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  • Abdallah's Move 'Sima's' To Be Back On!

    nevillenixon's picture
    Submitted by nevillenixon on Tue, 10/08/2021 - 09:50

    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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  • What's Going On-Too Many CD's Not Strikers?

    nevillenixon's picture
    Submitted by nevillenixon on Tue, 10/08/2021 - 08:44

    Talk about synchronicity, just like London buses or police men, you wait ages for one and then three turn up at the same time! Hammers need for an out and out striker has been dragging on so long that it seems to have become like an East Enders's story line, except this one doesn't seem to end!

    So a club in desperate need of a striker then lines up not one, but THREE centre backs with an additional TWO waiting in the wings, it does seem strange doesn't it? Duje Ćaleta-Car, Nikola Milenković and Kurt Zouma are the main targets, but Mouctar Diakhaby and Nat Phillips are in the background 'just in case'.

    We have previously discussed the club's poor defensive record from last season, with far too many goals conceded there was an obvious need for reinforcements, but so many centre backs is a bit rich, even for an ex defender like David Moyes.

    It could be that this is part of the David Moyes version of 'smoke and mirrors', an act that used to be carried out perennially by the board in order to sell season tickets. The approaching season is unique in that there was absolutely no need to tell Porkies because fans, deprived of their 'footy fix' for 18 months, were only too happy to stump up for their season tickets, in addition the team has just finished in it's highest position for nearly 30 years!

    Perhaps Moyes's smoke and mirrors campaign should only be seen as a positive stance, as there is no need to bamboozle fans with fake news regarding transfers. Moyes is known in some circles as 'divering dave' due to the amount of due diligence he spends on researching potential signings, he hasn't done too badly so far has he? With exception of Jordan Hugill of course.

    It is to be hoped that all the attention being given to the centre back glut will mask the club's true primary objective, and that is to get a STRIKER! The chances are if David Moyes has really been given full control of player acquisitions, that he is working behind the scenes to bring in the man or men of his choice and that the centre back smoke screen is a useful diversion.

    While we remain sceptical regarding the funding made available to David Moyes for transfers, we are hopeful that there might be a repeat of the John Hartson and Paul Kitson signings, of course they arrived to help stave off relegation, whereas new recruits are needed to help the club progress in four major competitions.

    We fully expect a striker to arrive and emerge through the smoke and mirrors, hopeful? Hopefulness is a primary requisite of being a Hammers fan.....it's the West Ham way! - Ed

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  • Sorry But Smells A Bit Fishy

    nevillenixon's picture
    Submitted by nevillenixon on Mon, 09/08/2021 - 19:36

    Young children have a habit of ignoring what is really going on by replacing reality with fantasy. If they tell themselves something is so enough times, eventually they believe it and expect everyone else to believe it as well, despite there not being a grain of truth in what they are actually saying.

    So fans wishing for the arrival of new players at their football club often take on a childish perception and believe if they read enough headlines eventually they will see what they want, but the joy is short lived before they realise they are kidding themselves and that what they have just read is 'without substance'.

    There has been enough 'click bait' floating around to fatally attract 'willing addicts' for a lifetime, the will he or won't he Nikola Milenkovic transfer saga has already had more twists and turns than a twin peaks script! So when 'reliable sources' say "everything is fine" you know it is time to begin worrying, and so it has proved with the 'latest' being that the 'stumbling blocks' that were holding up the deal now turn out to be a bit larger than blocks, more like pyramids!

    Apparently the club has now 'swung the other way', not in the products sold in David Gold's shops type of way, but the full 'rent boy'. Having first wanted and then rejected a move to the London Dome, Chelsea's Kurt Zouma is now being 'considered' again.

    You will excuse out scepticism, but this is beginning to smell a bit fishy to us, Perhaps it is because in the past the board have come out with more "could have, would have, nearly did" porkies than any other 'fit and proper' owners? Even though fans know the news is complete bollocks that comes out of the mouths of the owners, they are perfectly prepared to accept the word of journalists, one of the lowest life forms there are!

    Some players might arrive, but not the usual season ticket selling 'marquee signings' the club 'tried' to get, David Moyes is pragmatic to the point of stubbornness, steadfastly refusing to 'pass the Will Salthouse' at the top table, instead insisting it his way or the highway.

    Even the most stupid of owners wouldn't willingly antagonise a man who has dug them out of a hole, not once but TWICE would they! Let's hope that Moyes gets his men and that the smell of fish was only a temporary one, please hold your nose while waiting, but don't hold your breath! -Ed

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  • Milenković Gets Harder To See & Touch!

    nevillenixon's picture
    Submitted by nevillenixon on Sun, 08/08/2021 - 20:56

    "I love you Darling, but" is the opening line of a thousand 'Dear John' messages received by forlorn Lovers, suddenly all their glimmers of hope disappearing in to the ether, leaving a broken heart! Well Hammers desperate hunt for new players isn't quite so emotionally dramatic, however alarm signals should ring when the 'but' word is suddenly involved.

    Enough sources to open an entire news network have covered West Ham's pursuit of 'bargain basement' signing, Nikola Milenković, the is he or isn't he rumbled on a bit and then a break through, well actually no, an impasse instead, well it wouldn't be West Ham if there wasn't a problem would it?

    The 'problem'(s) aren't going to go away easily, they usually wear very expensive suits and can afford to not wear socks, oh and they usually drive an Audi R8 or a Lambo....they are of course the agents and player management companies, between them they ensure a 'proper carve up' when it comes to transfers, more so in the case of Milenković's proposed move from Fiorentina because he is in the final year of his contract and is refusing to sign a new one. So Fiorentina need to sell him now or risk losing him on a pre contract at Christmas.

    Unfortunately the afore mentioned 'but' word has appeared in the 'latest' news emerging, and that is that everything is fine with the deal 'but' for a few details AND demands from agents, well that isn't a little but, it's a trouser busting big arse of a but!

    We've got a bad bad feeling about this one, you can just hear the 'but' rehearsals, "we would have signed him but!" Nothing would make up happier than to have to eat great helpings of 'Umble pie over the transfer, a plate too far? -Ed

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  • Centre-Back To The Future

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    Submitted by nevillenixon on Sun, 08/08/2021 - 11:31

    While West Ham's need for an out-and-out striker is blatantly obvious, the club's search for additional players seems focused on acquiring a centre back, or several as the Press point out. Liverpool's Nat Phillips is the latest in a long line of potential defensive targets.

    So why are Hammers pursuing Centre backs a plenty when the club desperately needs a new striker? Well if you cast a quick glance at last season's final table you will see that West Ham conceded an outrageously high amount of goals, this figure was somewhat offset by the team's ability to score goals in abundance!

    Final position for West Ham: finished 6th, played 38 games Home W10 D4 L5 F32 A22 Away W9 D4 L6 F30 A25 +15 Goal Diff Pts 65

    Conceding 47 goals is simply not good enough for a team that has aspirations for continued European Cup Competitions and is an area that David Moyes, being an ex-defender himself, is very keen to address. The apparently 'nailed on' transfer of Nikola Milenković from Fiorentina has hit the buffers, unsurprisingly to many sceptical and jaded Hammers supporters as he just seems to get harder to see and touch. Hence the flurry of centre back speculation, Valencia's Mouctar Diakhaby has apparently joined the club's shortlist, as has Marseille's Duje Ćaleta-Car.

    However, 24-year-old Ćaleta-Car has previously turned down a move to the London Stadium and Moyes has a long memory! Hopefully aLl this centre back chat is just a diversion from the FORTHCOMING main act...SIGNING A STRIKER! - ED

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  • Diop to Leicester?

    hammergirl's picture
    Submitted by hammergirl on Sun, 08/08/2021 - 09:07

    Forums:

    I would say yes sell him if we manage to get in Nikola Milenkovic and Duje Ćaleta-Car,my reason is i just do not feel safe with Diop at the back unless he is alongside Ogbonna he looks to my eyes very vulnerable a bit of a bambi on ice sometimes. and we could get £30million for him easy what are your thoughts boys?

  • Benny At Cross Roads

    nevillenixon's picture
    Submitted by nevillenixon on Sun, 08/08/2021 - 08:13

    Having recently been 'shown the Love' by his manager David Moyes, Hammers maestro Saïd Benrahma has finally started to show the dazzling ability he has, both going forwards AND more importantly for his coaches, tracking back as if his life depends on it!

    Some of the sublime skills he showed against a very top team, in the form of Saturday's visitors Atalanta, were exceptional which had the crowd bewitched and the opposition bewildered. Saïd ran rings round the Atalanta defenders and eventually had them chasing shadows while fearing they would concede free kicks every time they tried to tackle him, sometimes 3 or 4 players at a time!

    In Benrahma Hammers have a player who will strike fear into defenders far and wide, his ability to draw fouls is almost 'Grealish' like, with the exception he doesn't go down like a stuck pig every time he is tackled. David Moyes is famous, some would say infamous, for the amount of time he takes to 'bed' players in. Moyes did exactly the same with Jarrod Bowen, it seems that it is the manager's way of guiding players from the rigours of the Championship up to the even more demanding Barclays Premier League, where the tiniest of errors can end up gifting the opposition a goal.

    Watching David Moyes's obvious appreciation of his Algerian forward proves to other squad members AND to potential signings, that if you work hard you will progress under his and his staff's tutelage. The super high energy performances of last season, that many fans feared would dissipate, were replicated in full against Atalanta, and although it was only a friendly, Hammers looked clinical and played with a determination to prove that last season was no flash in the pan, and that they deserve to be called a 'top six' club! -Ed

    PS: We have been waiting ages for the right moment to use the 'Benny At Cross Roads' headline, but fear it will be necessary for fans of a certain age to explain to those a lot younger who exactly 'Benny' was, and where and what Cross Roads was, also that 'Meg' was associated with another hit TV series before Family Guy!

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  • Betway Voodoo Broken

    nevillenixon's picture
    Submitted by nevillenixon on Sat, 07/08/2021 - 19:12

    Hammers outplayed Atalanta to win the Betway cup 2-0 at the London Bowl, this was a more than decent work out against a very good team, the visitors are renowned for their fast paced attacking play, but were nullified by a stalwart and well marshalled defence.

    The fans returning to only the 2nd home game in 18 months that they had been allowed to attend were treated to a decisive, clinical performance with many of the players deserving special credit, none more so than Said Benrahma, who bewildered the visitors midfielders and defenders with his balletic footwork.

    Seeing Declan Rice back with a smile on his face was very encouraging, all the talk of deals and contracts looking to be well on the back burner, his body language was good, and he linked up with his 'partner in crime' Tomas Soucek as if they had never been away.

    David Moyes is well known for throwing the odd curve ball in, and today was no exception, he elected to start Andriy Yarmolenko and despite actually running here and there, he proved just why he is ill suited to the frenetic pace of top flight domestic football.

    Goals towards the end of the 1st half and the 2nd did for the visitors, who showed moments of real quality, but were unable to break down Hammers defensive line up despite a couple of close calls. Hammers had never won the Betway Cup before, well they have now.

    Having removed one long-standing 'monkey on their shoulder's', the club now have to face perennial party poopers Newcastle. Last season they won two games that saved them from relegation, Hammers lost two games which denied them a European Champions League place, so there are some afters! - Ed

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