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Favourite Striker?

mcbikeman's picture
Submitted by mcbikeman on Sat, 06/07/2019 - 10:02

Bryan(pop)Robson...David Cross...Paul Goddard...Frank McAvennie...Tony Cottee...Dean Ashton...Freddie Kanoute....just naming a few here who most West ham fans will have fond memories of along with the many nightmares such players as Frédéric Piquionne... Jonathan Calleri...Modibo Maïga...Nikica Jelavić...Marouane Chamakh...Benni McCarthy...Mido.
Just reading those names sends you into a cold sweat...but for me having seen all these players play and the T.C. Mcavennie double act that was without doubt the best strike force we have ever had in my lifetime i have to say Dean Ashton is my Favourite striker and the big What if comes about following that career ending injury on England duty...for a big fella he could score all kinds of goals and if he had kept playing and scoring as i don't doubt he would of then in true west ham traditions we would of promptly sold him and for peanuts to!...so who is your favourite striker? does not have to be any listed above could be any striker thats played for us the only condition here is you have to of seen them play.

Spurs Interest In Gomez Is Just Levy Up To His Old Tricks

nevillenixon's picture
Submitted by nevillenixon on Thu, 04/07/2019 - 11:43

You would think having a brand new state of the art stadium, champion's league football and a much sought after manager would be good enough for Tottenham Chairman Daniel Levy, however his 'need for speed' continues to encompass his large energy wastage on trying to 'muck' things up for 'rivals' West Ham United at every opportunity.

Levy's unhealthy dislike of West Ham would appear to have been caused by his inability to win the London Stadium tenancy rights in favour of West Ham, but the bad blood runs much deeper than that. Which comes as a bit of a surprise bearing in mind how much Tottenham have fleeced the Hammers over player transfers in the last fifteen years! The deals for Jermaine Defoe and Michael Carrick being particularly galling to every one of a claret and blue persuasion, so why has Levy still got his London neighbours in the cross hair?

Quite simply Mr Levy is what we used to call a 'spoiler' at school, not content to have the newest kit, he would be the type of kid who would grab his brand new football and go home if things weren't going his way in the local kick about. The root is probably due to the numerous occasions that West Ham have dealt a terminal blow to Tottenham's aspirations, whether it be the Premier League or European competition, the "it's happened again song" must ring in his ears like a severe attack of tinnitus!

The irony being, each time Levy gets involved in a bit of skull duggery, he generates the 'energy' for Hammers players to play out of their skins, the more he does, the better they play! Levy's supposed interest in Maxi Gomez is a classic case, Spurs will be 'interested' just enough to bump the price up, at which point they will look elsewhere, and anyone who thinks this article is wide of the mark should ask themselves 'why would Gomez want to come and play third fiddle behind Kane and Song?

Spurs might be interested in the Gomez deal, but only to put a spanner in the works! - Ed

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Hammers Can't Go 'Ron' With 'Sulkauvic' Replacement

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Submitted by nevillenixon on Thu, 04/07/2019 - 10:29

Now that Danijel Arnautovic has yet again thrown the toys out of the pram on his brother's behalf, any hope or thoughts that the mighty sulk might knuckle under and start repaying the faith shown him by West Ham have fallen by the way side. After all, "'Marko' is not a trick pony or a commodity" and therefore deserves to be playing in China where he can win medals while wearing his oxygen mask.

Hindsight is a wonderful but relatively useless thing, obviously given recent developments it would have been better to sell the incredible sulk during the January transfer window, however that is with the benefit of hindsight! What should have been clear is that Danijel has 'previous' with all the clubs his brother has played for, famously falling out with Jose Mourinho to such an extent that he managed to get big brother Marko excluded from the main squad while he was at Inter.

West Ham are now actively pursuing the exit strategy for the Austrian who has recently turned 30 years old, Manuel Pelegrini and Mario Husillos apparently losing any confidence that Arnautovic could be 'turned'. The obvious replacement will be a player known and trusted by the pair, which is why Samalon Rondon is such a 'slam dunk' to be the Sulk's replacement, he may not be as stylish as 'Arnie' can be when bothered, but he is strong and mobile, the perfect recipient for the 'ammunition' that can be served up by the likes of Anderson and Fornals.

Hammers are trying to offload Sam Byram and Jordan Hugill in part exchange to West Brom as part of a deal to bring Rondon to the London Stadium, however new Baggies manager ex-West Ham coach Slaven Billic is having none of that! He is willing to accept Sam Byram as part of the deal, as it was he who brought Byram to West Ham from Leeds United, likewise Rondon is known to El Pel and the Huse because of the time he spent with them at Malaga.

Rondon is a year younger than Arnautovic, with a similar goal to game ratio, and represents good value at £14.5 Million which is the value of his release clause. It was generally assumed that Rondon would return to Newcastle where he spent last season on loan, but the insecurity created by not knowing who will replace Rafa Benitez has put Hammers in the driving seat, his acquisition is really a no-brainer, and you can bet your house that he won't pull the same kind of 'strop' that Danijel's brother repeatedly has! - Ed

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Do Hammers Really Need Another Toxic Striker?

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Submitted by nevillenixon on Wed, 03/07/2019 - 10:50

The Maxi Gomez 'will he or won't he' transfer saga seems to have been going on for an age, because that is exactly the case. Long since coveted by Manuel Pellegrini, Gomez knows he is wanted in East London, however, understandably wants to get the best offer he can, namely representing a club that can promise Champions League football.

Of course Hammers interest is long standing, but it was Marko Arnautovic, probably more like his brother, who elevated the level of interest by handing in a transfer request during the January transfer window. That 'want away' was dealt with by an improved wages offer and the signing of a contract extension, for most players that would have been enough, but not Arnie, or Arnie's brother!

Just when the club were in advanced planning for the next season the Duo have been 'at it' again, fortunately this time they do not have the club over a barrel as they had been able to do previously, their combined efforts have only served to accelerate the big sulks exit.

The scenario for Pellegrini and his head of recruitment Mario Husillos to deal with is rather complex, with Andy Carroll thankfully off the pay roll, Robert Pirez 'bounced' and Chicharito destined for a move, Hammers will be woefully short up front with NO recognised out and out senior strikers on the books. Obviously the benefit for El Pel and the Huse is that they can start with a blank canvas, but who will be the ones to join up the dots?

While Gomez is still the top target, Hammers inability to offer European football for the coming season is the stumbling block and do the club really need another 'toxic' striker? With the answer being a resounding no surely West Ham United's other targets will represent better value, but more importantly both of the other strikers who have been lined up as alternatives actually may want to come to the club!

Neither Moussa Marega nor Soloman Rondon are as 'high end' signings as Maxi Gomez, but their desire to succeed in the 'best league in the world' is palpable whereas Gomez's doesn't seem to be the same, he would prefer to remain in Spain playing in the Champions League, probably for Valencia at the end of the day. Hammers could purchase Rondon and Marega combined for the money it would cost to bring in Gomez, especially if Celta Vigo manage to hold out for the player's £43 Million release clause.

Funding the wages for both players shouldn't be an issue, as Carroll and Arnautovic were on a combined total in excess of £200,000 per week, an additional £140,000 per week will also be available once Javier Hernandez has been sold, the sooner the better according to most fans.

West Ham fans have the prospect of watching a team of 'happy' players instead of the snarling variety they have grown used to in recent years, do the club really need toxic players? The answer is No, the future is bright, the future is 'happy'. - Ed

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Hammers Pre-Season Schedule

nevillenixon's picture
Submitted by nevillenixon on Tue, 02/07/2019 - 12:53

July 1 - July 10 - Training camp in Bad Ragaz, Switzerland

July 11 - pre-season friendly vs SCR Altach

July 13 - July 21 - Premier League Asia Trophy tour

July 17 - pre-season friendly vs Manchester City (Nanjing)

July 20 - pre-season friendly vs Newcastle United or Wolves (Shanghai)

July 27 - pre-season friendly vs Fulham (Craven Cottage)

August 3 - pre-season friendly vs Athletic Bilbao (London Stadium)

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'Snoddy' Earns Contract Extension

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Submitted by nevillenixon on Tue, 02/07/2019 - 11:10

Snodgrass Redeemed
When he arrived from Hull City during the January transfer window of 2017, Robert Snodgrass had the unenviable task of trying to replace Dimitri Payet, something that was beyond his and virtually any other player's scope at the time, consequently 'Snoddy' suffered. Clearly overweight from living in hotels and short of a yard or two of pace, the Scotsman became a bit of a 'marmite' character and was sent out on loan the next season to Aston Villa.

Snodgrass was well liked at Aston Villa where he helped the Villains to the play off finals, only for them to be beaten by Fulham. There was much talk of Snoddy going back to Villa, but newly appointed Hammers manager Manuel Pellegrini wanted to run his eye over the 31 year old, and he liked what he saw, he quickly made the winger focus on his fitness, which to be fair was necessary, once that was achieved Snoddgrass went on to play over 30 games for the Chilean.

There was some scepticism regarding whether Robert Snodgrass was mobile enough to be retained for the oncoming season, however what he lacks in pace and grace he makes up for with his steely determination, essentially he will run himself in to the ground for the team, a vital characteristic for at least one or two players which is a part of every successful team. Well the decision has been made. and Snoddy has been given a one year extension to his contract that will keep him at the London Stadium until 2022, really it's a bit of a 'no brainer', Snodgrass is on £50,000 per week which in the current climate is peanuts for what is a good player!

Snodgrass may lack the elegance of many 'foreign imports', but he does have a sweet left foot and an ability to get in the opposition's faces, a quality sadly lacking from certain players in the squad that was in place when the new manager took over, hopefully Manuel Pellegrini and Mario Husillos have clearly decided who's in and who's out, Snoddy deserves to be retained for those qualities already outlined.

Some fans will be disappointed with the level of the player being retained, but should ask themselves who? and how much would it cost to replace him? They might do better focusing on some of the other players still currently at the club! - Ed

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Gomez Deal Edges Closer As Valencia And Spurs Look Elsewhere

nevillenixon's picture
Submitted by nevillenixon on Sat, 29/06/2019 - 09:44

Sooner or later one or two of the protagonists competing in the battle to sign Maximiliano "Maxi" Gómez González from Celta Vigo were going to fall by the way side, and that is exactly what is happening. Essentially West Ham and Valencia were supposed to be in a 'bidding' war for the 22 year old Uruguayan striker who has a £43.5 Million release clause, however news then 'broke' that Hammers nemesis' Tottenham had joined the party!

Firstly, Daniel Levy has a personal 'agenda' when it comes to West Ham United, he is like a child who wanted a present but didn't get it, eventually he got an amazing present but didn't want anyone to have the present that he was denied, setting about ensuring that the recipients are made to pay in full! Therefore Tottenham's interest in Gomez will likely be similar to their supposed interest with most players linked with West Ham, ie: no real interest, just a pathetic attempt at pushing the player's price up.

This is one of the reasons why the 'silence of the Davids' is so important, back in the day a war of words would have broken out between the hierarchies of both clubs, now Mario Husillos is the 'dark assassin' who does the nitty gritty's for the Hammers and is way above conducting his business in the public domain. The main competition for Gomez's signature had been Valencia, the club who were interested in taking Javier Hernandez to Spain during the last transfer window.

Valencia though, have become disillusioned by Celta Vigo's stance over Gomez and have moved on, reports from Spain suggest they have switched their attention from Gomez to Espanyol star Borja Iglesias who is available for almost half of Gomez's price, they have also completed the signing of Cillessen from Barcelona for around £13 Million. In addition they are also close to sealing the signings of another two players from Barca, Denis Suarez and Rafinha Alcantara have been linked for a combined total of around £26 Million. Finally another player said to be close to a permanent move to Valencia is Villareal’s Russian international Denis Cheryshev for £5 Million after he spent last season on loan there.

Having missed out on Gomez Valencia have used up their budget, leaving West Ham as the main suitor, of course other clubs may still come in for the player but Celta's stance on his price means that they have priced him out of the market, a very dangerous game yo play by a club that need the money. This is where professional brinkmanship comes in to play, the 'Huse' is a beast when it comes to hunting down his man, and like was the case with Felipe Anderson, he will probably get his man, in fact there are rumours that he was the man responsible for putting Valencia in touch with Espanyol about Borja Iglesias!

The only real fly in the ointment is Uruaguay's involvement in the Copa America, Gomez would need time off before arriving at the London Stadium, leaving little time for the player to be integrated in to Manuel Pellegrini's set up. There will also be a few departures, so blending the new and old will be interesting to say the least, but the sort of task Pellegrini was made for. - Ed

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Sullivan's Reverse Psychology Paying Off

nevillenixon's picture
Submitted by nevillenixon on Fri, 28/06/2019 - 13:36

Whether it was his close family, friends, or more likely Manuel Pellegrini's word in his 'shell like', that made the penny drop, is a matter of conjecture but the 'silence' of David Sullivan has been deafening! His stock is rising with even some of his harshest critics, and all because he has learned to let others do the talking.

Very few Hammers fans doubt the fact that Sullivan is a true fan, as is his co-chairman David Gold, but it was exactly the fact that they were fans that led to 'Sully' in particular wanting to let supporters know how hard they were trying for the club, consequently he spent too much time in the spotlight and became an easy target for the boo boys. That is not to say that at times he didn't deserve the criticism, it's just that he probably received more than was fair.

Since Manuel Pellegrini's arrival things have changed beyond all recognition, the club's business is conducted in private instead of on media platforms, and by delegating, the hierarchy are able to take credit when it is due and avoid the flack when things go belly up.

Even Tony Cottee has 'kissed and made up', he recognises the efforts being made to keep things on a professional footing, an element that had been missing since the two David's took over the club from the 'biscuit barons'. It's been a long time coming, but credit where it's due. - Ed

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The Flying Physio Room Summertime Special 2019 Part 3

nevillenixon's picture
Submitted by nevillenixon on Fri, 28/06/2019 - 12:56

Darren Harry has left the building, before his departure he left the third part of his tome regarding his rather strange West Ham United universe...
Thursday 27 July 2019…..11:50…..Epping…blue sky…breezy…warm….smell of weekend in the air…Sully hated working outside.

The glare of the sun on his laptop screen making email unreadable, the breeze blowing his paperwork everywhere, fly in his tea, bees hovering around his wagon wheel, but Mrs Sully was determined he should see some daylight. It wasn’t healthy the amount of time he spent in that office. She was resenting the business, the time that “bloody team” took away from their lives when they could be cruising around the Bahamas. If it wasn’t the laptop it was that bloody phone!

He was at it again, she knew he was scheming something as his toes were moving up and down in his sandals (visible through his socks). “So you think that’s a goer? I mean, I know they wont like it, but ‘ow else do they think we’re gonna buy all these bloody players, I just reduced my margins last year. People wanna live in the real world, see ow 'ard it is to make a ‘pand note. Right, yeah, I’ll wheel ‘im out. He dunno what day of the week it is ‘eel say anything. Yeah I’ll get some old players that are brassic to endorse it too, they’ll do anything to get a round of applause these days. Yeah, do it. With all the Brexit, PM stuff up in the air this’ll not get much heat. Ta’dah”.

With that Sully snapped the phone shut. “Whatch’yew scheming naw? I know that look” enquired Mrs S“Not for you to worry about my sweetness and light, dontchew wurry ya pretty little ‘ed. Now, I’ve gotta go and see the ol’ boy”. Sully jumped up and meandered his way inside his palatial residence, he was proud of what he’d built. The last few months had seen Sully had to make a tough call, his partner in crime, Guld, nearing his 100th birthday, was growing wearier by the day.

Sully had to keep him onside though, as the face of the club, the ones the fans could relate to, Sully had moved him in to Chez Sully to ensure he could manage his daily routine, keep a close eye on what he said, and monitor his twitter usage. He found him caught in the curtain in his bedroom, “Ah, come ‘ere old sausage, whatcha up to!” laughed Sully a dazed and confused Guld emerged from the fabric, hair like Don King “I lived at 442 Green Street you know!” croaked Guld, “Yeah yeah, we all that that one me old mucka” sighed Sully, he sat him down on the edge of the bed.

“Now, ya know ‘ow much we love West’am dontcha, you and me” Sully calmly worded his delivery, “EEEyyyy up the ‘ammers!” exclaimed Guld, “Yes, quite, anyway, ya know how I always have their best interests at heart” continued Sully, Guld remained quiet……he’s probably tired thought Sully. “Anyway, I’ve a new plan to generate more money, we can buy better players, become top 4, champions league! You’d like that wouldn’t you old mate?!”Sully over enthused, “I used to live at 442 Green Street” replied Guld, “I know ya did mate, I know. Now, all I need you to do is read this bit of paper, and we can go over it a few times, then you can tell all the nice people of West’am how this will make us the best team in the land? Capeesh?”

Sully handed him the paper, Guld looked down “Oxygen tax – London stadium 2019-20” -

You couldn't make it up, could you? Or could you? - Ed

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