Tag: #hammers

Fast Fading Hammers Must Get Stuck Into The Toffees Or Risk London Stadium Meltdown

Dreams are starting to fade and die at West Ham as consecutive defeats in League and Europe suggest the promising start might have been another false dawn. Can they bounce back in style against a stubborn Everton side?

West Ham’s bright start to the season has officially been downgraded to mediocre after the Hammers began their demanding schedule of seven games in 21 days with two well-deserved defeats. Disappointingly poor performances in Birmingham and Athens putting prior victories against Brighton and Chelsea in the category of freak early season anomalies.

The two lame losses have switched the focus back to future of David Moyes, whose contract expires at the end of this season. Humiliation at Villa Park was especially exasperating and made worse by the manager’s post-match comments which suggested the hosts were well-ahead of his own side in their development. An analysis that conveniently overlooks the respectively tenures of the two managers. Moyes is no new boss on the block having been in charge at the London Stadium for almost four years now while Unai Emery is only just celebrating his first anniversary at Villa Park.

For a veteran of over 1100 games as manager, Moyes is remarkably thin-skinned and tetchy at press conferences on the rare occasions questions stray from the banal. He reverts to a dour and uninspiring demeanour that would make Dad’s Army’s Private Frazer look like an optimist. The worry is that this is how he comes across in the dressing room pre-match and at half-time – talking up the opposition and fixating on how to stop them rather than on how to beat them.

The current West Ham side are with no shadow of doubt a team that Moyes built. Its shortcomings – whether in personnel or tactics – fall squarely on his slippery shoulders. It can surely no surprise to even the most casual observer that failure to bring in additional striker resources in the summer would prove to be a disastrous decision. Michail Antonio has form for fading away after a bright start and who could have imagined Danny Ings playing as an isolated lone striker when he was scouted. Unai Emery must be having a good chuckle about that one!

Perversely, the Hammers goalscoring form this season has been surprisingly decent, despite it needing a huge slice of luck to to keep the run of scoring in every game going last weekend. Rather it is in defence where the team have been exposed, conceding 16 goals in the first nine games. This is by far the worst defensive start to a season under Moyes. The compact and narrow defensive ploy of inviting long shots and crosses has come unstuck as players endeavour to push forward more quickly. A central defence recruited to head away crosses all afternoon are dangerously vulnerable to opponents attacking them with pace. The historic solution for a leaky defence will be to pack it even tighter.

Not much can be read into the result at Olympiacos. Moyes gambled with a clutch of second-string players who quite frankly are either past it or not very good. Was that because he underestimated the Greek league leaders or was willing to write-off the game with more important fixtures coming up? It must have occurred to others that the Hammers best chance of more silverware (and a fourth consecutive Europe campaign) would be to drop down into the Conference. A Europa League knock-out stage that could potentially include Manchester United and Newcastle as well as Liverpool and Brighton would be formidable – can anyone see West Ham beating any of these over two legs?

Tomorrow, the London Stadium visitors are founding members of the Premier League Calamity Club, Everton. Already embroiled in what has become an annual relegation battle, the Toffees are also facing sanctions as a result an FA investigation into their finances. It was reported this week that the penalty could be as harsh as a deduction of 12 Premier League points. If that happened it would be a massive blow to survival hopes even allowing for the other hopeless cases likely to be fighting the drop.

Everton now have the look of a typical Sean Dyche team. They work hard, are difficult to break down, and share Moyes infatuation with resilience. The two managers are cut from the same old piece of cloth that should have been thrown out years ago. Unfortunately for them, the Toffees score very few goals. Leave aside the graft and there is little to get the fans off their seats in what will be a desperate campaign for them. The biggest threat tomorrow will come from Doucoure who managed to pop up to score important goals at just the right moment last season. Or perhaps Calvert-Lewin will finally recover the goalscoring form that made him such a hot property three or four years ago.

The challenge for Moyes will be to put out a team capable of breaking through a rugged Everton rear-guard. Faced with an organised defence the Hammers attacking efforts can lack creativity and urgency and another insipid display is not going to go down well with supporters. Everton will be well aware that frustrating the home side will get the fans on their backs.

After the Villa game it was expected changes would be necessary but having seen the potential replacements struggle to make an impact in Athens nothing is now certain. There will be at least one enforced change, however, due to the suspension of Emerson, plus there are also concerns over Vladimir Coufal’s fitness.

It is difficult to imagine Moyes making radical selection changes, just as it is unlikely that he will make early switches if it looks like things are not working out. We can expect the standard pre-planned substitutions around the 75 minute mark – Ings on for Antonio, Said Benrahma replacing Lucas Paqueta or Thomas Soucek. It begs the question as to why Divin Mubama is left on the bench as an unused substitute each week – or getting a 2 minute cameo deep into injury time if he is lucky? Young players need a 20 – 25 minute run-out to make it a worthwhile experience. But with Moyes approach to game management not allowing matches to be killed off when on top, that luxury is never available.

Having seen what a breath of fresh air can do at clubs like Tottenham, Brighton and Villa it is dispiriting to have to plod along under the dark cloud of a cautious and unadventurous manager. The mood isn’t helped by talk of Mourinho as a replacement next summer. Surely that is just media tittle-tattle and aspirations at the club go beyond another tactical has-been. COYI!

Czech Complete: Moyes Certain To Give Soucek The Nod For West Ham Trip To Aston Villa

Waking from the slumbers of another international break, West Ham’s good recent record at Villa Park takes on Aston Villa’s phenomenal run of straight home wins.

It was sad to hear the news that Manchester United and England legend Bobby Charlton had died. He was undoubtedly one of the greatest and best-known English footballers of all time who stood alongside Bobby Moore and Gordon Banks as the truly outstanding players from England’s 1966 World Cup winning team. A sign of time’s relentless passage is that Sir Geoff Hurst is now the sole survivor from the eleven that took the field for England in July 1966. Out of interest, their West German opponents have fared rather better as far as longevity is concerned with six out of the eleven still with us.

Much has changed in football since 1966 when international games were few and far between. There were, of course, the hotly contested Home Internationals but opportunities for a glimpse of more exotic players such as Pele, Eusebio, Yashin, and Beckenbauer were rare. Now we can see most of the world’s top stars in our own league on a weekly basis – at least when it isn’t being interrupted by bothersome international breaks. Surely, there must be a less disruptive way of scheduling the growing number of often pointless qualifying matches. Perhaps others are more excited by international games than I am.

The absence of any domestic action has not meant any let up in the stream of West Ham related news from the pesky clickbait sites who provide a daily blast of latest tittle-tattle allegedly emanating from sources close to the Chairman, reliable journalists, and rent-a-quote pundits. The internet abhors a vacuum and although the head is telling you the story will be a load of old of hogwash, the fingers can’t resist clicking anyway.

As a public service – in case you missed any of it – the summary of the highlights is as follows: West Ham are either in pole position to sign any number of new players in the January transfer window, or the kitty is empty and there are no further funds to spend until the summer; David Moyes must drop Vladimir Coufal due to his poor pass completion rate for the Czech Republic against Albania while Tomas Soucek was either their best or worst player on the pitch when the Czechs saw off the mighty Faroes courtesy of his second half penalty; the Hammers are enjoying an excellent start to the season or else they are in a false position due to an eXpected Goals anomaly (as Richard reported here yesterday); and the West Ham Board will or won’t be offering David Moyes a new contract at the end of the season.

There’s a strong chance that the manager situation will rumble on right until the end of the season. The unexpectedly positive start to the campaign has seen Moyes recover from everyone’s favourite for the sack to become the holder of one of the safer seats. Which way the dust finally settles on his West Ham career may well depend on what happens between now and May. With a better squad of players available his team are looking far more assured, but as someone commented on a previous article here, “Moyes will always be Moyes”. His unshakeable caution constraining momentum by having one foot touching the brake at all times. The question is not whether Moyes is doing OK but is there someone out there who can achieve more with the same resources.

Today the Hammers begin a run of seven games in 21 days (less an hour for when the clocks go back) with a visit to Aston Villa. At the end of that phrenetic sequence comes yet another International Break.

Villa Park has been something of a happy hunting ground for West Ham in recent years and a win today would make it four on the trot. Yet the hosts are now a very different proposition today to Steven Gerrard’s erratic team who gifted the Hammers their first win last season.

Villa’s home form has been particularly strong since Unai Emery’s appointment in November 2022. They go into today’s match on a ten game Villa Park winning streak in the league. But all records come to an end eventually and it may as well be today. Hopefully, the Villains will put in a performance closer to what was on show at Newcastle and Liverpool earlier in the campaign. Here they were more like Dick than Unai Emery – they really were that awful. On both occasions the tactics were naïve, allowing their opponents far too much space between the lines and with a suicidal high defensive line that was forever vulnerable to balls over the top. They do seem to have plenty of goals in them this season though and both Watkins and Diaby are likely to be a handful.

The big debating point for the Hammers is whether Mohammed Kudus gets a start today or not? Spoiler alert – the answer is not! His introduction for the last 15 minutes of the 2-2 draw with Newcastle was mesmerising. Great touch, control, flair, confidence, and a goal were all packaged into a quarter of an hour cameo. Moyes has said that he is close to a start which is not so subtle code for him being on the bench. A long round trip to North America will serve as convenient justification. Personally, I can’t wait to see a few games with Kudus and Lucas Paqueta weaving unorthodox magic in the claret and blue, but it probably makes the manager dizzy just thinking about it.

Reading and listening to the thoughts of fans on who Kudus might replace in the starting lineup is fascinating. There are two main schools of thought. One that he should replace Thomas Soucek, the other that he should replace Michail Antonio. The idea that Moyes will disrupt his defensive shape and leave out Soucek seems fanciful to me, especially now that he is back in his old role, looking more motivated, and scoring goals again. He is the complete Moyes type player and I’m convinced he remains one of the first names on the team sheet where the manager is beguiled by defensive headers, interceptions and aerial threat at set pieces.

Kudus as a replacement for Antonio sounds more credible. Not as a direct replacement but requiring juggling in other positions. I had fancied Jarrod Bowen moving to the centre and Kudus playing wide right, but during games when Antonio has been subbed it is Paqueta who has been pushed further forward. Can Kudus and Paqueta playing as a pair of false nines be the Moyesiah’s great innovation? There is an irony that Kudus may finally get his chance if/ when Paqueta receives a one math ban for picking up his fifth yellow card.  Whichever way this pans out, the clear inference is that Danny Ings doesn’t look to feature in any plans for Premier League football.

This is another tough game to call between two teams who will be competing in Europe in midweek. Victory for either side will leave them in the top six and there are sure to be goals in this game. Emery’s Villa don’t really do draws so I will go for 2-2. COYI!

West Ham’s first Claret and Blue Derby of the season is a visit to Aston Villa for the televised game on Sunday

Someone said to me this week that watching football in the Premier League is like watching ITV. What he was getting at was that the season is barely underway with just eight games gone and there have already been two international breaks. He’d prefer the Premier League to be modelled on the BBC and have no breaks. I could see his point as I don’t like the breaks myself, especially so early in the season, barely giving teams the opportunity to get into a rhythm or build momentum. I don’t really mind the breaks on commercial television though. These days with Smart TVs and a host of features you don’t have to watch anything live. You can arrange to fast forward through advertisements, or even use the gaps to get a drink or have a toilet break if you wish.

Of course if you are a fan of rugby union or 50-over cricket there are World Cups in both in progress at the moment so that takes the edge off missing your weekly dose of Premier League football. Having said that it was no fun to watch England capitulate to Afghanistan in the cricket, although the England rugby team have progressed well, partly as a result of a favourable draw. They’ll be doing well to get past South Africa this weekend though.

But I’m glad to say that Premier league football is back and we are away to Villa in the TV match at 4.30 on Sunday afternoon. That won’t be an easy fixture either. Villa have progressed enormously since we won on their ground early last season with Pablo Fornals’ deflected goal. Having said that, we too have made significant strides in this campaign and after eight games sit just two points and two places below them. They have lost twice (as we have) but they have won five and drawn once compared to our four wins and two draws.

They suffered heavy defeats to both Newcastle and Liverpool and were (surprisingly?) dumped out of the EFL Cup losing at home to Everton. After qualifying for the group stage of the Europa Conference (8-0 on aggregate v Hibernian) they have won one and lost one of the group games.

I was interested to read an article on the BBC Sport website this week assessing how Premier League teams have started the season. Recent years have seen the proliferation of statistics in football, and whilst I am not totally averse to some of them, there is one that really gets to me and that is expected goals (xg).

The article quite rightly pointed out that results are what matter most, but it went on to say that “taking a look at teams expected goals numbers can help us see how much permanent class they’ve shown so far and get an idea of how the rest of their season could pan out”. It went on to say that “comparing teams actual goal difference with their expected one we can see whose foundations for the season are built on stone and whose are built only on sand.” What a load of …..

Their ”form v class – gd v xGD” graphic had Newcastle and Manchester City at the top of the tree. Not for me I’m afraid. The last time I looked at the league table Tottenham and Arsenal led the way, both unbeaten. Manchester City have lost two games and Newcastle three out of just eight and sit below us in the table.

The conclusion concerning West Ham was that “early-season enthusiasm might be a bit premature with the Hammers outperforming their expected goals more than any other side.”

I’ll concede that expected goals may have some value in football analysis but let’s not go over the top. One of the games in the Premier League this season was won by 6-1. It involved our opponents this weekend hammering Brighton. But which team came out on top in expected goals (xG)? That’s right – Brighton.

Expected goals has so many limitations. The sample size, number of games played and strength of opponents when doing analysis after just eight games might not reflect true ability. What about the specific context of a match, such as the scoreline, the time remaining, the importance of the game, all of which can significantly impact the likelihood of scoring?

xG doesn’t account for the skill and performance of goalkeepers which can vary widely. A top keeper may save shots that would be goals against others. xG doesn’t measure the level of defensive pressure faced. A player facing intense defensive pressure may have a lower chance of converting a high xG opportunity.

What about the skill level of the attacker? A highly-skilled striker might convert low xG chances more often than one with lesser skills. xG is based on historical data so it might not account for players who can score in unconventional ways or from unexpected positions.

xG doesn’t differentiate between set-piece situations and open-play chances. Set pieces often have different dynamics and conversion rates. As West Ham fans in recent times we are well aware of this.

Football is inherently unpredictable, and even high xG chances can be missed and low xG chances can be converted. I could go on. Let’s not go overboard about xG. Just as a team with the highest percentage of possession will not necessarily come out on top in a game of football the same is true for the xG statistics.

Similarly past performance is not necessarily a guide to future performance in terms of results. The fact that David Moyes is unbeaten in his last 14 games against Aston Villa has no real bearing on what will happen at Villa Park on Sunday afternoon. It is a piece of information that surprised me when I read it though.

We are unbeaten in our last five visits to Villa Park in the Premier League, winning the most recent three by 1-0, 4-1 and 3-1 scorelines. Pablo Fornals got the only goal at Villa Park last season and has a good record of scoring against them. Will that have any importance in the manager’s team selection for this game? Probably not.

With 13 points from their last six games Villa are one of the form teams in the Premier League with only Tottenham and Arsenal at the top of the table with better form records than that. Having said that only the top 5 teams can better our impressive haul of ten points in our last six games.

It will be a difficult game. I really don’t care about xG but I hope we can continue our early season form with at least a point and hopefully three. I am loving the players bought to replace Rice this season. Alvarez, Kudus and especially Ward-Prowse have really settled well and Paqueta has shown why he is a regular starter for Brazil (until recently of course!). We still have a way to go, and are light in some positions, but squad-wise we are as healthy as we have been for a while. What are the chances of three points?

The Moyesiah’s Second Coming: Are West Ham Dancing To A Different Toon

A flash in the pan or one of the greatest managerial resurrections ever? New look West Ham test their mettle against rampant Newcastle United at the London Stadium

Who was it who once said that football’s a funny old game? When the season began, I was convinced that David Moyes would be scanning the situations vacant by now, searching out managerial jobs at Forfar or East Fife. His tenure as West Ham boss was on its last legs. A downwards spiral of poor league performances and results over an eighteen-month period which had only been kept on life support by Europa Conference success. Our best player had been sold, no-one wanted to join, and uninspiring pre-season defeats to Rennes and Bayer Leverkusen hung like a black cloud over the new campaign. It was a manager on borrowed time, out of ideas, and seemingly running on fumes.

Yet, here we are, a few short months later, and supporters can be heard claiming “what a great time to be a Hammer”. A promising start to the season, a record undefeated run in Europe, rabbits pulled out of the transfer window hat, summer signings looking inspired, written-off players rejuvenated, numbers getting forward quickly to support attacks, and the team back to scoring goals again. Naturally, it’s the West Ham way to expect for it all to go horribly wrong again. But let’s enjoy the sunshine while we can.

So what has changed? Had we become too reliant on Rice, just as we had with Brooking many years ago? For once, the transfer receipts have been well spent. Edson Alvarez operating as specialist cover in front of the back four has allowed others to push further forward and with greater freedom – allowing Thomas Soucek to concentrate on his strengths. Vladimir Coufal is back to the player he was two years ago, and Emerson has formed an excellent understanding with Lucas Paqueta. Paqueta, frustrating at times, offers a long-lost unpredictability and mercurial moments of magic to attacks. James Ward-Prowse has been a revelation, both on set-piece duty and in open play. And Jarrod Bowen has been able to take up (and execute) better goalscoring positions now that much of his onerous defensive duties are excused.

Critics might point to selected stats as cause for concern. Only behind Luton for possession, among the basement dwellers for Expected Goals Against, overachieving in Expected Goals scored plus the perennial lack of belief when coming up against top clubs. It’s fair enough to want to see even more improvement, but it would be churlish to dismiss the positive vibes currently surrounding the club.

West Ham followed up last Saturday’s businesslike victory over Sheffield United with a thoroughly professional performance at Freiburg on Thursday night. The routine of Thursday – Sunday football has now become a familiar one for Hammers fans in the last three seasons, and long may it continue. In general, Moyes has juggled resources well, but while his team have lost only four of the 29 Thursday games, they have been defeated 12 times in the 26 games played on the Sunday after.  Managing the squad can also have unintended matchday consequences for supporters as was evident in the second half against Sheffield United. Having sauntered into a two-goal half-time lead, the dreaded game-management kicked in and everyone might well have had a more entertaining time shopping in Westfield during the second half.

Today’s opponents, Newcastle United were also in midweek European action, albeit in the more glamourous surroundings of the Champions League. When the group draw was made, I had a feeling that the Magpies might end up joining us in the Europa League knockout stages in the new year. However, they have made a fine start to their campaign which was topped off by a sensational demolition of Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday night. Leaving aside, the sour taste of ownership, Eddie Howe has performed remarkably in turning the club around. Astute signings and getting the best from existing players has put the club back where it belongs challenging for major honours. On song, they are one of best teams to watch in the Premier League right now, although Howe’s teams are never shy of practising the dark arts.

This weekend might be a good time to play Newcastle. Even if they experience no hangover from their midweek exploits, they will be without several regular starters today including Barnes, Willock, Botman, and Gordon. There are also doubts over the fitness of Hammers nemesis Wilson and Joelinton.

For West Ham the only significant doubt is Michail Antonio’s groin. My preference would be to give him extra time to recover by playing Bowen further forward and starting Mohammed Kudus wide right. Otherwise, the team would be the same eleven that started last weekend.

Although, Newcastle are one of the league’s top scorers we should remember that eight of those came in a single game against an incompetent Sheffield defence. West Ham are not too familiar with clean sheets these days, but it is difficult to imagine a Moyes side being quite so naïve – even if it did happen in the corresponding fixture last season.

The game has the makings of a tight and intriguing encounter. One which may well have its fair share of goals to entertain spectators. As long as the Hammers play with freedom as well as discipline then a home victory is possible – maybe by the odd goal in five.

And what are the odds on Paqueta Island for Alvarez picking up his fifth caution of the season? COYI!

After Eights: Hammers Pressure Can Shatter Recently Humiliated Blades

West Ham look to return to winning ways in the league as arch-Tevezgate-rivals, Sheffield United visit London on the back of a humbling eight goal defeat last weekend.

The Hammers fast start to the Premier League season encountered its predictable stumble with consecutive defeats at home to Manchester City and away at Anfield. Although both performances had their creditable moments, the disappointing outcome of these games is invariably inevitable. Advantages are not pressed home and as the minutes tick away, legs tire, enterprise and belief fade, and it becomes a case of hanging on for dear life. Sadly, the more accomplished teams – as were the last two opponents – refuse to cooperate, typically underlining their superiority and confidence with a flurry of late goals.

Midweek action saw another victory for a West Ham second string XI when making heavy work of overcoming League One Lincoln City in the EFL Cup. The early rounds of this competition tend to have a phoney-war air about them. Premier League managers attempting to make it through to the business end of the competition while using as many fringe players as possible. In this context, it was job done at Sincil Bank and sets up an intriguing fourth round home encounter with Arsenal at the end of the month. After that, the numbers are down to eight teams and Wembley’s arch is firmly in sight.

This afternoon, West Ham return to league action with the visit of newly promoted Sheffield United. In my more pessimistic moments, I had identified this game as a first win of the season for the Hammers. But it now represents a potential opportunity to return to the top six – or at least to keep in touch with the chasing pack.

Last week’s events when the Blades were thrashed 8-0 at home by Newcastle has now put a very different complexion on the game. A side who had been leading Tottenham at the end of normal time the week before, were comprehensively demolished in front of their own supporters – largely the result of defensive incompetence of the highest order. The circumstances of that humiliation is sure to influence their approach to today’s fixture.

The Blades manager, Paul Heckingbottom – a man with the most northern sounding name ever – was given a vote of confidence by the club’s Saudi owner in the week and will understandably be cautious to avoid any repetitions in the coming games. Failure might cost him an arm and a leg. And it left me wondering how other clubs had fared in the aftermath of equivalent sound thrashings.

When Southampton were defeated 9-0 at home to Leicester in 2019/20 they managed to pull their socks up the following week but still lost by the odd goal in three on a visit to Manchester City. A year later, the Saints followed up a 9-0 thrashing at Old Trafford with a 3-2 defeat at Newcastle while last season, when Bournemouth went down by the same score at Liverpool, they recovered a modicum of respect with a goalless draw at home to Wolves. Closer to home, the week after losing 8-0 to West Ham at Upton Park in 1968/69, Sunderland bounced back a week later with a 3-0 home win over Coventry. If history teaches us anything it is that defeated sides will double down on their resilience – a flash of legendary Sheffield steel perhaps?

It is pointless to spend too much time in West Ham previews speculating on what changes David Moyes might make to tactics or personnel – unless it has been forced upon him by injury or suspension. You get the impression that changing the colour of his socks would be a revolutionary move for the Scot. But this is the kind of game that cries out for a change of approach.

Games where we would expect to see far more of the ball than usual, do not suit Michail Antonio’s bullying, barnstorming style of forward play – as we saw at Luton . It simply doesn’t work against opponents playing with packed or compact backlines, as we are likely to see today. When the challenge is to unlock a deep lying defence, then moving Jarrod Bowen into the middle with Mohammed Kudus replacing him wide right makes a lot more sense. A fluid attacking midfield three – supporting Bowen – comprising Kudus, Lucas Paqueta and James Ward-Prowse should pose plenty of problems to a defence short on confidence after their last outing.

The season so far has witnessed something of a renaissance for Thomas Soucek, a player who had been written off as a one-season wonder by a large section of the Hammer’s support. Whether it has been the departure of Rice or the arrival of Edson Alvarez that has allowed his game to focus back on his strengths is impossible to tell – but there is an obvious improvement in his demeanour. Time now to add league goals to those he has bagged in cup competitions.

In the defence, time must surely be running out before Nayef Aguerd is given a spell on the bench. High profile mistakes in both the Manchester City and Liverpool games has put his starting position in doubt now that Konstantinos Mavropanos has games under his belt. Moyes now has more options available and it is time he started using them – both in varying the starting eleven and making timely and effective substitutions. My preferred lineup would be: Areola, Coufal, Zouma, Mavropanos, Emerson, Alvarez, Soucek, Kudus, Ward-Prowse, Paqueta, Bowen.  

If West Ham are to make any serious attempt to challenge the top six to eight, then this is a game they simply have to win. As they say, no game is ever easy in the league but playing at home against a dispirited opponent with just a single point to show for their efforts so far, is about as straightforward as they get. It will mean putting them under pressure from the first whistle and preventing them playing out from the back. An early goal and sustained pressure should make it a very uncomfortable afternoon for the visitors. West Ham to win 3-0. COYI!

Will the Blades be sharper when they visit the London Stadium this weekend or will West Ham return to winning ways?

It has been a decent start to the season hasn’t it? Who would have predicted that after the first six games we would be sitting in seventh place in the Premier League table having won three, drawn one and lost two, securing ten points. We’ve scored 11 goals in those games and conceded 10. The fixtures computer didn’t do us any favours in that just two of the six games have been at home with four away. That will be rectified with two home games in the next week.

In those six games we’ve faced the champions Manchester City, Liverpool, Brighton, Chelsea, Bournemouth and Luton. Hand on heart did you think we would have 10 points at this stage? We also won our first group game in the Europa League (comfortably in the end). General consensus is that the transfer window was a good one too, with the loss of Rice, balanced by the acquisition of Alvarez, Ward-Prowse, Kudus and Mavropanos. We could have done with another goalscorer though.

The manager is still under fire in some quarters despite our relatively impressive start. So why is this? If you delve deeper into the statistics of the six league games played a potentially worrying trend emerges in respect of the goals we are conceding. Our first half defensive performances reveal that we have conceded just twice in the opening 45 minutes. On the other hand our opponents have found the net eight times in the second period.

In many ways last week’s performance at Liverpool seemed to me to be very similar to the Manchester City game the week before. In both games we matched our illustrious opponents in the first half playing a more aggressive game before retreating deeper and deeper in typical Moyes fashion as the game progressed.

Our game plan seemed to invite more pressure in the second half. Do we do this on purpose (on manager’s orders) or do we run out of steam? The Bournemouth, Brighton and Luton games had some similarities with the concession of late goals too.

I read that the Liverpool defeat took David Moyes tally up to 72 games without a win in away games against Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United combined. Are there any other managers out there who have failed to beat those four teams in as many games as that on their travels? OK they are or have been top teams in recent times, but really you would have expected a win or two wouldn’t you? Nevertheless the season has begun relatively well and if we kick on in similar fashion then we will be looking towards the top half of the table.

After Sheffield United’s capitulation at home to Newcastle last week many of our fans writing on social media are expecting a straightforward win for us when the Blades come to town. Football often doesn’t work like that and I expect them to be more resilient at the London Stadium. They had done well in their previous game at Tottenham holding a 1-0 lead until the referee added 16 minutes to the second half. However I will be disappointed if we don’t take our points tally up to 13 this weekend.

Have you noticed that, including the Europa League game, five of our seven games this season have finished with a 3-1 scoreline (three in our favour and two against)? I’ll forecast that it will become six out of eight when we cut through the Blades defence to win the game 3-1. What are the chances?

How can West Ham beat Manchester City this weekend?

While Manchester City has been a dominant and formidable team in recent years, no team is invincible and they can be beaten or stopped from winning. Upsets happen in football. If we have a well-thought-out game plan and execute it effectively then of course we have a chance. That is not to deny that it will be difficult against the best club side in England, Europe and probably the World. But they are not immune to defeats and do not win all the time. In their 19 Premier League games on the road on their way to yet another title last season they won 11, drew 4 and lost 4. That means that they didn’t win in 42 per cent of their away games.

Like any football team Manchester City can be beaten through a combination of strategies and factors, which do include luck. I think we can all guess David Moyes’ tactical approach to the game? It has been successful to date in this campaign but have we done our homework? We know their playing style but have we identified any weaknesses in their formation or strategy? Can we adjust our tactics to exploit these weaknesses? Make no mistake, as good as they are they do have weaknesses.

Four teams did beat City last season, Liverpool, Manchester United, Tottenham, and Brentford (twice – home and away!). I’d like to think that we have the resources to study all our opponents in detail but especially those games to try to understand how they were beaten and formulate our plans to achieve this ourselves. Also, there were five drawn games. How did Newcastle, Villa, Everton, Forest and Brighton avoid defeat in games against the champions? They do have areas of vulnerability. Can we capitalise on them? Can we exploit gaps in their defence, pressurise their midfield, disrupt their game plan and create opportunities to score ourselves?

A highly organised defence and disciplined marking are hallmarks of Moyes’ tactics. Narrow defending and numbers behind the ball are key elements that he believes in, with defenders who are able to deal with crosses all day, and hopefully limit shots to long range. Effective pressing can disrupt City’s attacking flow and limit their goal-scoring opportunities, but how deep will we try to defend? Despite our excellent start to the season we haven’t yet kept a clean sheet, conceding one goal in each of our four games. Late goals conceded (in the Bournemouth, Brighton and Luton games highlight the difficulty of maintaining defensive concentration for the full 90 (or 100) minutes. Areola has demonstrated why he is now Moyes’ number one choice and has already made numerous crucial saves. This game should be a real test.

Manchester City always dominate possession whereas our plan generally involves being happy to concede the ball. They attack in numbers and as a result could be susceptible to quick counter attacks. The key to this is the speed of the counter attacking which has been a key feature of our early games. Teams with fast, skillful players have exploited the spaces left behind by City’s attacking players and caught them off guard. Do we have the players who can emulate this? Antonio is a key component of our counter attacking strategy, but the pace of Benrahma and Bowen and the support from Ward Prowse are important too.

Set pieces such as free kicks and corners were a feature of our success a couple of seasons back, but much less so last time. Capitalising on these opportunities and utilising effective set-piece strategies can lead to goals and put Manchester City under pressure. In James Ward-Prowse we have now acquired a master of the set-piece delivery which has already proved fruitful. Also, in the past four games I have been itching to see us get a free kick around 20-25 yards from goal where he is second only to Beckham in his ability to score but alas it hasn’t happened. Perhaps in this game?

I’ve often wondered in the past if we have been fully mentally prepared in advance of games against the top sides. Moyes’ record as a manager in such games is not the best. Approaching the game with a positive mindset, belief in our abilities, and tactical discipline can and will make a difference. Confidence and focus are essential when facing a formidable opponent like City. The confidence in the team appears to be sky-high, perhaps as a result of winning a European trophy last season, and perhaps as a result of the key new signings to replace the loss of Rice. We haven’t yet seen the surprise element of potentially the most exciting signing of them all, Kudus. I have read articles suggesting that he can bring something extra to the team in the same way as Payet did a few years ago. If he can then that will be great, but we will see. Whether or not he will be unleashed from the beginning against City we don’t know yet.

Football is an unpredictable game. If you’ve supported West Ham for any length of time you’ll know that we can be unpredictable from one season to the next, from one game to the next, and even from the first half to the second half of a game. But upsets can happen. Our wins against Chelsea and Brighton were good examples of that. According to the bookmakers’ odds it would be an even bigger upset if we were to win this game. We are upwards of 6/1 to win whilst City are around 2/1 on, with the draw (which wouldn’t be the worst result for us) at 7/2.

While Manchester City are a strong team, perhaps the best around at the moment, and the toughest opponent we are likely to face this season, they are not unbeatable. Can we defy the odds? COYI!

Luton Intolerance: Multitasking Matchday Madness For Moyes and his Men in the Friday Night Game

West Ham travel to Luton with a chance of returning to the Premier League summit for another 24 hours. But will the action on the pitch be overshadowed by the last knockings of the transfer window?

Pineapple and pizza; football and Friday. Neither belong anywher near each other. What might have been OK for a Division 4, Southend United versus Northampton Town clash in the 1960s to get a few more punters through the turnstiles, is an abomination in the Premier League. Friday Night’s Not Alright for Football!

These days, I am no more enamoured with Monday night games either. What had started out as a major televised event is now largely used (like Fridays) to satisfy TV quota obligations for the live coverage of teams who generate little interest outside their own fan base. When your team doesn’t play on Saturday or Sunday there is a sense exclusion – overlooked in summaries of the weekend talking points, and ruled out of Garth Crooks team of the week – although the latter is de-rigueur for West Ham players.

This particular evening’s scheduling is the perfect storm of sensory overload for Hammers followers. Especially those unable to cope with the challenges of multitasking. First, to keep an eye on the Where’s Tim ™ mobile tracking app to discover where in the world Technical Director, Tim Steidten will pop up next to complete those much needed last gasp signings. Second, to interrogate Skyscanner, working out the best routes and cheapest deals on flights to Baku, Molde, Częstochowa, or wherever the UEFA suits decide this season’s Europa League group stage games will lead us. Third, to prepare for the small matter of a Premier League fixture against plucky Luton Town and eagerly awaiting team news. Which of the new signings will be starting? How many keepers will David Moyes have on the bench?

We are promised a cauldron so intense and raucous at Kenilworth Road tonight that not a single person will be able to hear the transfer window slamming shut.

Pre-match chatter for the game will be dominated by anticipation of Luton’s first topflight home match since they were relegated along with West Ham in 1992. Just our luck that once again the Hammers are cast as the supporting act for the big attraction. Pundits will be gushing over the Hatters unbelievable rags to riches story. How the phoenix rose from the ashes and how fans must access the stadium through someone’s pantry. Of course, it is a great story but not every fairy-tale has a happy ending.

During the 1980s and early 1990s Luton were a recurring thorn in West Ham’s side, unable to get to grips with the plastic pitch that was laid between 1985 and 1991. In their last 21 games against Luton (all competitions), the Hammers have come out on top only four times. A Luton side comprising such luminaries as Ricky Hill, Brian Stein, Mark Stein, Colin Foster, Mick Harford and (of course) Tim Breacker would even go on to win the 1988 League Cup, defeating Arsenal in the final at Wembley.

The last meeting with Luton was a sixth-round tie in the 1994 FA Cup campaign. A goalless draw at Upton Park was followed by a replay at Kenilworth Road a week later where three strikes to heaven from Scott Oakes saw First Division Luton pull off a giant killing against Premier League West Ham by three goals to two.

The expected Hammers starting line up today should be much the same as the one starting the second half at Brighton last Saturday. Konstantinos Mavropanos and Tomas Soucek are ruled out while Moyes will need to decide if more pace is required in the centre of defence than Kurt Zouma and Angelo Ogbonna can offer. Nayef Aguerd is an option after serving his one match suspension.

The manager’s new signing protocol will ensure Mohammed Kudus starts the game on the bench until he comes on to replace Said Benrahma at the 70-minute mark. I’m really excited at the prospect of seeing Kudus and Lucas Paqueta lining up together.

There is a smattering of former Hammers to be found in the Luton squad. Reece Burke made 15 appearances in claret and blue between 2014 and 2018 before finding his way to Luton via Hull City. Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu had one League Cup outing as a Hammer prior to moving to Luton where he has featured throughout their rise from National to Premier leagues. Finally, Dan from the Potts dynasty has been at Luton since 2015 but is unfortunately injured at the present time. Potts made 12 West Ham appearances.

The passion of the occasion will ensure a fiercely competitive game which will be a fascinating test of the Hammer’s credentials. Are we witnessing a renaissance of Moyesball, or were the last two wins a coincidental blip? The victories over Chelsea and Brighton saw a return to the faster form of the manager’s counterattacking style that was a feature of the 2020/21 season. More players getting forward and better goal scoring positions engineered. It clearly worked well against two teams desperate to dominate possession, but how will it pan out against teams equally prepared  to play without the ball, like Luton. This was where Moyesball floundered previously. The lack of guile and creativity unable to open up organised and compact defences. Maybe the presence of Paqueta, Kudus, and James Ward-Prowse can ask more testing questions this time around.

What happens off the pitch today may be far more important in defining the Hammer’s season than the game itself. If the window fizzles out without additional striker options and without upgrading the full/ wing back positions, then another opportunity will have been missed – just as it was in the January window of 2022. It is quite baffling how it has come down to the final hours to resolve such significant deficiencies.    A West Ham would take them back to the top of the table. A second one day spell at summit until Manchester City play Fulham on Saturday afternoon. Another screenshot captured for posterity. Make it happen. COYI!

With the transfer window about to slam shut West Ham can go back on top of the Premier League with a win at Luton on Friday night

Prior to the game at Brightonlast week I asked the question if there was another shock result on the cards to follow the unexpected win against Chelsea the week before. It was written more in hope than expectation but I did have a gut feeling that it might be 13th time lucky against the Seagulls and so it turned out. It was a classic smash and grab reminiscent of a couple of seasons ago coupled with a resolute defence and some excellent goalkeeping added to superbly taken goals that propelled us to the top of the league, albeit for 24 hours. We might have still been there now but for Manchester City’s 89th minute winner against Sheffield United. But in our third away game of the season on Friday evening at newly-promoted Luton (out of just 4 games – how does the fixtures computer come up with that?) we have the opportunity to once again claim the top spot, albeit probably for just a day again. But never mind, I’ll take that.

The debate rumbles on with regard to the style of play and lack of possession contrasting with the apparent effectiveness of Moyes’ tactics dividing supporters despite our early season success. But it’s hard not to enjoy the goals we scored last weekend with Ward-Prowse scoring his first to add to his assists against Chelsea, Bowen’s sublime running and finish to the brilliant assist from Benrahma (what a super game he had too when he came on), and Antonio’s attempt to replicate the excellent goal he scored against Chelsea. And we could, perhaps should have added more with further clear-cut chances. Brighton, on the other hand were restricted, and when they did get some good shots on goal they were denied by the impressive goalkeeping of Areola, demonstrating why he should be first choice. By the end of the game I had a contented smile on my face. Just 22% possession goes to prove that it is an over-rated statistic. The Chelsea game was similar. We won’t get away with it all the time. 

It would be easy to believe that we just need to turn up at Kenilworth Road to claim three more points. But seasoned West Ham fans will recognise the potential banana skin facing us against a side deemed to be (on paper) more lowly opponents. A defeat in these circumstances has happened before. Luton will be fired up for their first Premier League game at their home ground. It is amazing to remember that just ten seasons ago they were playing non-league football and their rise to the top flight has been just as remarkable as that of last week’s opponents, Brighton. They are one of four teams who have not yet picked up a single point, although they have only played twice, losing 4-1 at Brighton and 3-0 at Chelsea, co-incidentally the two teams we have successfully beaten.

The transfer window ‘slams shut’ on the day of the game, and after a slow start where we were the last Premier League team to complete a signing, many now consider that it has been a successful window in the end. When the window opened we knew that we would be losing our star player and the task of replacing him with a player of similar calibre looked to be an impossible task. But what have we done? We’ve replaced him with three ‘midfielders’ who provide very different aspects of the role.

Alvarez is the one perhaps closest to Rice’s conventional role of sitting in front of the back line and breaking up play. Ward-Prowse (a favourite of mine) has a tremendous engine, lots of skill, and will be the box-to-box midfielder that we always wanted Rice to develop into, except that he was often tied to more defensive duties. He will also surely be more of a goal threat too. I look forward to free kicks awarded to us in range of goal. Kudus arrives with a massive reputation and will hopefully fill what is called the number 10 role in modern football. The categorisation of roles in recent times is interesting, but I guess Alvarez is the 6, Ward-Prowse the 8, and Kudus the 10. Without knowing the exact details the £105 million that we received for Rice has been spent almost exactly on those three. And on the face of it is money that appears to have been spent wisely. Time will tell of course. We have to remember that both Lanzini and Downes have departed the midfield area too, although neither were first choices to start regularly last season. The three in to replace the three out has hopefully given us a stronger squad in that area of the pitch. And the potential addition of Lingard would improve it still further if he can replicate the impact he had when he was last here.

Additionally, Mavropanos has been signed as a central defender and perhaps we need further full back cover as there may be squad departures in those positions? The big need now seems to be a replacement for the departed Scamacca and a number of players are being touted to arrive. Will Steidten come flying in on a private jet sitting alongside a Brazilian international forward or perhaps Ekitike will arrive from Paris or En-Nesri from Seville, or even Moyes favourite, Broja of Chelsea? The complications of ownership would seem to be an area we wouldn’t want to get into (remember the Tevez affair?) so surely the Alberto deal would be a no-go. We must have learned from the past? We do however need another top class goalscorer to add to Antonio, Ings and Mubama. Talks to acquire Maguire seem to have surfaced again, as has an interest in promising young Peterborough defender Edwards. A full back or two wouldn’t go amiss either So many possibilities as the closing of the window gets nearer.

The acquisitions in the transfer window added to the excellent results to start the season seem to have deflected the moans and groans visible on social media before the season began. At least for the time being. It took us eight games last season to reach seven points, whereas this time we have reached that total in three. Let’s hope that we are not complacent on Friday night and once again look down on all the other Premier League teams from the top of the table at the end of the game. COYI!

Never Mind The Invincibles, Meet The Impenetrables: 5 Takeaways From West Ham’s Win At Brighton

Another 3-1 to the cockney boys. What did we learn as West Ham put a decisive end to the Brighton hoodoo?

We’re Sitting On Top of The Table

Well, it looks like the title is shaping up to be a two-horse race. A tactical battle between England’s two reigning European champions. I hadn’t expected the Hammers to hit the front so early and we can only hope they don’t bottle it like Arsenal did last season. All that is needed to make it the perfect bank holiday weekend is for those friendly Blades to derail the Manchester City charge when the two teams meet at Bramall Lane. The Hammers can then spend a week looking forward to Fantastic Friday with an away win at Luton, exciting deadline day signings, and a favourable Europa League group stage draw.  

Brighton Owned By Minimalist Possession

In the age of deep thinking, philosophical football coaches, David Moyes’ post-minimalist approach to possession could easily be misinterpreted as a retrospective pastiche of a lost and forgotten game😉Perhaps it will come back in fashion like cardigans and Oxford bags. Many supporters are conflicted by the style of play but when it works so clinically, and you see a game plan executed brilliantly (against a team you never beat), then what’s not to like? We should be buzzing! It was the right tactics for the occasion and until the Hammer’s legs tired late on, Brighton could find no way through. In the goal, at the back and through the middle, West Ham were the “Impenetrables”. But unlike last season when attempts at attacking pizazz had gone missing, bodies were suddenly getting into the box quickly in support of counterattacks. The statistic of just 13 completed passes in the opening 30 minutes is one best brushed under the carpet of success – for now!

Smells Like Team Spirit

The most striking takeaway from two unexpected wins in seven days has been the obviously outstanding team spirit. An unbreakable bond seems to have been carried over from the Europa Conference triumph. It hadn’t been transferred to Arsenal as an add-on to the Rice deal after all. There may have been individual stand-out moments in the game, but every player gave their all for the cause. Resilience and commitment aren’t coached on the training ground but come from the heart. Well done, the team! It’s so far, so good with the new recruits as well. Edson Alvarez put in a great shift patrolling in front of the back four and dropping back into it when required. He should have been replaced before he was as his legs had clearly gone by the time of the Brighton goal. And what a introduction to West Ham for James Ward-Prowse. Great to see him get forward so quickly and to poach his first Hammer’s goal. Shame about the half-hearted golf swing celebration – that one was hooked straight into the rough.  

The Goal As A Thing Of Beauty

Occasionally, you will see a goal conceived in joy and performed at leisure. Where artistry and elegance meet simplicity. And so it was with West Ham’s second yesterday. Michail Antonio picking up the ball deep in his own defensive third. A stroked pass to Said Benrahma along the left wing. Benny, composed and aware, picking the ideal moment to deliver as runners sprinted into the penalty area. The cross inch perfect, sublimely controlled first time by Jarrod Bowen and stroked into the corner of the net. Precision and perfection – and reminiscent of a goal Liverpool scored against us a year or so ago. The 3rd goal was almost (but not quite) as good. This time Bowen playing in Antonio to drive home.

West Ham’s Number One

Yesterday was probably the day that Alphonse Areola finally made the number one gloves his personal property. Not particularly over-worked in the first half (and guilty of one very messy fumble) he came into his own in the closing minutes with a spectacular demonstration of shot stopping. Reflex saves from Veltman and Ferguson were from the very top drawer. The TV director unkindly zooming in on the rueful gaze of Lukasz Fabianski sitting on the bench. A special mention also for Benrahma. Pablo Fornals had seemed the obvious choice to replace the battered Tomas Soucek, but the choice of Benny did not disappoint. One of his most assured performances in the claret and blue.  

Player Ratings: Areola (9), Coufal (7), Zouma (8), Ogbonna (7), Emerson (7), Alvarez (7), Ward-Prowse (8), Soucek (6), Paqueta (8), Bowen (8), Antonio (8) Sub: Benrahma (8)