Category: Preview

Cup Dreams or Banana Skins? West Ham visit Burton in Classic FA Cup Fourth Round Contest

As a West Ham fan, the build-up to this Saturday’s FA Cup Fourth Round tie against Burton Albion is a familiar mix of anticipation and nerves. Our league campaign has been a struggle so far, with the team sitting 18th in the Premier League and every point feeling increasingly precious. Yet, there’s a sense that the FA Cup could be the spark we need to turn our season around. I’ve read some that say forget the cup and concentrate on staying in the Premier League. I don’t agree.  

Saying this, our recent form has shown signs of life and we are not down yet. 2026 started badly with a comprehensive 3-0 defeat at bottom of the table Wolves, one of our worst performances in years (and there have been a few!). Following this three days later the home defeat to Forest (unlucky as it was it some respects) suggested that our chances of escaping the drop were disappearing fast. The cup win over QPR, even if it took extra time, seemed to inject some much-needed confidence into the squad, and we began to feel the mood shifting ever so slightly.

The last five games since then have yielded 10 points in the league with away wins at Tottenham and Burnley, a home win over Sunderland, a 3-2 defeat at Chelsea after leading 2-0 at half-time, and Tuesday’s 1-1 draw with Manchester United with their equaliser coming in the sixth minute of time added on. The board indicated seven minutes. Where did that come from? Of course we might have been happy with the prospect of one point before the game but Sesko’s finish was a body blow and it seemed like two points lost rather than one gained. It means we have now regained sole leadership of one particular league table – points dropped from a winning position – we are now at the top with 20. If just some of those leads had been retained how different the league table would look now.

Of course, as any West Ham supporter knows, the FA Cup is never straightforward for us. Our history in the competition in my lifetime is varied, three-time winners (the last one coming in 1980 over 45 years ago), and twice runners-up, but it’s also littered with those infamous “banana skins.” Losses to the likes of AFC Wimbledon, Wigan, and West Brom in recent years have left scars alongside those from years gone by – the list is endless – Huddersfield, Stoke, Plymouth, Blackburn, Swindon, Huddersfield again, Coventry, Middlesbrough, Blackpool, Huddersfield (for a third time!), Hull, Hereford, Newport County, Wrexham, Watford, Sheffield Wednesday, QPR, Norwich, Torquay, Barnsley, Luton, QPR (again), Grimsby, Wrexham (again), Swansea, Tranmere, Sheffield Wednesday (again), Sheffield Wednesday (for a 3rd time), Nottingham Forest, and Sheffield United. Those are just some that I can recall from my many years of following the team and to them can be added a similar number of League Cup exits to lower league opposition. There’s always that nagging worry that we might slip up once again.

Burton Albion, for their part, are having a tough time in League One, sitting 21st and fighting relegation. Their league form has been poor, with no wins in their last five, but the FA Cup has brought out a different side of them. Fourteen goals in three cup games is no fluke, and they’ll be coming into this tie with nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Still, there’s reason for optimism. On paper, our technical quality and finishing should see us through, even if the manager decides to rotate and give some fringe players a chance. The cup is a chance for those on the fringes to stake a claim, and for the team as a whole to build momentum for the league run-in. But we can’t afford to be complacent. Burton’s attacking form in the cup is a warning, and our own history tells us that nothing can be taken for granted. Most pundits are tipping us to win, and I’d like to believe we’ll get the job done, but the magic of the FA Cup means you never quite know. I’m expecting an open game, probably with goals at both ends, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it turns into a real test of character. But how good would it be to be in the draw for the fifth round?

Claret & Blue Survival Showdown – Burnley and West Ham battle for Premier League future

Both West Ham and Burnley are in the relegation zone, making this a true six-pointer. Burnley sit 19th with 15 points, while West Ham are 18th with 20 points. A win for either side could be pivotal (is probably a must) in the fight for Premier League survival. A draw will be of little help to both teams. These are the two teams that have conceded the most goals in the Premier League this season.

Recent Form

Burnley
  • Last 6 League Matches: 0 wins, 3 draws, 3 defeats, 3 points
  • Season: 3 wins, 6 draws, 15 defeats, 15 points
  • Season goals: For 25, Against 47, Difference -22
  • Last Match: Lost 3-0 to Sunderland
  • Home Form: Just two wins in 12 home fixtures, but three draws in their last four at Turf Moor
  • Defensive Issues: Conceded two or more goals in four of their last five home games.
West Ham
  • Last 6 League Matches: 2 wins, 1 draw, 3 defeats, 7 points
  • Season: 5 wins, 5 draws, 14 defeats, 20 points
  • Season Goals: For 29, Against 48, Difference -19
  • Last Match: Lost 3-2 at Chelsea after leading 2-0
  • Away Form: Only one win in our last ten away games; we have conceded in 22 consecutive matches
  • Recent Upswing: Back-to-back wins against Tottenham and Sunderland before the Chelsea defeat.

Other Match Facts

Burnley are winless in their last seven Premier League games against West Ham, drawing three and losing four having won four of their previous five against us.

West Ham have won 10 out of 19 (53%) of their Premier League games against Burnley.

West Ham have already lost at Sunderland and Leeds this season. We’ve not lost against all three promoted clubs in a single campaign since 2009-10, which ironically included a 2-1 defeat away to Burnley.

Burnley are winless in their last 15 Premier League games (D5 L10), their longest winless run for 135 years in top-flight football. (D3 L4), having won four

Summary

This match is crucial for both clubs’ survival hopes. West Ham’s recent attacking form and Burnley’s defensive frailties suggest the Hammers have a slight edge, but both teams are under immense pressure and prone to lapses. Expect a hard-fought, nervy encounter with plenty at stake.

If the teams above us maintain their current points per game levels then the cut off point to avoid relegation is likely to be around 42 points, a higher figure than in most seasons. We currently have 20, so a minimum of 22 points will probably be needed in our last 14 games (it could be less, but it could be even more) to be playing in the Premier League next season. Where can 22 points come from? Make your predictions for the games to come and see how many you think we can get. Imagine how much better off we would be if we hadn’t thrown away 18 points so far this season from winning positions! Our remaining fixtures are:

Burnley (A)
Manchester United (H)
Bournemouth (H)
Liverpool (A)
Fulham (A)
Manchester City (H)
Aston Villa (A)
Wolves (H)
Crystal Palace (A)
Everton (H)
Brentford (A)
Arsenal (H)
Newcastle (A)
Leeds (H)

Hope Springs Eternal: West Ham’s Survival Dream – Can Recent Form Continue in London Derby at Stamford Bridge

Chelsea host West Ham United at Stamford Bridge in a London derby with both teams seeking crucial points. Chelsea are in strong form, having won four consecutive matches in all competitions, including a comeback victory against Napoli in the Champions League on Wednesday night. They currently sit fifth in the Premier League and are pushing for a top-four finish. West Ham, meanwhile, have revived our survival hopes with back-to-back league wins, but remain in the relegation zone, five points from safety.

Historically, Chelsea have dominated this fixture, winning their last four meetings against us. The Blues have also won their last two Premier League games against the Hammers by an aggregate score of 8-0. West Ham have managed just one win in their last 18 Premier League away games at Stamford Bridge, losing the last four in a row since November 2019.

West Ham’s recent improvement is built on a more resilient defence although we still haven’t kept a clean sheet in Premier League games for ages. Only Burnley have allowed more shots on goal than West Ham this season and we have the worst goals conceded record in the league.

The attack has been strengthened with the early transfer window signings of Pablo and Taty, Wilson looks like he is staying, Summerville is in excellent form, and Bowen is always an attacking threat. New signing Adama Traore could make his debut, with manager Nuno keen to use his pace. Traore once destroyed West Ham when playing for Middlesbrough a few seasons back but hasn’t really fulfilled what was once tremendous promise. So many are writing him off already, but he hasn’t cost a lot and I, for one, will not make any judgement until we’ve seen him. Wilson wasn’t a popular signing at the start but he has proved to be useful and the critics have been silenced for now.

Nuno is obviously very keen on Traore. As quoted in the week “I know him very well, I have worked with him many years and I know him which is why I said he is unique. There are not many players with his ability on one-v-one situations. There are not many players with his speed, with his pace and I think he is going to give us many, many things. We need his threat he possesses. His energy, not only on the pitch but in the dressing room and training ground he is a special person to have around.” So I think we can expect to see him sooner rather than later.

Fernandes had an excellent game against Sunderland; it’s hard to believe he has never before scored a goal from outside the area with those two wonder strikes, the first going in, and the second (possibly even better) striking the underside of the bar. Paqueta has left the club so we won’t have to put up any longer with a player who didn’t seem interested any more with his mind set on returning to Brazil. A few moments of magic have been mixed with some mediocre displays.

While he remained he was always going to play whilst Nuno was in charge. In the week his comments on the situation were “You cannot replace Lucas because he is unique. He is a number 10 that has special qualities. You cannot find many players like Lucas in the transfer window, you cannot find them. We have to move forward with that we have.” But is it coincidence that our wins and upturn in form have been with Paqueta not playing?

Chelsea have been scoring early, netting five goals in the first ten minutes of matches this season. West Ham, conversely, have conceded nine goals in the opening ten minutes, more than any other Premier League side. Chelsea’s home form is solid, but they have dropped points from winning positions recently, so maintaining focus will be key for them. Chelsea have scored the opening goal in five of their last six Premier League games but won only one of those. Cole Palmer returned from injury and could start after a strong cameo against Napoli. Joao Pedro is in excellent form, scoring twice in the Champions League and expected to lead the attack.

Looking at the league table and recent form, only Bournemouth of the teams in the bottom half of the table (from Sunderland 11th downwards) have picked up more points in their last six games (8) than we have (7). Worryingly Leeds and Forest, the teams immediately above us have also amassed seven. Palace are in freefall collecting just two points from the last six so we must hope that they, and perhaps one or two others continue with their poor form.

Most analysts and betting sites favour Chelsea on Saturday given their form and home advantage. The consensus prediction is a Chelsea win, with scores ranging from 2-1 to 3-1. Let’s hope our recent momentum makes us competitive enough to spring a surprise. With just fifteen games of the season left we have to start closing the gap on the teams above us.

Can West Ham fix the leaky roof or will Sunderland rain on our parade?

Desperation meets ambition at the London Stadium in the early Saturday kick-off as West Ham fight for survival and Sunderland chase European dreams. The match is crucial for both sides; West Ham are fighting to escape the relegation zone, while Sunderland, newly promoted, are pushing for European qualification.

West Ham sit in 18th place in the league on 17 points, five points adrift of safety, which effectively could be six with our inferior goal difference. With just 16 games of the season left, closing the gap on 17th place quickly is important if we are to have any chance of avoiding the drop.

We ended a 10-game winless run with a 2-1 victory at Tottenham last weekend and also won against QPR in the FA Cup. But we have only one win in the last six home games; and we have conceded in 16 consecutive league home matches (going back into last season) and have no clean sheet in the last 19 Premier League games, conceding 44 goals this season, the worst defensive record in the Premier League.

In fact if you had visited the London Stadium to watch every game for the last one and a half seasons you would have only seen two games where the opposition failed to score a goal, a 0-0 draw against Everton in November 2024 and a 2-0 win over Leicester in February 2025 (our last home league clean sheet!). Surely we cannot go a whole year without keeping a clean sheet at home!

If you go back to the campaign before last (2023-24) we actually kept four clean sheets in the season! If you are looking for any kind of omen in that season we kept three clean sheets in a row either side of Christmas at the London Stadium just a few days after a 2-1 victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Do you think we can do it again? No, nor do I. But can our defence finally lock the door, or will Sunderland find the spare key?

Sunderland have defied pre-season expectations and currently sit in 9th place on 33 points. They beat Crystal Palace 2-1 last weekend, ending a five-match winless run, and also progressed in the FA Cup. However they are winless in their last six away games and have struggled to score on the road. They have been solid defensively with the third-fewest goals conceded in the league, but they have not kept a clean sheet in four games.

We are desperate for points to escape the relegation zone. Our recent last minute win at Spurs has lifted spirits, but defensive frailties remain a major concern. Newly promoted Sunderland have exceeded expectations and are pushing for European qualification. However, their away form is a worry for them.

We can expect a tense, hard-fought encounter with goals at both ends. The most likely outcomes are a draw or a narrow win for either side, with Sunderland’s away struggles and West Ham’s defensive issues perhaps balancing the scales. Head to head we have lost just one of our last 12 Premier League home games against Sunderland, winning nine and drawing two, going down 3-0 in May 2011. We’ve won our last three all by the same 1-0 scoreline. But a fourth in a row would seem unlikely as we don’t keep clean sheets. But I’m hoping …. I’ve made a big play on our inability to not concede in this article and I’m desperately hoping to be proved wrong.

Sunderland are looking to complete the Premier League double over us for just the second time, previously doing so in 2010-11 when we were relegated. But our record at the London Stadium against promoted sides is very good, winning 16 of the last 21, drawing four. We haven’t actually lost at home to a promoted side for over four years, the last one was a 2-1 loss to Brentford in October 2021.

I’ve just got a feeling that maybe, just maybe, we are going to pick up three points again with a 1-0 or 2-0 victory. What are the chances of a Black Cat-astrophe for our visitors?

London’s Underachievers Collide. But with a gap that’s becoming too wide, and no place to hide, can West Ham turn the tide and be the better side when they visit Tottenham?

This London derby is usually a tense affair, with both clubs under immense pressure. Tottenham sit 14th in the Premier League, while West Ham are 18th and very deep in relegation trouble. Both managers, Frank for Spurs and Nuno for West Ham are under scrutiny, and defeat could have serious consequences for either side’s future, although Tottenham are not as deep in the mire as we are. Historically, Tottenham have the edge in this fixture, but both teams are struggling for form and confidence.

Tottenham are winless in 2026, with only one win in their last seven games. Their home form is poor, with just two wins in their last ten league matches at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. They were recently knocked out of the FA Cup by Aston Villa. West Ham are winless for even longer, in our last ten Premier League matches in fact, where six have been lost and four drawn. We are seven points adrift of safety, an almost but not yet impossible position. We cannot afford to fall any further behind and need to start closing the gap on teams above us quickly if we are to have any hope of avoiding the drop. Our only recent win came in extra time against QPR in the FA Cup. Defensive frailties are a major concern, with no clean sheets in 19 matches.

Tottenham will be without Richarlison (hamstring), Kudus (thigh), Kulusevski (knee), Maddison (ACL), Bentancur (hamstring), and Sarr (AFCON). Bergvall is also a doubt.  New signing Conor Gallagher is available and could debut, Romero returns from suspension. And both Solanke and Udogie are back in the squad.

West Ham will be without Mavropanos (neck), and Diouf (AFCON). Paqueta is doubtful (back, and supposedly unsettled anyway, did I read correctly that he has only provided one assist in the last two seasons?), and Fernandes (don’t think I’ve read why). Wan-Bissaka returns from AFCON and is likely to start at right-back. Kilman will probably partner Todibo in central defence?

Tottenham have struggled to score and win at home, but (I hate to say it) have a slight edge in quality and squad depth. Six of their seven league wins have come with a clean sheet. Their defensive record is shaky, but the return of Romero could help.

Our defensive issues are glaring, especially from set pieces (most goals conceded from corners in the league, a fact that we constantly are reminded of with every corner we concede when shown on TV). We have lost all six London derbies this season and have not won away in 11 games. However, clutching at straws, Nuno has a good personal record at Spurs’ ground from previous roles.

Most experts predict a narrow Tottenham win (2-1 is a common scoreline), but a draw is also seen as plausible given both teams’ struggles. This is really based on Tottenham’s home advantage, West Ham’s defensive woes, and the psychological pressure on both managers.

There is a real sense of crisis and frustration for the fans of both clubs, but more so for us as relegation is now an odds-on probability. I can’t remember where I read of the fixture being described as “The Underachievers Derby,” but it is very true with both sets of fans desperate for a positive result but realistic about the limitations of the teams this season. There’s also the continued speculation about managerial changes and the need for squad rebuilds at both clubs. How long have we needed a squad rebuild at West Ham?

In summary we head to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium desperate to halt a winless Premier League run and close the gap on safety. With defensive frailties exposed and relegation looming, the pressure is mounting on Nuno and the squad. Injuries and absences have left the team stretched, but the return of key players may offer a glimmer of hope, especially as Tottenham are missing some key players. Despite a poor record in London derbies and away matches, we know that tightening up at the back and showing resilience could make a difference in this high-stakes clash. All of us as fans are craving a turnaround, but realism tempers expectations as we fight for survival against fellow underachievers. But unless we start to close the gap soon relegation will become an inevitability well before the end of the season, and this is the type of game where we must pick up something if we are to stand any chance of playing in the Premier League next season. It’s looking pretty hopeless isn’t it, but I try to be as optimistic as I can.

From Promises to Peril: West Ham’s Premier League Future Hangs In The Balance

Can we turn our season around or is relegation now inevitable?

Saturday’s clash at the London Stadium is more than just another fixture—it’s a pivotal moment in West Ham’s season. The Hammers are mired in a relegation battle, sitting 18th in the table as we head into our 18th game of the season, and there’s no getting away from it, form and morale are at a worrying low. Forget all the talk about resurgence under Nuno, we are now six points adrift (if you take goal difference into account) and how many games have we won recently? Our last six league games have failed to produce a single win and just three points from three draws. That’s relegation form.

Fulham, meanwhile, arrive in better shape, unbeaten in their last ten London derbies and with a more balanced squad. They’ve won four of their last six league games, but in a tight division, although they are 13th in the table, they are just four points away from sixth place. Recent meetings have favoured Fulham, with West Ham winless in the last three encounters and suffering heavy defeats in previous derbies.

Predictions from analysts and betting sites suggest Fulham are favourites, with West Ham’s defensive frailties and lack of attacking threat making a home win unlikely. The Hammers have conceded in every home game this season and have one of the worst home records in the league.

Our struggles are rooted in a combination of poor recruitment, tactical confusion, and a lack of clear direction from the top. The club has cycled through managers—Julen Lopetegui, Graham Potter, and now Nuno Espirito Santo—without finding stability or a coherent playing style. The squad has been reshuffled, but new signings have failed to make a significant impact, and key departures (such as Declan Rice) have left a leadership void.

On the pitch, the problems are clear, defensive lapses, especially at set pieces and in aerial duels, players out of position leading to a lack of cohesion, poor discipline with a high number of fouls and cards and a worrying inability to convert chances into goals. The atmosphere at the London Stadium has also suffered, with fans feeling disconnected and apathetic, further compounding the team’s lack of confidence.

Who is to blame? While managers have taken much of the criticism, expert analysis and fan sentiment increasingly point to the board, particularly David Sullivan and Karen Brady, as the root cause. Poor decisions in the transfer market, questionable managerial appointments, and a lack of long-term strategy have left the club adrift. The recruitment failures and boardroom mismanagement are more to blame than the managers themselves. The club’s identity has been eroded since the move to the London Stadium and promises of a “world-class team” have not materialised.

There’s also blame to be shared among the players, who have not performed to their potential, and the managers, who have struggled to impose a clear tactical identity. However, the underlying structural issues mean that even talented individuals have been unable to thrive.

The importance of retaining Premier League status and the financial and sporting consequences cannot be underestimated. Relegation would be catastrophic for West Ham. The club stands to lose up to £120 million in revenue from TV rights, ticket sales, and sponsorships if we drop to the Championship. This would not only impact the ability to attract and retain top players but could also lead to further instability and decline.

The Premier League’s financial gap with the Championship is ever-widening, and survival is essential for maintaining the club’s profile, competitiveness, and future prospects. The new financial regulations (Squad Cost Ratio) will also make it harder for clubs to recover from relegation, increasing the stakes for West Ham.

Historically, teams in 18th place at Christmas have survived two-thirds of the time, but the odds are against those in the bottom three. Our situation is precarious, but not yet hopeless; recent seasons have seen dramatic escapes, but only with decisive action and improved performances.

Saturday’s game is beginning to look like a must-win for West Ham. Unless we turn recent results around in the next six games (which are as winnable as it gets in the Premier League) then we can start to prepare for trips to Blackburn, Swansea and Wrexham and, dare I say it, Millwall (that’s if they don’t change places with us!). The team needs to show resilience, tactical discipline, and attacking intent to have any hope of climbing out of the relegation zone. The board must act decisively in the January transfer window, addressing squad weaknesses and supporting the manager. Above all, the club needs unity—between fans, players, and leadership—to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past and secure our Premier League future.

If West Ham fail to turn things around, the consequences will be severe—not just for this season, but for the club’s long-term health and identity.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Miracles, Memories and Missed Bets: Reliving some of West Ham’s greatest moments against Manchester City

West Ham travel to Manchester this weekend to face City, and while I’d love to believe in an upset, history and current form make that hard to imagine. City are unbeaten in their last 19 Premier League games against us, winning 16, and we’ve lost 15 of our last 16 away games there. The only exception was in the final Boleyn season, when we managed a 2-1 win in September 2015, with Victor Moses and Diafra Sakho scoring before De Bruyne pulled one back just before half time. We held on for a famous victory that day.

City don’t show mercy to teams in the relegation zone; it’s been 46 games since they last lost to a team starting the day in the bottom three, and they’ve won the last 14 of those, scoring 43 and conceding just 7. If you’re hoping current form might give us a chance, City have won five of their last six league games to climb into second place, just two points behind Arsenal, while we’ve only managed one win in our last six, though we have picked up three draws.

Rather than dwell on the chances of an upset, I find myself reminiscing about the times we’ve managed to get the better of City. I sometimes like a small wager on the football, and over the years I’ve had my share of luck and disappointment. One memory stands out from 23rd March 1996, when City were struggling near the bottom of the table. I fancied a bet on the correct score and thought the odds on us winning 4-1 at 80-1 were too good to pass up. We had seats in the old West Stand lower, and I remember Ludo saving an early penalty from Kinkladze. Iain Dowie scored with a header for 1-0 at half time, and in the second half he added another from a corner. City pulled one back after a blunder from Ludo, but then Julian Dicks smashed in a screamer from 30 yards for 3-1. I started to believe my bet might come in, and when Dani tucked away a fourth, I was already counting my winnings. But in the dying seconds Niall Quinn scored for City, and the game ended 4-2. So near and yet so far – a terrific game, and a great result, but just a little personal disappointment at the end.

That wasn’t the only time fate played a hand. In the 2000-01 season, on Remembrance Day, I told colleagues about my unlucky 4-2 betting tale and fancied another go at 4-1. The new stand was under construction, and strong winds delayed kick-off. I forgot to place my bet, and as it turned out, despite being a goal down at half time, we won 4-1 again with a last minute Di Canio penalty. This time, missing the bet meant missing out on £165, as the odds had dropped to 33-1.

Among my earliest football memories is the 1959-60 season, when we beat City 4-1 during a run of eight wins in ten games. In 1962-63, we thrashed City 6-1 twice, home and away, and in 1966, shortly after England’s World Cup win, we beat them 4-1 at Maine Road with goals from Ron Boyce, two from Geoff Hurst, and Martin Peters. In 1968, we beat City 2-1 at Upton Park with two classic near-post headers, and perhaps the most famous game came in March 1970 on a mudbath of a pitch at Maine Road. Jimmy Greaves scored twice on his debut, but the highlight was Ron Boyce’s volley from 50 yards, and we won 5-1. In 1982-83, we beat City 4-1 again early in the season, and once more, City were relegated that year.

I haven’t had a correct score bet on a West Ham v Manchester City game since that day in 1996, almost 30 years ago. The odds for a 4-1 West Ham away win this weekend are 200/1, and just to win by any score is around 12/1. I think I’ll keep my fiver in my pocket this time. As much as I’d love to believe in a miracle, history suggests otherwise – but football is nothing if not unpredictable, and memories of those famous wins remind us that anything (however unlikely!) is possible.

From Upton Park Thrashings to Where We Are Now. The changing fortunes of West Ham and Aston Villa (part one)

Ten years ago we were about half way through the final season at the Boleyn Ground. Geoff and I were writers on the West Ham fanzine Over Land And Sea which was sold outside Upton Park. During that season I was writing my book Goodbye Upton Park, Hello Stratford. In the book I wrote a chapter to precede each fixture and another to review the game after it had been played. I thought that as Villa were our opponents this weekend I’d look back at what I wrote then. The game was played on 2nd February 2016. Ten years is a long time in football as you can see from my article written then when I looked back at previous fixtures against Villa that I remembered. At the time we were riding high in the Premier League and they were bottom. Contrast that to the present where we are in the relegation zone and they are third having won their last five games in a row and are now just three points behind league leaders Arsenal. Tomorrow I will publish the follow on chapter which reviewed what actually happened.

Going Down, Going Down, Going Down West Ham v Aston Villa – Before The Game (as published prior to the game in 2016)

On 9 January I recalled my earliest vague West Ham memories at the start of the 1958-59 season. We had won away at Portsmouth on the opening day, and then we beat the champions Wolves in the first home game under floodlights. The next game was our first Saturday home game of the season against today’s opponents, Aston Villa. We gave them quite a thrashing, 7-2! All of our goals were shots from outside the penalty area apparently and we also hit the woodwork several times. Incidentally Villa were relegated that season. It is rare to get a score like this in the modern game, but at the time in my earliest football recollections it wasn’t that unusual for big scores. In that first season we had league games at Upton Park that finished 6-0, 6-3, 5-1, 5-3, 4-3, 4-2 and I was disappointed when we didn’t win a game scoring lots of goals. As a four year old I thought it was the norm.

Just over a week later after beating Manchester United in another night game we were top of the league six games into the season. My football team headed Division One. Once again I thought it was the norm! I was disappointed that by the end of the season we had dropped to sixth! Never mind, I thought we would probably win the league the next season. 58 years on and I am still waiting! I was desperate to go to see a game live but that wish wasn’t fulfilled until a couple of months later.

A lot is made of the cost of going to football these days, especially the admission prices considering the vast TV money that comes into the game which should, in theory, enable clubs to keep down entrance costs. It is all relative of course but you may be interested to know what it cost to watch West Ham in that first season back in the top flight. Promotion the previous May had enabled the board to increase ticket prices for the 1958-59 season to: North and South Bank 10p, Chicken Run 15p, West Stand Lower (standing) 17.5p, and in the West Stand you would pay between 22.5p up to 37.5p for the best seats. Children had concessionary prices in the North and South Bank at 5p. The cost of the programme rose from under 2p to 2.5p. Some rough equivalent prices at the time were Milk 3p pint, Bread 2p loaf, Beer 4.5p pint, Petrol 2p per litre. You can do the maths to decide whether we get good value now compared to then. I’ve converted the prices to the current currency – at the time we used pounds, shillings and pence. It is frightening to think that in a couple of weeks it will be 45 years since we made the change to the current decimal currency system (it happened on my dad’s 46th birthday). Anybody reading this under the age of 50 will not really remember the old system, with 12 pence to the shilling and 20 shillings to the pound.

Villa returned to Division One a couple of seasons later and they were our visitors in the first game of the season, but this time we could only beat them 5-2! By the time we met them in March 1966 we beat them 4-2, with Geoff Hurst scoring one of our goals to celebrate his international debut just a week before. Martin Peters was still two months away from winning his first international cap. It’s amazing to think that at the end of that season they were so instrumental in England winning the World Cup. Can you imagine a modern scenario of a footballer who hasn’t yet played for England making his debut in the next three months and then scoring all the goals in the final of Euro 2016?   

I can’t recall anything much of note in Villa games from then until our FA Cup quarter final in 1980, when as a second division club over 36,000 crammed into Upton Park to see us win 1-0 with a coolly taken late penalty from Ray Stewart. With my friend Geoff we were season ticket holders in the West Stand B Block that season, which was particularly useful for getting into this game, as well as getting tickets for the subsequent Wembley final. The Villa game was an “all-ticket only” match which was quite unusual in those days when paying at the turnstiles was the norm for most games. 20,000 standing tickets were on sale to fans queueing at Upton Park on the Sunday before the game as postal applications were not allowed. Obviously this was not especially convenient for those supporters who lived some distance from the ground, but 36 years ago this was perhaps less of an issue than it would be today. In an attempt to be helpful the club decided to allow two tickets per applicant so that only one fan had to attend rather than the fan and his friend. This led to ticket touts having a field day on the day of the game. Well done West Ham!

In the record breaking league season of 1985-86 we beat them 4-1 with two goals from McAvennie and two from Cottee. McAvennie scored quite a few goals for us in his two spells at the club, especially in this season when he scored 26 league goals, a figure that hasn’t been bettered in a single season since. He frequently scored a brace of goals (don’t you just love that phrase when used for goal scoring) but didn’t manage a hat-trick until his very last game for us when he came on as a substitute against Nottingham Forest in 1992.

When this fixture was played in October 1985 (just 12 games into the season) Manchester United were unbeaten and running away with the league with 11 wins and a draw giving them 34 points and a ten point lead from Liverpool in the title race. We were 17 points off the pace in eleventh so it is incredible how we got so close to winning the league. Considering we had a 17 point deficit and then finished 8 points ahead of United means that there was a 25 point turnaround with them in the last 30 games of the season! They finished fourth in the end losing ten of their final 30 games, quite a decline after such an outstanding start.  

It is easy to forget in the current climate of capacity crowds at Upton Park that the game was in the doldrums in the mid-1980s in terms of spectator numbers. Just 15,000 were there to see the Villa game in October 1985, and there had been three even lower league attendances than that prior to the game that season. As the season progressed and we were challenging for the title the numbers began to rise into the 20,000s, but it wasn’t until our final home league game on a Wednesday night in April against Ipswich that 30,000 was exceeded for the first time. The attendance didn’t even reach 20,000 for the visit of Liverpool who ended the season as champions.

With just a few days of the twentieth century remaining on a Wednesday evening shortly before Christmas we experienced another of those incidents that was so West Ham. We played Aston Villa in the quarter final of the League Cup. The score was 2-2 with just a few minutes of extra time remaining when Harry Redknapp sent on Manny Omoyinmi as a late substitute. He barely touched the ball and the game was decided on penalties which we won 5-4 to take us into the semi-final. Omoyinmi didn’t take a penalty so he had no influence on the game whatsoever.

However there was one big problem. He had been out on loan earlier in the season and had played in the League Cup for Gillingham and was therefore ineligible to play for us in the competition that season. The Football League ordered the game to be replayed and of course we lost when it was played in January, despite leading late in the game and Di Canio missing a penalty in extra time (the only penalty he ever missed in a West Ham shirt I believe). Rules are rules I guess. The League had the power to throw us out of the competition but at least gave us another chance. Omoyinmi never played for us again and two club administrators resigned as a result of the incident.

Incredibly it wasn’t the first time we had played an ineligible player that season! In the UEFA Cup we played Igor Stimac in a game when he shouldn’t have played because he had a European ban outstanding from his days before joining us. We got away with that one as UEFA admitted fault saying they didn’t tell us he was ineligible. We were lucky that time but not when we played Aston Villa. Does it only happen to us?

In the past ten years or so there is little to recall. Goals have dried up since Marlon Harewood scored a hat-trick in one of the season’s early games in our return to the top flight in 2005. In fact since that day, in our last eight league games at Upton Park against Villa we have managed just seven goals. Last season we met them when we were in the middle of a superb pre-Christmas run which yielded just one defeat in eleven games, but the game finished 0-0.

So what will happen in tonight’s game? In theory we should give them quite a hammering given their abysmal form this season. They are surely on their way down to the Championship. But we only drew with them at Villa Park on Boxing Day. This is West Ham remember. You never know. I’d love to see a return to the fifties or sixties tonight. 4-2? 5-2? Or even 7-2? Perhaps not, but a good entertaining game with a few goals and three more points would do nicely.

Can West Ham break the Brighton curse? Will the Seagulls soar or the Hammers strike? The Sunday showdown at the Amex.

West Ham United visit Brighton & Hove Albion at the Amex Stadium this Sunday, with both sides seeking to improve their fortunes as the season approaches its midpoint at the end of the month. Historically, Brighton have dominated this fixture, losing only once in 16 Premier League encounters with West Ham (seven wins, eight draws), with our sole win coming in August 2023. West Ham’s win rate against Brighton stands at just 6%, our lowest against any opponent faced more than twice in the competition. Brighton have also scored more Premier League goals against West Ham (31) than against any other side, and only Manchester United (8 times) have been beaten more often by the Seagulls than the Hammers (7 times).

Brighton enter the match in solid form, having won three of their last six league games. Their recent results include victories over Leeds (3-0), Brentford (2-1), and Nottingham Forest (2-0), a draw with Crystal Palace (0-0), and a 4-3 defeat to Aston Villa and a 4-2 loss to Manchester United. The Seagulls have shown attacking prowess but also some defensive frailties, scoring 12 goals and conceding 9 in this period. For the season to date they have won 6, drawn 4 and lost 4, 24 goals scored and 20 conceded, and sit in seventh place with 22 points prior to this round of matches. But the table is so congested they are just two points below Chelsea in fourth and three points above Bournemouth in fourteenth.

West Ham, meanwhile, have struggled for consistency throughout the season. In our last six matches, we have shown an upturn and recorded two wins (3-1 vs Newcastle, 3-2 vs Burnley), two draws (2-2 vs Bournemouth, 1-1 vs Manchester United), and two defeats (2-1 vs Leeds, 2-0 vs Liverpool). The Hammers have scored 10 goals and conceded 10, highlighting defensive vulnerabilities that have plagued our campaign. For the season as a whole we have won 3, drawn 3 and lost 8 giving us 12 points with 16 goals scored and 28 conceded. Only Wolves (29) have conceded more. As a result we sit in the relegation zone in 18th place, two points adrift of 17th placed Leeds.

Brighton’s squad is stretched by injuries, with Tzimas, Milner, March, and Webster ruled out. Mitoma, Ayari, Watson, and Rutter are doubtful. Danny Welbeck, who has scored six Premier League goals against West Ham, is expected to lead the line, supported by the creative talents of Minteh, Gruda, and De Cuyper.

According to Nuno West Ham welcome back Lucas Paquetá after suspension (but not welcome back for me!), which he believes should bolster our midfield creativity. However, we remain without Igor Julio, Oliver Scarles, and possibly Crysencio Summerville. Callum Wilson, with eight goal contributions against Brighton, will be a key attacking threat, while Jarrod Bowen continues to be our most potent source of goals and assists, although his form appears to have dipped of late. So many of his shots are either missing the target or are getting blocked.

Our last game in midweek was a deserved 1-1 draw at Old Trafford. Personally I was impressed by the efforts of the team as a whole, particularly the performances of Magassa, Wan Bissaka, Potts, Fernandes and Todibo. At last we are getting greater pace and mobility in midfield but I didn’t understand the selection of Soucek and the position he was asked to play; I would have liked to see Earthy given his opportunity to add further mobility to the middle of the pitch. And I couldn’t understand why there was such a delay in making substitutions when we were a goal down either.

Some of the points from Nuno’s conference on Friday: he confirmed Lucas Paqueta is “going to play” from the start after serving his one-match suspension for his red card against Liverpool. Asked if he had any concerns over Paqueta’s dissent, Nuno added: “I already spoke about that. It is in the past. I am positive it will not happen again because he personally admitted his mistake. We spoke about it in the dressing room. I am positive it is over and it will not be repeated.” We shall see!

On Crysencio Summerville’s fitness: “Hopefully returns soon. We miss him. We know what he gives to the team. Let’s see. We need all the players. I hope he can be back. I hope Oliver Scarles can join the team. We are going to need him because we lose our full-backs to Afcon.”

Nuno believes the midfield unit is “slowly progressing in knowledge and complicity”, adding: “Energy. They are all very young. They are growing together. They are slowly understanding the specifics. This is what makes a good midfield. You can’t be an individual. You can’t put two players together and expect them to click immediately.”

Being in the bottom three: “We cannot avoid it. It is a reality. We have to face it. We are fighting for survival. We cannot hide it. The results of other teams we cannot control. It is up to us.” Nuno says he is “slowly trying to fix” our poor record of defending set-pieces and we are now “trying to take advantage of offensive corners” like the one we scored from against Manchester United on Thursday. He added: “We know how important set-pieces are in the game. They are basic and fundamental for any kind of team. Working, working, working. Repeating, repeating. Trying to find the consistency of delivery, trying to mark the strong opponents we will find. The blocks are important. Alphonse got a big help with that also.”

Only Aston Villa have won more points from losing positions this season. But not too many teams fall behind as often as we do! “Everybody in the club is realising we have to give the best of everything. We have to give the best of us to get out of this situation. That is the reality. A club like us, as big as we are, we have to face the situation so we can go out. It is hard to build with urgency but the boys are committed and we think we can do it.”

Brighton have been particularly effective at home, scoring at least twice in each of their last six Premier League matches at the Amex. Their attacking rhythm and possession-based style have yielded results, though defensive lapses remain a concern for them. Under Nuno Espirito Santo we have shown some resilience but lack stability, especially at the back, having failed to keep a clean sheet in our last 11 league games.

Given Brighton’s historical dominance in this fixture, their strong home form, and West Ham’s defensive frailties, the Seagulls are favourites. We can expect an open contest with chances for both sides, but Brighton’s attacking cohesion and home advantage could prove decisive. A high-scoring affair is likely, with Brighton tipped by the bookmakers and most pundits to edge the match. I’d love to think we can surprise them but hope that we can at least add to our recent tally of drawn games and get a 2-2 draw. What are the chances?

West Ham Travel To Manchester United For The Battle Of The Transfer Chumps

West Ham United’s Premier League farewell tour rolls into Manchester this evening in the hope of finding an ideal spot to park the bus.

A recent analysis by the International Centre for Sports Studies placed both today’s combatants at the very foot of football’s transfer hall of shame. West Ham and Manchester United floundering in the bottom six of clubs who have derived the worst possible value for money in transfer dealings since 2021.

In the survey, which includes all clubs whose transfer spending exceeded €10 million, the two Premier League clubs are joined in the roll of dishonour by four Saudi clubs. And let’s face it, those Saudis are well used to losing an arm and a leg.

The reliability of the study was subsequently endorsed in a Daily Mail report which confirmed it had been undertaken by boffins. Who could possibly argue with that? It’s a sign of the times that we don’t hear nearly often enough from boffins these days. It has to be one of my favourite (peculiarly British) words, alongside scarpered.

Waste of Transfer Money in Euros

Delve a little deeper and a case can easily be made that the Hammers record is significantly worse – and has had far greater impact – than the Red Devils. Relative to revenues – which are ultimately the driver of transfer spend in the world of PSR and SCR – the most recent accounts show Manchester United outearning West Ham by some distance: £666 million to £271 million. While both records are appalling, the Mancs are far better placed to absorb and recover from losses of that scale.

It is possibly the saddest indictment of West Ham’s mismanagement and poor stewardship that having had 14 seasons feeding from the Premier League money bonanza trough, they have been left with a squad whose value and quality is no better than any of the newly promoted clubs.

Last night’s results saw the Hammers slip back once again into the relegation places. Wins for Leeds and Nottingham Forest hinting that the race for the drop might shift from a five-horse race to a three horse certainty. Dyche will no doubt continue to grind out results at the City Ground while Leeds have demonstrated a fighting spirit in their last two games that is sorely lacking from the West Ham squad.

In times of desperation, it is tempting to clutch at the straw that you never know what you’re going to get with West Ham. But that is fast becoming a fireside myth. The days of pulling off shock wins have been few and far between in recent seasons. When they have happened it has been the result of opposition off days rather than Hammer’s excellence.

With six games to go until the end of the year – and the season’s halfway point – it is challenging to see where more more than a handful of points might come from. By then, we may be even further adrift of safety. Leaving survival reliant on a storming transformational transfer window – something which all prior evidence (see above) suggests is improbable.

Tonight’s opponents have been experiencing a mini revival of late, but without pulling up any trees. I watched their game at Crystal Palace as part of a low-quality Super Sunday double bill, and they remain well short of top six quality. Palace should really have been out of sight by half time but had forgotten to bring along their shooting boots. Not for the first time, it was Bruno Fernandes who inspired the visitors comeback. He will be the main threat again tonight.

With the enforced absence of Lucas Paqueta, Nuno will have been busily spinning the selection wheel of fortune over the past couple of days. Quite what random changes he’ll come up with can only be guessed at. Red flags for me would be a return to the three/ five at the back formation and a starting berth for Tomas Soucek. You might as well switch off your set, log off your stream or retire to the bar if you at Old Trafford.

Neither George Earthy, Callum Marshall nor Mohamadou Kanté turned out for the Under 21s last night – so, one or all may have been on the bus up to Manchester. My preference would be a start for Earthy with a more advanced role for Mateus Fernandes in front of Freddie Potts and Soungoutou Magassa. However, if Nuno once again insists on parking the bus and refuses to commit players forward, the chosen formation will be academic anyway. At some point, whether from a free kick or corner, the defences will be breached.

A lot of supporters and media have already written off Luis Guilherme, especially where the narrative is to highlight Tim Steidten’s (rather than the Board’s) role in the Hammer’s current plight. Personally, I think there’s a decent player in there if used correctly. Someone able to carry the ball forward as an attacking midfielder – if there were such a thing in Nuno’s plan. I don’t though see him as a natural stand-in for Crysencio Summerville on the left wing. He will not shine there!

If anyone is feeling positive about tonight’s game, then please let me know what you’ve been drinking (or smoking). I only see one possible outcome and it’s not a good one for the claret and blue. Anyway, I need to scarper pretty quickly. COYI!