Category: Match

Luton Intolerance: Multitasking Matchday Madness For Moyes and his Men in the Friday Night Game

West Ham travel to Luton with a chance of returning to the Premier League summit for another 24 hours. But will the action on the pitch be overshadowed by the last knockings of the transfer window?

Pineapple and pizza; football and Friday. Neither belong anywher near each other. What might have been OK for a Division 4, Southend United versus Northampton Town clash in the 1960s to get a few more punters through the turnstiles, is an abomination in the Premier League. Friday Night’s Not Alright for Football!

These days, I am no more enamoured with Monday night games either. What had started out as a major televised event is now largely used (like Fridays) to satisfy TV quota obligations for the live coverage of teams who generate little interest outside their own fan base. When your team doesn’t play on Saturday or Sunday there is a sense exclusion – overlooked in summaries of the weekend talking points, and ruled out of Garth Crooks team of the week – although the latter is de-rigueur for West Ham players.

This particular evening’s scheduling is the perfect storm of sensory overload for Hammers followers. Especially those unable to cope with the challenges of multitasking. First, to keep an eye on the Where’s Tim ™ mobile tracking app to discover where in the world Technical Director, Tim Steidten will pop up next to complete those much needed last gasp signings. Second, to interrogate Skyscanner, working out the best routes and cheapest deals on flights to Baku, Molde, Częstochowa, or wherever the UEFA suits decide this season’s Europa League group stage games will lead us. Third, to prepare for the small matter of a Premier League fixture against plucky Luton Town and eagerly awaiting team news. Which of the new signings will be starting? How many keepers will David Moyes have on the bench?

We are promised a cauldron so intense and raucous at Kenilworth Road tonight that not a single person will be able to hear the transfer window slamming shut.

Pre-match chatter for the game will be dominated by anticipation of Luton’s first topflight home match since they were relegated along with West Ham in 1992. Just our luck that once again the Hammers are cast as the supporting act for the big attraction. Pundits will be gushing over the Hatters unbelievable rags to riches story. How the phoenix rose from the ashes and how fans must access the stadium through someone’s pantry. Of course, it is a great story but not every fairy-tale has a happy ending.

During the 1980s and early 1990s Luton were a recurring thorn in West Ham’s side, unable to get to grips with the plastic pitch that was laid between 1985 and 1991. In their last 21 games against Luton (all competitions), the Hammers have come out on top only four times. A Luton side comprising such luminaries as Ricky Hill, Brian Stein, Mark Stein, Colin Foster, Mick Harford and (of course) Tim Breacker would even go on to win the 1988 League Cup, defeating Arsenal in the final at Wembley.

The last meeting with Luton was a sixth-round tie in the 1994 FA Cup campaign. A goalless draw at Upton Park was followed by a replay at Kenilworth Road a week later where three strikes to heaven from Scott Oakes saw First Division Luton pull off a giant killing against Premier League West Ham by three goals to two.

The expected Hammers starting line up today should be much the same as the one starting the second half at Brighton last Saturday. Konstantinos Mavropanos and Tomas Soucek are ruled out while Moyes will need to decide if more pace is required in the centre of defence than Kurt Zouma and Angelo Ogbonna can offer. Nayef Aguerd is an option after serving his one match suspension.

The manager’s new signing protocol will ensure Mohammed Kudus starts the game on the bench until he comes on to replace Said Benrahma at the 70-minute mark. I’m really excited at the prospect of seeing Kudus and Lucas Paqueta lining up together.

There is a smattering of former Hammers to be found in the Luton squad. Reece Burke made 15 appearances in claret and blue between 2014 and 2018 before finding his way to Luton via Hull City. Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu had one League Cup outing as a Hammer prior to moving to Luton where he has featured throughout their rise from National to Premier leagues. Finally, Dan from the Potts dynasty has been at Luton since 2015 but is unfortunately injured at the present time. Potts made 12 West Ham appearances.

The passion of the occasion will ensure a fiercely competitive game which will be a fascinating test of the Hammer’s credentials. Are we witnessing a renaissance of Moyesball, or were the last two wins a coincidental blip? The victories over Chelsea and Brighton saw a return to the faster form of the manager’s counterattacking style that was a feature of the 2020/21 season. More players getting forward and better goal scoring positions engineered. It clearly worked well against two teams desperate to dominate possession, but how will it pan out against teams equally prepared  to play without the ball, like Luton. This was where Moyesball floundered previously. The lack of guile and creativity unable to open up organised and compact defences. Maybe the presence of Paqueta, Kudus, and James Ward-Prowse can ask more testing questions this time around.

What happens off the pitch today may be far more important in defining the Hammer’s season than the game itself. If the window fizzles out without additional striker options and without upgrading the full/ wing back positions, then another opportunity will have been missed – just as it was in the January window of 2022. It is quite baffling how it has come down to the final hours to resolve such significant deficiencies.    A West Ham would take them back to the top of the table. A second one day spell at summit until Manchester City play Fulham on Saturday afternoon. Another screenshot captured for posterity. Make it happen. COYI!

With the transfer window about to slam shut West Ham can go back on top of the Premier League with a win at Luton on Friday night

Prior to the game at Brightonlast week I asked the question if there was another shock result on the cards to follow the unexpected win against Chelsea the week before. It was written more in hope than expectation but I did have a gut feeling that it might be 13th time lucky against the Seagulls and so it turned out. It was a classic smash and grab reminiscent of a couple of seasons ago coupled with a resolute defence and some excellent goalkeeping added to superbly taken goals that propelled us to the top of the league, albeit for 24 hours. We might have still been there now but for Manchester City’s 89th minute winner against Sheffield United. But in our third away game of the season on Friday evening at newly-promoted Luton (out of just 4 games – how does the fixtures computer come up with that?) we have the opportunity to once again claim the top spot, albeit probably for just a day again. But never mind, I’ll take that.

The debate rumbles on with regard to the style of play and lack of possession contrasting with the apparent effectiveness of Moyes’ tactics dividing supporters despite our early season success. But it’s hard not to enjoy the goals we scored last weekend with Ward-Prowse scoring his first to add to his assists against Chelsea, Bowen’s sublime running and finish to the brilliant assist from Benrahma (what a super game he had too when he came on), and Antonio’s attempt to replicate the excellent goal he scored against Chelsea. And we could, perhaps should have added more with further clear-cut chances. Brighton, on the other hand were restricted, and when they did get some good shots on goal they were denied by the impressive goalkeeping of Areola, demonstrating why he should be first choice. By the end of the game I had a contented smile on my face. Just 22% possession goes to prove that it is an over-rated statistic. The Chelsea game was similar. We won’t get away with it all the time. 

It would be easy to believe that we just need to turn up at Kenilworth Road to claim three more points. But seasoned West Ham fans will recognise the potential banana skin facing us against a side deemed to be (on paper) more lowly opponents. A defeat in these circumstances has happened before. Luton will be fired up for their first Premier League game at their home ground. It is amazing to remember that just ten seasons ago they were playing non-league football and their rise to the top flight has been just as remarkable as that of last week’s opponents, Brighton. They are one of four teams who have not yet picked up a single point, although they have only played twice, losing 4-1 at Brighton and 3-0 at Chelsea, co-incidentally the two teams we have successfully beaten.

The transfer window ‘slams shut’ on the day of the game, and after a slow start where we were the last Premier League team to complete a signing, many now consider that it has been a successful window in the end. When the window opened we knew that we would be losing our star player and the task of replacing him with a player of similar calibre looked to be an impossible task. But what have we done? We’ve replaced him with three ‘midfielders’ who provide very different aspects of the role.

Alvarez is the one perhaps closest to Rice’s conventional role of sitting in front of the back line and breaking up play. Ward-Prowse (a favourite of mine) has a tremendous engine, lots of skill, and will be the box-to-box midfielder that we always wanted Rice to develop into, except that he was often tied to more defensive duties. He will also surely be more of a goal threat too. I look forward to free kicks awarded to us in range of goal. Kudus arrives with a massive reputation and will hopefully fill what is called the number 10 role in modern football. The categorisation of roles in recent times is interesting, but I guess Alvarez is the 6, Ward-Prowse the 8, and Kudus the 10. Without knowing the exact details the £105 million that we received for Rice has been spent almost exactly on those three. And on the face of it is money that appears to have been spent wisely. Time will tell of course. We have to remember that both Lanzini and Downes have departed the midfield area too, although neither were first choices to start regularly last season. The three in to replace the three out has hopefully given us a stronger squad in that area of the pitch. And the potential addition of Lingard would improve it still further if he can replicate the impact he had when he was last here.

Additionally, Mavropanos has been signed as a central defender and perhaps we need further full back cover as there may be squad departures in those positions? The big need now seems to be a replacement for the departed Scamacca and a number of players are being touted to arrive. Will Steidten come flying in on a private jet sitting alongside a Brazilian international forward or perhaps Ekitike will arrive from Paris or En-Nesri from Seville, or even Moyes favourite, Broja of Chelsea? The complications of ownership would seem to be an area we wouldn’t want to get into (remember the Tevez affair?) so surely the Alberto deal would be a no-go. We must have learned from the past? We do however need another top class goalscorer to add to Antonio, Ings and Mubama. Talks to acquire Maguire seem to have surfaced again, as has an interest in promising young Peterborough defender Edwards. A full back or two wouldn’t go amiss either So many possibilities as the closing of the window gets nearer.

The acquisitions in the transfer window added to the excellent results to start the season seem to have deflected the moans and groans visible on social media before the season began. At least for the time being. It took us eight games last season to reach seven points, whereas this time we have reached that total in three. Let’s hope that we are not complacent on Friday night and once again look down on all the other Premier League teams from the top of the table at the end of the game. COYI!

The Annual Ritual Seaside Slaughter: Can West Ham Finally Stem The Brighton Tide?

The patron saint of lost causes daren’t look as West Ham contemplate further humiliation against league leaders and bogey team Brighton. Will the spell finally be broken?

For as long as I can remember, groups of young men have travelled down from London to Brighton on a bank holiday weekend to receive a good kicking. In the old days it was mods against rockers, today it is Hammers versus Seagulls.

West Ham’s Brighton hoodoo is a Premier League oddity which has been overseen by three different managers at each club. The 12 encounters since the Seagulls won promotion to the Premier League show a symmetrical 3-6-3 pattern – three defeats, followed by six draws, followed by the latest run of three defeats. Since David Moyes return to West Ham, he has taken only four points from seven games against the south coast club.

Reports from the West Ham training ground this week picked up a burst of unusual activity with full match highlights of last season’s Brighton versus Everton encounter being broadcast on 24/7 repeat. Nothing would represent the holy grail of Moyesball better than a 5-1 away victory with 22% possession. A repeat of that for West Ham today would surely be Manager of the Month material.

To be fair, the season has started in an unexpected positive vein for Moyes team. They have already surpassed the number of points I had anticipated from the opening six games, even if there has been no discernible improvement in the style of play on show. Four points and four goals from two games is not to be sneezed at. But, the stats for possession and completed passes continue to lag well behind all other teams in the league (or at least those who had completed two games after last weekend’s round of matches).

Moyes may well take the view that the ends justify the means. His caution may have cost two points at Bournemouth but probably won three in the derby victory over Chelsea – a win which generated far more prestige than beating the Cherries would.

Still, it is early days and great things are still possible from the transfer window – if the club finally gets it act together. The current scientific classification for a slow-moving phenomenon is now officially standardised as tortoise, slug, tectonic plates, West Ham player recruitment. However, exciting names continue to be linked with increasing intensity as the window enters its final week. There is an apparent high degree of confidence that Mohammed Kudus will be the next recruit to pass through the London Stadium doors. It would be a cracking signing if it comes off.

Tim Steidten has really started to make his mark in the role of Technical Director although the tension between Premier League experience (Maguire, Lingard) and exciting potential (Kudus, Ekitike) will still be rumbling along below the surface. Steidten has emerged as a transfer man of action and I have this image of snatch squad stalking the backstreets of Europe. A sack over the head of his potential target, bundled into van, whisked off to a disused war-time airfield and flown to an abandoned warehouse in Bow until contracts are signed. Guy Ritchie could do a decent job with that.

Today’s opponents, Brighton, are the gold standard of unearthing a production line of precocious talent at minimal cost. Hard to believe that 25 years ago they almost dropped out of the football league. Under the management of Graham Potter and then Roberto De Zerbi they have demonstrated an excellent balance between organisation and freedom of expression on the pitch that Hammer’s fans have been unable to enjoy. De Zerbi having added goals to supplement the Seagulls fondness for possession.

On paper, the Brighton team looks much weakened from the side who finished in sixth place last season. The loss of Mac Allister and Caicedo for big money and the end of Colwill’s loan must have been disruptive. Yet they have started the new campaign at a canter and currently lead the table with a 100% record and eight goals from two games played.

But as well as a willingness to put trust in young talent, the Seagulls also have a core of older unsung heroes in the from of Solly March, Lewis Dunk and Pascal Gross. Today, they may even have the 67-year-old James Milner wheeled out at right back.

Key to Brighton’s rise has been the ability to buy low and sell on at a profit to unsuspecting big spending opponents. Players who have looked sublime in the blue and white stripes invariably becoming substandard when pulling on their Chelsea strips. It’s almost as if the shirts have supernatural, magical powers capable of enchanting buyers with more money than sense. None of Maupay, Bissouma, Trossard, and especially Cucurella have rocked once away from Brighton. Will the same fate befall Mac Allister and Caicedo?

Since last weekend’s win over Chelsea, the Hammers have added Konstantinos Mavropanos to their ranks. A minor injury, however, means we must wait a while longer to enjoy a taste of Athens – West Ham’s first ever Greek player. With Nayef Aguerd serving a one match suspension, I expect Angelo Ogbonna to be the only change from the eleven that started on Sunday.

Even Lucas Paqueta didn’t see Aguerd’s second yellow card coming, and all is now quiet on any potential move for the flamboyant Brazilian, pending the upcoming FA enquiry. The Daily Mail have really got the bit between their teeth over the betting scandal story, even going as far as sending their fearless reporters to Paqueta Island to investigate. It is a little-known fact that Paqueta is the first Premier League player to have his own island since Gareth Barry.

So, what can we expect from today’s game? A further dose of the extreme and excessive caution that we saw from West Ham last week would be no surprise. But Brighton will not fall into the same trap as Chelsea did of relying solely on crosses to launch attacks. Their trademark is to pass and dribble through the middle. While the Hammer’s defence are comfortable making clearances and heading the ball away all afternoon, they are less adept at dealing with pacy runners. The encouraging news is that Julio Enciso may have to sit out the game due to injury, but that still leaves the fleet footed Kaoru Mitoma to put the West Ham rearguard to the sword.

If the Hammers are to finally put an end to the Brighton jinx they will need all the resilience and determination on show last week. Play like they did in the second half for ninety minutes and there is a chance of stealing a point or more – perhaps courtesy of a JWP special. On the other hand, a typical slow and tentative opening half could prove fatal, allowing the hosts to put the game to bed by the interval. COYI!   

West Ham visit league leaders Brighton in the Saturday evening kick off. Is there another shock result on the cards?

It was a sunny Saturday afternoon in mid-April 2012 when I took my seat in the Bobby Moore Upper (previously the South Bank in old money) looking forward to the game against Brighton, who we had beaten earlier in the season as we pushed for automatic promotion under Sam Allardyce. There were just four games to go as we chased Reading and Southampton who occupied the top two slots. We had been at the top of the Championship throughout much of January and February, but a run of seven draws in nine games had seen us slip down to third.  

The game was a classic right from when Ricardo Vaz Te opened the scoring in the third minute with an explosive shot from outside the area. Vaz Te was in prime form at the time having scored in each of the four games prior to this one, and he scored with a header a few minutes later. Kevin Nolan tapped in an easy third before Vaz Te completed his hat trick in the second half with a stunning overhead kick. A deflected Carlton Cole strike and an own goal completed the scoring as we ran out 6-0 winners.

A draw and two wins followed in the final three games but it wasn’t enough for automatic promotion but there was a happy ending as we defeated Cardiff home and away in the semi-final of the play offs, and then beat Blackpool 2-1 in the Wembley final in May with a very late goal from, yes you know the answer – Ricardo Vaz Te.

Brighton were a decent progressive side and they eventually achieved promotion to the Premier League at the end of the 2016-17 season. That means that they have been in the top division for six seasons now and are just embarking on their seventh. And what a start! Two 4-1 wins sees them at the top of the table (admittedly after just 2 games), with Manchester City and Arsenal the only other sides to take maximum points at this early stage. But, of course we are not far behind (just two points) after our unexpected 3-1 win against big-spending Chelsea last Sunday, and we sit in equal fifth with a win and a draw.

Brighton have continued to improve each season and their sixth-place finish in the last campaign saw them qualify for the Europa League alongside Liverpool and, of course, West Ham. Let’s hope we can avoid them because we can’t beat them! In the twelve games against them in the Premier League since their promotion we have drawn six and lost six.

We have a better home record against them than on our travels to the South Coast. In the six away games we have drawn twice and lost four times, scoring 4 goals and conceding 13. In the six games at the London Stadium we have drawn four and lost twice scoring 8 but letting in 13. In those 12 games Brighton have never failed to score at least one goal against us, four times scoring 3 times and of course they gave us a 4-0 thrashing last season.

What is the secret behind Brighton’s rise to prominence? They have made significant strides due I believe to careful financial and strategic management with prudent decisions regarding recruitment of players and the club structure. They have identified and signed players to fit their playing style. Adaptable tactics and generally the tactical acumen of the manager and coaching staff has allowed the team to compete against the ‘big teams’. Coupled with their focus on youth development via the academy, a passionate support, and the ability to move players on for extraordinary transfer fees whilst replacing them with like for like replacements have been essential ingredients for success.

They don’t have a scattergun approach to player recruitment. They know exactly the types of players they need to fill various positions and then scout them and sign them. I think that they are a superbly run football club that fully deserve their position in the higher reaches of the Premier League.

As for our start to the campaign, would you have been happy with four points and equal fifth in the league after two games? Last season it took us five games to reach the four points mark, and we were still stuck on four after seven games and sitting in the relegation zone at that time at the end of September.

The continuing debate rumbles on amongst our fans on social media. The split between the Moyes lovers and those who’d like to see a different style of play from a forward-thinking coach. At the time of writing we have three significant recruits to the squad in Alvarez, Mavropanos, and the one I like most, Ward-Prowse. We still need more quality signings – at the moment a few names are constantly being banded about, but as always with our club, if there is any truth in any of them then the negotiations do drag on somewhat. I don’t for one moment expect any of those I’ve seen linked to arrive here. In fact as I write this with evening games being played I even read that one of them has scored a hat-trick for his club in the Europa League! Our recruitment of attacking footballers has generally been sketchy with little apparent thought as to their fit to our playing style. And that’s not just in the Moyes era, it goes back way beyond that.

For the time being Paqueta seems to be staying with potential exits for one or two. Who knows until the deals are done and the transfer window slams shut? Why oh why the window cannot shut before a season gets underway is beyond me.

What will happen in our third game of the season? Brighton have scored 13 goals against us at the London Stadium and 13 goals also at the Falmer Stadium. This is our 13th meeting in the Premier League. Will this be unlucky 13? Our opponents must be relishing the thought of playing against a team they never lose to and generally beat. They are around 2/1 on to win the game whereas we are more than 4/1 against. But we had similar underdog odds against Chelsea and look what happened there. Despite having Estupinan, Mitoma and March in my Fantasy Football squad I’ll be hoping they all have a poor week.

The fixtures computer has given us three away games out of the first four fixtures (it’s away at Luton in the next one) which seems a little unkind before the first international break. Will we be heading to the break with four points from four games, or perhaps with ten? It’s time for another shock result. It’s about time we beat the Seagulls. Few expect it to happen. Few expected us to beat Chelsea 3-1, especially at the half-time interval. But we did. Can it happen? We don’t have a chance do we? Do we??

Here We Go: Football Match To Interfere With Transfer Speculation Frenzy

West Ham host their opening Premier League home game and first London derby of the new season when new-look Chelsea visit the London Stadium. Is there any chance of a Hammer’s victory?

Last week I was reading a (non-football) article explaining how emotions and sentiment in life typically follow a repeating cycle. Things can start positively enough with rising optimism creating a sense of invincibility, excitement, and euphoria. But gradually anxiety sets in, bringing with it a descent into fear, desperation, panic, and depression. Finally, from these depths of despondency, feelings of relief and hope will emerge into fresh optimism, allowing the cycle to start over once again. What the writer doesn’t realise, though, is that for a West Ham fan, this whole cycle can easily be experienced in a single day.

As it was, Friday morning dawned with positive news. The preposterous idea of a Harry Maguire transfer appeared to be dead in the water. Even the most ordinary player can look impressive on YouTube but Harry is the only footballer with enough blooper reels to fill an entire series on the BBC? The added irony is that Maguire believes he deserves better than West Ham, while in reality, no forward-thinking manager would be remotely interested in his services

At the same time, the word from the in-the-know community was buzzing with speculation that the club were on the cusp of announcing two more major signings – Konstantinos Mavropanos from VfB Stuttgart and Mohammed Kudus from Ajax. It seemed that Tim Steidten had, at last, spectacularly seized the reins of transfer strategy from David ‘must have Premier League experience’ Moyes. Excitedly, we sat by our screens awaiting the unveiling of our newest recruits. All in time for this weekend’s fixture with Chelsea. SPOILER ALERT: None of that happened.

Concerns persisted that mercurial Brazilian, Lucas Paqueta could be tempted by an irresistible offer from Abu Dhabi. But if it was an offer that could not be refused, we could now be confident that Tim would use the proceeds wisely on a clutch of imaginative replacements . After all, the list of players linked to a London Stadium move was growing by the hour. If on Friday morning it looked like Paqueta could be going to Manchester City, by the evening it looked like he might be heading straight to jail – without Passing Go! The proposed move tumbling down like a Paqueta cards once details of a yellow card betting scandal hit the airwaves.

As we know, the West Ham recruitment team do not work at the weekends and further transfer activity must wait until the office has been unlocked on Monday morning. The ancient Amstrad FAX machine needs to be switched off over the weekend to avoid overheating. By then the window will have been open for 68 days with just 10 more remaining (excluding weekends).

Against my better judgement, I also clicked Play when the YouTube algorithm presented a link to a ‘Rio Meets Declan’ video a few days ago. Apart from the speed with which Rice has become a lifelong Gooner, the one thing that stood out was our one-time skipper’s obvious surprise at how superior, professional, and detailed preparations were under Arteta compared to his experience at West Ham. Everything from adapting tactics to the way the opposition plays, to encouraging fluidity in the positions players take up, to the planning of set piece routines. It’s a reminder (if needed) as to how big a gap there is between West Ham and the elite teams. With rigid positions and formations becoming an outdated concept under modern forward-thinking coaching regimes, West Ham may soon be eligible for a Government Heritage Protection award.

For today’s encounter with Chelsea, Moyes will have several selection decisions to make in the midfield areas. New boys Edson Alvarez and James Ward-Prowse are available for selection and a view needs to be taken over Paqueta’s mental fitness to play. It is almost guaranteed that Ward-Prowse will start. He is a Moyes pick, and the manager will already be salivating over his dead ball prowess. Whether Moyes will consider Alvarez a starter is less certain. Past performance suggests a 70th minute substitute appearance is more likely – but who knows for sure. Perhaps he believes the Mexican can be a threat from set pieces – on me ‘ed-son? It would be no surprise to me if the same team as last week started with Ward-Prowse for Pablo Fornals being the only change.

Past performance suggests that the Paqueta investigation will drag on for many months to come. So, there is no reason to side-line him pending its outcome. Ivan Toney coped admirably last season with an FA disciplinary investigation hanging over him – hopefully, Paqueta can do the same. It’s possible, of course, that he is innocent anyway – at least until proven guilty.

Stamford Bridge has once again witnessed a multi-million pound transfer merry-go-round in the summer. Adding to the massive outlay in last season’s windows, the Blues have seen nine players come in and another eight depart for significant fees. In the last week alone, Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia have arrived in a £170 million package as additional options in the Chelsea midfield. Both are available for today’s game.

It is also a welcome return to Premier League action for ex-Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino as the latest temporary occupant of the Chelsea hot seat. Looking chubbier, ruddier, and more dishevelled than his north London persona – reminiscent of a younger Rory McGrath – he faces a tough job to get his all new squad challenging for the Champion’s League places before the Boehly goodwill runs out.

The two teams last met at the London Stadium in February this year. The game at the tail end of Graham Potter’s time at Stamford Bridge was a scrappy affair that ended all square at one goal apiece. From a West Ham perspective, it was classic Moyesball where the Hammers enjoyed just 28% possession and just over 200 successfully completed passes all afternoon – one of four home games last season where possession was 30% or lower.

The worry for today is that it will be a similarly negative approach from the manager. The Chelsea wing-backs are the major threat – Chilwell especially has proved difficult to handle. Rather than taking the initiative and giving them something to defend, the usual Moyes reaction is to get his own wide men to drop even deeper to compensate. As ever, I will hope for an extraordinary West Ham win but the confidence is low. Perhaps a debut Ward-Prowse free-kick goal can swing it. COYI!

Some great memories of West Ham games against Chelsea

We’ve had some great games against Chelsea over the years. I can go back to the 1960s – here are some of my favourites. How many do you remember?

The most recent one that I can recall goes back to December 2021. We were 2-1 down at half-time (Lanzini penalty), Bowen equalised early in the second half, and then there was that comical shot / cross where Masuaku deceived Mendy close to the end of the game.

Then going back to the previous summer behind closed doors (remember Covid?) we were drawing 2-2 going into the last minute when Yarmolenko scored a breakaway goal to earn the three points.

In November 2019 we played at Stamford Bridge with David Martin in goal. Cresswell scored and we held on for a famous 1-0 with Martin taking all the emotional headlines.

Do you remember Arnautovic? In December 2017 he scored a very early goal and we held on for a 1-0 win.

We played them in the League Cup in 2016, one of the very early games I remember at the London Stadium. We won 2-1 with goals from Kouyate and Fernandes (remember him?). I thought he was a good prospect and was sad to see him go.

Just a year before that in 2015 a memorable game against the champions from the previous season was won with a late goal from Andy Carroll who had come on as a substitute for Zarate who scored our first. We went to third in the league in a game remembered for six Chelsea bookings and both Matic, and Mourinho being sent off. 2-1 in the end.

Going back to December 2012 we were one down at half time but a superb second half performance with goals from Carlton Cole, and then Diame and Maiga both scoring in the last 5 minutes in front of the Bobby Moore stand gave us an excellent 3-1 win.

Back now to that ill fated season 2002-2003 when we were relegated with some excellent players, going down with 42 points from 38 games. We had rallied well towards the end of the season and our penultimate game was at home to Chelsea. Our caretaker manager sent on Di Canio early in the second half and he scored the goal which gave us a 1-0 win to give us an outside chance of survival. Sadly it was not to be when we drew 2-2 in the final game and went down as a result.

Earlier in that season we had beaten them 3-2 with Di Canio netting twice, one of them very late in the game to clinch the victory.

In October 2001 Carrick and Kanoute scored two early goals to give us a 2-1 win.

Now back to some much earlier games. Towards the end of 1987-88 we had only won one game since January when we faced Chelsea in the penultimate game of the season. We gave them a thrashing 4-1 with the goals from Cottee, Rosenior (2) and Hilton.

In 1986 we beat them twice in high scoring games. It was 5-3 in October (Stewart 2, Cottee 2 and McAvennie) and the season before in March we recorded a splendid victory at Stamford Bridge, with McAvennie, Cottee 2, and Devonshire scoring the goals. I remember Brian Moore’s commentary of that game when watching it on the Big Match on Sunday afternoon.

In our record breaking Division 2 season (1980-81) we completed the double over them – in the home gam we won 4-0 with goals from Brooking 2, Cross and Devonshire.

Back into the 1970s we did the double over them in 1973-74 with a 4-2 away victory where Clyde Best scored two of the goals and a 3-0 win at home with a hat-trick from Billy Bonds who was playing in midfield for us at the time.

Back into the 60s I can remember a Peters / Hurst double in a 2-0 win early one season, and perhaps one of the most remarkable West Ham v Chelsea derbies in the week before Christmas in the year we won the World Cup. We led 2-0, trailed 3-2, led 5-3 before the game finally ended in a 5-5 draw, Sissons 2, Brabrook, Byrne and Peters scoring the goals.

That season was one of my favourites watching West Ham for entertainment despite finishing sixteenth in the league and being eliminated in the third round of the FA Cup to third division Swindon. We did reach the semi-final of the League Cup before going out to West Brom over two legs. Apart from the 5-5 against Chelsea there were some highly entertaining games. We lost 5-4 at Leicester and recorded wins of 4-1 (v Man City), 1-0 (v Spurs), 3-1 (v Arsenal) and then in a famous fortnight in November beat Fulham (6-1), Leeds (7-0), Spurs 4-3, and Newcastle 3-0. There were other big wins (we scored four goals two days in a row against Blackpool too). We also suffered some heavy defeats, 4-0 twice, 6-1 and 6-2!). We scored 73 league goals that season and conceded 69. We also scored 20 goals in the FA Cup / League Cup.

You will have noticed lots of gaps going back over the last 60 years or so. I guess they beat us a few times but I’ve forgotten those. Can I add to memories of West Ham v Chelsea games this weekend? I hope I can. A debut goal from James Ward-Prowse to equal Beckham’s free kick record perhaps?

Chelsea are favourites to win the game. You can name your own odds on a 5-5 draw.

Perhaps an England Women / West Ham winning double on Sunday? That’s about 10/1! What are the chances?

Enjoy the game. COYI!

I Got Them Same Old Claret And Blues: Another Season Of Moyesball Is A Joyless Prospect

Looking past the euphoria of European glory paints a depressing picture of life at the London Stadium. Disillusionment with David Moyes cautious, uninspiring style of play is widespread and overshadowed the excitement of a new season. How long can it last?

Here we are then. A mere 76 days since the last misplaced pass rolled into touch, the 32nd Premier League season is set to kick-off with its opening round of matches. Usually, one of the most eagerly awaited days of the sporting calendar, this year’s buzz is distinctly lacking in optimism in the neighbourhood of E15. For many West Ham fans, the expectancy is on a par with a visit to the dentist.

It is accepted that posterity will present the dramatic last-minute Europa Conference win as the highlight from last season. It will be forever etched in the memory for those who saw it, and in the history books for those who didn’t. But we should not be distracted by one night in Prague in the context of a dreadful Premier League season. It would be the equivalent of enjoying the orchestra playing while the boat is sinking.

Anyone sifting through the wreckage of last season’s league campaign would find little encouragement. Losing 20 games and scoring only 42 goals are among our worst ever returns from a 38-match top flight season. Ironic that a coach who primarily sets up not to lose managed to notch up so many defeats. And of those 42 goals, just 23 came from open play – and only one from a counterattack. The remainder from set pieces and the penalty spot.

Away from home, the team invariably returned home empty handed. Only 12 points won from the 57 available and 70% of games ending in defeat.

Elsewhere, Moyes’ West Ham side often look beaten before a ball is kicked. Nowhere is this more evident than in the continuing dire record against top level opponents. A meagre 2022/23 tally of five points were earned from twelve games against the sides finishing in the top six. And the 16 point total from 20 games against the ten top half teams only looks as flattering as it does courtesy of a double over Fulham and an early season win against a struggling Aston Villa.

But more, much more than this, it is the dismal, dull, depressing, dispiriting football being served up that has alienated a huge proportion of the fan base. What worked well for Moyes a few seasons back when his team briefly operated as an exciting and effective counter attacking unit, was found out once opponents got the measure of how to nullify the threat by pressing high. The manager not having the imagination or flexibility to adapt his game or try something new. If only he could have signed Jesse Lingard!

Claims that a more expansive style of play was attempted at the beginning of last season were never convincing to me. If it was tried, the difference in approach was marginal at best. The promised Red Bull model turned out to be Old Bull. The struggle to integrate new signings put down to individual players failure to adapt rather than poor coaching or stubborn tactics. Bizarrely, dithering due diligence Dave seemed unaware what position Lucas Paqueta played and was surprised it would prove impossible to fit Gianluca Scamacca into his system of play.

What we ended up with was a return to classic Moyesball. Defend deep, get as many bodies behind the ball as possible and never commit too many players forward – the lack of movement and reluctance to create space is at the heart of our poor possession and passing statistics in my opinion. The attacking masterplan revolves around long hopeful balls for Michail Antonio to chase, long cross-field passes, pumping as many crosses into the box as possible (even if there is no-one to receive them), optimistic long range shots and .……. set pieces! The fans hate it, the players are said to be dissatisfied, and members of the coaching staff have left because of it. Unfortunately, those in the Boardroom appear to view things very differently.

Preparation for the new season has been way less than perfect. As expected Declan Rice left the club – after 250 appearances – to pursue his dreams of glory in north London. It would be foolish not to recognise the importance of Rice in a team that barely escaped relegation in May. His contribution was far greater than defensive midfielder and he outperformed his colleagues on distance covered, carries, shot creation, tackles, and interceptions. This will be a difficult act to follow.

The quagmire of West Ham’s recruitment strategy has already been widely documented – and soundly ridiculed. The standoff between Moyes and Tim Steidten was finally broken yesterday with the signing of Mexican international, Edson Alvarez. This looks to be a good (even exciting) addition to the squad if deployed correctly. The assumption is that Alvarez is a Steidten choice, so how Moyes uses him will be illuminating.

The two other transfers that may or may not be edging towards completion are a closer fit to the solid, dependable proven Premier League player criteria favoured by David Moyes. These are Harry Maguire and James Ward Prowse. Neither particularly excites me. It’s not that they are bad players, rather that they represent the promise of more of the same, old-school, tedious tactics from Moyes. At £30 million apiece (plus wages) they may keep the manager in a job for a while longer, but do they offer long-term value for the club? West Ham already had one of the oldest and slowest squads in the league and these two do nothing to address those shortcomings. It’s no surprise no other clubs appear to be interested at those prices.

Leaving the bulk of your transfer activity to after the season has started is an absurdity. It serves to reinforce the amateur nature of the club’s operation. The squad is now so thin that it needs a minimum four or five new recruits to bring it up to competitive strength – and that’s without any allowances for further potential exits, such as Paqueta, Antonio and Aaron Cresswell. If that level of recruitment cannot happen we will be left with an inadequate headcount for the first half of the season.

We are short at full-back where no-one has the requisite pace, energy or delivery to get forward on the right, and where all options are defensively suspect on the left. We are short in the attacking areas of midfield with no-one capable of carrying the ball or beating an opponent, there will be an absence of flair and the ability to pick a pass if we lose Paqueta, and are lacking pace on the left-hand side. But most importantly, we are woefully short upfront. True, the striker problem has been a perennial issue at West Ham for all the Premier League era but it’s goals that win matches, and where are they going to come from in the current squad? Antonio has had his day at West Ham, Danny Ings is not suited to the Moyes style of play, and Divin Mubama is unproven and without experience. Can the chestnut be really ignored for another season?

Tomorrow’s match against Bournemouth is almost an afterthought with all the commotion surrounding transfers, or lack thereof. It sees the Hammers return to scene of their very last away win in April 2023 when they breezed to a comfortable 4-0 victory on the south coast. It was the last point won on the road.

This time around, Bournemouth will be something of an unknown quantity. Demonstrating that football is no place for sentiment when you have a specific goal in mind, the new Bournemouth Chairman relieved saviour Gary O’Neil of his duties and replaced him with Andoni Iraola. Iraola had seen success with unfashionable Rayo Vallecano, winning promotion to La Liga followed by two commendable mid-table finishes. He is seen as a young, progressive, attack-minded manager.

The Cherries have been busy in transfer market bringing in half a dozen new players including two who had previously been linked with the Hammers – Alex Scott from Bristol City and Max Aarons from Norwich. They have also signed Hungarian left back Milos Kerkez who played against West Ham for Alkmaar and who I hoped we might have been in for. The one significant outgoing is Jefferson Lerma to Crystal Palace.

Many unknowns regarding how the Hammers might line up. The assumption is that Alvarez is the only new signing registered in time, but it would be very un-Moyes-like to throw him in straight away. If the Paqueta to Manchester City rumours have any foundation, is he in the right frame of mind to be included? Similarly for Antonio and Cresswell who may also be on their way. If the performance is anything like the last two friendlies at Rennes and Leverkusen, it will be a very anxious afternoon. The only chink of light is that Bournemouth have done little to tighten a very leaky defence.

For what it’s worth, below is my final Premier League table prediction. The rationale for putting West Ham as high as 12th is that there will be a change of manager before the end of the year. I can’t see past a very slow start, starting tomorrow. COYI!

1 Manchester City, 2 Arsenal, 3 Chelsea, 4 Manchester United, 5 Newcastle United, 6 Aston Villa, 7 Liverpool, 8 Brighton & Hove Albion, 9 Tottenham Hotspur, 10 Brentford, 11 Crystal Palace, 12 West Ham United, 13 Fulham, 14 Everton, 15 Bournemouth, 16 Burnley, 17 Wolverhampton Wanderers, 18 Nottingham Forest, 19 Sheffield United, 20 Luton Town

East London Expects: Excitement Builds As West Ham Battle To Write New Chapter in Hammer’s History

Cup final day has finally arrived as the Hemmers face off with Fiorentina in Prague. Equal measures of anticipation, excitement and anxiety promise to define an important night for the supporters, players, and coaching staff of West Ham United.

There’s more to supporting a football team than winning trophies. But that doesn’t mean the occasional piece of silverware wouldn’t go amiss. Tonight, West Ham have the opportunity to chalk a rare trophy win onto the honours board when they face Fiorentina in the final of the Europa Conference League at Prague’s Fortuna Arena.

For a club with a history that extends back for over 120 years, the list of major successes is a meagre and sorry read. Tree FA Cups and one European Cup Winners Cup triumph represent the only excuse the club has had to organise an open top bus parade. Indeed what we have was all achieved in a brief 16-year period between 1964 and 1980. Only two of West Ham’s 17 managers – Ron Greenwood and John Lyall – have ever experienced the thrill of leading their side to a major honour.

Tonight’s showdown is the Hammer’s first appearance in a European final for 47 years. A victory would be the first major piece of silverware in any competition for 43 years, and a first European trophy for 58 years. The absence of success has made the heart grow fonder as several generations of Hammer’s supporters have yet to experience the euphoria that comes with it. No surprise then that the ten days since the end of the league season has seen anticipation increasingly build, creating a heady atmosphere of celebration, expectation, excitement, and anxiety. Will the story have a happy Hammers ending?

In an uncertain season, a West Ham win requires alignment of all the footballing planets. The team must be well prepared, they must go into the game with belief and perform at the height of their abilities. We know that it should be possible in theory, but has been all too rarely seen in practice during the past season and a half. David Moyes spoke at the press conference about the need for motivation, inspiration, determination, commitment, and the right attitude. Difficult to argue against those sentiments, but the reality is that too often it has been fear and too much respect for the opposition that has been his side’s downfall, particularly in the opening exchanges of games. Without being reckless, West Ham need to be the team asking the questions. Not sitting back and waiting to react. Moyes spoke about ‘finding a way to win’ when I really hope he will be setting set out with a bold plan for victory!

Our final opponents, Fiorentina, are also experiencing something of a trophy drought. Their sole European success came in the 1961 Cup Winners Cup when they overcame Glasgow Rangers in a two leg final. And their last major trophy win was the Coppa Italia back in 2001. They will be making history tonight as the first team to appear in a final of all four UEFA competitions.

La Viola are a team that loves to have possession. They were second only to Napoli in Serie A this season with a staggering (compared to West Ham) 56% of ball possession. They play with the highest line of all Italian clubs and will be seeking to press the Hammers across the pitch. Attacks are frequently down the flanks with the tricky feet of Ikone and Gonzalez looking to pepper the opposing penalty area with crosses. This will be a test for the Hammer’s defensive discipline. Fiorentina have been free-scoring in the Conference League with Cabral their main man, but they can also be vulnerable at the back, in part due to their high line. The centre of midfield will see an intriguing dual between Declan Rice and Sofyan Amrabat , so impressive for Morocco in the World Cup.  

Manager Vincenzo Italiano is regarded as one of the most promising and progressive managers in Italian football – you can tell by his shaved head, beard and woollen jumper – a pre-requisite for any future Hammer’s boss, I think! He has hinted at the use of the dark arts by his team to frustrate the West Ham’s counter attacking threat. If last week’s Europa League final is any guide, a game dominated by tactical fouls, time wasting, and simulation would not be unthinkable. It will require further discipline from the Hammers to resist reacting to provocation – I am thinking about Lucas Paqueta here – and the intervention of a strong referee.

West Ham and Fiorentina have met on just one previous occasion, in the 1975 Anglo Italian Cup. The Italians winning both home and away legs 1-0. Tonight, is pay-back time.

There are unlikely to be any surprises in the West Ham starting eleven where I think Moyes will opt for: Areola, Coufal, Zouma, Aguerd, Cresswell, Rice, Soucek, Paqueta, Bowen, Antonio, Benrahma. Unfortunately, it doesn’t leave much by way of variety on the bench if the need to try something different is required. Indeed, Moyes was less than convincing at the Press Conference when asked about plans for making in-game changes – where he most often opts for like-for-like changes.

My claret and blue spectacles are telling me, though, that Rice and Paqueta will be too hot for Fiorentina to handle in midfield; and that they will find it difficult to cope with the runs of Jarrod Bowen and the power of Michail Antonio. But it wouldn’t be West Ham without a tense and anxious final ten of fifteen minutes to keep us on the edge of our seats.

It’s a huge night all around for those connected with the club. For supporters, games like these are what we live for – an all too rare opportunity to enjoy moments of glory. For the players it has been a great achievement to reach the final, and it will be massive for them to go on and win it. Becoming just the third West Ham captain to lift a major trophy will be a fantastic way for Declan Rice to sign off on his Hammers career. And for the manager, it could well be a make-or-break game for his future at the club. Everything is now all about tonight.

As a famous statesman once said: ‘I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat.’ If we get that commitment from the players and approach the game with the right positive attitude, then the day will end in one of the most memorable episodes of the club’s history. I’m already dreaming of pretty bubbles flying high into the Prague sky until the early hours of Thursday morning. Fiorentina 1 West Ham 3. COYI!

As the final game of the Premier League season approaches, how will we look back on West Ham’s 2022-23 season?

We visit Leicester this weekend for the final league game of (domestically at least) a disappointing season. Until a couple of games ago we weren’t mathematically safe from relegation, although personally I have been confident for some time now, despite some inconsistent performances that have meant that we didn’t pull away from potential trouble as quickly as we might have done. From dropping into the bottom 3 (18th) with 15 games to go, the season since then has seen us in varying positions, never higher than 13th or lower than 17th. We are 14th as we head into the final game, and realistically (ignoring ridiculous goal difference swings) we can only finish between 13th and 15th. Disappointing after two seasons finishing 6th and 7th.

The final league table splits very neatly into a top half and bottom half with Fulham in 10th well clear of the teams in the bottom half. I had a look back at the predictions I made before the season began. To a certain extent the Premier League is predictable these days with money being an important factor. I still managed to put three teams in the top half (Chelsea, West Ham and Wolves) who will finish in the lower half, and conversely I forecast Villa, Brentford and Fulham to be in the bottom half, and they have all had good seasons and are comfortably in the top 10. At that time I predicted Southampton, Forest and Bournemouth to be relegated so I only got one right. I’m also in a score prediction competition where I predict the scores of all West Ham games. Although I’ve correctly predicted some of the results I haven’t got the score correct once all season! The closest I got was to forecast a 0-0 draw in the away lag in Alkmaar. That was close.

But my predictions weren’t all that bad. When there were still a dozen or so games to go I did say that 37 or 38 points would be enough to escape the drop and even 34 or 35 might be. And at the time I suggested 3 from 5 to go down, namely Southampton, Leicester, Forest, Everton and Leeds, so pretty accurate there too. One comment from a reader on my predictions suggested I didn’t have a clue and that West Ham, Forest and Bournemouth were the ones for the drop. Their predictions didn’t turn out to be too accurate! It just shows how difficult it can be to make predictions in football. I did also predict that Manchester City would win the Premier League. That one wasn’t too difficult to forecast though!

It is a fascinating end of the season in terms of who will be relegated, and Sky will obviously be delighted that as many as three teams are still fighting to stay up. Everton will survive if they beat Bournemouth. If they only draw or lose then Leicester can survive by beating West Ham. Leeds, who had survival in their own hands after 25 minutes of last week’s game at the London Stadium, need to beat a poor Tottenham team to have any chance of staying up, and hope that neither Leicester win nor Everton win or draw, unless they can beat Spurs by three goals if Everton do draw. Here’s my prediction – all three teams might win their final games meaning Leicester and Leeds will be relegated. But then again they might not! I hope that we beat Leicester, as I always hope we win games, but I’m not feeling too confident. Of the three teams in trouble I’d like to see Leicester survive in some ways as I dislike the other two more, but I don’t think they will. I just have a feeling that whatever Leeds and Leicester do it won’t matter as Everton will beat Bournemouth.

There has been much conjecture as to the team David Moyes will select for this last league game. With an important European final to come ten days later does he pick a team to continue the recent momentum, or does he rest the majority of the team he wants for the final to avoid any unnecessary injuries? Or somewhere in between? How important is the £2.2 million for each incremental position in the final table when compared to the prospect of a second European trophy for the club and automatic entry into next season’s Europa League? If we do manage to beat Leicester this weekend it would only be the second time this season when we have won two league matches in a row (the first was at the beginning of October beating Wolves and Fulham at home).

Our performances in Europe have been in stark contrast to our domestic form, partly perhaps due to the strength (or lack of it) of opposition, but nevertheless still impressive. How will we reflect on the season if we win the Europa Conference whilst finishing 13th-15th in the league? It will certainly be some consolation, and a gateway to a third successive European campaign, but would we have taken that before the season began?

For me, it has not been so much about the league results, although they have mostly been poor or inconsistent, but the performances themselves. For the most part the football played has not been pleasing on the eye. The lack of ambition, the lone striker, the fear of the opposition (particularly top sides), the reliance on set pieces, the inability to hold on to the ball, the lack of players with pace, and an unnecessarily over-cautious approach to games all contribute to the disappointment.

After we went a goal down in a lethargic 25 minutes at the start of the Leeds game, the shackles came off and for more than an hour we played some delightful stuff against a tiring opposition. But why couldn’t we start the game on the front foot? It’s almost as if the players are told to be cautious, don’t concede, and only have a go if we do fall behind. Perhaps they are? And what an excellent game from Paqueta! He really has begun to look the part in recent games.

It seems certain that Declan Rice will be on his way to new pastures. What a superb player he has been for us; it would be great to round it off lifting the Europa Conference trophy on June 7th. He really is irreplaceable and it will be interesting to see who we can manage to attract to the club this summer. James Ward-Prowse, Kalvin Phillips and Harvey Barnes are three of the names already being touted, all England internationals, and two of them play in central midfield, but I’m sure there will be many more suggested once the transfer window opens. I read these names but after so many years now of reading about players we are allegedly linked with I wait until I see the photo of a new recruit in a claret and blue shirt with their arms crossed before I believe it. If (when) Rice goes, wouldn’t it be good to do the necessary transfer business and have replacements in place well before the new season begins? We never seem to achieve that though, do we?

What will happen in the game at Leicester? I’m sure David Moyes would like to beat them for his own professional pride to ensure West Ham finish as high as possible in the final table. It wouldn’t do his old club on Merseyside any harm if that were the case either. My final prediction of the league season – a 2-2 draw. What are the chances?

It’s the Final Countdown: There Ain’t No Party Like A West Ham Party

With an exciting trip to Prague on their minds, West Ham have a pivotal role to play in the final relegation placings as they host Leeds United at the London Stadium

Yesterday’s round of matches provided the final mathematical proof to what most had realised several few weeks ago, that West Ham would be once again playing Premier League football next season. Complex modelling of different scenarios that would result in Leeds overturning the Hammers goal difference advantage cease to be relevant as the two sides clash at the London Stadium this afternoon.

It was an eventful week for West Ham as they saw off the challenge of AZ Alkmaar to reach the final of the Europa Conference League in Prague. A degree of confusion existed in post-match interviews as to the precise relevance of 43- and 47-year anniversaries in Hammer’s History. To clarify, it is, of course, 47 years since West Ham reached a European final; and it will be an opportunity to lift a first major trophy in 43 years. Hammers of a certain age may also be familiar with the rarely spoken about heart-breaking experience of the 2006 FA Cup Final but prefer to keep that painful memory well and truly buried, like a long forgotten disgraced family member. Although, I was ‘fortunate’ enough to be at the game, I have avoided ever watching the highlights again!

Most pundits took the view that David Moyes got his tactics ‘spot on’ against Alkmaar. By maintaining a compact shape and defending deep it limited the hosts to a handful of half chances. For all their pretty possession they created little threat – and might have played many hours without looking likely to score. The irony is that this was not a cunningly devised tactical masterstroke, it is how his team plays every week. But more on that another time, as it is only right to celebrate the prospect of a big night out in Prague on June 7. It was fantastic to see how much getting to the final meant to the players as they celebrated after the final whistle. And what a story for the immensely likeable Pablo Fornals to come off the bench and score a stunning winner as the clock ticked down. A remarkable moment! I was even touched by seeing a broad smile light up the manager’s face.

It was a disciplined and professional performance from West Ham. Solid right across the back and with Declan Rice and Lucas Paqueta putting in excellent shifts in midfield. More might have been achieved from counter-attacks but both Jarrod Bowen and Said Benrahma had below par nights. Bowen provided his usual good defensive cover – possibly expected to do too much defensively – but offered little going forward against young Hungarian full-back Milos Kerkez. If I was a scout I would add Kerkez to my watch list for what is a problem position at West Ham, although I hope our scouting network extends beyond players from teams we have beaten in cup competitions – Paul Hilton anyone?

I always think you can tell what sort of game Benrahma will have from his first two or three touches. If these go badly you may as well substitute him there and then. Or get him to change his boots. I see it as the exact opposite of the old Billy’s Boots comic strip which appeared many years ago in the Tiger and Scorcher. Rather than Billy turning into a superstar whenever he pulls on his magic boots, Benny and his boots sadly lose all coordination when attempting to shoot or cross.

A small group of curmudgeonly fans have been writing off the Conference as something of a tin-pot competition. It was clear (and encouraging) that the players see it completely differently. If the group stages can be a case of going through the motions, I doubt any of the participants take it easy once the knock-out starts. True it is Europe’s third tier competition, but there are not many opportunities in modern football for coaches and players to win trophies with the concentration of power in the hands of the monied few. And this is one of those occasions. West Ham could not have done much more than win 13 of their 14 matches played to reach the final. With silverware and potential qualification for next season’s Europa League up for grabs, it promises to be a great occasion.  

The Alkmaar match will also be long remembered for the heroics of Knollsy in coming to the rescue of the player’s family and friends who were targeted by a small group of home supporters attempting to storm the stands. Knollsy demonstrated some of the most uncompromising defending seen since the departure of Craig Dawson. AZ Ultra might easily be mistaken for the latest washing powder from Proctor & Gamble and it was heartening to see the ugly stains humiliatingly removed. Well done to Knollsy and also the players who leapt into the fray to protect their loved ones!

With the dust barely settled on Thursday’s semi-final it is back to Premier League action today where West Ham will play an important role on who joins Southampton in the Championship next year. A win for Nottingham Forest yesterday meant that all three of last season’s promoted clubs survive the drop, and narrowed the relegation field of two from Leicester, Leeds, and Everton. Leicester’s fate looks the most precarious even though nothing will be decided until next Sunday’s final games when all three teams have winnable home fixtures.

A win for Leeds today would put them in a strong position for survival with only a Spursy challenge to come. And we all know what Big Sam needing a win means for the way that a match might pan out. It will not be feast of footballing fun and entertainment. On the one hand West Ham will want to sign-off a memorable week on a positive note in the expectation of it being Declan Rice’s last game at the London Stadium as a West Ham player. On the other, Leeds tasked with spoiling the celebrations and sucking the atmosphere out of the party. The visitor’s pragmatic game plan will be to grab a goal and defend it with their lives.

I doubt Moyes will see the need to make wholesale changes from his normal team selection for the final matches. Maybe Kurt Zouma and Michail Antonio will be wrapped away in cotton wool until the final but that’s about it with just two games between now and the ECL Final.

Moyes will want to play fair for the relegation candidates. He must still have a soft spot for Everton and is said to be great friends with Allardyce through a shared football philosophy. In fact, I had an idea of Moyes and Allardyce featuring in a buddy TV series – think Coogan and Brydon or Whitehouse and Mortimer – where they hunt fossils on the Jurassic coast while reminiscing on their favourite scoreless draws. The working title is Sam and Dave’s Clean Sheets with Hold On, I’m Coming as the theme tune. Could be a winner!

A last home game of the season without any pressure other than a few million in positional merit money would typically be a massive party day. But with Big Sam not being the ideal party guest, the action on the pitch might end up being incidental to having a laugh, a joke and an old fashioned sing-song. COYI!