Forum | Non-Football Related

England expects is the sort of burden players have suffered from in the past when it comes to playing the actual tournaments rather than the qualifying, but this England team is exactly that, a team. Instead of a disparate set of players in cliques from their clubs, there is a genuine feeling of team spirit, and at the centre, literally, was Declan Rice.

Rice put in a superb performance, no thrills, just the 'ugly' stuff that doesn't really get noticed, but Declan's contribution drew a special mention and high praise from ex-Hammer Rio Ferdinand, and he knows a thing or two about defending. "‘I was very impressed with the patience of this team from back to front. I thought Declan Rice in front of the back four was superb in his positions, cutting out crosses, getting in great positions to cut the lines into the strikers." Rio told BBC viewers as he summed up the match.

What was really encouraging from the Hammers captain was how calm and cool he looked, even in the 'furnace' that was Wembley this afternoon. He went about his role efficiently and with no dramas or mistakes, the only criticism that could be made was that he didn't move forward more, but the security he provided for the other players enabled them to push forward, safe in the knowledge that he would be there to pick up the pieces if necessary.

The fact that fellow 'elite' professionals, and the International team's manager Gareth Southgate, have so much faith in Declan Rice goes to show how highly regarded he is at such a young age. Bobby Moore he isn't, but he holds his head high and never seems flustered just like the great man.

The timing of David Moyes signing his new contract, just before the start of the Euro's, couldn't have come at a better time, and may have taken on even more significance due to his close relationship with Rice. Having Moyes firmly in place will help fend off the top teams who will inevitably be wanting to tempt Hammers resolve for keeping their prized asset with large offers.

Retaining Moyes and Declan Rice are two of the key elements of what could be an exciting era at the London Stadium, one thing for sure is that if Dec keeps performing at the same level throughout the tournament, his value will sky rocket from the high, to the stratospheric! - Ed

It's amazing what qualifying for a proper European competition does for a club's profile, ironically Pellegrini's disastrous reign will eventually be a positive thanks to the hard graft of David Moyes and his staff. Lots of people around Europe and elsewhere got to hear the name of West Ham due to the Chilean's high profile, so when West Ham are seen on the lists of teams participating in Europe, people who don't have a 'keen' interest in football still assume Pellegrini is in charge!

Now players are beginning to be aware of what a 'sleeping beast' the Club is, and coupled with a massive stadium that looks amazing from a distance, Stratford looks like an appealing destination. The new appreciation for West Ham works both ways, and now David Moyes, fresh from the confirmation of his new three year deal, will start to put his plans in to action.
Apart from fitness and tactics, recruitment is the key, Stuart Pearce said as much in an interview with talkSPORT this week when talking about signings being made this summer.“For David to put his name to a player, he’s got to be sure that that player is the right one to fit into our environment, It’s a very work-orientated environment at West Ham, our running stats have gone through the roof since David arrived, there’s an expectation that everyone pulls their weight.

How refreshing, barring a calamitous summer there is genuine hope that the good times will return, and hopefully a packed London Stadium will be 'rocking' under the lights for European games, bringing back memories for those who were lucky enough to see the ' proper European games Hammers played back in the day. - Ed

Andriy Yarmolenko's time at West Ham has been an unmitigated disaster, his signing fromBorussia Dortmund in the summer of 2018 for around £18 Million was a classic example of 'Pellegrinitus', and his outrageous £115,000 per week completely defies logic.

Yarmolenko's stats are appalling, in his entire injury ravaged time at the club the Ukranian has played only 47 games, and scored a paltry 7 goals. Not much of a return for around £35 Million in wages and signing on fees is it?

Well, apparently help is at hand in the form of Galatasaray, the Turkish giants are keen to sign the 31 year old winger who is entering the final year of his eye wateringly generous contract. There is even the chance of getting a small fee for the player who has always shone on the International stage when playing for the Ukraine but has failed miserably to have converted that form to domestic football.

Just relieving the Irons from another year of paying out £115,000 per week would be a very positive outcome, but it is hard to see Galatasary matching any where near those wages, and receiving a fee from them even more far fetched. At the end of the day Hammers will have to take a massive hit to get Yarmolenko off the books, if they can do so without having to supplement his wages at his destination club, then Happy days, if West Ham can get him off the books and receive a fee, it would be nothing short of a miracle.

Fortune does seem to be smiling a little, in that Yarmolenko's recent performances for the Ukraine have put him in the shop window, and if he has a good tournament, there is a possibility his stock will rise to the point of actually recouping a bit of cash while at the same time being rid of his wages.

It is to be hoped Yarmo has a good Euro's, because he has no future under David Moyes at the London Stadium. - Ed