Category: Opinion

West Ham Stuck In Endless Potter’s Wheel Interlude Loop

Years ago the BBC would screen a film of a potter’s wheel as an interlude between regular programming or when something had gone wrong. It feels that’s where we are at West Ham at the moment.

There is a certain symmetry that a pointless game in a pointless season ended pointless for West Ham on Monday night. The visitors couldn’t have imagined a more leisurely, low-key warm up in advance of Sunday’s Carabao cup final – unless it had been a behind closed doors friendly. Indeed, for all the excitement generated at the London Stadium, it could well have been played behind closed doors.

It should come as no surprise to anyone that the London Stadium is a very different venue in almost every way to the old Boleyn Ground. The most electric of atmospheres in E13 could never come close to being matched at the E15 bowl in its current configuration. But atmosphere and the London Stadium are not mutually exclusive when supporters are given something to shout about – whether that is moments of awesome individual flair, a demonstration of high intensity attacking football, or games which have some meaning or importance to them. As things stand though all are missing. And there is very little hope that anything can improve during the remainder of the season.

There is a concept used when developing the TV seasons and series churned out by the various streaming platforms known as ‘second screen’. It involves plots and dialogue being dumbed down to satisfy viewers who are only half-watching because they are otherwise distracted by their smartphones. With football becoming more TV content than sporting competition, the fear is that it may well be following a similar path. Increasingly, the drama and talking points of games are dominated by VAR reviews of each significant incident and whether the correct minutes of added time have been allocated.

For all the exaggerated best-league-in-the-world media hype, the growing levels of tactical rigidity, gamesmanship and over-complicated officiating have chipped away at Premier League entertainment with each passing year. A situation that has been brought into even sharper focus in a season where most of the major issues have effectively been settled with a quarter of the season still to play.

Manchester United have received a great deal of media scrutiny recently for an abysmal track record since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson. At last, pundits have woken up to the idea that years of failure might rest with the club owners rather than the lengthy list of hapless managerial casualties. A club run as brand, lacking in footballing strategy who believe the key to renewed success is to sack the tea lady. Well as the great Neil Diamond once sang “well except for the names and a few other changes, if you talk about West Ham, the story is the same one.” And nothing says ‘absence of a strategy’ better than a club needing to be ‘in transition’ twice in a solitary season. As with the Mancs, West Ham have a club board which has consistently taken bad decisions – often for reasons of self aggrandisement – and failed to move the club forward in any significant way.   

The latest indications are that the club are not actively looking to fill the vacancy for Director of Football or Technical Director left by the departure of Tim Steidten. Club sources have denied any interest in Dan Ashworth citing a happy camp where Graham Potter is a mate of Karen Brady’s husband and (new head of recruitment) Kyle Macaulay is also a long-term pal of Potters. Now, this might all work very nicely if Potter is a success and stays in post as coach/ manager for the next five to ten years. But if it all goes horribly wrong and we are looking for a replacement in 18 months or 2 years then, with no footballing continuity, it will be back to square one with the need for rebuild, refresh and transition to suit the next appointment. The only detectable strategic intent shown by the Board is to repeat the same mistakes of the last 15 years and hope for a different outcome.

I do hope Potter turns out to be the right man for West Ham. The early goodwill earned from being a breath of fresh air after Julen Lopetegui has begun to fade as delivery in press conferences and interviews is not matched on the pitch. For reasons best known to himself, he has decided to concentrate on fixing the defensive frailties at the expense of everything else. A manager who was accused of presiding over shot shy teams during spells at Brighton and Chelsea has unfortunatley reinforced that tag at West Ham, with a return of just 17 shots on target in ten games played to date.

Quite what Potter’s objectives are for the rest of the season is uncertain. He has the reputation as a coach prepared to vary formation and yet he has been most conservative in setup and team selection. There is nothing of note left to play for and we must hope he has already realised that a huge squad overhaul is required in the summer. So, why the reluctance to try a few different options now?

Very few teams use a three-man defence as their preferred formation. Those that do tend to be basement dwellers organised to sit deep and grind out results on the break. And where wing backs are deployed, it typically requires a target in the middle for them to aim at. There seems no point or benefit for this setup at West Ham either in the immediate or longer term. It is the polar opposite of the attacking style of football promised to supporters when Potter joined.

Previously, I had expressed surprise when the coach would put out the same team at home Leicester that had won away at Arsenal. The mentality of not breaking up a winning side disappeared years ago. The two games – away to a title chasing side and home to a relegation threatened one – were about as different in ambition as you could get. At Arsenal the low defensive block to frustrate Arsenal made sense, and Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus were ideally suited to exploiting the space vacated as the hosts committed players forward. In fact, it was replacing Bowen with Evan Ferguson that handed the initiative back to the ten-man Gunners in the closing stages.

But a team with nine defensive minded players at home to Leicester was simply unnecessary. The result may have provided some vindication but was it not an opportunity to try something a little different? When you play at home there is a certain level of expectations from your supporters, especially against an opponent as woeful and unambitious as Leicester. A combined midfield of Edson Alvarez, James Ward-Prowse and Tomas Soucek – whatever their individual attributes – simply would not have the pace, guile, ball carrying ability or passing range to work effectively as a group. These collective shortcomings were abundantly clear in the display against Newcastle.

The Newcastle game might have been very different if Soucek had not spooned that early chance over bar. I wanted to get another look at his goal celebration as I never realised it was supposed to be a helicopter until he mentioned it after the Leicester game. I had it down as a small girl pretending to be a fairy.

The Hammers pay a farewell visit to Goodison on Saturday for the Moyesiah showdown and that will be it for games in March. Do they really need to drag the season out like this? COYI!

West Ham Monday Briefing: FA Cup Exit, Striker Crisis and Pottering About in The Transfer Window

A breath of fresh air in the dugout has lifted the mood in the dressing room despite a growing injury problem. Can the new sense of optimism spread to cooperation and sensible decisions in the transfer window

My story is probably similar to many other fans. Becoming a supporter of West Ham was never a conscious decision. Rather, it was an inherited condition passed down by a long line of labourers, rascals and urchins who had lived in the county borough of West Ham as far back as the earliest census records go. Being a Hammer is just one more genetic marker alongside colour of eyes and annoyingly large ear lobes.

Despite the congenital nature of the affliction, a great deal of time was wasted over the years looking for justification, as if the decision had been taken by free will. Whether this was the emotional connection of following the East End’s family club, the attractive brand of football played by “everyone’s second favourite team” in the 1960s, effectively winning the World Cup in 1966, or the club’s admirable loyalty to its managers.

It feels strange mentioning that last point now – having personally willed the last two managers out of a job for the best past of two years – but for the first 87 years of existence, West Ham had employed just five managers, each surviving at least ten years at the helm. I don’t know if it is, but it sounds like it should be some sort of record.

Around 36 years have passed since the last of the famous five (John Lyall) was unceremoniously sacked in the summer of 1989. In that time, a further 15 full-time managers have taken their turn to sit in the dugout with varying degrees of disappointment. The longest was Harry Redknapp (a little short of seven years) while four others lasted less than a year (Avram Grant, the first coming of David Moyes, Lou Macari and now, Julen Lopetegui.) The timeline doesn’t precisely match the creation of the Premier League, but it is close enough to suspect a connection.

Under the circumstances, it is difficult to get too excited when names of managerial targets are mentioned these days. Most appointments ultimately end in failure even where there is a hint of success in between. Naysaying has become the new national pastime when it comes to football matters and there is always someone ready to point out the relative weakness of a win percentage or critique a previous failing regardless of any mitigating circumstances. Even I may be guilty as charged, having previously described Graham Potter’s Brighton side as “all sizzle and no sausage.” However, I don’t see his career being defined by the shambles that was taking place at Chelsea during the period of his tenure.

Potter may not fit the bald, designer stubble, chinos and turtleneck sweater wearing profile of the trendy manager, but I am reasonably happy with his appointment. I thought he acquitted himself well at the press conference following the announcement of his appointment. It can’t have been easy trying to answer essentially the same question from assembled journalists using different words. Everything he said about identity, alignment and collaboration makes perfect sense provided he can follow through on the training ground. My general takeaway was that here was a man with an air of competence – an attribute that has been in short supply at the club in recent years.

Then again Lopetegui wasn’t completely unbelievable in his initial pre-season utterances. It was only when the matches started, and he lost the ability to speak English that it became clear someone had been duped by his Powerpoint presentation. Quite why Potter was suddenly seen as the perfect fit for West Ham in January but was not considered last summer must remain a mystery.

Although it was disappointing to go out of the FA Cup on Friday night, the performance did suggest a lightening of the mood in the West Ham camp. Until the team ran out of steam and players early in the second period there was much to be encouraged about. At last, a coach with ideas on how best to use the resources at his disposal rather than one with a half-baked and poorly communicated philosophy which had his favourite players shoehorned into it. It was only one game (and one training session) but there are signs that Potter is an authentic coach who can improve players, is tactically flexible, a good communicator, and prepared to give youth a chance. It is a relief to have a glimmer of hope that we might see anincremental improvement in performances over the remainder of the season, despite having little other than pride to play for.

The already dire striker situation deteriorated even further in the Aston Villa cup-tie when Niclas Fullkrug pulled up with a hamstring injury which, according to rumours, will rule him out for three months – effectively the rest of the season. Witnessing the rickety, injury-prone German replaced by a rusty, misfiring Danny Ings provided ample evidence as to why you shouldn’t panic buy strikers at the breaker’s yard. Replacement striker, central defensive reinforcements and someone with pace, energy and technique in central midfield are now all transfer window priorities. A tall order for what is traditionally a disappointing January for the Hammers. Whatever moves are taken they should be made with the future in mind, not just quick fixes.

The transfer window is sure to intensify the media noise surrounding the role of Tim Steidten – a role that is routinely misunderstood or misrepresented. As Technical Director he is not employed by the coach although the pair need to be part of the ‘alignment’ that Potter spoke about. The problem is that Steidten appears to be Kretinski’s man in a role that Sullivan never really wanted – as he had always regarded himself as de facto Director of Football. I’m convinced most of the Steidten under pressure stories are intentionally briefed from the Chairman himslef in an attempt to undermine his efforts and deflect from the appalling decision to appoint Lopetegui – against the Technical Director’s advice.

I can imagine Sullivan struggling to cope with a far richer and more astute partner in the Boardroom. All was fine when David Gold was playing Sergeant Wilson to his Captain Mainwaring, but the perspective has now changed, and he is no longer undisputed king of the castle. Whether the club can progress while being held hostage to a fragile ego is open to debate. Sullivan and Co have invested heavily in the squad but he must learn not to interfere and to cut the strings with the interests of his preferred agents.  

At least we can now start to look forward to watching games again. It will be intriguing to see how Potter copes with the striker shortfall in the upcoming games against Fulham and Palace. The change of coach should also be a clean slate for the players who had lost all faith in Lopetegui. If the stories coming out about dressing room bust-ups and Lopetegui’s lack of engagement are true, it must have been a highly toxic environment in which to operate. Forever onwards and upwards. COYI!   

It was the worst kept secret that Julen Lopetegui would be leaving West Ham, but why did it take so long?

I was reminded on social media this week of Mark Noble’s comments on finishing his playing career at the club: “West Ham aren’t run like a circus anymore.” Some might suggest that this week’s shenanigans involving the sacking of head coach Lopetegui would differ from that. I guess all clubs should have succession planning, but somehow ‘the West Ham way’ of doing it did seem a little unsavoury being played out in public. Or was that just how I saw it? Anyway, as with all managers / head coaches who lose their job I am sure he and his staff will be well compensated for the remaining terms of their contracts. 

Because just as I began to write this article the news that we knew was coming has finally been confirmed officially and Julen Lopetegui has been sacked. And he can have no complaints. Like so many I was underwhelmed by his appointment in the first place. But unlike many of our fans who are so called experts in who the club should appoint I didn’t know enough about him and was happy to see if he really was a good choice. Unfortunately he wasn’t and he has since proved that he was the wrong person right from the start.

We have not improved from a defensive point of view this season, and just like the last campaign under Moyes we have the poorest record in respect of goals conceded outside of the bottom three. Has it been poor recruitment in the summer or poor coaching / management since as we brought in Kilman, Todibo and Wan-Bissaka at the back to hopefully improve in this area? Wan-Bissaka has been relatively successful, but we don’t know about Kilman and Todibo yet.

But teams defend as a whole and I believe a key reason for our poor defensive record lies with the lack of pace in midfield which does not offer sufficient protection for the back four. Rodriguez just doesn’t seem to fit the Premier League, Alvarez (for whatever reason) seems to be getting slower and he wasn’t that fast to begin with, and Soucek for all his effort just doesn’t have the pace or quality. Paqueta has looked poor and disinterested for much of the time and has Soler got what it takes to be a success here, and why was he so easy to recruit and not wanted by PSG?

From the outset it just didn’t seem right. The players lacked direction or didn’t seem to understand what was required of them. What were the tactics? They weren’t very clear or again not understood. The team selections were baffling as were many of the substitutions. Inexplicably to me a player like Summerville just wasn’t given a chance, never given a full 90 minutes, hauled off when playing well then on the bench for the next game with no opportunity for continuity.

Prior to our game against Newcastle towards the end of November I wrote a poem entitled The Head Coach. I was expecting him to be dismissed very soon. I tried to predict the outcome of the game and was completely wrong as we won the game 2-0. My forecast was a 2-0 defeat. Pleased though I was (and always am) that we had won the game it didn’t really change my thoughts that he was the wrong choice. He was given more time, but even then I was convinced that he wouldn’t be around for too much longer. It has taken a further six weeks for the inevitable to happen. I repeat the poem here. Let us hope that this time we get it right.

The Head Coach

In the quiet of the changing room there’s tension in the air,
The head coach sits alone, lost in silent prayer,
The team, once full of promise, now struggles in the fight,
The season’s hopes are fading, slipping slowly out of sight.

In the cold winds of November under the floodlights glare,
The head coach stands in silence, with a burden hard to bear,
The team’s form has faltered, each defeat a painful blow,
The whispers growing louder, from the boardroom to below.

The night is cold, the winds are strong, the stadium lights are bright,
Two Premier League teams clashing on a freezing Monday night,
The Magpies on the front foot, their wingers standing wide,
The Hammers block is narrow, they fight to halt the tide.

He paces on the sideline, staring at the pitch,
Hoping to find the magic to turn this losing glitch,
He wonders about his lineup, he rethinks every play,
Hoping for a miracle to chase the doubts away.

One down at the interval, fans patience growing thin,
Every formation has been tried to bring the wins back in,
The half time talk determined, he rallies one more time,
A second goal goes in the net, the finish quite sublime.

After the game he faces the press, he knows not where to start,
Questions probing for cracks within, have the players got the heart?
He talks of faith and unity, of turning it around,
But shadows of the sack loom close, a win just can’t be found.

The players lack direction, the tactics quite unclear,
And baffling team selections, departure must be near,
Behind the scenes the murmurs rise, of replacements lined in wait,
Another loss, its Arsenal next, the coach awaits his fate.

A review of West Ham’s visit to Bournemouth, a preview of the Brighton game, and a tribute to Jarrod Bowen, via Rudyard Kipling.

If we’d been offered a point on the day,
At the Vitality we’d nod and we’d say
“Gladly yes”, but we didn’t forsee
How close we came to getting three.

Frustrating it was, we led so late,
But a sloppy free kick then sealed our fate,
The wall stood tall, we knew the drill,
A draw was deserved, for home fans a thrill.

Bournemouth’s shots twenty-nine in all,
Only nine on target that I can recall,
The first half was goalless, frantic and fast,
We matched them at first but how might it last?

A controversial call, we cared not a jot,
As up stepped Paqueta and scored from the spot.
A few moments later the Hammers undone,
Enes Umal’s free kick and the score was one-one.

Lopetegui’s tactics – he asks for more time,
We saw some improvement, but we need to climb,
We’re stuck down at fourteenth, a pretty poor show,
We’ve let in too many, our midfield’s too slow.

On Saturday it’s Brighton; so is it a sin
To hope for three points and pick up a win?
But one win from fourteen, just one that’s right,
At the Amex last season a 3-1 delight.

Seven games at home, top-flight pickings are thin,
We’ve lost two and drawn five but never a win.
But go back twelve years when second tier still,
A great Vaz Te hat trick, we beat them six-nil!

The Seagulls in London, ten winless they find,
The losses and draws must be haunting their mind,
Our recent home form has been on the rise,
Ten points from five is a pleasant surprise.

When Brighton face battles against top half foes,
With five wins in nine their confidence grows,
But with teams near the bottom they falter and strain,
Just one win in seven in a season’s refrain.

When taking set pieces we used to be best,
We still have the tools to make it a test,
Kudus with dribbling can dazzle and gleam,
Bowen’s goals and assists are great for the team.

A Premier clash under a Saturday sky,
Can we win, and go to Christmas on high?
I just have a feeling we’ll win this for sure,
Brighton may score but we’ll score one more.

I wonder if you know the old joke from Donald McGill, famous for his saucy seaside postcards –
“Do you like Kipling?”
“I don’t know I’ve never kippled”.
Rudyard Kipling was an English writer of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, noted of course for writing amongst many great works The Jungle Book and his poem If. The following is in the style of the latter. So with apologies to Mr Kipling (no, not the one who makes exceedingly good cakes …..) here is a poem to resemble his famous poem If as a tribute to Jarrod Bowen.

If you can keep the ball when all about you
Are losing it, can’t blame it on you;
If you believe in yourself when England managers doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can pass and dribble and not be phased by tackles,
Or keep the ball and ignore the cries;
Or shoot on sight and resist the shackles,
And look so good to everyone’s eyes;
If you can dribble – and not make dribbling your master;
If you can bring others into the game;
If when you lose it’s not a disaster,
But winning the game is your ultimate aim;
If you entertain the fans and play so clever,
Up front, out wide, whatever your role,
Play consistently, be as good as ever,
Win a European trophy with the winning goal.
If you thread it through to make a chance,
Or cross it onto someone’s head,
Or pass to a team mate without a glance,
Or take it on and shoot instead.
If you stay for some time the fans will adore you,
And play like legends of the past have done,
Moore, Bonds, Brooking, Di Canio too,
And what’s more Jarrod Bowen, you’ll be a star my son.

Seasons greetings! Richard.

“I Know Nothing”: Faulty Hammers Must Bite The Bullet and Replace Lopetegui Before More Damage Can Be Done

Can there have ever been a poorer excuse for an elite level football match than the turgid stodge served up by West Ham and Everton on Saturday afternoon?

If you booked a table at a supposed elite level restaurant and the fare served up was anywhere near as poor as that at the London Stadium on Saturday, you would most likely never return unless it re-opened under new management. West Ham and Everton, probably the two dreariest teams in the Premier League last season, offering no suggestion that anything was about to change this time around.

Football clubs are extremely fortunate in being able to rely on and take advantage of the blind loyalty of their fan base. But perhaps they are mistaken in believing their complacency can go on unchecked forever. With each passing season the needle has gradually shifted from matches as sporting, cultural and community matchday events towards games that serve as content and talking points for media outlets to pick over, speculate upon, and analyse with increasingly spurious statistics on a daily basis.

I have long thought of West Ham and Everton as two teams from the same pod when it comes to the modern game. Both struggle to find their niche in the shadow of more illustrious city neighbours, but both with delusions that they are a rung above those smaller clubs – Brighton, Brentford, Bournemouth – who follow sound organisational and recruitment strategies in order to survive. I can recall a conversation with a Birmingham City supporter around the time Gold & Sullivan took over at West Ham. He told me that rather than taking sound football decisions, they were regularly in thrall of shiny, glamourous appointments or signings who they believed (usually mistakenly) would reflect well on them. Nothing much appears to have changed over the years. It is the reason why we have endured a string of continental big name flops and been saddled with a manager appointed on the strength of having once been manager of Real Madrid – no matter how badly that turned out.

What can be said about the Everton game itself? The first half was virtually devoid of anything noteworthy. An excellent saving tackle in his own box by Crysencio Summerville to deny an Everton breakaway, and a first West Ham attempt on goal by Jarrod Bown in the 44th minute. The second half was marginally more memorable. A headed chance for Everton, Summerville hitting the post after a fine pass from Lucas Paqueta, and two goal bound shots from Danny Ings that Pickford did well to keep out. A dull draw reflected the balance of play between two poor teams, even if the Hammers had more of the ‘big’ chances. I suppose one might celebrate a rare clean sheet although the visitors had few meaningful attacking aspirations.

On paper, Julen Lopetegui had not selected anyone to play out of position this week and had reverted to a back four after the previous week’s failed experiment. In practice, he used Guido Rodriguez (and later Tomas Soucek) as auxiliary centre backs and allowed his full backs licence to wander forward at the expense of defensive of duties. Other than that, it was a repeat of the slow, pedestrian fare that has become a feature of the manager’s game plan. There was still no sign of an intended identity, style of play or sense of urgency. Whatever the direction of travel, it is either a mystery to the players or they are ill-equipped to deliver it. The possession stats might look better than last season, but it is possession for the sake of it. Build ups are too slow and lacking penetration to worry opposition defences.

Summerville was by far the standout and liveliest player for West Ham, raising the question why had it taken so long for him to be given a chance? One might also question why Danny Ings has been given so few minutes (75 across 5 games) when he is the only fit player in the squad to possess a striker’s instinct. His West Ham career may be a huge disappointment overall, but he has looked much sharper than the alternatives during those limited minutes. Bowen came to life in the second half but is wearing the captain’s armband like an anchor around his neck. Indeed, leadership is currently impossible to spot both on and off the pitch.

Unlike some observers, I thought Paqueta had one of his more enterprising games this season – although admittedly this is a low bar – no matter what the statistics might say. If your play maker’s passing stats are in the high 90% then he is not being adventurous enough. I also think Carlos Soler deserves more than his single start to show what he can do. He may have the look of someone attending a fancy-dress party as a caricature Spaniard but I’m sure there’s a talented player in there somewhere, if only it is given the opportunity to flourish.

Vladimir Coufal was a surprise 67th minute replacement for Aaron Wan-Bissaka allowing the Czechkle Brothers to reprise their famous to me, to you routine close to the right touchline – until Soucek puts the ball into touch. Some players are just not cut out for possession football and big Tom is one of them. If he is not scoring goals, he is a passenger who simply gets in the way and slows everything down. Michail Antonio is another unsuited to a game that is built upon passing and movement.

Lopetegui has now managed 13 West Ham league and cup games with 4 wins and 6 defeats. It currently stands at one less game than he lasted in his spell at the Bernabeu. There is plenty of speculation as to whether he will survive to surpass that total or whether he will be released during the international break. With games against Newcastle and Arsenal on the horizon, the Hammers could well be flirting with the relegation zone going into December.

There is little doubt on the evdience to date that the appointment has been a huge and expensive mistake. If there were signs of progress, then there could be justification to allow more time to “turn things around”. But that rarely happens and all we can see is a muddle with a confused and unhappy squad. The only rationale for hanging on would be to avoid the financial penalty of paying up Lopetegui’s contract – but at what long term cost?

Plenty of names for potential replacements have already been thrown about in the media. We have no way of knowing how reliable any of those reports are. Many supporters – and I am one – will be doubtful that the Board are capable of making a sensible decision based on footballing criteria alone. Much of the anger is directed at David Sullivan but he no longer is a majority owner and surely the other shareholders will want their say. The niggling suspicion, though, is that ambitions do not extend far beyond the maintenance of Premier League status necessary to preserve the asset value of the club.

Managing a Premier League club in London makes the West Ham job an attractive proposition for any ambitious manager keen to prove his worth. Hopefully, any search can go beyond the unemployed although the financial aspects of changing manager cannot be ignored. As far as I know, money spent on compensation would not only burn a hole in the Board’s pockets but also have an adverse impact on spend in future transfer windows. But it is time to take a long-term view on the future of the club. One based on sound principles and the type of succession planning that has been succesful at Brighton. A younger rising star manager, who I may well have never heard of, with fresh progressive ideas, and a focus on youth would be just the job. COYI!

Lopetegui’s Road to Nowhere and an Out of Capital Punishment Beating

The promised Lopetegui revolution continues to shuffle aimlessly from week to week. Time to pull the plug or sit and hope that a well concealed plan will eventually emerge?

As in all long running soap operas, each game in West Ham’s season ends with a cliffhanger to keep us talking until the next unstalment. Has the corner been turned? Will the manager be sacked? Is there an oubreak of turmoil and unrest in the Hammer’s camp?

Two weekends ago, a welcome win and an encouraging second-half performance of up-tempo football against Manchester United left us wondering whether this was finally the point where Lopetegui-ball shook off its slumber and gained momentum. On Saturday’s evidence it was no ore than a lucky break?

It had been a very different story for the Red Devils who shaken by the ignominy of defeat by West Ham ended their patient support of Erik ten Hag. The twist being that the next Old Trafford boss will be the same Ruben Amorim, who had been interviewed in the summer from the London Stadium job but – according to reports – was considered too risky an appointment at this stage of his career. The board opting to go for a safe pair of hands in the guise of former goalkeeper and compensation-free, Julen Lopetegui.

It was the battle of the goalkeeping managers when the Hammers headed to Nottingham for their first Premier League fixture of the season outside of the M25. The high-flying hosts now coached by another former Wolves manager, Nuno Espirito Santo.  

People say that Lopetegui is a steady rather than innovative manager and yet his ability to find new and ingenious ways of deploying players out of position really takes some beating. His response to the Manchester United success was not to build on the success but to introduce a surprise overhaul of formation whereby Max Kilman, Jean-Clair Todibo and Dinos Mavropanos formed a three-man central defence. The full backs would become wing backs for the day, there would be a double pivot of Edson Alvarez and Guido Rodriguez and Jarod Bowen would operate as the central striker, in preference to either Michail Antonio or Danny Ings.

While the coach had bowed to calls for Crysencio Summerville to be given a start following his game changing exploits a week earlier, he was conspicuously consigned to an inside-left berth where he could do less damage. For balance, Lucas Paqueta was also given the opportunity to demonstrate he could be equally s ineffective at inside-right as anywhere else on the pitch. The Brazilian is clearly not in the right frame of mind for football.

 West Ham saw a lot of the ball in the opening period, but it was possession for the sake of it, without any hint of penetration inside the box. Forest were the more incisive side by some distance. Nuno’s style is not far removed from that of the old Scottish manager, favouring the low block and quick transition. But with pace to spare in both midfield and attack, it was too hot for the Hammers to handle – even while the game remained 11 a-side.

The opening goal came as Forest again exploited the acres of space that West Ham were gifting along the flanks. Not for the first time, Mavropanos was more concerned with adopting the hands-behind-the-back Riverdance pose than closing the space between him and his opponent. Moreno allowed all the time in the world to calmly pick out Wood’s head as several Hammer’s defenders looked on.

Despite fashioning a first meaningful shot at goal just before the break, the game was effectively done and dusted when Alvarez picked up two yellow cards in the space of eight minutes. Taking one for the team has become an acepted part and parcel of the modern game but the more astute sides know how to spread the load and are careful not to use up lives when it isn’t absolutely necessary. Both of Alvarez’s card were avoidable as the threat wasn’t immediate at either time. In defence of the Mexican, he often looks to be the only player interested in hunting down the ball in midfield or chasing lost causes in defence. He has always liked a card though, and it is difficult to lump this behaviour with any wider lack of discipline that may be creeping into the club.

In the second half it was simply a matter of time before the hosts scored again, and a lottery as to how many goals they would rack up before the final whistle. There was little sign that the visitors had any hunger or passion to make a fight out of adversity. Ultimately, Forest contented themselves with extending a three-year home sequence that has seen them score 1, 2 and then 3 goals against West Ham without reply. It was a win that saw them climb into third spot in the table as the season passed its quarter way point.

A common reason put forward for Lopetegui’s poor start to his West Ham career is that “he doesn’t know his best team yet.” That has always felt a lame argument to me as lineups are never static. Players lose and find form, injuries and suspensions must be managed, and approaches to games are adjusted according to opposition. What is a concern though is that after 12 league and cup games we are no nearer understanding what the coach is trying to achieve. What evidence exists of   progress towards a style, formation and tactics that can be effective in the Premier League, while suiting the players available to him? Lopetegui has been stumbling from match to match apparently learning little and reacting to events with apparent random acts of management.

Everyone knew that the Hammers faced a major squad rebuilding in the summer. Looking at the individuals recruited in isolation, a case can be made for the sense of each signing. But as an overall strategy, the conclusion has to be that the club got the priorities very wrong – both from a positional sense and the age profile of the squad.

This is perfectly illustrated with a midfield that can neither cover the ground defensively nor support rapid transition in possession. No matter who is selected out of Alvarez, Rodriguez, Paqueta, and Tomas Soucek the midfield is short of legs without anyone capable of breaking forward with the ball at speed. A data driven analysis isn’t required to tell us this. We can all see it with our own eyes. Games are often won and lost through control of the midfield and our solution is akin to entering a Morris Traveler in a Formula 1 race.

The question now is how much time Lopetegui will be allowed to demonstrate he has a plan, and knows what he is attempting to do. I doubt even the extravagantly patient board members will be convinced by what they have seen to date. Or impressed by the stories of unease that arisen within the squad. If a slow and gradual improvement could be detected, we might be inclined to grin and bear it in the near term. But that has not been happening. It would be out of character but does it make cutting the losses – even at this early stage – a sensible course of action.  

The dilemma, of course, is that if Lopetegui was sacked who would replace him. Assuming David Sullivan would again be the primary decision maker we know how predictable and unimaginative he will be. Dazzled by coaches who have managed at big clubs, regardless of how successful that ha turned out. And narrowing the field to those currently unemployed where no compensation would be required. Any chance of boardroom coup? COYI!    

The Reign From Spain Fails Tamely At The Lane: West Ham Are Humbled By Tottenham

Another shameful surrender and defeat by close London rivals leaves the Hammers tottering in the bottom six and the future of coach Julen Lopetegui looking increasingly shaky.

Following a convincing victory just prior to the international break, the question was raised as to whether West Ham had finally turned a corner or had that been a very poor Ipswich performance. I think we now know the answer to that one.

I felt little optimism going in the run up to Saturday’s game at Tottenham. The Hammers have been notoriously slow starters after international breaks and I fully expected to be a couple of goals down in the opening quarter of an hour. Events didn’t turn out like that, though. In fact, the first half was reasonably competitive, even if the defensive approach owed more to an old-school low block rather than high lines and defending by maintaining possession. Dropping deep and deploying Guido Rodriguez as an auxiliary centre back, meant the home side struggled to fashion any real threats on the visitor’s goal during the initial exchanges. West Ham even looked dangerous on the break and prior to scoring the opener from Jarrod Bowen’s pull-back, Mohammed Kudus was thwarted in an equally presentable early chance from the same source.

Everything changed, however, after the Tottenham equaliser. Lucas Paqueta lost possession, Tomas Soucek missed his tackle, the gap between midfield and defence was huge and Tottenham were up and running. If that wasn’t bad enough, the opening 15 minutes of the second half were nothing short of shambolic. With no obvious sign of leadership on or off the pitch, heads dropped, and all sense of discipline or organisation was lost.

Typical of the disarray was that while the decision was made to make three substitutions at 2-1 down, the players did not enter the pitch until it was 4-1. Were Julen Lopetegui’s instructions ‘lost in translation’ and where was Kevin Nolan’s old iPad when you need it?

Seeing the coach standing on the touchline, his face twitching as the game plan crumbled in front of his eyes, brought to mind Chief Inspector Dreyfus from the Pink Panther movies. Difficult to believe a seasoned manager with over 400 games under his belt would look this startled.

The performances so far this season have not had sufficient consistency to identify what the style or pattern of play is meant to be with any confidence. Assuming it revolves around enjoying a greater share of possession, the evidence suggests there are serious questions as to whether the squad has the right calibre of players to carry that off – including those who have been newly recruited. The gap is particularly noticeable in the midfield three which lacks serious pace or anyone capable of storming forward with the ball under control. While Lucas Paqueta is able to pick out the occasional sublime pass, these have been few and far between since his mind has been distracted elsewhere. But even he is not the quickest or adept at running with the ball

The shortcomings in midfield lead to transitions being far too slow and relaint on long diagonals. And with no obvious ‘out-ball’ option the opportunity to break the press is almost non-existent. I have sympathy with Alphonse Areola in this respect as attempts to play out from the back routinely end up with the ball played back to him under pressure. He is then caught between an instinct to clear his lines and the instruction to play the ball short.

How to fix this in the short term should be the coach’s top priority if the team are to improve. I don’t see how more than one of Rodriguez, Soucek and Edson Alvarez can be in the team at any one time. It needs Carlos Soler, Andy Irving – or perhaps Lewis Orford – to be given the opportunity to show if they can offer anything different.

Julen Lopetegui was not what most supporters wished for when the club took the correct decision not to renew the Scottish manager’s contract. Unfortunately, when imagination and foresight were needed from the Board, we got predictability with the apparently ‘safe’ option. Someone who had managed at big clubs (regardless of how successful that had turned out) and, perhaps most importantly, was out-of-work and available without compensation.  It never felt like an ideal fit for a club that is second tier in terms of finances which wanted to punch above its weight through a programme of smart recruitment.

Despite this, most supporters understood the degree of change required and were prepared to see how the appointment went. That patience is wearing perilously thin. As the 2024/25 campaign moves towards the quarter mark it looks set to be playing out as a lost season with lower mid-table the most probable outcome.  

The Rear-View Transfer Window Mirror

In the summer, there were excited claims that West Ham had won the transfer window. From what we have seen so far though, it is just as well the club held off on the open top bus parade to celebrate that particular victory.

As supporters, we don’t have the inside track on who does what with recruitment. The impression in some quarters is that Tim Steidten arrives back at the London Stadium with a shopping cart of new players to show the coach what he has bought him. It is highly unlikely it works like that and there is sure to be input from the coach on the type of players he requires, and from the Board on what deals can be completed from a financial perspective. Steidten’s reputation is for unearthing little-known gems and only Lusi Guileherme and Mohamadou Kanté from the summer intake truly fits that bill. Only time will tell whether they turn out to be gems.

The greatest failure of the transfer window was in not resolving the long-running striker problem. The injury to Niclas Fullkrug is obviously unfortunate but a 31-year-old journeyman was never more than a temporary fix. Second to that, recruitment of a midfield general (do they still exist?) with pace and energy was sadly overlooked.

No Club For Young Men

Despite splashing a significant quantity of cash during the summer, the club have not addressed their ageing squad problem. West Ham were the oldest squad in the Premier League (weighted by minutes played) until knocked off the bottom spot by Everton a week or two ago.

Similarly, West Ham are ranked 19th out of 20 for matches played by former academy players in their current squad – only Brentford have a worse record. The only Hammer’s entry is the one minute played by Kaelan Casey against Luton last May.  We would have been able to add another 32 minutes for George Earthy had he not been out on loan, but it would not have affected the overall rankings. Not an impressive statistic for the self-styled ‘Academy of Football’.    

Premier League appearance this season for players under the age of 23 have been limited to Crysencio Summerville (174 minutes) and Guileherme (5 minutes).

Who Referees the Referees?

Nothing in the performance of the referee, Andy Madley, impacted the final outcome of Saturday’s game. The match was not close enough for that to happen. Under the current interpretation of the rules, it was no surprise when Kudus received a red card in the aftermath of his tussle with van de Ven. Such scuffles were not uncommon when I first started watching football and a stiff talking to was the usual outcome. But now, when there are more bookings in a single match than you would previously see in a whole season, it was obvious that action was going to be taken.

But what seemingly continues to go unpunished is the acting and simulation that have become a feature of the modern game. Kudus would have had to walk anyway given the number of players he had altercations with, but the reaction of both van de Ven and Richarlison – who both went down as if there was a sniper in the stadium – was pure cheating. The sole objective of getting an opponent into trouble. Crackdowns are regularly threatened but short of being pulled up for imaginary card waving, players have little to fear from their antics in diving and rolling around on the floor.

The situation where referees both establish interpretations of the laws and then enforce them doesn’t seem right to me. It lacks accountability. And trying to replace common sense judgements with hard and fast codified rules has resulted in ridiculous situations that clearly hadn’t faced a sniff test by people with experience of playing the game. The handball rule is a perfect example of this as demonstrated in the incident when the ball struck Udogie’s arm on the goal-line and a penalty was (correctly) not awarded. For the past few seasons, the ball hitting anyone’s hand in the penalty area was seen as an unquestioned offence but now it isn’t. How does that happen? Did no-one ever consider the implications of how fast the ball can move or how players use arms for balance? It is difficult to have any faith in the wisdom of the PGMOL.

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.

West Ham at Anfield, plus abuse of officials setting a poor example to the junior game

I thought that Jurgen Klopp was very restrained on the touchline in our game at Liverpool on Wednesday night. He had previously “lost it” last weekend at assistant referee Gary Beswick and was sent off for his outburst. He did apologise and has vowed to try to contain his behaviour. To be fair he hadn’t been sent off before, but this time he really overstepped the mark. Some of his fellow managers, including our own gave him support. Frank Lampard for example does not seem to believe there is a link between the behaviour of managers at the top level and the abuse that referees get at junior levels. David Moyes believes that managers can “lose their heads” in a game and change their character from their true selves.

As someone who watches junior football I believe Klopp has a responsibility to set an example like all elite managers and players should. Like it or not, young players copy what they see the professionals doing. And parents on the touchline will copy what they see too. The abuse given to referees at junior matches can be quite appalling. Klopp’s conduct leads to parents reacting in the same way, because I guess, they think it’s OK. It’s not. Referees at grassroots level are giving up in droves because they can’t stand the abuse. The FA revealed that last season 380 players were banned for attacking or threatening officials in English grassroots football. I hope Klopp gets a significant touchline ban.

Players surrounding the referee when a decision goes against them is another issue that needs addressing. In the days of Alex Ferguson Manchester United players were notorious for this kind of behaviour. The same is true of their players today, and the club have been charged for failing to control them in last Sunday’s game against Newcastle when they surrounded the referee like a pack of dogs. Their current manager doesn’t agree believing it wasn’t that aggressive. Of course West Ham have now been charged with failing to control players after they too surrounded the referee (Peter Bankes) during last Sunday’s draw at Southampton when he body checked Jarrod Bowen as he attempted to tackle Perraud just before he scored. I’m not sure we can learn too much from the game of rugby, but the insistence that only the captain can approach the referee to question decisions is one that perhaps we could follow. Similar situations surrounding referees happen in junior football too. Would it happen if they didn’t see players at elite levels doing it? I don’t believe it would.

Back to Wednesday night’s game at Anfield. To only lose 1-0 and miss a penalty in the process is a sign that we are, perhaps, not too far away from getting back towards our form of the last two seasons. We restricted Liverpool to a handful of chances, and Fabianski was equal to the challenge when necessary. The amazing statistic that we are the lowest scoring Premier League team in the first half of games this season (only scoring 2 so far) was maintained during a first half where we were threatened to be overrun in the early stages. But a much improved second half performance could have, and perhaps should have resulted in us getting a point out of the game.

I thought that Declan Rice had a tremendous game, doing his usual stuff, plus thrusting forward and setting up attacks more than he has done in recent times. I believe that one of the reasons for this was the inclusion of Flynn Downes from the start. Every time I see Downes he impresses me with his strength when tackling and challenging for the ball, his positional sense, and his great habit of finding a team-mate when passing the ball, unlike one or two others in the team. I hope he gets a run in the starting eleven.

We still find ourselves in the bottom half of the table two points above the relegation zone, but only five points below seventh place where we finished last season. Three of the next four games before the break for the World Cup are at home to Bournemouth, Palace and Leicester with a trip to Old Trafford sandwiched in between. We have a good opportunity (on paper) to move into the top half before the break. Ten points from those four games would be good. What are the chances?

West Ham’s season so far – poor performances, poor decisions or bad luck? Can we turn it around before the World Cup interrupts the season again in mid-November?

If you’ve been away to a remote island for the past couple of months and missed the beginning of the season then a quick glance at the Premier League table will tell you all you need to know about West Ham’s start to the 2022-23 campaign. Or will it?

Certainly it’s not ideal to be occupying a place in the bottom three at any stage, although only seven games in gives you the opportunity to put matters right by next May.

But after two consecutive seasons of qualifying for European football by virtue of a top 6/7 league position we have already given the rest of the teams a head start and made it difficult to achieve the feat for a third successive year.

So what has gone wrong? Why have we only collected four points from the opening seven games? For much of the time the players on show have not reached the levels achieved in the previous two campaigns either individually or collectively. For me, Fabianski, Coufal, Cresswell, Fornals, Lanzini, Benrahma, Soucek and Bowen all fall into that category to some extent and even Rice has not performed at the top of his game, but we can’t expect him to do it all! From reading social media I know that some will agree and some will differ with my assessment.

Our new recruits look good on paper with lots of international footballers, but have they been given sufficient opportunity yet to show what they are capable of? And have we bought the right players to blend together to become a top seven Premier League club? 

Many fans believe that the manager has continued to select out of form players that have done it in the past whilst being reluctant to throw new recruits into the fray claiming they are not yet ready. New signings at other clubs seem to hit the ground running!

So many poor decisions all round have contributed to our league position. Things might have been different if officials had not ruled out (controversially) Benrahma’s goal when Antonio was blocked, not the other way round surely? Or the failure of the referee to send Forest down to 10 men with the deliberate hand ball? Or Rice’s decision to take the penalty kick? Added to the bad luck hitting the inside of the woodwork twice and we could easily have collected 3 points from the opener at Forest.

It goes on. Poor finishing towards the end of the Tottenham game meant only one point when it could have, perhaps should have, been three. There’s no way Chilwell would have scored Chelsea’s opening goal If Fabianski had not left his line at the post. The refereeing decision to deny our late equaliser has been well documented and 99 per cent of people believe it was wrong. We should have had one, and possibly three points from that game too.

True, the luck did go our way in the Villa game with the deflected goal, but the inside of a post denied us a point at Everton in an uninspired performance from both sides. There was no way we would have beaten Harland-inspired Manchester City, and as usual we performed abysmally against Brighton and deserved absolutely nothing from that game which is exactly what we got.

In a parallel universe we might have had ten or twelve points from those first seven games, but the fact is we have just four points and sit in the bottom three.

In a season interrupted by a World Cup in November/ December the powers that be decided that there should still be an early international break. The additional interruption caused by the decision to postpone football matches following the sad death of the Queen will only add to the congestion later on, but I wonder if this will work in our favour in the long run?

I wonder if the lack of games recently in a period when we haven’t been playing well will give us a chance to regroup? Will our costly defensive signing Aguerd be back soon? Will the manager give Cornet more game time? Will Downes (who was my man of the match in his only start in a European game) at last be given an opportunity to show what he is capable of? Is it time for Areola to replace Fabianski? What influence will the European schedule (Thursday- Sunday) have? Can we start to retain possession of the ball more? Will bad luck convert to good fortune in the upcoming games? These and so many other questions will be answered in the next few weeks.

Wolves on Saturday, followed by Fulham, Southampton, Liverpool, Bournemouth and Manchester United are the six league games in October. They are followed by Palace and Leicester in early November. And then we break again for the World Cup. Five of the eight are at home. 

By mid November we will have played 15 games (8 at home). We could still have four points at that stage! If that were the case we would be in deep trouble. We could have won eight games in a row and have 28 points and be challenging near the top.

More realistically I reckon we would need to have picked up at least 16 points from the next eight games to be back on course for a potential top 7 finish.Can we do it? What are the chances?