Forum | General Discussion

Since their arrival from the Czech Republic both Tomas Soucek and Vladimir Coufal have given their all and become firm fan favourites with their do or die antics, however their almost super human performances have come at a cost, with neither player quite hitting the heights that they reached last season.

To be honest, they both look a bit knackered, having played themselves in to the ground for West Ham, they then did exactly the same for their country, in what was a unique season which featured far in excess of the amount of games than would have been normal pre pandemic.

Both players have looked off the pace, this is understandable given their 'lung busting' responsibilities for the team, something had to give, and it appears something has! Vlad 'the impaler' Coufal has always seemed almost indestructible, that was until he received a 'cowardly' knee in the groin area from Manchester United's Juan Mata during Hammers 1-0 WIN at OLd Trafford.

How Mata escaped sanction is beyond belief, if the roles had been reversed you can guarantee Coufal WOULD have been suspended for intentional foul play by deliberately setting out to injure an opponent. Alas it is what it is and expecting a level playing field when Ronaldo United are involved is naive and pointless.

Unfortunately the fall out from 'Mata's attack' is that Coufal's injury has compounded the fact that Hammers back up right back Ryan Fredericks was also TAKEN OUT at Old Trafford, this time it was because of the 'Moat' surrounding the pitch, indeed had Fredericks not had to go off injured, then Vlad would never have been on the pitch in the first place!

Talk about a 'double whammy', unfortunately freak occurrences are common place in football, injuries and suspensions DO tend to come in multiples and clubs need the necessary strength in depth to cope with such situations. For West Ham that is definitely not the case, while the manager and board DID manage to pull off some fine signings before the transfer window closed there was still a glaring need for an additional right back as well as a left back.

Young Ben Johnson has stood in admirably for both positions in the past, but he cannot be in the same place twice can he? Perhaps Johnson's versatility lulled David Moyes in to a false sense of security? Irrespective of who's fault it is, it seems the only way to go forward is to dig back into the youth and U-23 set up to find a replacement.

The player who springs to mind is Harrison Ashby, it might be a case of throwing him in to the deep end, but he does represent Scotland and is an accomplished performer, David Moyes may well elect to start Ashby and retain him for the entire game if he performs decently.

Coufal HAS to be given some recovery time, after all he wasn't originally scheduled to play against Manchester United having already received a knock in the Southampton game. Having the option of adding a high energy young player to the first team is one of the luxuries afforded by being in the group stages of a major tournament as opposed to a knock out tie, and possibly one Moyes will HAVE to take.

More on team selection ahead of the match. - Ed

Thursday evening's Europa League Cup game against Rapid Vienna represents a truly unique opportunity to watch the Irons, WITHOUT drowning in anxiety! That is how a lot of fans feel isn't it? A feeling of joy mixed with a healthy dose of dread and fear as the game gets under way, questioning why you buy a season ticket just to put yourself through a state of high anxiety.

Things have been different since the resurrection of the Moyesiah, but still it is ingrained in West Ham's DNA to take fans on a roller coaster of emotion, it's one aspect of the club that attract and annoy in equal measure. Even though results have picked up exponentially, there is still always that nagging doubt that the old West Ham will resurface, painfully.

So it is with extreme delight that fans can look forward to a game that doesn't feel like it has the entire weight of the world depending on the result, it's a GROUP stage match. For once it is possible to go to the game knowing if things go belly up, that there is a very strong chance they can be put right. Hammers were fortunate to avoid the competition's 'group of death', instead being drawn in a relatively easy group, with Dinamo Zagreb seen as the toughest competitor.

David Moyes has the luxury of being able to pick a starting line up to 'do a job', while retaining his 'big guns' should it prove necessary to use them. He will also get to utilise fringe players and give new signings the chance to shine, including giving Nikola Vlasic another run out as he gets up to the team's speed.

This is the first time it has been possible to attend a home game in over 15 years when the outcome isn't the be all and end all, of course no one wants the club to lose, but to have another 'crack' in the bank will make for a much more enjoyable less stressful evening, for some more than others. This unique set of circumstances is a reward for last season's efforts, !t's what other clubs' fans have experienced year on year, Hammers might be late to the table, but it doesn't mean fans are not entitled to the relief and joy that comes with the lack of jeopardy associated with group stage competition.

This is what David Moyes said about team selection in his presser ahead of the game, "We've got a squad who have shown exactly what they can do with how well they played in Manchester and in Leeds. We've probably used the best part of 20-22 players in the last two games. They all want to play so it's difficult, but it's a good position to be in because they're all in good form and feel well."

Enjoy it, embrace it, it is unique! - Ed

West Ham playing European football under the lights in an advanced stage of a proper competition is a sight that has never been witnessed since the club moved from the Boleyn Ground, just seeing the European competitions on TV whets the appetite for the main fayre that will be on offer, OK it's not the Champions League, but it'll do for now!

As the clock ticks down to the visit of Rapid Vienna, there is much speculation as to the team that David Moyes picks and how strong the bench is going to be. It was Michail Antonio who broke the deadlock against Dinamo Zagreb, originally it was planned that he would sit the match out, but his red card against Southampton meant that he was available for the fixture as he had not been eligible to play in the preceding league game against Manchester United.

Moyes won't want to risk losing the momentum the team has while at the same time ensuring he doesn't overtax his 1st team players, to that purpose he may well elect to have Michail Antonio on the bench as a safety measure, just in case the evening isn't going to plan. As it is a home game, the lack of travel involved should mean that Antonio and others can be in attendance without any undue strain or effort, hopefully none of the regulars will need to play!

Areola is 'nailed on' to start, as is Dawson, Diop, Johnson, Kral, Lanzini, Noble, Vlasic and Yarmolenko, as to the others? Authur Masuaku will probably be selected to start if he is passed fit, leaving one more player which will most likely be one of either Said Benrahma or Jarrod Bowen.

Moyes can still have the likes of Michail Antonio, Declan Rice, Tomas Soucek and Pablo Fornals on the bench, a pretty formidable line up! The manager will NOT underestimate Thursday evening's visitors, nor discount the 'Stadium effect' that occurs the first time teams encounter the vast expanses of the pitch in Stratford.

It should be a well attended game, although for those without tickets or unable or unwilling to watch the game in person, it is being broadcast on BT sport. Moyes must use more or less the same 'Rotisserie' of players he used to defeat Manchester United at Old Trafford on 'revenge day". - Ed

Hammers need for a back up striker to work in tandem with Michail Antonio, is a worst kept secret that has received even more column inches than the Declan Rice transfer saga that has been whipped up by the media for what seems to be an eternity. David Moyes has come in for a lot of criticism for not bringing in an additional striker, he has cited the difficulty in (a) finding a striker who fits into the club's fiscal zone and (b) finding a striker willing to play second fiddle to a player who is currently the joint best striker in Europe!

Out of the Billion names mentioned 'linked' to the club, it transpires that David Moyes has whittled a huge amount of enquiries down to a short list of just two players, Genk's Paul Onuachu and Clermont's Mohamed Bayo. Both players could definitely do a job and both players will be available for transfer during the January window and beyond.

Aware on interest from West Ham and a host of other clubs, Genk swiftly moved to sign Onuachu up for a further three years in order to protect his resale value. However, despite signing the new deal, the player, his representatives and the manager at Genk know full well that the player WILL be leaving sooner, if not later.

Finances for clubs in Europe have been devastated by the Pandemic, so Genk will HAVE to sell to the highest bidder. However, clubs in France have had the double whammy of the Pandemic AND the total collapse of their TV revenue due to the failed Media Pro take over from Canal Plus. The latter eventually picking up the pieces of the broadcasting fiasco by screening the remaining games that Media Pro failed to pay for, BUT at a vastly reduced fee!

Clubs went big, but are now forced to take small! The consequence of this financial meltdown are that clubs in Ligue 1, with only the exception of PSG, have to take any 'reasonable ' offer for their players just to try and make ends meet. Therefore acquiring Clermont's Mohamed Bayo should be relatively straight forward, unless there is a 'Levyism' approach. Bayo is only 23 years old and would represent a shrewd signing by Moyes, unfortunately the player will be off to the Africa cup of Nations in the New Year and therefore ant y move for the player will probably be delayed until the summer.

Moyes will get the chance to see Paul Onuachu in person, not once but twice as Hammers face off against Genk in the Europa League Cup, at 6'7" he can hardly be missed can he? Either or both of these players will be more than welcome at the London Bowl, Onuachu is older at 27 years of age, but is a real goal threat however he, like Bayo, will be called up to play for his country Nigeria in the Nations Cup.

The last couple of weeks have highlighted just how tenuous relying on Antonio can be, so far the club has been lucky, but the situation is forcing David Moyes into some difficult decisions regarding player selections. He has to juggle his squad to accommodate an extremely congested fixture list, especially so IF Hammers progress on ALL fronts. - LN