“Went Better Than Expected.” From unconvincing team selection to runaway victors as West Ham thump Ipswich

Fearing the worst when the teams were announced, the Hammers surprised us all with an enterprising and spirited performance to overcome the Tractor Boys and record a first London Stadium league win of the season

One of the great innovations of the 2024/25 Premier League season is the unveiling of team sheets 75 minutes before scheduled kick-off time. It provides an additional 15 minutes in which to fume over the idiocy of the coach’s latest selection brain fog and to share those frustrations to all and sundry on social media.

And so it was that a collective “what is he thinking?” reverberated around the London Stadium when confirmation was received that Julen Lopetegui would keep faith with the same eleven who performed so inadequately in the first half at Brentford the week before. Edson Alvarez returned from suspension but only to a seat on the bench, while Andy Irvine could celebrate his call-up by Scotland by being omitted completely from the matchday squad.

Already, I was planning the article headline that would follow a fourth consecutive home defeat by the visitors from Suffolk. “Tractor (rather than Taxi) for Mr Lopetegui” might be appropriate given the identity of the opposition. The extra 15 minutes even allowed time to invent an imaginary agricultural vehicle ride hailing app know as TUber!

The pre-match gloom, however, was quickly shattered when the Hammers joined the growing trend for scoring first minute goals. It was a move initiated by one pantomime villain – Tomas Soucek – and finished by another, as Michail Antonio anticipated Jarrod Bowen’s cross to stroke the ball into the net. The goal even featured a contribution from the hapless Kalvin Phillips who meekly conceded possession and belatedly made a positive impact to the West Ham cause.

Despite the visitor’s early equaliser – a shocking example of token defending by Lucas Paqueta – West Ham were the more dangerous side throughout. Even if the intensity ebbed and flowed during different phases of the match, the Hammers were largely in control. Other than set pieces and crosses, Ipswich posed few problems for the home defence where the axis of Max Kilman and Jean-Clair Todibo has the hallmarks of a promising partnership.

I sensed two significant tactical adjustments introduced by Lopetegui for the game. The first was a more obvious and balanced representation of the 4-1-4-1 formation which better suited the cast on the pitch. Guido Rodriguez played the anchor role effectively (albeit without spectacle), dropping into a back three as required and giving the full backs greater licence to roam. The second was an intent to move the ball forward quickly wherever possible. This was the tactic mistakenly branded as long ball by the Ipswich manager in his post-match gripe. It was a perfect example of West Ham playing on their toes (at last). It particularly plays to the strengths of Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus who arre at their most dangerous when attacking the space in front of them. It was also reassuring to see them more active inside the opposition box when the full backs provided width.

We should also mention a further deciding factor which was that McKenna clearly thought his side could win the game and heap further pressure on the struggling hosts. Gone was the caution that had underpinned their performances against Brighton and Villa to be replaced by an adventurous high-line that on the day played directly into the West Ham hands.

Despite a creditable all-round team performance by West Ham, it was amusing to read some of the ratings on the clickbait websites who appear contractually obliged to have a scapegoat highlighted in their misleading headline. This week, Aaron Wan-Bissaka – who put in a very decent performance in my eyes – was singled out for a 3/10 rating and summed up as ‘Useless’. At least they didn’t say ‘he stunk the place out’.  

Surprise package of the afternoon was probably Antonio who rolled back the years in causing grief to the Ipswich defenders – at least until he tired just after the hour mark. It was good to see but does excuse the fact that the club has so few options in this critical position.

The greatest concern is the indifferent form of Paqueta who continues to play without the creative spark that we know he can offer . No doubt the ongoing betting scandal – and the prospect of a lifetime ban – will be playing on his mind but he needs to sort out his antics and attitude. There is a point in every game where he loses possession to a fair challenge but goes down as if struck by a thunderbolt as the game continues around him. Is he now only being picked because there is no viable alternative. Although Carlos Soler might have been signed as a positional alternative, all we have seen so far is a player content to make short 5-yard passes.

Goalkeepers have been increasingly in the news recently, not because of their shot stopping antics but due to calamatous bloopers when attempting to play out from the back. It has been puzzling listening to pundits crticising keepers for having an inflated sense of their ball-playing abilities when in fact all the short passing around the box is done under instruction, rather than by choice. It is abundantly clear how uncomfortable our own keeper, Alphonse Areola, is with the concept. But he will know that it will incur the wrath of the data guy and his iPad if he doesn’t go along with the craziness.    

One interesting aspect of West Ham’s four goals is that only one – the first – is credited with an assist. I’ve never been a fan of the assist concept in that it is no more than identifying the previous teammate to touch the ball before a goal is scored, regardless of theusefulness of their input. So, there can no assist for Emerson’s fine run and cross or Antonio’s powerful header before the Kudus goal because the ball had hit the bar. And no assist for Bowen on the Paqueta goal, presumably because the ball brushed an Ipswich sock on its path across goal.

It was a welcome first home win for Lopetegui and three points which give the table a more respectable look going into the international break. The question is whether the team can build on it when the games resume. Was it a West Ham performance that demonstrated clear signs of improvement under a new regime or merely a victory against a naïve opponent who got their tactics wrong on the day? We often read or hear in the media about corners being turned in football – usually about Manchester United who turn so many corners in a season that they end up back where they started – but we must wait for two weeks and a trip to the Spursy Stadium for the next instalment. Although I’ve not checked the results, my instinct is that West Ham retrun from these breaks with a below par performance.  

At least we have a feel-good factor to carry us through the next empty weekend. COYI!

Can West Ham win their second game this season when we face a spirited Ipswich team?

We haven’t played against Ipswich Town since our promotion winning season of 2011-2012 when we were both in the Championship. That was the season when we finished third (Sam Allardyce had been appointed as the new manager at the beginning of the campaign – the aim was to gain promotion at the first attempt following relegation under Avram Grant). Do you remember Big Sam’s first signings? They were four of his old Bolton players, Kevin Nolan, Matt Taylor, Joey O’Brien, and Abdoulaye Faye.

Despite losing just one of our last 18 games (to eventual champions Reading – yes you read that right – Reading) and leading the table at the start of that run we were unable to secure automatic promotion. However, we were successful in the play-offs defeating Cardiff over both semi-final legs and Blackpool in the Wembley final. We would have gone up automatically if we had done better in our two league games against Ipswich who finished in the bottom half of the table.

At Upton Park we lost 1-0, and then at Portman Road on 31st January we were thrashed 5-1. A certain Aaron Cresswell was in the Ipswich side for both of those games. Following the 5-1 defeat we began that 18 match run where we lost just once. Victory in just one of those games against Ipswich would have been enough to finish the season as champions. The home defeat was the most annoying one to lose. But all is well that ends well, we secured promotion and Ipswich spent many years in the doldrums. And despite promotion to the Premier League where are Reading now? In the lower half of league one.

The last time we beat Ipswich was in the Championship Play-Off Finals in 2005. After drawing the first leg 2-2 at Upton Park (we were 2-0 up in the first 15 minutes – Zamora and Harewood)), two second half Bobby Zamora goals secured a place in the final in Cardiff where we nervously beat Preston 1-0 – Zamora again.

Ipswich didn’t like playing us in play-off semi-finals. Two years earlier they had won the first leg 1-0 before we came back at Upton Park with Matt Etherington’s superb shot early in the second half and a winner from Christian Dailly following a corner 20 minutes from the end. Unfortunately, our trip to Cardiff for the final that time ended in a 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace. That season Ipswich had finished third in the league 12 points clear of us – we had finished sixth just scraping into the play-offs.

Those of you who are old enough may remember the two games against Ipswich in the semi-final of the FA Cup in 1975. The first game played at Villa Park was possibly one of the most tedious games of football I have ever witnessed. It ended 0-0 with neither side come close to scoring. The return at Stamford Bridge in the snow the following Wednesday was won 2-1 with Alan Taylor scoring both goals, as he had done at Highbury in the quarter-final, and as he did at Wembley when we beat Fulham 2-0 in the final. Ironically, a couple of weeks after our semi-final replay win over Ipswich, and a week before we played in the Cup Final, Ipswich beat us 4-1 in a league game.

Ipswich are now back in the Premier League for the first time since they were last relegated in 2002. They have achieved this with two record-breaking back-to back promotions under the impressive Kieran McKenna and have begun this campaign without a victory in their six games played to date. There was no disgrace losing their opening two games to Liverpool and Manchester City, but since then they have become the draw kings sharing the points with Fulham, Brighton, Southampton and Aston Villa. Their two defeats and four points leaves them 15th in the current table, one point below us in 14th. Five of the six teams they have faced so far are currently in the top nine of the Premier League including four of the top six.

In the first half of the season opener against Liverpool, Ipswich started strongly, nullified the Merseysiders attacking threat in the first half, but couldn’t quite match their stronger second half performance and went down 2-0. It didn’t get any easier for the Tractor Boys with a visit to face the champions Manchester City the following week. After surprising their hosts in the first few minutes taking a lead against the run of play, they were 3-1 down after just 15 minutes and ended up losing 4-1 which included a Haaland hat-trick.

They led against Fulham in the next game and were perhaps the better team but were pulled back and drew 1-1. A difficult trip to the Amex Stadium followed and Brighton displayed their attacking skills throughout the game. However a dogged defensive display saw Ipswich hold on for another point in a goalless draw.

Away at St Mary’s in their next game Southampton took the lead in the first few minutes but Ipswich fought throughout for an equaliser, and their relentless never give up attitude saw them snatch a deserved 95th minute equaliser. Last weekend they took the lead against high flying Villa, fell 2-1 behind and then rallied to equalise the game at 2-2 in the second half with both goals coming from ex-Manchester City player Delap who looks quite a handful. I don’t think he takes throw-ins like his dad though!

Their games to date sum up how it will not be easy for us to beat them this weekend. If we underestimate them they could make us pay. They’ve made some fine acquisitions in the summer to add to the players who have shone in the past couple of seasons. Apart from Delap from City, Hutchinson from Chelsea, Szmodics from Blackburn, the highly skilled Jack Clarke from Sunderland, Greaves from Hull, and Kalvin Phillips (who we never saw the best of, but who is a very good combatative midfielder), they have a superb attacking left back in Leif Davis.

Geoff’s excellent article (published on Tuesday) sums up our season to date. It’s well worth a read and really sums up the current state of affairs at the start of a new season under our new head coach. Excellently described as always Geoff highlights how the players don’t seem to understand much of what the coach is looking for, how the formation and tactics don’t appear to be clear to them, and how they don’t seem to be aware of their roles and responsibilities within the team. He questions whether they even have the necessary skills and ability to follow what the manager wants them to do. It seems like we are watching a group of individuals not a collective team, players not playing in their best positions where they can be most effective (e.g. Kudus), and I just don’t know what Summerville has to do to be picked in the starting eleven.

The sub-heading of Geoff’s article sums it up succinctly in a sentence: “As the stuttering disjointed start to West Ham’s Julen Lopetegui enters its third month we are still awaiting signs that the tactical plan and player capabilities are converging.” Following this game we head off to the second International break after just 7 games of the season. Ridiculous! Lets hope we go into it with our second league win of the campaign

Unpicking West Ham’s Tactical Knot: Is It The Players Or The Plan?

As the stuttering disjointed start to West Ham’s Julen Lopetegui enters its third month we still awaiting signs that the tactical plan and player capabilities are converging.

It is always tempting at the end of a disappointing game of football to channel one’s dissatisfaction towards the performances of individual players. It fuels the fascination for player ratings and the juvenile clickbait reports as to which of this week’s starting eleven had ‘stunk the place out!’

Of course, there are games where individual performances have stood above the rest as match winning or where individuals have let the side down through ill-discipline or poor execution. But generally, the success or otherwise of a team relies on the collective efforts. And at the elite level – especially with the modern trend of obsessive micro coaching – that depends on everyone being aware of their roles and responsibilities and capable of carrying them out within a team dynamic.

The job of the coach is to know the strengths and weaknesses of each of his players – accepting they haven’t all necessarily been hand-picked to meet his specific needs – and deploy them in a manner that maximises their effectiveness as a group. The sum must become greater than the value of the parts if success is to be forthcoming. It can be no use having a theoretical style of play if the players do not collectively understand it or do not have the individual attributes to pull it off.

As things stand, it is apparent that Julen Lopetegui’s West Ham team are a long way short of team comfortable with the style of football they are meant to be serving up. It remains a group of individuals rather than a team. If we are to believe it is a ‘work I progress’, then shouldn’t we be seeing an obvious shape starting to emerge by now? On the evidence so far tactics and formations look all over the place.

It is a possibly unfair comparison, but it brought to mind the star studied squad which managed to get relegated under Glenn Roeder in 2002/3. If you can remember that far back, this was a side that featured the talents of Di Canio, Sinclair, Kanoute, Cole, Carrick and Defoe but which misfired chaotically for most of the season until Sir Trevor instilled a degree of organisation in the final knockings.

It is far too early to speculate that an equivalent outcome might arise, but it does highlight the importance of structure and organisation in making the most of individual excellence.

At the weekend, several pundits had suggested that Lopetegui didn’t yet know his best eleven. That may be true, but the bigger issue is the failure to create an identity and style of play that can be executed on the pitch by the resources available. Can we know the who before we know the what and the how? This was the part of the tactical transition where many understood the need for time and adjustment where a balance was struck between the coach’s dream and the player’s capabilities. Compromises were always going to be needed – but right now progress is looking slow and painful.

Let’s take the tactic of playing out from the back as an example. We have a goalkeeper who was never recruited for his ability with the ball at his feet. The centre back pairing has yet to be settled, the full backs have very different attributes, and the defensive midfield options are lacking in pace, and touch. The upshot is that collectively they find it difficult to break the press resulting in one of two things happening. Either they ultimately play it back to the keeper under pressure who resorts to the time-honoured punt up field, or the ball is switched repeatedly from side to side, losing momentum and the opportunity for rapid counter attacks.

While better movement and positioning can perhaps improve with practice, no amount of coaching can instil pace where it does not already exist. If the plan and the people don’t coincide then one or other must change. Unless a solution is found for moving the ball forward quickly and accurately then creating quality chances in the final third will remain challenging.

The implications of the ponderous build-up are obvious further forward. Creative midfielders get dragged deep into their own half where they can cause no damage, and attacking players, whose strength is running into space, are faced with one or more opponents in their path. Frustration takes hold and they end up down blind alleys or taking hopeful pot shots from distance. That West Ham are top seven for number of shots but bottom six for Expected Goals illustrates the quality of the chances being created.

To conclude that, say, Mohammed Kudus is sulking, or Lucas Paqueta is disinterested in this context is based on flimsy evidence – although it makes for a good headline. It is staggering how many pundits and commentators speak fluent body language these days. The player’s role in most teams is tightly defined with little independent scope to try something different when they are having little success carrying out the coach’s instructions. It must surely lead to tensions and my immediate reaction to Kudus being replaced at half-time was that there had been a dressing room bust up Later reports have supported this version of events although we cannot know if they are true. Are there any supporters who believe that Kudus is being played in the position where we will see the best from him? The interesting thing was that he was replaced by Carlos Soler rather than ‘Jimmy’ Summerville who would have been the natural replacement – and who had been very unfortunate to have been benched in the first place.

Whether it was because of or in spite of the substitutions, the Hammer’s second half showing against Brentford was much improved. Having scored their customary first minute goal – at least we held out longer than Manchester City and Tottenham thanks to the advantage of taking the kick-off – the home side appeared reluctant to press home their early advantage. They would not pick up the pace again until after the West Ham equaliser. In all it was a scrappy, low-quality affair in which the Bees might point to a lengthy injury list in mitigation.

The West Ham highlight of the afternoon was the performance of Aaron Wan-Bissaka who excelled back in a conventional full back role. And proved he is both our best right and left back. Can he be cloned? It was another unexpected choice to introduced Dinos Mavropanos instead of Vladimir Coufal but it was a move that gave the defence a more solid feel.

It was another enigmatic showing from Tomas Soucek. No-one can dislike the big Czech for his attitude and commitment, but he is as much a part of the defensive midfield problem as he is of its solution. However, he has managed to pick up a re-brand during the early season struggles as the old dependable – and while he is popping up with a share of the goals, who can argue with that?

The final game before the international break will see the Hammers hoping to break their London Stadium wipe out against new promoted Ipswich Town. The spirit and determination of the visitors cannot be underestimated and will need to be matched if the first home points are to be put on the board. COYI!

Can West Ham improve upon four points from five games when we visit Brentford this weekend?

The sixth Premier league game of the 2024-25 season is also our sixth league game in London when we visit the GTech Community Stadium this Saturday. Even our second round league cup tie was at home when we beat Bournemouth 1-0. It must have been quite a shock to our players having to travel all the way to Liverpool on Wednesday night in the third round of the League Cup.

And what can you say about another five goals against, albeit to another of the top teams? Both sides started the game having made several changes so in many ways it was almost like two reserve sides in opposition. Was 5-1 a true reflection of the game? I thought not personally. We were fortunate with the own goal that gave us a lead, but the build up to the Liverpool equaliser was clearly offside. Where was VAR when we needed it? We could have had one, two or possibly three penalties but all were marginal decisions and not surprisingly weren’t awarded – we were playing at Anfield after all. How many opposing sides get given penalties there?

We were still well in it at 2-1 down but they were much more clinical in their finishing, especially Salah and Gakpo, whereas we spurned the chances we had. For me, I can’t excuse Alvarez – his tackling decision making leaves a lot to be desired as his bookings record shows. Although I was surprised when the commentator said that it was the first time that he’d been sent off in his career. The same is true of Paqueta – you can safely bet on him getting a yellow card and he came close to getting a red too!

Effectively Alvarez cost us and had he stayed on it would certainly have been closer. Taking everything into account Liverpool were the better team but they certainly had the rub of the green. I was amazed to see some criticism of some individual players online, especially Bowen and Summerville who I thought were our best players, and even Antonio looked much better when he came on than he had in recent games this season.

So now we move on to Brentford on Saturday. Fixtures against Brentford began well over 100 years ago in 1898, and we beat them the first six times that we played them. The early games were in the Southern League First Division where we met them 26 times up to 1913. We didn’t meet again until 1927 when they knocked us out of the FA Cup after a replay following a draw at Upton Park. From then until 1993 we met them from time to time when our paths crossed in the second tier of English football. It wasn’t until they were promoted to the Premier League in 2021 that we faced each other in the top flight.

We did knock them out of the FA Cup on their ground in 2023 when Said Benrahma ironically scored the only goal of the game, but that was the only time we have beaten them away from home since 1953 over 70 years ago.

This is now their fourth season in the Premier League, and in the six league meetings we have beaten them only once (losing the other five) – Our sole victory came the last time we met in February this year when Jarrod Bowen scored a hat-trick in a 4-2 victory at the London Stadium. The three away games were all defeats 2-0, 2-0, and last season 3-2 (when we led 2-1 at half-time). So very much a bogey team until our last meeting.

They have started the season well at home with two wins in their two games, 2-1 against Palace and 3-1 versus Southampton. They have lost all three games on the road, with difficult fixtures at Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham.

The feature of the City and Tottenham games is one that we need to be aware of especially as at times we are slow starters in games. Against City they took the lead in just 22 seconds, and against Tottenham almost the same in 23 seconds. Both games were lost 2-1 and 3-1 but nevertheless we could do without conceding an early goal.

Geoff’s excellent article published on Wednesday sums up very well what happened in the Chelsea game and where we are now. Although we were comfortable losers in the game the one decision that astonished me was the pullback on Summerville. Had the penalty been given (as it almost certainly should have been) then successful conversion would have reduced the deficit and perhaps it might have been a different game had we just been trailing 2-1 at the interval. Nevertheless, still a lot for the head coach and players to work on.

Brentford won’t be an easy fixture but it’s the kind of game we would hope to be winning (and definitely not losing) if we are truly going to improve on last season’s ninth place finish and push on towards European qualification. If we don’t then we will fall further behind the teams above us. The next international break comes up after this game and the one at home to Ipswich. It would be good to have ten points by then. The two games that follow the break are at Tottenham and then at home to Manchester United.

A winning run is needed and then we might begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel (a phrase coined by the new Prime Minister this week). What did he say? It needs to get worse before it gets better. Was he referring to economic prospects or West Ham?

In Summerville, Kudus and Bowen we have an attacking trio that will cause problems for most defences. I still worry about lack of pace behind them though. Perhaps Paqueta will start to play like the Brazilian international that he is? Perhaps Soler will turn out to be as good as he was touted to be? Perhaps Irvine will turn out to be the biggest surprise of all? It’s hard to work out the direction in which we are going but we definitely need to get it right soon.

Lopetegui’s Baptism Of Dire. Time For The New West Ham Coach To Demonstrate His Tactical Pedigree

Nobody said it would be easy but there have been few encouraging signs of progress from new look West Ham style and squad. The run of three games before the next international break may take on more significance than expected.

It is fair to say that the record breaking start to Julen Lopetegui’s rein as coach of West Ham United wasn’t quite what he was hoping for. A third consecutive London Stadium defeat – this time at the hands of Chelsea – making it the first time in a chaotic history that the Hammers have ever lost their opening three home league fixtures.

In the summer I had speculated how the extent of the changes in personnel and style – plus the slow pace of recruitment – made a stuttering start to the season almost inevitable. Patience would be required. But with the appointment of Lopetegui not being the most popular of choices outside of the board room, the honeymoon period could well be short-lived.

Indeed, the first rumblings of discontent have already been heard through the dreaded ‘careful watch you wish for’ raising its ugly head on Saturday’s TV commentary. Of course, it is a cliché predicated on the false dilemma that there was only a binary choice between keeping the Scottish manager and bring in  Lopetegui – which was simply not the case.

For now, Lopetegui must continue to get the benefit of the doubt. Not every manager is able to make an immediate impact, but it is difficult not to pick up on worrying signs from the haphazard nature of performances to date. And especially having recently watched the abysmal showing against Chelsea in what should be one of the Hammer’s premier London derbies of the season.

Had we witnessed encouraging performances that were blighted only by individual slips as players acclimatised to the new style it would be easy to explain away. However, the apparent absence of intensity, passion, organisation, and cohesion is a whole lot more difficult to overlook.

Failure to put in decent showings against Liverpool in Thursday’s EFL cup-tie and the two remaining league fixtures – Brentford away and Ipswich at home – before the next international break will surely increase the pressure. How long before we see the first sighting of a headline on Hammers Zone News websites proclaiming ‘Lopetegui has just four games to save his job’?

Precisely how the coach plans for his team to approach games has not yet become apparent. From what we have seen and what we were told to expect it may or may not involve some of the following: an emphasis of possession; playing out from the back; a high defensive line; full backs providing attacking width; central midfielders supporting the centre backs in defending and beating the press; wide attackers playing narrower as inside forwards; and a striker providing link up play as well as being the arrowhead for attacks.

In an ideal world, the coach has his philosophy, and the recruitment guy finds the individuals capable of slotting into it. The scale of the personnel changes required has clearly led to compromises and the jury is out as to which players in the squad have the attributes to embrace the new philosophy quickly. Current evidence is of a huge gap between the sum and the parts.

The biggest question marks for me are the absence of pace and athleticism in midfield and the confusing role of the full backs. We might also add in the ongoing striker debacle once we have had the chance for a proper look at Niclas Fullkrug. The instinct is that a quicker, more mobile alternative would have been a more productive addition but perhaps Fullkrug can become the perfect foil for the talents of Bowen and Kudus.

Of the defensive midfield options, none of Edson Alvarez, Guido Rodriguez or Tomas Soucek is blessed with the pace or mobility required to provide rotational defensive cover or to shift the ball quickly once in possession. In theory, using two defensive midfielders two centre backs in a box formation prevents opponents attacking through the middle, but West Ham have been ruthlessly exposed in this area during each of the early games this season. Without the use of conventional full backs, the backline becomes strung out rather than compact.

It is the role of the full backs which raises the most eyebrows. It doesn’t help that the first-choice pair are completely different in style to start with. Emerson happier in the attacking wing back role, capable of cutting inside but weaker in defending. Aaron Wan-Bissaka regularly touted as the best one-on-one defender in the league but looking lost and confused as a tucked-in wing back that has left him jogging back as opponents exploit the oceans of room vacated.  

Wan-Bissaka was one of those implicated in the opening goal last Saturday. It was schoolboy defending (possibly unfair to PE teachers across the country) to turn backs or look away as their opponents prepared to take a quick free kick. It set the tone for much of the match. Alvarez was criticised for not being able to run faster than he can in tracking Jackson’s run, but at least he gave it a go. He might have been better advised to stand and watch like his colleagues. Too often West Ham players are static, standing on their heels rather than playing on their toes – one of the hallmarks of the entertaining Greenwood and Lyall teams of old.

Despite Chelsea’s dominance, the Hammers might have been handed a unlikely lifeline had the referee correctly awarded a penalty when Fofana held back the run of ‘Jimmy’ Summerville. It appears this kind of foul has a length of hold time limit – like the three second rule when you drop a piece of food on the floor – during which it is acceptable to carry on as normal. But only if it happens inside the area. Fofana was booked for a similar offence on Summerville in safer territory some moments later. Every year PGMOL come up with new and imaginative ways to spoil the game. This year’s special is the blitz on delaying the re-start which will be quietly forgotten before the clocks change.

A ray of light from the early Lopetegui era is a willingness to make substitutions earlier in the game. Once he learns to make wise ones it will be an added bonus. No-one could argue against the withdrawal of Guido Rodriguez but replacing him with Tomas Soucek was akin to switching one dud battery for another in a Duracel bunny and wondering why it still doesn’t work. While making first half changes might be applauded it could also suggest poor team selection or tactics in the first place. Replacing Summerville with Michail Antonio was particularly perplexing as it removed one of our most dangerous players and forced another (Mohammed Kudus) to switch to a less favoured position. Declining to bring on the rarely seen Jean-Clair Todibo and previous week’s saviour, Danny Ings, were equally questionable.

The next three games may go a long way to defining the direction of travel. They will either deepen the gloom or hint at a light at the end of the tunnel. Starting with an away visit to Anfield in the compromised draw of the EFL Cup is not where you would want to start but there needs to be encouraging signs even in anticipated defeat. Surely a chance for Todibo as well as for Carlos Soler and Andy Irvine who both looked as if they were familiar with a football during their late introductions against Chelsea. They could do no worse than Lucas Paqueta who continues to offer only intermittent inspiration rather than the sustained playmaking influence required.

West Ham expects. COYI!

For the third time in the first five games this season West Ham face an opponent who put five past us in the last campaign

For the third time in the first five games this season West Ham face an opponent who put five past us in the last campaign when Chelsea visit the London Stadium this weekend. Despite not being very convincing we avenged Palace and Fulham. Can we make it three in a row?

Considering the wealth at their disposal this Saturday’s early kick off opponents Chelsea have made an indifferent start to their Premier League campaign. In their first game they went down fairly tamely at home to (Champions elect, but facing 115 charges) Manchester City. The following week they won 6-2 at Wolves but then couldn’t beat Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge. Then following the international break they survived a Bournemouth penalty miss to snatch a winning goal in the dying minutes. They have seven points from four games and sit in eighth place.

Hopefully you read Geoff’s excellent article about our late equaliser to draw at Fulham. I have little to add to that. In many ways I am not surprised by our own indifferent start to the season given the changes of coach and influx of new players but my surprise comes with team selection. I don’t understand why Summerville is not in the starting lineup enabling Kudus to be better deployed. Nor do I see why Todibo has not yet been given his opportunity. Soucek and Antonio seem so out of touch (and their touch has been poor) that they must be left out soon surely? Mavropanos has been ok in some respects but is he better than Todibo? Despite Antonio’s poor form he does have a good goal scoring and assists record against the West Londoners.

I have seen numerous games against Chelsea in my time but one game stands out thanks to the superb performance on the day of one of our best ever players. The 1973-74 season had begun poorly and our first win at Upton Park came as late as December against Manchester City. We were dumped out of the FA Cup in the third round early in January 1974 by Hereford in a replay after a draw at Upton Park, but then we went on a nine match unbeaten run which began with a victory over a Manchester United team that would be relegated at the end of the season. 

In early March 1974 (hard to believe it was 50 years ago this year as my memory is still so vivid) we were still in the relegation battle ourselves. A song entered the top ten from Paper Lace entitled Billy, Don’t Be A Hero which was to become the number one for the next three weeks. The eighth match of the unbeaten run (and the fifth victory) came against Chelsea. We won the game comfortably 3-0 and it was one of Billy Bonds most memorable games for us (and he had so many) but in this one he scored a hat-trick from midfield. Yes, Billy really was a hero so many times for us. In the season he scored 13 goals and six came in the month of March. Quite rightly he was voted Hammer of The Year in 1974. It was one of the most memorable one man match winning performances I have ever witnessed.

How I’d love to see a repeat of what we did in the away fixture on Easter Saturday in 1986. Remember the boys of ’86? We won 4-0 at Stamford Bridge with goals from Alan Devonshire, Tony Cottee and Frank McAvennie. 

Or the last home game of 2002-3 when Paolo Di Canio came on as a substitute and scored the vital goal to give us a win and a lifeline, which sadly meant nothing when we went down incredibly with 42 points the following week. That was his last goal in a claret and blue shirt. 

I also remember a cold December day in 2012 (when Benitez was temporarily Chelsea manager and was so disliked by his own supporters). They scored first and then we came back strongly with three unlikely goalscorers, a Carlton Cole headed equaliser, a fierce shot from Diame that was actually on target, and then finally a Maiga rebound tap in. That was our first win against them at the fourteenth attempt after the Di Canio goal that had given us victory almost ten years earlier. We then had another five winless games until our next victory in 2015 in the final season at Upton Park.

In my early days of attending Upton Park, Chelsea were one of the teams we always seemed to beat. From our promotion to the top division in 1958-59 through to the game I refer to above in 1973-74 we played them 14 times at home, winning ten, drawing two, and losing just two games (in successive seasons 1966-67 and 1967-68). In the twelve games that we won or drew we never failed to score at least two goals. But the Billy Bonds game is the one that sticks most clearly in my memory. We finished that season on 37 points (as did Chelsea), one point above the relegation places, so the victory turned out to be a vital one  in our fight to remain in the top division. 

In the following season Chelsea themselves were relegated. Throughout the 1970s we flirted with relegation virtually every season (except 1972-73 when we finished in the top half). It was a decade that saw not only Manchester United and Chelsea suffer relegation but Tottenham too after they finished at the bottom in 1976-77. We were relegated the following year 1977-78 and spent three years out of the top flight. 

By the end of the twentieth century our record against Chelsea was a positive one overall. In the years since that has very much not been the case. Money has been an important factor in that. But three excellent wins in recent years, Yarmolenko’s late winner in 2020, Masuaku’s late fluke in 2021 and our victory at the beginning of last season. Can we add another this weekend?

Lop-sided West Ham Contrive To Pilfer Undeserved Point From Craven Cottage

A strange team selection was a case of inexplicable self-harm for West Ham’s ambitions as they struggle to build momentum or impose themselves against Fulham. Here are the takeaways.

Meet The New Boss, Same As The Old Boss?

With three Premier League games and an international break under the belt the short trip across town to Craven Cottage should have been the perfect opportunity to get a better understanding of what can be expected from Julen Lopetegui’s West Ham.

Most supporters will have appreciated the need for patience during the transition from the cautious approach of the previous manager and the bedding in of a host of new signings. But many will be left scratching their heads at how little has changed so far – or at least the pace at which change is taking place.  

Lopetegui is not known as a leading-edge progressive coach. But the expectation was that he would prepare a team capable of imposing themselves in games such as this by jealously guarding possession of the ball. There are few signs yet that this is anywhere close to happening and it was Fulham – no more than a decent mid-table team – who by some distance looked the better coached of the two teams.  

Claims that the performance was little different to what was seen last season are wide of the mark with obvious differences in a higher defensive line and desire to play out from the back. However, it was thanks to the Scottish manager’s old chestnut of resilience that eventually allowed the Hammers to scrape out an undeserved draw in the game’s dying minutes. Critics might also point to the fact that West Ham continue to be at the lower end of Premier League teams for possession (43% compared to 41% last season) and (in terms of minutes played) they are now the oldest side in the league.

Growing Pains or Bad Judgement?

There must have been a collective groan across the West Ham supporting world when the team sheets again revealed starting positions for both Michail Antonio and Tomas Soucek – and the absence of any semblance of creativity in midfield. It is ironic that while every supporter in the land is aware of the deficiencies these two have with ball control, it is lost on a highly experienced coaching team who work with them every day. Are we to believe they are the masters of one-touch and instant control in training all week, and only revert to clown shoe wearing incompetents once the referee’s whistle blows?  

An argument might be made for the coach showing loyalty to members of the squad that he inherited but they have had their chance, and their time has now passed. Everything else that went wrong in the performance stemmed from that initial inexplicable team selection decision. Playing a high defensive line while being incapable of keeping the ball through the middle was never going to work out well.

Formations and Substitutions

It would have been a major surprise if Antonio and Soucek had not been hooked off at half-time. It was such an obvious change that no credit can go to the coaching staff for spotting it. It was a better West Ham performance in the second period but, in truth, it would have been impossible to be any worse. Despite that, it was never a convincing turn around and after an initial flurry, the hosts largely remained in control.

Formations can be very fluid in modern football and vary depending on whether you are in or out of possession. It was not apparent after the break that everyone fully understood their role. The full backs rarely got far enough forward to provide the width that we are told Lopetegui expects, but neither did they resembled a traditional back four – largely occupying a no-mans-land between the two. And the front three – Mohammed Kudus, Jarrod Bowen, and ‘Jimmy’ Summerville – who should be a handful for anyone failed to operate as unit to put the Fulham defence under pressure. It is as if there is still a fixation with ‘one’ up front rather than ‘three.’ Failing to address this structural issue will not resolve the isolated striker problem that had haunted the Hammer’s attacking play for many a season – whether it is Bowen, Danny Ings or Nicklas Fullkrug playing as the arrow head.

We should perhaps give credit to the coach for flooding the field with attack minded players in the closing stages although positioning was somewhat anarchic as Kudus switched from left to right to left again and Summerville popped up on the right in the build up to the equaliser. The Ings goal was well taken and suggest that he can maybe do a job for now if given the right level of support.

The Strange Case of the Missing New Signings

I am not as negative on Dinos Mavropanos as other West Ham supporters appear to be. Goals conceded are more often a case of joint enterprise where it is defensive shape and cumulative failings that lead to a defence being breached rather than individual error. Mavropanos was certainly excruciatingly slow in closing down Smith-Rowe but how was the latter given so much space in the first place? And where was Aaron Wan-Bissaka who after previous encouraging performances was given the run around for most of the afternoon by Iwobi and Smith-Rowe?

Having said that, Mavropanos has not been so outstanding as to deny giving Jean-Clair Todibo the opportunity to show what he can do. Todibo comes highly rated, so his lack of game time (8 minutes in total) is a mystery. There is  no chance of adapting to life in English football from sitting on the bench.

And what has become of Luis Guilherme who neither gets a place in the matchday squad or seemingly the opportunity to play for the U21s. It’s an unusual way to develop a player even if he is regarded as one for the future.

Must Do Better

Four points from four games is not a great start to a season where the ambition has to be competing for one of the available European places. It’s early days but the hopeful shoots of improvement have yet to emerge.

The current trajectory of one point per game would have us on the fringes of relegation battle, although that will surely improve as the season progresses. The coach has another four of five games to demonstrate the club is on the right path before the pressure mounts. On a more positive note, West Ham earned just one from the equivalent four fixtures last season, so arguably we are already ahead of the curve. COYI!

West Ham have already avenged the five goals conceded at Selhurst Park last season. Can we become repeat avengers when we visit Fulham?

Despite having a manager that was frequently described as cautious, one of the most disappointing aspects of the 2023-24 season was the fact that we conceded more goals in the Premier League than all the other teams with the exception of the three that were relegated. It didn’t take the new head coach very long after getting his feet under the table to decide that this was one area that needed urgent rectification.

Many thought we had paid over the odds splashing out £40 million on the Wolves captain, but early signs are good and Kilman would appear to be worth every penny based on his performances so far. Todibo is a player who was coveted by many, and although he has little opportunity to date, hopefully he can prove to be an equally astute acquisition. Wan-Bissaka has hit the ground running and has demonstrated his defensive capabilities already, plus surprisingly to some (perhaps the Manchester United management?) excellent full back attacking qualities. At £15 million for a 26-year-old he may turn out to be one of the best captures of the last transfer window. It was a surprise to me that he wasn’t coveted by more teams.

Two of the more depressing results last season came on visits to London sides who finished below us in the table. Who would have thought that we would go away to North London and return with six points from the games at Tottenham and Arsenal, but concede ten goals on our trips to Fulham and Crystal Palace? It was 5-0 at Craven Cottage which was then compounded by a 2-0 defeat at the London Stadium towards the end of the season. At least we managed to take a point off Palace in a 1-1 draw at home, before being thrashed 5-2 at Selhurst Park just a week after the dispiriting loss at home to Fulham.

After just three games this time we have already avenged last season’s humiliation at Palace with goals from Soucek and Bowen in a 2-0 win last month in our first away trip of the season. Game four of the new campaign, the first after the ‘ridiculously early in the season’ international break gives us the opportunity to take our revenge on Fulham too when we visit Craven Cottage this weekend.

It is astonishing how the fixtures computer has thrown up this season’s early games in that the first nine, covering a quarter of a season almost, are all in London! The game after this one coming up is a home game against Chelsea, and once again an early opportunity to remedy last season’s shocking visit to Stamford Bridge in May when they were another team to give us a 5-0 hiding. And the game after that is a visit to the Brentford Community Stadium where we went down 3-2 last season after holding a half-time lead.

We don’t travel for a Premier League game outside the capital until November when we visit Nottingham on Matchday 10. By then we would have already had two international breaks and a third will be just two games away. What a way to disrupt a campaign! Three international breaks will have been endured after just eleven games of the season. Ridiculous in my view!

Although a number of our key players have been away on international duty, I hope that the new head coach has had the opportunity to take stock of the situation. Yes, we have lost twice at home already, although they were fixtures against teams that finished in the Champions League qualification places last time around. However, we have already avenged the Palace debacle from last season, lets hope we can do the same at Fulham.

I’ve no idea what Mr Lopetegui has in mind for team selection but personally I’d like to see Kudus moved inside into the number 10 role where I think he can do more damage (he can’t perform at his best stuck out on the left despite still being a threat), and Summerville given a start on the left. Perhaps Kudus and Bowen can interchange between the centre and right throughout the game? I had hoped for Fullkrug to be given an opportunity from the start this time too but his injury picked up on international duty has put an end to that idea. Once again we are short of any real alternative to Antonio in the ‘number 9’ role. I wonder if Bowen will be pushed forward as he was at times last season to allow Kudus to play on the right and get Summerville into the team that way? Who knows? Another three points would be good though. What are the chances?

Windows, Breaks, Free Agents, Formations and Squad Lists As West Ham Return To Premier League Action

With the Premier League squad list deadline looming this weekend will there be even more new arrivals at the London Stadium and where are they all going to play?

I have always loved those American blues songs where the singer wakes up one morning to discover his wife has done left him, the dog has died, his truck won’t start, and the house has been repossessed. It is exactly the same sort od sentiments I get whenever we have to put up with yet another international break. It’s now one down and three more to go for the remainder of the season. The next popping up to spoil our enjoyment in just four weeks’ time.

Putting the new season on hold with only three games played is particularly frustrating. Especially in Europe where I have yet to be convinced about the wisdom of creating the Nations League – the Europa Conference League of international competition. But I suppose the authorities needed to find something marketable to promote while the South Americans commence their World Cup qualification campaign, and the Cup of Nations qualifiers proceed in Africa. Sometimes you can’t help feeling there is too much football being played for players and supporters alike.

West Ham went into the first break with 100% records both home and away. Unfortunately, at home that had meant consecutive defeats as Manchester City extended their dominant streak against the Hammers to 16 wins in the last 19 league encounters. Erling Haaland has now scored seven times in five appearances against West Ham. His latest hattrick even lacking the customary penalty.

While City looked in control for most part of the London Stadium contest it was a spirited performance from the home side. A West Ham team intent on making a game of it rather than sitting back and spending 90 minutes without the ball was a palpable relief after the experoences of recent years. There were certainly positive signs that a more entertaining and enterprising brand of football is in the works, even if it is one that is developing at an evolutionary rather than revolutionary pace. If there is one team who are guaranteed to seize on and punish the merest of wayward passes, then it is Pep Guardiola’s side. Although the Hammers came close to drawing level at 2-2 the suspicion was always there that the visitors could up a gear whenever they chose to. Only severe FA sanctions are likely to prevent a fifth straight Premier League title for the Sky Blues.  

Although the main transfer window ‘slammed shut’ several weeks ago it is still possible to squeeze a free agent or two through the sky light in advance of the League’s squad list deadline on Friday. If the rumours are true, this loophole may see further arrivals turning up at the London Stadium to prop up the positions remaining short of cover despite the summer spending spree.

A recent trend with transfer windows has been either to rate them out of ten or to put forward an opinion as to whatever club ‘won’ it. There are, of course, no prizes for winning the window and its success or otherwise will only become clear over time. On paper the summer business at West Ham looks decent as Tim Steidten and Julen Lopetegui set about reshaping and revamping the small and unbalanced squad left behind by the previous manager. I am in danger of repeating myself, but it still baffles me that pundits and commentators – who are presumably paid handsomely for their laughably superficial opinions – believed that the Scottish manager had left the club in good shape. If it had been in good shape, it wouldn’t have needed the transfer kitty to be spread across ten or more new signings.

The biggest disappointment of the window was the failure to command much in the way of fees for the players seen as surplus to requirements. While the loan departures of Kurt Zouma, Nayef Aguerd, James Ward-Prowse and Maxwell Cornet may have helped trim the weekly wage bill, little residual value will remain once a further year has passed on their contracts. Trading players is now a significant factor in determining the revenues on which future recruitment must be based.

Once the dust has fully settled, the greatest concern with the squad is with strikers. Lopetegui’s perseverance so far with Michail Antonio has been a huge surprise. Even at his peak of pace and power, Antonio would never have been first choice for a team following a possession-based philosophy. The alternatives of Niclas Fullkrug (allegedly now out injured) and Danny Ings require a very different level of service from the supporting players. If either is to make a noticeable contribution, they need the wider players (whether it is Jarrod Bown, Mohammed Kudus, or ‘Jimmy’ Summerville) to be deployed narrower rather than stranded out wide. This, in turn, requires the full backs (Aaron Wan-Bissake and Emerson) to offer the width in the attacking half.

An alternate plan would be to replace the idea of an outright striker with a flexible front three of Summerville, Bowen, and Kudus. The advantage would be better use of resouces, rescuing Kudus from a position marooned wide on the left but may result in a loss of focus for attacks. Done well it could be difficult to defend against but would be another transitional challenge for the coaching staff.

The midfield permutations have become ever more complex following the late addition of (Carlos) Soler energy to the equation. It leaves Soler, Lucas Paqueta, Edson Alvarez, Guido Rodriguez, Tomas Soucek, and Andy Irvine fighting for three or four starting berths – according on which nominal formation Lopetegui elects to play in any given game or against any given opposition. Perhaps there will be an indication of his thinking when the team is announced for Saturday’s game at Fulham. It is difficult to imagine too much playing time for Soucek and can Paqueta and Soler be accommodated in the same eleven?

It can’t be long before Max Kilman and Jean-Clair Todibo become the preferred centre-back partnership. With only Dinos Mavropanos as cover this is the position where additional free-agent backup is believed to be wanted before the weekend’s squad deadline. The current names in the frame being Joel Matip and Joe Egan.

All in all, the squad that has been assembled should be capable of competing towards the top end of the table. It would be disappointing not to be in the mix for a European place during the final weeks of the season. For it to happen, though, requires the pace of change to quicken and for an effective way to be found to integrate the undoubted attacking talent that the club now has. I remain confident for an exciting and interesting season ahead – at least until the next internation break. COYI!  

West Ham face the stiffest Premier League test of all when Manchester City are the visitors on Saturday

Last Weekend at Palace

Before last Saturdays game at Selhurst Park I asked the question as to whether more of our summer signings would make the starting eleven. The answer was no. That was disappointing but I guess the head coach either believes they are not ready or he wants to give every chance to existing players to stake a claim. I was unable to see the game so had to make do with highlights. From those I would deduce that both Soucek and especially Bowen took their goals well in the second half, Kilman had yet another excellent game and looks to be a superb acquisition, and Wan-Bissaka too looked very good in the limited time he was on the pitch.

Kilman’s drive forward with the ball and well timed pass showed what a good ball-playing defender can add to a team. And Wan-Bissaka (ironically described as a world class one on one defender but limited going forward – not good enough for Manchester United anyway!) proved doubters wrong with some fine work down the right flank which led to Soucek’s goal.

There seemed to be chances at both ends in the first half with Eze (unluckily hitting the bar with Areola well beaten), Edouard missing a relatively easy chance, and both Antonio and Kudus missing chances where they could have done better.

I would also assume that Health and Safety people will be visiting the ground in view of the barrier that gave way when West Ham fans were celebrating Soucek’s goal. Well done to both Soucek and Bowen for rescuing what could have been a very serious situation.

That was my interpretation of the highlights. What did I miss?

Carabao Cup v Bournemouth

 I was disappointed (I suspect not the only one) when the starting line-up was revealed for the Palace game. I had hoped for Wan-Bissaka, Todibo, Fullkrug and Summerville to be in the starting eleven in place of Coufal, Mavropanos, Antonio and Soucek. But I am told that Mavropanos had a decent game (benefitting from playing alongside Kilman perhaps), and of course Soucek scored the opening goal so the right result was achieved. An important three points.

The summer signings who have yet to be involved from the start (or had minimal minutes on the pitch) will have been chomping at the bit to show what they can do in the all-Premier League cup tie against Bournemouth. The four I referred to all started in the game. The whole team looked rusty in the first half and it showed that they are not really up to speed yet in many cases. It didn’t improve much (if at all) in the second half until the substitutes appeared.

Wan-Bissaka was the pick of the four for me, I thought that he looked an absolute bargain for £15 million, once again showing attacking qualities as well as well-known defensive ones despite having to fill in at left back. For me he will provide so much more than Coufal. Once again Kilman looked very impressive. Alvarez was right on the ball from the off. For everyone else I’ll reserve judgement for the time being, although I thought that Coufal, Soucek and Mavropanos had very poor games.

Incredibly this is a competition that we have never won (although we have come close) yet in theory it is possibly the easiest trophy to lift with just a few wins needed to reach a Wembley final. Traditionally clubs field weakened teams in the earlier rounds to keep squad players happy and with the stronger squad that we appear to have assembled this time around you would hope that we would not be too disadvantaged, but at times in this game our team played like strangers who hadn’t played together (which I guess was the case!).

Bournemouth were rightly aggrieved to go out of the competition in the way that they did. After being robbed of a win last Sunday against Newcastle when VAR controversially disallowed a winner which went in off a shoulder, they would almost certainly have been saved by VAR this time, except it wasn’t in operation. Bowen was probably offside when the ball went in (it seemed) off his elbow, but neither of the two reasons that VAR would have found to disallow the goal were spotted by the officials and hence we went into the next round after a game that gave us little to get excited about.

The controversy doesn’t end there though. Winning the tie meant that we were ‘rewarded’ with a trip to Anfield in the next round, after a ‘rigged’ draw kept all the sides playing in the Champions League and Europa League apart. I remember the days when draws for domestic cup competitions were purely random! And don’t get me started about the draw for the Champions League and the other European competitions. To accommodate 36 teams in the Champions League which means more games (189 up from 125) and added revenue (£4.1 billion up from £3.1 billion) the draw for the new format (where ‘every game counts’) with a league phase replacing the traditional group games, was done using Artificial Intelligence. Apparently if the draw had been done in the traditional manual way with people unscrewing plastic balls taken from a bowl, it would have taken four hours with 1000 different balls in 36 bowls!

Historical memories of games v Manchester City

We have faced Manchester City 17 times in the Premier League since we last beat them in September 2015. Moses and Sakho put us 2-0 up in the first half that day before De Bruyne pulled one back just before half time. But we held on for a 2-1 win. Cresswell, Antonio and De Bruyne are the only survivors from that day that remain in the squads today. We did beat them 5-3 on Penalties in a League Cup tie in 2021 after drawing 0-0, and we have managed draws at Upton Park in 2016 and at the London Stadium in 2020 and 2022.

Back in March 1996 Niall Quinn deprived me of £400 in the fixture at Upton Park. City were a softer touch around that time and I had placed a £5 bet at 80-1 on us beating them 4-1 in the game. Unfortunately, Quinn scored with the last kick of the game and it ended 4-2! I should have repeated the bet four years later when, despite being 1-0 down at half time at Upton Park, we ran out 4-1 winners with goals from Lomas, Sinclair, Pearce, and a 90th minute penalty converted by Di Canio. But I didn’t.

In December 1994 Tony Cottee scored a hat trick in a 3-0 win at Upton Park. A year earlier in November 1993 we beat them 3-1 with goals from Burrows, Chapman and Matty Holmes. I remember that game as one of the first I can recall on Monday Night Football on Sky – it came shortly after Julian Dicks joined Liverpool in a swap deal which involved full back David Burrows and Mike Marsh coming to West Ham. To add some power to the forward line Lee Chapman was bought from Portsmouth.

A memory from the 1980s from September 1982 – at Upton Park we beat City 4-1 (that score has featured a few times hasn’t it in history) – Sandy Clark notched a brace (do you remember him?), Paul Goddard and our skilful Belgian Francois Van der Elst scored the goals.

In March 1970 we were struggling in the league and were 17th in the table. A new goalscorer was needed and one arrived when a swap deal was arranged with Tottenham as Martin Peters joined Spurs and the legendary Jimmy Greaves arrived at Upton Park. Greaves first game was at Maine Road in pouring rain on a mudbath of a pitch and was covered by Match of the Day in the days when only one game was shown on the programme. Greaves scored twice, Geoff Hurst scored twice and Ronnie Boyce scored from 50 yards volleying back City keeper Joe Corrigan’s kick from his penalty area straight into the net. An unforgettable game.

My memory stretches back even further to the 1962-63 season. We met fellow strugglers (we were 19th at the time) Manchester City early in the season (September) and beat them 6-1 at Maine Road. We faced them again on the final day of the season and again beat them 6-1 to relegate them from the top-flight. We had improved as the season progressed and finished twelfth.

Although City were co-founders of the initial Premier League when it was created in 1992 (they finished ninth in the first season) they then struggled and were relegated in 1996 – the season I referred to earlier writing about the late Niall Quinn goal – I won’t forgive him! After two seasons they then fell to the lowest point in their history when they were relegated to the third tier. Younger fans will find it hard to believe that City were that low at the end of the twentieth century, just a quarter of a century ago.

This Saturday’s Game v Manchester City 

Of course facing the modern Manchester City is an entirely different proposition to the fixtures against them in the 1960s, 70s, 80s and 90s that I highlighted above. The revival began at the turn of the century and following purchase by the Abu Dhabi Group in 2008 they have gone from strength to strength with massive investment.

Following the appointment of Pep Guardiola in 2016 they have achieved unprecedented success. In the seven seasons from 2017 to 2024 they have won six league titles and finished second once. In 2022-23 they achieved the treble of Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League. In short, they are almost unbeatable and, as I wrote earlier we haven’t beaten them in our last 17 attempts in the Premier League going back nine years.

They already top the Premier League after just two games this season following a comfortable 2-0 win at Chelsea and then beating newcomers Ipswich 4-1 last Saturday. Six points and six goals already – Haaland has four of them. He has also scored four times in four league games against us and is an obvious danger once again, although they are so strong throughout the team, we will have to be at the very top of our game and hope they are below par to stand any chance.

Once our newcomers have bedded in I have no doubt that we will be a stronger team (and have a stronger squad) than we have been in under the previous manager. However, these are still early days and perhaps it would have been better for us to face the stiffest test of all in the Premier League after more time together. Undoubtedly we have some excellent attacking players – let’s hope for an early season surprise on Saturday. Bookmakers don’t think there will be. We are quoted at about 6/1 to win the game with City at 1/3 and the draw at 4/1. Can we defy the odds? We’ll need to improve considerably on our performances in the past week to do so.