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Hammers To Strike Or Hike?

Submitted by Louis Nixon on Tue, 28/01/2025 - 14:33

With an extended winter window is it West Ham’s chance to finally bring in another striker, or is it time to give the rumours a rest and accept the inevitable feeling that no signings will be incoming?

Under Potters reign so far we’ve seen the boss utilise the youth academy but the majority of our promising attacking youth are practically all out on loan!

George Earthy alongside Callum Marshall are both currently out on loan and the Hammers sealed their own fate through negotiations due to not having a recall option.

So with the use of youth out the window regarding the attacking options, our hope is left to Uncle Ingy, or dithering Dave upstairs.

The latest news is disappointing, to say the least.

‘Still Looking FC’ has struck again with Taiwo Awoniyi being ruled out due to Nottingham Forest’s vast price point, along with RB Leipzig’s Andre Silva starting to run out of patience with us as we’ve been delaying for a couple of weeks now.

The latest rumour to spark up and crash down would be Bryan Brobbey, the young Dutch international who had reportedly flown to London in an attempt to force a move to us.

Ajax stated that it would take a 6-month loan with an obligation to buy of €30,000,000.

However, a reoccurring theme of the club ‘not having enough money’ keeps coming up, despite our supposed £57,000,000 bid for Jhon Duran, which was rejected earlier this month.

The club is still weighing up the decision to go for Evan Ferguson on loan from Brighton, with the Seagulls now open to the idea of a loan deal which earlier on the window they refused to accept.

Ferguson is said to be Potters’ number-one choice, yet his injury record is causing us a headache in deciding whether to go for him or not.

So, with all our current striker targets seemingly ruled out and with a week left in the transfer window, should we attempt to scramble a striker in and bite the bullet on another potential failure of a striker?

Or should we learn our lesson, attempt to wait and let Kyle work with Potter to come up with some targets.

The only downside to this would be that we obviously wouldn’t have anyone for the remainder of the season due to Fulkrug’s lengthy spell-out.

Swings and roundabouts for West Ham at the minute…

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You Could've Always Bank'ed' On That

Submitted by Louis Nixon on Sun, 26/01/2025 - 20:41

A solid performance but one that’s shadowed over by the abysmal refereeing performance tonight.

As soon as the officials were announced for the match, you just knew it’d be a Premier League game full of cards, chaotic decisions and utter carnage in general.

The game kicked off and started sorely for the Hammers, first 10 minutes had the look of a Lopetegui rec team, conceding two in eight. Fortunately, the second goal was ruled out for offside.

But the 80 other minutes of the match is what we’d all been hoping for; we FINALLY saw a West Ham side who wanted to fight for the ball, who tried to chase the defenders and one that saw us fight for the badge.

After an end-to-end first half, chaos erupted just before the break when Lucas Paqueta went down after receiving a ‘love-tap’ elbow to the stomach. The decision went to VAR for Violent Conduct and ended in no Red Card.

General fans of the wonderful game may come to the conclusion that it was incredibly light and had nothing in it, but Hammers fans’ memories would’ve peeled back to the incident of Tomas Soucek being sent off away to Fulham for the same thing!

Thank you for your consistency VAR!

After the red card denial, Matty Cash decided to play some games and complained to the Ref after a push from Soucek, second later followed up by Digne tumbling after he mounted Alvarez.

Not to mention that when Mings received his unfortunate injury, he picked up the ball in the air to stop and walk off the pitch! How is that not a card PGMOL? I’ll be awaiting our inevitable apology on Monday morning.

The second half was fantastic for the Irons, with a great display of football and chances created, just the finishing was lacklustre which is to be expected with four attacking players out.

A great ball in by Alvarez and a simple but delightful header from Emerson saw us make it 1-1. We were oh so close to nicking it at the end with Soucek taking it around the keeper and Paqueta slotting it in an open net but all for it to be disallowed due to Soucek being offside.

A game that ended with each team getting a point, but a game that felt like we fought and won on paper, a rare statement to make as of late, but today we were the better team.

As Potter said, “It was a performance that was full of personality.”

Let’s hope we aren’t met with the disappointing news of another injury tomorrow morning, as towards the end of the match, Paqman pulled up clutching his thigh after attempting to chase the ball.

It’s hard to give an Org MOTM, Paqueta, Wan-Bissaka and Kilman all looked on top of their game today, and so did Ollie Scarles from when he was substituted on.

Summerville and Bowen are expected to make a return for the next match against Chelsea; hopefully, this will enlighten our attacking woes and get rid of some of that pressure on precious Uncle Ingy.

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Aston Villa vs West Ham Line Ups

Submitted by Louis Nixon on Sun, 26/01/2025 - 15:17

Aston Villa: Martinez (C), Cash, Konsa, Mings, Digne, Ramsey, Kamara, Tielemans, Bailey, Rogers, Watkins
West Ham: Areola, Coufal, Wan-Bissaka, Kilman, Cresswell, Emerson, Alvarez, Soucek (C), Soler, Paqueta, Kudus Subs: Fabianski, Foderingham, Guilherme, Ings, Rodriguez, Irving, Casey, Scarles, Orford

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Tim Tam Crumbles With Replacement Found

Submitted by Louis Nixon on Fri, 24/01/2025 - 15:03

West Ham's technical director, Tim Steidten, will leave his role as his exit from the club is currently being finalised, with his replacement imminent. He has already been working on deals behind the scenes and finding transfer targets for the future and the remainder of the window.

After such a welcoming, bright delight of Tim, it felt that he was the fresh air we needed, but apparently, after some 'stuff behind the scenes', he's set to be relieved of his duties immediately.

Despite his fair share of success in the transfer windows he's had, such as bringing the likes of Kudus, Todibo and many others to the club, it appears that his 'dodgy dealings' are at the forefront of his dismissal.

Along with the dealings, Steidten fell out with both of our managers. First up, it was David Moyes who banned him from the training ground and the dressing room, and then this season, he was banned from the training ground yet again, but this time under Lopetegui.

Which, let's be honest, is probably a good thing for him, considering the state of the training ground.

Tim Steidten will be replaced by Kyle Macaulay, who will be in the role of Head of Recruitment.

Kyle Macaulay was at Chelsea, and throughout these past weeks, West Ham has been in talks of a compensation fee, the fee is rumoured to be around £1,000,000.

Macaulay has been working with Graham Potter since taking on a role as chief performance analyst at Östersund in 2012, after Potter left the club to go to Swansea he followed him there, the same as when Potter went to Brighton, as well as Chelsea.

The pair have been working side by side for over a decade with each other, if anyone is going to understand who Potter needs and wants, it will be Kyle Macaulay.

Timmy's departure may be warranted depending on how you assess the situation, but you do have to empathise with him for having to put up with Sullivan, as it's seemingly impossible to have success under him and his contingencies.

Let's hope Kyle Macaulay knows what he's signed up for.

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Ezechiel Banzwhozi?

Submitted by Louis Nixon on Wed, 22/01/2025 - 16:12
Ezechiel Banzuzi West Ham United Irons

West Ham United have reportedly agreed their first signing of 2025 with OH Leuven to sign highly-rated Belgium midfielder Ezechiel Banzuzi.

Banzuzi is expected to complete his move to East London by the end of the week, with his medical scheduled in the next 24/48 hours after both parties reached the agreement of a total of £13,000,000. With a £10,000,000 million fee upfront and a further potential of £3,000,000 million in add-ons.

The 19-year-old is said to be joining the Hammers after we've beaten other teams around Europe for his signature. The talented youth player had previously agreed personal terms with AS Monaco earlier on this window, but it was stalled after he'd heard there was interest from West Ham.

Banzuzi primarily plays a box-to-box role and likes to drive the ball into more advanced positions; he's currently played 22 matches this season, scoring two goals and assisting five. His main strengths come through his aerial ability, which, standing at 6'3, should come as no surprise, as well as his tackling ability, which makes him stand out from the rest.

The Hammers have been crying out for a young, talented midfielder who can push the ball up the field and help control the game; his player profile has been compared to now Aston Villa's Amadou Onana, who West Ham previously battled to sign before his move to Everton for £33 million.

It's a different strategy approach to how West Ham has normally operated, usually signing big-name players who are well-known, such as Fullkrug, Soler, Todibo etc.

Someone who's slightly flown under the radar and doesn't cost a ludicrous amount of money is what the club should be aiming for, and it's exactly what they've done here. This is one of the few players that Potter wanted the club to sign in January.

When the move is to be finalised, Ezechiel Banzuzi will join an exclusive list of Belgium players to play for West Ham, which currently totals at three. Those players being Franck Moussa, Ruud Boffin and Francois van der Elst.

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West Ham’s 2024/25 Season: Can Graham Potter Steer the Ship?

Submitted by Louis Nixon on Mon, 20/01/2025 - 15:40

It is a tough time to be a West Ham United’s fan. The team has been struggling for a while now and the fans hope that the coaching change will change the trajectory of the Hammers. Graham Potter is taking the hot seat and the task to save the club from relegation. West Ham is still in the safe zone but their performance needs a dramatic change or things may get really difficult as the season progresses.

Graham Potter’s Appointment: A Turning Point?

After winning only six of 20 games and being in the bottom half of the EPL standings, Julen Lopetegui was sacked on January 7. Only seven months before, West Ham’s fans were full of enthusiasm as the former Spain and Real Madrid coach took over the team, but he ended up being just another disappointment.

Graham Potter was appointed the new manager and he needs to make an immediate impact.

"It's a proud day to be head coach of this amazing club, big tradition, big history, big expectations, big challenge," Potter said. "I'm really excited, it's a bit like Christmas – Christmas for the adults. I'm looking forward to meeting the players today, meeting our supporters, and getting going."

Potter has been recognized for his "progressive" and "unconventional" coaching methods which is exactly what West Ham needs at this point. When coaching Swansea, Potter used ten different formations in a single season and he will most likely shape up things as soon as he takes charge in West Ham.

Potter has significant Premier League experience after spending three seasons with Brighton and one with Chelsea. He took over West Ham after back-to-back blow out losses against Manchester City and Liverpool which was in line with our accurate football predictions. Potter needs to steer the ship in the right direction before it is too late.

The Quest for an Attacking Identity

West Ham won only 23 points in the first 20 games of the season and has a goal differential of 24-39. Potter will need to provide defensive stability and enhance the offensive output at the same time, which is not an easy task to do, especially with the roster he currently has.

West Ham is currently 14th in the league in scored goals and touches and has kept only four clean sheets this season. That is not what the fans are used to seeing from their club and Potter is expected to bring aggressiveness on the offensive end and confidence in their own penalty box.

The team’s captain Jarod Bowen, who is the team’s leading scorer along with Tomas Soucek, is on the injury list and has missed the last four games with a foot injury. With Niclas Fullkrug and Crysencio Summerville also hurt, Potter has very limited options in the offensive line. At the moment, he can only count on veteran Danny Ings and the 18-year-old Guilherme Luis.

Time is also not Potter’s ally as he has no room for any mistakes and needs to change the culture immediately. West Ham has no capacity to make any significant roster changes at this point, so Potter will need to make miracles with the players he has. The fans have been proud of the Hammers’ offensive playing style and they demand of Potter to bring back high-scoring performances but can he really do that?

Bridging the Gap Between Fans and Management

Die-hard Hammers fans are aware that the problems have much deeper roots than what they see on the pitch. The fans have not been pleased with the way co-chairmen David Sullivan and Vanessa Gold run the club and they are not the only ones with that belief.

Tony Cottee, one of the Hammers legends from the 1980s, who is currently a television football commentator, does not hide his disappointment in how the decisions made in the club.

“Who’s going to take responsibility for the ridiculous appointment of Lopetegui? It’s going to cost the Club millions and has taken us back to 2019!! The last few days have been a shambles too! Until there is someone with Football knowledge advising this Board, things will never change! Why was Graham Potter not considered last May when he was clearly available and a better candidate Why? Someone please tell me. I’m now happy the right appointment has been made.”

Now that Potter is on board, the fans hope that the team will finally head in the right direction. There is nothing spectacular that can be done by the end of this season. They have a decent advantage compared to the team in the relegation zone, and the number-one priority for Potter is to stay away from that group. Another task is to bring back the offensive playing style and the fan's joy of coming to the games.

Still, it requires a cohesive effort among the manager, players, board, and fans to navigate the season successfully. However, Potter has the knowledge and authority over the players to implement the needed changes and whether it will bring the desired results, we’ll see in the upcoming EPL matches.

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Hammers Small Light In Gloomy Tunnel

Submitted by Louis Nixon on Sun, 19/01/2025 - 21:13

West Ham fans suffered a miserable defeat in a blistering cold 15:00 kick-off against Crystal Palace.

Individual mistakes, comical errors and incorrect tactics all resulted in us not even having a shot on target, all in all, woeful performance and match.

If Hammers fans look past the dreadful result itself, some questions need to be raised, that performance should’ve screamed to the board that signings need to be made, and not having a shot on target exclaims that.

The fans have suffered enough seeing Fulkrug, Summerville and Bowen out. But when we go a goal down in a game, we look to our bench and currently only have Danny Ings to try to make an impact.

Ingsy can only provide so much, and in the current situation the squad is in, we need a lot more than just him.

There were very few positives from the match, hardly any in fact. Fabianski had one of his worst performances in his time at the club, giving away the penalty initially, and following it up with a blunder once trying to make the save.

The cherry on top would come before the game was put to bed through the penalty, Mavropanos made a last-ditch tackle which can only be described as simply ludicrous, the high foot challenge saw the Greek international acquire a second yellow card, leaving West Ham down to 10 with 10 minutes to go.

Konstantinos Mavropanos will now miss West Ham’s next game against Aston Villa at Villa Park.

Perhaps this is a delusion, but sometimes moments and opportunities like these for players can make their career. With the suspension of Mavro, it would be assumed that Potter will now turn to Kaelan Casey, our young central defender, who has appeared on the bench since Potter’s arrival.

But it's not all doom and gloom! Lewis Orford also made his West Ham debut, coming on for Emerson in the 56th minute, a proud achievement for the 18-year-old who spoke to the media earlier this season exclaiming how his goal for the new season was to break into the first team and finally make his very well deserved debut.

The smallest of lights we have glowing in the club currently is the promising youth prospects we have for next season, talents such as Earthy, Marshall and Potts will return in the summer, with the likes of Casey, Scarles and Orford already being prepped by Potter for the season to come.

A productive rebuild with the youth is what is needed, and it's what our fans have been crying out for, Hammers fans have desperately wanted a manager to utilise the youth academy and, instead of persistently buying players for mass money, maybe realise that we could have a hidden gem of our own under our noses.

We had a summer rebuild under Lopetegui, which didn't go too well... let's hope the one under Potter is more successful.

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What a mess of a squad

mcbikeman's picture
Submitted by mcbikeman on Sun, 19/01/2025 - 13:18

Fab/Areola ones had his better days and the others not up to it so thats the Starting GKs that need replacing....Coufal Cresswell Emerson Mav Killman to old or simply not good enough Todibo the Jurys out on him for now......Rodriguez Alvarez Soucek Pacman for varying reasons have to go....Fullkrug Antonio Kudus two speak for themselves and the third is just a mercenary.

That is some Cull by me but it has to happen as the club has no future with any of those IMO and the only one we would prob get a decent amount for would be Kudus the others very little and one maybe a big fat zero if the FA have there way.

So Bowen Scarles Summerville along maybe with a Casey and Orford and Potts need to be a starting point for a squad rebuild but a helluva lot of work needs to happen because right now we are a very poor side and will only survive because of there actually being three worse sides in the prem.

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