Its Been Since Late September And We Really Need You Back in Goal...

Lukasz Fabianski looks set to return in goal today after over three months absence as West Ham face a crunch ties against Leicester City in the evening kick off. The Hammers goal-stopper has been out of action since late September when he sustained a hip muscle injury in a 2-2 draw with Bournemouth.

The Hammers form has nosedived since his injury with just two wins in twelve, as number two keeper Roberto has had a torrid and error-strewn time that required promotion of number three keeper David Martin to the starting berth until he too experienced an injury!

A simple review of our stats with and without Fab tell the story of a declining season as the Hammers have slid down the table after a promising start when the Polish Ace was fit and between the sticks!

As Rod Stewart might sing to his classic track ‘Maggie May’:

‘Wake up Fabby, I think we’ve got something to say to you

It’s been since late September and you really should be back in goal!

Roberto keeps us amused 

but we seem to always loose

Oh Fabby we really have cried as they’ve scored’

Let’s hope he’s back today and we get a much-needed win!

COYI!!!!

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....

Julien's Faux Pas #15

Or should it be Roberto's Faux Pas? After another torrid day at the London Stadium we are left almost speechless - only art can capture the madness of the current circus antics! Above all else, the sentiment of the day was come back Fabianski.

In our series of Coldwar Steve-style mock ups we give you Julien's Faux Pas number 15...

Pitbull would fit in well with the pack!

Right now West Ham feel like a club on the cusp of something great - having weathered a difficult (and defeat-laden) bedding in period under Manuel Pellegrini they have found their stride and have been marching up the table towards the top six.

That march was temporarily halted by Watford on Saturday but they will be hoping to bounce back to winning ways tonight against Southampton at St Mary's Stadium.

A big worry for Manuel Pellegrini is the extent to which injuries have taken their toll, with midfield the position that they are most stretched with Summer signings Carlos Sanchez and Jack Wilshere both out injured. undoubtedly Mark Noble and Declan Rice have done a great job, with Robert Snodgrass making a massive contribution in a more central role, but a big physical presence in midfield will surely be top of the wish list in January.

Chilean veteran Gary Medel looks like he could be just the solution that the Hammers are looking for. Nicknamed 'The Pitbull', his aggressive style would add needed bite to the squad. Medel enjoyed a mixed experience a few years back at Cardiff where despite a string of good performances he couldn't prevent the club from being relegated and moved to Inter Milan where he made 109 appearances in three seasons before switching to Besiktas.

Medel is only 5ft 7 in height (and perhaps a comparison to a staffie might be more appropriate?) but such is his athleticism that he has also played as a centre back on multiple occasions!

With 114 caps to his credit, Medel is just the type of wise head that you want in the dogfight for European placings and no doubt that wealth of experience is something that young Declan Rice would surely benefit from in his journey towards being a potential future club captain.

The rumour mill has it that the Hammers have already made a £6million offer but Besiktas are so far holding out. However, the Turkish club are known to be financially stretched right now and may be forced to sell off their best assets, including Medel who at 31 years of age will hope to still have a year or two to contribute at the top level and may well want to make up for what was ultimately a disappointing time at Cardiff .

The arrival of a pitbull will surely start a series of dog comparisons amongst our squad. can you name the players that bear resemblance to these 4 breeds?

For the answers see below. Number 4 may be the hardest but think about recent International speculation and it should be a little easier!

As for today, Southampton are on the rise with a sequence of wins under new manager Ralph Hasenhuttl, while West Ham may be without both Chicharito and Fabien Balbuena, both of whom had poor games against Watford. Angelo Ogbonna acted as a more than able deputy for the General and will be looking to start today. Up front, things are not quite so straightforward as Marko Arnautovic is unlikely to be rushed back from injury but should be ready for the Brighton game on the 2nd January. Similarly, Andy Carroll does not look quite ready for a starting berth.

The Hammers have only beaten Southampton at St Mary's once in their last nine visits and are 5/2 against for a win. Southampton are 6/5 with the draw a decent bet at 5/2.  It's likely to be a big day for Michail Antonio as he looks to impress at his former club. On form and back in the goals, it's a hard call to decide whether he is likely to leave or stay at the Olympic Stadium in January. Today presents a chance to convince Manuel Pellegrini that his physicality and direct style is enough to make up for his modest first touch on the ball.  
As for the quiz......
 
1. English Bull terrier = Squad #16




2. Afghan Hound = Squad #9

3. Border Collie = Squad #1

4. Irish Terrier = Squad #41


 

Julien's Faux Pas #6: Life's a Beach

As our four game winning streak comes shuddering to an end, our time in the sun is over and its back to the drawing board with two more casualties stuck in sick bay in Chicharito and The General.

In better news, we are edging ever closer to getting Arnie back on the pitch and Andy Carroll got some more game time.

The Gods of squad fitness giveth and taketh in equal measures!

Tantalising Pre-season Schedule awaits in July

With all eyes fixed upon goings on at the World Cup, its hard to think that the Premiership kick off is just seven weeks away! Between now and August 11th there will be much excitement in Russia but also the prospect of seeing Pellegrini's side take shape in a series of Pre-season friendlies. 

Already with some top signings already in the bag in Ryan Fredericks, Issa Diop and Lukasz Fabianski, and with a host of tantalising rumours about additional signings, this years preseason could be the most interesting since the Curbishley-Icelandic era! Add to that the desire to see how we line out tactically under Pellegrini, many fans will want to take an early look at the latest iteration.

The Pre-season training starts in earnest with an 11 day trip to Austria during which the club have so far confirmed a single fixture against FC Winterthur, (Venue unconfirmed) on Sunday 8 July at 3pm (CEST). Other Austrian games seem likely but are not yet confirmed.

The Hammers first game back in the UK will be against Wycombe Wanderers at Adams Park on Saturday 14 July at 3pm. 

A week later they travel up to Deepdale to face Preston North End on Saturday 21 July at 3pm giving Jordan Hugill a chance to play against his old club while ex-Hammer Sean Maguire will have the chance to remind us again of the talent that we let go.

Four days later we take on Aston Villa at Walsall's  Bescot Stadium on Wednesday 25 July at 7.45pm. Who knows what Robert Snodgrass' circumstances will be by then!

Three days later the Hammers trip up to Portman road to take on Ipswich Town on Saturday 28 July at 3pm

One suspects that there are likely to be further games between then and the 11th August when the Premiership kicks off against Liverpool at Anfield.