Category: Preview

The curtain will fall on West Ham’s season with a visit to Portman Road

It was only Nottingham Forest for heaven’s sake! Having said that, I’ve got to give them some credit for the astonishing achievement of qualifying for European football next season. Who would have guessed it? Last season they finished in seventeenth place. This time they have more than doubled their points tally from the last campaign. We could still end up there (17th) if we don’t win at Ipswich and both Manchester United and Tottenham defy the odds to finish their poor domestic seasons and beat Aston Villa and Brighton respectively, both of whom still have something to play for.

Forest could even still qualify for the Champions League, and it will probably be a disappointment, albeit slight, if they don’t after holding one of the qualifying places for so much of the season. Nevertheless, any European qualification is good as we know from a couple of seasons back. How we would love to be there again! A Conference League spot would be a decent consolation though, but with their last game coming up at the City Ground against an inconsistent Chelsea side, they will be confident of making the premier European competition.

Watching last weekend’s game against Forest I didn’t believe that we were ever going to score a goal after the first minute. But our captain, Jarrod Bowen was on the pitch and his wonderful touch and finish five minutes before the ninety were up and all of a sudden Forest looked nervous. West Ham finally came alive. At least there were some better attacking options on the pitch by then compared to the defensive nine we started the game with. With a small amendment to a quote by (in my opinion) the best football writer of all, Brian Glanville, who died recently, until the changes, “our midfielders seemed to wander around the pitch like well-intentioned dinosaurs”.

Eleven minutes was held up on the board but Forest’s time-wasting display with players laying down like sleeping lions, and more weird and pointless VAR checks, meant that it turned out to be another 21 minutes. In truth it should probably have been even more but another game was kicking off shortly and the people at Sky were getting nervous. Despite some promise in those final minutes the only real chance came when Sels pulled off a fine save from Fullkrug’s header.

And what about the officials? Recently the standard in so many games I’ve watched has left a lot to be desired. This game was no exception. I really hate to be critical as it is a massively difficult job. They may well understand the rules but so many of them don’t really seem to understand the game.

Graham Potter suggested it was an even game. Really!? He said we came up a bit short. A bit?! The Premier League Match Centre said that the referee’s call of goal was checked and confirmed by VAR, with Milenkovic in an onside position and Dominguez in an offside position but deemed not to be impacting on play. It took me about 20 seconds at most to see that when the picture was shown on the screen. But why did it take them six minutes? I’m afraid that is just not spectator friendly. In fact it is a disgrace. Was it the late Bill Shankly who once said “if a player is not interfering with play or seeking to gain an advantage then what the hell is he doing on the pitch?” or something like that. But then the offside rule like the handball rule and several others really needs to be looked at further, don’t they?.

The defeat brought the curtain down on a miserable season with spectators at the London Stadium enduring a torrid time with just five wins in nineteen games. We beat Ipswich, Manchester United, Fulham, Leicester and Wolves. Teams currently occupying 19th, 16th, 10th, 18th and 14th places.

Every summer is important in preparation for the season to follow, and this one even more so with mounting unrest surrounding Graham Potter and increasing pressure on the board as frustrations grow among the fanbase, many of whom appear to have serious doubts as to if he is the right man for the job. Four wins in eighteen matches since taking over from Lopetegui doesn’t even match the record of his sacked predecessor and they are statistics that take us back to the days of Avram Grant. He doesn’t seem to be able to turn things around or get the new manager bounce that sometimes happens. We’ll have to see if he can do better with some players of his own choosing.

The slow, lethargic style with lots of short, sideways and backward passes that may pad out the possession statistics is leaving fans bored. Not to mention the fact that we are among the worst team in the league for shots and goals since Potter was appointed. The atmosphere at the London Stadium is flat which doesn’t bode well for season ticket sales ahead of the crucial summer window in which West Ham have made it clear (according to some?) that they have little money to spend without selling players first. Apparently, Sullivan only wanted to give our new boss a six month contract but was persuaded otherwise (with Everton waiting in the wings to give him a longer contract?). If there is any truth in that I wonder what the position would be now? It’s not hard to guess. I’m sure Everton are really pleased with the effect Moyes has had (so far anyway).

So here we are facing an away trip to Portman Road to close the season. Relegated Ipswich are the only team that we have put four goals past, in fact we only managed three once (Fulham). Our opponents will be up for it, hoping to end the season on a high and with a possible chance of moving up one place and the extra (£3 million?) that would bring them to boost their finances for their return to the Championship. We too have the incentive of possibly finishing above Wolves and also remaining above Manchester United and Tottenham, adding more funds to the kitty. But how much enthusiasm is there in the players? Ironically at least two of the departing players, Coufal and Cresswell had decent games against Forest and really looked up for it.

There are likely (and need) to be big changes in personnel in the summer. Two players who may go but I’d like to keep are Guilherme and JWP. In his (very limited) cameos Guilherme has shown to me that he possesses potential and looks like the type of player we need. He is still young I know but why hasn’t he been given a bit more of an opportunity?

Unlike most fans I believe there is a place of JWP in the team. I appreciate some of his limitations, but I would see him in a role similar to a quarterback in American football. His striking of a deadball is an asset, but I believe his inclusion in the team would work if he is supported in midfield and attack by players with pace, (not Soucek, Paqueta, Alvarez, Rodriguez etc). Also, if Soucek is retained for his ability in both penalty areas, then again it would only seem to work for me if he too is supplemented by skilful attacking footballers with pace.

It will be interesting to see if any of our loanees who return, or academy players, can stake a claim for a place in the squad if they are good enough. Apparently, Potter has said he wants to reduce the size of the squad, so I guess that should mean one or two places for these players if they are up to it. Scarles, Casey, Orford, Kelly, Marshall, Earthy, Potts. Perhaps a couple of these? Perhaps others? I’ve no idea but it would be sad if none of them come through wouldn’t it?

My player of the season? No surprise it has to be Wan Bissaka by some distance. What a buy he has turned out to be. Bowen has done well once again too. Nobody else really stands out for me. I’m looking forward to the return of Summerville next season as I believe he has great potential.

So, another summer of big changes, wondering who will leave and who will arrive. Yet again I wonder if we can get it right this time? Who knows?

A Tale of Two Cities – London v Nottingham; West Ham v Nottingham Forest, the final home game of a season that many fans would like to forget

Last week I looked for inspiration in writing my article to my good friend Bill Shakespeare. It worked in that we won our first game following eight winless matches. So once again I turn to another good friend, this time Charlie Dickens. I gave him some background to this week’s game and he has written this week’s preview for me. He begins with an extract from a book written by one of his ancestors and then goes on with his thoughts written in a similar style ……

An extract from the first paragraph of Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities 1859, 

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us”

“Pairs of contrasting words in the opening lines could be interpreted to illustrate the disparities between the fortunes of West Ham and Nottingham Forest as the season draws towards its conclusion. It was the best of times for Nottingham Forest. It was the worst of times at West Ham United. It was a season of light at the City Ground, it was the season of darkness at the London Stadium. It was the spring of hope for Forest aiming for the Champions League, it was the winter of despair for the Hammers who were fortunate that there were three very poor sides who would be relegated to the Championship. In Nottingham they have everything before them, at West Ham we do not know what we have before us.

Our team, West Ham, a team of valiant spirits, find themselves in a state of relative tranquility, with no fresh injuries to report before the anticipated visit of Nottingham Forest. The unfortunate Crysencio Summerville remains sidelined, grappling with the affliction of a hamstring injury, I don’t think we’ll see him again before the new season dawns. The resilient Michail Antonio, too, who is on the mend from a grievous broken leg; will we see him in a claret and blue shirt again? Nottingham Forest, too, face their own trials, with forward Taiwo Awoniyi convalescing after an abdominal surgery, after an unfortunate and potentially life-threatening collision with a goal post last weekend which will undoubtedly raise calls for assistant referees to flag for offside more promptly. The surgery, according to the esteemed head coach Nuno Espirito Santo, has proceeded favourably. The fate of Murillo and Callum Hudson-Odoi, both beset by hamstring woes, hangs in the balance, awaiting assessment before the impending contest.

West Ham, in their storied history, have triumphed in five of their six Premier League home encounters with Nottingham Forest, succumbing only once. Yet, the Reds stand on the precipice of a historic achievement, poised to complete their first league double over the Hammers in forty-one years. The Irons, steadfast and resolute, have remained unbeaten in eight home meetings with Forest in both league and cup, a streak that commenced in the distant February of 1999. The most recent victory, a 2-0 triumph over Manchester United at Old Trafford, has ended a disheartening run of eight winless games, rekindling hope and ambition.

Graham Potter’s side, emboldened by their recent success, aspire to secure consecutive top-flight victories for the first time since February, when they had vanquished Arsenal and Leicester. The Hammers, on the cusp of drawing four top-flight home games in succession for the first time since April 1985, are determined to uphold their proud record of not losing their final home league fixture in any of the past seven campaigns, a period marked by five wins and two draws.

Jarrod Bowen, a player of remarkable prowess, has been directly involved in six goals in his last six Premier League outings, finding the net four times and providing two assists. His ambition to score in four successive league games at the London Stadium would mirror the feat last achieved by Jesse Lingard in April 2021.

Nottingham Forest, on the other hand, have tasted victory only once in their last six Premier League encounters, drawing twice and suffering three defeats. Nevertheless, their prowess on the road is undeniable, having secured nine top-flight away victories this season, second only to the champions, Liverpool, who have won eleven. Forest’s triumph over Burnley at Turf Moor at this juncture last season has set the stage for their quest to win their final away league game in consecutive campaigns for the first time since the seasons of 2006-07 and 2007-08 in League One.

Anthony Elanga, with ten top-flight assists to his name this term, stands on the brink of equalling Bryan Roy’s Premier League club record of eleven assists in a single campaign, a record that has stood since the 1994-95 season. Chris Wood, too, has etched his name in the annals of Forest’s history, becoming only the second player to score twenty Premier League goals for the club in a single campaign, a feat last accomplished by Stan Collymore, who netted twenty-two goals in the 1994-95 season.

The current form guide, a curious and unexpected revelation, shows the East Londoners with the upper hand, possessing six points to Forest’s five. Historical encounters, totalling 121 to date, hark back to an FA Cup game in 1911, and also give a slight edge to the Hammers with 48 wins to 47, with 26 draws.

A victory in this game guarantees that West Ham will finish above both Manchester United and Tottenham, one of whom surprisingly shall play in next season’s Champions League, following their defeats on Friday night. This is but one incentive. Such a triumph would secure us 15th place at the very least in the final table. Depending upon results elsewhere, we could even ascend to 13th place, a position we have only achieved in seven weeks of this dismal season.”

Thanks Charlie. I enjoyed that. I may call upon you again.

Manchester United v West Ham – For Amorim: Much Ado About Nothing, For Potter: All’s Well That Ends Well

It should have been easy. Sitting down with three games of the season to go, last week at home to a Europa Cup finalist, this week away to the other Europa Cup finalist. It should have been boiling up to a thrilling climax to the season. But no, quite frankly I don’t think I am the only one who has lost interest and can’t wait for it to end. But wait indeed, I have an article to write.

For Amorim the game is Much Ado About Nothing. For Potter, yes it has been a winter of discontent but he hopes to make it good in the summer transfer window and he is hoping that that All’s Well That Ends Well. So, being stuck for inspiration I turned to my friend Bill Shakespeare to see if he could write something to thrill the reader. “The task is a difficult one, my friend Richard,” was his first reply. “Manchester United have nothing to play for, West Ham have been rubbish, and I know nothing of this game you call football.”

“Bill,” I replied “thou dost protest too much. What if I pay you twenty sovereigns and give you an insight into the match, the injuries and the form?”

“As you like it” he said, “but don’t tell anyone I wrote it as the mere mention of my name makes the readers eyes glaze over, inducing not so pleasant school flashbacks”.

Two teams both alike in 15 and 17,

At Old Trafford where we lay our scene…..

Act I: The Injured Warriors

Scene I: Manchester United’s Camp

Enter Ruben Amorim, the head coach, with Harry Maguire.

Ruben Amorim: Oh noble Maguire, thou art weary and wounded, Rest thee now, for thy valor hath been proven. The Europa League’s triumph, a testament to thy might, Yet, in this battle, thou shalt not fight.

Exit Harry Maguire.

Ruben Amorim: Chido Obi, return to the fray, For midweek’s absence, thou shalt repay. But alas, de Ligt, Zirkzee, Martinez, and Dalot, Still sidelined, their presence not forgot.

Enter Chido Obi.

Chido Obi: Coach Amorim, I stand ready to serve, With strength renewed, I shall not swerve. The Europa League’s absence, now behind, In this Premier League clash, my place I find.

Scene II: West Ham’s Camp

Enter Edson Alvarez, returning from injury.

Edson Alvarez: Three games I missed, my back in pain, But now I return, to fight again.

Enter Crysencio Summerville on the balcony.

Graham Potter: Crysencio, Crysencio, wherefore art thou Crysencio?

Crysencio Summerville: Who’s there? Is that you boss? Our strength shall not wane, In this battle, our hopes shall gain. For West Ham’s glory, we shall cheer, with courage and pride, we persevere. I’m getting better, my fortune’s mixed. But best of all the hamstring’s fixed!

Enter Michail Antonio

Michail Antonio: Though we are absent, our spirits remain, In West Ham’s heart, we shall sustain. With Crysencio, my friend, together we stand, Supporting our team, with a helping hand.

Act II: The Battle of Statistics

Scene I: The Head-to-Head Clash

Narrator 1: Manchester United, unbeaten at home, For sixteen games, West Ham’s hopes they comb. Thirteen wins, three draws, last four without conceding, The Hammers’ victories, a rare proceeding.

Narrator 2: Yet, West Ham’s recent triumphs, three of four, As many victories as in twenty-eight before. A league double, they seek to complete, Since 2006-07, a historic feat.

Scene II: Manchester United’s Struggles

Narrator 1: Eight Europa League wins, Amorim’s pride, But in the Premier League, six victories denied. Six games without a win, a dire streak, Since 1992, their longest, too bleak.

Sixteen league losses, a season’s shame, Eight home defeats, a tarnished name. Since 1962-63, such woes they faced, A campaign of sorrow, their hopes displaced.

Scene III: West Ham’s Woes

Narrator 2: Eight league fixtures, without a win, A longer run, since 2011’s sin. No comeback victories, a tale of despair, Southampton and Ipswich, the only other pair.

Four away wins, clean sheets they keep, Sixteen games on the road, so often they sleep. Fourteen points from fifteen, Potter’s reign, Only relegated clubs can match the pain.

Narrator 3: Potter’s record against Manchester United, Unbeaten in three, his hopes ignited. A victory at Old Trafford, Brighton’s delight, in August 2022, such a memorable night.

Act III: The Final Showdown

Scene I: The Battle Begins

Enter Manchester United and West Ham players on the field.

Narrator: The stage is set, the warriors ready, Manchester United and West Ham, steady. A clash of titans, a tale of might, Who shall emerge victorious, in this fight?

Enter Ruben Amorim and Graham Potter, the head coaches; they shake hands.

Ruben Amorim: Potter, thy team shall face defeat, For at Old Trafford, we shall not retreat. Our home, our fortress, our pride, In this battle, we shall not be denied.

Graham Potter: Amorim, thy words are bold, But West Ham’s spirit, strong and old. We seek a double, a historic feat, In this clash, we shall not retreat. So shaken as we are, all’s well that ends well

The players confront each other, tensions rising.

Ruben Amorim: West Ham, beware, for we are strong, At Old Trafford, we belong. Our history, our legacy, our might, In this battle, we shall fight.

Graham Potter: Amorim, thy words are fierce, But West Ham’s resolve, thou shalt not pierce. Our determination, our will, our fight, In this battle, we shall unite.

The whistle blows, the battle begins.

Narrator 4: The stage is set, the warriors clash, Manchester United and West Ham, in a flash. A tale of might, a tale of pride, Who shall emerge victorious, in this ride?

Well, what do you think of Bill’s efforts? A bit over the top I reckon. It’s hard to get excited but thanks Bill, you’ve done your best.

West Ham v Tottenham: 17th v 16th: The Underachievers Derby

This weekend, the London Stadium will host a high-stakes clash between West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur. It’s always high stakes for the fans of both our clubs when we meet. Both teams find themselves in unfamiliar territory, languishing near the bottom of the Premier League table. With Graham Potter and Ange Postecoglou under immense pressure, many pundits have written that this match could define their seasons and their futures. I don’t believe that the one game will define either.

For the first time in Premier League history, West Ham and Tottenham meet while we are both are at such low points. We sit precariously in 17th place, officially the worst team outside the relegation zone. Well it would be really precarious were it not for Leicester, Ipswich and Southampton. Thank heavens that the three already relegated clubs have performed so poorly this season. Tottenham, just one spot above us in 16th, have lost a staggering 19 games this season—more than any other non-relegated side. A solitary point separates the two underachieving clubs, making this encounter a must-win for local derby pride for the fans, but it won’t change the fact that it has been a disastrous season for both.

Speculation is rife that Ange Postecoglou will be sacked this summer, even if Tottenham manage to salvage their season by winning the Europa League. Such a triumph would end Spurs’ long trophy drought and secure Champions League qualification. They have already reached the semi-finals and just have to overcome Norwegian champions Bodo / Glimt (what kind of name is that?) over two legs, before facing either (underachieving) Manchester United or Athletic Bilbao in the final. But even that may not be enough to save Postecoglou’s job. The axe seems ready to fall, with Daniel Levy reportedly preparing for a managerial change, or so we continue to read.

Graham Potter’s tenure at West Ham has been nothing short of disastrous. Since replacing Julen Lopetegui, who left the team in 13th place, Potter has overseen a dramatic decline. The Hammers have won just three of their 15 games under his leadership, culminating in a humiliating 3-2 collapse against Brighton after leading 2-1 going into the last few minutes. Have you read Geoff’s review of that game? ‘Careful What You Wish For: Is This David Sullivan’s Self-Fulfilling Prophecy’. This defeat mirrored Tottenham’s earlier capitulation to the same opponent (Tottenham actually threw away a 2-0 lead), highlighting the shared struggles of both clubs.

Looking at current form for both teams, in the last six games we have a matching record points-wise. Both of us have collected just three points from those games, West Ham with three draws and three defeats, Tottenham with one win and five defeats. Our North London adversaries rarely do drawn matches having shared the spoils in just four of their 34 games so far, less than any team in the top flight. At least they have a positive goal difference for the season as a whole having scored far more goals than we have but with similar goals conceded figures.

Only Wolves (of the non-relegated teams) have conceded more than the two of us. While I have highlighted current form just take a look at what Wolves have achieved under their new manager Vitor Pereira. They currently top the 6-game form league with six wins and 18 points. In fact it’s better than any team in Europe’s top 5 leagues. All this talk about the fact that progress takes time! It doesn’t necessarily have to. It hasn’t taken that long in Wolverhampton. And isn’t part of our problem the fact that this ‘takes time’ talk enters the players minds and becomes part of the reason behind underperformance? Potter keeps on about this being a long rebuilding job, and I get that in some ways, but taking us from thirteenth to seventeenth is just not on.

Potter’s focus on performances over results has frustrated the fans, who demand more than just effort. His post-match comments often emphasize competitiveness, but such platitudes won’t suffice if the team fails to deliver against our bitter rivals this weekend. A win against Tottenham could be the turning point Potter desperately needs, but another lacklustre display might seal his fate. He won’t get sacked if we lose on Sunday, but a poor performance will lead to the fans turning further against him.

While both clubs have bigger historical rivals—Millwall for West Ham and Arsenal for Tottenham—the intensity of the clashes has grown in recent years. Former Tottenham defender Kyle Walker recently described the West Ham rivalry as more passionate than the North London Derby, a sentiment that resonates with our fans, even if the Tottenham fans believe otherwise.

This match is about more than just points; it’s about pride and setting the tone for the future. As West Ham fans, we are known for our high standards and deep football knowledge, and we won’t tolerate mediocrity. As Craig Bellamy once said, “(West Ham) they’re the most knowledgeable fans of all the teams I’ve played for. You can’t kid them. They expect effort, skill, and resilience. They’ve been brought up on Bobby Moore.”

For Postecoglou, this game may be one of his last chances to leave Tottenham on a high note. Of course, winning the Europa League is probably his key ambition, but the Thursday / Sunday / Thursday fixtures effect (as we know from experience) could work against them and add to our chances of winning the game.

For Potter, it’s an opportunity to prove he can begin to lead us out of our current malaise. The fans will forgive him (a little) if we win this game (such is the over-emphasis given to local derbies), but they are already beginning to queue up questioning if he is the right man to lead our club. He really lost it showing more emotion than before when speaking after the Brighton defeat. Players speaking out following games suggests that the dressing room is divided. No evidence of the ‘we are all in this together attitude’ that you normally hear when clubs are struggling.

As the Premier League season nears its conclusion, can we begin to have some hope for what the next campaign will bring? There’s much to do over the summer. That seems to be a recurring theme at West Ham.

Graham Potter is currently facing challenges. Can he find the solutions to improve the situation?

Is he experiencing major difficulties, or are there minor issues that need addressing? Did he misjudge the size of the task? Is he up to it? The outcome remains uncertain.

Geoff reviewed our home draw against Southampton earlier this week, a game against a team that was relegated with seven games of the season remaining. I only saw the highlights. We became just the fourth team to fail to beat them on their travels this season after their win at Ipswich and draws at Fulham and Brighton, our opponents this Saturday.

Brighton sits in mid-table (10th) on 48 points and is one of five clubs who will finish between eighth and twelfth. Bournemouth (8th) has 49 points, Fulham and Brighton have 48, Brentford 46, and Palace 45.

The Premier League this season is separated into five distinct groups. The top pair comprises Liverpool and Arsenal. The next group of five (the “nearly teams”) are separated by just four points; Manchester City with 61, Forest 60, Newcastle 59, Chelsea, and Villa both 57.

Well behind the mid-table group are the “real disappointments,” consisting of Everton, Manchester United, Wolves all with 38 points, Tottenham with 37, and ourselves with 36. The three teams promoted last season have not performed well and are on their way back down.

A table I saw recently shows the points tally of each club in the Premier League compared to this stage last season. Everton has the same points as last time, while seven teams are worse off: Wolves (-5), Villa (-6), Arsenal (-8), West Ham (-12), Manchester United (-15), Manchester City (-18), and Tottenham (-23). We are 12 points below where we were at this stage last season, although we finished in the top half (9th). Forest is at the top of this particular table being 28 points better off.

I’ve just been reviewing Graham Potter’s media conference in advance of our trip to Brighton this Saturday. He began with the injury situation confirming Alvarez will still be sidelined with a back injury while Wan-Bissaka should be back. That’s good news.

He said he “understands the fans’ frustrations” at recent results: “We’re not playing how we want to play but to look at the bigger picture, it’s not so straightforward to change things. You have to accept things and be up for the challenge. I want to support the players, who have been brilliant, and we’ll fight together.” So the players have been brilliant eh?

He emphasised that in the games before he arrived (for the last two seasons he probably meant) the team conceded a lot of goals. His inference here was that they have now tightened up at the back and have been competitive. But not successful it seems.

When asked about our habit of conceding late goals, Potter said: “It’s a number of factors. It’s very complicated. When we came in, we were conceding early goals, and now it’s late goals, but it’s very tough for very different reasons.” What kind of answer was that!

Potter was also asked about Fullkrug’s comments afterlast weekend’s draw: “Sometimes you have to understand that after a game, everyone’s emotional. It should be that way, but when you’re a leader you have to accept the emotion and put things in perspective. Niclas wears his heart on his sleeve and he’s entitled to his opinion. For me, it’s better to have conversations in private. You have to be able to be honest and to think about the team as well.” I think he was saying (in a roundabout way) that he wasn’t too pleased!

These pre-match media conferences often feature responses that may seem bland.

I do wish Potter success and a productive transfer window. He has faced challenges since arriving at London Stadium, but it remains to be seen how his tenure will progress.

Who will be the April Fools when West Ham travel to Molyneux?

I’ve often written about how I am disappointed by the flow of the domestic league season when it is broken up by international breaks. We’ve just endured break number four in this campaign and this was no different. If I’ve got something better to do I’m not averse to giving the international TV games a miss. But this time I watched both England games. What did I learn? Well in the first game apparently England set a record of the number of touches in the first half. Who cares? It was so tedious.

And in the game where Jarrod Bowen started it was so noticeable how it was only Declan Rice who wanted to move the ball in his direction (to the right). Everyone else in the team wanted to move it left to Rashford. And what a waste of time that was.

I couldn’t believe some of the squad choices either. Rashford after a couple of good games as a substitute for Villa? Burn, yes excellent in the air but will be shown up by pacy international forwards in good teams. And Henderson, apparently brilliant in the dressing room? That’s where he should stay. If they believe that then take him on as a coach don’t waste a squad place. Yes, he’s definitely one for the future!

Today’s game at Molyneux takes place on April Fools Day. How many games did we play in the 31 days of March? Incredibly, with the season approaching a climax – just two! Exactly what I mean by the disruption caused by international breaks. It took me a while to recall our last game, but that may just be an age thing! I eventually remembered – we were winning the Moyes derby then conceded an equaliser to Everton in stoppage time. Two more points escaped.

I’ve been supporting West Ham since 1958 and this has definitely been one of the most uninteresting seasons I can recall. For most of this time I’ve been a season ticket holder too. It’s good that we are now resuming after the break but there is not too much to look forward to other than to see what influence our new manager can bring to a squad which we can only assume he will want to overhaul in the summer. 

My main footballing interest as a spectator and fan of local games this season has been the Suffolk District League Division Three Under 15s and the Isthmian League North. One of my teams has just wrapped up their second title in three years and the other is battling for a place in the play offs or even perhaps the title to try to move from Step 4 to Step 3 in the non-league pyramid. The football has been good to watch and in both instances none of this interminable retaining possession passing the ball backwards and sideways across the back. The football equivalent of watching paint dry.

With just nine games of the Premier League season remaining this game is probably more important for Wolves than ourselves although I don’t believe there is really any danger of relegation for either. Sixteenth versus seventeenth as the season enters the final few weeks would normally be considered a six pointer and have a lot riding on it. Not this time though. We are 17 points clear of the drop zone and already have enough points. Wolves are 9 clear and won’t need much more to be safe.

The first meeting this season took place less than four months ago and one of the key factors in that game was the scrutiny on the two bosses Lopetegui and O’Neil, neither of whom still have their jobs. I don’t remember a lot about the game other than Soucek scoring with a header, Wolves equalising and then Bowen scoring the winner. They believed that they were hard done by with VAR not finding anything wrong with Bowen’s goal (they believed Mavropanos had committed a foul), and they also believed they deserved a penalty for a push by Emerson. Not exactly a memorable game but few have been this season.

Of course as always I’m hoping that we win, but more than that some good entertaining football where Graham Potter can begin to look to the future. It’s hard to get too excited though isn’t it?

Can West Ham put an end to Everton’s unbeaten run when we visit Goodison Park for the final time today?

With just ten games of the season to go we are languishing in 16th place in the Premier League table prior to this round of matches. Apart from week two our whole season has been spent between 12th and 16th position. In this most tedious of seasons what can we look forward to? Just looking at the table with a good run we might manage to climb to the dizzy heights of 13th and are unlikely to fall any lower than our current 16th.

Historically Everton used to be a bit of a bogey team (do you remember the days when Lukaku used to score for fun against us?) but in recent years we have slightly had the upper hand, winning four of our last six visits to Goodison Park. In the last 5 seasons the games between West Ham and Everton have almost all qualified to be the last game on Match of the Day. The football has been boring to watch and there have been very few goals. In the last nine league games between us there has been a total of just 14 goals. We have scored 9 of them, thus averaging one a game. Everton have scored just 5. Their five have come in 5 separate games, thus failing to score in the other four. We have also had 4 goalless games, but at least we twice scored 2 and once even 3!

Everton come into the game as one of the form teams in the Premier League. They have won four and drawn four of their last eight games, the longest unbeaten run of all the teams in the top flight apart from league leaders Liverpool. Four of their last five have been draws. They are the draw specialists having drawn 12 of their 28 games, the most in the league. They have lost 9 times which puts them on a par for losing with fifth placed Manchester City.

The game has got lack of goals written all over it. Neither team has got too much to play for other than trying to move up the Premier League table and trying to impress their new boss. Talking of the men in charge I see that Graham Potter has the upper hand on David Moyes winning five and drawing two of the seven times they’ve met.

We’ve won four times away from home this season, keeping a clean sheet in each. It helps. We’ve only been involved in one goalless game and that was against, yes you’ve guessed it Everton. Let’s hope that Everton don’t score the first goal of the game. That’s happened to us 15 times this season and we haven’t won any of them.

I can’t say I’m particularly looking forward to the game. It won’t be a classic I’m sure. I reckon a 0-0 draw or perhaps just one goal in the game. I just hope we score it.

And then we’ve got (yawn) another international break, the fourth of the season. I’ve just seen Tuchel’s squad. Henderson! Rashford! Burn! Is that the best we can do? It’s a sad indictment that apart from Bowen we don’t have any other player in the senior squad and none in the under 21 squad either.   Let’s hope I’ve got it all wrong and we see a scintillating game of attacking football and we put an end to their unbeaten run. We can dream can’t we?

Can West Ham achieve their first double of the season when Newcastle visit the London Stadium on Monday night?

With just eleven games of the season to go we are fifteenth in the Premier League table prior to this round of matches. Apart from week two our whole season has been spent between 12th and 16th position. Graham Potter took over on 10th January so this game marks two months in charge. We were fourteenth when he assumed control and his seven league games have produced three wins, one draw and three defeats, hence ten points, including wins in the last two games. That was the first time this season that we had won back- to-back games. Six of the first seven winning games this season were followed by defeats. Can we make it three wins in a row?

Newcastle, in sixth place before this round of matches, and just three points off a Champions League place, haven’t been in the best of form in recent games, losing three of their last four league games, conceding eleven goals in the process. Surprisingly we beat them 2-0 in the reverse fixture in November with goals from Soucek and Wan Bissaka, but at home we haven’t beaten them for more than six years since a 2-0 win in March 2019 when Pellegrini was our manager and the goals were scored by Rice and Noble.

Historically the Geordies have had the better of us and especially so in recent times. We have beaten them just eleven times in forty-one league games in the twenty-first century, and just twice in the twelve games since that 2-0 win in 2019.

What do you think of this season so far? Two head coaches, the whole campaign in the bottom half of the table, and another poor defensive record conceding 47 goals so far – only four teams have conceded more. Just 32 goals scored, once again just four teams have scored fewer. Part of the reason for this seems to be our inability to shoot on target. Despite doing OK in respect of making chances, we are bottom of the league when it comes to shots on target, and only Southampton have a worse record for the shot conversion rate where our 30 goals have come from 333 shots.

Newcastle rely heavily on Alexander Isak, one of the best all round strikers in the Premier League. He has scored almost half of their league goals this season. He will certainly be a big danger but Anthony Gordon is suspended following his red card in their previous game. No doubt his place will be taken by Harvey Barnes who I can recall playing well and scoring goals against us.

It is now more than 18 months ago that Lucas Paqueta hit the headlines for being suspected of breaching betting rules. It seems that the case is about to be heard soon and he would appear to have the odds stacked against him. I read that the standard of proof for FA hearings, as in civil law cases, is based on a ‘balance of probabilities’. In criminal proceedings on the other hand there is a more rigorous threshold of ‘beyond reasonable doubt’. This means that the FA only need to prove it is more likely than not that he was involved in spot-fixing by being deliberately booked, thereby influencing betting markets.

He was officially charged in May 2024 and Paqueta strenuously denies the charges. It is alleged that the FA are seeking a lifetime ban so if the case goes against him, and the odds are stacked that way, it would be bad news for the club as well as the player himself. I just hope that his legal representation is on a par with that which appears to be delaying the multitude of charges facing Manchester City.

I would think that a majority of fans are behind Graham Potter and there certainly seems to be a more positive feeling around the club now that he has taken over. It’s still the honeymoon period and we need to see what can be achieved in the final games of this less than exciting season.

Can the Tynesiders become the first team that we achieve a double over this season?

We last did the double over them in the season I referred to earlier (2018-19). In addition to the 2-0 home win we won on their ground by an emphatic 3-0 with goals from Hernandez (2) and Anderson.

We have five opportunities left to achieve the double over Premier League teams in the remainder of the season. After Newcastle the other teams that we have already beaten in this campaign who we have yet to meet for a second time are Manchester United, Ipswich, Wolves and Southampton.

On paper our final eleven games do not present us with the most challenging of run-ins. Six of those games are against teams (like us) currently in the bottom eight. It would be good to extend our winning (or at least unbeaten) run, but as we know all too well, with West Ham you never know what you are going to get!

A look back at West Ham’s unexpected win at Arsenal (I wasn’t expecting that!) and a look ahead to Leicester.

Arsenal 0 West Ham 1. I wasn’t expecting that. Liverpool had given Arsenal a little bit of hope in the title race with four draws since the turn of the year when they were held by Manchester United, Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa and Everton. The hope was slammed back in their faces by a brave and disciplined performance by inconsistent West Ham. We were well worth the three points. I wasn’t expecting that.

Our last game at home to Brentford was dreadful as was the home game against Palace in January. But a win against Fulham (albeit a little lucky), a creditable draw at Villa, and an unlucky defeat at Chelsea showed evidence of Graham Potter’s impact since his appointment. This was perhaps the best performance and result so far in his short time in charge.

We exposed Arsenal’s shortcomings. They might have enjoyed the lion’s share of possession, but they had no cutting edge. Similar to all the excuses coming out of their North London neighbours they moaned about their injury list, especially in attack. Hold on a minute. We are missing Antonio, Fullkrug, Summerville, and Paqueta was added to the list before this game. We all have problems so enough of the excuses.

Manchester United were keen to offload Aaron Wan-Bissaka for what is beginning to look like a bargain fee. They were happy with him defensively but felt they needed a full back who was better going forward. For me he has been a revelation in this respect. I wasn’t expecting that.

We were massively threatening when we broke, Wan-Bissaka in particular a danger on the right. It was no shock really that he instigated what turned out to be the winning goal with a break down the right before an expert cross found Jarrod Bowen who scored with a diving header. All afternoon he caused massive problems for Calafiori, and then his replacement Lewis-Skelly who came on early in the second half.

I was shocked when Arteta decided to replace Rice with Zinchenko, nominally a left back. I wasn’t expecting that. Our travelling supporters let loose with that decision with some chants aimed at our former captain. I don’t believe that Arteta is using Rice to get the best out of him.

The Arsenal fans were venting their frustration and then they were furious when Lewis-Skelly was correctly dismissed following a VAR call for bringing down Kudus. How poor was the referee to not show the red card immediately rather than having to wait for VAR? That was Arsenal’s fifth red card of the season. They have dropped ten points in the five matches where they have had a player dismissed. The gap to Liverpool increased to eleven points the following day when Slot’s team comfortably disposed of fading Manchester City. The title race, if it still existed, was definitely over.

Not that the red card really made a great difference. In many ways we were better against eleven than against ten. Lewis-Skelly is being talked about as a future England left back. I’m probably a bit premature but Ollie Scarles had a storming game and perhaps he will move on to such heights too. It’s a bit early I know but he does look a tremendous prospect.

For me Wan-Bissaka was the star of the show but Scarles, Ward Prowse and Kudus weren’t far behind. In fact it was a superb performance by all the players. Arsenal have only lost three games at the Emirates since the beginning of last season. We have won two of those. I wasn’t expecting that.

We now move on to Leicester who are (like Ipswich and Southampton) demonstrating the enormous gulf that exists between the Premier League and the Championship. They have lost six of the seven league games played in 2025; their only win came against Tottenham. In fact they’ve only won four games in the whole season. In addition to Tottenham they beat Bournemouth, Southampton, and in early December ourselves.

We went one down in that game to a very early Jamie Vardy goal and despite peppering their goal with shots and multiple corners we conceded two more before Fullkrug’s late consolation in added on time. It was Van Nistelrooy’s first game in charge. Had the Dutch boss dreamed of the perfect start to his tenure in the East Midlands he could scarcely have hoped for anything better than the move which led to Vardy’s opening goal shortly after the first whistle which stood after a lengthy VAR check.

If we put in anything like our performance at the Emirates then we should be too much for the ailing Foxes. But anyone who has supported West Ham for any length of time will know that this is the type of game where we have been known to fall down. However, I believe that Jarrod Bowen is really beginning to come into form after his injury layoff and expect him to be among the goals in a resounding victory. The pictures below show him in goalscoring form for West Ham against Leicester in recent seasons.

There have been some great games against Leicester throughout my time following West Ham, and in fact two of them made it into the top 20 games I’ve seen when I wrote my book, Goodbye Upton Park, Hello Stratford. The first one I’ll recall was on Boxing Day in 1967. I watched the game from my seat in B Block in the old West Stand at Upton Park. It kicked off at 11am (yes, there were morning games in those days), and by 11.15 we were 2-0 down. But the very first goal that I can remember a very young Trevor Brooking scoring, plus a superb hat trick from one of my favourite West Ham goalscorers, Brian Dear, ensured a great win in a very entertaining game. But the undoubted man of the match was a very young (17-year- old) teenager playing in the Leicester goal who had an unbelievable game and was destined to become a star in the future – Peter Shilton.

When we met Leicester on that Boxing Day we were 20th in the league and in a relegation tussle (although only two were relegated in those days). By the end of the season we had rallied somewhat and finally finished 12th; Leicester were 13th. Incidentally we visited Filbert Street four days later and won the game again, with the identical score, 4-2, with goals from Dear 2, Brooking and Sissons.

Another great game against Leicester came in the following season. On 16th November 1968 we were 7th having won our two previous home games 8-0 v Sunderland and 4-3 v Queens Park Rangers. It was amazing that we were that high in the table considering we had a run of 9 winless games from early September to mid-October. There were a few memorable games in that 1968/69 season and this one came a fortnight after the QPR game. I watched from the North Bank and, apart from being an exciting game it also included my all-time favourite goal scored by Martin Peters.

When I met Martin almost 40 years later at a book-signing I asked him to sign the programme for that game, as well as his autobiography. And what a lovely man he was, although he had no recollection of the game. He told me that he couldn’t really remember many of his goals. An early sign perhaps of the illness that was to strike him down at too young an age.

The goal was a fantastic move started by Ferguson in goal, the ball rolled out to Peters, then to Charles, then to Sissons, and finally a fantastic unstoppable volley by Peters who had run the length of the pitch virtually to get on the end of it. You can see the last part of the goal on YouTube from where Sissons crosses it, but unfortunately not the whole move. From our position on the North Bank we had a super view of the finish. We won that game 4-0.

Leicester have conceded four goals on five occasions so far this season including in two of their three games in the month of February, last week at home to Brentford and at Everton. In their seven league games in 2025 they have only scored three goals, the 2-1 win over Tottenham and another in a 2-1 loss to Aston Villa. In those seven matches they have conceded 17 goals. I’ll be disappointed if we don’t inflict another heavy defeat on them.

Pumping Up The Press Conference Volume and West Ham’s Hopes of Putting A Needle On Arsenal’s Unbeaten Home Record

West Ham’s stuttering season moves across the capital to face would-be title contenders Arsenal. An improved performance following last week’s shambolic display against Brentford is the least we should expect.

The most (or only) entertaining part of watching a West Ham pre-match press conference is attempting to match up the answers given with the media questions you haven’t been able to hear. There’s possibly be a new ‘Guess The Question’ game show format in there somewhere!

The club’s media team obviously don’t read – or aren’t interested in reading – the torrent of comments which universally condemn the inaudibility of the questions each time a presser is streamed online. In these days of digital communications, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, it wouldn’t be rocket surgery (sic) to install the necessary technology. Failing that a minion could be brought in to pass a microphone among the assembled reporters. Something to keep Danny Ings occupied, perhaps. The tin-pottery of the event does nothing to dispel the impression of a Board that is all show and no substance.

Graham Potter appeared a little less confident – less convincing – about what he was saying this time around. His customary grin not quite reaching his eyes, let alone his brain. Was it the enormity of the task facing his team at the Emirates today? Or a realisation that the whole idea of pre-match press conferences is largely futile where nothing of importance will be divulged? A case of going through the motions in response to essentially the same questions every week. Questions that could just as easily be answered by an AI support bot – ChatGP. “This or that player is still working on his recovery  or is not yet ready to play a full 90 minutes”; “We’ve had a good week on the training ground, the attitude in the squad is positive although there is plenty more work to do.”; “It’s a difficult place to go to and get a result, the opposition manager has done a great job.”

Today’s visit to Arsenal is a chance for the Hammers to contribute a minor supporting role in determining the destination of the Premier League title. The Gunners being the only team able to mount a credible challenge to runaway leaders, Liverpool. With a home win seeing the gap at the top close to five points – at least until tomorrow – the hosts need no more incentive to be motivated. Only the most optimistic Hammer would likely forecast an alternative outcome, even if away performances have generally been more encouraging than those seen at home. Unless that is, the backs-to-the-wall upset of last season’s 2-0 victory can strike for a second year in succession.  

The faint glimmer of hope in the game is Arsenal’s relative lack of quality in the final third. In their game at Leicester last weekend, they struggled to break down what is now the league’s worst defence until the closing stages. With several striking options absent through injury, it was shocking to see what a pale imitation of his former self Sterling had become. Only the introduction of Merino as makeshift striker finally turned the tide.

While the Gunners regularly fail to impress in attack, they are rock solid in every other department. The meanest of the league’s defences and a consistent, well-balanced midfield three that blends power, pace and artistry. An added irony has been the development of Lewis-Skelly and Nwaneri as first team players – two of the Arsenal side defeated by West Ham in the 2023 FA Youth Cup Final. By contrast, only Ollie Scarles from the victorious Hammer’s side has looked the part in east London.

For the trip to north London, Potter must do without the services of Lucas Paqueta who picked up an ankle injury in training and joins Michail Antonio, Crysencio Summerville, Niclas Fullkrug and Vladimir Coufal on the sidelines.

In each of the last two away games, the coach has opted for a 3-4-3 formation, and I wonder if he will be tempted to do the same again. Assuming a low block is against Potter’s instincts he needs to find some way to match up with Arsenal in midfield and minimise the influence of Odegaard and Rice. It’s a tall order with little in the way of pace, mobility and athleticism available to him.

Eventual team selection may depend on Potter’s assessment of whether Jean-Clair Todibo and Evan Ferguson are ready to start. That a player may be unable to last the full 90 minutes is no reason to automatically put him on the bench. If both are fit to feature, then it should be from the start. There’s no point in waiting until we are a goal or two down.

Fear of the Arsenal set piece threat may well convince Potter to persist with the lumbering Tomas Soucek in a midfield that includes Edson Alvarez and James Ward-Prowse. What a woeful lack of creativity that would deliver. For me, Carlos Soler in the middle would provide a better, if not ideal, balance – but never stick him out on the left wing again.

A starting eleven perhaps then of Areola, Wan-Bissaka, Kilman, Todibo, Scarles, JWP, Alvarez, Soler, Bowen, Ferguson, Kudus. And more than a mere five minute cameo for Luis Guilherme please.

Arsenal boast the only unbeaten home record in the Premier League this season. The probability of that record being at risk this afternoon would appear very low. An encouraging performance is required more than anything and, who knows, we could add to the four draws that have already been witnessed at the Emirates in the current campaign.

Taking at least a modicum of momentum into Thursday’s home encounter with Leicester will be important; if only to dispel any lingering concerns over relegation battles. COYI!