News – Page 24 – Under The Hammers

What Do You Think Of It So Far: A Sign Of Great Things To Come Or Just A Lucky Start To The Season?

West Ham’s early season form has defied all expectations. Great signings and a return to the swashbuckling counterattack style of two years ago, or a few lucky breaks in the unpredictable opening exchanges of the new campaign?

If the Premier League season was a YouTube video then international breaks would be the annoying advertisements that pop up just as things are getting interesting to interrupt the flow, but without the ability to ‘skip’ after five seconds. And if you are hating this one, there are two more still to come before Christmas.

At least a break allows a moment to reflect on what has happened so far in West Ham’s embryonic season. I doubt even the most optimistic claret-and-blue spectacled Hammer would have forecast ten points from four games when the fixtures were first announced. But is this a springboard for a memorable campaign at home and in Europe, or is the current league position as good as it gets for the rest of the season? The upcoming matches against Manchester City and Liverpool are sure to put a more measured perspective on matters.

There are two schools of thought on the Hammer’s stellar start to the season – if internet chatter is anything to go by. And opinion is largely split depending on whether you are in the pro or anti David Moyes camp. Unfortunately, the loudest voices invariably originate from the extremes where everything is either black or white, yes or no, true or false.

The pro-Moyes camp view the start as a wholehearted endorsement of the Board’s decision to stick with the manager. The team has been strengthened by exciting new signings, is displaying a welcome return to the fast, counter-attacking style of two years ago, and have been good value for three excellent wins out of four. In the other corner, the Moyes-out camp see a typical early season distortion in the league standings. West Ham have been lucky. Chelsea should have buried us before half-time, Brighton had enough chances to have equalised, Luton are a terrible team and deserved a penalty at the end. We could just as easily be sitting bottom half with two or three points by now.

It would be wrong not to take at least a few of positives from the four games played, even if the sample size is way too small to make any bold predictions – I can still remember Carlisle United topping the old Division One at the start of the 1974/75 season and eventually getting relegated. But the team have started the campaign with confidence high, boosted by the success that comes with winning the Europa Conference. There is an excellent spirit in the squad, they are well drilled, and most importantly, they are getting more players forward (and more quickly) in support of counter attacks. Last season it took ten games to score the nine goals that have been buried so far.

The recruitment of James Ward-Prowse and Edson Alvarez are looking to be inspired, great value signings. Michail Antonio, Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paqueta have started the season in blistering form. And there is more to come with anticipation of the delights that Mohammed Kudus and Konstantinos Mavropanos can bring to the table.

Naturally, being West Ham supporters, we are genetically programmed to expect everything to go horribly wrong at any moment. In that respect, the next three games will present fascinating insights.

Against Manchester City and Liverpool, we can expect classic Moyesball with narrow, compact defending and 20-something percent position. Success depends on whether the low-block defence is capable of snuffing out the abundant firepower both sides have available for an entire 90 minutes. And whether enough numbers are committed forward in support of counterattacks on the rare occasions the opportunity arises.

Defending narrow and getting numbers behind the ball does a fine job of closing down space between the lines, but it does allow opponents plenty of opportunity to ping in crosses and to shoot from range. They only need to get lucky once, as we saw with the Bournemouth equaliser in the season opener. While the current approach to defending persists there is little chance that Moyes will be weaned away from the ever-present Thomas Soucek. His defensive contribution – headed clearances and interceptions – should not be overlooked, but with the ball at his feet he is below top-half Premier League standard. Unless he returns to the goal scoring form of 2020/21 his net value to the team is questionable.

There is also a suspicion that the concentration levels required to defend with backs to the wall for extended periods will inevitably take its toll in terms of fatigue – especially with the manager’s tendency to delay substitutions for as long as possible. It was clear that Alvarez was tiring towards the end of the Brighton game and yet no relief was forthcoming until after the hosts scored. It may not be a coincidence that three of the four goals conceded to date have come in the last ten minutes.

The attacking strategy in these games is wholly dependent on the efforts of Antonio. At his best, it is easy to see why he unsettles defenders unaccustomed to opponents with such pace and power. But how long can he keep it up? Antonio delivered an equally impressive start to the 2021/22 season where he scored six times in the opening eight matches, but his ensuing lean spell coincided with the team’s lost momentum. It is astounding that no obvious replacement has been added to the squad.

The Sheffield United fixture will present a very different challenge. It is a game where West Ham will be expected to take the initiative. If there is a desire to play a more fluid frontline, then potentially this is the opportunity to do it. Perhaps by leaving Antonio on the bench with Bowen through the middle and Kudus coming in on the right. It was clear from the Luton game that Antonio’s style of play is far less effective when the team have more possession. I hope Moyes sees this as a chance to be less rigid in setting up for games where we should dominate the ball.

So far, West Ham have yet to suffer from any major VAR eccentricities – although the disallowed Emerson goal at Luton didn’t appear to receive the level of scrutiny often reserved for such events. In fact, many felt that VAR had done the Hammers a favour by not intervening in the Ward-Prowse ‘handball’ incident in the closing seconds at Kenilworth Road. Personally, I never regarded handball as a particularly contentious issue in the good old pre-VAR days. But in their wisdom PGMOL have made it so with a dog’s breakfast implementation – both from an attacking and defending point of view – that now nobody really understands the rules – just like in Rugby Union. COYI!

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 13^th 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 89^th 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!

Never Mind The Invincibles, Meet The Impenetrables: 5 Takeaways From West Ham’s Win At Brighton

Another 3-1 to the cockney boys. What did we learn as West Ham put a decisive end to the Brighton hoodoo?

We’re Sitting On Top of The Table

Well, it looks like the title is shaping up to be a two-horse race. A tactical battle between England’s two reigning European champions. I hadn’t expected the Hammers to hit the front so early and we can only hope they don’t bottle it like Arsenal did last season. All that is needed to make it the perfect bank holiday weekend is for those friendly Blades to derail the Manchester City charge when the two teams meet at Bramall Lane. The Hammers can then spend a week looking forward to Fantastic Friday with an away win at Luton, exciting deadline day signings, and a favourable Europa League group stage draw.

Brighton Owned By Minimalist Possession

In the age of deep thinking, philosophical football coaches, David Moyes’ post-minimalist approach to possession could easily be misinterpreted as a retrospective pastiche of a lost and forgotten game😉Perhaps it will come back in fashion like cardigans and Oxford bags. Many supporters are conflicted by the style of play but when it works so clinically, and you see a game plan executed brilliantly (against a team you never beat), then what’s not to like? We should be buzzing! It was the right tactics for the occasion and until the Hammer’s legs tired late on, Brighton could find no way through. In the goal, at the back and through the middle, West Ham were the “Impenetrables”. But unlike last season when attempts at attacking pizazz had gone missing, bodies were suddenly getting into the box quickly in support of counterattacks. The statistic of just 13 completed passes in the opening 30 minutes is one best brushed under the carpet of success – for now!

Smells Like Team Spirit

The most striking takeaway from two unexpected wins in seven days has been the obviously outstanding team spirit. An unbreakable bond seems to have been carried over from the Europa Conference triumph. It hadn’t been transferred to Arsenal as an add-on to the Rice deal after all. There may have been individual stand-out moments in the game, but every player gave their all for the cause. Resilience and commitment aren’t coached on the training ground but come from the heart. Well done, the team! It’s so far, so good with the new recruits as well. Edson Alvarez put in a great shift patrolling in front of the back four and dropping back into it when required. He should have been replaced before he was as his legs had clearly gone by the time of the Brighton goal. And what a introduction to West Ham for James Ward-Prowse. Great to see him get forward so quickly and to poach his first Hammer’s goal. Shame about the half-hearted golf swing celebration – that one was hooked straight into the rough.

The Goal As A Thing Of Beauty

Occasionally, you will see a goal conceived in joy and performed at leisure. Where artistry and elegance meet simplicity. And so it was with West Ham’s second yesterday. Michail Antonio picking up the ball deep in his own defensive third. A stroked pass to Said Benrahma along the left wing. Benny, composed and aware, picking the ideal moment to deliver as runners sprinted into the penalty area. The cross inch perfect, sublimely controlled first time by Jarrod Bowen and stroked into the corner of the net. Precision and perfection – and reminiscent of a goal Liverpool scored against us a year or so ago. The 3^rd goal was almost (but not quite) as good. This time Bowen playing in Antonio to drive home.

West Ham’s Number One

Yesterday was probably the day that Alphonse Areola finally made the number one gloves his personal property. Not particularly over-worked in the first half (and guilty of one very messy fumble) he came into his own in the closing minutes with a spectacular demonstration of shot stopping. Reflex saves from Veltman and Ferguson were from the very top drawer. The TV director unkindly zooming in on the rueful gaze of Lukasz Fabianski sitting on the bench. A special mention also for Benrahma. Pablo Fornals had seemed the obvious choice to replace the battered Tomas Soucek, but the choice of Benny did not disappoint. One of his most assured performances in the claret and blue.

Player Ratings: Areola (9), Coufal (7), Zouma (8), Ogbonna (7), Emerson (7), Alvarez (7), Ward-Prowse (8), Soucek (6), Paqueta (8), Bowen (8), Antonio (8) Sub: Benrahma (8)

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 13^th 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??

Tales Of The Unexpected: What Did We Learn From West Ham’s Win Against Chelsea?

West Ham pulled off the shock result of the weekend seeing off big-spending Chelsea at the London Stadium. Here are the takeaways.

You’ve Scored Three Goals and No Passes

OK, so it wasn’t no passes but a total of 170 or so completed passes over the course of 90 minutes (plus added time) is hardly impressive. However, just as Woody Allen once claimed that: “there’s no such things as a bad orgasm”, then we can add that there’s no such thing as a bad win against Chelsea – especially when you have to play for over 20 minutes with ten men. It was a dream debut for James Ward-Prowse who ended the day with two assists chalked up against his name. The first (of many hopefully) was a teasingly flighted corner kick. The second, one of those technical assists where he was the penultimate player to touch the ball before it hit the net. It was a very nice pass, but it was really Michail Antonio who assisted the creation of his own opportunity – topped it off with a stunning strike which was possibly the best of his 62 Premier League goals for West Ham. For once, David Moyes made good decisions with his substitutions that saw productive cameos from Pablo Fornals and Edson Alvarez.

The Game of Two Halves Masterclass

If West Ham were a rock band, their set would open with one of their best-known songs before boring everyone silly for an hour with a medley of obscure songs from the latest album. Only towards the end would the energy levels rise again with a rousing encore of greatest hits. So, it was yesterday. A strong opening and well worked goal prompted the usual retreat, allowing the Chelsea front line to repeatedly cut through the defensive line time and time again. Had Alphonse Areola not unexpectedly saved the spot kick just before half-time; the Hammers may have been dead and buried. It would have taken a brave man to place a bet on a West Ham win at the interval. Yet, the second half played out as if it were two different teams on the pitch. West Ham defended narrower, pressed in front of the back four and shut down the spaces Chelsea’s forwards had previously exploited. The visitors were invited to put crosses into the box at will, but their delivery was woeful. Even with a one man advantage they rarely threatened after the break.

The Chelsea Red Card Menace

As well as expecting a sound thrashing, my half-time prediction was that one of Nayef Aguerd, Emerson Palmieri or Lucas Paqueta would pick up a second yellow card in the second period. And that’s just what happened. Having gone through the whole of last season without a single sending off, West Ham had fallen foul of officialdom in only their second outing. I’d like to claim a biased refereeing conspiracy but Aguerd was bang to rights on both occasions. The second yellow being both a reckless and unnecessary lunge that hard little chance of ending in success. The sending off prevented a double substitution that would have seen Fornals and Alvarez replace Said Benrahma and Tomas Soucek but Angelo Ogbonna stepped in to replace Aguerd instead. It was the Hammers first Premier League red card since Craig Dawson was dismissed also against Chelsea in April 2022.

Pleased To Meet You Hope You Guess My Name

Early season games can be unpredictable with teams sometimes making wholesale changes to their squads and switching managers. Indeed, it may have been fortunate to be playing Chelsea so early in the season given their vast turnover of personnel. Pochettino will eventually manage to get a tune out of his side even if they looked like a bunch of individuals – and a few duds – put together for big money without any particular plan. At least Raheem Sterling looked to be rejuvenated under the new regime. Although West Ham haven’t experienced the same disruption, they did lose that Declan Whatshisname fella who used to play here, and his absence will take some getting used to. The hope is that more signings will arrive at the London Stadium before the end of the transfer window, although past performance makes no guarantees. Whether that will herald an improvement is less certain. It is all very well the team being praised for their resilience, discipline, and determination – and they are great attributes – but most fans want to see a lot more than that. West Ham are not a newly promoted club whose only aspiration is to consolidate its position in the top flight. The outlook needs to change

Out Of Left Field

The immediate future of the Paqman will keep us guessing during the early part of the season. Will he be transferred, will he be banned? Yesterday’s eclectic performance embodied theatrics, panache, pomp, and passion. He was as pumped to have won a throw-in as he was when scoring from the spot. In open play, he is partial to drifting out to the left where Emerson (and Fornals, if he is on the pitch) seem to be the players able to operate on a similar wavelength. Emerson continues to be an enigma. Looking highly capable as a wing-back but struggling when asked to operate as a conventional full-back. If the plan is to play mostly with a back four, other options are required at left back. If a three/ five at the back is preferred then someone who can play right wing-back is badly needed.

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 70^th 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!

David Moyes Versus The Lettuce: Which Will Last The Longest?

As his trademark caution once again fails to push home the advantage, how much longer will the West Ham board tolerate his dull and negative approach to the game. What did we learn from the points shared in the season opener at Bournemouth?

The Plan: We Only Need To Be Better Than Three Other Teams

If the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting a different outcome, then our manager must be as mad a box of baby haggises (or is it haggi?). Who would have guessed that completely surrendering the initiative would have given a boost to a previously short-on-ideas opponent? Or do we expect too much? Perhaps in the Moyestro’s mind a draw at Bournemouth represents a very satisfactory day at the office. In an ‘any point away from home is a bonus and we were unlucky not to win’ sort of way. Pick up another point at Luton and his side will be right on track to reach the manager’s targeted two points from the opening six games. Then we can focus on the more realistic challenge of fighting for scrappy home wins from the peer group that includes Forest, Everton, Burnley and Sheffield United.

Possession And How Not To Use It

I’ve never been too hung up on possession statistics. It’s more about what you do with the ball once you have it at your feet. The clue is pass to a teammate. Take Brentford for example. Last season, they had a similar level of possession to West Ham and relied just as heavily on the long pass. But because they commit more players forward, they pose a far greater threat, are exciting to watch, and force every opponent to be wary of pushing too many of their own players forward. Sadly, that’s not how Moyesball works. To him, risk is a dirty word along with its evil twin, entertainment. Despite this, West Ham were the better side in the first half yesterday, taking advantage of a hesitant host who were uncertain what their new manager expected of them. The Hammers were never likely to run riot (as they had a few months earlier), but they created the better opportunities in a low-key first half, without ever dominating.

The Natural Negative Instincts Are Never Far Away

The watershed moment in the game came when West Ham took the lead – and what a beautiful strike it was from Jarrod Bowen. The possession percentage barely changed pre and post goal, but the balance of play switched completely. Bournemouth threw caution to the wind, bringing on more attack minded players while Moyes reverted to type – attempting to batten down the hatches and protect the slim advantage his team held. It just isn’t in his DNA (or Dinnae in Scottish) to exploit the extra space on offer in search of a second conclusive goal. His only strategy for killing off a game is through boredom. It was no surprise when the equaliser came. Anyone watching could sense it was only a matter of time. All the opposition needs when you concede so much space is to get lucky once. And they did just that when a mishit shot turned into a killer pass for Solanke to finish. The sight of Moyes yelling at Vladimir Coufal in the dying minutes not to take a quick attacking throw and take his time instead says all you need to know about his cautious mindset.

Substitutions And How Not To Use Them

Andoni Iraola had made five substitutions before Moyes sprang into action with his. And when he did, he really needn’t have bothered. I’m convinced he has an alert on his phone, set up at the 70-minute mark with a reminder to swap Michail Antonio with Danny Ings. The type of like for like change that the manager loves. A change for change’s sake play that confuses activity with action. Antonio’s role yesterday was baffling. Appearing in the most unlikely areas of the pitch and taking only one touch in the opponent’s penalty area. He looks to have lost all interest in playing for West Ham (or the manager). The second change in the aftermath of the Bournemouth equaliser (Thilo Kehrer for Pablo Fornals) was a clear indication of intent – preserve the point at all costs. Finally, there was a rare sighting of the illusive Comet. Maxwell replacing Lucas Paqueta in added time and being on the pitch just long enough to be caught offside. Paqueta showing once again what a difference he could make to a team that wasn’t quite as static as the Hammers. He will be missed when he leaves next week.

Of Strikers and Recruitment

The manager loves to present himself as a tight-lipped man of ~~misery~~ mystery when he speaks to the press. It is beyond belief that any Premier League coach would contemplate embarking on a new campaign with only Antonio, Ings and Divin Mubama as the main striker options. Or is the cunning plan to convert Bowen and/ or Cornet to plough that lone farrow? Neither is the brightest of ideas, and we can only hope there is an adult somewhere in the recruitment process who can make the Board see sense. Moyes cannot be trusted to act as sole arbiter of the transfer kitty. Come on Tim, find us a proper striker. The ‘David Moyes has only n games to save his job’ news cycle cannot be far away. I might need to buy a hat to eat if he is still around at the end of September.