Category: Season

Bubbles, Bubbles, Toils and Troubles – West Ham’s Spooky Season -A poem for Halloween – ‘The Curse of the Claret and Blue’

As told by the ghost of Bobby Moore, forever watching over West Ham

My name is Bobby Moore, Sir Bobby to the fans
Although my boots are long hung up, my spirit haunts the stands.
I drift through empty terraces, unseen but ever near
A claret and blue ex-captain, I’ll whisper in your ear.
I watched them train on Halloween, ‘neath Friday’s haunted moon
Nuno’s boys looked weary, has all hope gone this soon?

At Sunderland the curse began, with three goals, no reply
Then Chelsea came to London, all we did was sigh.
Paqueta’s early magic, then five goals rained in fast,
A London Stadium nightmare, the spell was truly cast.
Brentford, Palace, Tottenham, another haunted three
But sadly all the London teams have danced in victory.

And then the new boss Nuno, his clipboard in his hand,
Making team selections no mortal could understand.
His full backs on the wrong side, and no striker in sight
Callum Wilson on the bench, that really couldn’t be right.
Paqueta as a false nine, and Soucek in the middle
Irving in there too, no pace or power, a riddle.

And what about the centre backs, when corners bring us dread,
Nine goals conceded from set pieces, their boots are filled with lead.
I spoke to the squad, my voice echoing through the mist
I’ve got some questions Nuno, a very lengthy list.
Your choices leave us baffled, I know that you’re the boss
Please get it right this time, we can’t take another loss.

The fans still sing my anthem, their scarves held to the sky
But shadows creep along the pitch, and hope is running dry.
The echoes of old triumphs, the roar of distant cheers
Are drowned by restless spirits and mounting modern fears.
The ghosts of Upton Park still wander through the night
They rattle in the rafters, they shiver in the light.

We long for days of glory, for heroes brave and true
But now we’re left with curses and dreams that won’t come through.
The pies are cold and costly, the beer’s a ghostly brew
The players heads are spinning, possessed by something new.
The substitutes are shivering, the bench is freezing cold
They really should be starting that’s if the truth be told.

The spirits of old legends, they gather in the mist
Sir Trev is juggling pumpkins, Di Canio shakes his fist.
Billy Bonds is howling, defend that haunted post
Sir Trev is floating gently, a most polite old ghost

Now here comes Sir Geoff, people on the pitch, how?
They think that it’s all over, it certainly is now.
The shot that hit the bar, ghosts gather and they groan
But even in the afterlife the answer’s still not known.

Martin Peters drifts by, with a pumpkin on his head,
He’s nutmegging the phantoms, his shirt 16 and red.
Arriving late as ever, that’s how he gets his kicks
And that is why he’s known as the ghost of 66.

Alan Devonshire’s dancing, his hair a haunted mop,
He glides through spectral midfielders, they trip until they drop.
He conjures up a cross, it swerves and disappears—
The keeper’s left bewildered, the crowd erupts in cheers!

Julian Dicks arrives, he’s come straight from a rave
He scares off all the wingers, none of them are brave.
A sweet left-footed penalty, he shoots with all his might
But if he played with Nuno he’d be moved to the right.

So heed this haunted warning to every claret and blue heart
The curse can yet be broken, but all must play their part.
Believe in West ham’s spirit, let courage see us through
And maybe then we’ll lift, the curse of the claret and blue.

And through the misty darkness the bubbles start to rise
They shimmer in the moonlight, heading to the skies.
They fly so high as they nearly reach up to the sky
But just like our dreams they begin to fade and die.
Our fortunes forever hiding as we look around in despair
Just keep on blowing bubbles, pretty bubbles in the air.

Now the midnight bells start chiming and the fog rolls off the Thames
The legends fade to shadows but the dream it never ends.
Raise your scarves to the heavens as the voices haunt the night
For every ghost in claret and blue still yearns to see us fight.
With fortunes always hiding, pretty bubbles shining through
One day we’ll break the curse and make our dreams come true.

Reasons to Be Cheerful (Part 1) – West Ham in 2025-26  

After inheriting a fractured squad mid-season in 2024-25, Graham Potter has now had the chance to begin to shape the team in his image. There have been lots of positives about the spirit, attitude, morale and togetherness of the squad in pre-season. But can the manager’s tactical acumen and calm leadership finally bring cohesion to the club? 

Promising pre-season form doesn’t mean a lot really but in the games I’ve seen then perhaps attacking fluidity is returning, although still there’s plenty of work to be done. These pre-season matches have helped reintegrate key players and build morale which are a crucial foundation for a strong start. 

It’s still early days in the transfer window by West Ham standards as we wait for the end of window bargains! Kyle Walker-Peters arrival on a free offers versatility and Premier League experience. El Hadji Malick Diouf from Slavia Prague adds youthful energy to midfield and could perhaps turn out to be one of our better buys in recent years. He could provide a new level to our attacking on the left in a similar way to Wan Bissaka does on the right. If the manager wants to play with wing backs (as seems likely) then we might just have an excellent pair. 

Potter’s reputation for nurturing young players could perhaps see a few breakthrough stars this season? Potts has looked the outstanding one in pre-season. Are there more on the horizon? There have definitely been some very encouraging performances from academy products during the pre-season games. Potts, Marshall, Orford, Scales, Fearon, Earthy – they are all prospects. And Guilherme always looks like he could become quite an asset but we haven’t seen enough of him yet. Perhaps Cummings from Celtic or Kante, who has spent a season on loan in France, will be good enough for integration into the first team squad? 

Another positive is that Paqueta’s potential lifetime ban has finally disappeared. (But why did it take so long?). Perhaps we can now see some performances from him that we were all hoping for when he arrived. 

It’s a Mads World but we seem to have acquired a good young goalkeeper who is highly thought of. I don’t know how many we were seriously chasing (so many names were put forward) but we seem to have the one that the goalkeeper coach wanted. Let’s hope he is a successful acquisition. 

It’s not about finishing in the top six — it’s about rediscovering identity and playing with purpose, entertaining the fans and giving it a real go in every game and in every competition. If Potter can mould the squad into a coherent unit we might just surprise a few doubters. But then again we might not! 

Reasons to Worry about West Ham in 2025–26 (Part 2) 

Graham Potter made an unconvincing start; his first season ended in 14th place, with just 43 points, a tally flattered by the poor quality of relegated sides. His tactical tinkering and lack of a settled XI left fans frustrated. If he doesn’t find consistency early, pressure will mount fast. 

Mohammed Kudus, arguably West Ham’s most dynamic attacker (although he was poor last season wasn’t he?), was sold to Spurs. No direct replacement has arrived. Crysencio Summerville is returning from long-term injury, but will he be the one who can fill Kudus’ boots? The obvious midfield gaps that we can all see in lack of pace, mobility and power and a much needed box to box player, preferably two, have not been addressed. At the very least one central midfielder to match the criteria is an absolute must surely! We appear to be after Fernandes from Southampton. If true he would be the best of all the ones I’ve seen mentioned, but will it happen? 

Only four senior additions so far in the transfer window: Diouf, Walker-Peters, Hermansen and Wilson. Only two needed a transfer fee payment and on the face of it they are likely to be good value for the money. Also, Walker-Peters is a decent versatile acquisition, and I know why Wilson has arrived although he is not really one for the future!  

The squad still lacks a reliable striker, with last season’s goal output among the lowest in the league. Fullkrug and Wilson may have proven goalscoring records but they have proven injury records too. A younger, more prolific striker to assist the ageing duo is another must! Perhaps Marshall can step up, it would be great if he can (I do hope so) but it is a big ask. 

Wing-backs (which Potter seems to favour) are pushed forward aggressively. Wan Bissaka and Diouf will be key in creating width and overloads. But this leaves space behind though which is a tactical risk if transitions aren’t managed well. Early days but there was evidence in the pre-season games in America that this could be an issue that needs to be addressed. Everton and Bournemouth could both have made more of this. Better teams might!  

Opta’s supercomputer predicts West Ham to finish 16th, with a 22% chance of relegation, reflecting the squad’s stagnation in recent times compared to improving rivals. In short, we feel like a club in transition, a work in progress but perhaps without the urgency or clarity to make the transition successful. I hope we can step forward but if Potter can’t galvanise the squad quickly, we could find ourselves in the type of scrap that we thought we’d left behind a few years ago. A poor start could set the tone for another season of struggle. 

Thoughts and Prayers: Ten West Ham Predictions For 2025/26

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. A new Premier League football season is finally upon us. But my West Ham glass has never been more half empty!

Cautionary Tales: Is Competitive a Synonym for Dull?

Nothing seen in pre-season suggests that a change of style for Graham Potter’s West Ham in 2025/26 is on the cards. In fact, we should expect an even more extreme version as he sweeps away the final vestiges of Lopetegui’s chaos to bed down his custom brand of cautious possession football. It’s unlikely to be exciting, rip-roaring stuff!

Although Potter’s style is very different from that of David Moyes, their underlying philosophy to minimise any risk is common ground. Neither embraces adventure or seeks to produce a team capable of taking a game by the scruff of the neck and pressing home their dominance.

Where Moyes prioritised deep defence and counterattacks to frustrate opponents, Potter does the same by maintaining possession in safe areas of the pitch, reluctant to enter the attacking third or committing bodies into the box. His rationale – repeated endlessly in last season’s press conferences – was to remain competitive in each game, even though so many were ultimately lost.

For those of a nostalgic disposition, remaining competitive might be seen as the antithesis of the elusive West Ham way, an approach best summed up by getting mullered 8-2 at home by Blackburn Rovers on Boxing Day 1963 only to win the return fixture 3-1 two days later.

A Goal Famine at Both Ends

The respective records of Lopetegui and Potter last season were roughly equivalent when it came to points per game (1.15 to 1.11) and goals scored (1.21 to 1.22). The significant difference was a reduction in goals conceded under Potter from 1.63 to 1.28 per game. Benchmarking these against the averages for Potter’s three seasons at Brighton and we see 1.16 points per game, 1.06 goals scored, and 1.26 goals conceded. Largely consistent except that the goal scoring exploits at West Ham look extravagent in comparison.                   

In his 18 Premier League at West Ham, there were five draws while nine of the other games were settled by a single goal (two wins, seven defeats).  In the four games with a two-goal winning margin, the Hammers won three and lost one. It can certainly be argued that close games maintain interest until the end, but it is always goals which create the greatest excitement and interest for fans.

My prediction for the season is 47 goals scored and 52 conceded.  

The Perils of Playing Out from the Back

I’m no fan of playing out from the back as the go-to tactic for every occasion. Apart from the very best drilled teams who have skilful players in every position with great movement and superior powers of recovery, it is a suicidal play. For the majority of teams there are far more drawbacks than advantages.

No doubt Mads Hermansen will perform better than Alphonse Areola who looks like a rabbit caught in the headlights with the ball at his feet. But please use it when appropriate, not by prescription. Even if the keeper manages not to mess up, can we trust our defenders and leaden footed midfielders to succeed in breaking through an opposition press? The more likely outcome is a sequence of sideways and backward passes before the ball is played back to the keeper again.

I predict at least four or five opposition goals arising directly from attempts at this flawed manoeuvre.

You Win Some, You Lose Some

There is no danger of anyone repeating last summer’s claim that West Ham had won the transfer window. The recruitment of Hermansen and El Hadji Malick Diouf are certainly positive – plus there was the contractual obligation to buy Jean-Clair Todibo – but otherwise it has been the largely underwhelming collection of squad fillers to replace the squad fillers that were let go.

At time of writing, the number one priority of many supporters to inject pace, power, youth, and creativity into the midfield has been stubbornly ignored. The straw to clutch at is that the window remains open for two more weeks. Still time for a wantaway star or a player issuing a come-and-get-me plea to make his way to the London Stadium.

If the midfield can be sorted out, I would have far greater optimism for the season. Unfortunately, past performance suggests the club will ultimately fail to act decisively. The remaining time will be wasted flitting from target to target like a butterfly; deals will prove impossible to conclude beyond the haggling stage; and a couple of free transfers will be recruited without fixing the original problem.  

In such a scenario, I see us losing more games than we win with a smattering of draws thrown in. My prediction: Win 12; Draw 10; Lose 16.

Where Will We Finish?

The most positive thing I can say about the upcoming season is that I don’t believe West Ham will be relegated. There will be times when we are too close for comfort but there will be three or more (even) worse teams destined to fight it out for the drop. A total of 46 points or so would be enough to finish between 13th and 15th. It is difficult to see better than that.

In fact, I would say that the current Potter style of play places a relatively low ceiling on what can be achieved. A cautious 3-5-2 formation with a preference to keep everything tight and condensed in midfield is textbook mid-table football.

Ironically, if done well, the low block/ rapid counterattack football preferred by Moyes is more exciting and provides greater possibilities – as witnessed by West Ham’s purple path in 2020/21 and Nottingham Forest for much of last season. But as we know, done badly it is as tedious as hell.

The AFCON Conundrum

The uncertainty in any season is losing players for extended periods due to injury. West Ham are exposed to this in key areas, especially in attack where keeping Jarrod Bowen and Niclas Fulkrug fit is paramount.

Other absences are known and must be planned for such as the 2025 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) which will is scheduled over the Christmas/ New Year period. West Ham will likely be without Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Diouf, Nayef Aguerd (and Max Cornet) for all or part of the tournament. Games affected will be home to Fulham, Brighton and Forest, and away to Man City, Wolves and Tottenham. Plus, the FA Cup Third Round.

Many other Premier League sides will similarly be impacted by AFCON. West Ham should have the cover to muddle through provided the tournament does not coincide with an injury crisis.

Anyone For a Cup Run

A cup run is an opportunity to boost team and supporter morale when things are otherwise floundering in the league. West Ham’s recent experience is to notch up a few decent victories before being drawn away for a routine defeat at Liverpool or Manchester City.

Cup draws are rarely kind to the Hammers and last nights for the second round of the Carabao Cup was no exception. There were many more favourable outcomes than an away trip to Wolverhampton.

Once again, I don’t see Potterball as suited to cup football success. A look at his Brighton record shows exits as follows: 3rd Round – twice; 4th Round – three times; 5th Round – once.

Predicted exits for West Ham this season: League Cup – 2nd Round; FA Cup – 5th Round

HOTY

This is an easy one. Diouf to win Hammer of the Year. A standout season for the left wing back especially once his colleagues realise that playing the ball into the space in front of him is the way to go. Whether there will be anyone in the box to get on the end of his tantalizing crosses is another matter. The end of the season will no doubt raise questions of buy-out clauses and moves to bigger clubs. Expect to enjoy him for two seasons maximum.

Top Scorer

Little to chose from here with no player entering the conversation for the Golden Boot. A 13 goal haul for Bowen would allow him to eclipse Michail Antonio’s record as the clubs leading Premier League goal scorer. Fulkrug weighing in with ten and Callum Wilson one.   

Young Players

Many of the more energetic moments in the Premier League summer series came when the academy players were introduced as late substitutes. Their improvised exuberance likely giving the coach palpitations.

Freddie Potts was given the most minutes and will be a candidate for a start on Saturday. He looks to be a tidy player, but I wonder if there is enough to his game in terms of passing range and movement. I would love to see more of Luis Guilherme, but wingers are superfluous in the coach’s preferred system.

Others in with a shout to ipress are George Earthy, Callum Marshall, Ollie Scales, Lewis Orford, Preston Fearon and the mysterious Mohammadou Kanté. Fearon and Orford in particular showed a sense of purpose and adventure during their US cameos that is rarely seen from the club’s senior midfield players.

Of the group, Potts, Scarles, Guilherme and Earthy will be matchday regulars – but mainly from the bench as the coach persists with JWP and Tomas Soucek.   

What Can West Ham Expect This Season From The Four Ps Of Potterball

The promised squad overhaul has yet to materialise as the new season gets ever closer. Potter’s preference for patience, possession, passing and probing has looked more cohesive in pre-season but has yet to be put to the test.

Pre-season preparations have changed significantly over the years. What were once low-key trips down the road to Oxford or Southend have been repurposed into fully fledged televised tournament extravaganzas. Hosted in any far-flung corner of the planet prepared to stump up enough cash for Premier League clubs to play exhibition games.

The idea of a Premier League Summer Series seemed to have all the appeal of the low budget seaside specials – starring Vince Hill, Mike and Bernie Winters and the dancers of the Young Generation – that dominated holiday TV schedules many years ago. In the event it wasn’t so bad. Fans were able to watch a handful of nearly competitive games blissfully free from VAR interference. The clubs banked a bounty of PSR boosting pre-season revenue. And the organisers happily settled for the desired outcome of a Manchester United victory.

It was obvious from the outset that the Red Devils were the big draw here. An opportunity to celebrate the latest in an ongoing series of corners turned since the retirement of Sir Alex in 2013. The remaining three clubs duly obliged by playing the role of the Washington Generals to Manchester United’s Harlem Globetrotters.

The wider context here, however, is the increasing interest and involvement in the business of Premier League football by US investors, with more than half of this season’s top flight clubs having American owners. Just short of the majority needed to enforce rule changes should their financial interests align. How long before regular Premier League games are actually staged in North America?

With the advent of live TV coverage comes the pressure on pundits to analyse what we have seen. So, what can be read into performances and what does it mean for the upcoming season? In truth, nothing we didn’t already know as far as the style and approach of Potterball are concerned. The major conundrum is whether the squad will have more and better options to accomplish it by the time the transfer window closes (slams shut, surely) on 1 September. The promised squad overhaul has seen plenty of departures but just the one significant addition at time of writing. It is a situation that would suggest another year of lower table struggle is on the cards.

Graham Potter is now fully committed to a preferred 3-5-2 formation. That one significant signing of the summer (El Hadji Malick Diouf) underlines the desire for attacking width to be provided by the wing backs. The club is now well placed in this area with Kyle Walker-Peters and Ollie Scarles as backup.

The middle three of the midfield five is less clear cut. There are plenty of names to throw in here from the current payroll: Edson Alvarez, Tomas Soucek, Guido Rodriguez, JWP, Lucas Paqueta, Andy Irving and Freddie Potts for a start. Plus, a coiple of youth players waiting in the wings. But how to get the right attacking and defensive balance from that group of (at best) tidy rather than explosive players. Potter’s caution is likely to favour a double pivot and one attacking midfielder rather than a more adventurous one defensive and two box-to-box midfielders. The obvious gaps in pace, power and someone with the ability to carry the ball forward from the middle of the park have yet to be addressed.

Another puzzle is whether there is a role in the system for wide attacking players such as Crysencio Summerville and Luis Guilherme? Both are quick, direct players which may be at odds with Potter’s pass, probe, possession, patience preference which contributed to the poor goal attempts statistics in the second half of last season. The limited game time for Guilherme in pre-season is probably telling – a shame for a player who reminds me of a Brazilian Alan Devonshire.

The primary innovation from pre-season has been the way the front two have operated. Niclas Fulkrug regularly dropping deep to receive the ball from central defenders with Jarrod Bowen deployed in a much narrower role than we are used to seeing him. Fulkrug has looked sharp and keeping him fit may be essential to West Ham’s attacking intent. The wisdom of bringing Bowen in from wide left remains to be seen given how effective he has proven from that position in the past.

Pre-season indications are that Potter’s preferred combination in central defence will be Nayef Aguerd, Max Kilman and Jean-Clair Todibo. It is a surprise rehabilitation for Aguerd who appeared to have had one foot out the exit door at the start of the summer. His pace and passing may serve him well on the left-hand side of a three but doubts remain over the physical aspects of his game. He also offers more of a threat in the opposition box at set pieces than his defensive colleagues. Kilman and Todibo are both good passers of the ball but each have their own defensive frailties. Kilman a tendency to spectate when he should be putting his body on the line. Todibo never looking to have the stamina to last beyond the hour mark.

Recruitment of a goalkeeper is the current hot topic on the transfer grapevine. The release of Lukasz Fabianski and a handful of recent errors by Alphone Areola have made this a priority position. Areola’s clear discomfort with using his feet and playing out from the back look to have shattered his fragile confidence. I need a lot of convincing that this tactic is anything other than suicidal. Perhaps teams with ball players in every position and possessed with fluid movement can carry it off but the Hammers are a long way off that level. It is a play that is fine to use when appropriate to do so but it is a liability once the opposition have cottoned on.

As ever with West Ham recruitment, there is the usual conflict between the players identified by the coach/ recruitment team and the deals that the Chairman is prepared to get done. The suspicion that only players with the right agent ever get signed never goes away. It is debateable whether any of the summer signings to date have come from the Potter/ Macaulay wish list. With all the misinformation circulating on transfer sites and the smoke and mirrors that PSR compliance generates, we really have little clue as to what is going on.

A new season should always be a time of excitement. For me, it has become a little less so with each passing year as professional football incrementally moves away from its community roots towards corporate ownership. The game has taken itself into an endless doom spiral. Each year, maximising revenues is pursued at the expense of loyal support to keep pace with the rising squad costs required for success or survival. It is a problem for everyone but even more apparent at West Ham, a club which has never made any attempt to plan beyond the here and now.

To end on a more upbeat note. There have been a few positives during the summer. The squad have looked to be in good spirits, the weight of a lifetime ban has finally been lifted from Paqueta’s shoulders and there were encouraging performances from academy products during the pre-season games. Potter would do his standing with the club’s support a great deal of good by putting more trust in youth and giving them the opportunity to develop as the season progresses. We can but hope. COYI!

So why was 2024/25 a horror season for West Ham? 

All season Geoff and I have been writing articles with our thoughts on why West Ham’s season has been so poor and so uninspiring, putting forward our theories. But my friend Stefan King, a massive fan of both West Ham and the band Queen, who also writes horror stories, insists that we have got it all wrong. He sent me his most recent short story to read. He certainly has a very vivid imagination. I thanked him for his work of fiction and he sent me a one word reply. “Fiction?” I’ll leave you to make up your own mind.  

“Boleynian Rhapsody – Hammer to Fall” 

A tale of profound dread, psychological turmoil, and an ancient force with an insatiable thirst for pain, all cloaked in claret and blue. 

The 2024/25 season was not just bad; it was horrific; it was apocalyptic. West Ham didn’t merely lose games; they deteriorated; they decayed from the inside out. The rot wasn’t confined to the results; it permeated the walls, the players’ bodies, and the air. 

No one dared to voice it, but something or someone had followed them from the Boleyn Ground. When they demolished the old Boleyn stadium to make way for nearly a thousand dwellings, they believed they were moving forward; progress, the next level, corporate boxes; they would become the best team in the country, in Europe, in the world. But some things, some very ancient things, resent being forgotten. How dare they move! 

Legend has it that the Boleyn witch, Anne Boleyna, had a son. A creature that was born wrong, all teeth and shadow. They imprisoned him in the tunnels beneath the Upton Park pitch, feeding him rats. He was born under a blood moon, a night when the veil between worlds was thinnest. He was a creature of darkness, with eyes that glowed like embers and a voice that could freeze the soul. Anne hid him away, knowing that the world would never accept him. She taught him her secrets, and together, they wove a web of power beneath the Boleyn Ground. Every time the Hammers won, they said it was him—howling beneath the turf, sated by the sacrifice. It was dismissed as East End folklore. 

Anne Boleyna was no ordinary witch. She was born in the 16th century, a time when fear and superstition ruled the East End. Her mother, a healer, was accused of witchcraft and burned at the stake. Anne, then a child, watched in horror and vowed revenge. She grew up learning the dark arts, mastering spells that could bend reality and summon spirits. Her reputation spread, and soon, she was feared and revered in equal measure. She passed it all to her son. 

For a time after the stadium move all was well. Nothing outstanding but it was always going to take time. Then David Moyes had some spectacular results and led them into Europe. Unbelievably a European trophy was secured. But then everything unravelled. The victories ceased, and the nightmares came to the fore. Moyes couldn’t stop the decline, and by the end of 2023-24, he was gone. 

A new head coach arrived—Julen Lopetegui from Spain. By November, every player was plagued by night terrors. One gouged his own thigh with a fork muttering, “I must bleed for the badge.” Others vanished during an away trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. One lost his mind. Security footage showed his ghost wandering onto the pitch alone in the dead of night. He was rarely seen in good form again. 

December arrived with a visit to Leicester. A goal down in under two minutes. Another defeat. Some of the travelling West Ham supporters turned on manager Julen Lopetegui, jeering at him towards the end of the game. Home or away it made no difference. The season was turning into a nightmare. 

The year ended with a 5-0 home defeat to Champions-Elect Liverpool. Fans began disappearing before the end of the game. At first, it was those seated in the Trevor Brooking Stand. Then entire rows throughout the stadium. Empty seats, still warm, coats and phones left behind. The official explanation? “Evacuations due to a fire alarm.” But nobody heard an alarm. The footage revealed something else, figures crawling up from the touchline. Pale and long-limbed, wearing kits from the ’60s. Former players. Faces familiar from grainy black-and-white films, but distorted. Skin stretched too tight. Eyes set too deep. Moving with that horrible jerky grace, like puppets at the end of rusty wires. 

Then came the fog. It rolled in one day during training, low and dense, smelling like you wouldn’t believe. It was thick and oppressive, wrapping around the players like a shroud. Once it touched someone, they were never the same. They spoke strangely, moved differently. One player bit a goalpost and laughed and laughed until his jaw unhinged. Another began scratching marks into the dressing room tiles. The fog carried whispers, voices from the past, echoing through the corridors of the London Stadium. It was as if the fog was alive, a force that fed on fear and despair. 

The players’ experiences grew increasingly harrowing. Night after night, they were tormented by visions of the witch and her son. Some players reported seeing shadowy figures lurking in the corners of their rooms, whispering secrets in a language they couldn’t understand. Others woke up with unexplained bruises and scratches, as if they had been in a struggle. The team doctor was baffled, unable to find any medical explanation for their symptoms. 

During training sessions, the players moved like automatons, their eyes vacant and their movements stiff. They spoke in hushed tones, afraid to voice their fears. One player, in a fit of desperation, tried to flee the stadium, only to be found hours later, wandering the streets of Stratford, muttering incoherently about the witch’s curse. Another player, who was once the star striker, refused to step onto the pitch, claiming he could hear the witch’s laughter every time he touched the ball. What chance of him ever scoring any goals again? 

The head coach was found in his office one morning, kneeling within a circle of matchday programmes, that he refused to leave. He had written one phrase over and over on the whiteboard: “She demands the chant. I can’t leave the circle until she hears the chant.” But what chant? He didn’t know the chant.  

It surfaced once, on a social media recording by a fan before the servers mysteriously crashed: “Come on you Irons, bleed for her name, forge us in fire and burn in her flame.” The clip was deleted within minutes. The fan who uploaded it went missing. His flat, newly built above the old Upton Park pitch, was found empty except for a claret and blue scarf tied into a noose and a puddle of water on the floor—still rippling, forever rippling. 

A new head coach arrived. But did things improve? By April, the club was dead in the water. But not relegated. They would fight another day. But what would 2025-26 bring? Fortunately, Ipswich, Leicester, and Southampton were also having nightmares. 

It was as if, for one whole season, West Ham United had never existed. But the London Stadium still stands. You can hear it at night. That chant. Warped and slow, echoing out into the empty Stratford streets and the surrounding Olympic Park. 

Some say if you get too close, you’ll see lights on in the stands at night when the stadium is empty. You’ll hear boots on the turf. A final match being played in the shadows, for no one and everyone. They say the witch watches from the boxes now. Forever smiling and waiting for kick-off. 

The great Queen song “Hammer to Fall” can be heard repeatedly through the PA system. 

But the Hammer never truly falls. 

It just waits to rise again. 

They Think It’s All Over; It is Now – And It’s A Massive Relief for All West Ham Fans!

It’s nose bleeds all round at West Ham as Graham Potter’s side climb to the dizzy heights of 14th place on the closing day of a dreadful season. Miracles are needed in the next 12 weeks if a repeat is to be avoided.

And so, there you have it. A dull, turgid, unimaginative season is finally over to the relief of the many. The very worst of seasons since the last one we had suffered; and further proof of the futility of raised expectations when it comes to supporting West Ham.

The record books will show the 2024/25 had actually outperformed 2022/23 on most of the metrics in the league campaign. But, of course, those painful memories had been swept away by the euphoria of a famous night in Prague. There was no such redemption this time round though, as woeful Premier League fortunes were equally matched by early, limp cup exits.

It would be nice to think the slate could be wiped clean during the summer; allowing next season – which begins in just 12 weeks time – to be approached with a renewed sense of optimism. Sadly, there is little evidence to suggest the Hammers are capable of metamorphosing into next year’s Nottingham Forest. It would take a transfer window of momentous brilliance and a road to Damascus style conversion for the coach if the side is to be transformed into credible top eight material.

It was already known that Graham Potter would finish the season with a worse record than the manager he replaced in January. The final day victory at Ipswich did make the points per game difference marginal in the end (1.11 vs 1.15). And the late strike by Mohammed Kudus edged Potter ahead of Lopetegui on goals scored per game (1.22 vs 1.20). This in addition to the more significant improvement on goals conceded per game (1.28 vs 1.95). The tiniest crumbs of comfort in the boardroom, perhaps.

The eventual 14th place finish was ultimately unexpected but was fitting given the amount of time West Ham had been marooned there earlier in the season. Lopetegui’s side had, in fact, spent only one week lower than 14th, while yesterday’s last gasp win earned Potter his loftiest position since defeat at Chelsea on February 3.

Long time West Ham fans have been raised with a wary eye on disappointment. Even if it sometimes appears to be hiding, in the back of your mind you know it’s never very far away. A couple of decent league finishes and three years of European adventures are now in the rearview mirror as a distant false dawn; an accidental temporary anomaly rather than the first steps of a new golden age. A glance at the club’s record across all prior 38-game Premier League seasons does not lie; there is an underlying equilibrium that centres on a mediocrity which underperforms the club’s financial standing. While the season just finished was undeniably awful, it is not an obvious outlier and sits as 14th out of 27 for goals scored, and 17th out of 27 for points won.

Adding to the current pain has been that any pretence of serving up entertaining and enterprising football that was once the West Ham trademark has long been lost and forgotten. For too long, the club has resorted to dull, pragmatist managers whose overriding philosophy has been to concede fewer than the opposition, not to outscore them. Although individual approaches may be different, Potter has done nothing to suggest he is an upgrade on Lopetegui, Moyes or Allardyce when it comes to enterprise. Potter’s media representation as a bright, young coach puzzles in the light of his reputation at Brighton and Chelsea for pointless possession and lack of shot creation. Can or will he prove us wrong over time?

The Ipswich game was a largely unremarkable affair punctuated by several well-taken goals. West Ham enjoyed plenty of early possession but (unsurprisingly) made few penalty area entries. Once again, the team selection left us scratching our heads, with the inclusion of just two attack minded players in front of the most workmanlike midfield imaginable. Fortunately, Ipswich contrived to lend a hand by gifting the Hammers the lead just before the break; Jarrod Bowen’s assist setting up James Ward-Prowse for his only goal of the season.

Parity was restored early in the second half when Jean-Clair Todibo (who played all afternoon as if under the influence) couldn’t be bothered to put in a challenge, allowing Broadhead free access to stroke past an exposed Lukasz Fabianski.

The Hammers finally put the match to bed courtesy of fine strikes from Bowen and Kudus. The first, the result of neat interplay between Bowen and Aaron Wan-Bissaka before the skipper blasted home from just outside the area. According to Tony Gale the ball continued to gather pace as it went, despite this being scientifically impossible. You cannae change the laws of physics, Galey! The second arrived when Kudus exchanged passes with a ‘rampaging’ Guido Rodriguez to curl home and put the result beyond doubt. A low key game with low key goal celebrations. No Ward-Prowse golf swing, and no Kudus advertising hoarding pose. I wonder how many of those featuring will still be with us come the end of the summer!

***

I’ve always been of the view that the only statistic than wins games is goal scored. Nevertheless, who doesn’t like a selection of improbable Premier League statistics (harvested from the FBRef site) which show how West Ham players compare in the statistical scheme of things. Here are the categories which feature Hammers in the top ten leader board positions for the season.

Assists: Jarrod Bowen (Joint 10th)
Goals + Assists: Jarrod Bowen (Joint 9th)
Shots on Target: Jarrod Bowen (Joint 8th)
Goals per Shot of Target: Tomas Soucek (Joint 9th)
Goals minus xG: Jarrod Bowen (4th)
Through Balls: Lucas Paqueta (10th)
% of Dribblers Tackled: Max Kilman (1st), Jean-Clair Todibo (7th), Aaron Wan-Bissaka (Joint 9th)
Blocks: Max Kilman (8th)
Interceptions: Aaron Wan-Bissaka (1st)
Clearances: Max Kilman (5th)
Successful Take-Ons: Mohammed Kudus (2nd), Aaron Wan-Bissaka (7th)
Successful Take-On %: Max Kilman (3rd)
Minutes Played: Max Kilman (10th)
Yellow Cards: Lucas Paqueta (Joint 10th)
Aerials Won: Max Kilman (5th), Tomas Soucek (Joint 8th)
% of Aerials Won: Konstantinos Mavropanos (7th), Max Kilman (10th)
Fouls Drawn: Mohammed Kudus (Joint 5th), Lucas Paqueta (7th)
Save Percentage: Lukasz Fabianski (2nd)

I’ve Got Those Lost Season and Blank Weekend West Ham Blues

Despite an uplift from the new manager appointment, the low key, lacklustre season will be one that is easily forgotten at West Ham. With little to play for the end of May can’t come soon enough.

So, here we go. Not in the Fabrizio Romano sense of the phrase to announce an imminent incoming transfer; but rather in resigned contemplation of yet another blank weekend of West Ham football. Early cup exits, international breaks and routinely exiled to the graveyard Monday night slot due to the absence of European competition, the Hammers will feature on a maximum of 29 of the season’s 41 weekends. They will play just twice in the whole of March, with those two games – at home to Newcastle and away at Everton – coming just four days apart.

It’s been a good many years now that TV has called all the shots on scheduling with little concern for the inconvenience to the matchday supporters who create the atmosphere for their product. More and more of Saturday afternoons are now 100% football free for the typical Premier club. Free from a lunchtime pint or two in the Central or Boleyn, a burger in a bun (no onions for me, mate) from the sizzling food stand, Percy Dalton’s peanuts (tanner a bag), golden goals ticket, the brass band playing on the half-way line, and half-time scores hung on the alphabetical grid behind the goals (that’s enough misty-eyed nostalgia for now – Ed!)  

During the course of this season, West Ham will play a total of just 41 revenue generating games, compared to 53 last term and 57 in 2022/23. Where Aston Villa have already earned an estimated €71m from their Champion’s League group games – and fellow strugglers Manchester United and Tottenham have pocketed €20m+ from the Europa League equivalent – the Hammers are poised to fall ever further behind in the rich league stakes.

And with little left to play for, apart from avoiding the highly remote possibility of being dragged into the relegation dogfight, it promises to be an underwhelming four months until the end of May. Less of a problem when football was an affordable, Saturday afternoon ritual with fellow supporters, friends and family; but less appealing now that we are customers with membership schemes and high ticket prices. As the old Queen might have said as she tucked into a portion of pre-match pie and mash, it has been a ‘seasannus horribilis’ at the London Stadium.

Last Monday’s match at Chelsea reached its inevitable conclusion when the hosts came from behind to claim their customary victory. If you read Richard’s preview you would have been aware how rare West Ham wins have been at Stamford Bridge in the recent past.

The West Ham versus Chelsea rivalry perfectly encapsulates the influence of money in football today. In the Football League, the Hammers statistically held the upper hand. Even in the early days of the Premier League – before the arrival of dirty Russian money in 2003 and the new low bar for football club ownership – the Hammers led the Blues with nine victories to eight. Since then, Chelsea have won 24 of the 38 league encounters. Of West Ham’s seven wins, one was at Stamford Bridge, two at Upton Park, and four at the London Stadium.

The game itself saw another patched up Hammer’s side put in a committed but ultimately fruitless performance. It was reminiscent of the Aston Villa cup game with West Ham’s holding a slender but comfortable lead, but losing the faith once the scores were levelled. Graham Potter gave an honest assessment after the game highlighting the effort, shape and application of his players but accepting they had not done enough with the ball themselves.

There was a welcome return for Jarrod Bowen but injuries to Lucas Paqueta and Edson Alvarez required adjustments to the starting eleven – the underused and undervalued Andy Irving putting in a mature performance for his first league start. While Bowen had made a text-book recovery from his fractured foot, Crysencio Summerville has joined Jean-Clair Todibo in the Rush Green treatment triangle where precautionary substitutions have mysteriously developed week by week into extended long-term injury absences.

Potter’s honeymoon at West Ham continues to hold good despite results not yet picking up. The massive turnaround in attitude and atmosphere since he replaced Lopetegui is clear to all, and we now see a team not resigned to its fate before a ball has been kicked. There have been extenuating circumstances with injuries but at some point, positivity needs to be converted into points. The six Premier League clubs who have sacked their managers since the start of the season comprise six of the bottom seven clubs in the current standings. The bounce isn’t always obvious and here is how they have performed pre and post the change in terms of points per game.

Monday evening also saw the slamming shut of the January transfer window. As usual, very little happened despite the daily speculation peddled on the made-up rumour sites – which have already turned their goldfish like attention to potential summer signings.  

I’m in two minds about the straight loan signing of Evan Ferguson. A potentially excellent striker if he can rediscover his fitness and the form of two seasons ago; but without any option to buy, the deal surely favours the player and Brighton more than it does West Ham. If we get him fit and he starts to knock in the goals, then great for time being but bigger clubs with bigger budgets will then be chasing for his signature. If he’s a flop, then it will all have been a waste of time.  

Also making a comeback at the London Stadium is James Ward-Prowse following a mostly unsuccessful loan period at Champion’s League chasing Nottingham Forest. No surprise he didn’t get much of a look-in at a team based on rapid transition and fast counterattacking. He joins a pool of older, slower, unadventurous midfield players – but at least he can take a decent corner. And perhaps he will finally equal that Beckham direct free-kick record. Despite any reservations I may have, I wish both players well whenever they turn out in the claret and blue.

The final expected news of the week was the announcement that Tim Stediten has left his role as Technical Director. It is not clear whether any replacement is anticipated or whether the entirety of the role is viewed as a failure. A clear vindication in the eyes of the Board for reverting to the shambolic system of boardroom meddling, agent influence and short-term thinking that has held the club back for the last 15 years. Lasting improvement is impossible until the club addresses its inability to adopt a long-term strategy and direction.

It is fascinating how widely repeated the narrative has spread that West Ham’s current woes are all down to Steidten’s recruitment. Not just from in-the-knows with cosy relationships at the club but also from the supposedly more thoughtful and balanced reporters at the Athletic and Guardian who have given a free pass to the most significant mistake of all – the disastrous appointment of Lopetegui by David Sullivan. The flaw of modern journalism where if you want access to the inside track, you mustn’t say anything bad about the source.

I’ve no idea if Steidten is difficult to work with or not, but he was set up to fail and was clearly not in full control of recruitment. He might have believed he was driving the transfer bus but in reality, he was the kid in the front seat on the upper deck imagining it to be true – until it hit the low bridge of the club’s ambition. The ironic thing about football transfers is that the number of people claiming responsibility is inversely proportional to how badly they work out.

Enjoy your free weekend. COYI!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Head Coach

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

West Ham face Wolves on Monday night. A six pointer this early in the season? We recap the season to date in rhyme.

On a summer’s day in August the new season began,
At home to Aston Villa, on the bench was Jhon Duran,
It only took four minutes, Onana with his head,
A simple goal it looked so easy and now the Villa led.

Then Soucek fouled by Matty Cash in the area, what fun,
Paqueta took the penalty to make the score one-one.
The second half on came the sub – Duran was his name,
You know the rest, a twist of fate, and Villa won the game.

So on we went to Selhurst Park to visit the Eagles nest,
Last time we conceded five so this would be a test,
Would we lose to Palace again? I’ll put your mind at rest,
Soucek and Bowen both scored, we won 2-0 you guessed.

The EFL Cup was next, two teams were evenly matched,
Bowen’s late handball goal was scored, the Cherries were dispatched.

August ended when City came, 1-0 when Haaland struck,
Then Bowen crossed, Dias deflected, the Hammers were in luck.
But you can guess what happened next, Haaland having fun,
Two more goals against us, and City won 3-1.

The international break came next, and then to London West,
To Craven Cottage off we went to face another test,
Jimenez put the hosts one up – it looked like we were done,
But Ings popped up on 95, to make the score one-one.

The London Stadium next, Chelsea came across the town,
Before we blinked Jackson scored two and we were looking down,
Palmer scored another, we needed General Custer,
We lost again, 3-0 it was, the performance was lacklustre.

Off to Anfield next, the EFL cup next round,
We took the lead on 21, were we Wembley bound?
3-1 down by half time, who was there to blame?
By the end it climbed to five to add to West Ham’s shame.

The GTech was next – Brentford then beckons,
Mbuemo scored first in just 40 seconds,
Soucek struck next to bring hope anew,
But a draw was all the Hammers could do.

October came next ‘twas Ipswich I hear,
Antonio in one, oh how we did cheer,
Delap replied to make it one-one,
We then scored three more to bring us some fun.

Next to North London, once White Hart Lane,
They built a new stadium and then changed the name,
Kudus scored first, then they netted four,
Then he got sent off, three Spurs on the floor.

Then Manchester United, much to our delight,
When Summerville scored, a new shining light,
A VAR penalty, who saw it? No-one?
Bowen converted and we won two-one.

Then on to the Forest, a header Chris Wood,
Alvarez sent off – he was up to no good,
Two more for Forest it was now all uphill,
And when it had ended we’d lost it three-nil

And next came the Toffees and no-one could score,
The game ended goalless, a real dreary bore,
The fans were cheesed off, and how they did whine,
The players were booed off at half and full time.

St James Park the venue for West Ham’s next game,
We didn’t expect much, just more of the same,
Soukek’s header, Wan-Bissaka’s rebound,
It came as a shock to win on their ground.

Was this a new dawn? Arsenal was next,
But four goals in no time to stray from the text,
Wan-Bissaka again, and Emerson’s free kick,
But we lost 5-2, were they taking the mick?

And then on to Leicester, we should have done better,
He changed round the team, and left out Paqueta,
31 shots, but still we were done,
Vardy scored early and we lost 3-1.

And next up come Wolves, Matchday 15 already,
We need someone new to come in and steady,
We’re down in fourteenth, 15 points to our name,
We should really be higher, who can we blame?

Wolves even lower, what do they lack?
They face relegation, they need to bounce back,
We’re both down the bottom, which one will crack?
Two bosses in trouble and facing the sack.

(They say) Fools Rush In where angels fear to tread,
A new head coach came – he’s in way above his head,
What next for West Ham to end all our troubles?
We’ll find out real soon and start blowing bubbles.

We all love our team but they do make us fret,
With West Ham you never know quite what you’ll get,
We need to get better, start playing like lions,
With the fans all behind us, come on you irons!

Here We Go Again – Season 67 as a West Ham Fan begins with a 5.30 kick off on Saturday for the visit of Aston Villa

It all began for me on Saturday 23rd August 1958. 1958-59 was the first football season I remember. West Ham had just been promoted from the second division and I believe this was the first time back in the top-flight since the 1930s. After 6 games we were on top with a win and a draw against the champions from the previous season Wolves and a win against runners up Manchester United. It was a successful campaign finishing sixth, a feat we have only bettered twice since.

This season will be my 67th as a fan and I’m looking forward just as much as ever to see what it will bring. We were warned to be careful what we wished for but I am hoping for a more enterprising brand of football than that we have witnessed in the last couple of years. The appointment of a head coach who had been in charge at Seville, Real Madrid and the Spanish national team was not especially welcomed by many but I am happy to wait and see. I hope that he can deliver a more progressive style of football than his predecessor. I read some statistics (which I have not verified) which suggested that Moyes has a better goals scored per game record than Lopetegui, but concedes more goals per game on average than our new Spanish boss. Whatever, it was time for something different.

The recruitment in the close season after a sluggish start has picked up in the past couple of weeks (with eight new recruits at the time of writing and perhaps one or two more to come if some existing players can be moved on) and on paper it would appear we have a much better, bigger, (younger? I’m not sure) and more balanced squad than the previous manager had left. Tim Steidten would seem to have done a superb job bringing in the likes of the Championship player of last season, an Argentinian World Cup winner, a current German international centre forward, a highly rated French international centre back, and the head coach’s number 1 pick from Wolves into the squad. Guilherme has also arrived from Brazil with a big reputation (and price tag considering his experience) but he would appear to be one for the future, we shall see.

All the new recruits have joined us without the prospect of European competition this season. The lack of the Thursday / Sunday fixtures should however be an advantage in one respect though given the reduced number of games to play – our record in Sunday games (partly due I suspect due to the small size of the squad) was poor last time. Ten Thursday games in Europe were followed by just two wins on the following Sunday. Perhaps with a fresher and bigger squad we can have a better tilt at the domestic cup competitions than of late.  

Of course, this is on paper (and as Brian Clough and others have said the game is not played on paper). It remains to be seen how quickly the new boss can integrate the players into a cohesive unit. Many fans writing on social media are perhaps going a little overboard expecting a challenge for Champions League places but I believe that this may be a little premature. It would be great of course but it is likely to take time for the team to produce consistent results with so many new faces at once.

I am especially excited by Summerville who looked superb when I watched Leeds games on TV last season. He should hopefully provide the balance on the left that has been missing. With Bowen on the right and Kudus perhaps in a central ‘number 10’ role behind a goalscoring centre forward then our attacking threat should be potent and balanced. We have a number of alternatives in midfield – let’s hope that Paqueta can show his skills and best form alongside whoever plays there, probably Rodriguez to begin with while Alvarez is out. Unlike many fans (it would appear) I am a fan of JWP but he is likely to struggle to make the starting eleven such is the depth of the squad in the middle. For the times he does get onto the pitch I hope he rediscovers his free kick shots on goal speciality.

The central defence looks more solid than before with Kilman and the highly rated Todibo, and Wan-Bissaka should hopefully be an upgrade on Coufal, certainly in a defensive sense where he is highly regarded especially in one-on-one situations facing attacking wingers. Hopefully as a result we can improve considerably on our poor goals conceded record – the worst in the Premier League after the three relegated clubs. 74 was the biggest number we have ever conceded in the Premier League and the most ever since 1966-67! I’ve seen last season’s defence described as Swiss cheese – very apt.

The club were hoping that Zouma, last season’s strange choice as captain, could be offloaded to Saudi Arabia saving around £7million in wages. His legs seemed to have gone some time ago and it was no surprise when he ironically failed the CAT scan!  

The squad as a whole should give us a much stronger bench than Moyes’ thin numbers could ever achieve, and I wondered if any of the promising youngsters would find their way into it. There were high hopes for three or four of them to do so, but with the strength in depth that we are likely to have it seems that there may be loans to lower league clubs to ensure that they gain experience that they would not have if they stayed this season.

In his relatively short time at the club the new head coach has completely managed to revamp the team from front to back with just days to spare before the new campaign gets underway. A big improvement on previous campaigns where late arrivals in the transfer window after the season had already begun was the order of the day. Nevertheless not a lot of time for the players to gel as a team and it may take a while before we see the best of the new recruits.

Where will we finish? Last season we were ninth so with the changes and investment we’ve got to hope for an improvement. Seventh or eighth perhaps or even better pushing for a place in Europe the following season. And wouldn’t it be great to have long runs in both the League and FA Cups with perhaps a trip to Wembley in one or the other (or both!)?

The season may well turn out to be a transitional one but I’m hoping for visible progress, a desire to retain the ball and not give it away so cheaply, and football that is better to watch than it has been for the past couple of years. I fear that if it takes too long for the team to adapt to Lopetegui’s methods then the fans will get restless. We’ve got to be patient and allow some time for it all to come together.

Aston Villa, newly qualified for the Champions League, will be a stiff test for the first game. We’ve already had one Duran score against us this season (for Celta Vigo), let’s hope that Villa’s Colombian Duran doesn’t do the same on Saturday after all the early transfer window shenanigans! Some fans have complained about our pre-season performances and results but I seem to recall that we had a poor lead into the 1985-86 season where we achieved our best ever finish. Conversely in the Avram Grant year the pre-season went quite well. It’s not always a good indicator of what is to follow, especially this year with the late returners from international football and also the late transfer incomings. Aston Villa have also lost a number of games pre-season too by the way.

So here we go again. My prediction for the starting line-up: Areola, Wan-Bissaka, Kilman, Todibo, Emerson; Rodriguez, Paqueta: Bowen, Kudus, Summerville: Fullkrug. That would mean just five of last year’s regulars added to six newcomers.

That leaves a bench to be chosen from the following: Fabianski, Coufal, Aguerd, Mavropanos, Cresswell, Irving, Soucek, JWP, Guilherme, Ings, Antonio, Cornet plus any of our promising youngsters who haven’t been loaned out. Hopefully I haven’t forgotten anyone. I’m not used to a full squad!

The new head coach may have other ideas, but whatever team is selected I’m excited and looking forward to season 67 as much as my first back in 1958. Who knows what we have in store? I’ll start this year’s score forecasts with a 2-1 win.