So its Friday the whatever has peed you off at work take a few minutes to relax and just have a laugh/giggle...whenever i have had a rotten day i watch this stuff it never fails for me to make me laugh i hope it does the same for you my fellow orgers.
Two all time favourites just cannot choose between them as to which is the best.
No we are not talking about Declan Rice OR Jarrod Bowen, we are referencing Lukasz Fabianski and Alphonse Areola. Many assumed when Areola arrived on loan from PSG, that this season would be one of transition as Fabianski's contract ran down in its final year and that Areola would be 'drip fed' into the first team.
That may have been the case originally, but it has generated a unique situation whereby Fabianski's improved form in the Premier League is SO good, that it is currently virtually impossible to replace him. That was NOT the plan, however despite Fab's brilliant form he is not getting any younger and the club MUST be proactive rather than reactive when it comes to replacing him.
IF Alphonse Areola isn't given more game time and Fabianski stays on, it would be a pyrrhic victory for the club because eventually the club WILL need a replacement and Areola is as good as it gets in that respect. The club simply CANNOT afford to lose Areola and therefore MUST do everything to ensure he stays at the club.
If Areola is allowed to return to PSG, it will be a mistake that Hammers will rue for YEARS! Hopefully there is a plan in place to retain the Frenchman who has excelled on the few occasions when he has actually been allowed to play! There is NO way Areola will stay on as a number 2 keeper, so the club need to box clever with an eye on the future.
What is the expression? Fail to prepare, prepare to fail... LN
The BBC will show the FA Cup fourth-round tie between Kidderminster Harriers and West Ham United live on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. The tie is one of six fourth-round fixtures to be broadcast live between the 4th and 6th of February. Sixth-tier Kidderminster, the lowest-ranked team left, stunned Championship side Reading in the third round.
Of course the only reason the Beeb features games like this is in the hope of a Cup upset, in the past Hammers have been only too willing to be one of the 'giants' put to the sword by a lower league or non league club, Yeovil, Mansfield, Oxford, you name them and Hammers have rolled over for them!
Hopefully David Moyes will NOT allow ANY complacency to creep in ahead of the fixture, everyone and their aunt who AREN'T Hammers supporters, will be routing for the plucky Harriers, but hopefully Moyes's team will know what is required on the night. - Ed
"We have to try and keep it going. I don't think being fourth this moment in time means an awful lot apart from showing we have been consistent. As long as we are around the mix and European places, that will be really good but if we can hang on the coat tails of teams above that is what we will try and do." Thus spoke the Moyesiah after Hammers dispensed with an obdurate, but ultimately unsuccessful, Norwich team that tried its hardest but was unable to bridge the gap in player quality between the teams.
It should be remembered that Hammers played a really tough FA Cup tie against Leeds on the Sunday ahead of the rescheduled game against Norwich and as such players were understandably showing a degree of tiredness during certain spells of the match.
Things don't get any easier, with the Leeds match 2:0 due to be held this weekend, this impending League fixture could go a long way in determining Hammers top slot aspirations, a win would push the club towards firming up at least a top six berth, anything less will see the club moving backwards against rivals Arsenal, Tottingham and Ronaldo United.
With Kurt Zouma scheduled to return from injury within the next week or so AND Aaron Cresswell's return, the team's under pressure defence will finally get the break it deserves. While Craig Dawson and Issa Diop are no match for the Angelo Ogbonna and Kurt Zouma, they HAVE performed remarkably well given the amount of games they have had to play, which include ALL the cup games including the UEFA Europa League.
With a little bit of diligent recruitment, there is NO reason Hammers shouldn't claim another TOP SIX slot, you never know, but with a bit of luck well actually an awful lot of good luck Hammers just might be able to 'gatecrash' the top four, it is highly unlikely, but if all the competitors for the top places take points off each other there is every chance Hammers will be there or thereabouts.
What a difference a couple of years make, West Ham United is no longer recognisable from the disparate and desperate club it was, now it is West Ham UNITED, both on AND off the pitch. David Moyes has hewn the club from his own granite like personality, no longer are WEst Ham 'flakey'. Instead every team that is due to play the club knows they will be in a game, IRRESPECTIVE of who they are.
Hammers for the Champions League, why not dream? - LN
Now how long is it since we ran out the Ian Dury influenced banner "reasons to be cheerful" when referencing West Ham? Well if you look through our ridiculously comprehensive archives, you will see it was way back in 2015, when Dimitri Payet grabbed hold of the club and catapulted it into the limelight for the first time since the Di Canio and Cole era.
There are PLENTY of reasons to be cheerful for David Moyes and West Ham at the moment, having navigated their way through the 'murder month' of December, which involved operating WITHOUT ANY of the established back four for a whole sequence of games, the troubled waters seem to have rested in a pool of tranquility.
Last night against a relegation destined Norwich SOME players looked as if they had played a tough FA Cup cup game just three days before, whereas others like the diminutive Jarrod Bowen are causing serious concern at Duracell HQ, where they are worried that Bowen AND Pablo Fornals are in danger of usurping their 'bunny' as a demonstration of lasting longer and being stronger!
Bowen's performance will have added a few Million to his already rising value, as he scored two goals but could have had FIVE on a different night as Hammers put the visitors to the sword, although there were some nervy times during the match when the score was just 1-0. The Norwich goal seemed to be covered in cling film as the ball refused to end up in the back of the net without VAR interfering.
Hammers profligacy almost came back to bite their proverbial, however in the end Hammers were just too much for the visitors who were beguiled by the quality of Aaron Cresswell who played as if he had never been away. Returning for his first game since getting injured in the narrow defeat by Man City at the Etihad, Cresswell showed just how very important he is to the club as he proceeded to ping the ball around with aplomb.
After a shaky first half, Issa Diop 'suddenly' became the player he always has been but has hidden for far too long. Who knows what was said to him or how the message was delivered, but whatever was done needs to be repeated because in the 2nd half Diop was dominant and confident, he was even playing the ball out of defence AND making intelligent long range passes, an element of his game that had almost disappeared during his 'wilderness' times.
Last night was NOT an epic performance, but it WAS professional, it was the sort of game the team HAD to win in order to maintain its unlikely pursuit of the heady heights at the top of the Premier League. The 2-0 victory over Norwich also confirms West Ham will NOT be getting relegated this season, what would Newcastle give to be in the same position? They would LOVE to have so many 'reasons to be cheerful'. - Ed
West Ham: Fabianski; Coufal, Dawson, Diop, Cresswell, Rice ©, Lanzini, Fornals, Vlasic, Bowen, Antonio Subs: Areola (GK), Johnson, Masuaku, Alese, Ashby, Ekwah, Kral, Yarmolenko, Okoflex
Norwich: Krul, Aarons, Gibson, Hanley ©, Williams, Lees-Melous, McLean, Placheta, McLean, Idah, Pukki Subs: Gunn (GK), Byram, Dowell, Kabak, Tzolis, Sorensen, Giannoulis, Gibbs, Rowe
Darren Randolph was wanted ON LOAN by Steven Gerrard as his back up keeper at Aston Villa for the rest of the season, however David Moyes has apparently pulled the plug on any potential deal, now why is that? Randolph hasn't started a single game in any competition and on paper has very little chance of doing so in the future, Alphonse Areola is Lukasz Fabianski's heir apparent, so the best Randolph can hope for is to be the number two keeper next season, or the season after, if Fabianski has 'secretly' signed a new contract as has been rumoured.
Hammers have David Martin as their 'training' goalkeeper and have recently recalled Joseph Anang from his loan spell, so retaining Randolph is rather a strange one considering there was an ongoing offer. Perhaps Moyes is mindful of a Villa resurgence and doesn't want to help them in any way due to some past 'indiscretion' committed by Gerrard while he was playing for Liverpool?
We cannot see how having Randolph on their books would catapult Villa up the Premier League table, but if Moyes doesn't want to let Randolph go the so be it, it is the manager's prerogative, it still seems strange though unless there is another interested party about to be involved. - Ed
Anyone got any streams for tonight ?
West Ham United are usually one of the most talked about Premier League teams during the transfer window, due to the glaringly obvious need for an additional striker to replace record signing Sebastien Haller, a situation that has been in the public domain longer than a Downing Street drinks party!
Newcastle United are now the club that everyone is looking at, as a result of their 'stonewall' take over by that ever so caring and sharing 'liberal' outpost in the middle east, Saudi Arabia, a place where being given a 'heads up' has an entirely different meaning than it does here in the UK!
Now that ALL the media attention is focused on the Toon, perhaps David Moyes will be able to go about his PLANNED recruitment without such intense scrutiny. Moyes had a set of targets in various areas at the beginning of the season, and as is common knowledge, he is a man who will NOT be swayed when it comes to player acquisitions.
One of David Moyes's principal striker targets, Andrea Belotti, has recently snubbed 'money bags' offers from BOTH Newcastle and Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia. Whether Belotti's decision is based on footballing principals, or on wider human rights issues is currently unclear, but either way he appears to tick ALL the right boxes for Moyes.
YOUNG, HUNGRY and LEAN is Moyes's transfer mantra, Belotti fits right into that mould and he even looks a bit like Tony Cottee as well! Belotti's club Torino, are reported by Sky Sport Italia to have accepted an offer from Al Hilal but the reports claim Belotti said no and wants to end the season with them before picking his next destination. Al Hilal AND Newcastle have both offered Belotti north of £6.25 Million per year on four year deals, but it appears that the 25 year old Italy International is more interested in playing football than lining his already deep pockets.
Hammers wouldn't be able to sign Belotti during this window, but WOULD be able to sign a pre-contract deal so that he could join on a free transfer when the summer window opens. Apparently Belotti is seeking guaranteed game time, which is the only fly in the ointment, ironically Hammers results between now and the END of the window will more than likely dictate the players destination.
IF Hammers are still fighting on THREE fronts AND are able to maintain their position in and around the top four to top six of the Premier League, then there is NO reason Belotti shouldn't come to the East of London. What a signing Belotti would be? Some might question when and how he could be integrated into the tight ship that Moyes runs, the injuries sustained by Aaron Cresswell, Angelo Ogbonna AND Kurt Zouma are classic examples of why a club needs strength in depth.
Belotti back on track? You betcha, if you ask David Moyes and Rob Newman they would say he never left the runners and riders! - LN
When Declan Rice first burst on to the scene many saw him as a typical west ham one hit wonder, a player who would either get good and consequently get sold on, or a player who shone brightly for a while but then faded into obscurity. However Declan proved all the doubters wrong AND the club have managed to keep hold of the 22 year old England International, thus far.
Rice has had an astonishing amount of column inches dedicated to his 'next' move, with Chelsea, Man City and Man Utd seemingly 'nailed on' to capture his services, at least according to the press. Despite all the sycophant support for a move, Rice has remained in the East End and has continued to thrive, establishing himself as one of the BEST midfielders in WORLD football!
Well, it seems as if the media have FINALLY moved on from the Dec story, replacing him with none other than Jarrod Bowen as the Hammers player 'coveted' by a host of Premier League teams, including but not exclusively Liverpool. Jurgen Klopp is a long time admirer of Bowen and has done all that he can to 'legally' ensure the Anfield PR office is moving hell and high water to get the Pool's interest in Bowen out into the public domain as much as is possible.
The way this sort of open tapping up is done is clear to see, you only have to look at Liverpool's destabilising clandestine stalking of Vergil Van Dijk while he was still a Southampton player to see the modus operandi, not only of the Mersyside club, but also ALL of the 'sick six' clubs who attempted to destroy the footballing pyramid in this country with their failed and ill fated super league attempt.
Throw in a crazy valuation just to up, the ante and it is possible to create a 'perfect storm' of an environment that can 'turn' a player's head eventually. Fortunately for West Ham, Rice is not fazed by his £100-150 Million valuation, so Bowen needs not be concerned with his current £60 Million valuation, much like any appreciating asset his value is only going one way currently and that is south of £60 Million now.
Gone are the days when Hammers metaphorically dropped their pants every time a bit of cash was flashed, this 'date' needs more than a slap up meal in order to end up as the desert! If you care to glance at the litany of unbelievable players who have left the club in te past it is little wonder that he club has now embarked n qa course that necessitates holding on to the club's BEST players.
60 Millionen Pfund sind jetzt nicht genug, Herr Klopp! Versuchen Sie es stattdessen mit 100 Millionen Pfund! - Ed
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