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  • It's Happened Again!

    nevillenixon's picture
    Submitted by nevillenixon on Mon, 05/04/2021 - 12:55

    What is it with West Ham and players getting crocked while on international duty? The news that every Hammers fan dreaded, but in a way anticipated, of the injury Declan Rice picked up while playing against Poland has been greeted with as much doom and gloom as can be shown.

    West Ham were, or still are, on the threshold of attaining a Champions league place, but news of Rice's injury is the biggest downer fans could possibly have received, the incredibly influential midfielder is definitely out of tonight's squad facing Wolves at Molineaux, but there is a distinct possibility he may well be out for the rest of the season.

    This could have a serous impact on Gareth Southgate's plans for the Euro's, but pardon our French, "bugger Southgate!" Rice is yet another Hammer to be sidelined by an injury picked up while playing for his country, he joins Manu Lanzini, and before him Dean Ashton as well as David James, as yet another casualty.

    Fans are rightly proud of seeing their players on the International stage, but it comes at a cost, unfortunately the cost of Rice's injury is almost inestimable, but it probably has put to bed any chances the club had of finishing in the top four, even the top six now looks unlikely!

    Moyes will probably start Mark Noble in Declan's place, and the team will inevitably go on to lose the game, as they have done in every other match that the 'captain' has started thus far in the season, it could only happen to West Ham! - Ed

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  • Something Fishy About Moyes's Comments

    nevillenixon's picture
    Submitted by nevillenixon on Mon, 05/04/2021 - 10:42

    It has seemed like an age since West Ham United's underwhelming 3-3 'defeat' to Arsenal at the as yet unnamed London Stadium, so it is only natural that gossip and heresay goes in to overdrive, especially if the players concerned have performed well on the International stage.

    Such has been the case for Hammers' international contingent, with all of them playing extremely well for their countries, David Moyes is obviously proud of the platform he has given them to project their abilities to a greater audience, however with there is a caveat involved, namely the increased interest will have teams 'sniffing' around hoping to unsettle players like Declan Rice, Tomas Soucek and 'honorary hammer' Jesse Lingard.

    David Moyes has been quick to point out that reaching the Champions League is NOT a pre-requisite for retaining the services of his top players, more like an incentive for the future and confirmation of exactly how far the club has progressed in just twelve months!

    Unfortunately at the same time as issuing the 'hands off' notice, Moyes elected to say that if 'huge offers' are submitted for his players, then the club would have to listen to them, he the added it would take a 'bank of England and bank of Scotland bid to prise Rice away from East London, he then added that it would take a 'bank of the Czech republic' offer to entice the mere countenance of selling the club's leading scorer Tomas Soucek.

    The problem as we see it is, there are several clubs interested in both players, and each of the 'interested' parties is actually owned by a country, not just their banks! The clubs that are state owned or financed CAN afford to make ludicrous offers, and those that aren't state owned are flush with cash from years of sewing the seeds from their Champions League monopolies.

    By the summer Hammers fans can expect to see the back pages occupied with scurrilous rumours about where Rice, Soucek and others might end up, bids from Real Madrid (state owned and financed in all but name), Manchester City (state owned and financed in all but name) and PSG (state owned and financed in all but name) among others.

    Retaining the club's top players will be difficult, but not impossible, handing out lucrative new contracts is not necessarily the right way forwards either, the folly of doing so is clearly manifest with the lengthy contracts handed out to players like Andy Carroll, Jack Wilshere, Andriy Yarmolenko and Winston Reid, the latter two are still costing the club £200,000 per week in wages alone!

    The top of the Barclays Premier League is looking like a pre-covid French taxi rank outside of the Gare du Nord, by the time Hammers take to the pitch against Wolves this evening at Molineaux there could be an astonishing FOUR clubs, all on 49 points!

    So no pressure on Moyes's boys to get the win that would take them in to 4th place then, this is the 'nitty gritty part of the season, and a chance for David Moyes to prove he has neutralised the 'powder puff, flaky hammers of the past. - Ed

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  • Will 'The King' Return?

    nevillenixon's picture
    Submitted by nevillenixon on Sat, 03/04/2021 - 10:11

    It has been a long long while since Authur 'the King' Masuaku featured for West Ham, 18 games in fact, and although the team have coped admirably without him, it has missed his 'fleet of foot' contributions. Prior to his operation, the 'King' had been a key component in a side that was devastating most of the opposition by utilising a three at the back formation, by playing ahead of Aaron Cresswell he was able to utilise his unique ability to bring the ball out of defence like no other.

    It is probably too much to expect Authur to start against Wolves on Monday, but he will make the bench at least, his energy and enthusiasm might well be one of crucial elements necessary to sustain Hammers push for Europe as we enter into the final nine games of this strangest of seasons.

    Unless David Moyes is fully backed in the next transfer window, which is most definitely NOT a given, this season represents what might be the only opportunity that West Ham have of 'breaking through to the other side'. By reaching Europe the club's profile will go from good, to attractive, that is of course mentioned in the hope that if the club do qualify for Europe, that it is at a competition stage that doesn't require too much arduous travelling to the nether regions of far flung european locations.

    At this stage of what has been an incredibly compressed season, ALL teams are suffering from injuries and losses of form, whether temporary or permanent, and so Hammers go in to the remaining nine games with as good a chance as any to progress.

    Unfortunately the fixtures ahead for David Moyes and his team are rather difficult, however as a slight bonus Hammers play three classic 'six pointers' among those nine fixtures, the games against Chelsea, Everton and Leicester will go a long way to deciding this season's final outcome.

    With the king back, all we need now is for the 'Angel' to return! - Ed

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  • Arnie's Back!

    nevillenixon's picture
    Submitted by nevillenixon on Thu, 01/04/2021 - 10:03

    Snake 2:0, Marko Arnautovic, has deemed that West Ham United can avail themselves of his talent by bringing him back from his 'Chinese' exile, at least that is according to his brother and agent. It seems the attraction of earning huge amounts of money has waned somewhat, he and his young family have grown tired of the countless 'minders' that accompany them where ever they go, and are looking to return to 'civilisation!

    David Moyes is an admirer of Arnautovic, and is credited for turning the winger in to one of the Barclays Premier League's most feared strikers during his first tenure as manager. Apparently 'Arnie' is prepared to take a huge salary cut in order to play at the London Stadium again, and has cited his brothers 'greed' as the reason for his acrimonious departure from the Irons in order to seek his fortune in China.

    Although Moyes is a keen admirer it is a point of conjecture as to whether Arnie's return would be a good or bad thing for the club, he might upset the apple cart and mess up the wonderful team spirit that the manager has engendered within his squad.

    That said, Hammers do desperately need at least one more striker, but cannot afford to 'take a punt' at high value players, the shadow of 'Hallergate' has been cast long and permanent in the hierarchy's psyche. Maybe the devil you know is better than the devil you don't, and a firing on all cylinders Marko Arnautovic might be just what is needed at the London Stadium. - Ed

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  • Centre Back City!

    nevillenixon's picture
    Submitted by nevillenixon on Wed, 31/03/2021 - 09:24

    What is it with West Ham and centre backs? One minute there is a paucity and then the next minute a proliferation, just like London buses or in some cases London policemen, they tend to appear in threes, just as is happening at the London Stadium at this moment in time.

    It should be remembered that less than 12 months ago Hammers were attempting to 'lure' Burnley's 29 year old James Tarkowski to East London for an eye watering £30 Million! Eventually even that figure wasn't enough for those in power at Turf Moor, their relative greed will probably be haunting them now.

    Instead David Moyes elected to bring 'Les' Dawson to the club on loan from Watford, Dawson being 18 months older than Tarkowski was a cheaper option, however he has proved to be an astute signing who's loan deal is due to be made permanent for a bargain £3.5 Million, which includes his original loan fee.

    In addition to 'Les', Hammers have the venerable 'Angel of the East' Angelo Ogbonna, soon to return from injury, a resurgent Issa Diop and the option to extend Fabian Balbuena's contract by a further two years. The encouraging news for the coming months is that youngster Jamal Baptiste, along with recent signing Frederik Alves are ear marked for greater things, meaning that Hammers are very well placed for centre backs ahead of the new season.

    We nearly forgot, there is also the matter of Winston Reid, the 'warrior' who is fighting his way back to full match fitness while on loan with promotion chasing Brentford, his future may well lay elsewhere, once proven to be fit again is a useful asset to have.

    One hole plugged then, now all Moyes has to do, apart from making 'Les's' deal permanent is to find q couple of strikers, an additional full back and a strong box to box midfielder to assist and compliment Hammers' midfield dynamic 'Rice & Potato Salad' combination.

    Not a tall order then, and David Moyes also has to negotiate the 'tricky' transfer of Jesse Lingard now that the attacking players 'bad parent' club have finally woken up to his potential, and the fact that they have Hammers exactly where they want them when it comes to naming their price for the 28 year old who has shone so brightly since arriving in January. - Ed

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  • Is Europe A Welcome Challenge Or Unwanted Distraction?

    nevillenixon's picture
    Submitted by nevillenixon on Mon, 29/03/2021 - 13:23

    Compared to some English clubs, the relationship between West Ham United and European competitions has been somewhat limited. During the 1960s and 1970s, Hammers went hell for leather to win the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, regarding success in the trophy as a matter of prestige.

    At the very first attempt, West Ham won the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1965, then reached the semi-finals the following season. Beaten by Belgian side Anderlecht in the 1976 final, the last foray in the competition was reaching the quarter-finals in 1981, losing to eventual winners Dinamo Tbilisi. Over the last two decades, participation in the UEFA Cup and its rebranded Europa League successor has been sparse. During the 1999-2000 campaign West Ham won one of the three Intertoto Cup finals, although after a 6-1 aggregate victory against Osijec in the First Round of the UEFA Cup, the European adventure was prematurely ended by Steaua Bucharest in the Second Round.

    The 2006-07 appearance in the UEFA Cup was ended in just the First Round, as West Ham slumped to a 0-4 aggregate loss to Palermo. As for the most recent Europa League forays, they haven’t fared any better. After struggling to even make it to the third qualifying round in 2015-16, the Irons were dumped out by Romanian minnows Astra Giurgiu. As if that wasn’t bad enough, after making it past Slovenian outfit Domzale in the third qualifying round of the 2016-17 competition, West Ham were once again eliminated from the Europa League by – you’ve guessed it – the mighty Astra Giurgiu. Whether it’s a blessing or a curse, further humiliation has been avoided by failing to qualify for Europe again since then.

    Nevertheless, unless there’s a diabolical slump in form between now and the end of the Premier League campaign, West Ham will be playing in one of three European competitions next season. Of course, the big prize for finishing inside the top four would be participation in the Champions League. Millions of fans around the world tune in, via live TV or football streams, as this is the most prestigious club competition in the world.

    Given the extra revenue participation in the Champions League brings, it’s hard not to imagine the club wanting to perform well in the elite competition, should the opportunity arise. Games against the cream of the continent would likely fill the London Stadium. However, could the same be said for the so-called less important competitions? Given the most recent history of West Ham in the Europa League, even given the prospect of exciting rivals that can be faced in the group stages and beyond, it’s hard not to think of the competition as an unwelcome distraction for the club. Would they take the Europa League any more seriously than in the past?

    The third and final alternative is the new UEFA Europa Conference League, which swings into play from next season onwards. Aimed as an opportunity to give more clubs a taste of the European experience, it will mostly be packed with clubs from leagues with low co-efficient ratings. Stacked with lengthy trips to eastern Europe, it’s tough to see any English club setting that amongst priorities, compared to domestic commitments.

    One way or the other, Hammers will most likely be in Europe next season. How appealing that will be depends entirely upon the competition. -Ed Jnr

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  • When was the last time that happened?

    Dartford Bhoy's picture
    Submitted by Dartford Bhoy on Mon, 29/03/2021 - 09:34

    Forums:

    Wasn't great to see two Hammers on the pitch at the same time for England!

    This got me thinking, when did that last happen? family came up with:

    Martin and Brooking?
    Dev and Brooking?
    Ashton and James?
    Parker and Green?

    I think it might have been, although not checked, Cresswell and Hart?

  • Dell 'Boy's' Cash For Moyes

    nevillenixon's picture
    Submitted by nevillenixon on Sun, 28/03/2021 - 12:19

    With the exception of those owned by state stealth, the vast majority of Barclays Premier League clubs are struggling to cope with the fiscal fall out generated by the Covid-19 pandemic, and West Ham United are most definitely one of them! It could be worse though, and we shall go in to the details in more depth now.

    Certain 'institutions' known for their fiscal countenance have been caught out by the Pandemic, none more so than West Ham's London neighbours Tottenham, who have been forced to take out an eye watering £1 Billion loan in order to cover the shortfall of income from the newly constructed stadium, no one anticipated the loss of revenue that would occur from non-football related events scheduled to run throughout the off season.

    While having nowhere near the financial commitments of 'Lord' Levy's club, Hammers still have a fiscal 'black hole' to fill, and to that purpose, the bean counters have come up with a relatively 'clever' resolution. It is common knowledge that assets held by the banks yield a paltry return, so 'cash rich' investment companies, trust and hedge fund conglomerates are seeking ways to get a bigger bang for their bucks.

    The Dell corporation, started in a little box room 40 years ago but now worth in excess of £5 Billion are the unlikely 'cavalry' coming to the aid of the Irons, well not exactly Dell, more like the trust fund set out by the founder to look after his family, but irrespective of the monies origins, a £100 Million rolling loan' facility has been established.

    In a way it is a win win for all parties, the Dell trust gets 2.5 % annual interest, which is FIVE times more than they would receive from a bank, and West Ham get to borrow money 'on the cheap', thus removing the need to sell 'player assets'. This is a unique turn of events, and could herald the beginning of an era when West Ham finally manage to retain their best players without having to sell them on to balance the books.

    Of course some conspiracy theorists will view this latest development as a pre-cursor to the eventual lifting of the stringent FFP rules that the club has hidden behind for too many years, whichever way you look at it though, David Moyes will have sufficient funding to add to his squad whilst retaining those he wishes to keep, he will also have the benefit of having a massively reduced wage bill, one that could be reduced even more substantially should he manage to 'move on' Felipe Anderson, Andriy Yarmolenko and Winston Reid, their combined wages of over £300,000 per week have been crippling Moyes's attempts at completely overhauling the squad he has at his disposal. - Ed

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