Geoff Hopkins

Matchday: West Ham take on leaders Chelsea

Will it be a fired up Hammers who face Chelsea at the London Stadium cauldron for the Monday Night match?

West Ham Chelsea When compiling reasons to dislike the top teams it doesn’t take long to come up with a long list for tonight’s visitors. They have few redeeming features and represent much of what is wrong with the uneven playing field that the modern game has become. An average mid-table team that were transformed to greatness by winning the Russian lottery. It does make you wonder though what might have happened had Roman Abramovic landed his helicopter at Upton Park rather than Stamford Bridge all those years ago. Would we now be pining for the days of academy players, dodgy loan deals and a bare-bones squad or would we be happy to bask smugly in the reflection of a roomful of domestic and European silverware of more recent vintage than 1980. Perhaps one day West Ham will themselves win the Arab-millions raising the dilemma of whether success trumps working class east-end traditions after all.

I still think Chelsea can be caught. There are many point to play for and there are no easy games in the Premier League. If they slip up, which you can in every game, others teams need to be ready.

– Slaven Bilic on there being no easy games.

I have sensed an uneasy end-of-season feel during our last two matches as mid-table obscurity leaves little left to play for apart from a few extra million in prize money and a new contract for Slaven Bilic. Still the visit of the west London league leaders should be enough to rouse both players and supporters in delivering one of those ‘obscene’ displays of floodlit energy and enterprise.

Head to Head

A record that was once lent slightly in our own favour has been skewed and reversed since the roubles went on deposit at Stamford Bridge. Victories for the Hammers since the turn of the century have been few and far between and in the last 12 league encounters there have been just 2 West Ham wins and two draws. Of course it would have been 3 wins had it not been for a shocking refereeing display in the away fixture at Stamford Bridge last season. Strangely our all time cup record against Chelsea is very poor and so it was doubly surprising to have seen them off in the EFL cup earlier in the season.

For anyone interested I read somewhere that this will be West Ham’s 64th Monday night match fixture of the Premier League era during which time we have won 19, drawn 20 and lost 24.

Team News

Michail Antonio misses the game against his apparent would-be employers through suspension and Sakho, Ogbonna, Tore and Arbeloa (remember them) are still absent through injury. Andy Carroll is listed in the media as doubtful which in historic terms means that he is out for a further 6 weeks. We must hope that on this occasion it is the exception that proves the rule as Carroll’s availability is essential if we are to give Chelsea a decent game.

Elsewhere I don’t imagine Bilic will pull out any surprises and will again avoid any difficult midfield decisions by sticking with Cheikhou Kouyate at right back, making it the same starting eleven as at Watford with the exception of the enforced Carroll/ Antonio switch.

We will know the other results of the other teams. (There will be) positive or negative pressure, but we are ready to play this game and to try to do better than the last game. We are preparing different solutions also to try to limit the strength of our opponent.

– Antonio Conte

I haven’t bothered to check the Chelsea injury situation as with plenty of full internationals to fill every position several times over and a dozen or so others out on loan it is fairly academic. No doubt Costa will score at some time but the bigger danger is that we let Eden Hazard run us ragged. Although Chelsea tend to win matches through organisation and work-rate I fear a capitulation (of Arsenal and Manchester City proportions) if we cannot find a way to stop Hazard running through from midfield.

If we can raise our performance as well as our tempo then maybe, just maybe we can get something from the game, and ironically doing Tottenham a big favour. It is a long shot but if we do I will be as happy as the nearest person called Larry.

Man in the Middle

Welcome 46 year old Andre Marriner from the West Midlands. This is Marriners 4th encounter with the Hammers this season having previously officiated in away games with Manchester City and Swansea and the home fixture with Stoke City. Last season he was in charge of the rousing victory against Spurs at Upton Park. In 27 games (all competitions) this term Marriner has brandished a whopping 107 Yellows and 6 Red Cards. What chances of there being 22 left on the field by the final whistle tonight?

This Week in Hammer’s History

European Cup Winner’s Cup action and desperate relegation threatened encounters with Tottenham in the week 27 February – 5 March in Hammer’s history.

This Week Hammers History The European Cup Winners Cup is at the forefront of the action in this week’s Hammer’s History. Having won the competition at the first attempt in 1965 the Hammers were in the following year’s competition as holders. In the 3^rd round (Quarter Final) stage in 1966 the opponents were FC Magdeburg from East Germany, a country not recognised by the UK at the time. In a closely fought game in the first leg at Upton Park Magdeburg came close to causing an upset but the tie was settled in the first minute of the second half when Geoff Hurst nodded down a Martin Peters cross for Johnny Byrne to score from close range.

Ten years later at the same stage of the competition it was Dutch opponents in the form of FC Den Haag (now ADO Den Haag). The first leg was away in The Hague and with manager John Lyall incapacitated through illness there was a brief return to the manager’s chair for Ron Greenwood. The Hammers found themselves 4-0 by half time which included two very soft penalty decisions and another that was scored from a breakaway amid confusion after the (East German) referee awarded a drop ball. Tactical changes at half-time altered the shape of the game and two goals by Billy Jennings put some respectability on the scoreline and gave the Hammers hope for the return leg.

It is not often that you will find supporters including a 4-1 home defeat among the list of their favourite games yet the first leg 3^rd round ECWC defeat by Dynamo Tiblisi is often cited among the most memorable games at Upton Park. In 1981 West Ham were flying high as runaway leaders in Division 2 as well as having already booked a League Cup final appointment against Liverpool. Dynamo Tiblisi from Georgia were, at the time, representing the Soviet Union and their performance at Upton Park was a masterclass, with spectacular performances particularly from Chivadze, Kipiani and Shengelia. The Hammers were 2-0 down at half time and although they momentarily offered a glimmer of hope when David Cross pulled one back early in the second half, the Georgians restored their two goal advantage a minute later and added another to make it 4-1 with twenty minutes to play. To their credit West Ham won the second leg in Georgia by the only goal, just a few days after the League Cup final, but it was not enough to prevent Tiblisi going on to win the tournament.

In domestic competition there was a 6^th round tie in the 1963/64 FA Cup as West Ham saw off the challenge of Burnley to set up a semi-final clash with Manchester United. A more detailed review of this game will appear shortly in Richard Bennett’s series of Favourite Games. In the same week West Ham also faced Burnley in the league, losing 3-1 at Turf Moor.

In League action two home games against local rivals Tottenham stand out in relegation threatened seasons where the outcomes of the games and the seasons brought very different emotions. In 2003, transfer-window signing Les Ferdinand scored his first goal for West Ham against his former club to put the Hammers en route to a well deserved 2-0 victory, the second goal converted by Michael Carrick. The victory left West Ham level on points with Bolton Wanderers in the fight to avoid the third relegation spot which was ultimately beyond them.

A thrilling encounter between the two teams in 2007 produced a first West Ham goal for Carlos Tevez as the Hammers took a 2-0 lead, were pegged back to 2-2, went ahead again with just 5 minutes remaining only to concede two late goals to lose the game 4-3. Defeat left West Ham bottom of the table and seven points behind fourth from bottom Wigan Athletic. Despite the set-back the performance signalled the start of the great escape that would then trigger the Tevezgate saga.

Notable Birthdays

28 February        Noel Cantwell                    d. 2005
1 March                Bobby Ferguson               72
2 March                Harry Redknapp               70
2 March                Trevor Sinclair                    44

5 Observations from a dull draw @ Watford

A stressed out manager shows his passion and makes some odd selections as West Ham drop 2 points at Vicarage Road.

A Game That Lived up to its Billing

I wonder how many neutrals made it to the end of this televised game? It has always seemed an odd to time to show live football to me and whoever thought this game might turn out to be a spectacle has to be a seriously optimistic individual. I think even a re-run of Noel’s House Party would have been more entertaining. It is still February and here were two clubs with almost nothing to play for, and it showed. As much as they talked up the ‘looking over their shoulder’ on the commentary it end of season fare being played out well before the clocks have changed. Probably the early goal had an impact on the structure of the game but it was disappointing that the spot-kick was the only noteworthy action of a limp first 45 minutes. The second half was better, but only in comparison with the first, as West Ham upped the tempo in search of an equaliser (with Watford happy to defend their lead) but once the Hammers had secured the deserved equaliser they gave the impression of job done. In fact after the goal Watford showed a little adventure of their own and might have snatched a winner with the very last kick of the game.

Slaven Gets Animated

The one person who did seem to get worked up by events was manager Slaven Bilic whose remonstrations in the technical area resulted in several terse conversations with the fourth official. If you had pressed me to describe Slaven’s normal match-day demeanour I would conjure up an image of a slightly stooped figure, hands resting on thighs and looking mostly impassive except where celebrating a goal. Recently he has morphed into a character very much wearing his passion on his sleeve. Perhaps he has been taking animation lessons from Conte or Klopp. Or maybe there is truth in the rumour that only a top eight finish qualifies for automatic contract renewal and that anything less requires entering the play-offs with Roberto Mancini. It could, of course, be that Bilic has guaranteed improved results after the warm weather break in Dubai or else he has to pick up the tab. I certainly didn’t spot the promised renewed vigour from watching yesterday’s performance but I may be expecting too much.

Refereeing Decisions

The subject of Slaven’s ire was mainly the refereeing decisions of Craig Pawson. I noticed some online concern with the announcement of Pawson as referee but I can’t say he has ever come onto my radar as particularly bad or with any previous as far as West Ham are concerned. By modern standards and interpretations it is difficult to argue against the penalty award where the mystifying criteria of ‘he’s entitled to go down there’ is known only to former players. Without a doubt players actively play for penalties and Zarate had only that in his mind when going down in the area from Kouyate clumsy attempt to track his run. Interestingly there was a very similar incident at the other end but with Antonio staying on his feet in an attempt to score no infringement was signalled. No wonder that players dive and I got the impression that all it would take was a stiff breeze for the Watford to go to ground, as befits a team with an Italian coach. Apart from the odd disputed corner or throw-in I can recall very few really contentious moments to consider.

The Strange Case of the Team Selection

They say that doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is a sign of insanity. Naturally there are many variables in football but it is easy to wonder whether our management and coaching staff ever learn from past experiences. Once again there are so many questions about the selection decisions yesterday. Why stick with Kouyate as emergency right back when Byram was fit? Why put Lanzini out wide when the positive impact of moving him to a central role was so evident in the previous match? How did we get in a position where one of our most dangerous players (Antonio) is rarely played in his most effective position (wide right) and now plays as a lone striker after it was discovered that he wasn’t a right back? What is the point of bringing Fernandes on in the 89th minute every week; is that meant to be developing young players? What is the point of Jonathan Calleri? To the outsider it appears that team selection is based on trying to keep a select group of players happy by giving them a game somewhere rather than taking the difficult decisions. It is still uncertain what style of play or consistent approach we are trying to create as a club and the team remains more a collection of individuals rather than a cohesive unit. Good enough to bob along in mid-table most probably but no better.

My Kingdom for a Striker

With Antonio’s red card making him unavailable for the next game at home to Chelsea it is even more crucial that Andy Carroll is fit if we have any hope of giving the league leaders a decent game – or did Antonio get himself banned on purpose to make sure his next employers maintain their runaway lead at the top? It was good to see Ayew get on the score-sheet (and no assist for this awarded to Antonio I believe) but do not see him as being able to offer much in the lone striker role. If the alternative is Calleri then we may as well not bother. It is bewildering that a club (and the 18th richest in world football at that) playing in the most elite league on the planet are so poorly prepared and equipped.

Ratings: Randolph (5), Kouyate (5), Reid (6), Fonte (7), Cresswell (7), Noble (5), Obiang (7), Feghouli (6), Snodgrass (4), Lanzini (6), Antonio (8) Subs: Ayew (6)

Matchday: Hammers to stir up the Hornets?

Will it be a case renewed energy and vigour from the Dubai training camp or post holiday blues as West Ham take on Watford at Vicarage Road?

Watford West Ham If reports are to be believed we are promised a team packed with renewed energy and vigour as a consequence of the warm weather training break in Dubai since our last competitive match. Most of the pictures that I saw from Dubai involved the players eating and dancing but we are assured that they also worked had and with great intensity to work particularly on defensive frailties. Today we will be able to judge for ourselves the effectiveness of this expensive bonding and possibly be wowed by how well those batteries have been recharged. One can only hope that the late kick off doesn’t further interfere with adjustment from the Dubai time-zone – wouldn’t want Mark Noble’s tackles being any later than usual.

It was a very good trip, we trained very hard, more than if we had stayed here. We were all together and we all trained once a day. We used it to do a bit of fitness, intensive small games, some work on defence, it was all good. The team bonding is good for the players who didn’t open themselves totally, who come to training and just talk to your best friend and then go home.

– Slaven Bilic

Today’s opponents have one of the most cosmopolitan squads in the Premier League and, until the recent loan acquisition of Tom Cleverley, captain Troy Deeney was frequently their only English born player. They have also fielded the oldest average age starting eleven of all Premier League clubs during the course of the season. So a super-charged and (relatively) youthful Hammers might be fully expected to zip past these elderly Hornets and make amends for the calamitous defeat at the London Stadium in September.

A lot of the reporting after Watford’s win at the London Stadium was focused on Troy Deeney and his reaction to the apparent ‘showboating’ by our players after they had taken a two goal lead. In media terms Deeney had ‘slammed’ the Hammers but in reality he had used the situation to motivate his teammates, and with great success you have to say. It is what I remember as “come on lads they’re taking the piss now” over the park on many a Sunday morning. Whether our manager can now use the perceived slight by Deeney to motivate his own players, who remember are already straining at the leash, even further has the potential to provoke the footballing equivalent of shock and awe.

Head to Head

West Ham have never lost two games on the bounce to Watford and this is a record we have to defend today. Overall it is a very positive good record against the Hornets with West Ham having won 22 out of 35 league meetings. At Vicarage Road we have won 9 out of 17, having lost just 4 times. In the last 12 encounters (home and away), however, it is a very even contest with each team having won 5 with 2 drawn games.

Team News

Sun, sand and warm weather training have not worked their magic on Andy Carroll’s groin by all accounts and he remains a major doubt for today’s game. If there is any doubt at all with Carroll it is likely that he will be missing and not even on the bench. With fellow physio room inmate, Diafra Sakho, still some weeks from recovery I would expect the man-for-all-positions Michail Antonio to turn out once more as the primary striker. I don’t see Andre Ayew as a viable option to perform the role as an outlet or to hold the ball up. If Ayew gets a look in it would probably be at the expense of Sofiane Feghouli but the Algerian did enough in the second half against Albion to earn another chance.

Elsewhere, Aaron Cresswell is available and Sam Byram is also fit. My prediction is that Slaven Bilic will avoid a difficult midfield decision by sticking with Cheikhou Kouyate at right back. Expect Darren Randolph to keep hold of the keeper’s jersey despite his recent wobbles.

We cannot compare today with that game. It was a long time ago. West Ham had some problems in that period and we were coming from a particular period, too. We did a very good game after losing at the beginning, but West Ham are doing very well now.

– Walter Mazzarri

In a Yin meets Yang moment Watford have a cluster of defender injuries which is handy for them given that West Ham do not have any forwards. Former occasional Hammer’s favourite Mauro Zarate may line up for the Hornets now that he has brought his sulking back to the Premier League. Watford also have M’Baye Niang in their squad the striker having chosen the Hornets over West Ham because they showed him greater love.

Man in the Middle

Today’s potential match spoiler is Craig Pawson from South Yorkshire. Pawson has taken charge of the Hammers on three occasions so far this term; home wins against Bournemouth and Chelsea (EFL Cup) and the 5-1 defeat by Arsenal. In a total of 25 matches Pawson is just one short of his century of Yellow Cards and has 3 red cards to his name.

The Boy Never Quite Made It: Zavon Hines

A player who burst onto the scene, scored against Millwall but then faded away.

Boy Never Quite Made It West Ham prides itself as the ‘Academy of Football’ in deference to the success it has achieved over the years in bringing through talented young players from the youth system. Most fans have a special place in their heart for home grown players but so often talented youngsters burst onto the scene only to fail to fulfil their promise. In this series we look at some of those players who despite high hopes never quite made the grade at their boyhood club. Today we look at the career of Zavon Hines; the only West Ham player ever to have a first name starting with the letter ‘Z’.

Commentators frequently refer to young players coming off the academy conveyor belt. In truth if the West Ham academy were a conveyor belt it would be one producing London busses where nothing comes along for ages and then several arrive all at once. During the closing years of the ‘naughties’ a new crop of young players were given West Ham debuts; a roll call that included Jack Collison, Freddie Sears, James Tomkins, Zavon Hines, Junior Stanislas and Josh Payne. Internet chatter at the time would likely have been full of bright future forecasts for Upton Park whereas hindsight tells us that only Tomkins and Collison made any real impact at the club.

Zavon Hines Hines had spent a brief spell out on loan at Coventry City before being given his West Ham debut, as a substitute for Valon Behrami, in a League Cup tie against Macclesfield in August 2008. Hines was one of three goal scoring substitutes that day in a 4-1 victory. A knee injury hindered progress during the remainder of the 2008/09 season but despite this he received a call-up from Jamaica for an international friendly in early 2009 although ultimately he did not play. Hines later went on to represent England at U21 level, scoring two goals in two appearances.

At the start of the 2009/10 season Zavon was very much part of new manager Gianfranco Zola’s first team squad: scoring one of the goals, in extra time, during the infamous 3-1 League Cup against Millwall; giving Jamie Carragher the run around in a match against Liverpool; and then netting an injury time winner in a Premier League game against Aston Villa to haul the Hammers out of the bottom three. That was to be his last goal for the West Ham as first injury struck again in January 2010 and then the team’s struggles in 2010/11 brought his West Ham career to an end. In the summer of 2011 he declined the offer of a new contract and instead signed a deal with Burnley. In a total of 31 appearances he had made 12 starts, scored 3 goals but only played a full 90 minutes on five occasions; each of these ending in defeat.

Hines has become something of an itinerant footballer since he left West Ham. He failed to impress manager Eddie Howe at Burnley and made his way via Bournemouth (on loan) to Bradford City, Dagenham & Redbridge and now Southend United, where he signed a short term deal in January 2017 until the end of the season. The probable highlight of his career was Bradford’s League Cup run in 2012/13 where he featured in both legs of the surprise semi-final win against Aston Villa and then in the final (as a second half substitute) with Swansea, which Bradford lost 5-0. In the build-up to the final there were several newspaper features on Hines and how he had tried sports psychologists to rescue his failing career but whether it was injuries, aptitude or attitude he has never really become the player we might have expected.

In a career that has spanned 10 seasons he has appeared in just 140 games scoring 15 times.

This Week in Hammer’s History

FA Cup skirmishes and home debut goals for Hartson and Kitson in a windy Monday night match feature in this week’s Hammer’s History.

This Week Hammers History In last week’s Hammer’s History we remembered the 1972 FA Cup 4^th round replay with Hereford United, memorable for its midweek afternoon kick-off as a consequence of the ongoing miner’s strike affecting electricity supply. Just a few days later it was straight on to the 5^th round with an away trip to Huddersfield Town. The Terriers played Manchester City in the 2016/17 competition this weekend aiming to reach the 6^th round for the first time since the elimination of the Hammers in 1972. This was an all First Division at the time but the Hammers, who had recently lost out in the epic League Cup semi-final to Stoke, were favourites to go through against a team who had not scored in their last four outings and were languishing second from bottom in the league. League standings counted for nothing, however, as Huddersfield tore into the Hammers to take the lead midway through the first half. West Ham managed to level before half-time through Pop Robson but three second half goals (including one from Frank Worthington) put the hosts in control and despite a late Clyde Best consolation the tie ended 4-2. Huddersfield were beaten by Birmingham in the semi-final and finished the season bottom of the First Division.

Ferguson, McDowell, Lampard, Bonds, Taylor, Moore, Redknapp, Best, Hurst (Heffer), Brooking, Robson

In 2011, indifferent league form was again thrown aside in the FA Cup but on this occasion it was Avram Grant’s West Ham who were putting Eddie Howe’s Burnley to the sword. The game marked a West Ham debut for Thomas Hitzlsperger some six months after signing on at Upton Park. Der Hammer had begun his West Ham career in typical fashion by being injured for six months but it took him just 23 minutes to open his goal scoring account and set West Ham on the path to victory against Burnley. Further goals from Carlton Cole (2) plus Winston Reid’s first for the club put the Hammers 4-0 up; a touch of comedy defending involving Wayne Bridge and Robert Green allowed Burnley to pull one back before Freddie Sears neat finish sealed a 5-1 victory.

Green, Reid, Tomkins, Jacobsen, Bridge, Sears, Parker, Noble, Hitzlsperger (Barrera), Cole (Spector), Ba (Piquionne)

It was 5-1 again against north-western opposition in the 5^th round this time last year as West Ham eased past Championship side Blackburn Rovers. Blackburn had gone ahead after 20 minutes through Ben Marshall but the lead was only to last 6 minutes as Victor Moses was allowed a clear run and shot to equalise. Before half time a former French player scored from a trademark free kick to give West Ham a 2-1 interval lead. The game was effectively over when Blackburn had a player sent off for two yellow card offences early in the second half and West Ham sealed the win with two goals from Emmanuel Emenike and another from the former French favourite.

Randolph, Cresswell, Collins, Ogbonna (Oxford), Antonio, Kouyate, Obiang (Lanzini), Noble (Song), Moses, Payet, Emenike

In league action West Ham lost 4-2 at home in 1984 to next weekend’s opponents Watford at Upton Park. After the previous round of matches the Hammers were an encouraging third in the league just behind Liverpool and Nottingham Forest but a cup defeat at Birmingham and then a run of poor league performances led to a gradual slip down the table in Trevor Brooking’s final season.

In 1997 West Ham were struggling at the wrong end of the table when they entertained Tottenham in the Monday night match. On a very windy night in east London, West Ham gave home debuts to expensive new striker signings John Hartson and Paul Kitson. It was Spurs, however, who took the lead though Teddy Sheringham’s header marking the first of five first half goals. West Ham snatched the lead when Julian Dicks and then Kitson headed home from corners, Darren Anderton lobbed an equalizer past Ludek Miklosko, and a brave header from Hartson made it 3-2 at half-time. In a nail biting second half David Howells equalized once again for Tottenham before Hartson was fouled in the area allowing Dicks to blast home the resultant penalty.

Miklosko, Breacker, Dicks, Potts, Ferdinand, Bowen, Moncur, Bishop, Kitson (Dowie), Hartson, Hughes

This Week’s Hammer’s Birthdays

20 February        Jimmy Greaves                 77
20 February        Billy Jennings                     65
22 February        Paul Brush                           59
22 February        Shaka Hislop                       48
24 February        Clyde Best                           66
24 February        John Lyall                             (Died 2006)
25 February        Kevin Keen                         50

The No-Game Weekend Mishmash

As the team and manager head off to build sand castles in the air we track down the fake West Ham news from the internet.

Mishmash Enforced international breaks and early cup exits serve to create a fragmented season and leave a massive thumb-twiddling void on a winter weekend. Desperate times call for desperate measures and taking refuge in the shed on the pretext of rearranging your tools is perhaps the only chance of dodging an afternoon at the shops.

Without a match to preview the internet turns its attention away from fitness tests, possible formations, and pearls from the managerial press conference to concentrate on the ‘alternative facts’ that surround sport as well as politics. Here are a few items picked up from the reported West Ham buzz.

Warm Weather Training

The first team squad have departed for a spot of warm weather training in Dubai in order to, according to the Official West Ham website, ‘hone their preparations’ – so we can be reassured that on their return the team will be much improved on how to prepare, which has to be good news. It was pleasing to see from the training camp video clips that Andre Ayew was involved and had, therefore, recovered from the ‘emotional fatigue’ that kept him out of last weekend’s match-day squad.

I can recall Fat Sam doing similar warm weather training camps in the past as a reward for throwing FA Cup games but my memory is rather hazy as to whether the players returned champing at the bit and played with renewed vigour. Interestingly, Sam wanted to take his current side to Dubai this week but the plan was vetoed by the Palace Board on the grounds that fans would not be best pleased given recent performances. This seems to be rather twisted logic if it is believed that there is merit from such trips in terms of fitness team spirit; or maybe it is just a jolly.

Possibly the West Ham squad are also taking part in some of those excruciating, compulsory fun, team building games that I was forced to take part in during my own working career. These could include such useful and pertinent activities as who can build the biggest free standing tower using only drinking straws (I reckon Winston Reid would win this) or having to guide a group of blindfolded teammates through a maze of static obstacles. On second thoughts that last one sounds like a variation of an attack versus defence exercise.

Transfer Mania

The recent closing of the January transfer window has not tempted the rumour industry to take a well-earned winter break to ensure better preparation for its grand re-opening in the summer.

As usual West Ham are linked with all and sundry and in the absence of any coherent transfer strategy it is difficult to judge whether all or any of these are credible or otherwise. In the majority of cases the linked players are those at the end of their contracts at other Premier League clubs and looking for one last final payday. I had hoped that we would be wise to such a short sighted strategy by now but who knows what is in the mind of the decision makers? Apparently we now also have a preference for buying British born players while at the same time being reluctant to take a chance on players from the lower leagues. For me, a transfer recruitment strategy based on a style of play that is independent of any single manager would seem the most sensible for the club in its present position.

On the other side of the transfer coin, comments made by Michail Antonio and Manuel Lanzini have triggered speculation that they may be on their way to pastures new. I think we can take each of these with a pinch of salt at the moment. How can Antonio know whether he will sign a new contract that might be offered in the summer until he has seen it? To report this as talks having stalled or that he is uncertain is nonsense. By the same token, is it unreasonable for Lanzini to suggest that he would like to return to River Plate one day? If he continues to perform like he has over recent games there will be far more lucrative offers coming his way than anything River Plate can offer. A return at the end of his career would seem most feasible.

The other trending (or heavily cut and pasted) story is that the manager has ‘lost patience’ with ‘misfit’ Arthur Masuaku and that he will be taking his handballs elsewhere next season. On the face of it this again seems unlikely for a player who has shown promise but has been injured for most of the season.

The Manager’s Contract

A story that is unlikely to go away until the summer is whether manager Slaven Bilic gets a contract extension. He is very popular with many fans and he comes across as a very warm, personable character who as an ex-player also knows and understands the club and its supporters. All of this may well be true but ultimately the question is how far passion alone can take someone? Has an ex-player ever made a rip-roaring managerial return to the club he played for?

I believe there is a strong correlation between money and league placing. On average we should be finishing around 7^th or 8^th place as a matter of course; it should not be seen as over-achieving; I doubt that we have ever had an over-achieving manager and maybe that is part of the attraction of being West Ham. In my mind Slaven has done a good job rather than a great one. Sure the football has been better than his predecessor (although for large parts of this season it was not so different) but there remain concerns on tactics, selection, fitness and player recruitment; even if he is implicated in the latter rather completely responsible.

I am on the fence at the moment. At least he has some further time to prove his worth and to demonstrate that he is capable of a longer term consistency and planning. As a person he is certainly a top man but I am undecided as to whether he the managerial equivalent of the 5 blade razor; the best West Ham can get?

This Week in Hammer’s History

St Valentine’s Day massacres and 5th round cup success in the week 13 – 19 February in Hammer’s History.

This Week Hammers History Love is in the air but it has not always been a week of romance (even of the cup variety) with West Ham victims of a variety of harrowing Valentine’s Day massacres over the years.

The most painful of these occurred in a 1990 League Cup semi-final first leg against fellow Division 2 side Oldham Athletic. The Latics were in fine cup form that season and West Ham were no match on their ‘plastic’ pitch providing little resistance and going down by six goals to nil. West Ham did win the second leg 3-0 but it was all rather academic by then. In 1996, it was banana skins rather than roses courtesy of an away defeat in an FA Cup 4^th round replay to lowly Grimsby Town and just two years ago a particularly limp performance was on show when surrender 4-0 in a 4^th round tie to West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns.

A game very close to my heart, and one with a more pleasing outcome, took place in 1972 when West Ham faced a 4^th round replay with non League Hereford United. The country was in the middle of severe power restrictions at the time due to a long running miner’s strike and the associated picketing of power stations. With electricity rationed the midweek game was moved to an usual kick-off time of 2:15 pm. Nevertheless a crowd of over 42,000 took the opportunity to leave work or school early and packed into Upton Park to watch the game against the Southern League part-timers. In the end West Ham were comfortable 3-1 winners, with Geoff Hurst’s final hat-trick for the club, despite a spirited performance from Hereford who left the pitch to a standing ovation.

One final 14^th of February game to mention was a match in 1981 when West Ham hosted Chelsea in what was at the time a Second Division fixture. This was an all-conquering season for the Hammers who had gone top of the table in mid-November and remained there for the duration and collected a record points haul for the division (in the days of two points for a win). Chelsea had been early season challengers but were easily brushed aside; the game ending with a decisive 4-0 West Ham victory (Devonshire, Brooking (2), Cross).

This week being 5^th round cup week it also featured further games on the road to Wembley (& Cardiff) for each of our post-war FA cup finals. In 1964, West Ham were visitors to the County Ground in Swindon, having taken an early lead through John Sissons the Hammers were well on top before easing up to let the host level the scores before half time. The second period was evenly contested before Peter Brabrook provided crosses that were converted by Byrne and then Hurst to ease the Hammers into the 6^th round.

Standen, Bond, Burkett, Bovington, Brown, Moore, Brabrook, Boyce, Byrne, Hurst, Sissons

The 5^th round opponents in 1975 were west Londoner’s Queens Park Rangers. It was one of those games played in the Upton Park mud where players ploughed rather than glided over the surface. Dave Clement put Rangers into the lead before Trevor Brooking took control; first setting up Pat Holland for the equaliser and then with a cheeky back-heel to start a move that ended with Keith Robson’s winner.

Day, McDowell, Lampard, Bonds, Taylor, Lock, Jennings, Paddon, Robson, Brooking, Holland

In 1980, the 5^th round saw the Hammers drawn at home, for the first time in that season’s competition, against fellow second division side Swansea City. The Swans with player/ manager John Toshack and fellow ex-Liverpool star Ian Callaghan in their lineup came to frustrate and as the minutes ticked by it looked that a replay at the Vetch Field was the most probable outcome. However, with just 5 minutes remaining a shot from David Cross ran loose in the area and Paul Allen, on as a substitute for Stuart Pearson, pounced to give West Ham the lead. Within a minute it was game over as Cross, himself, doubled the lead with a fine strike.

Parkes, Lampard, Brush, Stewart, Martin, Devonshire, Neighbour, Pearson (Allen) , Cross, Brooking, Pike

For the under 40s, with no trophy winning memories to fall back on, the road to Cardiff in 2006 was the closest to glory that has been witnessed. The 5^th round draw in 2006 had West Ham visiting Sam Allardyce’s Bolton Wanderers who were also competing in the UEFA Cup at the time. Both sides had chances to score but the tie ended goalless to set up a replay at Upton Park, which would not take place until almost a month later. An interesting feature of the matchday squad (by contemporary standards) is the presence of four strikers for manager Alan Pardew to call on.

Hislop, Scaloni, Ferdinand, Gabbidon, Konchesky, Benayoun (Dailly), Etherington, Mullins, Reo-Coker, Ashton (Sheringham), Harewood (Zamora)

Some Hammer’s Birthdays

13 February Liam Brady (61)
15 February Manuel Lanzini (24)
16 February Ken Brown (83)
18 February Anton Ferdinand (32)

5 Observations from the West-side derby!

An early goal conceded, spirited second half entertainment but an ultimate sense of disappointment as West Ham are held by West Brom.

That’s Entertainment

Who would have thought that a game against a Tony Pulis side could be so entertaining? For long periods in the second half West Ham played some of the most enterprising football I have seen from them for a long time. Suddenly we were passing the ball quickly, intelligently and there was good movement off the ball for once. To a large degree the early lead for Albion and their willingness to sit back and protect it helped our players to grow in confidence which, in turn, spread to the supporters. It is interesting how the mood at the end of the game is affected by the sequence of the goals. Having given Albion the lead I would have quite happily taken a rescued point at half time but to take the lead and then surrender it left a severe case of disappointment at the final whistle.

The Referee & The Manager

Much of the post-match chatter focused on the manager and his frustrations at the decisions made by referee, Michael Oliver. I do admire Slaven Bilic’s passion even though I believe questions persist about his decision making and tactics at times. It was a big blow to lose Carroll and once again it exposed the lack of balance and striking weaknesses in our squad. Too often we field a team of square pegs in round holes and although some are enforced others seem to be by management design. Credit to the manager in that he did eventually change things around for the better, notably by releasing Manuel Lanzini from his initial left-sided isolation, but better not to make the mistakes in the first place. Having had the opportunity to watch replays of the controversial decisions I am not sure, in the cold light of day, that there is too much to feel aggrieved with. Possibly there was a foul on Feghouli for the first goal after the ball had been played but it was borderline and Antonio clearly impeded the keeper in the prelude to the Feghouli offside goal. None of the penalty appeals had much merit even for a ref inclined to award so many as Mr Oliver. The one wrong decision that had the biggest impact was the throw-in just prior to the Albion equaliser.

Concede Nothing

So often the goals we concede seem to be built on a series of events that could have been prevented at various stages in their construction. As mentioned above the equaliser stemmed from an incorrect (in my opinion) throw-in decision. Already into injury time I thought we were rather lax in regrouping to defend the throw and not preventing the ensuing corner. As for the goal itself it is puzzling what Randolph was trying to do by running in to his own defenders. It looked like panic had set in and confirms what I have felt about his lack of conviction in the air. Normally Randolph is a first class shot stopper but he also could have done better with the opener, but then so could Noble, Feghouli and Kouyate. It was a dangerous pass by Noble, Feghouli was weak despite the challenge and Kouyate was too easily beaten before the ball slithered through Randolph’s legs. As is the way with football the early reverse and the injustice felt by the disallowed goal served to inspire the greater things that came in our second half performance.

The Strange Case of the Assist

Of all the football statistics, it is the ‘Assist’ that I find the strangest. For our first goal Lanzini did superbly well to create an opening before letting loose the thunderous goal bound shot which was touched onto the bar by the keeper before Feghouli rolls it home; no assist fro Lanzini! For the second goal Feghouli plays a simple sideways pass to Lanzini in a position of no particular threat before the Argentine again does very well to create his own space and place an excellent drive into the corner of the net past a stranded keeper; an assist for Feghouli! It doesn’t make any sense to me. As it turned out Feghouli, who had a very fine second half, after a very poor first one, ends with a goal and an assist to repeat Obiang’s achievement from the previous week. Lanzini’s performance deserved the same honour; he looks on great from and is the one player capable of creating something unexpected.

Wot – No Striker?

The lamentable striker situation was clear for all to see again. I admire Antonio’s endeavour and adaptability but using him as a striker is not playing to his strengths. It was yet another game that he finished a match having played in three different positions, which cannot be right except in an emergency situation. Although the need to put a striker on at half time was obvious the choice of Calleri was baffling. He doesn’t look to have any of the attributes required to be useful striker in English football; no pace, no strength, no movement and no eye for goal. I can’t believe he has any future beyond his current loan period so why bother with him in preference to Fletcher. He must be some different player in training to keep getting the nod.

Player Ratings: Randolph (4), Kouyate (6), Reid (7), Fonte (7), Cresswell (5), Obiang (8), Noble (7), Feghouli (7), Lanzini (9), Snodgrass (7), Antonio (6). Subs: Calleri (4)

Matchday: West Ham take on the Baggies

The battle for eighth as West Ham face an uninspiring yet competent Albion side at the London Stadium

West Ham West Brom Having stealthily clawed their way to 9^th in the Premier League table, with a sequence of effective rather than spectacular performances, West Ham will seek to build on the resurgent air of optimism at the London Stadium by stamping their authority of today’s encounter with West Bromwich Albion.

Albion are now comfortably the biggest team with a Birmingham postcode, and sit one place and five points above the Hammers in the table at start of play. Realistically nabbing 8^th place is about the very best that West Ham can hope for this season and in the circumstances Albion (and their pragmatic manager) may well be inclined to settle for a point this afternoon. The Baggies look to be this year’s over-achievers with a style of play that has seen them record less possession than their opponents in every single game they have played this season in the Premier League. Hate him or merely dislike him, Tony Pulis has a knack of making do with a collection of spare parts that will get the job done even if it’s not particularly easy on the eye.

We are a different team now, we have players fit, that is the key. Now we have to at least maintain it, try to avoid injuries, work hard and try to improve.

– Slaven Bilic

It is not difficult to predict how the game may shape up today. Albion will be happy to concede possession, will be respecting the point they started with, looking to frustrate the crowd and perhaps snatching a goal from a breakaway or set piece, if the opportunity arises. Whether West Ham have the wit and tactical nous to overcome such an approach is the big question to be answered. An early West Ham goal would put a very different complexion on both the game and the atmosphere inside the stadium.

Head to Head

The overall record against West Brom is running neck and neck with both sides having won 40 of the 104 meetings that have taken place over 104 years. West Ham have won two and drawn five of the last seven home fixtures against Albion whose last win on our own turf was the 4-3 victory in November 2003; a game in which they recovered from 3-0 down and Jermaine Defoe was sent off.

Team News

West Ham have reclaimed their rightful position at the top of the Premier League injury table, reporting a total of 10 injured players. Of these Angelo Ogbonna is out for the remainder of the season, Diafra Sakho is allegedly back on 1 April (note the date), Arthur Masuaku is two weeks away from full fitness and Gokhan Tore (who by now must resemble the Michelin Man) has no return date. The remainder (Carroll, Kouyate, Cresswell, Byram, Nordtviet and Arbeloa) are either slight doubts or subject to a late fitness test – whatever the difference between those two statuses is!

The extent of the injuries to Carroll, Kouyate and Cresswell are the most likely to affect the starting lineup and, if all is well, I would expect the same team that started at Southampton with the exception of Lanzini in for Feghouli.

They are a good team, they’ve got some good players. They’ve had a season of being very, very good and pretty bad at times and we just go there and hope we can compete.

– Tony Pulis

West Brom have no injury worries with both Jonny Evans and Claudio Yacob recovered from injury and/ or sickness.

The Albion lineup has a decidedly workmanlike look about it but it was enough to see us off in the fixture at the Hawthorns earlier in the season. The Baggies have secured most of their points from bottom ten sides this season while we have performed poorly against those in the top ten. A neutral might see this as a nailed on draw but I am optimistic for that early goal as a catalyst for a comfortable victory. My fingers will be firmly crossed that our starting eleven, once announced, will endorse confirm my optimism. The thinness of options in attack and full-back will continue to torment for the remainder of the campaign.

Man in the Middle

It is an early return to the London Stadium for Michael Oliver from Northumberland who was in charge of the unhappy FA Cup tie against Manchester City just two months ago. In a total of 26 games this season Oliver has contributed 82 Yellow and 2 Red Cards.