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Hammers Lining Up Sensational Belotti Deal!

Submitted by Louis Nixon on Fri, 08/10/2021 - 10:02

West Ham made tentative steps back in the last transfer window to sign Italian striker Andrea Belotti, his exploits during the recent Euros highlighted what a gifted player the 27 year old is. His season has not got of to the best of starts at Torino as he is currently sidelined with a tendon injury that has kept him out for the last six games and seen him omitted from the Italian national team, there are some who say Italy's unbeaten record would still be intact had he been available for the game against Spain in the nation's league semi final.

Valued at over £30 Million last season, Andrea Belotti’s has plummeted for Torino because of the player's current contract expiring in June 2022, making him a free agent. Torino president Cairo has said: “I made a huge contract proposal but I can’t force Belotti to accept. He has not signed the new contract we have offered him and I feel he has no intention to do it”.

As with everywhere else, money is tight at Torino, who as a club are resigned to losing their best talent on a regular basis in order to balance their books. Belotti is Torino's highest paid player, receiving £68,000 per week and would be looking for a significant increase, but in Barclays Premier League terms his wages shouldn't prove to be a major stumbling block.

As with all transfers there are caveats attached to any deal, but aside from greedy agents there is a more troubling presence on the horizon in the form of Newcastle United's new found wealth. It may have come from modern age slave traders, but most Irons fans would turn a blind eye in similar circumstances. Whatever your thoughts are on the moral aspect, the grim reality is that Newcastle NOW have the power to 'blow away' any other club in THE WORLD clean out of the water financially.

It could be worse though, the money could have gone to Tottingham and let's hope that players like Belotti are considered too low profile for the Toon's ambitious new owners! - LN

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Good Tidings Come In 3's

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Submitted by nevillenixon on Wed, 06/10/2021 - 09:23

Success breeds success, but with it comes responsibilities and commitments, it is a mark of just how far West Ham have progressed under David Moyes since his resurrection, that fans have rightly been concerned as to the impact so many players jetting off for fixtures will have on the club's domestic and European challenges.

Fortunately common sense, a rare commodity in global football, has prevailed. First Vlad the impaler was released from International duty because of being injured, next the club kidnapped Michail Antonio's family in order to prevent him flying half way round the world and now finally Declan Rice has been given some independent recovery time' what ever that means.

Irrespective of the definition, this scenario is exactly what fans had hoped for, the very fact that 'pressure' was brought to bear on the Jamaican football federation re Antonio and Southgate being forced to see sense is a mighty bonus, throw in the Czech Republic's decision to send Coufal home and things look a lot rosier than they did in the immediate aftermath of Sunday's defeat to the Brentford Thespians.

David Moyes will already be looking at his team's recent shortfalls and will be keen to alter the poor home form of the Irons in particular. To that purpose, don't be surprised to see Alphonse Areola start against Everton, don't be even more surprised to see the relegator Craig Dawson brought back into the first team in place of Angello Ogbonna, at least in the short term.

Hammers have gone from having the best set piece record in the Barclays Premier League to one of the worst, 'Les' Dawson along with Tomas Soucek represented a serious threat that clubs found difficult to deal with, Dawson's heading prowess was fully on display during Hammers 1-0 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Time waits for no man, but sometimes the wait is worth it as three good tidings can arrive at the same time....before Christmas! Ed

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Even Better News-More Sanity!

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Submitted by nevillenixon on Tue, 05/10/2021 - 23:00

Fans prayers have been answered with the news that Hammers only striker Michail Antonio, will NOT be joining up with the Jamaica squad for their three World Cup qualifiers. Joining up with the reggae boyze would have involved a 10,500 flight, excluding the onward phases!

This 2nd piece of good news, following hot on the heels of Vladimir Coufal's withdrawal from the Czech Republic's squad, was announced by Antonio at a hastily organised press briefing “I can confirm that, unfortunately, I will not be joining up with the Jamaica national squad for the World Cup qualifying matches this week," he continued by saying "Myself, West Ham United, and Jamaica have all agreed that, given the logistical and travel difficulties involved at present, it is better for me to remain with the club in London at this time. I remain fully committed to Jamaica and look forward to representing my country in the future.”

Thank God for that! - Ed

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Common Sense Prevails

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Submitted by nevillenixon on Tue, 05/10/2021 - 17:59

As any observer from a distance could tell you and anyone with the vaguest awareness of Sports rehabilitation would confirm, West Ham United's Vladimir Coufal has looked well off the pace from his usual high standards and that his recent performances have been well under par. His Czech Republic manager Jaroslav Šilhavý obviously thought so, as Vlad has been replaced for his national team's three games and instead will be able to have an unheard of 10 days full recovery time.

Given that Coufal's right back role is actually that of wing back, anything less than full physical fitness will be cruelly exposed, as it was during the game against the Brentford Thespians. A couple of weeks might not seem that much time to nurse a bruised and battered body back to full health, but being the Impaler that he is, it should be more than enough time for him to recharge his batteries.

It's a pity the Czech Republic's medical team didn't look sympathetically at Tomas Soucek as well, while he isn't obviously injured as was the case with Coufal, he is clearly showing signs of burn out, partly due to his new role in tandem with Declan Rice which has seen Rice becoming more of a forward player meaning that Soucek has to cover even more ground resulting for his late arrival for balls in the box that he previously would have been able to reach with ease.

There are no such burn out fears for the 3rd of the Czech Mates Alex Kral, in fact far from it, he will be itching to play for his country and also be mindful that David Moyes may choose to select him to play a full midfield holding role in the future in order to enable Rice and Soucek to play with more fluidity.

Hopefully Jaroslav Šilhavý will continue to look kindly on his remaining Hammers contingent and ensure they are used correctly. - Ed

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Confused? You Should Be!

Submitted by Louis Nixon on Tue, 05/10/2021 - 10:00

As if it wasn't enough with newly capped Jamaica international Michail Antonio heading to North America for a trio of matches just four weeks on from making his Reggae Boyz debut, but Pablo Fornals is playing in the Nations Cup, England's failure to reach the closing stages of the 'B' competition means most fans don't even remember the competition ever existed?

Jamaica first travel to Texas to take on the United States of America on Thursday, October 7th before a home match against Canada on Sunday and an away clash with Honduras on Wednesday evening, good for Mikey's air miles, not so good for his Hammies we would suggest!
The very fact that there are THREE different sets of tournament qualifiers going on is mind boggling, so you shouldn't feel bad about not knowing who is playing for what, it's not dementia, it's just the greedy needs of World Football administrators. After all, someone has to pay for their luxury apartments and new Tesla's don't they?

The 'need for greed' threatens the well being of players who, irrespective of the vast wages they receive, are only sportspersons and do not have limitless physical and mental strength. The Covid crisis is the main culprit for the ridiculously congested schedules players are having to negotiate, but take out the need for greed fixtures and at least SOME players will get a little extra R&R ahead of the REALY important games. - LN

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Hi Ho Silver Lining

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Submitted by nevillenixon on Mon, 04/10/2021 - 20:00

No sooner had the dust settled from Hammers narrow defeat by Brentford's Thespians, many of David Moyes' team were jetting off to fulfil their International commitments, which in Michail Antonio's case involves a 10,500 mile flight! Why the club didn't try to dissuade him more vigorously is a mystery, maybe they did try but were rebuffed by his desire to play for the country of his PARENTS birth.

Included in two England squads but never played, Antonio rightly felt underwhelmed when not even being considered for Gareth Southgate s England squad, despite being a truly unique forward with an incredible goals per game scoring ratio.

As a consequence Antonio elected to play for the Reggae boys of Jamaica instead, it was perhaps a knee jerk reaction that he might be regretting because sooner or later the clamour to use him would have been hard for Southgate to ignore, especially if he continues his incredible goal scoring run that he has picked up from last season.

THe silver lining for the club, although not for the players involved, is that neither Jarrod Bowen nor more surprisingly Kurt Zouma have been selected for their respective country's. Zouma has been squeezed out by Didier Deschamps and Bowen not selected from the players in reserve list by Gareth Southgate.

It is to be earnestly hoped that David Moyes has a word in the England manager's shell like regarding Declan Rice, playing the Hammers captain against Andorra would be a totally pointless exercise and one which must not be allowed to occur under any circumstances!

David Moyes' relationship with Jaroslav Šilhavý the Czech Republic manager will also be key to the Irons fortunes, with Couifal, Kral and Soucek ALL featuring for Šilhavý's first team. Both Coufal and even more so Soucek, have looked like players who have given their all for both club and country far too much and are now paying the high price of burn out, physically and mentally. Both look a shadow of their former selves and worryingly are about to embark on a punishing schedule that will only exacerbate their current malaise.

Not much of of a silver lining, but hi ho. - Ed

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Fornals-Shut Your Mouth!

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Submitted by nevillenixon on Mon, 04/10/2021 - 10:02

Pablo Fornals is one of our favourite West Ham players, so why the headline? He plays with his heart on his sleeve and never gives less than 100%, so why would we want him to shut up? Quite simply because Pablo's undoubted love of the club and all things West Ham led him to make ONE crucial error when speaking to the press, that was his recommendation that Jarrod Bowen should be playing for England!

Nice sentiment indeed, however the physical cost to the club could have far reaching implications, Fornals himself is off to play for Spain during the International break and is probably the ONLY Hammers player who COULD play till everyone else drops.

While Bowen's overall play well may warrant a call up to Gareth Southgate's England squad, despite his profligate finishing which needs urgent attention, do Hammers fans really want Bowen to go and play for England at this stage of his career? We think the answer would be a resounding NO! The club has suffered enough from England commitments in the past and it can be argued that the club would have been competing in the Champions League instead of the Europa league had Declan Rice NOT been played while injured for England!

So, while Pablo Fornals meant no harm with his comment, we would suggest saying "Pablo, shut your mouth!" to this very popular Iron wouldn't go amiss. - Ed

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Time For Moyes To Do A 'Fergie'

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Submitted by nevillenixon on Mon, 04/10/2021 - 08:49

With players crucial to the club's success going off for international duty, many fans have been left wondering why Hammers manager David Moyes doesn't emulate the protocol adopted by the man he replaced at Manchester United, Alex Ferguson.

Ferguson was adamant that NONE of his players were to be involved in meaningless friendlies or dead rubber games, he made no bones about it and somehow got away with players suddenly picking up difficult to diagnose muscle injuries etc. It was one of the worst kept secrets in UK football and was akin to how he managed to acquire so many extra minutes of Fergie Time' at Old Trafford.

While it IS ingratiating to have players away representing their country of choice, a club like West Ham with a wafer thin squad, suffers disproportionately from say a club like Manchester city or Liverpool. David Moyes' players who went away on International duty recently, returned jaded and lethargic and then had to face three games a week from the 11th of September onwards!

Many of the players flying off for the next set of Internationals looked absolutely knackered during Sunday's 2-1 loss to Brentford, ell thy aren't going off for rest and recreation so are highly unlikely to return full of the joys of spring are they?

It is a truly inspiring experience to play for one's country, but it is the clubs and ultimately the fans who pay the price, time to do a Fergie Moysie! -Ed

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The Blame Game

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Submitted by nevillenixon on Mon, 04/10/2021 - 08:15

In an instant high profile footballers can go from hero to zero and long memories can become incredibly short very quickly, it is the lot of a professional player but they are rewarded with enormous wages. With such rewards comes a duty to perform at the highest level and little credence is given to the excuse of having a bad day at the office.

Unfortunately a couple of Hammers most stoic players had games they would rather forget, that will need some forgiving from their manager and from the club's fans. There had already been signs of a dramatic drop off in form of last season's HOTY Tomas Soucek, sadly his loss of form and the energy he used to show in abundance were virtually non existent in the defeat by Brentford. Perhaps it might be time to give him a break and introduce Alex Kral for a few games.

The worst offenders however were, the usually reliable Angelo Ogbonna and the increasingly error prone Lukasz Fabianski, but is it fair to lay the blame firmly at their feet? Or were the entire team just a little bit lack lustre? LN

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Wonder why no subs

Submitted by alby foreverirons on Sun, 03/10/2021 - 23:29

Surely Moyes could see that some of the players where knackered so why no subs, Soucek, Rice and co have had a busy time of late but he didn’t use anyone to try to freshen up the side and give them more oomph. Is that going to happen each game, play till you drop because to me if he keeps doing that he is running the risk of burn out or injury to our best players. Also what does it mean to our bench players, that he doesn’t think they are good enough.
Brentford use their subs properly and got the result because our. players where showing signs of fatigue and slow to react, we had not one sub come on, result a loss. I am not anti Moyes,I think he has done a marvellous job but wish he would make changes a bit earlier when we need them.

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