Is it just me, or has this international break felt about three months long? After what seems like an eternity, the Hammers are finally back in action, with QPR making the short trip across London for an 8pm Championship clash. Frankly, I can’t wait. As much as I enjoy following local senior and junior non-league football, I still miss my West Ham fix.
Friday night football under the lights always feels a bit special, and there’s an added edge whenever another London club rolls into town. QPR might not be our fiercest rivals, but there is still plenty of local pride at stake, and with points on the line in the Championship, this is far more important than your average derby day bragging rights.
The biggest question for me heading into the game is what effect the international break will have had on West Ham. Ask ten football fans about international breaks and you’ll probably get ten different answers. Some see them as a welcome pause, others see them as a cruel interruption designed solely to ruin their weekend plans. Personally, I’d like to be somewhere in the middle, but in reality I’m not. While it’s nice to see players representing their countries, two weekends without West Ham is not good.
From a West Ham perspective, there are positives to the break. It has given Nuno and the coaching staff extra time on the training pitch, allowed tired legs to recover (yes after just eight games players are tired already!), allowed Jarrod to watch his wife in Strictly, and hopefully helped a few knocks and niggles heal. The Championship is a relentless division and opportunities to take a breath don’t come around very often. There’s also the chance to reset.
Whether results before the break were good, bad or somewhere in between, three weeks away can help players clear their heads and come back refreshed for the next block of fixtures before we get hit with the next international break (thankfully just a shorter one) in mid-November. We have seven fixtures before then including this one. All games are important but this next run of games includes QPR (6th), Swansea (top), West Brom (5th) and also Southampton.
With the season beginning to gather momentum, the timing might or might not work in West Ham’s favour. We were in good form approaching the break before a dreadful first half against Millwall had me despairing. But the second half comeback would have left the players on a high and it would have been good to move onto the next game straight away.
Footballers are creatures of habit and rhythm. When a team starts building momentum, the last thing as supporters we want is for everything to stop. Sometimes teams return looking sharp and energised. Other times they resemble a group of strangers who have met for the first time in the tunnel five minutes before kick-off. Let’s hope this game falls into the first category.
QPR will certainly arrive looking to make life difficult. They have made an excellent start to the season and currently sit in sixth on 13 points, just two below us. And like us they have only been beaten once in the league so far this season. Championship matches rarely come easy regardless of league position, reputation or budget. Every side is capable of beating anyone on their day, which is exactly what makes this division both brilliant and entertaining (As well as the lack of VAR of course!)
For West Ham, the key will be setting the tempo early. A fast start would settle any concerns about rustiness and get the crowd involved from the opening whistle. The London Stadium has a habit of generating a cracking atmosphere for an evening game when the team gives supporters something to get behind. Wrexham is the prime example. And let’s be honest, after three weeks without club football, it probably won’t take much.
As we enter another crucial stretch of the season, this feels like an important opportunity. Three points would not only strengthen our position in the table, putting us back on top for a day at least, but also provide the perfect platform heading into the next run of fixtures. The international break is over and it’s time for proper football to return. From a personal viewpoint I’m happy.
COYI!
