Month: October 2022

There’s Only One F In Stratford: West Ham Entertain The Cottagers At The London Stadium

Two wins, two clean sheets and the luxury of selection dilemmas might finally put a smile on David Moyes face

A week is a long time in football. Two wins and two clean sheets in five days have transformed David Moyes demeanour and medium term outlook beyond his wildest expectations. Gone was the startled Scooby Doo look of panic that was a constant during his time at Sunderland, to be replaced by the smug satisfaction of a man who had just found a can of Irn-Bru in the mini-bar of his Brussels hotel room.

Having made nine changes to his side for the midweek game at Anderlecht, the Hammers put in a professional performance to take control of the game, even if needed the introduction of Declan Rice, Gianluca Scamacca and Lucas Paqueta to finally seal the victory. An impressive trinity to be able to summon from the bench.

I’m already viewing the title of Group B champions as a done deal, and have started to look at which teams could potentially block the path to the final. Of those in the Conference itself, Villareal pose the greatest threat, followed by Koln and Fiorentina, though neither have made impressive starts in their respective groups. More of a problem are the clubs dropping down from the Europa League. Clearly, we wouldn’t want to face either of the English clubs – given previous inferiority complexes shown against Arsenal and Manchester United – and thankfully neither are likely to end up eliminated. Of the sides currently sitting third in their Europa groups, Roma and Lazio would be the greatest worries and best avoided. I’m all in favour of the clearest and easiest route possible to the final in Prague.

Standing in the way on back-to-back West Ham Premier League wins this weekend are newly promoted Fulham. The Cottagers have made a decent start back in the top flight and currently sit in ninth place with eleven points – having recorded wins at home to Brentford and Brighton and away at Forest. But a home victory today would lift the Hammers to within a single point of the visitors.

The Fulham gig has seen the resurrection of Portuguese manager, Marco Silva. Once the rising star among young Premier League coaches, Silva floundered, as many have before and since, in the graveyard of managerial ambitions that is Goodison Park. Eyebrows were raised when he replaced Scott Parker at Craven Cottage, but a barnstorming run to last season’s Championship title has represented a remarkable rebound in his stock.

A large part of Fulham’s resurgence has been to contribution and goals of Mitrovic. This time around he has offered far more than the typical blunt instrument impact of previous campaigns. Fortunately for West Ham, the Serb is a highly probable non-starter today.

The visitors were soundly beaten by Newcastle at Craven Cottage last time out when the early dismissal of Chalobah did little to help their cause. Chalobah’s ensuing suspension may herald an interesting return of Issa Diop to the London Stadium.

Moyes has a handful of selection dilemmas for the game which will test his loyalty to the established order. Has Alphonse Areola finally earned the inevitable upgrade to number one, Number One status? Who gets the nod between Emerson and Aaron Cresswell for the problematic left-back slot? Has Flynn Downes done enough to show he can be a Premier League starter in preference to Tomas Soucek?

I can’t see Moyes leaving out either Lukasz Fabianski or Soucek. Both had decent enough games last weekend against Wolves meaning the midweek heroics of Areola and Downes will likley go unrewarded. Fabianski will need either injury or serious howlers to lose his place.

It is ridiculous that Downes has just one minute (and no touches) of Premier League football to his name – in the season opener against Manchester City. The value of committed, no-nonsense players like Downes and Craig Dawson who make a real nuisance of themselves is hugley under-rated. If Downes doesn’t get a start he must be given at least twenty minutes or so to demonstrate he can cut it at this level.

It’s a toss-up for me at left back as I’ve yet to be convinced by Emerson’s defensive prowess. The problem with Cresswell’s rapidly waning powers, however, is that his presence almost guarantees the inclusion of the under-performing Pablo Fornals to baby-sit as a supplementary full-back. It’s the structural problem with the way that Moyes sets up in that our wide attacking players are given way too much defensive responsibility (well beyond the need to track back in response to an emerging threat). The consequuence is that out-ball options once possession is regained are severely limited.

Far better if the more advanced players are deployed further up the pitch to launch offensive actions and ensure the main striker does not get isolated. It was once said that it requires surgery to get a joke into a Scotsman’s head. Possibly harsh, but a similar procedure might be necessary if Moyes is to be persuaded that Scamacca and Michail Antonio can prosper together in the same side.

Scamacca is now the clear and obvious first choice frontman. He has demonstrated a predatory nose for goal and there are signs of promising understandings developing with both Jarrod Bowen and Paqueta. But Antonio still has much to offer – he is our leading all-time Premier League scorer after all. But as a striker, he gravitates towards the wings too much anyway, so why not play him there in a reprise of his earlier days at the club?

West Ham can boast an excellent record against Fulham over the years and in recent history with the Hammers having won three and drawn one of the last four meetings. Even so, both games in the 2020/21 Fulham relegation season were close run things and but for Lookman’s comical last minute penalty would have ended all square.

The absence of Mitrovic would be a huge blow to the visitors. Despite their promising start to the season they still have one of the worst defensive records in the divion. But West Ham’s profligacy in front of goal must improve if they are to advantage. A 2-0 win for the home side. COYI!

East London faces West London when Fulham are the visitors to the London Stadium to face a West Ham side looking for a third win in a row

After an indifferent start to the season the last week has been a good one for West Ham. A 2-0 win over Wolves which led to the sacking of their manager was followed by a 1-0 win in Belgium, a minor form of revenge against Anderlecht for our defeat in the 1976 European Cup Winners Cup final. Two victories, two clean sheets and an opportunity for most of the first team squad to get minutes on the pitch under their belt, and a chance to show the manager what they can do.

Three points last weekend were badly needed to move out of the bottom three and a game against Fulham is an opportunity to build on that. That is not to say that the newly-promoted West Londoners should be under estimated for they have made a decent start in their return to the top flight. They sit in eighth place with eleven points with wins over Brighton, Brentford and Forest and a draw against Liverpool being the highlights. Their last game a week ago was a bit of a nightmare after having a player sent off in the first few minutes, and they eventually lost 4-1 to Newcastle. They will be looking to bounce back. But this is exactly the type of game we should be looking to win if we want to continue our progress up the table.

Nine changes from the league game gave a lot of fringe players the opportunity to shine on Thursday evening, and in my view one player stood out, namely Flynn Downes. In two European appearances he has been my man of the match on each occasion. Surely he must be given an opportunity soon in the league? I won’t get bogged down in statistics here, but he demonstrated his skill in so many facets of the midfielders role. One thing that I particularly admire is his ability to find a team mate with his passing enabling retention of the ball, a skill not necessarily shared amongst all his colleagues.

Areola had very little to do but showed his concentration when making a magnificent save late in the game to confirm the win. The summer recruitment meant that we had the strongest bench seen for a long time, and the triple substitution bringing on Rice, Paqueta and Scamacca was key to taking the lead. I would have liked to see the manager experiment for at least a short period with Antonio and Scamacca on the pitch at the same time but he seems reluctant to do so, preferring just one at a time.

I don’t usually publish the team I would like to see playing in a game, but for this game against Fulham I will. I know the manager will not pick this team but here goes.

Areola
Kehrer, Dawson, Zouma, Emerson
Downes, Rice,
Bowen, Paqueta, Antonio
Scamacca

It won’t happen of course and I fully expect Fabianski, Cresswell, Soucek and Fornals to be in the starting eleven. I like Benrahma but he appears to be lacking in confidence at the moment. He has the skills to unlock defences but seems to have lost his composure when making the final pass or in front of goal. He needs a manager to have faith in him. I worry about Cresswell, Ogbonna and Lanzini. All three have been great servants but haven’t been the same following serious injuries. Fornals and Soucek have some great attributes but both seem to me to give the ball away too easily at the moment.

Apparently Mitrovic is an injury doubt, but if he plays he will be a threat. But I predict a third clean sheet in a row, a 2-0 win. I can’t remember the last time that we won two league games in a row – it must be many months ago. 

Belgian Waffle: West Ham’s Revenge Visit To Anderlecht

If revenge is a dish best served cold, then waiting forty-six years to take it should bring a deep frozen sense of satisfaction. But can the Hammers do the business in Brussels?

In a bad week for conferences, West Ham renew their Europa Conference campaign with an away trip to Belgian side, Anderlecht. Should the Hammers prevail and maintain their perfect start in Group B it would create clear daylight between themselves and the rest of the pack. Getting the group sewn up early would be a huge bonus given poor domestic form and the prospect of ten games in the next thirty-seven days.

Older Hammers will remember well the only previous encounter between West Ham and Anderlecht. The 1976 European Cup-Winners’ Cup (ECWC) Final, played at the infamous Heysel stadium – a 10 km hike across Brussels from tonight’s venue.

Anderlecht were part of the European elite back in the 70’s and 80’s. The days before mega TV deals and big money when success was shared around more evenly, allowing the Belgians to win two ECWC Finals, one UEFA Cup and two UEFA Super Cups – as well as appearing as losing finalists four times.

In the 1976 Final, the Anderlecht line-up featured Dutch masters Rob Rensenbrink and Arie Haan plus future Hammer, Francois Van der Elst. They were firm favourites to win the game against an out of form West Ham who relied heavily on the legendary services of Trevor Brooking and Billy Bonds. If you think the Hammer’s current form is bad now, in 1976 it was abysmal. In all the league games played between January and May the record was: played nineteen, lost twelve, drawn six and won one (against QPR). A run that saw the team fall from top spot in November to finally finish eighteenth (out of twenty-two).

Even so the Hammers put in a decent shift on the night. An early lead through Pat Holland was cancelled out just before half time before following a poor Frank Lampard back pass. Van der Elst put Anderlecht ahead just after the break, but the Hammers clawed their way back into contention when Keith Robson headed home from Brooking’s cross twenty minutes from time. With the tie nicely poised, the game turned when Holland was adjudged to have brought down Rensenbrink in the penalty area. Where was VAR when you needed it? Rensenbrink netted from the spot and Van der Elst scored his second late on, to make it 4-2, as the Hammers pushed forward for an equaliser.

Anderlecht remain Belgium’s most successful club side of all time although their pre-eminence has been usurped by Club Brugge in recent years. Although the Purple and White have never finished outside the Belgian league’s top six, they are floundering this term in a lowly tenth position. What we wouldn’t give for tenth!

David Moyes is likely to make several changes for tonight’s fixture following a welcome first home win, with some signs of improvement, at the weekend. It will be the usual switch of keeper and possibly the return of Vladimir Coufal and Angelo Ogbonna in defence. Ideally there should be further chances for Flynn Downes and Said Benrahma in midfield and possibly a recall for Manuel Lanzini. Surely, Gianluca Scamacca must be allowed to continue his splendid Euro scoring form and maybe, just maybe, with Jarrod Bowen and Maxell Cornet nursing injuries, we might even get to see Scamacca and Michail Antonio on the pitch at the same time. It has been reported that several youth team players have been added to the squad in Brussels but past evidence suggests that carrying the bags is the only action they will see.

Most recognisable names in the Anderlecht line-up are ex-Tottenham warhorse, Jan Vertonghen and expensive Wolverhampton striking flop, Fabio Silva – a player so ineffective he couldn’t get a game in a team with no strikers.

The previous two group games have seen (what has become) the trademark slow start from Moyes’ team, having fallen behind against both FCSB and Silkeborg. A repeat tonight would be best avoided while another three-goal haul (making it five in a row in the competition) would be more than welcome. West Ham to win 3-1.  

Are West Ham On Course To Sink Faster Than The Pound?

There’s no crisis, I have a clear plan. Losing five of the first seven games was the right thing to do, insists embattled Hammers premier.

The vacuum created by a blank weekend of perfunctory international fixtures was firmly filled, as far as the mood at the London Stadium was concerned, by a steady stream of increasingly glum negativity . As was explained with the sharp fall in the pound, momentum started to take over and then accelerated away. Not only to lambast David Moyes for the dithering and lack of adventure that has blighted the start to the season, but also to pillory the individual performances of each West Ham player turning out for their national teams. For example, according to one headline, Lucas Paqueta was ‘hooked off’ at half time for Brazil against Tunisia, rather than ‘being one of several players rotated’ when his side were leading comfortably.

Of course, a brief glance at the league table is all that is required to understand the obvious disquiet circulating among Hammer’s fans.  Having invested heavily during the summer, nobody expected to see the team floundering in the relegation places with seven games played. Even if the points tally might have been higher had it not been for dubious refereeing decisions, the performances have generally been well below par, both individually and collectively.

Losing to a poor, tentaive and ineffective Everton side at Goodison Park two weeks ago was particularly galling. If an example of Moyes excessive caution were needed, then this was it. It took falling behind to Maupay’s fortunate mis-control and strike before any serious attempt to pressure the opposition goal was made. Any team who had gone into that game with a sense of adventure would have had it easily won well before the end.

It is quite surprising how quickly David Moyes stock has fallen among supporters. There have always been doubters, never convinced by his dour persona, waiting in the wings ready to pounce when things turned bad. But two fine seasons will have earned him plenty of credit with the owners – or at least with Gold and Sullivan, who have never been inclined towards trigger happiness in the past. Will Kretinsky see things differently? He might expect more for his money, whether that is success or entertainment.

A run of poor results is a long-time in modern football and Moyes will come under increasing pressure to improve matters between now and the break for the World Cup. If the Hammers are still in the bottom six by then, his job will surely be seen as high risk.

A huge part of that improvement must be to jettison the blind loyalty to long-term under-performing players such as Pablo Fornals, Tomas Soucek, Vladimir Coufal and Aaron Cresswell. A lot of money has been paid to bring new players into the club (even more now if the instalments are due in Euros) and they must be central to the evolution of style that involves better ball retention, greater passing sucess and enhanced mobility. West Ham need to take back control of the ball. Continuing to rely solely on counter attacks and set pieces has no future. It’s all very well wanting to ease new players in gently, but it makes no sense when the old alternatives have been well below average for many, many months.

As things stand, we are second last to Bournemouth on average percentage possession (41.3%) for the season to date. Add in only three goals scored, and none in the first half then it suggests it is major changes that are needed, not minor tweaks. Is the manager up to it? Can he still turn things around or are we already past the point of no return? Many have speculated on the degree of unity within the camp but who knows what to believe.

In my preview of the Everton match I offered the following suggested line-up: Areola – Kehrer, Zouma, Dawson, Emerson – Rice, Paqueta, Downes – Bowen, Scamacca, Antonio. Equally, I would be happy to consider Said Benrahma and/ or Maxwell Comet as alternatives to Jarrod Bowen or Michail Antonio. Indeed, any three from those five up front would provide options and a level of goal threat that has been missing for some time.  More is needed than just different players in the same tired 4-2-3-1 format.

Today’s visitors are Portuguese giants, Futebol Clube Andarilhos de Wolverhampton. Os Lobos have made a similarly unimpressive start to the new season, joining West Ham as the league’s lowest scorers. In direct contrast to the Hammers, all Wolves goals have come in the first half.

Wolves manager Bruno Lage will point to the continued absence of Raul Jimenez for his team’s woes and has recently recruited free agent rent-a-thug, Diego Costa to boost his attacking options. Costa will most probably start on the bench today. Of the other Wolves players, Neto and Podence, would be capable of mayhem if they are paired up against the sluggish Coufal and Cresswell. I also like the look of Max Kilman at the back – a real shame the Hammers were not in for him, given that he was playing for Alan Devonshire at Maidenhead before moving to Molineux.

So what is likely to happen when a team who can’t score in the first half comes up against one that can’t score in the second? From what I have seen of Wolves they enjoy much better possession (52.1%) than West Ham (as do rock bottom Leicester with 53.9%) but have little cutting edge. Unless we see a change of style from Moyes it may well be another case of erring towards caution, rather than starting on the front foot. The manager must know something radical needs to change in his approach. If he feels our league possession is more down to bad luck than poor form, then the club may well be about to enter a doom spiral.

Trying to be the optimist, I hope for Moyes to see the light on team selection and will predict a 2-1 win. In the circumstances this will require the Hammers to recover from a half-time deficit to claim all three points. COYI!