Forum | Non-Football Related

A week is a long time in football, and with over 3/4 of the season remaining we ask, how many more top class 1st choice goal keepers will receive long term injuries and whether it is a 'Karmic' event or pay back for bouts of schadenfreude among Barclays Premier League clubs supporters?

Tottenham's Hugo Loris became the fourth 1st choice keeper to be ruled out with a long term injury, he joins West Ham United's Lukasz Fabianski, Norwich City's Tim Krul and Liverpool's Allison on the recovery trail. Ironically none of the keepers listed missed any significant time at all out through injury last season, Fabianski played every minute of every Premier League match on his way to becoming Hammer of the Year.

The schadenfreude aspect of football could not have been more profiled when Hammers fans 'enjoyed' seeing arch rivals Tottenham bounced out of the EFL Cup by lower opposition, only to see their own club lose 4-0 to Oxford City. Accordingly any joy felt regarding Tottenham's 3-0 defeat by Brighton was quickly tempered by Hammers inability to see off london rivals Crystal Palace, a match where victory could have seen Hammers in the top three of the league.

The thing is, what were the odds on so many Barclays Premier League goal keepers picking up serious injuries so early on in the season, and how will those injuries affect the final league places? Nobody knows for sure, but in order to get the slightest clue you could rely on online bookmakers to get these kind of predictions. You can find a full list of all bookies offers here to check and compare possible final league results. It is a pattern that is unlikely to continue, however the 'goal keepers' union will argue that the long suffering No2 keepers deserve their moment in the spotlight and it is up to them to take it, and with regards to that situation Roberto stepped up to the plate, and his confidence grew as the match progressed.

Of course a win would have been ideal, but at least the fears about Roberto's ability can be dispelled, he is not Lukasz Fabialnski, but he is a hell of a lot better than some. Hammers fans have the International break to dwell upon what might have been, as does manager Manuel Pellegrini, who must have been privately seething at his expensively assembled squad's inability to beat teams below them, it is one thing to 'raise' the game for a top six club it is another to be constant, how the team have missed the inspirational performances of Michail Antonio, he should be back ahead of schedule and his presence will put pressure on the other players to perform to the highest level.

If Hammers are to reach that next level then a few home truths need to be faced, despite Saturday's abject defeat, the club are still favourites with pundits and punters to be in the top six by season's end. The shock 2-0 victory by Wolves over title holders Manchester City at the Etihad is further proof of what a topsy turvy season it has become, and while no one expects any team to do 'a 5000-1 Leicester City' again there is a distinct possibility that the established upper echelon is definitely going to shift. Liverpool are currently imperious, but they needed an injury time dubious penalty to get all three points at the weekend.

To achieve the top six aim, Pellegrin's insistence that the club needs two players available for every position could well be put to the test, sooner rather than later, but his players cannot keep slipping up. The team has a certain Deja vu about it when it comes to failing at the last hurdle, last season the chance of a top six slot was spurned again and again.
With a little more consistency the club can fill the void left by Manchester United. Everton, Wolves and Leicester have all got their eyes on it, but it is up for grabs, and maybe even Tottenham's, now that WOULD make a lot of Hammers fans happy! Ed

West Ham United are experiencing a more than decent start to this Barclays Premier League season, this is in no small way connected to clever recruitment under taken by the club's secret weapon, Mario 'the Huse' Husillos. Under the Huse's guidance the club has managed to clear out most of the dead wood, and bring in young exciting talent in their place.

Back in the day, the Hammers hierarchy couldn't, or wouldn't, keep their own counsel and felt compelled to discuss virtually every potential transfer in public before completion, consequently the club would be gazumped on a regular basis. Now the penny has dropped and fans find out about the good deals once they have been signed, sealed, and delivered.

Apparently the only restrictions placed on the Huse, apart from the obvious fiscal restraints, are that he does not enter in to negotiations with any of West Ham's London rivals, with the possible exception of today's opponents for the live on Sky match to be held at the London Stadium, Crystal Palace. The Selhurst Park outfit are not viewed as a direct threat, this may well change after today's result, also the two clubs have conducted transfer business together, former fans favourite James Tomkins and also Cheiko Kouyate both moved across London from East to West.

Any other transfer activity involving top flight London Clubs, particularly Tottenham, has been completely banned, and that is a message that David Sullivan, David Gold and Karen Brady have gone to great lengths to put in place. No longer will players come back to haunt the club, neither will they be sold on at a vast profit by the buying club without Hammers receiving substantial sell on fees.

Hammers really have stuck to their guns regarding player transfers, a case in point being Domingos Quina, he was the last West Ham player to be transferred to a 'local rival' in the form of Watford. At the time many Hammers fans were furious that the club were letting such a talent go just up the M1, however Quina has not been pulling up any trees at Vicarage Road, in fact he has only started nine Premier League games, scoring just one goal despite being dubbed a 'Wonder Kid'.

The game is littered with young talent that didn't quite make the grade, the trick is to recognise situations by being proactive rather than reactive, but there are some actions and guidelines that defy logic, and rightly so, why would West Ham want to trade with the odious Daniel Levy? even if it meant earning 'a few quid'. - Ed

Liverpool are currently top of the Barclays Premier League, despite the fact they began the season by losing their goal keeper Alisson Becker, who had been attributed to being worth as much as 12 points in their previous campaign, to injury. West Ham United had begun to look like serious top six contenders for this season, before hopes seemed to be dashed by the long term injury sustained by goal keeper Lukasz Fabianski in the game against Bournemouth last weekend .

Of course Liverpool had ex-Hammer Adrian San Miguel to call upon, and although he still 'goes walk about' during games, the keeper that left the London Stadium in the summer has acquitted himself well. So with that in mind is all the doom and gloom surrounding Fabianski's injury really justified?

West Ham United have the opportunity of being in the top three of the Premier League if they are victorious against Crystal Palace, unless Leicester City can stop Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool juggernaut at Anfield. Although Roberto will be playing in goal instead of the ever reliable Fabianski for the next three months, the odds on a top six or even top four are reasonable, top six is available at 5-1, whereas a top four finish is rated at 25-1.

Apart from Fabianski, only the perennially injured Jack Wilshere will be at the 'Andy Carroll' memorial medical centre to keep Michail Antonio company as the Hammers midfielder recovers from his hamstring operation, ahead of schedule incidentally. Even the Maori Warrior that is Winston Reid is scheduled to start a match for the first time in over 18 months as he drags himself back in to the action.

Reid is the 'forgotten man' of Manuel Pellegrini's squad, it is difficult to remember that he was once the main man in defence, even when he has hopefully recovered from his long term injury, Winston will find himself way down the pecking order for his old position, however he might be found a new role as a midfield enforcer to back up Declan Rice instead of Carlos Sanchez, it takes little imagination to guess which option the vast majority of fans would go for, in fact Winston's return could well trigger Sanchez's departure in the January transfer window.

This Barclays Premier League season has several similarities with Leicester's unbelievable 5000-1 title winning campaign, principally several of the 'established' top six are either out of form or in transition, there will never be a better time to break in to the 'privileged' places at the top, because next season the likes of Manchester United, Tottenham, Chelsea and Arsenal will be back with a vengeance, armed with pot loads of money to buy their way back in to 'their' elite places at the top table, incidentally Hammers are currently 1000-1 to win the title this season!

Top six is attainable, but you never know, if the clubs around the top six keep taking points off each other, there could even be a chance of a top four place, now wouldn't that be nice? A bit fanciful, but the season will be just about a quarter of the way through following this Saturday's games. - Ed