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Football .............

Dartford Bhoy's picture
Submitted by Dartford Bhoy on Thu, 18/05/2023 - 05:28

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..........is not a matter of life and death. It's much more important than that."

Bill Shankly

Maybe a bit tongue in cheek but I think we can all relate to it.

Just thinking about the discussion on "Real fans" in the post "BE careful what you wish for" and the past couple of days with whats been happening in Football. It seems like only yesterday when Luton Town were in administration and sent packing to the Conference League in 2009, legendry stories of the mob they brought to Dartford and visa versa. Their loyal fans are close to reward, they are now just one win away from joining the elite in the Premier League which really got me counting my blessings for being a Hammer, we think we have had it rough, look at those guys!

On the same subject is a wonderful old club Notts County. I have a very good friend, Ian, basically the step father in law to my son, who is a fanatic for this proud club, travelling the length and breath of the country even in the conference league. What a season they have had, taking on the glory hunting Hollywood Wexham, coming second with a record breaking points tally that another year would have secured promotion, 2 nil down in the play off semi at half time only to win 3-2 and then the final, behind twice and winning on penalties.. no wonder the chap has no hair!!!

If you are a true Football fan open the attachment, its a great read albeit not West Ham... The little boy in photo is my Grandson... dont be alarmed by his shirt... He's still a Hammer through and through... 5th Generation

https://fhm.com/drama-doesnt-even-come-close-to-defining-it-notts-county...

Be Careful What You Wish For!

Submitted by Louis Nixon on Mon, 15/05/2023 - 19:05

Sunday's surrender to Brentford was a sanguine experience in several ways, firstly the '2nd' team selected contained nine changes from midweek and it showed! Secondly and perhaps more importantly, rumblings about David Moyes being retained beyond this season might be heard less now his 'new trick' abysmally failed when called upon.

Fans were crying out for a bit of squad rotation, however what they got was more irritation instead! How could a manager de-motivate a group of players to such an extent and how could the players selected perform so dreadfully? Pulling on the Claret and Blue shirt used to mean a helluva lot, least ways it did in many households even if your mum had stitched your number on the back.

Moyes would have been better off selecting the ENTIRE U-21 team or even the U-18's than his 'hotch potch' starting eleven, because at least the Junior teams are used to playing together, whereas Sunday's 'offering' somehow contrived to be the worst of both worlds.

Anyway it is what it is, players were rested and will be up for it on Thursday for the 2nd leg semi final of the Con Cup. Ahead of the game, VAR's best pals Liverpool take on Leicester on Monday night. IF the scousers can take all three points towards their late surge for Europe, they will have confirmed Hammers Premier League status, that is unless Big Sam's Leeds can win BOTH their remaining fixtures by at least five goals a game.

Hammers are at home to Leeds on Sunday for the penultimate game of the season ahead of a final day fixture away to Leicester, so essentially West Ham could have the fate of both of the clubs in their hands. Hopefully Liverpool will beat the Foxes so Hammers players can go into Thursday's game knowing their top flight status is already confirmed, it might just make the difference. LN

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Trouble on the horizon

mcbikeman's picture
Submitted by mcbikeman on Mon, 15/05/2023 - 08:39

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So most of the second string got a run out against Brentford yesterday a chance to show Moyes that they should of been given more of a chance throughout the season but they failed miserably...this does not bode well for next season.

So the squad needs a major overhaul but do we have the scouts to unearth gems like Brighton/Brentford do? i am not so sure.

GK....Fab should of done better with the first goal yesterday and he is not getting any younger....Areola well he let in a poor goal midweek and that is not good so the coaching staff need to work hard there if these two are to be part of the squad next season.

Def.....Johnson not good enough Cresswells time has come Emerson for a seasoned champs league and prem player just switches off Aguered has a rick in him Ogbonna its his age Zouma a lumbering lump ok at heading so a fair bit to sort out there.

Mid....Lanzini leaving Soucek just getting worse each game Downes needs more time to mature at this level but also needs gametime Rice going Fornals confidence shot Pac needs to stop the square pass he has a tendency to do but he is the man we have to build the mid round next season.

Forwards......Ants worryingly looks our best but his age and injury history not the best at all and wanting out of the club in Jan not a good sign..Ings well why? whats the point?Scamacca Moyes has no time for Benny lets face it Moyes does not really like him but has to play him Bowen is excellent but he needs help.

Whoever is in charge be it Moyes or someone else next season they have a major job on there hand and will have a lot of players to move on and a major rebuild IMO...if we win the conference cup and are in europe next season that may help with recruiting better players but we have to win it to be able to do that.

Gk/Fab..Nipps
Def/Coufal...Aguered
Mid/Pac..Downes..Fornals
Fwds/Bowen...Benny

Draconian indeed and of course not all of the players will be moved on but so many need to improve Cornet is one for starters but if we are to avoid another season like this one major changes to the squad IMO has to happen.

Live Now Brentford v West Ham Team Line Ups

nevillenixon's picture
Submitted by nevillenixon on Sun, 14/05/2023 - 13:04

Brentfrod: Raya (c); Hickey, Pinnock, Mee, Henry; Janelt, Jensen, Damsgaard; Mbeumo, Wissa, Schade. Subs: Cox, Zanka, Ajer, Roerslev, Baptiste, Onyeka, Ghoddos, Dasilva, Stevens.
West Ham: Fabianksi; Johnson, Aguerd, Ogbonna (c), Emerson; Soucek, Downes; Cornet, Lanzini, Fornals; Ings. Subs: Areola, Creswell, Zouma, Kehrer, Rice, Paqueta, Benrahma, Mubama, Bowen.

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one result away from certain safety

mcbikeman's picture
Submitted by mcbikeman on Sun, 14/05/2023 - 08:34

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I know we are probably safe already but this is West Ham the team that got relegated with record points dont forget.....so i am hoping Moyes will not be overly daft and plaay a ffull strength team today with thursday in mind he'd be mad wouldn't he?....no i say play a weakend side and allow the bindippers to do us a favour and beat the foxes tomorrow evening and thats us safe and sound because Leeds G/D is so bad that cripples them so come on Moyes do not overthink it and risk injuries lets see what some of the "fringe players can do eh.

Cry Foul AZ...They Don't Like Their Own Medicine!

nevillenixon's picture
Submitted by nevillenixon on Fri, 12/05/2023 - 11:46

Football is still played on a pitch as far as we can make out and yet there are certain clubs who have taken their 'digital philosophy' to a new level whereby everything is looked at in 'AI' detail to determine the best way to get a result, irrespective of what it entails.

When Dutch team AZ arrived at the London Stadium it was clear from the off that their game plan was to frustrate and waste time on a truly industrial scale and for the first part of the game it worked! It was ugly on the  eye but the visitor's were quite content to play out a draw until they went ahead courtesy of Hammers keeper Alphonse Areola's 'De Gea' moment in goal that gave them a surprise lead that they didn't deserve!

The referee should have been wearing blue instead of black, that way he could have shown even more allegiance to the Dutch. Home fans are ALWAYS partisan when it comes to the match day officials, but yesterday's ref took things to another level entirely.

In the end Hammers won through and will take a slender one goal lead to the second tie due to be played next thursday evening, the home side WILL have to play but will be hoping for a penalty shoot out at least as it is a speciality of theirs, IF the match does go to Pens then David Moyes may well wish to bring on Lukasz Fabianski as a penalty sub which is of course totally allowed in Euro Cup competitions.

AZ employed ALL the dark arts they could, it will be interesting to see how much they 'like it up 'em' in the return leg. They exhibited signs that they can be 'got at' if they hadn't had the ref completely on their side, fortunately the next tie will NOT have the same ref so there is hope that things will even themselves up, if that IS the case then Hammers should be looking forward to the final in Prague!

A message to AZ, don't poke the beast unless you want to see it's teeth! - Ed

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Dayafter the night before

mcbikeman's picture
Submitted by mcbikeman on Fri, 12/05/2023 - 08:31

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Come to the London Stadium get behind the boys make it a cauldron of noise the fans heard the call the fans turned up the fans made noise all that was asked of them they gave they believed then the game kicked off and Moyesball was in clear view for everyone to see.

I'm a winner its what i do he says but he cacked his pants again got the players to sit off the opposition and lets face it paint drying was more of spectacle.....there gk made a great save..Nipps were you watching...and that was it we let them pass it around no pressing it was easy for them and as ever we made it hard for ourselves.

That team were there for the taking but the players were slow in any kind of passing and movement was slack so easy to to deal with i bet the AZ players could not believe how easy the game was.

once we got the pen and converted we started to play a bit and it was obvious that there gk was worrying about crosses in the box under pressure and there defenders struggling to stem the tide we go a second and we all thought keep this up we will get a third but of course we then started to ease off and "protect" the lead we had and that i reckon will bite us on the arse.

We all know how Moyes sets up next week and it will be wrong because AZ will play a lot more on the front foot infront of there own fans so i want to be proved wrong but if Moyes persists in playing this way we and i hope i'm wrong but i fear the tie will be lost.

Take Soucek out of the side replace him with Downes if you dare let that youngman sit infront of the back four and let Rice and Pac run the show in the middle of the park but of course that means a bit of forward thinking and that is something that Moyesball will never do.

We won yes but not as convincingly as it should be and many fans like me are just fed up with this dreadful style of football...another year of that do me a favour.....by restricting our players playing he kills the team but Moyesball is a machine you must not deviate from the plan..yawn yawn yawn.

Live Now West Ham v AZ Alkmaar Team Line Ups

nevillenixon's picture
Submitted by nevillenixon on Thu, 11/05/2023 - 19:58

West Ham: Areola, Kehrer, Zouma, Aguerd, Cresswell, Soucek, Rice (C), Bowen, Paqueta, Benrahma, Antonio. Subs: Fabianski, Anang, Johnson, Fornals, Lanzini, Downes, Cornet, Ings, Emerson, Potts, Mubama.
AZ Alkmaar: Ryan, Sugawara, Beukema, Hatzidiakos, M De Wit, Clasie, Mijnans, Reijnders, Odgaard, Pavlidis, Van Brederode. Subs: Verhulst, Deen, Mihailovic, Barasi, Lahdo, Bazoer, Vanheusden, Buurmeester, Meerdink, Goes

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AK Will Test Irons' Mettle

Submitted by Louis Nixon on Wed, 10/05/2023 - 07:51

So much of West Ham's season and David Moyes' tenure at the club depends on the club's showing in the Conference League Cup semi finals, last year the semi finals were as far as the club could get in the far superior Europa League Cup, failing against the eventual winners.

That tie was essentially all but over before it began as Eintrecht Frankfurt went a goal ahead at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium which left Hammers a mountain to climb that they never quite made in the 2nd leg. In the 'Con Cup' Hammers were always favourites to reach this stage and are seen as favourites for the final should they reach it, but before fans start thinking about how to get hold of any of the club's paltry ticket allocation for the final in Prague it is worth remembering that opponents AK have an extremely good home record in front of their own fans and that anything other than a convincing win by at least a two goal margin will be required in the home leg in London if Hammers are to have any chance of proceeding to the final.

AK will be NO pushovers in either of the games, but it is imperative that Hammers start on the front foot and use what will be a rocking stadium to their advantage much like their opponents will in the 2nd leg. Although not technically safe from relegation the three points garnered against Man U has given manager David Moyes a bit more leeway when it comes to his player selection for the first tie.

With only three league games left to play and only a maximum of three points required from those games, Moyes can effectively use ALL the players at his disposal for the Cup games. Use them he should, because his legacy could well be defined by what is still a significant albeit belittled trophy.

Fielding anything other than a full strength team would be insane, but then again doesn't insanity run through West Ham's thinking? Be there or be square on thursday if you can, if not BT sport will fill your viewing boots, their coverage of Hammers games is always good, it should be because they are based in the same Stadium complex! - LN

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Who would you cherry pick?

mcbikeman's picture
Submitted by mcbikeman on Tue, 09/05/2023 - 09:10

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Seasons over the three that go down would you look at any of there players? i think you would be mad not to.

if Leeds go i would like to see Wilfried Gnonto

If Leicester go then Harvey Barnes a player i have always rated

Southampton gone then its Che Adams no not Ward Prowse he will be stupid money if he was around £30/35 million then yes but he wont be.

So are there any players you like the look of?? with money coming in for a certain player of ours we have to shop wisely and not get stitched up with overpriced injury prone players.....Yeah i'm well aware Che Adams has a bit of a history but he is no Bamford!

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