Under The Hammers

West Ham v Swansea preview

A Boxing Day visit to South Wales.

The last time we played Swansea was when they visited us in the final Saturday home game last season at Upton Park in May. After the game Mark Noble described it as “a bad day at the office”. And it certainly was. For those of you in your rose-tinted glasses who remember Upton Park as a “fortress” I will remind you that they inflicted on us our heaviest home defeat of the season, beating us 4-1. It was the second time in what was generally considered to be a very good season that we conceded four goals at home; Bournemouth had also put that number of goals in our net early in the campaign. I guess the Swansea game was quickly forgotten when Manchester United were the visitors just three days later in that memorable last game at the Boleyn Ground.

Our last trip to play them in South Wales was almost exactly a year ago when in a “Super Sunday” game we picked up an away point in a tedious 0-0 draw. It was our third 0-0 draw in a row just before last Christmas, and at the time we hadn’t won a game since our victory over Chelsea in October. Swansea finished the season in a respectable twelfth position.

They are another club who have moved home in recent years. Just over ten years ago they left their home at the Vetch Field and began a new chapter at the Liberty Stadium. They were in League One at the time in the third tier of the English pyramid. A couple of years later they won promotion to the Championship under Roberto Martinez, and in 2011-12 they were back in the top tier again, where they have remained since.

The following season, in our first Premier League game away from home after our return, they thumped us 3-0, but the following February we exacted our revenge with an Andy Carroll goal. Like ourselves they finished in mid-table, both of us on 46 points, though they pipped us on goal difference to finish ninth.

In 2013-14 they once again finished in the position just above us (twelfth). At their place we played out a goalless draw, and the return in February saw Kevin Nolan bag a brace in a 2-0 victory, a game remembered mainly for the clash of the pony tails, when the play-acting antics of Chico Flores got Andy Carroll sent off (unjustly) by Howard Webb.

A season later two Andy Carroll goals and one from Sakho gave us a 3-1 victory at Upton Park, and Carroll was again on the scoresheet when we drew 1-1 in the return match. Swansea finished eighth that season (to our twelfth).

This season their fortunes have declined and they currently prop up the Premier League alongside Hull on 12 points, with just three victories and three draws in their seventeen games. They won 1-0 at Burnley in their opening game, and recently notched up home victories over Palace (5-4), and Sunderland (3-0). They have the worst defensive record in the division, having conceded 37 goals.

Of course we bought Andrew Ayew from them in the summer, and I hope that he can get on the scoresheet in this game. They have one player who always stands out for me when I see them play, Gylfi Sigurdsson, and he is someone who is never mentioned as a potential transfer target, but is a creative midfielder who scores goals. I’d like to see him playing in our team.

Of course we go into the game on the back of picking up seven points from our last three games, despite not playing convincingly, and we could do with another positive result to extend the gap between ourselves and the relegation zone. Carroll has a good goalscoring record against Swansea, and Ayew should be looking to open his account for us against his former employers. Obiang will unfortunately be missing due to suspension, which is a pity as in my opinion he has been our best player this season, playing a vital midfield role. I’d like to see Kouyate pushed forward to play in midfield, but I don’t think it will happen. I fear that Nordtveit will play in Obiang’s position, but he hasn’t yet convinced me of his ability to play in the Premier League, despite the good reviews he received for his Bundesliga performances and for the Norwegian national team.

The transfer window opens shortly and it will be interesting to see if any of the 4,256 players linked to us in the media actually arrive. I know who I’d like to see heading out; there are some very obvious candidates. It would be great if those involved with procuring players kept their silence until players actually do arrive.

Personally I’d like us to splash out on a proven goalscorer like Defoe (which of course wouldn’t be popular with some of our supporters), a creative midfielder who can score goals (like Sigurdsson for example), and a proper right back. I’d like to see Burke recalled from his loan, Oxford given a chance when he has recovered from injury, and perhaps one or two of the development squad drafted in to see what they can do. Martinez seems to score goals for fun at that level; perhaps he can step up?

Three points would of course be great, but I predict a 1-1 draw.

This Week in Hammer’s History

A Boxing Day only edition takes a look at the post Xmas fare and the record breaking events of 1963.

This Week Hammers History We all know that during the Christmas period that the games ‘come thick and fast’ which means that the week 26 December to 1 January in Hammer’s History has seen more than its fair share of games. As a consequence I have split the week into two parts with today’s article looking just at Boxing Day; with the rest of the week covered in a separate post.

Of the 45 Boxing Day games played since 1958 we have won 13, drawn 12 and lost 20. Although the overall record is not so good in the higher scoring games we have had the edge. Starting in 1958 we completed a Christmas double over Tottenham with a 4-1 victory at White Hart Lane (having beaten them 2-1 at Upton Park the previous day). There have also been high scoring victories on the road at Blackpool (4-1 in 1996), Chelsea (4-2 in 1973 to climb off the bottom of the table), and Portsmouth (4-1 in 2008). On the flip side too much pudding and sherry was the harbinger of defeats at Villa (4-1 in 1975) and Tottenham (4-0 in 1986). We had also played Tottenham on Boxing Day a year earlier and the 1-0 defeat to an 85^th minute Steve Perryman goal will forever be one of those ‘if-only’ matches from the memorable 1985/6 season.

A Boxing Day home fixture at Upton Park was often something special over the years including victories over Leicester (4-1 in 1967), Charlton (5-0 in 2000) and Derby (4-0 in 2001). Possibly the most unusual Boxing Day, however, was in 1963 when 10 Division 1 games returned a record 66 goals. Included in this was total was an 8-2 thrashing of West Ham by league leaders Blackburn Rovers. A contemporary report summed up the game as follows:

“West Ham’s tactics were all wrong and their covering terrible. Blackburn on a rain-lashed, pudding of a pitch, banged the ball about with poise and precision. It was attrition warfare, as Fred Pickering opened the scoring after seven minutes and Bryan Douglas made it two after half an hour. Before the break, it was 4-0 with goals from Andy McEvoy and Mike Ferguson. In the second half, Pickering and McEvoy strolled through the Hammers’ ‘woefully weak defence’ to claim their hat tricks and, despite Johnny Byrne’s double, there was no way back.”

The full list of results for that day:

Boxing Day 63

Interestingly, in the return set of fixtures which took place just two days later: West Ham (with juts one change; Bovington in for Peters) beat Blackburn 3-1 at Ewood Park to begin a run in which Rovers eventually slid down to seventh in the table; Ipswich took their revenge on Fulham winning 4-2 at Portman Road (although they were relegated at the end of the season); Manchester United recovered from their mauling against Burnley to hammer them 5-1 at Old Trafford; and Bolton overcame Sheffield Wednesday 3-0 in their return game.

v Blackburn (H): Standen, Bond, Burkett, Peters, Brown, Moore, Brabrook, Boyce, Byrne, Hurst, Sissons
v Blackburn (A): Standen, Bond, Burkett, Bovington, Brown, Moore, Brabrook, Boyce, Byrne, Hurst, Sissons

I Wouldn’t Bet On It 23

Looking for a use for any left over Christmas chocolate money?

Fancy A Bet

Success yet again (very lucky some might say!) with the following bet last weekend:

13 points on West Ham to win the game v Hull @8/13 (21)

Our new balance is 146 points.

This time I reckon we’ll draw at Swansea so will stake the following:

10 points on Swansea v West Ham to be a draw @12/5 (34)
8 points on West Ham to win @7/4 (22)
1 point on a 1-1 draw @6/1 (7)
1 point on Sigurdsson 1^st goal and 1-1 score @33/1 (34)
1 point on Noble 1^st goal and 1-1 score @66/1 (67)

Our balance reduces to 125 points after staking 21 points above. We win very slightly if we win the game, and win more if the game end in a draw.

Potential returns if correct in brackets.

What are the chances?

The Lawro Challenge – Week 18

A festive head-to-head with the celebrated BBC pundit predictor in the Boxing Day edition of the Lawro challenge.

Xmas Lawro Seventeen rounds of games in the Premier League have now been completed. That means we have now attempted to predict the results of 170 matches so far.

In Week 17, Rich scored 6 points, Geoff 10 points, and Lawro 7 points. With a win for Geoff for the second week running is there an unlikely comeback on the cards .

In this challenge we award one point for a correct result, and a further two points (making three in total) if the score prediction is spot on.

Full of festive spirit we now march on to week 18.

	Rich	Geoff	Lawro
Total after 16 weeks	138	94	124
Score in week 17	6	10	7
Total after 17 weeks	144	104	131

Predictions – Week 18
	Rich	Geoff	Lawro
Monday
Watford v Palace	2-1	1-2	1-1
Arsenal v WBA	1-0	3-1	2-0
Burnley v Middlesbrough	2-1	1-0	1-1
Chelsea v Bournemouth	2-0	3-0	2-0
Leicester v Everton	1-1	2-0	2-1
Man U v Sunderland	4-1	2-0	3-0
Swansea v West Ham	1-1	1-2	0-2
Hull v Man City	0-2	1-4	0-3
Tuesday
Liverpool v Stoke	2-0	3-1	3-0
Wednesday
Southampton v Tottenham	1-1	0-1	0-2

Half Year Report Card Part 2

Revealing part two of the report card on player performance.

Yesterday we published Part 1 of our Half Year Report Card exposing who were the workers and who were the shirkers in a somewhat disappointing season to date. Now we put aside the Eat Me Dates and Chocolate Brazil Nuts for just a few minutes to bring you Part 2. We can now finish the wrapping to settle down and enjoy the festivities.

As shown in our recent article the assertion that West Ham come down with the Christmas decorations is something of a myth and we can hope for a much improved second half to the campaign.

Subject	Remarks	Grade
Manuel Lanzini	Manuel always tries to bring energy and incisiveness into the midfield areas. He shows good movement, makes great runs and is often involved for what has passed for quick interplay in our team this year. As an end product he has often flattered to deceive and has a tendency to fade (and be substituted) in the majority of games.	B-
Arthur Masuaku	An emergency signing as cover for the injured Cresswell, Arthur has demonstrated extremes of confident attacking play and comedy defending. The dual handball sequence which led to the floodgates opening away to West Brom was unfathomable. Also a victim of the injury curse he looks to have useful attributes and may still be able to build a future at the club.	C-
Mark Noble	Affectionately known as ‘Mr West Ham’, Mark has had a tough first half to the term. Still cannot be faulted for effort and his grass blade covering exertions but his technical limitations have become very apparent. His lack of pace cause him to by bypassed in midfield when the opposition have the ball (most of the time) and he also slows the game down too much when in possession. On the evidence so far he looks to be well past his best before date.	C
Havard Nordtveit	Havrad has endured a difficult start to his time at the club. Seen as the potential answer to our long time defensive midfielder problem he has failed to impress either in that role or when he has been asked to cover elsewhere. For someone who came with a strong reputation from his time in the Bundesliga he has been a huge disappointment so far culminating in his disastrous cameo in the late capitulation to Spurs.	D
Pedro Obiang	Overlooked and apparently out of favour for most of last year Pedro has been the undoubted success of the season to date. An excellent work rate has added to his ball-winning ability and he has demonstrated an economy and a good eye for direct and telling passes. Showed a lot of patience and has made the most of his chance once it came along; it is just a little worrying why it took so long to arrive now that we have seen how well he has filled on of the side’s problem positions.	A+
Angelo Ogbonna	A strong left sided centre back Angelo earned a place in West Ham folklore with his last minute headed winner against Liverpool in last season’s FA Cup. For the most part a competent defender he is prone to occasional losses of concentration and causal play with costly consequences. His love of a grapple at set pieces is also a concern.	C+
Dimitri Payet	Last season’s magician of the free kick and maestro of the assist, Dimi has been a shadow of his former self (at least in impact if not in stature) this time around. He remains our greatest attacking threat but the enthusiasm and gusto is missing from his game. Is he lacking fitness, would he rather be elsewhere, have other teams learned how to nullify him, has the non-performance of the team as a unit stifled him? Who knows the enigma of this season’s Payet.	B-
Darren Randolph	A long time understudy Darren was called to centre stage following a string of eccentric displays by El Adrian. His presence hasn’t prevented the goals against continuing to click over but that was not all down to him apart from high profile gaffes away at Spurs and Liverpool. An excellent shot stopper but never convincing in the air.	C+
Winston Reid	Winston continues to be a stalwart of the Hammer’s defence even if this is far from impregnable this year. Demonstrates excellent commitment to cause, has solid defensive qualities and never afraid to put himself on the line for the team. Not the greatest in using the ball but not as bad as some suggest and would be perfectly competent if more options were available. Rarely makes critical gaffes a la Collins and Ogbonna.	A-
Diafra Sakho	The most complete striker at the club, Diafra is also a regular in the treatment room having made just 2 appearances this term. An early return from his latest injury will probably see him off on international duty to the African Cup of Nations. Almost sold in the summer after a fallout with the management it would be foolish to let him go in the current predicament.	C
Simone Zaza	Dear oh dear…….	E
Slaven Bilic	In a complete reversal of fortune (as they used to say on TV) Slaven has gone from being the strongest link last season to being the weakest link this time around. Maybe the new stadium and confidence play a part but poor player recruitment, an unbalanced squad, unimaginative tactics, unmotivated and unfit players, a lack of organisation and no clear style of play all rest firmly at the manager’s door. Two lucky wins have fortunately given him a stay of execution.	D+

Half Year Report Part 1

The dreaded half year report is issued before heading off for the Christmas break.

Although it may not be strictly half way through the season yet we are keeping with tradition by issuing the half year report cards before breaking up for the festivities. This will allow the players to go home and think long and hard about their performances while we sit back and crack open a bottle of Emva Cream or Warninks Advocaat.

The first half is published today and part two tomorrow.

Subject	Remarks	Grade
Michail Antonio	Michail has done well to become leading goal-scorer despite being asked to play in almost every outfield position – sometimes in the same match. A playing style based on energy, pace and power, often mistakenly described as raw, he has shown tremendous commitment and adaptability. It is not his fault he is not a specialist right back and that, worryingly, the manager thought that was his best position.	A
Andre Ayew	The club’s injury curse caused Andre to miss a large part of term. Having taken the record transfer mantle from fellow invalid Andy Carroll he has yet to complete a full game for the team. In his brief appearances he has largely been lethargic and laboured with just occasional bright flashes of what he might possess. Looks far from value for money for the time being and will be off to the Africa Cup of Nations next month.	D+
Andy Carroll	Andy’s attendance has again been poor this term only just showing up in time for the Christmas party which has now been postponed. Alleged to be unplayable due to his strength in the air this has yet to be demonstrated over a sustained period of time. Aerial strength is not matched by ability on the ground and his deployment as a lone striker, with poor service, invariable leads to one-dimensional attacking play.	C
Sam Byram	Another with a bad attendance record we have yet to be convinced that Sam is the answer to our long held right back problem. Early promise has been interrupted by a series of injuries including the strange self-inflicted one that he picked up early in the game against Middlesbrough. There are differences of opinion as to whether he is a full-back or a wing-back which can hopefully be confirmed in the new year.	C-
James Collins	James tries his best and is a popular squad member. Always shows lots of effort and determination but lacks some of the basic technical skills and prone to occasional ‘ricket’. Known for his brave last ditch blocks and tackles which, ironically, are often of his own making. There is nothing as final and definitive as a James Collins clearance. Has been a useful emergency squad player but we should now have better, younger alternatives.	C+
Aaron Cresswell	Aaron missed the early part of term due to injury and his welcome return coincided with a brief uptick in form and resulted in an international call-up. Recently his conversion to wing back in the favoured 3-at-the-back formation has seemed to confuse him and his link up play with Payet, which was once a major threat, has now been nullified. Contributed his most error strewn performance for some time in the recent match against Hull/	B-
Adrian	Starting the season as the clear Number 1 and on the fringes of his national side, Adrian has had a fraught first half of the year. A competent keeper both in the air and at shot stopping he has been side-tracked by trying to develop himself as a flamboyant goal-keeping character. Not as good at ball control and dribbling as he thinks some poor goals conceded through lack of concentration and his mad dash out of goal to gift an equaliser to Stoke have led to him losing his place.	C
Sofiane Feghouli	The capture of Sofiane against stiff competition was billed as something of a coup and there was early promise despite the disappointment of the Europa League campaign. Although injuries haven’t helped the over-riding impression is of a winger who is unable to cross the ball or avoid the first defender. Perhaps there is better to come but there are few encouraging signs.	D+
Edmilson Fernandes	The diamond in the rough of the summer transfer dealings Edmilson always gives the impression of a very assured, controlled and intelligent footballer. Has performed well wherever he has been asked to play although an attacking role plays more to his strengths. May need to work on the physical side of his game to continue to develop in the Premier League frenzy.	B
Ashley Fletcher	Ashley has shown some good touches in his handful of start and various substitute appearances. Possibly not yet equipped physically to play a lone striker role his effectiveness has been hampered by the lack of organisation or cohesiveness within the team. Has looked a little scared and bemused at times but looks to have potential if used properly.	C
Cheikhou Kouyate	Cheikhou brings a powerful and athletic presence to the team and will be missed when to sets off for the African Cup of Nations. Started the season in midfield but has recently played as one of 3 centre backs. He offers strength and pace to the back line but his strong runs have been missed in midfield. Overall is more effective in midfield but should bring his defensive discipline with him and look to improve his final ball.	B+

Down with the Christmas decorations?

We look at whether the West Ham reputation of coming down with the Xmas decorations is fact or myth.

Christmas Decorations

I first went to Upton Park in the 1958-59 season. That means that this is my 59^th season of actively supporting the team. Of the 58 completed seasons, 49 have been spent in the top flight of English football, and just 9 in the second tier. I have seen us relegated five times and then promoted back five times.

We’ve always had a reputation for coming down with the Christmas decorations. So I thought I’d conduct some research to ascertain whether this is a fact or a myth. Looking at those 49 seasons at the top table I found that on 22 occasions we finished the season in a lower position than we held on Christmas Day. And 22 times we actually finished up in a higher position at the end than we were at Christmas. Five times we ended up in exactly the same position. So in reality, on average the second half of the season has been equally as good as the first.

It is true that in the 1960s and 1980s the trend was to fall in the league table after Christmas more often than not. But since 1993-94, our first season in the newly formed Premier League, we have been in the top flight for 20 seasons, and in that time we have only finished the season in a lower position than we were at Christmas on three occasions. In 1993-94 we dropped from 11^th to 13^th, in 2000-01 we fell from 10^th to 15^th, and the biggest fall was in 2014-15 when in Big Sam’s final season we went from 4^th at Christmas to finish 12^th. In every other year we have either retained or improved our position in the second half. So apart from Big Sam’s swansong, we have never fallen to a lower position at the end of the season than we held at Christmas in our last 12 seasons in the top flight.

Our Christmas Day position this year is 13^th. Our average finishing position in the 49 seasons in the top division in my lifetime is 13^th. Of course 3^rd was our best performance of all in 1985-86. That season we were 3^rd at Christmas too. And on the five occasions when we were relegated, our positions on Christmas Day were 21, 20, 18, 20, 20. So if history (especially recent history) is anything to go by, what is there to worry about?

Of course we have played indifferently in quite a few games this season. But our five 1-0 victories, and four draws, leave us on 19 points from 17 games. It has not been a good season, especially compared to the last one. Our manager and the players still have a lot of work to do to ensure that we keep our distance from the relegation places, and hopefully push on upwards towards the top half of the table. We must stop throwing away points when we are leading in games too. The 12 points we have dropped from leading positions, would have seen us in 5^th place in the table if we had held on to the lead in those matches.

It’s not all doom and gloom as some articles in the media would suggest. It hasn’t been the best, but trust me we’ve been here before. We’ve never been relegated from this position in the table at Christmas, and it won’t happen this season either. We are only five points behind seventh place in the table, which is where we finished last season. I’m looking for us to move upwards after Christmas, just as we have done in most seasons in the twenty-first century. The generally held belief that we come down with the Christmas decorations is a false one.

West Ham 1 v 0 Hull

A review of the Hull game – A star is born.

Embed from Getty Images

A couple of days ago Geoff Hopkins wrote an excellent article with five observations in respect of robbing Hull of three points at the weekend. It is hard to disagree with anything that he said. During the game tweeted that he believed the post was our man of the match, and his idea was followed up on some post-match polls with thousands of respondents who agreed with his selection.

Whenever a player is known by one name you know he is a star. Pele, Maradonna, and now Post. Post, whose real name is Woody Woodwork, is related to a number of famous people such as Rod Laver, Rod Marsh, Postman Pat, Woody (of Toy Story fame) and Roy Wood, whose Christmas song is played throughout December. He is also closely related to Barry Bar of Crossbar Challenge fame.

Reports that Post was seen staggering out of an East End nightclub at 4am on Sunday morning were way off the mark according to his agent, Posty McPost Face. Posty confirmed that Post is an upright character who spent the evening at home with his wife, Wendy Woodwork, after a meal at a Chigwell restaurant with close friends.

Post has always been known as a hard man at the back, and his agent has lined him up with several lucrative endorsement opportunities, the biggest one being the front for a new Viagra campaign. Sales of West Ham home shirts with “POST” on the back have been the biggest seller in the club shop in the lead up to Christmas.

Despite Post coming to our rescue three times, and the general agreement that Hull deserved to win the game, or most certainly didn’t deserve to lose, it is interesting to note some of the statistics for the game. Now as Geoff and I have written on some occasions in the past, football statistics can be interesting but in many respects are meaningless when considering the outcome of a game.

Nevertheless I will set out below some of the key statistics that are always collected at games. Those people who believe in the statistics will find it hard to believe that Hull were unlucky losers.

Possession – West Ham 56%, Hull 44%
Shots – West Ham 19, Hull 16
Shots on Target – West Ham 6, Hull 5
Corners – West Ham 10, Hull 6

None of this really means anything except that we had the ball more than they did, we shot at goal more than they did, we had more shots on target than they did, and forced more corners than they did. I know that the general view is that we were fortunate (very fortunate!), but the fact of the matter is we scored a goal and they didn’t. And when it comes down to allocation of points that means we got three and they got zero.

Of course if we keep playing like this, then as Geoff pointed out, we are unlikely to win many more games. But, just for the moment I will take our seven points from three distinctly average performances in the past week. Things will need to improve drastically, but I can remember many occasions in our history when we have deserved to win games but haven’t. It’s good for the boot to be on the other foot for a change.

This Week in Hammer’s History

Festive spirit, the season of goodwill and games on Christmas Day in the week 19 – 25 December in Hammer’s History.

This Week Hammers History In the mid 1960’s West Ham had featured in two successive cup finals by winning the FA European Cup Winners Cups. On 21 December 1965 they were set firmly on course for a third consecutive final appearance thanks to a 5-2 League Cup semi-final first leg victory against Cardiff at Upton Park. Goals from Bovington, Brabrook, Byrne, Hurst and Sissons effectively wrapped up the tie which was sealed just over a month later with a 5-1 second leg win at Ninian Park.

In the deep mid-winter of 1979 West Ham had scheduled their pre-Christmas fixture against Cambridge United for a Friday night to avoid clashing with the last Saturday, last minute shopping frenzy (it was not possible to buy West Ham underwear for your wife in the club shop at the time). This is often cited as one of the most memorable Boleyn experiences by many of the 11,000 or so hardy souls (of which I was one) who battled along on that bitterly cold December evening. The match started in light snow and after 45 minutes West Ham were a goal down and it was time for a hot, half-time cup of Bovril. During the interval Bill Remfry played Mike Oldfield’s ‘In Dulchi Jubilo’ and encouraged the crowd to dance just to keep warm; an invitation taken to extreme by one supporter who streaked onto the pitch. In the second half the snow turned into a full-on blizzard but goals from Stewart, Pearson and Neighbour turned the game around to give the Hammers a 3-1 victory.

Parkes, Stewart, Lampard, Bonds, Martin, Devonshire, Allen, Pearson, Cross (Pike), Brooking, Neighbour

The season of goodwill has frequently paired West Ham with close neighbours Tottenham Hotspur in the run up to Christmas and they were also the opponents on West Ham’s last ever Christmas Day fixture.

Defeat at White Hart Lane on Christmas Eve 1960 was offset by victories both home and away in the following years. In 1967 West Ham won 2-1 at Upton Park on 23 December (Bonds, Dear) and on 20 December 1969 they were also victorious by a 2-0 scoreline at White Hart Lane (Peters, Hurst). The points were shared in a thrilling topsy-turvy 4-4 away draw on 22 December 1962. West Ham were behind 2-0 and 3-2 before leading 4-3 and conceding an injury time leveller. West Ham’s goals were shared between Peters, Kirkup, Boyce and Scott and the match was also notable for an unexpected hat-trick by Dave Mackay for Spurs.

The Christmas Day fixture was in 1958 at the Boleyn Ground in front of 26,178 spectators. After a goalless first half West Ham, inspired by Phil Woosnam, raced into a 2 – 0 lead with goals from John Dick and Vic Keeble; both of whom worked like Trojans according to the news report at the time. Woosnam was then badly crocked by Spurs defender Maurice Norman and with no substitutes at the time spent the remainder of the game limping along the left wing. This allowed Tottenham to pull one back but the Hammers held on to win 2-1. In the return fixture at White Hart Lane on the following day (Boxing Day) West Ham completed the double with a resounding 4-1 victory with goals from Bond, Keeble, Dick and Own Goal.

Gregory, Bond, Cantwell, Malcolm, Brown, Smith, Grice, Woosnam, Keeble, Dick, Musgrove

Andy Smillie replaced the injured Woosnam for the Boxing Day fixture otherwise it was the same team.

Notable Birthdays

21 December          Paul Heffer                         69
21 December          Cheikhou Kouyate           27
22 December          Phil Woosnam                   d. 2013
22 December          Bill Green                            66
24 December          Diafro Sakho                      27

5 Observations from West Ham robbing Hull

Police want to question a gang dressed in claret and blue seen making off with 3 points at the London Stadium.

More Points But………

There are no circumstances when I am not happy with a win. I want West Ham to win every game that they plan in; even if that meant that Spurs won the league or Millwall avoided relegation. Likewise I would never want my team to lose in order to oust an unpopular or under-performing manager. The six points earned gained against Burnley and Hull are a relief but the nature of the victories suggest that this might simply be a temporary respite; the underlying problems that afflict the team continue to exist. We cannot just rely on ‘Ask the Referee’ lifelines to keep us in the Premier League millionaires club. The penalties aside we hardly created any worthwhile scoring opportunities; at least not at our own end although we did our best to tee a couple up for Hull. It wasn’t so much a case of Hull being better than us, rather that we were worse than them. These two victories only serve to paper over the cracks in the wall as it is apparent that the wall is in a structure without a roof and with unsafe foundations. Some might say that wins will breed confidence but what I see is not a team short of confidence but of ideas. We may well scrape through courtesy of there being three poorer sides but our own team is definitely not heading in the right direction under the current regime.

Defining the Team Shape

a·mor·phous

adjective

without a clearly defined shape or form.
vague; ill-organised; unclassifiable.
(of a group of people or an organisation) lacking a clear structure or focus.

Groundhog Day Report

There is a great deal of repetition in these weekly match observations much like that recurring nightmare where you are unable to perform even the most simple task. Compared to nearly every other team in the Premier League we look less organised, less fit and our abilities for passing and movement is decidedly second best. The favoured 3 at the back formation (at least the way that it is implemented) does not suit our players. It stifles the attacking threat of Antonio and Cresswell and creates congested central areas. There is not enough movement throughout the team; no-one is creating space and the man with the ball has few options but to go sideways and backwards. Players are waiting for the ball to arrive at their feet before deciding their next move rather than anticipating or making runs. The result is ponderous build-up that gives plenty of time for the opposition to re-group. How many positions can Antonio be expected to play in one game? Why was Carroll alternating between left wing and centre midfield? Why when we changed to 4 at the back didn’t Ayew play behind Carroll with Antonio out wide? Why have we abandoned the Antonio long throw as an occasional tactic; at least to mix things up? Why was Obiang withdrawn when he had been our most likely midfield player?

Last season saw some remarkable successes against top clubs, who we were able to hit on the break, while we often struggled against teams who were more defensive minded. Our better performances continue to be against the better sides but without the same level of success. Our struggles and lack of creativity in breaking down those teams that we are meant to dominate remains a huge problem.

We’ve Got/ Had Payet

It is possible to rely too much on one player. The same happened for large parts of Trevor Brooking’s career at West Ham (until Dev came along to share the load) when opponents always knew what West Ham would attempt to do and were able to counter it. Almost inevitably when our players now have the ball they will look to eventually feed it to Payet, which he will invariably receive in a static position wide on the left. Bilic believes (he said so during the Euros), and maybe Dimitri does too, that wide left is his best position as it provides him with the angles necessary to maximise his effectiveness. I can see some sense in that when your team carries threats right across the park but not when it is your only weapon; in those circumstances the opposition can easily crowd him out. Payet himself, for whatever reason, is not the same player as last year. One can only speculate whether his head has been turned by the attention of other clubs, whether the intensity of the Premier League has got too much for him or whether opposing defenders are secretly wearing red kryptonite shorts. It is unrealistic to expect him to carry the team and unnecessary to burden him with too much defensive duty. It will surprise me if he is still at the club come February.

Post Match Analysis

I became so disillusioned by our performance this weekend that I took to Twitter during the game (something I rarely do as I am usually 100% focused on the game). After about 70 minutes I tweeted that the Goalpost had been our man of the match so it was satisfying to see that others felt the same way at the end of the game.

For a change I thought I would give my own player ratings as I believe that usually these are far too generous. My criteria is that a ‘6’ means that a player was average and did the job expected.

Randolph 6, Kouyate 7, Reid 6, Ogbonna 5, Antonio 6, Lanzini 5 (Ayew 4), Obiang 6 (Fernandes 6), Payet 5, Noble 4, Cresswell 3, Carroll 5