Forum | General Discussion
How Can The Backstreet Moyes Stay Top Six This Season?
After David Moyes's players posed for that photo, his team have affectionately become known as the Backstreet Moyes. However, the Scotsman isn’t a preening popstar who’s happy to take the club for a ride, far from it. He’s a winner who wants to build on the progress from last season.
The best way to describe the success of the last campaign is to state that finishing sixth was a disappointment. The Irons could have easily landed in the top four. Still, the key is to look ahead, not backwards. With that in mind, we should consider what West Ham United Football Club needs to do to cement its position in the top six.
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The 2020/21 season went swimmingly. As a result, the temptation is to assume the boys can do the same again. But that doesn’t factor different considerations into account. Yep, we’re talking about the Europa League.
The boss has already spoken about his desire to add silverware to the Hammers’ trophy cabinet, so the competition won’t be viewed as a hindrance. On the other hand, it’s a tough tournament to win as the quality level is sky-high. To put it into perspective, we’re 20/1 to claim the title.
Moyes must rotate his squad regularly, but he also needs to do it smartly. The best players need to start the biggest matches, meaning he may have to tweak the first-11 in fixtures of less importance. Even then, the players can’t take their eyes off the ball as upsets are features of the Premier League.
Pick Up More Points Against the Top Six
Okay, the top six is a concept that changes due to the success of teams like West Ham and Leicester City. Typically, though, it goes off size, meaning Man City, Man United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, and Spurs are members. If you take the results from last year against these sides, you’ll notice a worrying trend.
Overall, Moyes' side managed a measly six points out of a possible 36. A solitary win came against Tottenham at home in February, and the rest were draws. Considering that the fixture list ended with 65 points, the Irons' final ranking was very impressive, given that dozens of points were given away to the big guns.
In many ways, it’s expected as they have the budgets and players to move through the gears. On the other hand, West Ham’s football betting odds to remain in sixth place are 5/1. That puts us behind Leicester and Leeds, two sides that excelled in the pressure moments.
Eliminate the Sloppy Home Form
19 - Since the turn of the year, West Ham have won 19 points in the Premier League (P8 W6 D1 L1) – only Manchester City (27 points) have accumulated more in the competition in 2021. Smiles. #WHUSHU pic.twitter.com/vPhI0X0rUl
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 15, 2021
The London Stadium was a fortress, in many ways, as it saw ten wins for the home side. Although the away form was record-breaking, West Ham took more points at home than on their travels. So, it’s hard to say that much needs to be adapted for the Olympic Stadium to become a fortress.
But there were quite a few points left on the table that were perhaps there to clinch. The one-nil loss to Everton sticks in the memory because it was a game that should have been dominated. Plus, the Toffees will be our rivals for a top-six place this term, so Moyes' side can’t afford to crumble under the pressure. The draws against Crystal Palace and Brighton in December were also poor.
It's not a criticism because it comes from a healthy place. Still, West Ham need to be aware that maintaining the high standards of last season can only happen through improvement.
how its done
Forums:
Leicester need a centre back they decided that Jannik Vestergaard is the one they want offered the £15 million which was required and now in talks? so please tell me how inside a week they identified 2/3 players in that position made bid andnwill have a deal sown up by the weekend whilst we are still scratching around looking for a centre back?.
Professionals doing the job right while we have Clowns....and they wonder why so many fans Pissed off with the whole lot of em.
Phoney War To Last A Fortnight +
Our contact that we have who works in the offices of BT Sport which are located next to West Ham's in The QE Park, have told us that the flurry of media activity surrounding impending West Ham transfers has subsided in the last 24 hours and is now unlikely to resurface until the very closing stages of the transfer window, Tuesday the 31st of August at 11 PM. The Jim 'brown nose' White deadline day Sky TV show is probably when and if any pending transfers are likely to come to fruition, such is the lot of a 'last dibs' club like West Ham.
It may be infuriating for fans searching for good news, but a bit of perspective has to be shown when looking at this very strange transfer window, few clubs, excluding the usual suspects, have been able to splash the cash unless they have sold valued players to finance their new acquisitions, or borrowed against future TV income and player sales.
As it stands, and of course things can change at the drop of a hat, David Moyes has managed to retain all of the key players who propelled the club into sixth heaven last season, Jesse Lingard is the obvious exception but Saïd Benrahma has stepped up to the plate in his absence for all of the pre-season.
Lingard might end up at the London Bowl, as might Duje Ćaleta-Car, Nikola Milenković and Kurt Zouma. Throw in Divok Origi, Mouctar Diakhaby and Nat Phillips into the mix and you have a whole load of mights and more than likely a whole load of NOT mights!
Of course the Irons squad is ridiculously light, but the club maybe more by luck than judgement has an astounding array of young players coming through the ranks, more so than at anytime since the days of Joe Cole and Michael Carrick when 'Arry Redknapp was manager and happy to use youth players.
So, to coin a phrase from the legend that is Darren Harry which succinctly describes the countdown to the transfer window closing "button up butter cups, it's going to be a bumpy ride". -Ed
Will Salthouse Origi(nal)
Liverpool's 26 year old Belgian striker Divock Origi may not have been on many people's radar as a possible front man for West Ham, two years ago he was valued around £18 Million but is now available for £10.5 Million, that is not so much a reflection of the player's quality, more that of the current 'depressed' market as a result of the Covid Pandemic.
All clubs big and small, with the exception of state sponsored Manchester City and PSG, are suffering greatly from the loss of revenue and will continue to do so until they have made good the loans they have universally taken out just to keep afloat. So creative recruitment has had to be the order of the day for most clubs, particularly perennially under funded West Ham, a state that has always existed, with the exception of the Pellegrini era which is still being paid for.
Divock Origi has fallen down the pecking order at Anfield and due to Liverpool's profusion of strikers available, has found game time particularly in short supply, which is pretty down heartening for a young player who should be making progress instead of retrogressing. In the past transfers between the clubs have generally been one way traffic, with Liverpool getting the fresh talent and West Ham getting yesterday's.
Liverpool's finances are much healthier than West Ham's, but their need to sell is also based on the new home grown talent regulations that have just come into force recently. Origi has had little chance to shine for Liverpool
since his amazing Champions League exploits and a move to the London Bowl, under the tutelage and guidance of David Moyes and his staff might really kick start Origi's career.
This is a move that could suit all parties, and while Divock Origi might not be a marquee signing, he does have Barclays Premier League experience and he is young, fit and eager to prove himself, in those respects he ticks all of David Moyes's boxes. Strikers are hard to find, especially ones who can hit the ground running, and although Michail Antonio is obviously the No1, Divock Origi will know all about Mikey Antonio's Hamstrings and the amount of game time he will be afforded due to Antonio's injuries.
Divock Origi's current £60,000 per week wages are affordable, so if he could be offered an incentivised contract he might be London bound as Klopp has already resigned himself to losing Dorigi to "be fair to the lad". Get it done Moysie! - Ed
PS: And of course 'Salty Will' is his agent!
'Friends' Reunited For Irons Europa Games
Having qualified for the Europa League 'proper', Hammers will soon find out who they are likely to face in the group stages. There will definitely be some familiar faces when the games begin, but first several potential rivals have to 'duke'it out in order to reach the group stages.
Strangely enough, as a result of the changed rules for the new season and the establishment of the lower tier Conference Cup, teams that drop out of the Champions league qualifiers now have to play qualifiers to see if they can qualify, it that makes any sense.
The upshot of all this is that West Ham could face, in no particular order, Manuel Pellegrini's Real Betis, Felipe Anderson's Lazio, Dimitri Payet's Marseille, Eintrecht Frankfurt and FA Cup final heart breaker Steven Gerrard's Rangers. That's the bad guys dealt with, Hammers also may have to face Slavia Prague, the team ungraciously called West Ham's feeder team, due to them selling Vlad the impaler Coufal and Tomas Soucek to the Irons.
Pay back time? -Ed
Jovic-Astute Loan-Or Devastating Dud?
Hammers fans are all too aware of how much money Eintrecht Frankfurt relieved the club of for the signing of 'le sulk' Sebastien Haller, however at the same time as relieving West Ham of £45 Million for one of their 'star' strikers, they also fleeced Real Madrid of even more, £50 Million for their other one, Luka Jovic!
Haller and Jovic were devastating when working in tandem up front or Frankfurt, but once apart they became virtually useless, with neither of them living up to their reputations. The 'conjoined' nature of their strike partnership was one that could not be separated, with the sum being much greater than the two individuals.
So, Eintrecht raised, or stole depending on your point of view, a staggering £95 Million for both players, there current combined market value is less than half of that now at £42.3 Million with Jovic valued at £18 Million according to transfer market and Haller at an optimistic £24.3 Million also according to transfer market, some might say it was the sale of the century!
Having had their fingers truly 'napalmed' by 'Hallergate', the club's board and manager David Moyes will be incredibly wary of being 'stitched up' again, but as all Hammers fans know, David Sullivan loves a 'bargain' and if he applies narcissistic numerics to the situation, he may well think that if he can snap Jovic up on the cheap ie: around £15 Million AND he can get his manager to work his managerial magic to transform the player then it would go in some way to equalize the losses sustained by 'Hallergate'.
Hammers have been loosely linked with Jovic over the last two summer transfer windows, but have never really tried to get a deal over the line before, however as 'Everton Snake' Carlo Ancelotti has apparently decided that Jovic has no future at the Bernabeu. Real even loaned Jovic back to Frankfurt before Ancelotti's arrival in an attempt to rekindle his top form, but he didn't fare well there either.
Signing Jovic would be a significant risk, as there are those close to the board (female writes for an appalling red top) who are saying "once bitten, twice shy", whereas there are others who are saying "who dares wins!" It is Real Madrdi that have taken the hit on Jovic, so it might be a smart move to capatalise on their misfortune just as Ajax have don with West Ham's.
Once described as World Class, Jovic looks a shadow of his former self, but ironically he might be an ideal fit for West Ham and vice versa, a good player needing a platform for his redemption? Sounds familiar doesn't it? However this time, should a loan deal be negotiated, Hammers will ensure there is a buy back option, 'once bitten twice shy'?
With the club's 1st game of the Barclays Premier League in 5 days time and the transfer window closing in less than 3 weeks there is an obvious 'need for speed' when it comes to player acquisitions, a transfer window that was so ludicrously thought out that it means clubs having to either fend off suitors, or keep negotiating for targets well into the season, well done whoever sanctioned that ruling!
If a loan deal to bring Jovic to the London Dome could be negotiated, it would be a no brainer, because poor old Mikey Antonio's Hammies have already booked their mid season holiday and won't be rescheduled! Real would also have to stump up a large percentage of the players eye watering £163,000 per week, which equates to £8,476,000 per year.
No wonder clubs in Europe are in financial free fall when they hand out crazy wages like that, perhaps they were just trying to emulate Manuel Pellegrini's excesses while he was at West Ham, after all £100,000 per week for Jack Wheelchair?
If Jovic can be brought in on a season's loan it could be a good 'shortgap' until finances stabilise and the club can make some real investment, instead of the financial firefighting that many clubs are having to do, the next 2-3 weeks will be absolutely crucial to the club's ambitions, not just for this season but for many seasons to come. - Ed
Braithwaite To Tottingham-Yes Please!
Now it is not a good thing in life to wish ill of people, but in 'Tottingham" supremo Daniel Levy's case we can make an exception, after all his dog in a manger approach has seen him deliberately set about ruining West Ham United's prospects, mind you he needn't have bothered really, because the present owners are doing a fine job of it themselves!
A while ago Hammers were reported as having made an offer to bring Martin Braithwaite to the London Dome, but the Barcelona star is holding out on a move as he wants to see if Tottenham Hotspur will approach him with a proposal, it has now been claimed in Spain.
The Conference Cup team are tipped to try to bring in two strikers if Harry Kane departs to Man City and Braithwaite is viewed as an ideal candidate to replace the England captain. Well, either Nuno has been at the Spirito's or Dodgy Dan has been up to his old tricks, what is it they say about an old dog?
Levy's 'Ivory Palace' at White Hart lane is an amazing stadium, unfortunately for him the financial crisis sweeping through the 'elite' clubs has had an extremely detrimental effect on his club's finances, especially due to the massive outlay on his new stadium that had to be borrowed heavily to finance it's construction.
The consequences of phone tapping and other underhand deeds have a way of resurfacing somehow or somewhere, and it seems that the Gods are now going to further punish 'Tottingham' with the 'present' of Braithwaite....Braithwaite to Tottingham? Yes please!- Ed Jnr
Abdallah's Move 'Sima's' To Be Back On!
Maybe David Moyes really is ramping up the pressure to sign his transfer targets, we have just received news from a GENUINE source that negotiations are at an advanced stage regarding Abdah Sima from the club's 'old friends' Slavia Prague. It seems as if the Irons are not content to have relieved Sparta of Tomas Soucek and Vlad the impaler Coufal, it is understood that Sima, who was the subject of interest early on in the window, has now moved back in to the reckoning as a result of Sparta reducing their valuation of the young winger come striker to a more realistic level.
A valuation that West Ham are apparently now willing to meet, Sima has always been in David Moyes's reckoning as a second choice after Tammy Abraham. Chelsea's sky high valuation and Abraham's wage demands appear to have scuppered any hope of that deal happening despite news that Chelsea are now prepared to send Tammy out on loan, possibly to Southampton, but NOT to West Ham, because Marina Granovskaia who is the Chelsea director responsible for bringing money in to the club, has forbade Abraham being transferred to a 'direct rival'.
Whilst not being the absolute out and out striker required, Sima is a bit special, he has pace to burn and an old head on his shoulders for one who is so young. The fact that Coufal and Soucek were his team mates gives Hammers an advantage over all other suitors, an advantage that the club MUST exploit while the windows still open.
Slavia Prague are due to play their Champions League game against Ferencvárosi tonight, if Sima isn't selected there is a serious chance that his non selection will be because of his potential departure from Slavia, it is to be earnestly hoped that he will end up at the Bowl rather than elsewhere.
As with ALL West Ham transfers, there is a potential fly in the ointment, well actually a great big blue bottle of a fly, and that is the African Cup of Nations would deprive Hammers of Sima's services for significant periods of time during the coming season as he has already represented Senegal at senior level - Ed
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