Forum | General Discussion

If we had a pound for every time we have mentioned West Ham's need for a proper striker to give Mikey Antonio support and competition, we would already be a long way to being able to afford one of 'Arry's retirement Villas on the South Coast.

Perhaps Hammers fans are in denial when it comes to acquiring top players? The Haller and Anderson 'experience' having done little to enhance a feeling of bonhomie among fans AND club officials, so when news RE-EMERGED of Hammers 'interest' in Patrick Schick, it was greeted with a more than considerable scepticism.

The point is Schick is EXACTLY the type of player David Moyes wants and needs, he is a robust 25 year old at the top of his game who will only increase in value, so getting him in would be a major coup. Of course with transfers involving top players there are 'additional' elements that have to be dealt with, usually involving a greedy agent desperate to pay for his new electric Porsche, or pay off his divorce!

Bayer Leverkusen are not keen on selling the Czech International, but a fee of €45 Million would get the deal over the line. That equates to around £40 Million, £5 Million less than the club paid for Sebastien Haller and ONLY £4 Million more than Felipe Anderson.

Still £40 Million is an awful lot of money, but it is the market price for a top striker and HALF of what Chelsea paid for Romelu Lukakau. If Hammers are to make a serious push for Europe, then a player of Patrick Schick's quality is absolutely necessary, after all Daniel Kretinsky didn't come on board JUST to pay off debts, he will want to see a 'tangible' return for his investment and they don't get more tangible than Schick!

In the past, Hammers transfer activity has been more Shtick than slick, it is to be hoped that the Shtick can be replaced with some Schick! -LN

Just over one month ago, Mike Nesmith one of the only two of the original Monkees left, passed away. Only Mikey Dolenz is left now, it is perhaps fitting that the 'Elephant Boy' as he was called when he was a child star, still remains. As Dolenz concluded his epitaph for 'Nes', he closed with the words he shared with the 'leader', "None of us are going to get out of this alive."

So if you think West Ham have got problems, spare a thought for those 'dears' up in Mancsville, as they self implode ahead of their hoe down with their ex-manager's boys. Although the squad will be flying up for the game, we shall continue with the Monkees analogy by stating that for some, this really could be the last train!

The thirteen days left of the transfer window might be unlucky for some, there are SEVERAL Hammers players who might NOT be around come the end of January, a couple of those might be seen as peripheral players despite being held in high esteem in the past.

Nathan Holland has flattered to deceive for far too long, his most recent loan spell at Oxford was little short of disastrous and unfortunately injuries have ALWAYS arrived at the wrong time for the 22 year old. Holland's contract expirers in June and there is little to NO chance of the club extending his contract, he will join a growing list of 'what might have beens' at West Ham. Andryiy Yarmiolenko and Authur Masuaku are lined up at the exit door, with any offer over 10p being viewed favourably!

All Hands To The Pumps

This weekeend's trip to Old Trafford represents yet another chance for Hammers to get their Champions League chances back on track, but as we are approaching the bussines end of the season a defeat would mean much more than the loss of three points, as the match has become a genuine 'six pointer'.

A win would put Hammers back on track, a draw would be acceptable, but a defeat will probably put the last nail in the club's Champions Leage hopes coffin. IF Kurt Zouma is back in the team, then there is a distinct chance Hammers can cause an upset, because if ever there was a more disparate bunch of players than those at West Ham, it is the Mancs.

There is NO WAY that Manchester United can POSSIBLY perform as badly next season, so this one represents a golden opportunity, for the second year running, that Hammers have a chance to pip their much wealthier Premier League rivals. With Zouma back in the ranks and Cresswell along for the ride again, Hammers will only be devoid of Säid Benrahma and Angelo Ogbonna, IF there are no futher Covid issues.

To close on that point, Burnley have just had yet another game postponed, due to Covid AND injuries. Come on, this is getting ludicrous! The fact that they sold their top striker, (sic) didn't have anything to do with them requesting a postponement did it? Perhaps almost ALL of the Premier League should take lessons from West Ham as to how to cope with Covid, because strangely enough Hammers have been the club with the least cases, that wouldn't have anything to do with other clubs 'working' the Covid rules in order to gain an unfair advantage would it? Best ask Arsenal and Liverpool, they might be able to explain. - Ed

Extremely disturbing or amusing, depending on your opinion, images have emerged of Andy Carroll in the car park of Hammers Rush Green training ground. We kid you not, but before you start to have an apoplectic shock it should be remembered that Big Andy still has a property that is located not that far from the Romford training ground, which was given the not so glamourous nick name of 'Goose Green' by a certain European footballer when he first laid eyes on the place having previously been SEDUCED by what was on show at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium.

Potential signings and their W.A.G.S are ALWAYS shown the 60,000 plus stadium located in Stratford first when they are being 'courted' by the club, if they were shown 'Gooose Green' first they would probably run a mile or more likely a Kilometre! Carroll's Mercedes G Wagon WAS spotted in the Goose Green car park last week, 'Ken' the security guy confirmed, but it is not known if it was being driven by AC or his missus.

Since leaving the club, Carroll has maintained close ties with Aaron Cresswell and Mark Noble among others, so it is not unusual for him to be seen in and around the players occasionally, especially since he had been playing on a recently expired short term loan deal at Reading.

We are not in anyway advocating the re-signing of a player who relieved the club of over an astonishing £25 Million in wages, but it would be rather amusing if a short term deal was struck for the remainder of the season with the Geordie Lad, who is once again a free agent, but was being paid only £1,000 per week to play for the Royals.

At that rate of pay, Hammers could take him on for nearly two and a half years for just ONE WEEK of what Andriy Yarmolenko receives and has been receiving every week for nearly FOUR years! Although this article is pure conjecture, would Carroll be any worse than Yarmolenko? - Ed

A Jack Harrison hat-trick saw visitors Leeds United win a deserved 3-2 victory over a 'game weary' Hammers side, despite needing to replace to replace TWO of their players in the first 24 minutes. To the neutral the game had everything and would have been a thoroughly enjoyable watch.

It was an extremely enjoyable watch for the travelling Leeds fans, unfortunately their were some serious crowd issues before, during and after the game involving the away support AND unfortunately quite a few home fans. It is the 2nd time in a week that there have been disturbances involving Leeds and West Ham, today's was worse by far.

We had hoped such behaviour had become a thing of the past, but there is still an 'under element' of people who are just itching for a ruck which makes them difficult to Police if they are hell bent on trouble.

On the pitch Biesla's team out hammered West Ham by playing them at their own fast counter attacking game, but with more purpose.

Harrison opened the scoring with a powerful strike in the 10th minute, but Hammers recovered from yet another lacklustre start to equalise through a Jarrod Bowen header. Moyes' team have made a habit of slow starts before getting a grip on the game, but Leeds United are the LAST team in the Premier League you want to atart slowly against, and so it proved.

Leeds took the lead again before the interval as Harrison ghosted in at the back post to convert a Luke Ayling's downward header following a corner. Hammers did their best to pressurise the visitors but to little avail. An invigorated home side took to the pitch and were rewarded by Pablo Fornals scoring his first goal for the club since November to draw level for a second time in the 52nd minute, but then Harrison sealed victory eight minutes later.

Both teams had goals ruled out by VAR and Jarrod Bowen, who had earlier scored his fourth goal in three games, missed a golden chance in the final seconds to level the score but could only chest the ball over the bar from a few yards when he was completely unmarked.

It can be argued that playing three games in a week had its toll on the Irons, some players looked dead on their feet at the end, but it wasn't as if they didn't try. Sometimes you just have to hold your hands up and admit the better team won on the day, painful as it is to acknowledge.

The game did also further illustrate the urgent need for a couple of fresh faces to be brought in, although by next week the defensive rock that is Kurt Zouma will be available and a rested Tomas Soucek will also be in the squad that visits Old Trafford, but IF the club is really intent on gatecrashing the Premier League elite, it HAS to strengthen, NOW! - ED