Crikey Mikey what is it with West Ham and 'serial' injuries? Not content with losing one centre back during a game, Hammers went large and went through THREE centre backs during the midweek game against the Flare throwers from Flanders!
The massive signing who the entire defence was going to be assembled around, Nayef Aguerd, promptly got crocked on his 2nd outing for the club during the friendly defeat up at Ibrox and the rest have just been dropping like flies.
Les 'Balon' Dawson is a definite doubt for Sunday's crucial fixture against bogey team Southampton, who on the final day of last season helped ensure Hammers would be playing in the Con Cup instead of the Europa League. Angelo Ogbonna having only just started to play again following a potentially career ending ACL injury was taken of as a precaution but it doesn't bode well and Kurt Zouma is either injured, has man flu or even worse cat flu!
The club's new 'right back' sensation Thilo Kehrer was originally signed as a centre back, a position that he doesn't particularly excel at but it is his original position so he should be able to step up to the plate if needs be. Assuming Kehrer does make up part of the centre of defence would Declan Rice be forced to play at centre back as well if the others are all unavailable?
Vladimir Coufal has finally started to resemble the player he was before picking up his serious groin injury last year, an injury from which he was rushed back from far too quickly with the commensurate drop odd in form that was witnessed, The Impaler and scourge of Jack Grealish looks to be back and just in the nick of time.
Flynn Downes has been man of the match on three occasions playing for the club in European ties, he could take Declan's role in midfield, it is a risk, but needs must and it could be a vision of the future being played out in front of the eyes of fans who know that one day, sooner rather than later, that Declan Rice will be head hunted by Manchester City, Chelsea or even Real Madrid!
Old 'Arry Redknapp always used to trot out his "we're down to the bare bones' comments ahead of certain games to remind owners of his squad's paucity and his own need to 'top up' his brown envelope inventory. Rob Newman must be scratching his head, there he was thinking he had completed a really successful transfer window but now finds himself scratching around for additional signings, welcome to the 'West Ham Way' Mr Newman...! - LN
Comments
Thought losing to Brighton to
Thought losing to Brighton to cost us a place in the Europa Cup?
South coast teams all seem
South coast teams all seem the same!
Same old story
must be the sea air. from Bournemouth to Brighton .we don't seem to get alot. Down that way.
Imagine being Flynn Downes
Imagine being Flynn Downes and having Declan Rise as your mentor behind you for a few games...Big leg up or what...
rice
will be sold this january ,march or summer and Downes has been bought as his successer
Rice was atrocious
As a CB when he started out for us, admittedly in a poor defensive line up, and possibly he may have matured as a player to be able to play there again. Personally, I wouldn't have him anywhere near that position ever again. A flat back four of Coufal, Kehrer, Cresswell and Emerson should be enough to cope with Southamptons wimpy forward line with Rice and Soucek as a defensive midfield to protect them. As much as I like the look of Flynn, he's nowhere near ready to tackle the Premier League yet.
Playing on the front foot and attacking them from the start would also relieve defensive weaknesses instead of playing deep and allowing them to come at us, but that ain't gonna happen under Moyes. We all know he'll cobble up a back five with out of position players.