Forum | Non-Football Related

Yesterday's friendly 1-0 victory against Fulham played at Craven Cottage should have been a 'football festival of fun', indeed the West Ham players will be happy with their performances and by how many Hammers fans turned out to see their team. The balmy atmosphere of early on in the week had dissipated and was replaced with good old British thunderstorms and the occasional torrential downpour, never the less there were officially just over 2,500 Hammers fans in attendance, unofficially the figure was more like 4,000 given the fact that tickets were available on the door.

What could possibly go wrong? Two London teams with similar traditions and back ground, enjoying a pleasant pre-season game in convivial surroundings with relatively like minded souls. Someone somewhere underestimated the amount of interest there would be in the match, the stewarding was woeful mainly because there weren't enough stewards and those that were available looked as if they were totally new to the job. It did give visitors a sort of London Stadium deja vu from the Hammers first season where the lack of training of match day staff was similarly inept.

Fulham had taken the decision not to stream the game, as is their right, apparently they were worried about ticket sales for the game and wanted to ensure a full ground, they needn't have worried. As Fulham now play in the 2nd tier, namely the EFL, foreign broadcasters showed little or no desire to cover the match and it was too late in the day to do a rush installation of the hardware to broadcast by West Ham.

While Fulham's stance regarding the broadcasting of the match is understandable, the heavy handed way in which stewards tried to stop people using their mobile phones to cover parts of the game was totally unacceptable, as was some of the language used by fans who were sanctioned by the stewards. This left a very negative taste of what should have been a very enjoyable day out, why on earth prevent people from showing the game via their phones to people who could not be there in person? There was no financial gain in banning the use of phones because there were no broadcasters!

To make matters worse several, West Ham fans were 'evicted' by over zealous staff who were probably reacting to some rather nasty and unacceptable racial abuse. Shame on those fans, no matter how upset they were they had no right to overstep the mark, their actions besmirch the good name of Hammers travelling fans.

As a foot note, the recently opened Taco Bell Mexican take away just of the Fulham Road is inundated on match days when Chelsea play, and to a lesser extent when Fulham play. The staff who work there told us "The Chelsea fans are like animals, they throw their rubbish on the floor and don't give a damn, the Fulham fans are more considerate, but the best fans they have had there were West Ham fans, apparently Hammers fans were the only ones who asked where the bins were to put their rubbish in! - Ed

With so much media speculation as to who will go where and who will arrive, it is easy to forget that the Barclays Premier League season starts in just a couple of weeks from today. West Ham have today's 'friendly' against Fulham at Craven Cottage, a hastily arranged game in Austria and a final match against Atletic Bilbao before the season's opener against Manchester City at the London Stadium on the 10th of August.

Hammers' new arrivals Sebastian Haller and Pablo Fornals are due to get a run out, they will also experience the vagaries of the English weather for the first time since signing. Two days ago they were training in bright 'tropical' weather, today their baptism will be under grey sky's that only London can generate! Fulham are the ideal club to play in what will be the first 'competitive' fixture for a full strength Irons side, ex-Hammers Scotty Parker manages the Cottagers and has a good relationship with the Hammers hierarchy which includes access to players for loan deals.

The fact that the two clubs do business together will ensure the game will be played competitively, but not in an overly physical way, crunching tackles can wait for a couple of weeks. It is unclear as to whether Manuel Pellegrini wants to start both Fornals and Haller or bring them on later, he may decide to give the players just 45 minutes each as he attempts to 'juggle' his midfield. If all the players stay fit, Jack Wilshere in particular, then Pelle will be spoiled for choice.

The game this afternoon will be screened on European platforms, West Ham and Fulham are also due to announce that it will be streamed, so long as the broadcast facilities can handle the demand. Lovely old stadium is Craven Cottage, tickets are still available including hospitality packages for £90 that include two course meal and 'unlimited' drinks. There must be one or two fans who think they can 'get their money's worth, and there is even a rumour that 'Big Andy Carroll' might turn up to avail himself of the offer!

Hopefully Manuel Pellegrini has taken fans' opinions of Carlos Sanchez's performances on board, and if he does play him it will be to put him in the shop window before transfer deadline day. - Ed

The huge sums of money in wages and transfer fees associated with players involved in the Barclays Premier League sometimes lead to 'pound blindness', at least in England. West Ham have recruited wisely, as they did last season, but there is one bit of business that pure logic dictates that the club have to do, and that is sell Javier Hernadez.

Many will argue that he is a top striker who wasn't given the rub of the green when it comes to first team selection, but the guy is on £140,000 per week! That pay packet is pretty good for a 'super sub', but can Hammers really afford such a luxury? If you take your claret and blue specs, off the answer is most definitely no, the situation is further compounded because 'Chicharito' is entering the final year of his contract and can therefore leave on a Bosman free at the end of next season.

The issue with trying to do the business of moving Hernandez on is that his wages are so ludicrously high few clubs apart from the elite can afford him, if you do the basic maths the figures are quite alarming. If Hammers retain Hernandez, as Manuel Pellegrini has stated he wants, but with a wry smile as he said it, it will cost the club just over £7 Million in wages alone, and there is obviously no fee received for a player when their contract expires, so even if he had been sold for just £5 Million the club, by retaining him will lose at least £12 Million for one season of his services!

The only other viable option is, if a buyer cannot be found now, to wait until the January transfer window and sell Hernandez to a club who are really desperate, Hammers cannot afford to be as profligate as top tier clubs can with their finances, as Ed Jnr said in his Instagram account. : " Bounce him now". Do you agree? - Ed

Although pre-season games don't always give a true picture of how a team will be prepared to start the new season, one glaringly obvious fact has emerged, namely Hammers are woefully short of defensive midfielder, a situation made more pronounced by the imminent departure of Pedro Obiang from the London Stadium. Declan Rice is the number one choice, but with Obiang gone the only recognised first team player is Carlos Sanchez who's woeful performances have been truly lamentable.

If Sanchez is Declan's only back up the club is in serious trouble, however the club have a young, fit, ready made replacement in the form of Reece Oxford. Irrespective of what has gone on in the past regarding attitude, surely Oxford is a better proposition than Sanchez, just examine the facts. If only Oxford were able to lose his 'Ravel Morrison' billy big bollocks affliction he could be a wonderful back up to Rice but also fill in as a centre back because there must be serious doubts as to whether Winston Reid will ever be able to play more than a 'bit part' in the squad.

Football is littered with examples of players being thrust in to a team because of injuries or in West Ham United's case when the club have run out of money, recent talk of Oxford leaving has quietened down and he is playing with the Under 23's, so who knows? Perhaps Pelle is willing to give Oxford another shot and perhaps Oxford might just be starting to grow up. - Ed