West Ham Face Critical Dilemma Following Charlton Clash: Should He Stay Or Should He Go Now?

An inability to establish an identity on the pitch, players regularly played out of position, glaring gaps in the squad, and another rudderless performance against Charlton on Saturday raise serious concerns over Nuno’s future at the London Stadium

London Stadium. Saturday 22 August 2026. 3:00 PM. Partly sunny: 21C

Pre-Match Thoughts

The season may be a few games old by now, but it is the daily transfer chatter which continues to dominate the cyber waves. With another week or so still to go, further comings and goings are guaranteed as the bean counters grapple with the two-pronged cash flow and squad cost ratio dilemma. A situation not at all helped by the unwelcome and drawn-out ownership skirmishes dividing the boardroom.

The best advice is don’t get that favourite player’s name printed on the back of your shirt until the final squad lists are published, and the window has finally closed on 1 September. Does the transfer window still slam shut when you’re in the Championship? The jerky grating of an old patio door stuck on its runners is perhaps more in keeping with the make-do-and-mend environment we find ourselves in currently.

Reading supporter’s comments online, I get the sense that transfer schizophrenia abounds. It would be great to unearth emerging talent, but what we need are players with experience at this level. Now’s not the right time to take a flyer on unproven talent when there are immediate problems to solve, they say. Just as it won’t be next season, or the season after that. And that, unfortunately, leaves us with the same short-term, unplanned, expedient recruitment approach that has failed to deliver for the past 15 years. The strategy that is responsible for the haphazard, bits and pieces squad we see before us. Buying tomorrow’s deadwood today by scouring the clearance sales for late career players and overpaying for foreign imports unsuited to the English game. All topped up by an assortment of last-minute emergency loans.

Some feel that Nils Koppen should have made more of a mark by now. But that’s a big call for a guy who is just a few weeks into his job; trying to understand Nuno’s requirements and match them to competent players available at knockdown prices. A Director of Recruitment is for life, not just for a single transfer window!

Still, at least Nuno has a  few new options to toy with ahead of today’s visit of Charlton Athletic. Let’s see how it pans out.

The Team Sheets Are In

Chapter 9 of the Timid Manager’s Handbook recommends not starting your new signings until they’ve had at least one game sat on the bench. Surprisingly, Nuno has gone rogue this afternoon and given starting debuts to both Engels and Piroe.

The official website is presenting it as a 4-2-3-1 and it will be interesting to see how that works out in practice. The assumption is that Piroe will be furthest forward and Taty in a more withdrawn role. He’s not my idea of a Number 10 but innocent until proven guilty and all that.  

This will be the first home league meeting with Charlton for almost exactly 20 years when West Ham ran out 3-1 victors in August 2006. Former Hammer, Connor Coventry will feature in the Addicks midfield.

Half Time Report

West Ham 0 Charlton 1 (Jones 7)

An all too familiar sluggish start from the Hammers with a formation that shows how dangerous assumptions are when it comes to Nuno. Our new, proven Championship goalscorer has been shoehorned into the Pablo role behind the striker; leaving a disinterested Taty to wander around up top by himself.

Soon, we are a goal down. An innocuous, not particularly long or flat throw-in is allowed to bounce, and the ball is in the back of the net as defenders and goalkeeper look on in amazement.

The pattern of play for the remainder of the half settles into routine frustration. The thrift shop Charlton side are quick and incisive on the break with players able to run with the ball. West Ham are slow and predictable. Hoping to bore the opposition into a stupor by the monotony of their passing.

Focusing your attacks through wide players is a reasonable tactic if you can get the ball out to them quickly and you’re not playing your main striker in midfield. But when you allow opponents to get back into shape while you play triangles in the middle third blunts any offensive threat. Apart from a late Taty header, the Charlton goal face little danger.

Full Time Report

West Ham 1 (Piroe 74) Charlton 2 (Jones 7, Campbell 56)

Nuno replaced Kante with Orford at half-time. One not-really-a-defensive-midfielder for another. This is apparently the extent of his plan for turning things around as everything stayed thesame. The build-up remained ponderous and West Ham still had no-one capable of carrying the ball through the opposition lines. An ability that left (and has never been replaced) with the departure of Declan Rice. On first appearances, it doesn’t look like Arne Engels is the answer to that deficiency.

By the 56th minute, Charlton were two up. Mavropanos had plenty of time to deal with a straightforward punt up field. He made a mess with his original control, had an opportunity to recover but chose to try and buy a foul instead. The referee, perhaps free from the spectre of scrutiny by VAR, was not so easily fooled. A shot from the edge of the box into the corner of the net completed the embarrassment. Should the keeper have done better?

On a good day, Mavropanos is the club’s only reliable defender. But last season’s HOTY becomes a bag of nerves when partnered with Kilman. Neither full-back excels defensively and it is puzzling why the manager continues to opt for Scarles over Mayers.

Defensive lapses are as much a part of West Ham’s DNA as blowing bubbles. A competent defence is a foundation for success. If the recruitment department have only one focus over the next week it should be to find uncompromising replacements for the defensive midfield and centre back positions.

West Ham’s late second half flurry had more to do with Charlton sitting back than any inspired tactical changes. It resulted in a debut goal for Piroe, several headed opportunities that went begging, and a shot from Mukasa that was well saved by the keeper. There should have been a get-out-of-jail card moment in the closing minutes but inexplicably penalty taking duties had been assigned to Taty rather than Bowen. It’s about time, the show-boaty, stuttering penalty run-up was consigned to the Room 101 of football history.  

Nuno has become the latest in a sequence of West Ham managers to stand forlorn and bemused on the wide expanse of the London Stadium touchline. Apparently powerless to do anything about the events unfolding on the pitch. His body language says, “I wish I wasn’t here” and, for once, I agree with him.

Did he just get lucky (as managers often do) in those brief spells at Wolves and Forest? He has been at West Ham for a year now and the team shows no sign of developing an effective style of play or demonstrating a football philosophy. Just as timidity didn’t lead to safety last season, it is unlikely to win promotion this.

With a tough run of league and cup games coming up before the international break, his future must surely be in the balance. No doubt, we must endure the obligatory x games to save his job charade before sanity prevails.     

Pointathon Update

With two games gone and a points per game average of 0.5, the run rate to reach an automatic promotion target of 90 points has increased from 1.96 to 2.02 points per game. Five out of a possible 138 points have been lost forever.

Plenty to think about on the training ground then. In my old football training days, we would regularly play shirts versus skins. I wonder if Nuno goes for Square Pegs versus Round Holes? COYI!

Time to Show We’ve Learned: West Ham Face Charlton After Burnley Collapse

There is something about the start of a new season that makes football supporters believe again. No matter how miserable the previous campaign was, no matter how many times the club broke your heart, August somehow convinces you that things might finally be different. As West Ham fans, we know that feeling better than most.

After relegation, this summer has been about picking ourselves up, dusting ourselves down and convincing ourselves that the Championship is only a temporary stop on the journey back to where we belong. The expectation at West Ham has not changed and must not change. Promotion is the target and nothing less. Yet as Charlton prepare to visit the London Stadium on Saturday, there remains a nagging feeling in the back of every West Ham supporter’s mind because we know we have seen this story before.

And last weekend, at Burnley, it felt like we were watching the opening chapter all over again. The game brought back painful memories. On paper, a 2-2 draw away at Burnley is not a terrible result. Turf Moor is likely to be one of the toughest grounds in the Championship and most supporters would have accepted a point before kick-off. West Ham remain unbeaten in competitive football this season and there are certainly some positives to take from the opening weekend. But football is never played on paper.

The reality is that we found ourselves two goals in front and we should have been cruising with so little time to go. The game was there to be won. Instead, Burnley fought back and we left with a draw that felt more like a defeat than a point gained, a sinking feeling that was all too familiar. Last season, we developed an alarming habit of retreating into our shell whenever we got ahead. Rather than pushing for another goal, we tried to protect what we had. Time and again it backfired and by the end of the campaign, twenty points had been dropped from winning positions. In any division, that is catastrophic and of course in a relegation battle it proved fatal.

The most frustrating aspect was that we could all see it happening (or at least most of us!). Supporters in the stands could see it, viewers at home could see it, and opposing teams certainly could see it. But could the manager see it? Whenever we took a lead, confidence seemed to drain rather than grow. That is why the Burnley game felt so significant. A new division, new optimism and a fresh start were supposed to bring a different mentality but instead, the first league game of the campaign produced the same old anxiety. When Burnley pulled one back after Scarles’ reckless and unnecessary challenge every West Ham fan knew what was coming next. That has to change and it has to change quickly if we are to contend for promotion.

For all the frustration surrounding the Burnley result, there are still reasons for hope. Pre-season was encouraging to an extent. Our displays gave us some belief that we could recover from the trauma of relegation. We looked fitter, sharper and more united than we often appeared during the previous campaign. The League Cup victory over Portsmouth offered further encouragement despite a less than convincing performance and reminded us what winning football feels like.

Do we yet have an understanding of what the Championship demands? This is not a division where reputations matter. Nobody cares how many seasons we spent in the Premier League. Nobody is intimidated by our badge or the fact that we have sold 50,000 season tickets. Every single game is going to be a fight. As fans we understand that. Do the players and the manager? If promotion is going to happen, it will need to be earned.

What do you think about the arrivals of Joël Piroe and Arne Engels? Piroe’s signing in particular feels like an acknowledgement that West Ham need proven Championship quality if we are going to bounce straight back. Piroe’s reputation at this level is excellent. We are in the Championship now and were never going to attract players that some fans hope for. I hope he can bring us some excitement over the course of the season. For the first time in a while, recruitment appears to be focused on the realities of the division we are actually playing in rather than the one we wish we were playing in. Promotion-winning teams are built for their environment.

Engels is totally different. He is just 22 years old, an established Belgian international but hasn’t played in England. Nonetheless he was an important part of the Celtic team that won the Scottish Premiership last season and apparently has a big engine, a real box to box player, and can score. He managed 17 goals and 22 assists in 100 Celtic appearances in all competitions including Europe. Let’s hope he can create chances for Piroe who has an excellent record in front of goal in the second tier scoring 73 goals (plus 18 assists) in 179 appearances. Hopefully the arrival of both Piroe and Engels will give a boost to the team in this game and in the season as a whole.

Charlton will relish the occasion and there is no danger of them arriving lacking confidence. Their 2-1 victory over Derby County on the opening weekend showcased exactly why they could be dangerous opponents this season, despite the low expectations of bookmakers and pundits alike. Nathan Jones appears to have built a side that is organised, hardworking and completely committed to his methods.

They came from behind to win at The Valley, showing the kind of resilience West Ham supporters would love to see from our own team. Lloyd Jones and Tyreece Campbell got the goals in a result that immediately gave Charlton momentum for the new season. And let’s be honest, they would absolutely love to derail West Ham’s promotion ambitions. This is a local derby and Charlton will see this as a free hit at one of the division’s biggest clubs. We have to make sure they regret that thought the moment the whistle blows.

It’s time for West Ham to show some ruthlessness. For me this game is about proving we have learned something. In particular if we take the lead, can we stay brave and keep attacking? Can we play with the conviction of a team chasing promotion rather than the fear of a team scarred by relegation?

The crowd needs to play its part. There should be a real edge inside the London Stadium. Charlton’s supporters will make themselves heard and West Ham fans, desperate for signs that the club is moving in the right direction, will need to respond in kind in the first home league game of an important season. What we all want to see is a team that keeps pushing and refuses to retreat. The great West Ham sides of the past were never built on fear.

My head says this will be difficult. Charlton are organised, confident and arriving on the back of an opening-day victory. But my heart as always says West Ham need a performance that makes a statement at this stage of the season. Most of all, the team and the manager need to show supporters that the lessons of the past have been learned. The scars of last season will not disappear overnight, and after Burnley some of those wounds were reopened. But football always offers another chance and Saturday is that chance. At some point this club has to stop being haunted by the mistakes of the past and start writing a different story.

Familiar Failings Ensure Turf Moor Is Less For West Ham In Season Opener

Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose. West Ham start the season in time honoured fashion by surrendering a two goal lead against Burnley at Turf Moor. A long, hard season awaits.

Setting The Scene

Turf Moor, Burnley. Sunday 16 August 2026. 16:00. Light clouds and light winds: 18C

Finally, another season is upon us. Some things have changed. A new division, new boardroom leadership, a new Director of Recruitment and the obligatory new season kit for sale in the club shop. Others things stubbornly remain the same. The same manager with the usual press conference blather. The same financial pressures ensuring hesitancy in the transfer market, and (thanks to relegation) the same shirt sponsor – as Championship watchers don’t need the same level of protection from unscrupulous bookies as the worldwide Premier League audience does.

And all too soon, we will know whether it’s going to be the same old safety-first tactics served up on the pitch.

Pre-Match Tension

The teams have been announced. The Hammers squad shows eight survivors from those involved in the 2-0 win at Turf Moor last February. The Clarets squad has nine.

Nuno hasn’t sprung any surprises in the West Ham starting eleven. It’s as expected with the usual vulnerabilities and lack of depth to the fore. I’m still to be convinced by Mads, I would have preferred either Diouf or Mayers at left back over Scarles, and Kilman is an ongoing worry – his score on the central defender bravery index is below the lower limit of detection.

The central midfield pairing of Kante and Orford – in the confirmed absence of Alvarez – feels very light, both in experience and defensive attributes. The inference from the list of excluded players is that the club plan to shift Wan-Bissaka, Todibo, Alvarez, and Fullkrug before the end of the window. Replacements will be badly needed.

There’s a starting place for Solomon on the left and a seat on the bench for Veltman. Amusing to hear how excited each of the new signings are about the West Ham ‘project’ – almost as if it were scripted. Wasn’t it Scott Duxbury who always had a project on the go?  

Hermansen, Walker-Peters, Mavropanos, Kilman, Scarles, Orford, Kanté, Bowen ©, Solomon, Taty, Pablo.  Subs: Areola (GK), Veltman, Diouf, Mayers, Golambeckis, Ward-Prowse, Earthy, Ajala, Landers

Half Time Report

Burnley 0 West Ham 1 (Kilman, 10)

What do I know? Scarles has look bright linking up with Solomon on the left. And Kilman pops up with the only goal of the half.

It was another sluggish start from the Hammers as Burnley dominated the opening exchanges with a blast of fast, direct football. The visitor’s barely having a touch of the ball in the initial 5 or 6 minutes. But the Claret’s early threat was rudely blunted on ten minutes when Kilman escaped his marker to head home his first competitive West Ham goal from Bowen’s corner.   

The goal changed the complexion of the game. West Ham taking full control, looking disciplined, well organised, hardworking and racking up a dizzy 63% possession before half-time. Albeit, without creating much in the way of clear-cut chances.

Orford looked very assured on his league debut although the partnership with Kante was leaving gaping holes through the middle to offer Burnley encouragement for the second half.

Full Time Report

Burnley 2 (Fleming, 83 (Pen), 90 + 2) West Ham 2 (Kilman, 10, Solomon 72)

It wouldn’t be a West Ham game without a head scratching substitution moment. To prove a point Nuno obliged by replacing Pablo with JWP at half-time. Initially it was assumed to be a tactical change – to reinforce the central midfield. But later suggestions cited a problem with Pablo’s calf – perhaps a repetitive strain injury from attempting to control the ball.

Would we now see a further repeat of the perplexing Pablo paradox? Can’t play with him, even worse without him!

The weird part of Nuno’s change was that in endeavouring to maintain the 4-4-2 formation, he opted to move Bowen into the centre and plonked JWP on the right wing. Suddenly, the shape and organisation that was so apparent in the first half fell into disarray. Why does this happen so often with our substitutions? It handed the initiative to Burnley as the Hammer’s defending wobbled, the whole team dropped deeper, and thoughts of adding to the goal tally became distant. A home goal looked increasingly likely.

Mavropanos and Kilman has never been the ideal central defensive partnership, and both were dominated in the air by Flemming as a succession of crosses rained in. The pairing hadn’t work in the Premier League and looked no more solid at this level.

Then, out of the blue, West Ham doubled their lead. A fine run down the right by Kante, a deflected cross, and the ball fell nicely to Solomon to rifle home. Solomon can be happy with his debut. He kept himself busy even though his movement was often frantic rather than controlled – like a bluebottle attempting to escape from a lampshade. He’s no Yossi or Eyal but an improvement over Yaniv Katan. More than competent at this level.

Surely the second goal was enough to break Burnley’s spirit. A winning start to the season was just 18 minutes and a display of careful game management away. But as West Ham tired and struggled to keep hold of the ball, the Clarets had other ideas. They became favourites in every 50-50 challenge and refused to lie down.

For all his fine attacking play before the break, Scarles’ defensive chops were repeatedly shown up in the second period. This culminated in the unnecessary and rash challenge which provided the penalty lifeline the hosts were looking for.

As the clock ticked into added time, West Ham hung on desperately. Another ball into the box, a messy scramble, a poor half-hearted clearance by Kilman, and a Burnley equaliser. Another game thrown away in the last knockings. But credit to Burnley, they were well worth their point.

The Promotion Pointathon

Scanning through the final league standings since we were last in the Championship shows that 90 points is generally a realistic target for automatic promotion. Getting there requires between 22 and 30 victories plus enough draws to make up the balance. Reaching ninety points averages out at 1.96 points per game.

The stretch target (as the HR department likes to say) would be to break the 100-point barrier. To reach a ton, needs between 27 and 33 wins at an average of 2.17 points per game.

Let’s see how we do after letting two slip away on Sunday. Playing not lose rather than playing to win is rarely the path to runaway success.

Of course, the benchmark for runaway West Ham promotion pushes is the 1980/ 81 season where, from 42 matches, the Hammers romped to 28 wins, 10 draws, and just 4 defeats. But then that was a side which could boast Parkes, Stewart, Bonds, Martin, Devonshire, Brooking and Cross among its ranks. COYI!

Hope Springs Eternal: West Ham’s Season Gets Underway at Burnley

After what feels like the usual endless summer of debate, rebuilding and speculation, the wait is almost over. West Ham finally begin the new season with a trip to Burnley on Sunday, and for some of us the opening fixture cannot come soon enough. Pre-season has given us some (limited) reasons to feel encouraged, but like every West Ham supporter, we know better than to get carried away before a competitive ball has been kicked.

The close season has brought significant change to the squad, and there is still some upheaval to come. Some familiar faces have moved on and, as always, there is a sense of uncertainty whenever experienced players leave. Every departure creates a gap, whether in quality, leadership or simply dressing room character. At the same time, football never stands still and the squad needed refreshing. The challenge for the club has been ensuring that those exits are balanced by the right arrivals rather than simply increasing the number of players on the books. Unfortunately, the end of the transfer window never coincides with the beginning of a new season so there is still a lot of dealing to be done in terms of both exits and new arrivals.

The few new signings so far have generated some cautious optimism among supporters but more need to arrive. Hopefully, there will be an attempt to bring in players who can fit a clearer style of play rather than simply collecting names in the Sullivan style. Pre-season has offered just a few glimpses of what that might look like but is this enough? The intensity still needs to be higher, the movement needs to be sharper, and there needs to be a greater willingness to move the ball quickly through midfield. Of course, friendly matches rarely tell the full story. Every summer produces teams who look outstanding in July and struggle badly by September, and vice-versa. Have we seen enough to believe there is a foundation being built? The jury is still out but the picture will become clearer once the window closes and the squad is finalised.

We are the early season favourites to win the Championship and odds on for promotion. But that doesn’t surprise me as relegated Premier League clubs often dominate the early betting markets due to parachute payments and ‘supposed’ superior squad depth with players of top- flight quality and experience. It’s no surprise that Wolves and Burnley are second and third favourites. But there are several other clubs that have realistic chances to challenge for the title and promotion. Despite their points deduction I believe Southampton will be in the mix, alongside Middlesbrough and perhaps Birmingham too. And I wouldn’t rule out Sheffield United, Wrexham and Norwich.

Jarrod Bowen staying at the club is a major boost and both he and Taty should score goals at Championship level if given a good supply of chances. But the jigsaw needs to be completed before we really know what is going to happen. More attacking quality and creativity is still needed.

Does the squad look hungry? There has been competition for places, younger players have been given opportunities to impress and some of the established figures have looked determined to set the tone for the campaign ahead. Kante and Orford both showed some evidence of promise in the League Cup last weekend, hopefully that will be maintained, and others will shine too if given the opportunity. Unlike some fans I like the signing of Veltman, an experienced, solid versatile defender who should add to the leadership at the back, and in the dressing room.

But as West Ham supporters we are not without concerns. We never are. The squad is still a work in progress. Depending on how the remainder of the transfer window develops, there will still probably be areas requiring further strengthening. Injuries, as we know only too well, can quickly expose weaknesses. The opening weeks of the season often test the depth of a squad far more than its strongest starting eleven.

Last season had its difficult moments, especially early on, and there were periods when optimism was hard to find. The summer has at least brought a sense of reset. A new season offers hope, even if experience teaches us that hope and reality do not always travel hand in hand where West Ham are concerned.

The first test at Burnley is unlikely to be straightforward. Turf Moor has never been a venue where points are simply handed out. Burnley will see the opening game as an opportunity to make a statement of their own, and the atmosphere should be intense from the first whistle. Early season fixtures are often decided less by quality and more by organisation, concentration and willingness to compete.

That is why the opening half-hour could be crucial. I hope we have learned from the slow opening period against Portsmouth. Burnley are likely to start aggressively, feeding off their home support and attempting to put us under pressure. We will need to handle that initial period sensibly. There is no need for panic if the game becomes scrappy. In fact, the team that keeps its composure is often the one that comes away with the result on opening weekend.

Midfield could be the key battleground. If we can establish some control and dictate the tempo, our attacking players should find opportunities. The signs from pre-season suggest that there is some creativity within the squad (more still needed though), but competitive football demands more than attractive passages of play. It requires discipline out of possession and clinical finishing when chances arrive.

Defensively, we will also need to be stronger and more consistent than we have been at times in recent seasons. Supporters can accept the occasional mistake, but what frustrates us is when goals are conceded through preventable errors. A solid defensive performance on Sunday would provide an important platform for the rest of the campaign.

Looking beyond Burnley, there is genuine reason to believe this season can be productive, but expectations should probably remain realistic. What most West Ham supporters want is progress. We want to see a team with an identity, a squad that competes every week and players who are committed to the shirt.

If we get some quality new arrivals and they settle quickly, and if the core of the squad stays fit and the positive elements of pre-season carry into competitive matches, there is every chance that this could be an enjoyable campaign. Some talent is there. The challenge is turning potential into consistency. The Championship is known for its unpredictability over a 46-game season, and the league’s ultra-competitive nature means surprises are common.

For now, though, all thoughts lead to Burnley. Sunday represents a fresh start, a chance to put the frustrations of the past behind us and begin building momentum. As supporters, we travel with the usual mixture of excitement, hope and nervousness. That is what following West Ham has always been about.

The forthcoming season will not be defined by one match, but a positive result at Turf Moor would set the right tone. After another summer of change, we finally get the opportunity to see what this team is really capable of. But we won’t really know what we are capable of until all the exits and arrivals are finalised when the window closes. Like every West Ham fan, I am optimistic, cautious, worried, hopeful and excited in equal measure. We never know what we are going to get. The journey starts now.

Can West Ham United bounce back from Relegation?

Past history has shown that we always come back very quickly. But will it be the same this time?

West Ham have a long history of bouncing back from relegation. I have followed the club since 1958 and I have witnessed us drop out of the top flight six times. Since dropping down in 1978, 1989, 1992, 2003, 2011 and now 2026, the club has generally responded well to the challenge of life in the second tier. In fact, with the exception of the period following the 1978 relegation, we have never spent more than two seasons outside the top division before earning promotion again, and in 1978 we only spent three seasons away, and those were three of the most exciting seasons that I remember.

The first major test came after relegation in 1978. The Hammers started life in the Second Division impressively, a whirlwind start opening the season with a 5-2 victory over Notts County and we followed this up with a smart 3-0 away win at Newcastle United to top the league. Joy turned to gloom, however, with two home defeats in four days and we never again topped the league that season. The first two games suggested an immediate return was possible, and we remained in promotion contention in the top five for much of the campaign. However, a poor run towards the end of the season, four wins in the last sixteen and just one win in the final seven games saw us finish fifth and miss out on promotion.

The following season brought one of the most memorable achievements in the club’s history, as we won the FA Cup despite still being outside the top-flight. However, league form was inconsistent and incredibly we only finished seventh. How was this possible with players of the calibre of Parkes, Stewart, Lampard, Martin, Bonds, Brooking, Devonshire, Holland, Neighbour, Cross and Pearson?

After a narrow 1-0 defeat against Liverpool in the Charity Shield at the start of the 1980-81 season we disappointingly lost the opening league game at home to Luton Town. From there we went on an amazing unbeaten run winning fourteen and drawing three games before a defeat in mid-November to Luton Town again! By then we were at the top and never relinquished the top spot finally securing promotion in the record-breaking season which saw us win 28 and draw 10 of our 42 games. 66 points (just 2 points for a win then) would have been 94 points in the modern three points for a win times. It meant that it took the club three seasons to regain top-flight status.

When we were relegated again in 1989, the response was less convincing initially. The club experienced managerial upheaval and were mid-table for much of the season under Lou Macari. We eventually finished only seventh in our first season back in the Second Division. However, under Billy Bonds we produced a much stronger campaign in 1990-91. The team went unbeaten in the opening 21 league matches and built our promotion challenge on a strong defensive record. Early results in the first four games included draws against Middlesbrough and Portsmouth before wins over Watford and Leicester City. That consistency helped us win 24 and draw 15 of our 46 fixtures amassing 87 points to finish second (behind champions Oldham!) and secure promotion back to the top after two seasons away.

The 1992 relegation produced a much faster recovery. We won our opening match at Barnsley but then suffered defeats against Charlton Athletic and Newcastle United. Rather than derailing their campaign, those setbacks appeared to galvanise the side. Billy Bonds’ team quickly found momentum and produced several emphatic victories, including a 5-1 win at Bristol City and a 6-0 home victory over Sunderland. By the end of the season, we had finished runners-up with 26 wins and 10 draws and returned to the top flight which was now the FA Premiership at the first attempt with 88 points in second place behind Newcastle. We needed to beat Cambridge in the final game of the season to ensure automatic promotion and achieved this with second half goals from David Speedie and Clive Allen.

Perhaps the most frustrating recovery attempt came after the club’s relegation in 2003. Despite possessing considerable talent and expectations of an immediate return, West Ham were unable to secure promotion straight away. The season began positively with a victory over Preston North End, but inconsistency soon followed. Manager Glenn Roeder departed early in the campaign and the club eventually reached the play-off final, where we were beaten by Crystal Palace. Promotion finally arrived in 2005 under Alan Pardew, meaning West Ham spent two seasons outside the Premier League.

The 2011 relegation is perhaps the most relevant comparison to the current situation. With Sam Allardyce appointed as manager and a squad that retained significant Premier League quality, West Ham entered the Championship as one of the favourites for promotion. However, the campaign did not begin perfectly. The Hammers lost their opening game 1-0 at home to Cardiff City before responding strongly with victories over Doncaster Rovers, Watford and Nottingham Forest. Although we narrowly missed automatic promotion, we eventually secured a return to the Premier League by winning the play-offs and defeating Blackpool at Wembley.

The 2026-27 Championship campaign presents a fresh challenge. We remain one of the largest clubs in the division with massive support, the biggest stadium, and continue to possess players with top-flight experience. But are we good enough? These are the players who took us down. We’ve lost two talented players but received top dollar for them. We could do without the boardroom turmoil which doesn’t help. We could do with an injection of some talented new players. The evidence of pre-season games doesn’t fill me with great enthusiasm for our prospects for an immediate return. But I accept pre-season games can be deceptive.

The Championship is notoriously unpredictable over a 46-game season. We are clear favourites with the bookmakers to win the league and earn promotion but relegated Premier League clubs often dominate the early betting because of parachute payments and assumed squad strength. However, the league’s competitiveness regularly produces surprises, and I certainly would not risk my money on a swift return.

Looking across the past five completed relegation cycles, a clear pattern emerges. West Ham have usually responded positively to relegation, earning promotion within one or two seasons on four occasions. Only the aftermath of the 1978 relegation resulted in a longer stay outside the top-flight, but that was just three seasons and what seasons they were once we got accustomed to the level. That record provides grounds for optimism that the latest setback will prove temporary, even if history also shows that promotion is rarely as straightforward as we supporters hope that it will be.

It’s A West Ham Scorcher: Seven Minute Sunny Spell Triggers Soaring Expectations

As West Ham progress through to the second round of the Carabao cup, there is a danger of being seduced by an emphatic scoreline that was not as flattering as it looks.

A wise man once proclaimed, “the truth of the battle is whatever the victor deems it to be.’ I’m not sure who it was, but probably some Chinese fella such as Master Po from the 1970’s Kung Fu TV series. In this spirit, significant swaths of the West Ham commentariat have deemed to interpret Saturday’s ‘comfortable’ 3 – 1 win against Portsmouth as an omen of a glorious Championship season to come. I fear this might be somewhat premature.

The reality of the performance was quite different. Although a pre-season friendly feel still hung in the air, the familiar fragile foibles of last season continued to haunt the London Stadium. A slow start, giving away possession, an inability to play through the lines, stilted movement, and a general lack of adventure. A repeat showing next weekend will result in a very unhappy return trip from East Lancashire.

Let’s remember that Portsmouth are a very average Championship side. They finished 18th last season and will most likely be in and around the lower reaches once more this time around. They looked tidy in possession but with (fortunately) little cutting edge. How and why were they able to dominate so completely for the first 40 minutes of the game is perplexing. Before the Hammers grabbed the equaliser, I believe they were trending at 65% possession.

In his post-match comments, Nuno praised the movement and combinations on show for each of the West Ham goals. But where had those attributes been hiding prior to the seven-minute goal blitz. A period where the best on offer were spells of pointless passing across the back – followed by hopeful punts up field once other options had been exhausted.

When Nuno is interviewed after games, he will frequently suggest that the way we play week in, week out is not what he wants. He is delighted by those brief moments where the team discovers its swaggers, where passing and movement spring to life, and confidence on the ball spreads through the team. Why then, do the players find it so difficult to deliver what he says he wants – and what, we must assume, he prepares them for? Do they not understand the instructions, are they scared to take any risks, is there no leadership on the pitch? How can the same plan fail in the same way with such monotonous regularity?

And what caused the sudden change of heart for those seven glorious minutes? The shock of going a goal behind? Or had someone spiked the hydration break water bottles with shots of concentrated Carabao Raspberry energy burst?

The idea of West Ham as runaway league leaders of the Championship built upon limited possession, scoring on the break, and lengthy periods of defensive game management seems highly implausible. A speculative long shot even though my knowledge of the breadth and depth of quality in the Championship is largely unknown. I just don’t see a quick return to the top level in prospect without a significant boost to the squad’s resources over the remaining days of the transfer window.

It is never ideal to leave most of your transfer business until after the season has started but it is a habit that has proven hard to break. The players yet to leave may be just as important as the new recruits as the club endeavours to manage its shaky finance, comply with the new squad ratio rules and buy a new drive belt for the broken fax machine. As a minimum, I expect we are hoping to offload the attitudes and costs of all three of Todibo, AWB and Fullkrug before the end of the month. Incomings must then address the most pressing gaps in what remains a dangerously sketchy squad.

My simple view when assessing players is that they must primarily be competent in fulfilling the basic purpose of their role. It’s no use being the greatest keeper with the ball at your feet if your handling is weak and you cannot dominate the area. Futile being a ball playing centre half or marauding full back if you don’t have the bravery or positional nous to the fundamental defensive duties. Pointless running around all day, huffing and puffing as a forward if you’re not scoring goals or providing assists. Sadly, we fall down in so many positions. Astute prioritisation and a process of make do and mend will be of over-riding importance.

If it was my decision, creative midfield and wide left would top the list followed by striker and centre back reinforcements. Hopefully, each of these can be satisfied even if it means some are loans from Premier League clubs.

We should forget to mention that there were some decent performances on Saturday. Taty and Jarrod Bowen showed they are sure to score goals at this level – and plenty of them given the right service. KWP did well and we saw flashes (but not the whole of the moon) from Lewis Orford and Mo Kante. I’d hope to see more of the latter pair but doubt they can yet be relied upon to carry the midfield through a gruelling 46 match season.

Listening to Nuno speak, I often detect an air of Master Po’s eastern mysticism in his persona. It would be entertaining and just as informative if he injected a hint of far-eastern philosophical nonsense into his press conferences. Reporter: “Jacob Waffle, Stratford Examiner, will you continue with the same ultra-cautious approach to games in the Championship that we saw last year in the Premier League?” Nuno: “Seek not to know the answers, but to understand the questions, Grasshopper”.

It’s worth a try and would make about as much sense as the usual answers. COYI!

West Ham United – the Quest for League Cup Glory: Six Decades of Near Misses and Frustrating Eliminations

Since the Football League Cup was launched in 1960, West Ham have enjoyed a fascinating, if ultimately frustrating, relationship with the competition. The competition arrived during one of the most successful periods in our history. Under manager Ron Greenwood, the club was developing a generation of stars including of course Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters. It was therefore no surprise that West Ham quickly established themselves as contenders in the new tournament.

I remember exactly when the competition began. It was our third season in the top flight and our very first game was at home to Charlton on a Monday night. John Dick, Bobby Moore and Malcolm Musgrove scored in a 3-1 win. The second round brought a trip to fourth division Darlington and a poor display saw us beaten 3-2! One of oh so many disappointments endured against lowly sides in our history. While we have lifted major trophies including the FA Cup (three times) and been successful in European competitions (twice), the League Cup in its many guises (currently the Carabao Cup) has remained elusive despite several memorable runs and two appearances in the final.

We were getting closer in 1963-64 when we reached the semi-final and lost the first leg at Leicester 4-3. A long gap to the second leg of almost two months, partly because of our run in the FA Cup that season which culminated in winning the trophy, and we were well placed to progress to the final. Disappointingly we lost the home leg 2-0 and another chance had gone.

Our greatest opportunity came in the 1965-66 season. Just months after winning the European Cup Winners’ Cup, we embarked on another impressive League Cup campaign. The Hammers reached the final after defeating Cardiff City 5-1 away in the semi-final second leg, one of the club’s biggest victories in the competition. The final was played over two legs, as was customary at the time. West Ham faced West Bromwich Albion but fell short, finishing as runners-up. We gained a 2-1 advantage in the first leg at Upton Park with goals from Johnny Byrne and Bobby Moore only to crash to a 4-1 defeat in the second leg. It remains one of the great “what if” moments in the club’s history. The defeat denied a side packed with England’s World Cup-winning talent the chance to add another major honour to an already glittering era.

In 1971-72 another fine run in the competition led to a semi-final with Stoke City which became a saga played out over four games. The first leg at Stoke was won 2-1 with goals from Best and Hurst. Surely this would be our year? There was drama in the second leg as, with Stoke 1-0 up with four minutes remaining Hurst stepped up to take a penalty – if he scored we would be at Wembley. Unfortunately Gordon Banks made a wonder save and the tie went to a replay at Hillsborough. That game resulted in a 0-0 stalemate, which meant a second replay at Old Trafford. The next game for twists, turns, upheavals and sheer football drama was one of the great cup ties of all time.

On 13 minutes keeper Bobby Ferguson went off for lengthy treatment to be replaced in goal by Bobby Moore. Later Stoke were awarded a penalty which Moore saved but the ball rebounded for Bernard to score. We then rallied with goals from Bonds and Brooking putting us 2-1 ahead. Ferguson, still concussed then returned to play in goal only to concede goals from Dobing and Conroy which saw Stoke reach the final. Which incidentally Stoke won beating Chelsea 2-1.  

The club had to wait a few more years for the next appearance in the final. In 1980-81, John Lyall’s side was enjoying one of the most remarkable periods in our history. Having won the FA Cup as a Second Division club in 1980, the Hammers returned to Wembley in pursuit of League Cup glory the following season. Once again, however, the trophy slipped through our grasp.

The first 90 minutes was goalless and the final went to extra time. Liverpool opened the scoring in the 118th minute, when defender Alan Kennedy scored. The goal was hotly contested as the shot passed over Sammy Lee of Liverpool in an offside position, obstructing the view of the West Ham goalkeeper, Phil Parkes. Referee Clive Thomas controversially allowed the goal to stand, his opinion being that Lee was not interfering with play. After the game, our usually placid West Ham manager, John Lyall, uncharacteristically expressed his anger to Thomas and said he “felt cheated”. This was later misrepresented by Thomas as Lyall saying that “Thomas had cheated”. The Liverpool lead lasted two minutes, as West Ham equalised courtesy of a Ray Stewart penalty, after a Liverpool handball on the line blocked a goal bound header from Alvin Martin After that 1-1 draw at Wembley full of controversy we finished runners-up for a second time when Liverpool won the replay 2-1 at Villa Park, a result that remains our closest approach to winning the competition since.

Although the trophy never arrived, the competition has provided several memorable moments for supporters. One of the most extraordinary came in October 1983 when West Ham defeated Bury 10-0 at Upton Park. The result remains the club’s record League Cup victory and one of the most emphatic wins in their history in any competition. We then bought Bury’s centre half, Paul Hilton for £100.000! You can’t make it up where West Ham are concerned.

There have also been painful defeats. Among the most notable was a 6-0 semi-final loss away to Oldham Athletic during the 1989-90 campaign, one of the heaviest League Cup defeats the club has suffered.

The Premier League era has produced mixed fortunes. While we have frequently done OK, deep runs have been relatively rare. Semi-final appearances in 2010-11 and 2013-14 offered hope of a return to Wembley, but neither campaign ended in silverware with two-legged defeats by Birmingham and Manchester City respectively. More recently, we reached the quarter-finals in 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2021-22, demonstrating a capacity to compete but falling short of the latter stages to Manchester United, Arsenal and Tottenham.

One modern highlight came in October 2021 when West Ham eliminated Manchester City on penalties in the fourth round. At the time, City had dominated the competition for much of the previous decade, making the result one of the club’s most celebrated League Cup victories in recent years. West Ham won the shoot-out 5-3 after a goalless draw.

Despite never winning the tournament, West Ham’s overall League Cup record reflects a club that has consistently been capable of producing memorable cup football. Few clubs can point to two final appearances, multiple semi-final runs and record-breaking victories while still describing the competition as unfinished business. Conversely some of the teams that have eliminated us include Darlington, Rotherham, Huddersfield, Stockport (twice), Barnsley, Luton, Oxford, Crewe, Bolton (three times), Northampton, Reading, Chesterfield, Aldershot and Wigan.

The contrast with the club’s (relative) success elsewhere only increases the sense of frustration. West Ham have won the FA Cup three times and claimed European honours in both 1965 and 2023, yet the League Cup remains absent from the honours list. The club officially records the two runner-up finishes, in 1966 and 1981 as its best achievements in the competition.

More than six decades after the tournament’s introduction, the League Cup remains one of the few major domestic honours missing from West Ham’s collection. From the Moore, Hurst and Peters era to the modern Premier League age, generations of Hammers have come close. The challenge for future teams is simple: finally complete the set and turn those near misses into a long-awaited triumph. But that is not about to happen any time soon.

On Saturday we face a first round home tie against another team from the Championship in Portsmouth. It will be nothing more than a pre-season runout in preparation for the important business of trying to regain our place in the Premier League which begins the following weekend when on the Sunday we travel to face fellow relegated side Burnley in the first of 46 challenging games. For the moment the League Cup will remain an afterthought.

Crisis? What Crisis? The Summer of Discontent Heats Up At The London Stadium

West Ham’s approach to new season has the level of preparedness usually associated with someone mistaking blind optimism for a successful strategy. What could possibly go wrong?

West Ham fans of any vintage are well used to the topsy-turvy nature of most football seasons. More turvy than topsy if the truth be told. But at least we used to have the summer break to forget all about it and watch the cricket instead. Nowadays, the close season is filled with almost as much drama, swinging from despair to hope and back again with each news cycle.

Intermittent relegation is a cross we’ve come to bear in east London. We may kid ourselves it shouldn’t happen, that it can never happen again, that we are too big and too rich a club to get things so wrong. But then here we are. Forever cursed with incompetent owners?

Emotions had understandably reached their lowest ebb when relegation was finally confirmed on 24 May. Here was a club with huge debt, expensive credit, plunging revenues, supporting a lopsided squad of overpaid misfits. Turmoil, fire sales, games played in a half empty London stadium, and visions of becoming a second Leicester City were reasonable predictions for the year ahead.

Then a few things happened to slowly lift the gloom. The much-despised David Sullivan resigned to spend more time with his lawyers and following his sidekick Baroness Brady of Knightsbridge out of the door. A joint statement from Daniel Kretinski and Vanessa Gold promised a share transfer deal and a newfound spirit of cooperation that would see the Czech become the club’s largest shareholder. At long last, a specialist director of recruitment had been appointed, and the club had played hard ball in extracting top of the range fees for the sales of Fernandes and Summerville. And loans to Barclay Bank had been paid off, although the more extortionate payday credit from Rights and Media Funding remained in place.

Perhaps things weren’t as bad as we feared after all. The situation was still light on detail. Had West Ham complied with the final year Premier League PSR rules, how would they meet Championship Squad Cost Ratio rules in a world of falling revenues, would the transfer funds received be used to pay off debt or improve the squad?

Regardless, a ray of optimism saw fit to raise its ugly head. And whenever that happens, it’s a sure sign that things are about to come crashing down. And so, it came to pass – and predictably it was a backwards pass! We discovered the boardroom pact was not as harmonious as presented, the pre-season games were a reminder of how one dimensional the football is under the current manager, and despite the gaping holes in the squad, the only new addition has been the permanent signing of Keiber Lamadrid.

Could there be a worse time to be caught in ownership limbo? It is difficult to see it not having knock-on implications in the day to day running of the club. The impasse in the original plan, it seems, were the conflicting desires of Kretinsky and Gold. For reasons unknown (but widely speculated upon), Kretinsky hadn’t wanted to increase his ownership above 50%, and the Gold Family Trust didn’t want to be left holding a small percentage of shares.

It has been suggested that the plan was for Kretinsky to find a separate buyer for the remainder of Gold’s shares but with the passing of time nothing came to fruition. Into this void enter Amanda Staveley and her consortium with an offer for the whole of the Golds shareholding which they saw as too good to refuse. Did Kretinsky fail to follow through or did the Golds renege on the deal. Both claim to be acting in the best interests of West Ham. What to make of it? The malign tentacles of Gold and Sullivan are far from history.

The latest move clearly upset Kretinsky and his desire for stability in the run up to the new season. There must now be a two-month two-round process before anything can be resolved. In round 1, existing shareholders have the right to buy the Gold shares in proportion to their existing holding – Sullivan and Kretinsky could buy 50.8% and 36% of the shares on offer respectively. Other minority shareholders have the same option. In round 2, any unsold shares can be purchased by those buying in round 1.

The general online consensus is that Sullivan is unlikely to be interested in increasing his stake – and he has remained uncharacteristically quiet about his position on the matter. So, everything depends on Kretinsky showing his colours. It will need to be an all or nothing play from him – either doing nothing or buying all the Gold shares to block Staveley’s bid – for now. Until she returns with an eye on Sullivan’s holding.

It has never been obvious what Kretinsky wants. He has been a mostly passive investor with West Ham, just one small part of his immense asset portfolio. The Sullivan situation may have forced his hand to act but possibly only to protect his original investment. Does he have any true appetite to become a majority owner? All we can do now is wait and hope the club does not enter a state of paralysis as the boardroom struggle plays out.

If things in the boardroom are a mess, then the omens on the pitch look no better. It came as a surprise to many when the club decided to persevere with Nuno Espirito Santo after last season’s events. Continuity is fine if what you want is more of the same. True, he was mostly lumbered with the squad he inherited, there was an upturn in form towards the end of the campaign, and he has a previous Championship promotion under his belt. But he wasn’t a late relegation battle arrival. He was appointed in September with plenty of opportunity to make his mark. Is his brand of cautious, counter attacking football really the route to success in the long, hard slog of a Championship season. I see no rationale why West Ham should be among the favourites for the title or automatic promotion.

As yet, nothing has been done to address the squad’s perennial on-field weaknesses: reliable goal-scoring front man; creativity in midfield; energetic defensive midfielder; and fearless central defender – virtually the whole spine of the team. I made the mistake of shelling out a fiver to watch Saturday’s friendly and how toothless was that performance against a side who just about managed to avoid the drop from Bundesliga 2 last season. OK, it was only a friendly, but you would expect to see signs of a team able to take control a game. Instead, it was a reprise of the plodding, unadventurous style that failed to impress in the Premier League.

Listening to players interviewed after games and I get the impression they have no belief either. Platitudes such as “we’re heading in the right direction”, “we need to keep growing as a team” and “we must keep pushing for what we want to achieve” had me checking whether David Brent had been appointed Director of Communications.

I do understand some of the original delay in recruitment while Nils Koppen got his feet under the table but to have done nothing on the eve of the new season is disastrous. Other clubs have shown it is possible to recover from a slow start, but it’s a dangerous game. And far more difficult when you add in an uber cautious coach.

Unfortunately, I’m not on the same page as those who see youth team players stepping up to fill the missing pieces. I love it when a youth team breaks through and am loathe to write any off any individual too quickly. But for a self-styled ‘academy of football’ West Ham have a wretched record of youth development in recent years. Sadly, I’ve yet to be convinced by any of the current crop but will be more than happy to be proved wrong.

The academy might like to think of itself as a production line of talent, but it is turning out identikit graduates where discipline has been drilled in at the expense of flair and risk taking. Players whose first instinct is control, half turn, and short pass. Nothing more. It’s like the way plant breeders eliminated taste from fruit by prioritising appearance. We were perhaps lucky that the only notable academy graduate of the past 15 years got his early footballing education at a completely different club.

What we are left with is players who look elegant but fall short on the other attributes required to make it as a top-level footballer – strength, determination, resilience, stamina, positional sense, awareness, vision, and decision-making. Whether that is peculiar to West Ham or is a wider problem of the rarified academy environment, I don’t know. Are these the skills which were once honed during 20-a-side matches in the street or over the park?

Apart from all that, preparations for the new season look perfect. What could possibly go wrong? COYI!

The Gold and Sullivan Years in Numbers: An Era of Stagnation and Squandered Opportunity

We hope it’s all over. Running the numbers on an unenterprising, wasteful, self-aggrandising and shameful period in the history of West Ham United

It all started with low expectations, went mostly downhill, and ended in a slurry of sleaze and shady behaviour. With the Gold and Sullivan era hopefully gone forever, we look back on the numbers which define this wasteful and distasteful period of West Ham history.

16 – the number of seasons ‘competing’ in the topflight. The first match on 26 January 2010, a 1-1 draw away at Portsmouth leaving West Ham in 16th position. The last, a 3-0 home win on 24 May 2026 confirming the Hammer’s relegation with an 18th place finish.

2 – the number of Premier League relegations. One a consequence of their first disastrous managerial appointment in 2011. The other, the culmination of shocking mismanagement in the aftermath of the European Conference success and the transfer of Declan Rice.

6 – the number of top ten finishes (excluding the Championship year) out of 16 attempts. The highest was 6th place in 2020/21, a season which also set West Ham Premier League records for number of wins (19) and points gained (65).

633 – total number of league games played, of which 214 were won (33.8%) and 258 lost (40.7%). In the Premier League only, the 190 victories from 587 games (32.3%) were overshadowed by 250 defeats (42.6%). West Ham stand proud as holders of the record for all-time number of Premier League defeats.

13th – the average league finishing position throughout the Gold and Sullivan years. This is reflected in an average Premier League points tally of 45. As a club featuring regularly among the world’s top twenty richest – and one of the top 8 richest in England – these are far from impressive statistics.

3 – the number of topflight seasons when West Ham won more league games than they lost. And unsurprisingly, these are also the only seasons that ended with a positive goal difference. The seasons in question: 2015/16, 2020/21 and 2021/22.

9 – number of managers employed – technically, it is 10 if you count David Moyes twice. The entire rogue’s gallery comprises Gianfranco Zola, Avram Grant, Sam Allardyce, Slaven Bilic, David Moyes, Manuel Pellegrini, Julen Lopetegui, Graham Potter, and Nuno Espirito Santo. The strongest link in terms of Premier League win percentage is David Moyes (36.87%). The weakest was Avram Grant (18.92%). Anywhere between 45% and 55% is usually considered to be a strong managerial performance.

2.9 billion – the cumulative amount in pounds received in revenues over 17 seasons from broadcast, matchday and commercial sources. A club record of £270 million was posted in the 2024 accounts. It is estimated that relegation will cost the club at least £100 million in income next season.

1.34 billion – the amount paid in euros (sorry, all Transfermkt data is in euros) for player transfer fees. At today’s exchange rate that is £1.15 billion. In addition to the 92 players signed for a fee, there were 36 free transfers and 41 loans – a total of 169 players in all. The record signing was Sebastien Haller at €50 million with another 17 players costing €25 million or more. 

650 million– the amount received (€) for player transfers. West Ham sold 67 players and allowed 55 to leave on a free. The record sale was Declan Rice (€116 m) with only five other players sold for €25 million or more. The sale of Rio Ferdinand in 2000 continues to hold sixth place in the ranking of highest transfer fees received.

1.1 billion– the cumulative amount (£) paid in wages to achieve very little. The wage bill as well as transfer spend has increased significantly in recent years. All to assemble a squad fit for relegation.

16,711,118 – the number shuffling through the turnstiles at West Ham home matches, both at Upton Park and the London Stadium.

47,475 – the average home attendance (excluding COVID restricted games) across 352 matches – they keep turning up regardless. The average for games played at Upton Park was 32,836. At the London Stadium, 58,219. Attendance numbers have now become theoretical rather than actual body counts with the highest recorded attendances of 35,005 at Upton Park and 62,477 at the London Stadium.

214 – total number of players fielded by West Ham during first team games in all competitions. 81 of whom made fewer than 10 starts for the club.

426 – the highest number of appearances made by an individual player during the GSB era – Mark Noble. Next best is Aaron Cresswell at 369 with the following each breaking the 200 barrier: Michail Antonio (323), Tomas Soucek (284), Jarrod Bowen (280), Angelo Ogbonna (249), Declan Rice (245), Manuel Lanzini (226), Winston Reid (222), James Tomkins (205) and Pablo Fornals (203).

85 – the most goals scored by an individual player in all competitions – the ever-reliable Bowen. Antonio is next with 83 and he remains the club’s all-time leading Premier League goalscorer (68 to Bowen’s 65.) Just 5 other players managed 20 or more Premier League goals to their name. These are Soucek (41), Noble (37), Andy Carroll (33), Lanzini (27), and Marko Arnautovic (21). The frequently injured Carroll is the only player brought in as an out and out striker to feature on the list.

16 – most league goals scored in a season by an individual player – Bowen in 2023/24. Second place with 14 goes to Carlton Cole in the 2011/12 Championship season. West Ham players have reached double figures on just eight other occasions in the Premier League: Bowen (13) in 2024/25, Bowen (12) in 2021/22, Arnautovic (11) in 2017/18, Antonio (10) in 2019/20, Antonio & Soucek (10) in 2020/21, Diafra Sakho (10) in 2014/15 and Kevin Nolan (10) in 2012/13.

1069– the total number of goals scored by West Ham (1.39 per game) in all competitions. Goals conceded totalled 1083 (1.41 per game). For league games only, the numbers are 849 for (1.34 per game) and 952 against (1.50 per game).

8 – the most goals scored by West Ham in a single game – the 8-0 win against Macclesfield in the 2018/19 League Cup. The biggest league win was 6-0 in the Championship against Brighton (2011/12). Although West Ham scored 5 on 4 occasions in cup competitions, they were unable to repeat that feat in the Premier League. Ironically, the last 5 goal haul came just before the takeover – a 5-3 win over Burnley in November 2009. The Hammers bagged 4 on 30 separateoccasions, 20 times in topflight games.

6 – most goals conceded in a single match – once in a 6-0 league cup semi, first leg defeat by Manchester City in 2014, and again in the league versus Arsenal in 2024.  The West Ham rearguard conceded 5 goals on 12 occasions and 4 goals 33 times.

8 – highest aggregate score in a West Ham game – the 8-0 win against Macclesfield. There were 7 games featuring 7 goals – 4-3 wins against Huddersfield and Portsmouth, 2-5 losses to Liverpool and Arsenal, and 3-4 defeats to Bournemouth, Palace and Newcastle.

139 – the number of West Ham clean sheets earned in Premier League games (23.6% of games played)

161 – the number of Premier League games in which the Hammers failed to score (27.4%)

35 – the total number of goalless games featuring West Ham (5.9%). Goalless draws peaked during the Sam Allardyce years, accounting for 40% of the total.

13 – the number of players to win the Hammer of The Year Award. Declan Rice has three wins, Scott Parker and Mark Noble two, Winston Reid, Aaron Cresswell, Dimitri Payet, Michail Antonio, Marko Arnautovic, Lukasz Fabianski, Tomas Soucek, Jarrod Bowen, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, and Konstantinos Mavropanos one each.

1 – the number of trophies won. That night in Prague and victory over Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League. A victory that the owners hoped to dine on for eternity. West Ham competed in five European campaigns. Two under Slaven Bilic where they were eliminated in the qualifying rounds and three under David Moyes. As well as the Conference win, the Moyes campaigns saw one semi-final and one quarter-final Europa League appearance, losing both to German opposition.

0 – the number of domestic trophies won or finals reached. In the FA Cup, the best efforts were quarter-final exits in 2011, 2016 and 2026. In the League Cup, the Hammers were losing semi-finalists in 2011 and 2014 and were knocked out in the quarter finals four times. Ironically, the best performing cup year was the Avram Grant relegation season.

0 – the number of people disappointed at seeing the back of David Sullivan

Czech Mate: Knight Takes Porn To Capture Control Of West Ham Board

Optimism reigns as Daniel Kretinsky rides to the rescue at the London Stadium. Should we be excited and what is needed to recover from the shortcomings of the last 16 years?

Never in the field of humiliating relegations has despair turned to optimism quite as quickly as it has at West Ham in recent days. First the welcome and overdue resignation of Chairman David Sullivan ahead of the Panorama revelations. And then the news that Daniel Kretinsky is to purchase a chunk of the Gold family shares to make himself the Hammer’s largest stakeholder. Cue an old-fashioned east-end knees up!

Since then, the rumour mill has gone into overdrive with a deluge of plans and proposals (both real and imaginery) that would make West Ham great again. New investment to clear debts, dampening down the fire sale, sorting out the unlovable stadium and developing a fit-for-purpose training facility are just a few of them. Turns out our saviour was hiding in plain sight all along. Just waiting for the asset to get distressed enough to ride to the rescue in his trademark style.

It is a reasonable question to ask what Kretinsky has been doing these past five years. Had he been thwarted in attempts to modernise the club by the intransigent Sullivan/ Gold alliance? Or was it always his intention to take a watching brief from afar and await the collapse? After all, in the most recent accounts he was not even listed as a director. Still, he has been making all the right noises in the media, and we owe him the benefit of the doubt until proven otherwise. Time will tell whether he can follow through on the promises or whether the good intentions end up as another piece of nostalgic memorabilia alongside the Gold and Sullivan 10-point pledge?

As I had written previously, if the plan had been to use funds from player sales to pay off the transfer debt to other clubs and to clear the expensive loans that had been taken out, then West Ham were in deep trouble. In that sense, the message that additional investment would be forthcoming (however that is achieved) is as crucial as it is welcome.

Player sales are still be inevitable to comply with the 85% squad cost ratio rules in light of the estimated £100 million hit on revenues that relegation brings. But the impact needn’t be so great if the club’s cash flow problems are ameliorated. It also strengthens the club’s negotiating position for the transfer of those unwilling to spend at least one season in the lower tier. I would be mightily surprised if any of Fernandes, Summerville, Todibo, Diouf, Wan-Bissaka, Areola, Alvarez, and Fullkrug were still around in August. There may also be others who want to leave, or the club would prefer to have off the payroll.

The objective will be to shift the bigger names for as high a price (and as high a profit) as possible. Play hard ball and the more competition for signatures the better. The bigger the player trading profit, the more that can be reinvested in rebuilding.

The flipside of the expected exodus is the size of the rebuild. The challenge to assemble a squad not only capable of battling their way to promotion but also forming the backbone on the return to the Premier League. West Ham have been notoriously poor at player trading for as long as I can remember – would you believe that the sale of Rio Ferdinand 26 years ago is still seventh in the list of the club’s record transfers out – and requires immediate attention. The rumoured appointment of Steve Nickson (from Newcastle) as Director of Football/ Technical Director sounds like a very positive move. His up-to-date knowledge and expertise would allow him to hit the ground the running in the current transfer window. The turnaround in personnel will be huge and I’m nowhere near as bullish as some on the value our youth players can offer.

The thorny issue (for anyone taking up the DoF role) will be Nuno and his historically over-cosy relationship with friend and super-agent Jorge Mendes. The impression I have of the manager is that he is churlish enough to refuse to play a signing simply because he was not involved in the recruitment process. The DoF/ manager relationship is critical to a successful window and a quick return to the top tier.

One area where Kretinsky’s business empire could come in handy is getting in on the associated party action when securing lucrative sponsorship deals. If it’s good enough for Manchester City!  I’m visualising Royal Mail as our shirt sponsor. First Class Mail for the faster players. Second Class for the rest!  

No doubt, Kretinsky’s immediate priorities will be to sort out the finances and oversee the extensive transfer business over the coming months. Improving the stadium and training facilities are both much longer term projects. The stadium is saddled with so many vested interests and reputations that it is difficult to see a clear way forward for now. That the current arrangement really doesn’t suit anyone should, however, be motivation enough to act.

As for the training ground, could the writing be on the wall for the Rush Green Portakabin village and its satellites? A consolidated location has long been needed to bring the facilities up to contemporary standards and to foster continuity from youth to senior football. It will probably mean a move out of Greater London into the estuarine hinterlands of Essex but so be it. In the Czech tradition, maybe land is available at Bataville in east Tilbury. And the ‘Academy of Football’ really deserves a campus, not just a training ground!

The mention of churlishness earlier, reminds us that David Sullivan is not entirely out of the picture as yet. His days of calling the shots on operational matters may be well and truly over but until he sells up, he remains a significant shareholder. And the support of all large shareholders is required for any major restructuring decisions the club may need. How will he react to the impotency of his behind-the-scenes exile? Will he go gently into the night, tail between his legs? Or linger stubbornly like that bad smell when a mate has been sick in the backseat of your Cortina.

The last thing Kretinsky needs is Sullivan as an obstacle as he plots his next moves. One night in Stratford makes a hard man humble, not much between despair and ecstasy. COYI!