The title is ours
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ok, ok, I'm getting just a little too far ahead of myself...
Forum | Non-Football Related
Nephew nailed it early doors
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Well just back from the match which I took my young nephew too and we are both stoked and chests puffed out over todays result.On the way to the game he was very excited whilst I of course like others had a bit of the nervous nellies about the game Don't worry Auntie we will win I smiled and thought yes well we shall see.Inside the stadium a lot of talk was about manures line up and everyone saying if we don't beat that lot we never will well five mins in west ham knocking the ball around the way we all dream of them doing and bang 1-0 felipe scores crowd going bonkers my nephew shouting from the top of his lungs everyone smiling and as the furore died down he turned to me and said Auntie I told you they were Rubbish so stop worrying all the men around me laughed patted him on the head and said yeah Auntie listen to the Lad he knows his stuff so after another nervous 35mins or so up pops yarma and bang big deflection 2-0 everyone going crazy happy days and once again my young Nephew had the crowd cracking up when he said See Auntie we don't have to worry only he does pointing to moanrino and said he's getting sacked tomorrow lol half time came and couple of the men next too us said they wanted to get him a drink as clearly he deserves one having called the game right from the start a big I told you so look on his face so a coke it was for him before we settled in for the second half and all that drama so of course the usual happened they got it back to 2-1 and the men around were saying here we go we are going to throw it away once again my nephew spoke out and shouted to them we have Arnie we will be alright and as if on Q bang 3-1 well that was it the Men lifted him up onto there shoulders shouting laughing singing he was the new special one lol he was having the time of his life final whistle went he was screaming yes yes yes and was so happy I had a few tears of joy running down my cheeks a special day and a special moment and memory for me and him.On the train back we saw a couple of dejected manure fans and my nephew said hey you lot were rubbish only for them both to say no we were not rubbish you were just too good today well done a perfect end to the day.
Live West Ham United v Manchester United Team Sheets
West Ham United: Fabianski, Zabaleta, Balbuena, Diop, Masuaku, Rice, Obiang, Noble (c), Yarmolenko, Felipe Anderson, Arnautovic Subs: Adrian (GK), Fredericks, Ogbonna, Snodgrass, Diangana, Antonio, Lucas
Manchester United: De Gea, Young, Lindelof, Smalling, Shaw, Matic, Fellaini, McTominay, Pogba, Martial, Lukaku. Subs: Grant, Bailly, Mata, Rashford, Fred, Herrera, Darmian.
Aaarrrhh
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It just makes me so angry! God is there no limit to what the wasters who play football would stoop? Normally I stay well clear of talking, listening or reading much about beckham but this just gets my goat. Just for anyone who lives in a cave and is unaware beckham is a multimillionaire. He literally has money to burn. He feels he is so great for this country that he thinks he deserves a knighthood. Anyway the police pull him over for speeding (doing 59 in a 40)and he is taken to court for it. Rather than admit and pay up his demeanour he hires a top lawyer who gets him off. Does he get him off as he proves the evidence to be wrong? No he gets off because the fine arrives ONE DAY too late! Arise sir David what a true star you are.
Diangana
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Ryan Fredericks, Lucas Perez and Robert Snodgrass all notched their first West Ham goals but the biggest winner in West Ham’s 8-0 mauling of Macclesfield was Grady Diangana.
Making his first-team debut, the 20-year-old attacking midfielder netted the seventh and eighth goals, seizing the opportunity given to him by Manuel Pellegrini. Diangana is the first beneficiary of Pellegrini’s decision to bring the club’s Under-23s and first team together at the same base, which seems like common sense, but apparently revolutionary thinking for the Hammers.
Hammers Injury Curse Strikes Twice Within Two Days
Carlos Sanchez, signed from Fiorentina on transfer deadline day, has sustained what is rumoured to be a cruciate injury which will keep the 32 year old out of action for possibly the remainder of the season, this news quickly following that of new starlet Xande Silva sustaining a class 2 hamstring injury has put a bit of a dampener on the positive energy generated by recent results. The 'Malheureusement' surrounding the team is that despite not being a popular signing Sanchez was able to 'do a job' and his services will be missed, as will those of Silva who no one had heard of prior to him announcing his arrival with an U-23 hat trick against those lovely people in Milton Keynes and Wembley.
Injuries are part and parcel of the modern game, but West Ham do seem to get more than a fair share of injuries, usually long term, or as the acronym about servicing Lotus cars went: lots of time, usually serious! Sanchez joins the injury legend that is Andy Carroll as well as Winston Reid and Manuel Lanzini on the lengthy long term injury list, not forgetting Jack Wilshere who might pip all the others at the post if his historical habit of getting one niggle after another repeats itself.
Hopefully Silva, having not been at the club for long, will recover in the appropriate time frame for his injury having not been 'attacked' by the dark forces of Hammers' supposedley Gypsy induced curse. The curse itself is a matter of conjecture, the basis of the story is that during planned extension works to the old Boleyn Ground a compulsory purchase order was granted for a bit of waste ground that had been used by 'travellers' as a very cheap used car lot comprising of 'scrappers' that had been abandoned at the roadside, back in the day you could apply for a replacement log book for any vehicle and were not required to know the address of the original owner.
It was a very lucrative sideline as a business, there was also a 'firm' operating from the site which specialised in dodgy 'tarmac jobs' inflicted on house owners with more money than sense or those who had been subject to a bit of 'low level' intimidation after answering a knock on their door for a quote they hadn't requested. The various business misdemeanours including non- payment of what was then called the Rates, were why the purchase order was granted by the courts, the action was not contested due to the huge amount of fines owed on the premises and for some reason West Ham became the villains of the piece whereas it should have been the council.
Call it superstition, bad luck or whatever, but there are many of those who thought 'the curse' would stop once the club moved from the Boleyn, who will now be thinking it as returned with gusto! - Ed
They Always Say Wait Until Six Games Before Judgment
Having endured a 'horror' start to the season West Ham quickly became labled a club in crisis, leading to newly appointed manager Manuel Pellegrini's inclusion near the top of the list of 'The first Premier League manager to be sacked', second only to Jose Mourinho. Fast forward six games from the beginning of the season and the situation, while still not making perfect reading, is far far better than it was. Having only secured one win and that was against Wimbledon AFC in the Carabao Cup, things were looking really bleak, but the morale boosting win up at Goodison Park against 'bogey' team Everton followed by a stirring draw at home to league leaders Chelsea has seen a coplete change at the club.
Nothing illiustrates how important those results were and the confidence they inspired than the fact that Manuel Pellegrini was able to make eight changes from the team that started against Chelsea for last night's drubbing of Macclesfield in the Cup. OK Macclesfield were bottom of the 2nd Division which in old money meant they were bottom of Division 4 and one step away from the Isthmian League! However the players who took to the field did so with confidence, they set about dismantling the visitors with clinical precision and had the job done by half time before running out as comfortable 8-0 victors.
The youth players on display took their chances well, only the oldest player for West Ham had a negative experience, and that was Carlos Sanchez who left the field early with a knee injury that will keep him out for some considerable time. Hammers fielded a strong bench just in case the opposition played out of their skins and had a bit of 'cup luck', that was not to be so players like Fabian Balbuena did not have to be used. Balbuena was brought to the club from Uruguay in order to add some much needed zip to a Hammers defence that looked ponderous even before James Collins' departure and the long term injury sustained by Winston Reid. After a dodgy start Balbuena quickly got to grips with the speedy rough and tough nature of the Barclays Premier League, statistics show that Balbuena’s 18 interceptions in six Premier League games this season has not been beaten by anybody else in the top flight, his numbers are far superior to those of N’Golo Kante and Virgil van Dijk, he shares the League record with Watford’s Etienne Capoue who would be expected to have better stats bearing in mind he is a midfield player.
Neutral observers within the media ( there aren't that many!) are of the opinion that six games is the point at which to asses the progress of a club, particularly one with a new manager and virtually a full team of new recruits. Those who indulged in "Pellegrini to get the bullet" headlines have gone rather quiet, content to now jump aboard the 'Declan Rice Saga' rather than giving credit where and when it is due to the 'serial winner' that the 65 year old Manuel Pellegrini is. It was always goint to take time for the team to gel, and to create a 'proper team' that looks like a well drilled unit, the players have had to buy in to Pellegrin's ethos which has not always been that easy, believing in his philosophy requires a leap of faith, not only for the players but for the fans as well.
Seeing the 'first seeds' of recovery has helped galvanise all those involved with the club, the appearance of Youth players within the ranks harks back to the 'good old days' of the Academy. Pellegrini's insistance that the U-23 players train with the senior squad is a modus operandi that many fans have cried out for, some of the gems currently being unearthed would most likely not have been given much of a chance under Slaven Billic or David Moyes. Recently other English teams have nurtured their youth players who quickly become very valuable assets and are either sold on for a huge profit or take their place in the first team and save their club the fortune they would have to pay for them in the transfer market.
One more game in than the 'Six' things are looking a lot rosier, "There may be troubles ahead", but in Manuel Pellegrini the club have a person who knows how to win and who can be trusted, his quiet demeanor belies a steely determination not only to win, but to win beautifully and also win 'ugly' if the circumstances dictate. - Ed
West Ham United v Macclesfield FC Carabao Cup Team Sheets
West Ham: Adrian, Cresswell, Ogbonna, Fredericks, Sanchez, Obiang, Diop, Diangana, Snodgrass, Perez, Antonio. Subs: Fabianski, Balbuena, Yarmolenko, Rice, Masuaku, Coventry, Powell.
Macclesfield: Ohara, Fitzpatrick, Lowe, Kellerher, Grimes, Marsh, Smith, Napa, Maycock, Pearson, Whitaker. Subs: Simpson, Hodgkiss, Wilson, Blisset, Welch-Hayes, Vincenti, Arthur.
More Wholesale Than Retail Changes For Hammers Cup Tie
Manuel Pellegrini won the League Cup twice in three seasons at Manchester City in 2014 and 2016 and wants to help West Ham win the Cup that has for ever eluded them. Always the bridesmaid never the bride best descibes Hammers fortunes or lack of them as is the case in the League/Milk/Carabao Cup, Runners up in 1966, 1981 and semi finalists on two other occasions when the semi's were two legged, but always falling short. The 'Cara' cup represents one of the best chances for the club to gain honours and is a competition the Hammers Boss does not take lightly.
Pellegrini told the official WHUFC.Com site "Our ambition is clear, to take the competition very seriously and progress as far as we possibly can. This is a competition that has many good memories for me, It was the first title I won in English football, as manager of Manchester City in 2014. It is a very important competition – the first major trophy that can be won in the season – and the experience of winning at Wembley in front of your supporters is something that stays with you forever. I know it is a trophy that West Ham United have not yet won in our history and, of course, we would like that to change, but first we must concentrate on showing the right approach against Macclesfield. In the last round at AFC Wimbledon, we went a goal down early on and had to show patience and belief in order to get back into the game and eventually come out on top,”
Pellegrini went on to mention that he will give opportunities to his fringe players. “We know that we may have to show the same qualities again this evening against a team who will be very motivated and eager to make a big impression. However, I have every confidence that we will be in the right frame of mind. This fixture will give us the opportunity to utilise our squad and bring in players who have not had as many minutes in the Premier League recently, and I am sure they will be hungry to do well. We are also looking forward to another good atmosphere at London Stadium, the support for the team on Sunday was magnificent, and I hope that everyone at the game enjoys a memorable evening."
Having 'talked the talk' the reality is not who will play, but who won't be playing. Despite returning to light training Marko Arnautovic will not be risked neither will Antonio who still looks exhausted after every match which opens the door for Javier Hernandez who should return after a bout of flu and Lucas Perez who has had hardly any game time since arriving at the club. Carlos Sanchez, Aaron Cresswell and Adrian are logical choices for the starting line up as is Ryan Fredericks and Angelo Ogbonna. Whether El Pel decides to use Mark Noble in the midfield is a matter of some conjecture given the club captain's exertions during the hard fought draw against Chelsea on Sunday, Rice and Diop on the other hand have energy to burn so it is likely they will both feature. Yarmolenko could well feature but Anderson will only be on the bench and will not play unless the match situation dictates otherwise, Pellegrini's 'scottish love child' Robert Snodgrass will definitely start and may well be handed the captain's arm band if Mark Noble doesn't play.
So as we it the starting eleven against Macclesfield will be : Adrian, Cresswell, Ogbonna, Fredericks, Sanchez, Diop, Rice, Yarmolenko, Snodgrass, Perez, Hernandez. Subs: Fabianski, Balbuena, Noble, Anderson, Zabaleta, Antonio, Masuaku.
Wots the team for Macclesfield??
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Like to see Adriane in goal and use him the way we used Randolph otherwise I can see Adriane getting the hump and leaving in January. Think he will rest Zabba and give Fredricks a bit of playing time not to sure about Lucas Perez looked a bit lightweight against Chelsea. With all the Lower leauge matches I'm always worried that a player like Anderson could get injured and be out for the rest of the season they don't back out on the 50-50 balls. Disapointed that Silva has done his Hamstring and is out for 4 weeks I would Have liked to see him play after his hat trick against Spurs. Don't think there will be any banana skins their bottom of division 2, but you never Know We are WHU get 4 points against Everton and Chelsea and lose against Macclesfield.
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