky away visit to Everton while the Manchester sides slug it out at the Etihad on Sunday.

After that, the Hammers face a series of tough ties but will be buoyed by the number of returning players which gives Bilic plenty of options as he plots his tactical strategy home to Crystal Palace and Arsenal and away to Leicester. Thereafter, every game is a cup final.

Speaking of which, the real cup final may also intervene upon our fixture calendar before the season is done.

Happy, happy days!!!

 

Proof: The Referees a Merchant.....Hammers Bottom of Good Fortune League

Time and again we are told that those game changing decisions all balance out eventually. At the end of the day, the best rather than the luckiest sides come out on top. Indeed.

But is that really the case? Few fans would agree, but they are hardly neutral. So what happens when we get the opinions of neutrals using all the technology that is denied to match officials?

The dudes at Teamtalk.com run an ongoing table that monitors key decisions - red cards / penalties etc. It makes for fascinating reading and will do little to quell the paranoia of many fans who believe that the 'bigger' clubs get a disproportionate number of close calls going in their favour! The table shows that the top six 'lucky' sides include an obvious five, along with top of the table Leicester. Hmmm.

As for the Hammers, we are the joint unluckiest team in the Premiership just now with a whopping 80% of key calls going against us. In fact, the teamtalk guys only based their Gestede/Ogbonna decision on the contact that led to the penalty but overlooked the blatantly illegal shirt pull on poor Ogbonna immediately before the contact!

Adjusting for that we are officially the most unlucky side in the league! One can only imagine where we would be in the league if a few of those calls had gone our way!

Let's start a campaign. We demand a fair deal from the match officials or we will refuse to play in the Europa League ever again. Also, maybe Slaven needs to be less 'reasonable' with the referees? Take a look for yourself...

The sorry tale of the Tinkerman and the Stinker man!

He's lovin it...

Dude, this soccerball thing sucks! A buoyant bubbles brigade welcomed the Foxes of Leicester to Uppety Park for tound two of the Premier league anticipating a continuation of last week's heroics.

Ha ha, its a funny old game indeed. Claudio Ranieri was in no mood to entertain any of West ham's loftiness the tinkerman's troops duly dominated proceedings for most of the first half, taking a 2-0 lead in the process.

But the Hammer's displeasure switched from tinkerman to stinkerman when referee Anthony Taylor turned down very strong penalty appeals as Diafra Sakho was clearly fouled by Leicester's Kasper Schmeichel.

At half time Reece Oxford learned a harsh lesson when he was substituted for newbie Pedro Obiang, thus bringing a crazy week to a conclusion for the 16 year old. The Hammers looked stronger for the change and hit back with a sweet strike from Dimitri Payet after 55 minutes. Game on.

However, despite dominating proceedings, and enjoying over 70% possession, the home side couldn't get an equaliser, with Sakho guilty of wasting two excellent chances. Even worse, wannabe hero Adrian was harshly red carded in the dying moments for a high challenge that reminded the home fans of a similarly stupid decision against Carlton Cole by Mr Taylor three years ago.

Slaven, it's a stinker, man!