Snoddy goes Claret and Blue - But which club?

Unlikely to ever paly on the same team?

It is clear that Hull have agreed a £10 million fee for their top goal scorer and tormentor-in-chief Robert Snodgrass. Reports indicate that both West Ham and Burnley have agreed to meet the fee which essentially leaves it down to the fine detail and Snodgrass' own preferences to determine where he will move to.

The smart money is thus on a move south as with Dimitri Payet almost certainly on the move and Sofiane Feghouli still an uncertain force, West Ham clearly have room for attacking midfielders who can play out wide.

For Hull, in one sense the transfer is a good deal as Snodgrass has only 6 months left on his contract and at 29 is no spring chicken. However, Hull will need to find reinforcements quickly if they are to avoid the drop as they will miss Snodgrass' goals having only managed 11 goals outside of his 9 strikes this season.

Both Burnley and West Ham will see Snodgrass' arrival as further insulation against any lingering relegation worries. With the current Table it seems likely that 38 points will easily be enough to ensure safety which both clubs should reach with ease as they are 10 points (Burnley) and 12 points (West Ham) above the drop zone at present..

Snodgrass has been a consistent performer over the years for Leeds, Norwich and Hull with his direct style bringing an average of just over a goal every five games. Moreover, his ability from free kicks will be a big asset for West Ham in the post Payet era.

Overall, this looks like a decent signing for the Hammers, albeit at an inflated January window price.

It's Tevez Time as Hammers Push for Champions League Glory!!!

Nothing Can Stop us, probably...

With four games remaining Hammers fans are cursing a series of poor refereeing decisions that have sabotaged their charge for Champions league qualification.

>Robbed against Chelsea by a last minute incorrect penalty award!

>Robbed against Palace by a harsh red card that was subsequently rescinded!!

>Robbed against Arsenal by a series of poor offside calls!!!

>Robbed against Leicester by an incorrect penalty award in the last seconds!!!!

But we can still do it, and here's how;

1. We need to win all of our remaining games to accrue 68 points.

2. That will automatically place us above Man United as we will have to beat them in the final game at Upton Park.

3. We then require EITHER Man City or Arsenal to mess up in their final three games.

4. Given that both the Gooners and Man City have vastly superior goal differences to us, they would need to get no more than 3 points in their remaining games.

5. Arsenal have Norwich at home up next. The Canaries are 10/1 BUT are fighting for their lives - a scenario that often unsettles the volatile Gooners. Their final game is against 'nothing to lose' Villa....in between they face Man City.

6. Man City look less likely to stumble as they are on a swashbuckling run with Aguero at his best again. Away to Southampton will be tough and then after Arsenal they are away to Swansea where it's hard to see anything but a thrashing!

The margins are tight BUT remember 2007 with ten games to go we were written off. Time to recapture that Tevez spirit!!!

Are you listening, Dimitri?

Mixed News for Hammers in Premier League run in

After three big wins in a row it's truly game on for West ham as they push for a Champions League spot that would likely generate £50 million-plus for the rapidly rising club! With just nine games to go the Hammers are a point off Man City in fourth and with the Gooners stuttering, anything looks possible!

Meanwhile, the statsgeeks at footballwebpages.co.uk have put akl available data into a supercomputer to predict a final table. Hammers fans will undoubtedly be delighted with the predicted 4th place finish, but their celebrations might be tempered by the fact that the computer reckoning is for arch-rivals Spurs to nobble Leicester on goal difference for the title...perish the thought!

Interestingly, although the bookies rate Arsenal as the side most likely to buckle during the run in, the computer reckons that Man City will slip behind the Hammers.

However, with 9 tough games to go, West ham would need to win four, draw 4 and lose just one game if they are to reach the predicted 65 points haul.

Meanwhile, both Newcastle and Sunderland are predicted to make the drop, with Norwich scraping home in 17th. Big Sam 's love of statistics may thus be a little dampened but, in all honesty, most Hammers fans would bet on Sam keeping Sunderland up.

Beware: computers know nought about injuries and a simple hamstring or calf tear to Dimitri Payet or Harry Kane could massively change all of this. All the same, it's great to be in this position...dream on Hammerheads!

Hammers must harness Hooligan

Just as our early away fixtures have looked difficult on paper, most Hammers fans would have considered the opening set of home matches against lesser clubs as an opportunity to get points on the board. As it has turned out, our home form has been patchy with defeats to Leicester and Bournemouth, while our away record is unsullied as we have slain Arsenal, Liverpool and Man City.

As such, today's clash with Norwich raises the question; which West ham side will turn up? Our last Premiership home tie against Newcastle broke the trend of counterintuitive results, as the Hammers dispatched the Toon with ruthless efficiency. Central to that performance was the growing understanding between Dimitri Payet and the other players, as well as the speed and aggression of Victor Moses.

Payet came on towards the end to try and swing Tuesday night's game against Leicester in the Capital one cup and should be fresh, while Moses may need to be rested after his busy contribution in midweek. Andy Carroll was pretty quiet during his hour-long stint and will probably be used from the bench today. It's a toss up between Kouyate and Obiang as to who will partner Captain Claret in midfield.

The Hammers will need to wary of Wes Houlihan, who is Norwich's Payet. The creative midfielder has the capacity to spoil the fun for Hammers fans and will need to be harnessed by Noble and Kouyate. Matt Jarvis is ineligible which is no bad thing given the scoring record of ex-Hammers when they return to face their old club!

We predict a 3-1 cracker!

Who's Leaving: Jarvis or Amalfitano? Norwich or Spurs?

Its gonna be pretty tight in the Hammers dressing room

Jarvis or Amalfitano? That is the question on Hammers fans minds as late incoming news suggests that there may be a departure before the 8PM admin deadline!

With all the action arriving in midfield West Ham can let either or both go now. However some fans are wirried that after the reported falling out earlier this week that James Collins could be the target! Let's hope not as we never seem to have enough fit CBs come January!

Word from Norwich is that Jarv is set to become a season-long Canary. Other reports suggest that we might sell a player to Spurs to alleviate all the whingeing after their fruitless search for new talent.

 We will know for sure in the next hour.

Hammers make Guinness Book of Records attempt on another night to forget for Rudi Van Maigaswinkel!



West Ham attempt to enter the Guinness Book of Records for most simultaneous substitutions

Hammer’s fans were reminded this evening how precious confidence is to that footballing creature commonly known as 'the striker'. Picture the scene, half way through the first half of a lively tussle…”Maiga, it’s a wonderful turn, he prepares to shoot……..ooogh it seemed to bobble up just as he was going to hit it”. Familiar story for the down on his luck forward who has been forced by financial circumstance (i.e. he was given a long and lucrative contract!) to return from his loan period at Metz to the Boleyn for another dose of despair. 

With just 5 goals in 31 games, Maiga’s record is relatively unimpressive (but statistically better than that of Enner Valencia who has only 4 in 32 games!), although many Hammers fans would say that it has been the quality of his all round play that has really disappointed. Spare a thought for similarly afflicted Rudi Van Wolfswinkel who has returned to Norwich after a loan spell at St Etienne to try to enhance his appauling strike rate of a single goal in 25 previous apearances for the Canaries. By far and away the best opportunity in the first half of tonight’s friendly was when the Dutch forward beat the offside trap to find himself one on one with Adrian. You can guess what happened next!

Both Maiga and Van Wolfswinkel need to get away and start afresh but the salary craziness of the Premiership is such that both are trapped as high earning flops until their respective contracts expire.
 

In the end the misfiring forwards were outdone by defensive starlet Harry Toffolo who managed to deflect a West Ham corner into his own net as the Hammers emerged as 1-0 victors.

In other news, how nice to see ex-Hammers Gaz O’Neil (midfield) and Dean Ashton (goals) plying their trade with the Canaries these days!

Kids Don't Cut the Mustard in Colman's Country

Tonight's friendly with Norwich is being shown by Mustard TV. Coming just 2 days before the crucial Europa League home leg with FC Astra, we expected a makeshift development squad full of youngsters but NO, the Hammers are starting with a relatively experienced eleven.

The team gives some important clues as to Bilic's favourites, especially after David Gold's promise to field our strongest eleven available versus the Romanian's on Thursday.

With Kevin Nolan, Matt Jarvis and Morgan Amalfitano starting tonight, we can assume they won't be mainstays in Thursday's starting side. The bench is also strong and may provide some warm up time for players looking to return to action on Thursday such as Enner Valencia and Carl Jenkinson.

Adrian, Burke, Tomkins, Henry, Page, Nolan, Amalfitano, Poyet, Maiga, Jarvis, Sakho.

Bench: Spiegel, Noble, Ogbonna, Valencia, Cresswell, Jenkinson, Oxford, Payet, Kouyate.

BTW for those who have never taken the time to read the label, the home of Colman's, the makers of the finest English mustard is.....Norwich!