Tag: #SOUWHU

A review of West Ham’s visit to Southampton on Boxing Day

Hopefully you’ve seen Geoff’s excellent review of our win at Southampton which raised us up to the dizzy heights of 13th in the Premier League after being stuck in 14th for most of the season so far. Here is a slightly different take on the game.

Is Santa a West Ham fan or not?

Santa’s NOT a West Ham fan
It’s very plain to see.
Soler’s missed an easy chance
And its only 3.03.

Santa IS a West Ham fan
It wasn’t long to wait.
The Saints have fluffed a headed chance
It’s only 3.08.

Santa’s NOT a West Ham fan
The Saints are getting bolder.
Kilman’s had to leave the field
He’s gone and hurt his shoulder.

Santa IS a West Ham fan
When Kilman’s off in pain.
Fabianski makes a save
When the Saints should score again.

Santa’s NOT a West Ham fan
Fab’s whacked in the face.
A long delay, he’s carried off
Areola in his place.

Santa IS a West Ham fan
Saints should have scored again.
They could have gone ahead by now.
The ref has added ten!

The first half lasted 56
It’s up to you now Lop
After Soler’s early miss
The Saints have been on top.

Santa’s NOT a West Ham fan,
Rodriguez sees red,
VAR’s a West Ham fan
It’s now yellow instead.

Santa IS a West Ham fan
Not very long to wait.
Jarrod Bowen once again
Taps in on 58.

Santa IS a West Ham
We really like to tease
The Saints are surely going down
We should beat them with ease.

Yes, Santa IS a West Ham fan
Southampton poor but plucky
We’re not playing all that well
But just a little lucky.

West Ham Briefing: Unwelcome Christmas Cards, Bowen’s Milestone, and a Surge Up The Premier League Table

West Ham avoid a second instalment of new manager bounce as Jarrod Bowen’s instinctive goal is enough to see them past basement dwelling Southampton in an unconvincing encounter at St Mary’s Stadium

At the end of the day, it is a time of year when cliches, like football matches, come thick and fast. The Boxing Day clash at St Mary’s was the proverbial game of two halves. Following Carlos Soler’s point-blank miss-of-the-match, West Ham rode their good fortune and had Southampton’s poor finishing to thank for keeping the game scoreless at the end of a busy first period. Incontrast, the second 45 minutes was a largely drab and uneventful affair. The single moment of note allowing the Hammers to steal the points through Jarrod Bowen’s opportunism as he was first to react to Niclas Fullkrug’s knock on.

It was Bowen’s fifth Premier League goal of the season, his 100th career league goal in total, and his 48th in the top flight for West Ham. He has overtaken both Paolo Di Canio and Mark Noble and is now second only to Michail Antonio on 68 goals. A fine achievement but a comparatively modest return compared to the leading scorers at other established clubs – and well behind legendary West Ham poachers of yesteryear such as Watson, Hurst, Ruffell, Dick and Cottee.

The win saw West Ham temporarily vacate the cosy familiarity of 14th place when they climbed above Manchester United who lost a few hours later at Wolverhampton. An indication of the congestion in the league’s middle reaches is that the result puts the Hammers just six points shy of European qualification and only five behind the Champions. If there was any sense of momentum building on the pitch, then we could almost believe there was something to play for. In all likelihood, it will be back to 14th soon enough.

Southampton certainly offered a sterner test than they had under Russel Martin, even if the improvement wasn’t enough to constitute a new manager bounce for Ivan Juric. Surely, survival for the Saints is already a lost cause. Juric is the fourth new managerial appointment of the Premier League season. Strangely, no-one has yet seen fit to call on the services of the serial winning Scottish manager. So far, the only managerial bouncing on show has been at Wolves under Vitor Pereira. The one-time West Ham target Amorim continues to struggle at Old Trafford as does van Nistelrooy at Leicester.

Any thoughts of a new manager bounce at the London Stadium have been long consigned to history. The 2024/25 vintage West Ham have been seeing more of the ball, but it manifests itself as a defensive (rather than offensive) strategy. Keeping possession in safe areas as a means of limiting opposition attacks. Increased possession has made no impression on the number of touches enjoyed in the opposition box – or on the level of entertainment come to that. Although the number of shots may be higher, these are mainly speculative and from distance.  

Julen Lopetegui’s team selections have become routinely predictable. The only nod towards festive season squad rotation is whether to start with Guido Rodriguez or Edson Alvarez as the holding midfielder in Lopetegui’s increasingly preferred 4-1-4-1 formation. Suspensions being the other major contributing factor in determining starting lineups.

West Ham players were again receiving the wrong type of Christmas cards at St Mary’s Stadium where Rodriguez and Tomas Soucek both reached the five yellow card threshold – emulating Emerson, Soler and Lucas Paqueta – that leads to an automatic one-match ban. It could have been worse for Rodriguez had VAR not seen sense to reverse a red card decision that was as rash and unnecessary as the original challenge.

Personally, I don’t see either Rodriguez or Soucek as any great loss. Soucek, especially is an enigmatic character. Who can doubt his commitment to the cause. But as someone supposedly at the beating heart of midfield, his occasional goal threat does not compensate for the lack of pace, poor pass completion and scarcity of touches. Far too often the game passes him by as he meanders around the pitch like a robotic vacuum cleaner.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka was again the Hammer’s man-of-the-match. Giving lie to the reputation that he offers little going forward, Wan-Bissaka is alone in being able to carry the ball forward and run at pace from deep. Surely, the nomination as Hammer of the Year is already sewn up. Alvarez made a difference when he was introduced and would always get my vote over Rodriguez or Soucek in a holding role. He is the only defensive midfielder prepared to go hunting for the ball.

Elsewhere, Mohammed Kudus had possibly his most ineffective game in a West Ham shirt. His normally reliable instant control deserting him, he was rarely able to escape the close attention of his marker. We saw a few more glimpses of what Fullkrug might offer as an old-style target man. It’s not what is needed though and there are no midfield runners to feed off him anyway. He did, at least, pick up an assist.   

The last 15 or 20 minutes of modern games are rapidly truning into a staccato version of musical substitutes. If Lopetegui has any carefully thought-out plan at the start of games, it is all thrown into the air oncehe has introduced a succession of full backs oblivious to where they are meant to be playing. By the end of yesterdays game, 4-1-4-1 had morphed into 7-0-3.

Soucek and Rodriguez will likely be joined on the sidelines for Sunday’s clash with Liverpool by Lukasz Fabianski (following his nasty concussion), Max Killman (injured shoulder) and Carlos Soler (unspecified knee injury). The game will represent the halfway point of the season. West Ham will have then played each of other sides one time. Faced six of the current top ten at home, and four of them away. Projecting the current points per game forward would see us end the season with 48 points, fewer than last year but better than the year before that.

It would take a brave man to bet on the Hammers four game unbeaten run continuing when the runaway leaders come to town for the final game of 2024. West Ham’s leaky defence against the rampant, free-scoring Reds threatens to be the greatest massacre since they started selling chainsaws in Texas. Probably not be a game for the faint hearted. COYI

A review of the Brighton game, and a preview of West Ham’s visit to Southampton on Boxing Day

And so we continue in a league of our own,
Fourteenth is our place, for that we are known,
In thirteen of seventeen that’s where we’ve stayed,
And a draw against Brighton was just what we played.

Eight games at home we couldn’t defeat ‘em,
Wouldn’t it be good if we could just beat ‘em.
Fourteenth in goals scored another statistic,
Without many forwards I’m not optimistic,

Next up Southampton back to the South Coast,
Look at their team, we should have them on toast,
Boxing Day games after a big Christmas dinner,
Let’s hope we can win, who might score the winner?

They have a new manager, Juric his name,
They talk of a bounce in his very first game,
Sacked three times in two years then hired by Torino,
A short spell at Roma then sacked like Mourinho.

We both love the Hammers although we’re not leaders,
We wish a great Christmas to all of our readers,
From Rich and Geoff, we’ll be writing more soon,
Two more wins this year we’ll be over the moon.

It may not happen, it’s not worth a bet,
With West Ham you never know quite what you’ll get,
But let’s have a good run to bring us some cheer,
Good football, some wins, and a Happy New Year!

West Ham Briefing: A Claret and Blue Christmas, Lop Actually, and Will The Saints Nick It on Boxing Day

After a mostly flat draw with Brighton on Saturday, West Ham return to the south coast to face basement dwellers Southampton in a Boxing Day clash. Will it be a Last Christmas for Julen Lopetegui?

West Ham continue to be in a league of their own as they consolidated their hold on the Premier League’s 14th place – their home for 13 of the season’s 17 weeks to date – with an uninspiring draw against Brighton and Hove Albion. The stalemate extending the Hammer’s winless home run against the Seagulls to eight games.

If there was a sense of watching claret and blue paint drying at the London Stadium, a far glossier finish was on display from our chromatic cousins in the earlier TV game from Villa Park. It took my mind back to the last match of the 2019/20 Covid affected season when the Villains snatched the point required to secure their top flight status.

West Ham enjoyed two of their better Premier League finishes in the subsequent two seasons while Villa floundered first under Dean Smith and then Steven Gerrard. Both clubs started the 2022/ 23 season poorly and while the Hammer’s Board stayed loyal to their Scottish manager, the Midlanders replaced Gerrard by buying Unai Emery out of his contract at Villarreal. They haven’t looked back since. Qualifying for the Champions League last season and playing football as if they enjoy it. They have a good blend of youth and experience, have recruited well from the lower leagues, and have pace, power, and energy throughout their side. They can even choose between TWO top class strikers instead of none.

Emery and Julen Lopetegui are often mentioned in the same breath, probably because both are Basques; and because both previously managed at Sevilla. In reality, Emery’s record is a far superior one, having won three Europa League titles at Sevilla (to Lopetegui’s one) as well as honours at PSG and Villarreal. Appointing Emery has been the sliding doors moment between the two clubs.

Some might argue that Lopetegui simply needs more time to get to grips with all new arrivals into the squad and instil his ideas into a playing style that had stagnated over the preceding few seasons. It is true enough that the squad composition had drifted into a dreadful state under the previous leadership – both in terms of age and depth of ability. But summer recruitment failed to address many of the issues that had arisen, and despite significant spend, West Ham remain the second oldest team in the league – and quite possibly the slowest.

It is fair to acknowledge that there has been a shift in playing style, even if it is subtle up to this point. Possession and passing statistics have improved and we are ranked as high as 5th in terms of number of shots taken. Conversely, we are also placed even higher (4th) on number of shots conceded. More possession has not turned into dominating games. We are joint 14th for goals scored where the greatest threat is counter attacking that rely on moments of individual brilliance from Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus or set pieces. Otherwise, there is precious little penetration and too few players getting in the box. At the other end, we are 6th worst for goals conceded where opponents routinely have free rein to slice through the porous centre of our defences. Performances have the hallmarks of a lower mid-table and without drastic action to address the problems at striker and in the heart of midfield, it is where we will remain.

The January transfer window is not a time for wholesale reconstruction and often passes at West Ham with no activity at all. That being the case, the coach must find a system that suits the resources at his disposal and give up on his fixation of square pegs in round holes. Or the club must find a coach who is able to do that and then embark on strategy of building for the future in the summer. As things stand, it is a club going nowhere – slowly.

Saturday’s game was another that failed to live up to the hype of ‘best league in the world.’ West Ham laboured and Brighton were more reminiscent of Potter’s ‘all sizzle and no sausage’ offering than De Zerbi’s more enterprising style. A soporific first-half livened up in the second period courtesy of two goals in eight minutes, but still fell short of top-level entertainment. Another raft of odd substitutions by Lopetegui left his side with a huge gap between the front three and defensive five. Hoping for any semblance of creativity or guile from Tomas Soucek and Guido Rodriguez was the height of optimism.

In the closing minutes only one team were looking to win the game – and it wasn’t West Ham. Lukasz Fabianski who had been badly at fault for the Brighton opener partly redeemed himself with a slew of smart saves.

The Hammers Roadshow moves on to rock bottom Southampton on Boxing Day. Once again, they will be facing a struggling side with a new manager in place for his first game. What could possibly go wrong? The Saints stopped the rot with a scoreless draw at Fulham yesterday and we all know what the scriptwriters have in mind for the West Ham visit. Already, I can feel in it my fingers, and in my toes. Lop is all around me, and so that feeling grows.

Ivan Juric is an interesting appointment for Southampton. Sacked three times in two years by Genoa, followed by a decent but unremarkable three year spell at Torino, then dismissed after 12 games by Roma. At least no compensation was involved.

All that remains is to wish everybody a very Merry Christmas. May all your dreams be found wrapped and ready under the tree. COYI!

Are Upbeat West Ham Ready To Exploit The Irregular Rhythm Of The Saints?

Despite the winning mentality building at West Ham out of recent league and European exploits it will be a tough test on the south coast against under pressure Southampton

When asked what he thought about football, a wise man once said: “It’s a funny old game.” It’s a fascinating insight and one that is particularly pertinent when it comes to football management. How else can you explain why anyone would want to give Steve Bruce a job?

Very few managers these days ever get to win a trophy – such is the financial dominance of a small group of powerful clubs. In the past ten seasons, the three major English honours have been shared by just five clubs (sorry, Tottenham) on all but four occasions – Leicester’s league title in 2016 and FA Cup win in 2020, Wigan’s FA Cup in 2013, and Swansea’s League Cup, also in the same year. In the last five seasons, Manchester City have won nine of the fifteen prizes on offer.

For anyone managing outside the richest clubs, success is purely relative. Trying to keep the owners and supporters happy (in that order) by maximising prize money and steering clear of relegation. Buried somewhere in their priority list is a precarious balance between expectations, results and entertainment.  

Just a few weeks ago, the ominous rasp of knives being sharpened might well have haunted David Moyes dreams. But a run of six wins from seven games (in all competitions) has been enough to silence his band of critics for now. A strong enough position to see off at least another two or three Prime Ministers.

Although the Hammer’s league position still leaves much to be desired, securing another feast of post-Christmas European football adds further credit to the manager’s account. In truth, a Premier League side not being able to qualify from a Europa Conference group must be regarded as a monumental failure (sorry, again Tottenham). Still, doing so with two games to spare, and using a largely second-string set of players, could not have gone any better.

This week, by complete coincidence, I came across a critique of Jose Mourinho’s management style by Spanish journalist, Diego Torres. Not a huge fan of the Special One, Torres distilled Mourinho’s footballing philosophy into the following principles:

  • The game is won by the team who commit fewer errors.
  • Football favours whoever provokes more errors in the opposition.
  • Away from home, instead of trying to be superior to the opposition, it’s better to encourage their mistakes.
  • Whoever has the ball is more likely to make a mistake
  • Whoever renounces possession reduces the possibility of making a mistake.
  • Whoever has the ball has fear.
  • Whoever does not have it is thereby stronger.

While it would be harsh to tar Moyes with precisley the same brush, there are certainly familiar themes – which become more visible as better players are brought into the club. When Moyes first arrived he did an amazing job of getting the best from the limited resources he had available. But as the value of his squad increases, he needs to demonstrate more variety in his game plan. The cycle of defend deep, break quickly, and score from set pieces cannot repeat indefinitely. The squad now has players that can add creativity to the energy and organisation, but there needs to be more freedom, less inhibition, greater adventure, improved fluidity and movement; and less respect for opponent’s reputations.

The transition is not an easy one, but there can be no linear path in football for clubs like ours. Without a preception of success, improvement, and momentum, the better players will move on, and it will be back to square one. See Leicester City for details.

Today, West Ham travel to the south coast to meet floundering Southampton. A string of four consecutive defeats, including reverses against Wolves, Villa, and Everton has seen the Saints slip alarmingly down the table and propelled Ralph Hasenhuttl to frontrunner in the managerial sack race, currently neck and neck with Steven Gerrard at Villa. A good time for West Ham to play them or will we see a survival mode response from the home side?

If there were to be an armchair poll of supporter’s preferred West Ham line-ups, my instinct is that it would show a strong desire for Alphonse Areola to replace Lucasz Fabianski, Flynn Downes to replace Tomas Soucek, and anyone (Michail Antonio, Said Benrahma or Maxwell Cornet) to replace Pablo Fornals. It is certainly what I have been longing to see, although none of that is likely to happen today.

Moyes has spoken highly of Downes in recent weeks but appears set on bringing him on minute by minute in the league. Last weekend Downes doubled his Premier League minutes from one to two; a rate that doesn’t suggest a stunningly rapid development plan. Surely, he must be given a twenty to thirty minute shift before too long.

The persistence with Fornals is the perfect example of Moyes’ aversion to risk. Preferring to employ him as an auxiliary defender rather than fielding a more attack minded player. I doubt any other side in the league plays with fewer players who are primarilyy focus on offense. The lack of options and movement that this creates contributes significantly to the below average level of ball retention.

Fans will remember that West Ham and Southampton were promoted from the Championship together in 2011/12. In the twenty league matches played since, West Ham have won ten, Southampton five, and there have been five draws – four of them goalless affairs at St Marys. The Saints did, however, run out comfortable winners when the teams last met in the fifth round of the 2021/22 FA Cup.

The current Southampton side is full of busy players but they are short of true quality, aside from the dead ball expertise of Ward-Prowse. That said, I am not as confident as others that the game presents something of a ‘gimme’ for the Hammers. Much will depend on two factors: one, whether the Hammers can find enough fit central defenders to start the game following injuries sustained in midweek; and two, whether they can shake off the characteristic slow start that has tended to follow previous midweek European outings.

I would love to predict a third league win on the bounce. One day we may get to see a West Ham romp inspired by the burgeoning skills of Gianluca Scamacca and Lucas Paqueta. It could be today but equally I can easily see the spoils being shared. COYI!

West Ham at Southampton, the Anderlecht game, and thoughts on VAR, offside and handball.

Did you read Geoff’s excellent article in Under The Hammers on Thursday prior to the European game against Anderlecht? In it he described how it never ceases to amaze him how much of a pigs-ear officials have made of implementing VAR, and how the beauty of football is it’s simplicity. He went on to discuss the meal that the VAR review system made of last Sunday’s game against Fulham. For once all three West Ham goals stood following review, but they took an absolute age, didn’t they, taking the spontaneity out of celebrating a goal scored?

I’ll put my cards on the table here and say that I am a fan of the concept of VAR. But, and this is a massive but, only if it is used as it was surely intended, to highlight to the referee that he has blundered by not seeing something that has resulted in a clear and obvious error.

Goals are checked for offside, but it seems to take an age to draw the lines, and in the end it often comes down to a toe being in an offside position or not. I’d personally like to see a change to the offside law. It was originally introduced to prevent goal-hanging more than 100 years ago and this made sense at the time, and not to decide whether a player had a toe (or any other part of the body that can touch the ball legally) in an offside position anywhere in the opponent’s half. Surely it would be simple enough to change the law such that if any part of the attacker’s body is in line with any part of the defender’s body then the attacker is onside? It would take literally seconds to confirm this.

Perhaps even more controversially, how ridiculous that you can be offside anywhere in the opponent’s half? Why not extend the line of the penalty area and only give offside decisions in the final 18 yards of the pitch? This would mean that the game would be stretched over a greater area. You can’t be goal-hanging 50 yards from the goal! Perhaps this idea of mine is a step too far, but at least I understand that technology is advancing to an extent that cameras will soon be able to identify offside automatically without the need for linesmen, or assistant referees as they are now called. Perhaps that will enable them to concentrate on assisting the referee more? Is that something we would want them to do?

But even more contentious than offside in the modern game is the concept of handball. I was interested to read an article by Mike Dean in his column in the Daily Mail this week where he talks about handballs being the hardest part of being an official. “Give me a tackle, a trip, a push, some grappling in the box or an offside any day of the week” he says.

But going back to Geoff’s point about football being a simple game, why can’t we make the handball law much more straightforward? Dean goes on to discuss what the officials have to consider when assessing handball. “Did the ball strike the player on the red zone (below the shirt sleeve) or the green zone” which I assume to be above the shirt sleeve? I wonder how they assess this if players are wearing long sleeves? “What was the proximity of the player to where the ball was struck from? Did they have time to react? Was it deliberate? Was their arm in an unnatural position or was it naturally a consequence of his body shape an movement? How can you be sure what position is natural for the arm from one individual to another? Was there a clear movement of the arm to make the body bigger?”

He goes on to say that “handballs have always been a talking point and they remain so to this day regardless of the introduction of VAR.”

Dean’s comments lifted from his article are in bold italics in the paragraphs above. No wonder it takes so long to come to a conclusion! Once again I have what I think is a simple solution. Just leave it to the referee to decide if a player deliberately uses his hand / arm to gain an advantage. If so, then penalise him. So many handball decisions seem to be given where there is no intent. Of course the decision of the referee will be a subjective one – these are often not clear-cut, but even after looking at a multitude of camera angles, it seems to me that it is impossible to decide whether all of the points that Dean raises for handball decisions lead to a clear conclusion. Pundits analysing the decisions on TV have varying opinions. Yes, VAR can intervene if the referee has made a clear and obvious error, but let’s keep it simple. Only intervene if the referee has missed something clear and obvious. Just have one criteria. Was it deliberate or not? And that’s the end of it.

The result of the Anderlecht game was not really a reflection of the 90 minutes. At 2-0 the team concentrated on possession rather than adding to the lead, then towards the end Ben Johnson made a clumsy challenge in the penalty area which led to an unnecessary few uncomfortable minutes to see the victory out. Once again a good performance from a number of players that haven’t been in the starting eleven in league games. Once again, Flynn Downes demonstrated his midfield potential and must surely get more minutes in the near future.

Southampton are the opponents this weekend. In my start of season predictions I forecast them to be one of the three clubs to be relegated this season, and nothing I’ve seen so far has made me change my mind on this. Three Midlands clubs (Leicester, Forest and Wolves) currently occupy the relegation places with Southampton immediately above them.

Their seven points all came in the opening month of the season, drawing at home to Leeds, winning at Leicester, and at home to Chelsea. In September they lost at Wolves and Villa, and in October so far they were soundly beaten (as so many are) by Manchester City and then last weekend lost at home to Everton.

We have yet to reach the heights of the last two campaigns this season, but our form contrasts with our south coast opponents. Where their game appears to be deteriorating with four consecutive league defeats, our form has slowly improved after not such a good start with six wins in our last seven games, two in the league and four in Europe. The European campaign has been promising without being outstanding, and we have (almost) already won the group with two games to spare.

I’d like to think that we’ll beat Southampton easily, but you never can be sure of how it will go on a Sunday following a Thursday game. 2-0 perhaps? What are the chances?

New Faces Prepare To Show Star Quality As West Ham Travel To Southampton

Top six, new signings, a better-balanced squad and European football. Can the West Ham feelgood factor maintain momentum into today’s clash at St Mary’s Stadium?

After months of phony rumours and speculation, the transfer window exploded into life at the last minute with a flurry of late deals and a hysterical media frenzy. All those who experienced it will all be able to tell their grandchildren where they when the news broke of which shirt number Cristiano Ronaldo will be wearing at Old Trafford – as Manchester United fans sent house prices rocketing in Croydon just to obtain a CR7 postcode.

After the dust on that blockbuster deal finally settled, it also emerged that West Ham had broken open the piggy bank to make three additional quality signings of their own. Kurt Zouma, Nikola Vlasic and Alex Kral all agreeing on moves to east London. A warm welcome to KZ4, NV11 and AK33. A trick missed, perhaps, with Kral not insisting on the number 47 shirt – as an inspiration to rifle in the occasional goal.

On paper, it looks a very productive window for the club. But only time will tell how well, and how quickly, those players adapt to life in the claret and blue. Zouma, with over 150 EPL appearances already to his name, should be ready and able to make an instant impression. Vlasic and Kral, on the other hand, will need time to demonstrate their transition from the Russian to English leagues.

The squad now has cover in most positions. Alphonse Areola provides competition for Lukasz Fabianski. Kouma increases the complement to four senior centre backs – how will Issa Diop reacts to becoming fourth choice – while Ben Johnson provides cover for both full-backs. Kral offers useful backup to Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek, and potentially we will see all three deployed in games against Manchester City and Chelsea. The attacking midfield options are suddenly intriguing with Vlasic adding a different dimension to the blossoming talents of Pablo Fornals, Jarrod Bowen and Said Benrahma.    

If only there was a backup striker, the squad would look comfortably at home as a top six side. Although it will be a challenge to cope with both domestic and European football, there is now a better balance in the squad and a flexibility to vary formation according to circumstances.

The striker situation is, as ever, complicated. David Moyes has stuck to his principles of focusing on quality rather than numbers but uncovering a productive striker on the cheap is a tough assignment – which a quick scan through the list of 50 or so strikers signed by West Ham in the last 10 years illustrates perfectly. It is a task that must now sit at the very top of Rob Newman’s (the club’s new head of recruitment) Todo list.  In the meantime, all hopes will be pinned to the brittle hamstrings of Michail Antonio, a well-deserved Premier League Player of The Month.

It would be no surprise to see Zouma go straight into the starting eleven for today’s trip to Southampton at the expense of Craig Dawson. That is the only probable change I see, barring any late injuries or positive Covid tests. Perhaps there will be an opportunity for a glimpse of Vlasic from the bench.

There has been debate among supporters that the time is now right for Areola to replace Fabianski between the sticks. Areola will inevitably take over the Number One spot at some point during the season, but I doubt that time has come quite yet.

Today’s opponents, Southampton, have experienced an indifferent start to the season. Defeat at Everton on the opening weekend was followed up by a creditable home draw against Manchester United, and a last gasp penalty equaliser at Newcastle.

Not sure that I am totally convinced by Ralph Hasenhüttl despite his obvious passion for the task in hand. Or more specifically at how appropriate/ resilient his narrow 4-2-2-2 formation is for the Premier League. A record to date of 16th, 11th and 15th place finishes is not particularly impressive but with the Saints rich youth production line seemingly run dry maybe it is as good as it gets.

The home side will still be a threat, however. The spearhead of Che Adams and Adam Armstrong may not offer much in the way of aerial threat, but they are both lively, work very hard and come with decent goal-scoring records. Add to that the dead-ball prowess of James Ward-Prowse and the Hammers defence must remain alert. Elsewhere, ex-Stamford Bridge academy player, Tino Livramento, looks exactly the type of exciting prospect that Chelsea will be wanting to buy back some time in the future.

Despite the transfer window being firmly closed, the media have yet to tire of speculation about Declan Rice joining Manchester United. If reports are to be believed, the hierarchy at Old Trafford are continuing to work on a bid that will take Rice up north in the summer – is that the best destination for a player wanting to win things? The bid should be a thing of beauty if they have ten months to work on it.

In the same vein, the talk of a Jesse Lingard move in the opposite direction persists. Strange that Lingard didn’t push for a summer move, but I wonder if his services will still be of interest following the capture of Vlasic.

After today’s game the Hammers set off to Zagreb on their first real European adventure for many years. There then follows a busy run of games interrupted only by more international breaks. It will be great to set that run off with a positive result against a weakened Southampton at St Mary’s. No doubt we will cause them enough problems in attack to win the game provided the players are alert defensively and maintain their compact shape in midfield.  Hasenhüttl has yet to taste victory over West Ham and that run should continue today. West Ham to win 2-0; or 9-0 if the Saints have a player sent off early on.

A nice Selection Headache for David Moyes as the Hammers head to the South Coast

That’s the first international break over. Personally I’m not a fan of how the domestic season gets interrupted by three international breaks before a dozen Premier League games have been completed. I think we get four more league games before the next interruption and then four more before the November internationals. Of course at West Ham we have the Europa League getting underway very soon too, and I’m looking forward to that.

And thinking of our foray into Europe the transfer window has now slammed shut, and I believe we appear to have done very well this time around. David Moyes stated publicly that he didn’t just want players to make up the numbers in the squad, he wanted footballers that could enhance the first team, whilst allowing for the additional fixtures that we would be playing on Thursday nights in Europe. Four established international footballers would appear to be a much better result than seemed likely with just a few days of the window to go, although of course as always we have to wait and see how well they make the transition into our squad, and how the manager integrates them into the team. It will be interesting to see how quickly they get their chance to show what they can do, but with the opening Europa League fixtures less than a week away it shouldn’t be long.

All four of our new recruits will ensure that there will be strong competition for places in the starting eleven in most parts of the team, especially in goal, at centre back, and in an attacking sense. There is no direct alternative for Antonio though, and we wait to see how this one plays out when he is either injured or needs a rest. Zouma, especially, will put pressure on the centre backs for a starting place, as will Vlasic on Bowen, Fornals and Benrahma, who have all started the season in excellent form.

As this season was getting underway it appeared that Lanzini was looking at a new role playing deeper than in the past, but it will now be even more difficult for him to get into the team, with Kral in a similar position too. You’d want both Rice and Soucek to be starting as many games as possible, but from what I’ve seen I’d imagine Kral playing in their role when one or the other is not available. But perhaps our manager has other ideas? And Mark Noble will surely find opportunities even more limited for him to play a part in his last season. One thing is for sure though, we now have so much more quality cover for injuries than has been the case in the past. At this moment David Moyes is perhaps more spoiled for choice than at any time at the West Ham helm.

With the season barely underway it’s hard to predict what to expect at Southampton. We have won six out of the seven most recent Premier League encounters, including the final game of last season when 10,000 of us were lucky enough in the ballot to be able to attend the game. The Saints have yet to win a league game this season, drawing with Newcastle and Manchester United and going down at Everton. They sit thirteenth in the (very) early season table. On the other hand we are second following our two excellent wins and the slightly disappointing draw at home to Palace. Tottenham are the only team with 100% record after just three games and they visit Selhurst Park this weekend.

The newcomers have barely had the chance to meet their new team mates yet, so perhaps it is a little early for any of them to be pushing for a place in the starting eleven. For me, if any do get the nod I reckon it will be Zouma, but the others will surely be warming the bench waiting for their chance.

Despite being away from home we are slight favourites with the bookmakers to win this game at 6/4, with Southampton at 15/8 and the draw at 23/10. There were 6 goals in our opening game this season, 5 in the next, and 4 in the Palace match. I reckon 3 this time, with us winning 3-0. We’ve put 3 past Southampton in 5 of our last 9 games against them, so why not 6 out of 10? What are the chances?

Make Do And Mend: West Ham’s Lack Of 2020 Vision Casts A Shadow On South Coast Visit

The final game of 2020 is time once again reflect on the many failings of the West Ham board as the team continue to struggle in the absence of their only striker.

Baffled, bemused, bewildered, mystified, confused, confounded, perplexed, flummoxed – just a few of the words listed in Moyset’s Thesaurus to describe reaction to his team selection on Sunday to face Brighton.

Faced with a run of three games in five days, the manager apparently chose to approach the most winnable of them, by fielding a flair-free side at home to relegation threatened Brighton. What was he thinking?

Granted his is not a squad overflowing with an abundant depth of talent, but that was a side even Stockport would fancy their chances against in the upcoming FA Cup tie.

I did see the rationale of bringing in Ben Johnson as left wing back. After all, Brighton are decent enough going forward and Aaron Cresswell is a much safer bet as part of a back three. But Johnson is an out and out defender (a right footed one at that) and was never going to be marauding down the flank, providing width with menacing crosses. If Johnson was going to be play, then creativity was required elsewhere, in the form of either Manual Lanzini or Said Benrahma. Not the one paced Mark Noble.

The supposed intention was to have Jarrod Bowen playing close to Sebastien Haller with Noble in the creator role, but it didn’t even get close to working out in that way. Hadn’t they given this setup a try on the training ground during the week, to spot its obvious flaws?

What we got was Noble dropping too deep, disrupting the normally effective Declan Rice/ Tomas Soucek partnership, and Bowen playing too far forward, removing his pace from midfield and eliminating the only option of an out-ball.

As for Haller, even the most mild-mannered and patient of supporters will have lost all hope by now. A more impotent performance would be impossible to imagine. If ever a centre back wanted a worry free ninety minutes, even with a Christmas hangover, then coming up against Haller would be perfect.

At least Moyes has admitted his mistake and the occasional blooper can be acceptable in a mostly over-achieving season. The long term mismanagement of the club is down to the dreadful owners, not the manager. I’m confident Moyes would have got far better value from the £80 million odd that has been wasted on the vanity signings of Haller and Felipe Anderson.

Still onwards and upwards. Today is another day and there’s another game in a festive programme dominated, so far, by drawn games.

How the Hammers will line-up at Southampton will be governed by the usual dilemma. Who will play upfront in the likely continued absence of Michail Antonio? As poor as Haller has been (and it is like playing with ten men for much of the time) who is available to do a better job? Can Andriy Yarmolenko play through the middle? He looked bright enough against Brighton, but he is not known either for his pace, physicality or hard work. Equally, I don’t see Bowen as an effective alternative for the striker role. Do you think Ian Pearce still available? What a way to run a football club!

In midfield, Lanzini, Benrahma or Pablo Fornals should always start in preference to Noble. It is painful to watch the club captain trying to keep up with play nowadays. It’s no way for the sun to go down on such a distinguished career.

The Benrahma situation is beyond reason. Did Moyes want him in the first place? Is he another Sullivan special? Are there some other hidden agendas at work? We’ve not yet seen what he can bring to the team, but it can’t be worse than some of the other options. He deserves an opportunity to prove his worth, or otherwise.

Southampton’s storming start to the season has stalled a little in recent weeks, as they have struggled to cope with the absence of Danny Ings. The ability to call on a competent and reliable goal scorer sets the Saints apart from the Hammers. It looks like he will again be missing today and, although that is a bonus, the Hammers must be keep alert to the threat of the lively Che Adams and the set pieces of James Ward-Prowse. Jannik Vestergaard will also be an absentee from the Saint’s defence.

Seven of the twelve holiday matches played to date have ended in draws. Adding one more to that list might be the best we can hope for if the Hammers cannot find new reserves of energy and enterprise on their trip to the south coast. The optimism and swagger of a few weeks back has gone as flat as last years champagne. A fresh injection of bubbles is badly needed. I will take a 1-1. COYI!

Haller-lujah, Antonio In Excelsis! Takeaways As West Ham Snatch Survival Lifeline

Now, I’ve heard about when West Ham scored. That Sebastien played, and it pleased the Lord. What, if anything, did we learn from West Ham’s surprise change of formation and victory at St Marys?

Sack Race Goes Into Added Time

There was plenty of pre-match speculation as to the potential scenarios that each of the possible outcomes might have on the future employment prospects of Manuel Pellegrini. Many believed that he would be gone no matter what the result. But now, according to the latest reports being leaked from the club, the manager will be hanging around for as long as the Christmas decorations are – ‘tis the season to be jolly! Although rather than being given another two game window to save his job, he is now apparently in sudden death territory – just one more shameful, insipid performance away from the job centre. None of this should really be any surprise since it became obvious that the decision hinged on compensation payments and not for football reasons. Are the team, under Pellegrini, able to scramble high enough up the rock-face to avoid drowning in the rising tide of relegation? It is not a matter of trust in the manager- it is a case of trusting that there are three worse teams in the league come the end of the season.

First Among Failures

West Ham were deserved winners in the game that, although relatively exciting, was generally poor in terms of quality. Not exactly a ‘game of two halves’ but certainly one of ‘two portions.’ The Hammers were dominant for the first 60 or 70 minutes until they tired badly just after the hour – perhaps a few more minutes than they managed on Monday. After that, all ambition disappeared and were left hanging on and thanking the woodwork by the final whistle. Fitness levels are one of the major concerns under the current management regime – as they were during his time at Manchester City. Better sides than Southampton (that is, most of the Premier League on this showing) will be quick to exploit that weakness. Hasenhüttl had adjusted his formation at half time and there was debate in the commentary box as to whether Pellegrini would make changes to compensate – based on previous experience he will be ready to do so sometime in early March. Although Romeu was one of the hosts better performers it was fatigue in the Hammer’s ranks (notably Mark Noble and Robert Snodgrass) that changed the dynamic of the game.  The defence (particularly Angelo Ogbonna and Fabian Balbuena) was resolute but luck also played a huge part.

Pellegrini Sees The Light

Just as the manager had been slow to recognise the glaring limitations of Roberto, he was also the last person alive to twig that Sebastien Haller might be far more effective if he wasn’t left so isolated on the pitch. Begrudgingly and with the catalyst of a convenient Felipe Anderson illness, Pellegrini finally accepted that more than one team formation is possible. It was a transformation. Michail Antonio was outstanding, causing havoc in the Saints defence with his aggressive running, pace and power. Haller responded magnificently, not only with a goal, but also with a genuine striker’s performance that was a constant threat of danger. One could argue that Haller should have been putting in the required effort previously, but it is easy to understand his frustration – who would pay top dollar for a striker and then refuse to give him any service? More is still needed, however, to compete against better sides than Southampton. Midfield runners need to get into more advanced positions, beyond the strikers, on occasion – only Pablo Fornals (who is showing definite signs of improvement) did so to any effect.  The changed formation meant Declan Rice playing a more subdued role than usual – good for defensive stability but a problem while he remains the only pace in midfield. Long balls for Antonio and Haller to chase are a useful option, but cannot become the only tactic.

Little In Reserve

You only need to take a look at Saturday’s bench to recognise how thin the squad depth is, and how no confidence is being shown in academy players – Roberto, Zabaleta, Masuaku, Diop, Sanchez, Yarmolenko, Ajeti – hardly the magnificent 7! Accepted that there have been injuries, but probably no worse this season than the average Premier League club. Allowing Obiang, Fernandes and Hernandez to leave without bring in replacements and failing to address the full-back issues were completely irresponsible by all concerned. A good match-day bench should be a mix of essential cover and players who are capable of changing the game. Even Southampton had better alternatives to call on from the dugout. Pellegrini’s use of substitutes was again eccentric. Andriy Yarmolenko’s defensive contribution has suicidal tendencies – even if replacing Snodgrass (knackered and in danger of a second yellow card) made sense. The introduction of Carlos Sanchez (for Haller) effectively handed all remaining initiative to Southampton. Still, all’s well that ends well, I suppose.

Schrödinger’s Penalty

We saw the worst of VAR in Saturday’s game. Not the technology, but the way the buffoons (lunatics and assylum spring to mind) have implemented it. Ostensibly introduced to eliminate refereeing mistakes, it’s primary use is to either apply rules (or interpretation of rules) that previously didn’t exist or to enforce offside to a spurious degree of accuracy . The handball rule used to disallow the Antonio goal is bizarre. How does an offence (unintentional handball) only apply when it occurs during an attack and where a goal is scored? When in all other circumstances it is waved on? What is the current rule on penalties? What happened to the crackdown on grappling at corners? When does contact become too much contact – went down too easy versus entitled to go down? It’s a mess. In Saturday’s penalty incident there were two blatant fouls for the price of one but both ignored by the referee – perhaps he was overwhelmed. If it happened too quickly for the referee to see, then it should have been apparent to the VAR. The ‘clear and obvious error’ defence is clear and obvious nonsense – it should be about consistency and accuracy, not about a referee losing face. It has been said that had Atkinson awarded the penalty then Moss would not have reversed that decision either -for the same clear and obvious reason. It was both a penalty and not a penalty at the same time.

Ratings: Martin (6), Fredericks (5), Balbuena (7), Ogbonna (7), Cresswell (6), Rice (6), Noble (6), Snodgrass (6), Fornals (7), ANTONIO (12), Haller (8) Subs: Yarmolenko (5), Sanchez (5), Diop (5)