Forum | Non-Football Related
Devil Or The Deep Blue Sea? Moyes Or Allardyce
With just seven games remaining of the restarted Barclays Premier League, many Hammers fans are starting to panic! Had it not been for other results going in the team's favour, the Irons would have been in the bottom three by now, as it is they are only surviving by the narrowest of goal differences.
Which ever way you look at it David Moyes' 'second coming' has not panned out the way he, or the club had intended, his current win ratio WILL see the club relegated. Some will say that he inherited an over paid and bloated squad, but no one forced him to take the job on, perhaps he underestimated just how 'lax' the squad had become under the guidance of Manuel Pellegrini, is this why Moyes has failed to make an impression this time? Or is it maybe his back room staff?
There is an old adage that goes along the lines of 'be careful with how you treat people on the way up, because you are sure as hell going to meet them on the way down!' When he replaced Slaven Billic, the first time Moyes took over at West Ham he concentrated on fitness, he was abley abetted by Stuart Pearce on the training pitch and during games. The sight of an agitated 'Pyscho' Pearce on the touch line, temple throbbing and spouting out 'encouragement', was enough to inspire players to go the extra mile.
Following the potential arrival of Pellegrini, Pearce was informed that his services would no longer be required, the rest of the back room staff were also informed that they would not get new contracts. Pearce went back to his 'day job' as a pundit, during one Talk Sport broadcast he made certain honest observations as to how the club was being run by David Sullivan and the rest of the Hammers' hierarchy.
Not known for their forgiving natures, the 'two David's' marked Psycho's card, so when David Moyes was re-appointed as manager and asked for Stuart Pearce to rejoin his back room staff, he was promptly told that Pearce was a persona non grata' as far as they and the club were concerned, with end result being Kevin Nolan instead! Now 'Chicken Kiev' was never known for his dedication to fitness, it is fair to say that he also had a propensity to either get injured or suspended just in time for the Christmas festivities, he may have played well for the club during his tenure as a player, but as an assistant to the manager?
So essentially, bringing David Moyes back may have been a mistake, bringing Kevin Nolan was a mistake, NOT bringing Stuart Pearce back was most definitely a mistake, so what other big mistake is waiting to happen? Well, 'the elephant in the room', and we are sure he has been called a lot worse in his life, is Sam Allardyce!
Big Sam has never been relegated from the Premier League, but even he will have difficulty in keeping the sinking ship afloat with so few games remaining. We are of the opinion Moyes will get the club relegated, Big Sam might just possibly drag the club from the jaws of relegation, but as we have recently seen, going backwards to go forwards doesn't always work. What's it to be, Sink or swim? The Devil or the Deep Blue Sea ? - Ed
Let us know your thoughts..
One Good Egg, One Bad And One Stale Leave
West Ham United’s 19-year-old defender Jeremy Ngakia will leave the club at the end of the month after rejecting a “significantly improved” new contract, the club said on Thursday. Who knows what went on behind the scenes, the issues involved are rarely clear cut when it comes to a young player, nurtured by the club, leaving despite obviously being wanted. Is it David Moyes' management style? Although a bit of a dinosaur, he has always sought to promote youth players from within, so it is unlikely that is the reason, it is probably because he was 'tapped up' but in a 'legal' way.
Argentine defender Pablo Zabaleta, 35, is leaving the club on June 30th when his current contract expires, retaining his services until the end of 'season restart' would have cost an additional 1/3 of a million pounds just to have him sit o the bench. 'Zaba' has been a good servant to the club and deserves praise for the way he encouraged the young defenders around him and gave his all when required, unfortunately his legs just didn't have it in them any more for him to be a competitive player at the top level.
Colombian midfielder Carlos Sanchez, 34, will also depart when his contract expires on June 30th, his time at the club was little more than a disaster, he got injured virtually straight away and spent most of his time in the sick bay or 'trying' to get fit again, the few occasions that he did play were strewn with costly errors.
The 'one that got away', Academy graduate Ngakia, who debuted for West Ham in a 2–0 defeat by Liverpool in January, had made five starts for David Moyes’ side this year and was on the path to becoming a regular first-team member before his head was turned.
“Jeremy was offered significantly improved terms to reward his breakthrough into the first-team squad this year, along with further contractual enhancements linked to his future progress and success,” West Ham said in a statement.Perhaps he will go on to do great things, but his departure has left a bad smell, one which may come back to haunt him! - Ed
It Had To Happen-Calls For Big Sam!
As the Irons were 'going through the motions' as they played out the remaining minutes of their 2-0 defeat by Tottenham, apart from brushing off old copies of the A-Z for directions to obscure grounds that may well have to be visited, discussion at the Org was swiftly moving on to the inevitable media fall out that would follow.
Sure enough there was the usual Moyes out, Anderson's useless let's hope the club gets taken over and all the other 'standard' comments rolled out after a West Ham United defeat, which is sadly a very common experience of late!This time, in addition to the usual trite observations the inevitable started to creep in to people's twitter, twatter, instant mash and all the other face space stuff accounts (we don't cut and paste them, there are plenty of others that do), and that is the call of the dinosaur! Step forward Big Sam Allardyce, yep the same Big Sam 'released' by the club who was most recently employed by Everton to keep them in the top flight.
Now retro is the 'in thing' when it comes to car design, the Mini, the Fiat 500 and the VW Beetle have all been reintroduced to the gullible public, Mutton dressed as Lamb? Possibly so, privately the design teams must at least be just a little embarrassed by their lack of forward thinking, the same can apply to football club owners. This unique band of people have the happiness and joy of thousands of people in their grasp, they moan they groan but they still love the Power and prestige it gives them.
The Hammers hierarchy are no different, they seek acknowledgement and thanks that they are never going to receive, and yet still they persist with their ownership. They tried to go large by employing Manuel Pellegrini, and when that ended up disastrously they had to bring David Moyes back to the club to stay in the top flight, he insisted on a caveat in his contract that 'guaranteed' him at least 18 months in the job.
Moyes' return to West Ham has not had the same effect as when he first turned up at the London Stadium, the club have only won two matches since he replaced Pellegrini and there is a groundswell of opinion that he has to go. So who is the Barclays Premier League's go to manager to avoid relegation? None other than Big Sam!
Sam Allardyce has been out of work since being 'dumped' by Everton despite keeping them in the top flight, in fact Allardyce has never been relegated from the Barclays Premier League in all his various tenures, so could he be called on? David Sullivan and Co will be desperate to keep the club up, but it may be too late, even for Big Sam to save the club now.
The gap might be too much to bridge, even for Big Sam. -Ed
What do you think?...
Team Sheets Spurs v West Ham
Tottenham: Lloris, Aurier, Sanchez, Dier, Davies, Sissoko, Dele Alli, Lo Celso, Moura, Son Heung-Min, Kane Subs: Gazzaniga, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Winks, Lamela, Sessegnon, Bergwijn, Ndombele, Fernandes
West Ham: Fabianski, Fredericks, Balbuena, Diop, Cresswell, Soucek, Rice, Noble, Antonio, Bowen, Fornals Subs: Randolph, Yarmolenko, Anderson, Lanzini, Wilshere, Ogbonna, Ajeti, Silva, Johnson
Graham Fletcher
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It's non football related, but it is, my old music industry pal Graham Fletcher, who was a Spurs supporter, passed away in his sleep at the age of 67 years. He was a larger than life character who you would run through walls for, I first met him over 40 years ago when he was head of EMI publishing where he signed Queen and a whole bunch of other stars, and his opening words to me were," My dear Boy, looking the way you do, you don't need my help!". We didn't really see too much of each other after that, I signed to a different publisher, as is the way of the music industry, and that was that, but ironically his son and mine both ended up at the same primary school, after not seeing Graham for over 30 years by that time , it really was quite synchronistic. I am sad that we didn't manage to meet up for the drink we were going to have that we couldn't do because of Shit-19..but
Any way, Graham Fletcher 1953-2020 R.I.P. Big man, I'll see you on the other side XAny Old Iron(s)?
Ahead of project restart, positive messages were emanating from the London Stadium regarding David Moyes' much vaunted squad overhaul, with particular attention devoted to signing young, fit and hungry players. The arrival of Jarrred Bowen on deadline day was hoped to be a portent for the future, alas that was not to be, as Covid-19 reared it's ugly head and the game as we knew it ceased to exist.
Bearing in mind the emphasis that was to be placed on youth, the club currently finds itself going in to the crucial Barclays Premier League game against fierce London rivals Tottenham with one of the Irons best young players, in the form of Jeremy Ngakia, rightly or wrongly soon to be known as Jeremy 'Judas', refusing to sign a contract extension to the season's end, and refusing the offer of a new long term contract. The club's medical team are holding their breath as to whether 32 year old Angelo Ogbonna will be available for tonight's match, so there we have a 19 year old desperate to get away and a 32 year old desperate to play, does that say anything about the club's policies?
David Moyes has the worst success record of any previous West Ham manager, it may not be all his own fault, but he is at least culpable for some poor team selections and the lack of ability to change the situation mid game by intelligent use of the additional substitutes available for him to use due to the new rulings regarding how many are available.
This evening's game will be held in an empty newly refurbished at vast expense stadium, in the current climate the Stadium is a massive liability which may have a long term impact on Spurs, but in the short term little seems to have changed. The 'huge' benefits of moving from the Boleyn Ground to the Bowl of misery as the London Stadium is known to most fans, seem more and more insignificant as time moves on, but there is no use in crying about it now, sportsbook bonus still have the irons clinging to premier league survival by the skin of their teeth, but then they don't have to watch the games do they?
Sites like ours were bamboozled by the prospect of a shiny new stadium, virtually free of charge! On reflection we should have campaigned vociferously against the move but were made 'comfortably numb' by the offer of cheap season tickets, suckered! Hopefully there will be inbound investment, probably via Tripp Smith and his American hedge fund buddies.
Strange isn't it, even the Cairns and Terence Brown now seem like 'Demi-Gods' compared to the current owners who by now will be looking to 'off' their investment as it will no longer be the potential 'cash cow' it once was, it won't be worth the hassle for them, hopefully they will take their money and run, good luck to them, because even huge money cannot turn back the clock! - Ed
Anybody else lost complete interest?
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I don't know why? Maybe it's the format, maybe it's the duration away. Maybe it's the sterile environment? But I have zero interest at present.
The team I've loved and followed passionately for over 50 years is unrecognisable, the game as I know it is unrecognisable at present!
Maybe if I get used to the way it is now, I will change. But the worst part is the not knowing which way the game will go...Strange days indeed!!
Irons-Reasons To Be Cheerful
Calamitous, catastrophic and several other 'C' words could best describe West Ham United's season so far, in the eyes of fans and observers it seems almost inconceivable that such an expensively assembled squad of players could possibly be involved in a relegation dog fight. Indeed a couple of months in to the Barclays Premier League season Hammers were being tipped for European Cup qualification, the Champions League or at least the Europa Cup, there was a groundswell of opinion that the club's incredibly unpopular owners were 'penny pinching' by not offering ex-manager Manuel Pellegrini an extension to his lucrative three year contract.
Unfortunately for the Hammers hierarchy it has not been in any way enjoyable to be able to say "I told you so". Far from it, they tried to 'go large' by taking on Pellegrini and ended up being 'caught short', it isn't as if they didn't back the Chilean in the transfer market, it is just that his judgement, along with that of Mario husillos, deserted him due to the over reliance on 'parachuted in' family members when it came to the club's recruitment and player acquisitions.
Having to go back cap in hand from one busted flush to another must have hurt all parties involved, Moyes having been unceremoniously dumped after saving the club from relegation in favour of the 'exotic and successful' Pellegrini, will have been seething to see the huge money expended on behalf of the club, he knew when taking up the reigns again that he would essentially have 'bugger all' to finance any of his potential acquisitions. Premier League predictions still have the Irons as potential survivors but the games are running out.
Somehow, by looking behind the sofa and emptying all their offsprings piggy banks, the club managed to find the money to pay for Jarred Bowen, that one bit of business could be West Ham United's survival path marked out in the shape of the diminutive attacker from Hull City. Without his spark and enthusiasm the team are likely to be doomed to lower league football, in a stadium that seats 60,000 plus!
Much hope was pinned on a fit and firing to go on all cylinders Sebastian Haller for the rest of the season, indeed he looked fit and happy in the two friendlies against Palace and QPR, but as ever with high profile and expensive Hammers signings he has now picked up a hip injury with no actual date scheduled in for his return, very ominous ahead of the must win game against Spurs, Premier League picks are not so hopeful regarding the Irons survival prospects
It would have been better to have played Tottenham before the enforced break, they were beginning to rival the famous Hammers medical department's capacity for dealing with long term injuries, sadly for the Irons Kane and Sun are back to their best and will doubtless be unleashed by 'Sourpuss' Mourinho. The only hope that David Moyes has to get anything out of this game is that the Tottenham manager insists on continuing with his use of older players rather than the batch of youth players who are knocking at his door for selection. Mourinho has always been a 'safety first' character, sometimes to the detriment to his youth players, whereas David Moyes mantra will be 'safety at any cost'!
This strangest of all seasons might well go down to the wire, both for those in utmost fear of relegation and for those mustering thoughts of European glory the Premier League odds are varied across all platforms, unfortunately for David moyes the European qualification section is just a dream, and you know how they might even fade and die . - Ed
Opposition Opinion: Spurs v West Ham
We have previously collaborated with Tottenham site Spursforlife.com and are pleased to hear some views from the other side! Just because they are rival London supporters, doesn't mean they don't feel equally passionate about the team they support. Sometimes it can be beneficial to see the view from afar, because it can be difficult to see the forest for the trees!
"The first London derby for months, Spurs will host West Ham United just four days after the 1-1 against Manchester United. When Spurs take on West Ham, it is usually a feisty affair. We have had quite the history with the Hammers. Since the beginning of the Barclays Premier League Spurs have won 23 out of the 47 encounters, with nine draws.
The last time we met in the league it was an exciting affair. We managed to run out 3-2 victors at the Olympic Stadium. But West Ham ran us close after we had built a three-goal cushion. Angelo Ogbonna’s goal came perhaps a little too late for any real comeback to be on though. It was another worrying case of how Spurs can switch off late in the match. This fault resurfaced again when Eric Dier pulled Paul Pogba down for Manchester United’s equaliser late on on Friday night.
Hopefully, Spurs will bring more of an attacking display worthy of a home side when West Ham come to visit. It would be disappointing to see too many players sitting behind the ball. After, this is a derby! Kane with his hold up play and goal scoring nous has been a key figure in many London derbies over the years. But, in his last match he looked a shadow of his true self. This was a worrying sight for us. It is not a huge concern yet, since this is his only competitive match since returning from the hamstring injury.
However, it will be interesting to see how many minutes Kane will be able to play. He will want to start, and we would love him to start, but perhaps it is not wise to throw him back into the fire too soon. Heung-Min Son could step up in his place. We remember fondly his thunderbolt goal against West Ham!
We still cannot afford to underestimate West Ham, though. Their late defeat to Wolves provides even more motivation to get a result in this upcoming derby. Spurs’ defence has been leaky all season. They still have only managed four clean sheets. Thus, Tottenham must be wary of the attacking and creative West Ham players to get a result in the match.
The Achilles’ heel of most defences is to get in behind them, and that was exactly how Manchester United pegged Spurs back. The likes of Manuel Lanzini have the speed and agility to easily skip past defenders to get to the by-line. Michail Antonio is another player that still haunts Spurs fans’ dreams and can be a handful on his day.
This upcoming derby match will be still be an unpredictable affair. I think that both sides, like most in the Premier League, are yet to really reach match fitness. If Spurs set up defensively like they did against United, then West Ham will always have a chance if they make sure to guard themselves from the counterattacks. I think that Mourinho will likely favour this defend then counter-attack approach which could result in some late drama if the scores remain close in the dying moments of the match. "
Written by Declan Wiseman who writes for Spurs blog, Spursforlife.com.
Well, there you have it, how some opposition supporters view the Irons, rather complimentary if you ask us.The News regarding Haller and Snodgrass is not encouraging, who would have thought at the beginning of the much anticipated season that we would be ruing the unavailability of an over 30 year old player deemed to be in the twilight of his career, such has the team's fall from grace been. If they are to stand any chance what so ever of gaining any thing from the forth coming game at White Hart Lane, then David Moyes' men need to remind themselves of the fate awaiting them and the club should they not up their game to another level entirely. - Ed
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