Forum | Non-Football Related
Moyes Has Issues Today
David Moyes has transformed West Ham in just under two years, from relegated threatened battlers to a team with genuine top six aspirations and with an eye on the top four! Chasing success on FOUR different fronts requires a lot of careful man management, a feat that Moyes is coping with rather well at the moment.
As a consequence of now being referenced as 'high flying hammers', the pressure is on to maintain the club's upward trajectory, part of the pressure is to select teams that are capable of (a) getting a result, but also (b) of providing entertaining football for the club's burgeoning fan base both domestically and globally.
Having seen imperious displays by Alphonse Areola and Issa Diop playing for Hammers B team, or the Manchester United away team as it is now more commonly known, there has been a clamour for both of these superb players to be included in Moyes starting line up to play Villa this Sunday afternoon.
We are talking about a totally new and unique situation for long suffering Hammers fans, one in which they suddenly have a thoroughly decent first team as well as an incredibly competent B team and even a good C team! Of course with having so many good players at his disposal David Moyes needs to tread carefully, but this group he has assembled ARE NOT prima-donnas, they are a team.
With all that said, expect few if ANY changes to last Sunday's starting line up in the victory over Tottingham, perhaps Vlad the Impaler will replace Ben Johnson? Although Johnson has performed magnificently while deputising for the Czech International who was, 'taken out' during one of Hammers rare defeats this term.
It should be remembered that the club travel to play Genk in Belgium of Thursday for their EUEFA Europa League Cup game ahead of a 'mighty clash' against Liverpool at the weekend. - Ed
Haller To Haunt Hammers On His Return!
It is Haloween after all, so why not consider scary nightmares? A recurring nightmare for West Ham's bean counters must be Sebastien Haller, even though it is NOT actually the accountants money, to be a good one they have to think of their client's money as their own. So the distinct possibility of Newcastle managing to tempt Ajax manager Erik Ten Hag to become their manager, could be a double edged sword with a bit of jeopardy thrown in for good measure!
On the one hand IF the Toon do successfully 'snare' Ten Hag, then there is every chance he will want to bring his star striker with him, that striker of course being Haller. Having lost between £20-25 Million as a result of the Frenchman flopping outrageously in the fast pace of the Premier League, the club will be hoping to recoup a substantial chunk of that loss due to the sell on clause included in Haller's contract when he left the Irons for Ajax.
Of course if Haller DOES arrive back in the Prem AND starts scoring goals for fun, as he has been doing throughout the European competitions since exiting the London Bowl, then the joy of getting some if not ALL of the club's losses back will be tinged with a 'what might have been' caveat.
Sometimes the grass is greener, sometimes it is NOT, Haller was just not the right fit for a David Moyes type of team, that doesn't mean the same player cannot thrive if placed in an environment where everything is geared towards making him shine, far from it.
Moyes' meticulous planning, or dithering as some less informed observers would like to call it, DOES pay dividends eventually. But let's be real here, most fans are like kids waiting to open their presents at Christmas, they cannot wait to see what they've got and then promptly want MORE!
If Haller returns to the Premier League and scores a hat full of goals, good luck to him, so long as he doesn't score too many against his former club and that club receives a nice fat chunk of change to boot. - LN
The scousers.
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Sunday week ,what I wouldn't give to beat these shower of shites, the boozer I use is wall to wall hub caps and there has never been such an arrogant bunch pricks,with the exception of manua who they hate with a passion " I gather the feelin is mutual, and shity who they have a little respect for the rest are just a heap of crapp to them ,put on this earth just to be ridiculed .I dread it when their on the telly ,the noise they make when they score or if a decision is given against them would give an aspirn a headache.
Go for it Moyes,if we get beat so be it,just imagine the reaction if we pull it off.So It's Tottingham In The Cup!
Hammers have been drawn away against Tottingham for the quarter finals of the Carabou Cup, as was expected it was always going to be them or Liverpool! It is what it is, so bring it on. For the first time in a long long while fans looked to the match ups dreading 'top' opposition, currently IT IS West Ham that was the feared number to be drawn out of the pot!
Quarter-final draw in full
Tottingham v West Ham-Arsenal v Sunderland-Brentford v Chelsea-Liverpool v Leicester City. Games to be played on December the 20th STA.
Old Newspapers to go
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Hi guys ( and girls)
Have got to let these West ham related papers go, so if anyone is interested please have a ganderRoll Up Roll Up-D Day For Cup Draw
Around 10:30 on Saturday morning on Sky's Soccer AM show the draw will be held for the quarter finals of the 'League Cup'. Having decried the value of the 'useless cup' as we have called it in the past, especially when it became known as the Carabou Cup, the turn around in our focus can hardly be blamed bearing in mind the vanquishing of BOTH Manchester teams that occurred in order for Hammers to even be in the draw.Given how the ties have been drawn in the competition so far, expect Hammers to be drawn away against either Chelsea or Liverpool! The 'midweek cup' or whatever you wish to name it, is a competition Hammers have NEVER won, they have made the finals on two occasions but have never triumphed.
It may be the 'Moose Cup', but try telling Mark Noble it is valueless at your peril, if anyone deserves winning it Marky does and it would be a fitting end to an illustrious career that has seen him experience a lot more lows than highs! What better way to sign off could there be?
Well there is always the UEFA Europa League Cup, isn't there? With the club progressing on FOUR fronts, players AND fans are moving onto new territories, when was the last time the club was still 'actively' involved in so many competitions at this stage of the season?
A Cup would be brilliant for Mark Noble to hold aloft as he hangs up his boots, but why not be a little bit greedy and hope for TWO instead! - Ed
Schadenfreude Can Bite Your Asp!
With things going so swimmingly for West Ham at the moment, there will surely be many Hammers fans revelling in their team's success while gloating at their London rivals lack of it. News of impending large scale investment has not gone down well with fans at Tottingham and at Arsenal to a lesser extent.
The one element that had always been in the North London clubs favour has been Hammers lack of resources, whenever the 'Noisy neighbours from the East End stuck their heads above the parapet, they were quickly knocked back down by the spending power of their competitors.
Despite this chronic lack of funding, The Moyesiah has somehow managed to get the Irons constantly punching way above their weight, last season's top six finish is now looking less like a fluke and more like a planned development. High profile victories in the 'useless' Cup have given Hammers a new global profile that the club previously lacked.
Topping their group in the UEFA Europa Cup as well as currently sitting a genuine fourth in the Premier League, West Ham are a club on an upward trajectory following a relentless transition process overseen by David Moyes. Bit by bit the deadwood has been cut out and replaced by a younger more invigorated group of players who have NO fear, an essential element for any team with topflight aspirations.
However before gloating too much, be mindful of the fact that Tottingham were in the Champions League final as recently as 2019, which has probably shown just how far their fall from grace has been! Kretinsky's investment and possible long term involvement eventually leading to a full take over, has been met enthusiastically by fans, but there is always the potential for pitfalls in any new situation.
As a rule, Premier League clubs DON'T make much money, least ways if they want to keep up with the all the others, at best they are a tax write off vanity project for incredibly wealthy owners, nothing more than a play thing. So Kretinsky's motives might be viewed as questionable, how does he intend making the club profitable is a principal line of enquiry. In the short term that is absolutely impossible, however with judicious investment and attention to growing the club as a global brand, it would eventually be achievable.
Until the details of any deal are legitimately available, we would suggest you hold your horses with the Schadenfreude, after all look how undignified and unmagnanimous Tottinham fans have been to West Ham over the years. Be careful, Schadenfreude can have a habit of biting you on your Asp!-Ed
Possible Takeover from Daniel Kretinsky
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This guy looks the real deal owns10% of Sainsburys 2nd biggest investor in Royal Mail wants 27% of WHU. Personally, I hope this is true Looks good -better than the Rio and Tony cottey deal With PAI. Ave a look don't know if this is allowed on here but I am quite excited- might breach copyright rules so I completely understand if Nev does'nt publish it
https://foreverboleyn.com/2021/10/28/who-is-daniel.kretinsky/ hope I hav'nt broke any publishing rules I dont want to get this site in any troubleLondon's 2nd Best Team-We'll Take That (For Now)
Although the victory was only in what some people refer to as the 'useless cup', Hammers defeat of the previously unbeatable holders Manchester City has had a massive global effect. It could well be co-incidence, but the buzz about West Ham cannot be dismissed as a 'one hit wonder', with every success the club has been regaining the huge amount of 'neutral' fans the club once had, only this time round the 'love' comes from fans and pundits alike!
Last season's 6th place finish was dismissed as a fluke and one that only occurred because there were no fans in attendance, there may even have been a small element of truth in that perception, but if there was that theory has now been blown out of the water. Perhaps playing behind closed doors WAS beneficial in that it enabled David Moyes and his coaching staff to fully implement their ideas WITHOUT the walls of negativity fans can generate, this applies to ALL clubs in transition.
One 'side event' from the Covid outbreak was that when David Moyes tested positive he was forced to view games from his home, in order to give him a better perspective it was decided that Stuart Pearce would go 'up top' of the Stadium to be Moyes' eyes and ears from high above the action. The result was so successful that Psycho was retained in that role even when David Moyes returned fit and healthy.
Pearce's eye in the Sky role is just one element of the 'overall overhaul' of the way the club goes about it's business, both on and off the pitch. Hammers are now being referenced as runners up to Chelsea in London's footballing hierarchy, leaving Arsenal and Tottingham in their wake, both of those clubs are currently in transition and will doubtless attempt to come back with all guns blazing.
It will be up to David Moyes and his staff and players, as well as the board, to try to ensure they make hay while the sun shines in order to put as much distance as they can between them and their London rivals. The potential of having a significant investor coming on board soon can only add to the feel good factor surrounding the club.
London's 2nd best team, we'll take that (for now!) -Ed
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