Carlton Cole Academy of finishing
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He passed with honours:-)
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Hammers Only One Injury Away From Full Blown Crisis
Irrespective of who is in charge of West Ham United's medical team, and they've tried a few, the results still seem to be the same. Perpetually injured players have become part of the club's DNA but who is to blame? There are several choices as to who or what is responsible, the Rush Green training facility has come under close scrutiny with many believing that it is not fit for purpose despite it being a major upgrade from the old Chadwell Heath site. The training and fitness regime have also been mooted as part of the reason for the injury malaise, but at the end of the day much of the blame has to be laid squarely on the door step of the co-owners David Gold and David Sullivan, they represent the guilty party or parties who are most to blame.
Criticising the board who have pumped a lot of money in to the club of late may seem rather disingenuous, but the reality is that the club's recruitment process has lacked clear direction. For some reason the West Ham United hierarchy have either targeted 'Trophy' players or bargain basement buys from South America, unfortunately the 'Trophy' signings have not proved to be good value in any way shape or form, as the old expression goes "you pay peanuts, you get monkeys".
Of course the temptation of 'luring' a top name to the club is hard to resist, but the 'Trophy' players that have been signed have proved to be an expensive folly, back in the day Hammers could be excused for wanting to take a punt on players with questionable injury records due to the lack of funding available, but now even the poorest of Premier League clubs are able to use their financial might when competing with most clubs in Europe and beyond for players signatures.The injury sustained by Andrily Yarmolenko is the latest in a long line of lengthy injuries that the club has, eyebrows were raised when ten new players arrived during the summer with questions being raised as to whether ten was too many and that they would take an age to gel. Well three of those arrivals are now on the dreaded long term injury list, Yarmolenko joins Carlos Sanchez and Jack Wilshere in the Andy Carroll memorial ward, Carroll's bed has been temporarily moth balled prior to his inevitable return!
The fixture list hasn't exactly been kind to new Hammers boss Manuel Pellegrini, and the two recent defeats have taken the shine off what was looking like a promising run of results, Hammers face three crucial games in the next ten days, the visit to Leicester which will be screened by BT Sport is followed by the Mid Week Carabao Cup tie against fierce rivals Tottenham ahead of the visit of Burnley on the Saturday. In order to sell as many tickets as possible much has been made of the fact that the Cup tie against Tottenham will not be screened in the UK, however it is possible to follow The Hammers from abroad using a VPN, it's amazing how technology has moved forwards, we are not suggesting 'cheating' the system, merely utilising facilities that are unavailable in the UK.
Manuel Pellegrini will be seeking revenge on Wednesday night in the match against Tottenham, he rightly feels that West Ham deserved at least a point against their bitter London rivals, many neutrals thought that Hammers deserved the win and would probably have done so had it not been for some 'obscene' goalkeeping by Hugo Loris. The Carabao Cup represents a portal to European football and is realistically the only chance West Ham will have of getting in to Europe for next season. The fixtures do come thick and fast so Manuel Pellegrini will have to do walk the 'tight rope' with regards to balancing the need for Premier League points and the desire for Cup glory, Pellegrini likes the 'League Cup' having won it twice while he was managing Manchester City.
Hammers can just about cope with the current injury list, but if any more are added the club will be, as dear old 'Arry used to say, "down to it's barebones". The only consolation injurywise is that if the club hadn't splurged out for so many new players it really would be up the creek without a paddle, stuck in the proverbial. Other clubs suffer lengthy injury lists, it's just that West Ham seem to constantly top the list! - Ed
One Or The Other Of Two Loanees May Re-Join On Loan
One of two players who had successful loan spells at West Ham United but currently find themselves out of favour with their own teams could potentially make a return to the club. Victor Moses is considering his Chelsea future after falling down the pecking order since Maurizio Sarri arrived at the club as head coach, the winger who was an ever present in the first team under Conte has struggled to make an impact under new manager Maurizio Sarri and is open to leaving the club in January
the 27 year old became a key player under Antonio Conte as a wing back after having been recalled from West Ham but has now he fallen behind Eden Hazard, Willian and Pedro after being moved further up the pitch to play as a winger.Moses was part of the inspirational 'last season at the Boleyn' team that just missed out on a Champion's League place, and some would argue that he was never effectively replaced, without being disrespectful to Michail Antonio or Robert Snodgrass Moses represents a far superior option as he can operate on either flank and knows how to put in a good cross at the end of a lung bursting run, it should not be underestimated how much being at West Ham influenced Moses who had been loaned out all over the place before finally living up to his potential under the guidance of Slaven Billic.
Bearing in mind Hammers' atrocious injury list and palsity of midfield re-inforcements, another player definitely on the radar is João Mário who came on loan from Inter last season and very quickly adapted to the Premier League, he became instantly popular with supporters given his energetic and commited performances in the Claret and Blue. Mário was on Pellegrini and Husillos's list of players that they had drawn up but Inter Milan were unwilling to do another loan deal, preferring to sell the player outright. Unfortunately things haven't panned out well for Inter or João Mário, the club were unable to do any deals for the player who is now not playing in the first team and looks unlikely to feature prominently in any more, this course of events will further devalue the price of the player who Inter paid Sporting Lisbon €40 million plus €5 million in bonuses for back in the summer of 2016.
Both Victor Moses and João Mário have already experienced the 'West Ham way' and as such would not represent much of a risk if either were brought in on loan during the January transfer window, João Mário probably represents the more realistic of the two options and a second loan spell at the London Stadium could be the precursor to the move being made a permanent one at the end of the Season. The situation with Moses is slightly different in that there is so much strength in depth at Chelsea that once a manager doesn't 'fancy' a player their chances of first team action become extremely limited, usually the best they can hope for is a place on the bench and the odd cup game, NOT what Moses wants at this stage in his career.
West Ham's 'injury curse' isn't going to go away soon, in an ideal World Manuel Pellegrini would bring both players to the London Stadium just to cover his options, but unfortunatley Premier League rules will prevent more than one player coming in onloan unless there is movement in the other direction. Both Chicharito and Andy Carroll are in the club's transfer 'drop zone' and based on their current contributions will not be sorely missed at all, both are paid massive wages for doing 'out'!
Either Moses or Mário would bring that extra bit of energy the team seems to be lacking at the moment and would in turn empower the fans who have now started to make the London Stadium a fortress, warts and all. The pieces of the Jigsaw are all there, and in Manuel Pellegrini the club not only have a World Class manager but a man players believe in and who is a person that potential recruits would very much like to work with, as we keep saying "Time and patience will tell inthe end, just keep the faith!". - Ed
one for the boys
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just watched this film on youtube and if you are a fan of the Rocky films you may enjoy this one,something to pass the time away while waiting for Saturday nights game at Leicester.
The General And The Monster-Balbuena And Diop-What A Pair!
Despite the obvious disappointment of losing 1-0 to much disliked London Rivals Tottenham at the London Stadium, many Hammers fans are relishing the 'bigger picture' and confirmation that at last the club has a centre back pairing every bit as good as the Ginger Pele and Winston Reid when in their pomp. The General, Fabian Balbuena, and the Monster, Issa Diop, played a blinder of a game and did not deserve to be on the losing side, both players initially had difficulty in adjusting to the Premier League, but now their partnership is blossoming far better than many thought or dreamt possible.
The combined presence of Balbuena, the General as he was known when playing for Corinthians, and Diop, dubbed the Monster by Jose Mourinho after Manchester United's 3-1 defeat by West Ham earlier in the season when Diop totally 'snuffed out' Romelu Lukaku, means that opposition forwards are faced with a mobile and incredibly strong and yet agile centre back pairing. In conjunction with Fabianski's very decent performances and shielded by Declan Rice, the Paraguayan and Frenchman have already begun to look almost telepathic in their communication with their well timed tackles and forceful shielding of the ball, covering for each other when required to do so with aplomb.
Diop arrived with a realistic but high end price tag of £22 Million and rising, Balbuena for a fraction of that at £3.5 Million! Perhaps Diop's high transfer fee, which now looks a relative bargain, affected him initially and it took by his own admission a bit of a 'roughing up' by an AFC Wimbledon player during a Carabao Cup match that 'opened his eyes' as to the nature of football within these shores is all about, irrespective of League or League position. Diop has learned very quickly and his assured performances of late have ensured that he is an essential in the starting line up, likewise Balbuena started slowly as he adjusted to European football, but he has quickly shown the ability to adapt and up his game to the speed and physical nature of the Premier League.
Hammers have had bad enough luck with injuries of late, with the long term injury of Yarmolenko added to the ever growing list of players including Carlos Sanchez, Manuel Lanzini, Winston Reid, Jack Wilshere, Andy Carroll and take your pick from Xande Silva, Nathan Holland and the next inevitable addition. So it seems only fair that the spine of the back line have prospered against the odds when they seemed destined to fail, in fact the calls for The Ginger Pele to return to help stabilise the ship were loud and apparent!
Nil desperandum was the message from under fire manager Manuel Pellegrini, and despite losing by 1-0 in the games against Brighton and Tottenham there is a definite feeling of optimism about the team which deserved much better in both matches. Rome wasn't built in a day, and West Ham United certainly won't but the atmosphere at the London Stadium on Saturday proved that if the team perform the way they did that the fans will get behind them and become the 'twelfth man' that has been missing on more than one occasion before. - Ed
Injury Curse
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So another 6month layoff for one of our players and I think the are we/aren't we curse can definately be put to bed. No short term injuries for this football club no. One of our players gets injured and it has to be at a minimum a lengthy stint on the sidelines.
Provisional Team Sheets West Ham United v Tottenham Hotspur
West Ham United: Fabianski, Zabaleta, Balbuena, Diop, Cresswell, Rice, Noble, Snodgrass, Yarmolenko, Arnautovic, Anderson. Subs: Adrian, Fredericks, Ogbonna, Masuaku, Dianang, Antonio, Perez.
Tottenham Hotspur: Lloris, Trippier, Alderweireld, Sanchez, Davies, Dier, Winks; Son, Eriksen, Moura, Kane. Subs: Lamela, Wanyama, Walker-Peters, Llorente, Gazzaniga, Davies, Skipp.
The Best Of The Rest And The Rest Of The Best
The Barclays Premier League is essentially made up of three groups of teams, the Best, the Next best and the Best of the Rest, Tottenham are probably up in the Best and West Ham are currently in the Next best category, but these assesments can change quickly, for example a victory on Saturday at the london Stadium would propel the visitors well up in the Best of teams stakes, whereas as a similar result for the home team would reinforce their position in the Next best league table slots.
Realistically both teams have and are dealing with 'extraordinary' issues, West Ham have recruited virtually an entire new team as well as a new manager which has necessitated a bedding in period that was initially disastrous but is now showing signs of fruition despite the setback of the narrow defeat to Brighton. Tottenham are having to deal with the double whammy of having no money to buy players and the fatigue suffered by those high profile players that they had away on international duty, this is of course before they have the probably unedifying experience of playing their first home games in their new 'building site', which mock as we may will eventually become a superb stadium, even if you may have to order a burger and fries in order to pass through the turnstiles for the next twenty five years!
Defeat for either team won't be a tragedy, and a draw would probably suit Hammers more as part of Manuel Pellegrini's rebuilding work in progress, but victory for either team would cement their place in their place within the three tier league that they are battling in. If Manuel Pellegrini can string together a positive run of results all the pre-season optimism will come flooding back, if things don't go so well the sooth sayers will be out sure as eggs are eggs saying Pellegrini is past it and that the club is in turmoil!
Weirdly because of the co-incidence of playing the League match on the Saturday and the Carabao Cup match on the following Wednesday, there is a chance for both teams to avenge defeat or glorify in a 'whitewash', one would suspect that West Ham would prefer the points and the one upmanship of a victory, of course they would dearly love to 'do the double' but the three points are crucial, Tottenham fans would obviously prefer the opposite outcome, but which result will be more important to each team by the end of the season?
Realistically this season is one of building for the future for West Ham, challenging for a Champion's League spot is unrealistic even at this early stage in the season given the defeats already accrued, but a good cup run is within the club's capability, and it will be interesting to see how Pellegrini approaches both matches, it should not be forgotten that he is a pragamitist as well as being a serial winner of trophies, the League Cup opens up the door to European entry and as such is the only option that West Ham have of starting to cross the divide from the 'The Best Of The Rest And The Rest Of The Best' to the best. - Ed
Proxy Rivals An Analysis Of West Ham v Tottenham A Fans View
The Media to like to 'big up' the 'massive' rivalry between West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur, but historically this has not always been the case. Geographically Arsenal have always been Tottenham's closest rivals and so it was on the pitch for many years back in the day. West Ham's closest top flight rivals as the crow flies before the move to the London Stadium were Crystal Palace and achieved similar success, or lack of it, as West Ham, from an Irons fans view the other rivals were Chelsea and of course Millwall!
A lot of 'fan rivalry' is based on events way back in the past and to a certain extent has mellowed or disipated over the years, for example when Chelsea visited the London Stadium for the first time groups of past it middle aged men did try to 'face up' before and after the match, but quite frankly they all looked ludicrous, they had become a parody of themselves and part of football's dinosaur culture that clearly places them in a minority. Ironically to understand the 'fierce rivalry' between the Hammers and Spurs supporters it is necessary to look at the achievements of both Arsenal and Chelsea over the last fifteen years, both clubs usurped the achievements of either West Ham or Spurs and revelled in their high profile investors and the commensurate success their funding brought to both clubs.
West Ham and Tottenham both went on 'journey's of discovery', Tottenham ended up with a powerful investor and a tough cookie of a chairman in Daniel Levy that all the other club's supporters loathe but secretly wish he was running their own club. Hammers ended up with the bankrupt biscuit barons followed by the Porn Twins and the rest is history, the resentment some Hammers supporters have against Tottenham is based on pure envy, when Hammers were relegated for the umpteenth time, not once but twice within a decade, Tottenham took full advantage and grabbed several of West Ham's best players, including Michael Carrick and Jermaine Defoe for a song.
The business acumen of Daniel Levy is therefore the root of the Tottenham vs West Ham rivalry, yes? Well actually no, the rivalry between both clubs was brought about by the relative failure of both clubs to cope with a Premier League that suddenly began to acquire really wealthy owners whose funds could blow anyone else's out of the water! On and off the pitch Tottenham rose to the challenge better and have since achieved greater things while still falling at the final hurdle on several high-profile occasions, a few of which have been instigated by West Ham, however their failure was perpetually still a lot greater than Hammers success which left the London Derby matches as the only course of redress for West Ham fans to have any form of one upmanship!
Hammers have achieved a few good results against Tottenham over recent years, which raises the question as to why the team are able to up their game for the matches against Spurs as opposed to other clubs. It is correct to say that Tottenham have had the better team for most of the games but West Ham have become their 'bogey team', let's face it West Ham have more than their fair share of 'bogey teams' in the past so maybe it equals things up a little bit. Tottenham are just moving in to what will be a fine Stadium, and one that is fit for purpose, or at least it will be when construction is completed, and a Stadium that they will own. They will experience some initial difficulties during the bedding in process and their fans will experience 'new ground syndrome' even if the new buildings are on the original site.
The outcome of Saturday's match is really hard to predict, many of Tottenham's players will be fatigued but at least their England contingent will be buoyed up by the stunning result against Spain, furthermore despite not buying any new players in the last transfer window they have a comprehensive and expensively assembled squad which has strength in depth. 'Poch' will be looking forward to locking horns with Manuel Pellegrini as they both believe in getting their teams to play attractive attacking football that is pleasing to the eye, this match will appeal to the neutral, but hopefully not those football tourists who have Thomas Cook booked tickets and insist on wearing 'half and half' scarves!
There will be a lot of talent on display from both teams at the London Stadium on Saturday and indeed on the following Wednesday, both managers will have to balance the bread and butter of the Premier League while at the same time keeping an eye on a cup run that can bring great dividends, particularly the bragging rights of fans starved of success. The key word nowadays is 'game management' and whoever manages the games the best will be victorious, Tottenham or West Ham? It could be either or both!
West Ham vs Spurs Double Header An Opposition Fan’s View.
Bearing in mind there are two fixtures against Tottenham at the London Stadium within the space of eleven days it would be foolish not to concentrate on the potential match outcomes as well as the usual rivalry between both sets of fans. We are fortunate to be able to feature a view from the opposition courtesy of spurs for life we are reciprocating with a view from the opposition from a West Ham fans point of view.
“Tottenham Hotspur, it’s happened again.” These chilling words project the worst kind of memories for a modern day Spurs fan. West Ham winning the ‘treble’, unbeaten against their rivals in 2013/4. No matter how high the club might fly in the table, this is an encounter that even today puts some background trepidation into most fans’ minds
The rivalry between North and East London renews, with Tottenham coming to face West Ham at the Olympic Park. It is a new stadium that has some joy for West Ham fans, but one that will never replace the memories and history of Upton Park, the Boleyn Ground. This match will be a new, fresh attempt to create new memories in this unfamiliar home.An awful potential for a treble is set up with a further cup match, again at the Olympic Park stadium, in the Carabao Cup. Ironically, it is on the night of Halloween. Spurs will definitely look to avoid any spooky surprises, whilst the Hammers would love to give their rivals a real fright. However, the likelihood of any kind of treble for either team this season seems unlikely. Both clubs have had some variance in form. Thus, it is quite possible to see three very different matches and three different performances from both sets of players. Add to the mix the large amount of injuries, West Ham with eight and Spurs with seven. Clearly the first choice personnel of both teams aren’t available. This hands chances to the less experienced, less well-versed players to make their first marks on a West Ham-Spurs derby match.
In terms of the rivalry itself, there is a certain unique character. It is unlike the North London Derby in that the teams aren’t defending their right to represent their part of London. There is no point to prove about Woolwich Wanderer’s wandering from down south. Instead, it seems to be a rivalry charged with a kind of Schadenfreude. There have been some fascinating encounters down the years, such as Steed Malbranque majestically levelling a 4-4 draw. However, the most recent rivalry is borne out West Ham’s satire of Spurs’ setbacks. In 2005-6, the club just needed a win to secure a top four place and thus a chance in the Champions League. However, infamously, some dodgy lasagne, and a- more solid- West Ham performance stopped them right in their tracks. Ever since, the Irons have terrorised Spurs by throwing spanners into their campaigns for European qualification or cup progress.
Some of the key horror inducing players for West Ham are fortunately out for Spurs. Carlos Sanchez is side-lined with a knee injury. His sometimes unruly, but otherwise robust and resolute midfield play helped to shut down the likes of Christian Eriksen. Similarly Manuel Lanzini’s lightning feet will be absent. He has scored against the Lilywhites before with startlingly ability. However, West Ham still retain as much of their threat. An interesting player to consider is Marco Arnautovic. His recent transfiguration into a striker has made him a new force to be reckoned with. Tall, strong, with good technique, the Austrian has some efficacy in his new position. So far, he is the top scorer with four goals for his club. In addition, there is the experience of Pablo Zabaleta who has played many a derby in his time. Ever present Mark Noble is the fierce captain of the team, ever eager to thwart Spurs for another time. He has spoken to news outlets describing the mixed seasons both teams have been having. In a way he suggests that this match will be a tight, hotly contested affair. He’ll need to back up those claims, and he’ll do that by leaving nothing on the pitch.
Tottenham are not an infallible team, by any margin. Harry Kane has had time to recover a little from his post World-Cup hangover. His two assists in England’s 3-2 victory over Spain point to his rejuvenation. Indeed, he is a player that loves a derby and has scored some important goals against West Ham. However, he is still not the same vintage of player for whatever reason. However, the form of Lucas Moura has been impressive. This is the player to watch out for in this derby. He is completely new to this rivalry and it will be interesting to see if he can live up to the robustness of such a match. After all, the Brazilian is a tricky player, but has acquired a sense of industriousness and bustle that makes him far more than just a show horse. He will give his all, if called upon.
Overall, this looks to be an exciting new encounter. Manuel Pellegrini will be keen to renew the rivalry between West Ham and Spurs, whilst Mauricio Pochettino will be doing all in his power to defeat his fellow South American. It is a new era for both clubs, with new stadiums being built in this ever changing modern game. Olympic Park is the battleground this coming match day.
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