J-Lo in search of a Christmas miracle

Ho, ho, ho. Alright, let's be honest, we've all been dreading this game over the holiday break. It has loomed like a dark cloud, inevitable in it's darkness.

Right now, Liverpool are as good as they have been in a mighty long time while under the J-Lo leadership we seem stuck in transition - neither flesh nor fowl; leaky in defence, incoherent in midfield and stuttering up front.

With a truly dreadful record against Liverpool - both home and away, only the most naive fans can expect a result this evening. The Hammers are 15-2 against for a win with a draw at 9-2 and Pool hot favourites at 2-5 on with the bookies. 

On a positive note, Kilman is back and J-Lo has had tge sense to play Emerson and Wan Bissaka on the left flank to try and stifle the considerable threst of an on form Mo Salah.

Up front, Fullkrug and Summerville drop to the bench while Soler and Paqueta will try to create chances for Bowen and Kudus. It's a big ask but being West ham you just never know.

COYI!!!

Hammers starting XI: Areola, Coufal, Mavropanos, Kilman, Wan-Bissaka, Emerson  Alvarez,  Soler, Paquetá, Bowen (c), Kudus

Pelle to Spring Major Surprise

In the aftermath of the Hammers impressive victory over a pretty hapless Burnley side last weekend there has been the usual outpouring of positivity and an expectation that the side will follow up with another win today away to Huddersfield.

Wishful thinking perhaps, especially given our history of failing to capitalise upon momentum in the past. Moreover, Huddersfield looked impressive in their deserved win over Fulham on Monday night and have every right to look towards a home win today to build upon that result.

Despite the bookies and pundits opting for a Hammers win (West ham 5/4 for the win, Huddersfield 5/2), the verdict from West ham fan sites is that Pellegrini's side are more likely to lose than win!

However, there is much to suggest that Hammers fans should be more optimistic about their chances today - Huddersfield are undoubtedly light up front with just 5 goals in their 11 games. Even in winning on Monday night they needed an own goal to overcome Fulham who, now bottom of the table, have conceded just short of three goals per game so far this campaign!

The Hammers, meanwhile are looking potent up top with goals coming from right across the frontline. In Arnautovic, the Hammers have a charismatic striker who is relentless in his joyful tormenting of opposition defences - as Burnley's James Tarkowski discovered to his cost last week! With growing confidence in midfield and defence, it looks like Pelle's troops have finally adapted to his quite demanding and dynamic system. Even better, they look to be enjoying absolutely it.

Perhaps most compelling of all, the Hammers have a strong bench where Chicharito or Antonio can shake things up if needed. All said and done, it looks like Pellegrini can surprise the pessimists and get our first back to back wins of the season. With a series of ten very winnable fixtures between now and the New Year, the Hammers could be ready to really push on in 2019!

Our money is on Pelle to pull off a major surprise for those doubting fans with a 2-0 victory!

Finally, while we are feeling optimistic how about Grady Diangana to open his Premiership account today?

Starting XI: Fabianski, Cresswell, Zabaleta, Diop, Balbuena, Rice, Obiang, Snodgrass, Diangana, Anderson, Arnautovic

Subs: Adrian, Fredericks, Masuaku, Hernandez, Antonio, Perez.

All Hail Adrian!!! The Penalty King is Back!!!

Hammers fans will never forget the night in January 2015 when we finally ended the Everton hoodoo by smashing the Toffees out of the cup 9-8 on penalties! Last season was a patchy one for the Spanish stopper but as today's Betway cup clash with Bundesliga side Mainz demonstrates, our penalty king is back!

In a lively encounter there were plenty of positives to ponder but the tie was forced into a penalty shoot out after Mainz claimed a late equaliser to level Toni Martinez's opener. And so to penalties....it was nip and tuck (one miss each) until Adrian smashed in our sixth penalty and then a few moments later saw Gaetan Bussman bottle it and blast over the bar to gift the cup to the Hammers 7-6 on penalties.

It'll be a hell of a battle to see who claims the number one spot as Adrian and Fabianski do battle next season!

Elsewhere, Jack Wilshere looked sharp and there was a decent shift from Issa Diop. Both Robert Snodgras and Michail Antonio, the subject of seemingly endless exit rumours, gave Manuel Pellegrini something to think about as they both played well. Next up is a game against French side Angers on Friday night where Felipe Anderson and Andriy Yarmolenko are set to return for another viewing.

Five changes that can save West Ham from relegation

After three onfield batterings on the trot, Moyes and his army find themselves in deep deep relegation doh-dah! While the off field problems are undoubtedly an unwelcome distraction, central to our recent difficulties has been the loss of a functioning formation that can deliver goals while keeping it tight at the back.

Here are five changes that can get the team back on track and save Moyes' men from relegation disaster:

1. Bring Masuaku straight back into the side. After serving a harshly prolonged six week ban, Arthur has served his punishment and will be chomping at the bit. Its hard not to notice hoe Arnie has lost his form since Arthur went missing.

2. Drop Joao Mario. We might dream of he and Lanzini pairing up as the Mario brothers but in reality we dont have room for two defensively lightweight players in midfield.

3. Its time to promote Declan Rice to a regular starting berth in midfield. I am a big fan of Kouyate but he is horribly out of form and our midfield lacks a bite that Rice's energy can bring.

4. Use Chico more. We would really benefit from some of the cheaper goals that a predator like Hernandez brings. With some tense and likely close encounters looming against Southampton and Stoke, he can be the difference.

5. Bring back Payet. Just kidding! We need players with true grit, warriors who will put bodies on the line etc etc...thank God Ginge is back at centre back. We'll be needing him.

Its incredibly tight in the bottom half this year. The smalkest of things might tilt things in the right or wrong direction. Whatever your thought on all the off field goings on, we need to heed Sir Trev and shelve the issue until we are safe. Let's all get right in behind the team and give them that boost that might make all the difference.

That's what 'real' fans do.

COYI!!! 

Time to Bring Back Carlton Cole

At 37 years young, Patrice Evra is hardly anything other than a stop gap for West Ham in their growing battle against relegation but the big question has to be why David Moyes is bringing in another left back???

The loss of Arthur Masuaku after the foolish spitting incident at Wigan was a blow but he has already served two of his six game ban and will be ready to return probably just as Evra reaches something like match fitness! Evra has been relatively idle since being sacked by Marseille for assaulting a fan!

Perhaps more importantly, although Arthur has been very naughty, he has also been one of the best players for us all season and should be welcomed back - where will that leave old man Evra?

The January transfer window really is no place to go looking for major solutions to squad issues as it is almost invariably a place where clubs squander cash on damaged goods in panic purchases. It's really hard to see what Evra will bring other than a distraction for the increasingly discontent fanbase.

More importantly, rather than a left back we need an attacking midfielder and a striker. With our flanks 'protected by Evra and Zabaleta we surely have the oldest defence in the Premiership?

Just a thought but 'long past it' Carlton Cole is actually 3 years younger than Evra! Similarly, Ex-Hammer and Sideshow-Bob lookalike, Alessandro Diamanti, is also a free agent and a mere 34 years old.

Hmmm. We really seem to be going backwards...

What is the Logic Behind Andy Carroll's Proposed Move to Chelsea?

As speculation grows regarding a shock move to Chelsea for Andy Carroll, fans are wondering what logic underpins the potential switch. Having mustered just 86 games in his four and a half seasons at West Ham, offloading Carroll for a decent fee (or just offloading his weekly wage) would possibly be the best piece of financial business the Hammers have done in recent years during the treacherous January transfer window.

With Carroll once again in sickbay - this time with rumours that he is feigning an ankle injury to keep himself available for any potential move - David Moyes has been coy about the move. From a Chelsea perspective, the move makes little sense. The Pensioners already have a big man up front in Alvaro Morata who has a decent record of maintaining injury-free status over recent years and hardly needs back up.

At the start of this season Hammers fans hoped that a combination of Carroll and Chicharito up front could propel them up the table and onto the verge of Champion's League glory. However, the two have rarely played together as both have had constant injury niggles, while in reality, the two up front combination represents an outdated model of attack since most clubs prefer these days to work with a lone attacker and a mobile midfield pushing up in support.

Carroll appears very settled in London, but it is worth noting that many of his closer friends have departed from West Ham, including Kevin Nolan, Joey O'Brien and Darren Randolph. After a career that has been blighted by injuries, it may well be that Andy has adjusted to the reality that he can only ever be an occasional presence for any club and that, at 29 years of age,  role as an impact substitute at Chelsea may be the height of what is possible for him now.

For the Hammers, losing Carroll would be a blow (sort of!) but if they could offload both Carroll and Sakho it would free up considerable resources to bring in strikers who will hopefully be reliable - both in terms of fitness AND goal scoring record. A possible swap for want-away Chelsea forward Michy Batshuayi represents good potential business as despite being used as a substitute for much of his time at Chelsea, he still has a considerably better scoring record (17 goals in 50 apps) than Carroll (32 in 124) that is similar to that of the terminally unhappy Diafra Sakho (24 in 71).

At this stage, if the rumours are correct, it might be better for Carroll to depart as it seems that his head has been turned. After so many false dawns over recent years, a fatigued Hammers fan base will mostly welcome moving on with new blood up front.

COYI!!!



 

Hammers Face Fiery Trip To Wigan for Fourth Round

After last night's heroics from Reece Burke in extra time, the Hammers face some real fireworks in the next round of the FA cup as they are set to face Wigan Athletic. The Latics may have slipped into the third tier of English football but that did not stop them dishing out a 3-0 hiding to Bournemouth this evening.

Since their rather costly FA cup win in 2013 - the year that also saw them relegated from the Premiership, Wigan have had little to cheer, enduring a yoyo existence between the Championship and League one. They were relegated back to League one again last year but are currently top - just above Shrewsbury who were the Hammers victims of the last round.

Perhaps the most notable happening at the DW stadium has been the imposition of major bans for fans engaging in pyrotechnics as the club was identified as amongst the top three users of smoke bombs in a 2016 report (along with Everton and Man United!).

Despite the away fixture, the Hammers will fancy their chances against the Latics who rank Northern Ireland's Will Grigg amongst their top threats and have based this season's success on their well organised tight defence (only 12 goals conceded in 26 games!). Whatever else, the game will provide much needed additional game time for the Hammers many rising stars.

COYI!!!

  

Hurst Springs Hat Trick of Surprises as Hammers Make Treacherous Trip to Shrewsbury

The matchday team sheets are in and in shocking news we can reveal that Shrewsbury boss, Jeff Hurst, has pulled a big surprise by fielding three unexpected faces in his starting XI. Dennis Rodman, Travis Bickle and the terrifying Kevin Nolan are all listed, along with the complete Bolton squad and a Wally!

David Moyes has been decidedly more conservative by fielding just two youngsters in Josh Cullen and Reece Burke. Poor Pedro Obiang and Cheik Kouyate are starting despite their heroics in the two games earlier this week and will presumably be substituted to allow the host of youngsters on the bench to get some big match action.

Shrewsbury - Henderson, Godfrey, Sadler, Beckles, Whalley, Ogogo, Morris, Bolton, Nolan, Nsiala, Rodman

Subs - MacGillivrary, Lowe, Dodds Gnahoua, John-Lewis, Morris, Payne

West Ham United - Hart Burke, Rice, Reid, Ogbonna, Masuaku, Obiang Cullen, Hernandez, Ayew

Subs - Adrian, Neufville, Makasi, Samuelsen, Haksabanovic, Martinez, Quina,

Hammers Bemoan Bahramov Absence

After a torrid 90 minutes of chasing an Arsenal side that enjoyed 71% possession, it looked for all the world as if Javier Hernandez was going to snatch an unlikely win for David Moyes' rejuvenated Hammers. As the Arsenal defence dallied, Chicharito found himself through on goal and smashed the ball past a despairing Petr Cech.


The little Mexican even started to run away in celebration as the ball looked net bound until it seemed to be suddenly pulled up onto the underside of the bar and for some unknown reason bounced on the wrong side of the goal line.

And sadly, Tofiq Bahramov was not available to officiate  having inconveniently passed away in 1993 - unlike on that famous day in 1966 when the 'Russian linesman' (from Azerbaijan!) ruled Hursty's shot a goal. This evening, the referee's watch did not vibrate and no goal was awarded.

All the same, a point maintains momentum and 4 points from the three games against Man City, Chelsea and Arsenal was unexpected. Undoubtedly we look fitter and have gotten stronger as games enter the final quarter. Maybe that's the Moyes' magic?

 

Will-Do Brothers as Hammers and Sporting make peace?

Perhaps the most amusing transfer campaign of the Summer was West Ham's failed bid to attract Portuguese midfielder William Carvalho to the Olympic Stadium. Despite Carvalho expressing a willingness to move, the clubs could not agree terms and the negotiations descended into farce with the Sporting President making a series of unpleasant comments about the Hammers board, including referring to our esteemed Chairmen, Messrs Sullivan and Gold, as the 'Dildo brothers'!

Since then, the Hammers have experienced significant problems on and off the field and manager Slaven Bilic departed last month with the club sliding into the Premiership relegation zone. New manager David Moyes has yet to experience a victory with just a draw out of 4 Premiership games. Despite that, the spirited performance against Premiership leaders Man City away on Sunday will have raised hopes that the underperforming squad can rediscover some decent form.

Central to that will be seeing an improvement in the side's dominance during games as they managed less than 25% possession against City. The injection of new talent into their overrun midfield will be a big target in the January transfer window and it looks like the new found positivity between the clubs could well be the start of facilitating Carvalho's move to the Premiership. As the club's statement revealed "friendly relations between the clubs will resume and there will be no barriers to both clubs negotiating or working together in the future".

As for Carvalho, he has been performing well for Sporting both in the Portuguese League and the Champions League. The latter included an impressive performance against Barcelona that suggests he would be likely to cope well with the pressures of the Premiership. Either way, the Hammers need to move on from moral victories (such as the Man City defeat) to accruing some points!

White Walker Downs Hammers in Game of Groans

Hopes were high that a change of management could sort out the mess at West Ham and where better than a visit to a recently misfiring Watford? However, Watford were more than well prepared for anything West Ham had to offer and bossed a first half where Will Hughes opened their account with an ice-cool finish. In truth, the Hornets were unlucky to reach the break only a goal to the good. Apart from a late Kouyate effort, Moyes' men looked pretty clueless and spent large parts of the half chasing Watford.

The second half was a little less one sided and again Kouyate missed a great chance before Watford doubled their lead with a Richarlison strike that Joe Hart may well feel he could have done better with. After that it became a test of mental strength as the Hammers tried to chisel a way back. Lanzini teamed up well with Masuaku and went close, but most Hammers fans knew that if it stayed at 2-0 that would be as good as we could hope for and mercifully the game petered out, albeit with a seemingly endless period of pointless extra time.

Mr Moyes has much to do and after today he will have a sense of the magnitude of the task as we looked shapeless and low in confidence. In fact, lets call it as it really looked - for all intents and purposes we are playing like a relegation side right now. Leicester next at home, followed by away games at Goodison and then Man City....

Winter is coming.