F A Cup Draw
Forums:
Stockport v. West Ham nice draw if i remember we lost to them decades ago
Forum | Non-Football Related
Live West Ham v Aston Villa Line Ups
West Ham: Fabianski, Coufal, Balbuena, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Masuaku, Rice, Soucek, Bowen, Antonio, Fornals Subs: Randolph, Benrahma, Lanzini, Noble, Diop, Johnson, Haller
Aston Villa: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Mings, Targett, Luiz, McGinn, Trezeguet, Hourihane, Grealish, Watkins Subs: Steer, Taylor, Traore, Nakamba, El Ghazi, Elmohamady, Ramsey
Antonio
Forums:
Come on Nev ,is he in or out ?
THE BADGE
Forums:
Maybe i missed this but what happened to the promise of changing our badge back to what we all know,i know there were discussions,is it agreed or another part of our heritage gone?
For Tarkowski Read Balbuena
Suggestions West Ham United will return with a substantial bid for Burnley's James Tarkowski are wide of the mark, since a purported move to the London Stadium didn't materialse during the last transfer window, the England midfielders form has dropped off a cliff. In and out of one of the Barclays Premier League's relegation candidates team, ostensibly through 'niggles' picked up in training, Tarkowski's stock has plummeted.
The £50 Million price tag Sean Dyche placed on Tarkowski was always going to be too excessive, but in the light of the continued financial crisis being experienced by ALL clubs, the price being demanded is looking increasingly ludicrous! Burnley will be ruing their turning down of West Ham's £35 Million offer, and West Ham will be realising that they have dodged yet another expensive bullet.
Fate, as is with many transfers, kicked in when Issa Diop tested positive for Covid-19 just before the League Cup game, his place was taken by 'the General' Fabian Balbuena, since then Balbuena has started all games in all competitions and has been puttting in performances that equal or surpass those of Tarkowski's.
Balbuena's contract is up at the end of the season, and it would be complete and total madness if the club don't renew it before the January transfer window. David Moyes would admit himself that he thought Balbuena's days at the London Stadium were numbered, however the Paraguayan's recent showing has led to the Hammers manager changing his mind, and got him thinking if Tarkowski is even as good as Balbuena.
Many fans thougt that several players would be on their way out once David Moyes took over as 'full time' manager, among those who seemed destined for the chopping block were Authur Masuaku, Aaron Cresswell and Fabian Balbuena, now each one is a starter in his prefered 3-5-1 line up.
Hammers dodged a bullet by not signing Tarkowski, and the funds ear marked for the deal can be used much more effectively throughout the team, the recent signing of Vladimir Coufal being a case in point, great player, inexpensively purchased and on wages that won't break the bank.
Cutting your clothes according to your cloth has been a mantra ignored by West Ham for ages, now it seems the penny has finally dropped, The Irons are not a top four team and probably will never be so, but that isn't to say the club can't become the best of the rest, however, not splashing out huge sums of money on individual players is a pre-requisite for moving forwards! - Ed
P P V
Forums:
Wonder what it was that forced them to scrap p p v ,just wondering was it a concerted boycott.
RIP Papa Diop
Forums:
Gone so young. RIP. God bless your family and friends.
Irons Will Be 1st Prem Team With Fans
The long awaited return of fans to stadiums has been confirmed, albeit with a severe caveat! Fans can return to matches in extremely limited numbers after lockdown 2:0 ends on December the 2nd. Arsenal will be the first Premier League team to welcome back fans for their Europa League tie with Rapid Vienna next Thursday while West Ham will be the first to have fans at a Barclays Premier League game when they entertain Manchester United on December the 5th.Manchester United are one of the clubs to feel majorly aggrieved due to the fact that no fans can be present at their Old Trafford home because Manchester's's covid-19 tier ranking prohibits public attendance of elite sport, whereas London is in tier 2 which allows a very limited return of fans.
Of course The Red Devils have contested the decision, just like they contest anything and everything that affects them, particularly VAR and penalties! Playing at home in an eerily silent Old Trafford doesn't suit their brand of referee intimidation that they have perfected since the days of Alex Ferguson, their reliance on the crowd further intimidating officials has been exposed of late with some rather poor results at home.
Before Hammers fans jump for joy, it should be remembered that only 2000 fans will ba allowed to attend the London Stadium which has a capacity of in excess of 60,000. The acoustics might be quite challenging for the Broadcasters bearing in mind the sort of 'fruity' language often used by fans, one imagines the young person operating the bleep machine will be working at full pelt!
Still, 2000 fans is better than none at all, and it will be interesting to see a newly invigorated West Ham team under David Moyes play in front of Hammers supporters again for the first time in over ten months. Will they get on the players backs? Will the players retreat back in to the shells they inhabited when exposed to the full treatment by their own fans back in the day? Or will they play with the swagger they built up in the absence of fans, who let's face it, can be rather over critical of their own team, let alone the opposition and the referee!
Out of all teams in the Barclays Premier League, West Has United seem to have benefited most from the fans' lack of attendance, perhaps this next stage will define David Moyes' legacy, if, and it is a big if, Hammers have finally cast off their flaky propensity to gift teams games, then fans can look forward to the future with genuine hope, whether fans are around or not, because it should also be remembered that the return of fans will be dictated by medical algorithms that may show that the rules for a total closure of fan attendance be re-instated. - Ed
Prime Time To Watch Irons
The December list of televised games has just been released, and it appears those with an Amazon Prime membership will be quids in! Two of West Ham United's fixtures in December are being broadcast on Amazon Prime, which will come as a welcome relief to those who cannot stand the sound of Alan Smith's voice, and to a lesser extent the patronising tones of Glen Hoddle.
Unless they withdraw their usual offer, you can 'trial' Prime without charge for one month, which would include the fixtures against both Crystal Palace and Southampton, The offer is obviously not applicable to those who availed themselves of the free months trial back in the first stages of lock down, but it's worth giving it a go just in case, you can also take out a one month subscription that would still work out a lot cheaper than their Now TV counterparts.
December's broadcast coverage is as follows: West Ham vs Manchester United | December 5, 5.30pm | Sky Sports. Leeds United vs West Ham | December 11, 8pm | Sky Sports West Ham vs Crystal Palace | December 16, 8pm | Amazon Prime Video
Chelsea vs West Ham | December 21, 8pm | Sky Sports. West Ham vs Brighton | December 27, 2.15pm | Sky Sports. Southampton vs West Ham | December 29, 6pm | Amazon Prime Video.Ahead of a very limited return to live matches season ticket holders may have noticed reimbursment payments arriving in their bank accounts or credited to their bank cards, the board must be smarting, but they are 'infinitely more wealthier than thou!' - Ed
West Ham United: December Preview & Predictions
West Ham United face a hectic schedule in December as they strive to maintain a top 10 place in the Premier League this season.
The Hammers can be backed at 7/4 to finish in the top half and fans may be keen to use offers like those available at my betting sites to take advantage of those odds. While their upcoming schedule contains some tough fixtures, there are plenty of opportunities for David Moyes’ team to collect more points. West Ham will kick-off the month on December 5 when they welcome Manchester United to the London Stadium.
The Hammers have won two and drawn two of their last five league meetings with United and will fancy their chances of picking up something from this game. To the frustration of Manchester United blogs and fans, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side have been inconsistent this season, although they have looked stronger away from home. West Ham have beaten United on their last two visits to the London Stadium, and it would be no surprise to see them complete the hat-trick in their latest clash.
The Hammers head to Yorkshire the following Saturday to take on newly-promoted Leeds United at Elland Road. Marcelo Bielsa’s side have made a steady start to life back in the top flight, and they are sure to make things difficult in this fixture. However, they have looked vulnerable at the back this term, and West Ham can take advantage if they produce their best form.
The Hammers are back in action on December 15 as they host Crystal Palace. The visitors have been steady during the first quarter of the campaign as they also chase a top 10 finish. Roy Hodgson’s team did the double over West Ham last season and may well prove to be troublesome in their latest meeting. West Ham face their most challenging game of the month on December 19 as they travel across London to play Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. The Blues spent heavily on their squad during the summer and are rated by many pundits as genuine title contenders. Despite this, the Hammers will take heart from the fact that they completed the double over their London rivals last season.
Moyes’ team will return to their own patch on Boxing Day when they take on improving Brighton & Hove Albion. The Seagulls have bounced back from a disappointing start to the campaign in recent weeks and are sure to put up a good fight at the London Stadium.
West Ham round off their December schedule two days later as they head to the south coast to take on Southampton at St Mary’s. Saints have looked impressive during the early part of the season, and the Hammers will do well to take a point from this game.West Ham December Prediction: With some tough games scheduled it is unlikely that the Hammers will avoid any slip-ups during the month.
Pages
