What should Bilic do with Feghouli?

West ham's Summer signings have been a huge disappointment so far this season. Apart from Edmilisen Fernandes, they have all underwhelmed. However, while Zaza, Tore and Calleri have totally flopped, the case of Sofiane Feghouli is much less clear.

Feghouli looked like a tasty signing in pre and early season as his first touch and passing impressed, along with his ability to deputise on free kicks and corners in Payet's absence. Many fans were quietly hopeful that he would form a powerful understanding and partnership with Mr P.

However, those plans were scuppered by injury and he is only now resuming the challenge. For one thing, his return to the starting XI as a right winger has allowed Antonio to move more centrally and added a more balanced shape to our side, albeit with only a modest contribution in support of our beleaguered right back!

But more misfortune - a harsh red card against Man United, followed by a bizarre open goal miss against Man City have posed to possibly dent his confidence. Interestingly though, Feghouli kept fighting and getting forward after the awful miss and looked relatively undeterred.

With Roma trying to prise him away from the London Stadium in a deal that would see the Hammers recoup their £10million outlay, the big question is whether we have really seen enough to decide whether the Algerian truly is Premiership quality.

The jury is out for now and the games against Palace and Boro look set to swing Bilic's mind either way.

What do you think? WHY NOT LET US KNOW IN OUR FANS POLL?

Merry go round gathers pace as 'Batsman' looks set for Hammers Move

West ham have been tracking Belgian striker Michy Batshuayi for over a year and, despite a bid of over 30 million, were inable to attract him to the London Stadium in the Summer.

Batshuayi ultimately opted for Chelsea but his time there has been frustrating as he found himself down the pecking order with only 11 Premiership games and 16 appearances (4 goals) in all competitions as Diego Costa has been in scintillating form.

Now with the news that Fernando Llorente is on his way from Swansea to rekindle his relationship with Antonio Conte, it looks like Batshuayi is set to slip e even further down the pecking order at Chelsea.

A loan until the end of he season appears to be the preferred option for all parties involved and word on the street has it that the wily Hammers have pushed themselves to the head of the queue!

In an interestingly twist, Batshuayi's younger brother -Aaron Lleya Iseka, who replaced Michy at Marseilles - looks set to replace Llorentes at Swansea thus completing an interesting loop of movement.

Either way, with an average 40% strike rate in the top flight, and with a robust 'Drogba-esque' Style, Batshuayi could be a fantastic signing if he gets a clear run of games to find his rhythm.

We will keep you right up to date on this deal as it progresses.

Jenks on his way back...

Carl Jenkinson is on his way back to Fortress West Ham - Certainly that's the case if Hammers' fans have their say - with more than three quarters in favour of a return to West Ham for the talented right back in our readers' poll!

However, will SuperSlav and his recruitment team see it that way is the real question? With the Right Back position such a recurring thorn in the side of our efforts this season surely a quality specialist right full back with proven Premiership ability is a big 'must-have' in this crucial transfer window???

Even better, he'll be going at a snip of the price having been deemed surplus to requirements at the Gooners of Middle Arse by Arsene Wenger!

 

Brentford told to Stop Arsing about over Hogan

As the January transfer madness gathers pace, the biggest story right now is the impending move of Scott Hogan from Brentford to West Ham. The Hammers desperately need firepower up front and have been making little secret of their interest in Brentford's top marksman, 24 year old Scott Hogan.

With 14 goals already this season, Hogan has proven he can deliver in the Championship, but may find the Premiership a bigger challenge. Nevertheless, after a serious of failed foreign signings, Bilic and Co are keen to go with a striker who should need very little time to adjust to the speed and physicality of the English game.

With a reported £12 million bid on the table, Brentford held Hogan back from yesterday's cup clash with Martin Allen's Eastleigh. In an effort to muddy the waters, Brentford's boss Dean Smith cited a 'buttock injury' as the reason for his omission from the matchday squad!

Losing Hogan to the Hammers might well prove a pain in the arse for Brentford, but stranded in mid-table in the championship they will surely from the funds to strengthen their squad.

Meanwhile, once Hogan recovers from his buttock injury, the Hammers medical team will want to check out his fitness in terms of a previous serious knee injury that he has experienced.

Our in-house medical expert - Dr Howard Windybottom - thinks Brentford should stop arsing about, take the cash and run!

Arsenal Ready To Provide Solution to Hammers Problem

While all the attention is currently focussed upon the potential signing of a striker, many astute Hammers fans are even more concerned that Mr Bilic FINALLY sorts out the open door at right back that has bedevilled West Ham's season.

Time and again, a decent start in a game has been undone by our frailties at right back where, despite their best efforts, neither Michail Antonio nor Havard Nordtveit are natural defenders and in a league as competitive as the Premiership get caught for that crucial yard that opens up real space and opportunity. 

As a typical example, against Manchester United on Monday the Hammers battled bravely with ten men but one sensed that the introduction of the pacey Marcus Rashford would create space - and he was only on the pitch a matter of minutes before he carved up space past the hapless Nordtveit that allowed Juan Mata a relatively simple opener.

For whatever reason, Alvaro Arbeloa has not been deemed suitable - something that has bemused many fans - whilst young Sam Byram had yet to find his feet before going down to a prolonged injury.

Just across town lies an ideal solution at the Gooners with Arsene Wenger announcing earlier this week that he is happy for both Carl Jenkinson and Mathieu Debuchy to leave Arsenal this month. The two right-backs have each managed just one Premier League appearance so far this season.  

Jenkinson, in particular, looks an attractive option as he enjoyed an excellent start to his time at West Ham before a combination of a dip in form, bad luck and injuries took him back to the Emirates. west Ham tried to capture the on-loan Jenkinson on a permanent deal at the end of his first season but were put off by the hefty £10 million fee Arsenal were seeking.

Undoubtedly that fee would be vastly reduced by now but Jenkinson has recovered well from his injury and at 24 still has the best part of his career ahead of him. As a proper specialist right back he would help to bolster our flogged confidence in defence as (unlike Antonio) he is much less likely to get caught wrong-side of his opponent, and (unlike Nordtveit) would not be so readily caught for pace and knows what to do going forward.

Are you in favour of a return to West Ham for Jenkinson? Why not vote in our fans poll?

Young Turk Offers the Perfect Payet Replacement

As the rumours grow that Dimitri Payet has run out of patience with the troubles at West Ham, Frank Lampard raised the important issue on BBC's MOTD special last night as to where the Hammers might look to next without their talisman.

One potential replacement would be Bayer Leverkusen's 22 year old attacking midfield star Hakan Çalhanoğlu. The German born Turkish international is a hot property right now and is widely thought to want a move to the Premiership. 

Particularly known for his Free-Kick taking abilities, Çalhanoğlu even recently had an advent free kick calendar released in his name after scoring from 41 metres last year! Likened in his general play to Mesut Ogil, Çalhanoğlu has an impressive strike rate in the German Top flight of a goal every four games.

Not surprisingly, he is currently being linked with both Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham but first team places at all of clubs are scarce and he may feel an alternative Premiership club would be a better place to enter the next phase of his career.

Çalhanoğlu has two years to run on his current contract at Bayer Leverkusen so the likely transfer fee would make it difficult for the Hammers to afford to hold on to Payet while also bringing in the young Turk, but with a major clearout underway just midway into the season, the Hammers are looking to reduce the wage bill by offloading unsuccessful loan signings as well as a rumoured £12million sale of the unfortunate Sofiane Feghouli.

Losing Payet would be a terrible blow but maybe it’s time to believe again!
 




 

Super-idiots 'Ruin' London Stadium Spectacle

Last night's game was a painful experience for Hammers fans as Man City mercilessly took advantage of the lead bestowed by a soft penalty and proceeded to dish out a proper hiding to Slaven Bilic's men.

Perhaps the only amusing thing for fans to take in was the pitch invasion by two 'Super-idiots' after Man City scored their fifth goal. The pitch invaders were dressed as Superman and his pants-outside-of-trousers assistant who proceeded to frolic in the penalty area, mimicking a penalty.

The events were much to the amusement of those few fans who had resolved to stick it out to the bitter end. However, Gaz Lineker and company treated us to the usual there's some idiots spoiling the spectacle for us real observers haughtiness - accompanied by the now mandatory panning out to lofty heights above the stadium and the, presumably, foolish proceedings below.

Which is all OK, I suppose, if a little po-faced, but the addition of crowd boos over the sound was deeply misleading as video footage from watching fans demonstrates (see: http://wwos.nine.com.au/2017/01/07/12/14/spiderman-invades-fa-cup-clash).

In reality, the incident seemed a harmless distraction from a game that was well over and one hopes that the 'offenders' won't be treated too harshly. Sometimes a little light entertainment can help when the atmosphere is becoming angry and frustrated. This type of mullarkey is quite different from the hooliganism that has been linked, either correctly or otherwise, with the move to the London Stadium.

In a similar incident, Jordan Dunn, the West Ham fan  invaded the pitch and took a free kick for the bemused Spurs during the Hammers’ opening game of the season in 2014, and was fined £305 for his efforts. The astute Dunn subsequently opened a crowd funding account which easily generated adequate funds to pay off his court debts.


Meanwhile, maybe Gaz and Shearer could lighten up a bit – it’s the Cup and with that anything is possible!

P.S. How many fans presumed there was nudity on show rather than simple cosplay?

P.P.S. No matter how much you dislike him, Fat Frank was brave to attend the match and gave a reasonable account of himself.

P.P.P.S. Very best wishes to West Ham's in-house Superhero - the legend that is David Gold and wishing him a super-speedy recovery.