Daily WHUFC News - 29th November 2017

Everton v West Ham United: All you need to know
WHUFC.com

West Ham United return to Premier League action with a midweek fixture away to Everton.

Read on for all the information you need to know ahead of Wednesday's encounter, including team news, recent form and quotes from manager David Moyes.


Where and when?

Everton v West Ham United will be played at Goodison Park on Wednesday 29 November, with kick-off scheduled for 8pm.

The postcode for the stadium, in Walton, Liverpool, is L4 4EL.


How to follow:

Everton v West Ham United will be shown live on BT Sport, on channels BT Sport 1 and BT Sport 4K UHD, with the programme scheduled to go live at 7:15pm.
Live match updates will be provided through the official West Ham Twitter account.
You can also follow the game live via our Matchday Blog on whufc.com.
You can also follow the match on our official Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat channels.
BBC Radio 5 Live will also provide audio coverage from the game's kick-off at 8pm.
Meet the opposition:
0:24

Team news:

David Moyes will not be rushing injured players back into the West Ham United first team for this week's clash with Everton as the manager keeps one eye on a busy festive fixture list.

Chicharito did not train on Monday, as the forward continues his recovery from a hamstring injury, while the West Ham manager is exercising caution with Michail Antonio and James Collins.

Moyes said on Monday: "Chicharito has not trained today, so he's going to be a few days or a bit longer at this rate. But we want him back fit, because we have so many games coming up.

"It's the same for James Collins and even Michail Antonio. We have to be really careful because our squad isn't the biggest. It's important to get these boys fit and ready to play."

Read more here!

Match Officials:

Referee: Michael Oliver
Assistant Referees: Simon Bennett and Stuart Burt
Fourth Official: Craig Pawson

What they Say:
"It's really important we get three points at Everton, so there is no room for sentiment. I want a clean sheet and a win when I go back to Goodison."
David Moyes
West Ham United manager
Last Five Meetings:

West Ham United 0-0 Everton, Premier League, April 22 2017
Everton 2-0 West Ham United, Premier League, October 30 2016
Everton 2-3 West Ham United, Premier League, March 5 2016
West Ham United 1-1 Everton, Premier League, November 7 2015
West Ham United 1-2 Everton, Premier League, May 16 2015

How to get there:
The closest train station to Goodison Park is Kirkdale Station, a 20 minute walk. This station is 10 minutes from Liverpool Central, and is also served by matchday buses.
By Train
Exit the M1 at Junction 19 and follow the M6 to Junction 21A, before linking up with the M62. Depart the M62 at Junction 4. Follow Queens Drive and turn left onto Walton Lane.
By Car:

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Masuaku: We need to keep working hard
WHUFC.com

Arthur Masuaku believes West Ham United's confidence will quickly return, should they build on Friday's draw with Leicester City by beating Everton at Goodison Park in midweek. The Hammers travel to the struggling Toffees on Wednesday with both sides in need of the three points following starts to the season which have fallen below expectations. Cheikhou Kouyate's goal against Leicester earned West Ham their first point under new boss David Moyes and now the left-sided Masuaku – who has featured in both matches under Moyes – is eyeing a three-point haul. "We were a bit disappointed with the result on Friday," he stated. "We started by going a goal down, but we fought to get the equaliser. "We need to improve in defence and try to get the first goal in order to win the game. We have had a poor start, but we have to keep working because that is the only way we're going to change. "I think we have been lacking in confidence, but I think once we get a win that will return. "This is an important game. We are fighting with them to get out of this position, so if we win this game it would be a big boost for us. "We just need to play our game. We need to be more compact, stronger defensively and if we score first that would give us a great platform to win the game."

Masuaku is convinced the only way is up under Moyes and he was happy to feature in a more attacking role against Leicester. "I enjoyed playing an attacking role," he added. When I was younger I played in that position so It's not new for me. "My ambition is to play every game. I've been involved in the last two, I want to keep going, keep working hard in training and be 100 per cent match fit. "The new manager has changed some things – he's more involved at training and if we make a mistake he will stop and explain what happened. With time we will improve a lot under him."

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West Ham boss backs Unsworth to make managerial mark
WHUFC.com

David Moyes has backed his one-time defender David Unsworth to become a successful manager, despite Everton's current struggles. The Blues have won just once in seven matches since their title-winning U23s manager was promoted to replace Ronald Koeman on a caretaker basis on 23 October, leaving the big-spending Merseysiders looking anxiously over their shoulder at the bottom three. But Moyes, for whom Unsworth scored the first goal of his Goodison Park reign back in 2003, says the Toffees' temporary man in charge should not be judged solely on Everton's recent run of results. "I think David Unsworth, given the right opportunity, will be a successful manager," said the Hammers manager, who will face his one-time charge when he makes his latest return to Goodison Park on Wednesday evening. "If he doesn't take the Everton job, I would be telling Unsy: 'Go and manage somewhere and earn your corn. If you want to move on go and get a job in the Championship or League One, see where it takes you to'."

Moyes himself 'earned his corn' at Preston North End as a young manager, leading the Lancashire club from the third tier to the brink of the Premier League around the turn of the millennium while still in his late thirties. Having impressed at Deepdale, Everton moved for the Scot in 2003 and he went on to spend more than a decade in charge, leading the Toffees to the FA Cup final, the UEFA Champions League qualifiers and a succession of top-six Premier League finishes. Should he not get the Goodison gig full time, the 54-year-old urged Unsworth, who led Everton's U23s to the Premier League 2 title last season and has developed a succession of first-teamers since being appointed four years ago, to follow his own example and serve a managerial apprenticeship in the Football League. "I think there has been a generation of really good players out there who I believe should go and manage and try and come up [through the divisions]," Moyes confirmed. "I would say 'Earn your stripes first and show you can organise and you can control the team and show that your training works, all the things that are linked with management and leadership. Why don't you go and do that and then get yourself prepared for the big job?' "But because the way the game has gone now there are a lot of them who don't want to put themselves out and take a job because, if it doesn't work, then they are done. I still believe the best thing to do is to go out and trust yourself to win a few games, wherever you go. "But I think one way or another David Unsworth will still be hoping he will still be Everton manager, and why should he not be? He has to do that. "But if he doesn't get it, for Unsy he has done a very good job with Everton's Under-23s. He won Premier League 2 last year they are up towards the top of the league again this season and you look at the players Everton are bringing through, the Tom Davies of the world and a few more. "Maybe the next step is for Unsy is to try and get a decent job which would give him a chance of getting into the management level and get a few years under his belt."

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A proper football man: The experts on West Ham United's new man in charge
WHUFC.com

David Moyes has become a household name in British football over the past two decades. After a 20-year playing career both north and south of the border, Moyes has established himself as one of the best domestic managers of his generation, enjoying varying degrees of success with Preston North End, Everton, Manchester United, Spanish club Real Sociedad and Sunderland. Throughout, the Scot has earned the respect of broadcasters, journalists and players alike. Here, BBC commentator Alan Green, Daily Telegraph chief football correspondent Jason Burt and former Everton midfielder Leon Osman reveal more about the new man at the West Ham United helm…

Let's start by asking how would you sum up David Moyes the manager?

Alan Green: "David is a very pragmatic manager, is the way I would put it. He dealt with the situation on Merseyside very well, where his Everton side were always going to be judged in relation to Liverpool. "Everton had won stuff in the eighties, but when he took over they had been less successful and he set about making them difficult to beat, which he did very successfully. That was one of the reasons why he was deemed as a successor for Sir Alex Ferguson. "Against my advice – I told him to be the man to replace Fergie's replacement, rather than Fergie's replacement – he couldn't resist it, took that job and didn't hide from what was a tough experience. Then he went to Spain and was moderately successful, then came back and Sunderland was a rank choice, but he was keen to get back into management."

Jason Burt: "I think David has had a few difficult experiences in his last three jobs, which I'm sure he would say happened for a variety of experiences. "Especially at Manchester United, it was almost the impossible job, following on from Sir Alex Ferguson. At Sociedad, it might have been the wrong club, while Sunderland was a bit of a basket case. "All that said, West Ham's owners have long admired David Moyes and thought about trying to hire him in the past as they regard him very highly. "I think he will 'get' West Ham, what the club stands for and what the fans expect, and I think he will organise the team."

Leon, you played under David for your entire Everton career and have backed him to succeed at West Ham. Why?

Leon Osman: "David took over at Everton when we were battling near the bottom and he kept us up and rejuvenated the club to the extent that we finished seventh the following season. He did a fantastic job. "After a bit of a dip while he set about forming his own squad, we finished in the Champions League places and challenged for Europe almost every season. "What he did was had every player believing in themselves, working extremely hard for one another and playing for the team."

Hard work and teamwork are both admirable traits, but they don't win football matches alone, so how did David turn Everton into such a force in the Premier League, particularly on such a relatively small budget?

LO: "Training sessions lasted longer under David than they did under any other manager I worked with, whether that was the drills we did or the tactical work and set piece training he made sure we did ahead of every match. "David made sure we were organised and set up to keep clean sheets, and our set piece record at both ends of the pitch was very good, which was no coincidence. Every player understood their role clearly. "He also got his attacking players not only working for the team, but also creating and scoring goals, which I now expect him to do with the likes of Marko Arnautovic and Manuel Lanzini at West Ham."

JB: "There are similarities to the current situation and the time he took over at Everton, in that he has inherited a squad of older players who perhaps need new motivation and a bit of a kick up the backside. "Frankly, you look at West Ham and wonder if they have been putting in total effort, and I think David will get that sorted quickly. "His Everton teams were feared and difficult to beat and he will try to do the same thing with West Ham."

David has a reputation for being a manager who can organise a team from the back, rather than one who will play expansive, open, attacking football, but is that a fair assessment?

AG: "I understand West Ham fans expect their team to play with a certain style but, this season, I would urge them to put those expectations on the backburner. They are in trouble and have a guy in charge who can get the basics right. "David will set up the defence as quickly as he can to do what he wants and make sure everybody fits in. He is a pragmatic manager and, with the situation West Ham find themselves in, the fans need to let it happen this season. "If you are not putting it in or delivering, you will be on the sidelines. He will get them trained up and up to speed and won't be afraid to make changes."

JB: "In his final few years at Everton, especially, they were quite an entertaining team and could certainly play a bit and they took teams on. "I remember, when he was Chelsea manager, asking Carlo Ancelotti which manager had caused him the most tactical problems and he said it was David Moyes. That bodes well."

LO: "We all believed in David's concept of how he wanted us to play and he had to adopt that approach to have us finishing comfortably inside the top half and qualifying for European football more than 50 per cent of the time. "It was not that we wanted to play for him, as such, but his management style meant we wanted to play for the team and did not want to let each other down. Because of David, we believed in each other, 100 per cent."

In some ways, is this the perfect situation for David to re-establish himself as a successful Premier League manager?

AG: "Things cannot get any worse for West Ham, so yes it is. It's not going to happen overnight, but he has the right people around him and this is a great opportunity for David to re-establish himself in English football. "He is not a bad manager; he just took the Manchester United job at the wrong time."

JB: "I agree. This is a fantastic opportunity for David. I think people make quite a lot of the fact he only has a contract until the end of the season, but why not? It might work in everyone's interests because it will concentrate minds. "David is here and is not going to take any nonsense from anyone and is just here to get on with it. He is not here to build a club, but to turn a club around and if concentrates on the job in hand, it could work out for everyone and it can be reviewed in the summer. "I think people have seen David is very motivated and he has proven already that he wants to make this succeed. I think his reputation is on the line and this is possibly his last big chance and I think we will see a very different West Ham under his management."

What about David Moyes the man? He has been characterised as being a 'dour Scotsman', but that is not a true reflection of his character, is it?

AG: "No, it isn't. I have got to know David very well, not only through commentating on his teams, but also through working alongside him at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, and he is a lovely, generous man. "David is not dour at all. He is fun, we had a great laugh in South Africa and he is good to be around. I like the man. He is great company, a proper football man who cares about the game and I desperately want him to succeed at West Ham."

LO: "David does come across as a very dour man, but he does have a sense of humour in there, though! It's not as easy for him as it is for some other characters to be relaxed in the public eye, but I can assure you he is a top man. "He also has some top men around him in Alan Irvine and Chris Woods, and it's great that they have got back together in the Premier League. David will also know West Ham's physio, Dom Rogan, and masseur, Craig Mazur, from Everton and together I am sure they will work extremely hard to get the Hammers back on the right track."

JB: "David is aware of the image he has got and when he was unveiled at his press conference, I thought he sounded very focused on what he wanted to do, which I thought was very good to see."

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Everton v West Ham United
WED 29 NOV 2017PREMIER LEAGUE
20:00
Venue: Goodison Park

BBC.co.uk

TEAM NEWS

Everton are short of defenders, with Leighton Baines and Michael Keane both unlikely to be available after suffering injuries against Southampton. Mason Holgate could return after four weeks out with a groin strain, but fellow defenders Ramiro Funes Mori and Seamus Coleman are long-term absentees. Toffees forward Oumar Niasse completes a two-game ban for diving.

West Ham winger Marko Arnautovic is available despite hobbling off against Leicester on Friday. Javier Hernandez and Michail Antonio remain out with hamstring problems, while ankle injuries again sideline James Collins and Jose Fonte.

MOTD COMMENTATOR'S NOTES

Mark Scott: Coming just days after the "unacceptable" capitulation against Atalanta, the shambles at Southampton has increased the sense of crisis at Everton - as well adding even more urgency to their search for a new manager.

"David Unsworth has labelled what is likely to be his last game in caretaker charge as "must-win" while there's also the David Moyes subplot to chuck into the mix - one aspect of which is Unsworth having scored the first goal of Moyes's reign at Goodison Park!

"Moyes has a poor record against his former club but may be facing them at just the right time to change that, having seen signs of improvement at West Ham, while the Toffees continue to be extremely generous at the back.

"It might be a scrap between two struggling sides, but it should be compelling viewing."

Twitter: @Mark_Scott

WHAT THE MANAGERS SAY

Everton caretaker manager David Unsworth: "Sometimes players will take the easy way out and shirk responsibility. I'm asking players to perform. I think when you're in a tough moment, in this day and age, the mentality of players isn't what it used to be.

"I just want the players to be ready for a fight. I will stand side-to-side with them if they give me that attitude.

"Those players who have not got the bottle to stand up for the fight need to be honest and say it."

West Ham manager David Moyes on David Unsworth: "If he doesn't take the Everton job I think I would tell 'Unsy' to go and manage somewhere and earn your corn.

"If you want to move on, go and get a job in the Championship or League One.

"I think there has been a generation of really good players out there who I believe should go and manage and try and come up.

"I would say earn your stripes first and show you can organise so that you can control the team and show that your training works, all the things that are linked with management and leadership."

LAWRO'S PREDICTION

The Toffees are still struggling to score goals but it is at the back where they have the biggest problems. They are all over the place.

They have conceded at least two goals in each of their seven games under caretaker boss David Unsworth, and have shipped 11 goals in their past three matches. Even West Ham's defence is not that bad.

Prediction: 0-1

Lawro's full predictions v Tailenders co-host Felix White

Think you can do better than Lawro? Predict the score for this match and the rest of this round's Premier League fixtures in our Predictor game
MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

Everton have lost to West Ham at Goodison Park only once in 12 years in all competitions (W6, D4).
West Ham have only claimed three Premier League wins at Everton, losing 23 times since their first game there in 1994.
The Toffees have lost just once in their last 18 Premier League matches against the Hammers (W11, D6), with the sole defeat a 3-2 loss under Roberto Martinez in March 2016.
The last time the Hammers failed to score in three consecutive league games against Everton was 17 years ago.
Everton

Everton have not kept a top-flight clean sheet since beating Stoke 1-0 on the opening day, and have conceded a total of nine goals in their last two league and cup games.
They have let in a division-high 28 goals in the Premier League this season - their worst return after 13 league fixtures since 1958, when they had conceded 40.
Everton have conceded at least two goals in each of their last nine league and cup games, and have conceded the opening goal in 17 of their last 19 matches.
The Toffees have one win in their last 12 outings in all competitions (D3, L8).
Their three Premier League wins this season have all come at Goodison Park.
Wayne Rooney has scored 11 goals and assisted four in 15 Premier League starts against West Ham.
West Ham

West Ham have won only one of their last 14 Premier League away matches (D6, L7).
The Hammers (D3, L3) could go seven league games without a win for the second time in 2017.
David Moyes has lost all four of his Premier League matches against former club Everton by an aggregate score of 8-0.
Everton are the only Premier League team Moyes has not won against as a manager.

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A TALE OF TWO TRANSFER BUDGETS
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 27 NOVEMBER 2017 AT 8:44PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by farehamhammer

Moysey and his staff got it in one! It's the midfield that has been the problem for a long time now. NO messing about, out went the skipper after one match. At last a manager with balls! We were nervy to start with, and I'm not pretending it was a vintage performance, it wasn't. But it was a much improved performance, and the lads were both fitter and committed to the cause. There was definitely more movement in midfield, to the extent that we pushed them back continuously in the second half. We lacked the creativity and final ball to open them up however, the trouble is that Manuel Lanzini is our sole creative outlet and the opposition know this. As a result more often than not teams have three men on him. We need to revamp that midfield come January, although I would not at all be surprised if Moyes used Andre Ayew as an attacking midfielder, almost like he used to use Marouane Fellaini at Everton. Playing Arthur Masuaku out wide was another indication that the manager has identified that we badly lack pace. However Michail Antonio does offer pace, but I'm not exactly a paid up member of the Antonio fan club. He is the Forest Gump of footballers in my opinion he has pace and does score a few goals, but doesn't beat his man, does not track back and his ability to read the game is poor, and has been blowing out his arse after 20mins. Sergeant Major Moyes and Pearce will soon sort that out don't worry about that.

The run up of results till the end of December, will determine how we approach the January transfer window. It is painful to even talk about it but the hard fact is this: At the moment we are in the relegation zone, if come December things have not improved results wise, then there is strong possibility that come the end of the season we will be in The Championship. There is no use being in denial about it, then money becomes a big issue and transfer targets change. Top players will NOT sign for you, if it is almost certain that The Club will be relegated. Secondly, is it feasible if you are going down to spend £35million on William Carvalho and say £3million for Jack Wilshire then you come to wages. Let's say they are on £150,000 per week between them. In one year that is £7.2million. In The Championship? Having a laugh that is how Clubs go bust. It's going to a case of saying to Jack Wilshire for e.g. "Jack we can only offer you a loan till the end of the season. If you do well and we stay up we will offer you a four year deal worth so much".

We will then already need to have a plan in place that will take us straight back up. We will have to identify some of The Youth that we think can do a job in The Championship, and give them minutes on the pitch. I know it is early days yet but possibly the best signing we could make in The January window, is removing the six month get out clause in the gaffer's contact. That is the worst scenario. Even if we have a good few matches and we are say 16th, players will be apprehensive about coming to us in case we get relegated. Selling Clubs knowing we are desperate, will charge us top dollar for any player we want. Players will be less reluctant to sign for us, but will almost certainly demand more clauses than Brexit in their contract. Either way the January transfer market will be extremely tough. No doubt David Sullivan will be on the blower to Moyes at some point in January and say: "David, I want you to sign this striker from Burundi. Highly recommended by Barry Silkman. One hundred goals in the Burundi second division. He is going to be worth more than Messi!" Be warned Moyesy, tell him to p*ss off😊! However much work needs to be done between now and January. We desperately need to build on the Leicester game and follow that up with three points against Everton on Wednesday, at David Moyes old stomping ground Goodison Park.



Everton are on the ropes and there for the taking. They are a classic example that it is all very well spending big money in the transfer window, but if you don't know what you are doing you get taken to the cleaners. I think another important factor that has hampered us in the transfer window is the lack of receiving decent money on player sales. In seven years we have sold Scott Parker for £5million and Dimitri Payet for £25m. In a year Everton made £115m on the sales of Stones and Lukaku. I will confidently say this, if we had that amount of dough to spend we would not be where we are now! I don't like Spurs or Daniel Levy but he has got the buying and selling of players in the market to a tee. He does not say to Mauricio Pochettino: "Mauricio! How much do you need this window? Ninety M?" In fact I doubt that he gives Pochettino that much more basic funds than Gold Sullivan. The difference being they have dough stashed away from previous windows. In simple terms six years ago we had Matt Taylor and Boa Morte in midfield, they had Van Der Vaart and Modric. The next level bring it on! But deep down you would have to say it is going to take a bit of work to get where we intend to be.

But first things first. We simply have to get three points at Goodison on Wednesday, and I believe if we are positive from the off we will. I know a veteran Everton supporter, who said that although their nickname is The Toffees they were also known as 'The School of Science'. The reason being they played football the right way, on the deck, flowing inventive football. Just like we were renowned for. Let's hope we are giving Everton a science lesson at the school of science on Wednesday. It is not just players who don't want to join you when at the bottom, managers avoid you as well. Everton have offered big money to try attract big managers but have been snubbed. As a result David Unsworth is still caretaker manage. To say he has not been successful is an understatement, Everton have been absolutely dismal. Everton will be like a boxer reeling on the ropes, we have to knock them out. We have to produce that second half performance from the off pin them back and the mistakes will come. If we score first don't close up shop, keep going and the goals will come! What team will the gaffer put out? I can't see it differing that much from the Leicester game to be honest. I can see him dropping Bambi on ice Angelo Ogbonna and bringing in James Collins.

After that we have three tough games against Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal. Beat Everton on Wednesday and confidence will really start to soar, then it is possible that we will take something off Chelsea or Arsenal. One of the things I'm finding baffling is the attitude of some fans on social media. Look we all have different viewpoints regards everything about our Club. But it seems that some would rather we lose every game 4-0 so they can say "I told you so!" Unreal! Thankfully the majority recognise that although far from being a vintage game against Leicester, it was a much improved game performance which augurs well for the rest of the campaign. I'm going for a 2-0 win against Everton and the much maligned Andy Carroll scoring his first goal of the season!

We are more than a football Club, we're a way of life!

COYI!!

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AWAY DAYS: EVERTON-GOODISON PARK
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 27 NOVEMBER 2017 AT 8:59PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by @CraigPodevin

After the draw against Leicester, I'll respect the point but we're up against fellow relegation candidates Everton next in our next game which falls mid-week. Reports on Twitter say that Sam Allardyce may be the manager by then, but hopefully they will carry on their abysmal form and we can get a win against them.

General information:

Stadium: Goodison Park

Capacity: 40,569

Address: Goodison Road, Liverpool, L4 4EL

Away seating: Bullens Road Stand, via turnstiles 53-60

Goodison Park, despite being large, is quite old and this is why Everton have purchased land at Bramley Moore Dock and are looking to build a brand new 50,000 seater stadium. From the Main Stand at the very top, not only can you get views of Stanley Park but you can also see their nearest rivals' stadium Anfield.

One problem with Goodison Park, is due to the stadium's age, you may find yourself with a restricted view because of supporting pillars.

Travel:

Train

Kirkdale Railway station is the closest to the ground, approximately a mile away, however it is advised to go to Sandhills Railway Station and take a bus to the ground which runs 2 hours before kick off and 50 minutes after the final whistle.

Car

From the M6 exit at J21a you will need to follow the M62 until you reach the end of the motorway. You then follow the A5058 Queen's Drive towards Liverpool. After four miles, at the roundabout junction with the A59, turn left into County Road. Three quarters of a mile along County Road, turn left into Spellow Lane and then left into Goodison Road. left at the traffic lights into Utting Avenue. Keep going for one mile and then turn right at the corner of Stanley Park into Priory Road.

Parking

If you arrive by 1.00pm there should be sufficient street parking around Walton Lane. The other option is to park in Walton Lifestyles Sports Centre (Sat-Nav postcode L4 9XP) where you can park for £7 – it is about a fifteen-minute walk to Goodison Park and by parking there you avoid the traffic at Stanley Park and it is only a five minute drive from the motorway. The last option is to park near Anfield or in Stanley Park for £8.

Food and drink:

The Royal Oak is a home fans only pub and therefore should be avoided. There's a small outdoor 'fanzone' that serves alcohol and food to both home and away fans, so if you're interested in having a drink and chatting to some Everton fans there's your place.

About a 15 minute walk from the stadium is the Thomas Frost pub (Walton Road) which is a Wetherspoons outlet. Further down is a wine bar called Bradleys which is family run and sells beers and real ales if the Thomas Frost is packed out. The Arkles pub, which is also a popular pub for away fans visiting Anfield, is also an option. It shows Sky Sports and is only 10-15 minutes walking from the stadium.

Goodison Park does not allow food or drink to be taken into the stadium from outside.

As always support the team, enjoy yourself and be safe. If you are not going then you're welcome to follow the live updates on Twitter from @WestHamWaycouk! Come On You Irons!

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Unsworth spoiling for a fight
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 28th November 2017
By: Staff Writer

Former Hammer David Unsworth says both he and his squad are hurting - but are up for a fight tomorrow night when West Ham visit Goodison Park. The former full back, affectionately known as 'Rhino' during his playing career spent one fruitful season at the Boleyn Ground before returning to Everton, from whom he was signed by Harry Redknapp for £3million in 1997. He was appointed as caretaker manager of Everton following the dismissal of Ronald Koeman in October, since when the Toffees have won just one of seven fixtures in a period that has seen them concede 20 goals. However Unsworth insists that there will be no room for sentimentality on Wednesday evening when he faces up to his former employers - ironically against new Hammers boss David Moyes, who was in charge of Everton for more than a decade. "I'm hurting," Unsworth told the media. "When you are giving your all and not getting the results you want, it hurts. I just want the players to puff out their chests and say, 'come on then, I am ready for a fight'. "I will stand with them if they give me that attitude. I will stand side by side with them. I think any manager would do that. I just want to see the players giving their all and performing for this great club. "We need to start winning. Goodison has to help us and we need to stick together. We need men, we need courage and mental toughness. Not to just turn up and play. When times are tough, you need your top players to stand up and be counted. That is really important."
And Unsworth, who worked alongside Moyes for many years admitted that he would be delighted to catch up with his former manager - but hoped to spoil his retunr to the North West. "I wish David well at West Ham, but obviously not tomorrow night," he added. West Ham go into the match two places below Everton, who are currently 16th in the Premier League.

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West Ham 1-1 Leicester City (And Other Ramblings)
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 28th November 2017
By: HeadHammerShark


"Maybe there's a God above
But all I've ever learned from love
Is how to shoot somebody who outdrew ya"
- Leonard Cohen, "Hallelujah"

It's a start. A stuttering, hesitant, uncertain start. Three months late, of course, but still a start. Akin to watching new born foals emerge blinking into a copse through the morning dew, and taking their first tentative steps into a brave new world. While 50,000 people scream "Could someone just fucking mark Jamie Vardy!" at them.

But still, a start. A punch thrown back. We at last got off a shot at the duel. It's a building block.

If they don't run, they don't play


I watched this one from the comfort of my front room, as I couldn't make it in person, meaning I had to turn down an invitation from Sky Sports to take part in a pitchside discussion before the game. That conversation focused on the current unrest and while I wasn't able to launch a 45 minute rant about the lack of a competent Director of Football, Dan Silver did a much better job by simply laying out the facts of the stadium move and the unfulfilled promise that underpinned the whole thing.

"I don't see West Ham as a Champions League team" said Jamie Carragher, reasonably. "Well, neither do we, but they brought us here and told us we would be, so everything has to be viewed through that prism" countered Dan, equally reasonably. Amen. A job well done. And fair play to Sky for asking the questions too. And while I'm here I should add that their football coverage would be about 800% better if every match was covered by Kelly Cates, Gary Neville and Carragher.

***

"Don't wanna let you down,
I've been lucky, I was lost, but now I'm found"
- Embrace, "My Weakness Is None Of Your Business"


But pre match discussions do not Premier League points win. That was still to come, in a game that ranged from tepid to thunderous and took a swift detour via frenetic as well. The atmosphere before the match was so thick with poison and rancour that Sky featured it heavily in their build up, with Neville wandering around outside taking the temperature of fans in an attempt to gauge exactly how toxic it was all likely to become.

Much of the pre match analysis focused on the importance of not allowing Leicester to score early, meaning that they naturally took the lead after 8 minutes. This was so predictable that it didn't really engender the kind of rage that people were concerned about, but instead rolled over the crowd like a gentle wave on to a shoreline. C'est la vie, seemingly, and given it's the fourth time already this year that we've gone behind inside eleven minutes, I guess it is.

It was yet another goal fashioned from our leaky right hand side, as Pablo Zabaleta was drawn infield in an attempt to win the ball and start a counter attack as though he were playing for a much better side. I don't know how much longer the Argentine is going to keep confusing Andy Carroll with Sergio Aguero but I think we'd all benefit from him wising up a little. As it was, Vardy drifted into the vacant space and a speculative cross was adroitly slotted home by Marc Albrighton. Angelo Ogbonna should have blocked the cross but whoever was holding his voodoo likeness at that particular moment had twisted his legs around so they didn't work and we were behind again.

This pattern would continue for much of the half, as Leicester took advantage of our defensive fragility without really fashioning any chances. They should, however, have had a penalty when Arthur Masuaku went full Ogbonna and brought down Albrighton. I'm pretty sure that the only reason referee Martin Atkinson didn't award that one was out of pity.

At that point, West Ham had been largely poor, playing as they were with the weight of a fear so obvious it was almost visible to the naked eye. Our passing was tentative and our movement was obvious, leading to a feeling of frustration inside the Thunderdome. It's easy to think that players don't care, but relegation means upheaval for them too. Some go on to better paying deals elsewhere, but plenty don't. Some have to give up football altogether and move to places like West Brom or Sunderland to get a new contract. Kids have to leave their schools, houses have to be sold, maybe whole families have to leave the country. On nights like this one, it was easy to see the nervousness and tension and that was only heightened by our early setback.

If ever the fans were going to turn, it was now.

***

"Maybe then I'll fade away and not have to face the facts
It's not easy facing up when your whole world is black"
- The Rolling Stones, "Paint It Black"


And then they didn't. On the face of it, applauding football fans for not turning on their own team seems like the faintest of faint praise, but there was something worth acknowledging here. This entire week was coloured for fans by the discussion of protest. At this point, there are a number of groups and viewpoints, all seemingly united in their distrust of our Board and all determined to be heard. The media had picked up on this, and so had the Leicester players with Danny Simpson openly stating that a tactic would be to try and turn the fans on the team.

It is a sad truth that opposition teams have been doing this to West Ham for years with some success, and you could hardly blame Simpson for saying it, galling as it was. Maybe some Hammers were galvanised to prove those people wrong, maybe some were harnessing the spirit of anger into something positive and maybe some had just been drinking since midday and were determined to enjoy their Friday night. Either way, there was an undeniably uplifting effect as the crowd united squarely behind the team and finally generated some atmosphere in the great vacuum of the London Stadium. For what it's worth, it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up to hear and see our fans doing what I always believed as a kid we were preternaturally brilliant at doing - connecting with, and lifting up our team, from nothing. Thank you to those who were there. We'll always have Leicester.

And so it was that Cheikhou Kouyate scrambled home a goal from a Manuel Lanzini corner right on the stroke of halftime and soothed the fraying nerves of the masses, even if the visitors had effectively ceased to be an attacking threat at this point.

Once again, xG suggests that this was a poor game with few real chances, and I'd agree, but there is something to be said for keeping Leicester this quiet. They are a decent team who are probably better than their league position suggests, and we were marginally better than them here as we went on to dominate the second half, without creating the killer chance that would have won us the game. On another night, with better luck in front of goal we might have fashioned a winner to have illuminated the gloom and cut through the icy East London night. If nothing else, we might have been awarded a dodgy penalty ourselves when Andre Ayew fell under the lightest of touches from Harry Maguire. It wouldn't have been fair, but I think we're past caring about that now.

And so we take the point, and move on to Everton for a game where we should have a great chance given their inherent shittiness, lack of a manager, lower recovery time and the fact that we have their returning manager. We also desperately need to win given our upcoming fixtures. But you've all been around long enough to know how this particular episode will end. So while a point isn't bad, it's also not good. We really could have used this win.

***

"Get high up on the mountain, feel your lungs start burning as you rise
Sometimes when you get to this height, you will see another hill to climb
But sometimes all you can see, is the road you didn't take"
- Stornoway, "The Road You Didn't Take"


So what are we to make of a draw like this? It's an inbetweener of an outcome that neither disheartens nor satisfies. It's a Big Mac of a result is what it is.

On the face of it, we have to be happy with a point in the face of a decent opposition and such terrible form coming into the game. I think this was probably our best performance of the season, which is kind of like saying Gary Barlow was the best one in Take That. It might be true, but that doesn't mean there's any quality involved.

But it's also true that we needed a win. With this draw and their own late win, Palace have pulled to within two points of us despite making the worst start to an English top flight league season by losing their first six games without scoring. They could be above us by the time you read this.

But taking the performance in isolation there were some things to be pleased about. The team worked hard, with a clearer defensive structure and a definite plan to get wide and bombard the visitors with crosses. I don't much rate that as an offensive tactic, but I'll accept that it's better then smashing it in the general direction of Chicharito and then whipping out the rosary beads.

Elsewhere, Marko Arnautovic seemed to work pretty hard and was a willing outlet on the right, while the likes of Obiang and Cresswell recovered from poor starts to gradually grow into the contest. These were baby steps but we at least looked like a professional team rather than the playground rabble we've been resembling for the last few months. Ironically, the best bit of defending all night came when Arnautovic chased down Vardy after another of Zabaleta's magical mystery tours. If Moyes can extract that kind of attitude on a permanent basis from the squad then it will speak well of what he and his staff are getting across on the training ground. Caveat emptor, however - the view from Shark Towers might not have allowed me the full range of vision to truly assess whether our artists were truly turning into artisans, but it looked acceptable on the telly.

There was some guile among the sweat too, as Arthur Masuaku played in midfield and oscillated wildly between dazzling breaks and strolling around like he was in an art gallery. He has a lovely ability to retain possession under pressure, and as a result has the priceless ability to carry the ball from midfield areas to the final third. Too often that merely ended up with Lanzini or Creswell swinging an aimless cross towards the distant Carroll, but it was, yes, a start.

West Ham break down the right


Watching all those crosses go begging did rather put me in mind of the famous failure Moyes suffered at Manchester United, when his team swung in over 80 crosses during a game with Fulham and managed only a draw. I've written and shared links previously about the inefficiency of crossing as a way of scoring goals and I know not all of you agree, but this seemed like a pretty good example of the point. We put in 31 crosses, with just 5 being successful, one of which led to Kouyate's goal. I suppose the fact that we scored from one might make it odd that I am decrying the tactic, but over 90 minutes of huffing and puffing I found it disheartening to see this being used as our main attacking weapon. As a short term fix I can see the attraction due to the simplicity, but I struggle to see this kind of approach worrying better teams who will have so much more possession than us.

As a tactic it was a bit like watching a Roman Testudo formation being used to storm a Normandy beach. It is organised, with clear planning and you can see the thinking, but nobody does this anymore. It's a relic of a distant past when it made sense to get the ball wide because football was played on terrible pitches and the only parts of the ground not under water were the wings.

In examining this I did a quick check on SofaScore to see what the best teams around were doing in this regard. Close to home, Leicester put in 18 crosses and scored with the only successful one. Further up the league the numbers were as follows:

Crosses

Man City -17
Arsenal - 19
Liverpool - 18
Chelsea - 26
Spurs - 35

Now as a study that's pretty useless but I found it interesting that the only good team who outcrossed us were Spurs who were desperately chasing the points against a West Brom side set up to force you to do this by playing 8 centre halves and pushing you out wide. I should also note that they only drew. As did Chelsea, another team chasing the game.

None of this is definitive, and it's just an opinion, but I have a feeling that a season of this might give us an illusory sense of dominance in certain games, but it's a hard way to score goals.

***

"Watch it all go down, like a stone in a stream
If you fall for your reflection, you will drown in a dream"
- First Aid Kit, "King of the World"


And I think there's a specific reason for that at West Ham.

We need to talk about Andy. Big Andy. The pissed Geordie Samurai who hasn't really looked like Andy for quite a while now. Perhaps the cumulative effect of all those injuries was always going to result in him losing a step, or maybe he's just stumbled off another barstool, but he looks lost as a player. When I think of Carroll at the moment the most useful part of his game seems to be his defensive presence at set pieces. Not quite what we were expecting for £100,000 a week.

Steamin'


His essence was magnificently captured by Barney Ronay in The Guardian after the game. He wrote:

"Carroll does not play football. He inflicts it. He wreaks football...appearing dramatically in the centre of things like the fuselage of a burning Messerschmitt tumbling from the skies"

And now I want to give up writing because I'll never produce anything that good.

But at some point Moyes will surely need to cut the cord with Carroll. There has long been this feeling that there was a way of playing that suited him, that simply eluded us, or which Bilic refused to play due to our status as footballing puritans. At what point do we accept the alternative truth, which is that he is a man out of his time, whereby no modern, progressive manager can play to his strengths because battering goalkeepers into the net while they hold the ball ceased to be legal about the same time as slavery? Carroll is a footballing Siren, calling managers to him with the wild eyed promise of a rampaging centre forward, and then wrecking them upon the rocks of his slow link play and faltering aerial power.

The thing that I notice most about him nowadays is how rarely he seems to do the things that we all think he is good at. Where have the towering headers gone? Whither his physical dominance? Morgan and Maguire handled him so well on Friday that as cross after cross rained down like fireballs over the castle walls, by the end he wasn't even trying to head them, instead lining up speculative volleys. Whatever the faults of Diafra Sakho, I struggle to see how he would be a worse option than this, and he certainly should be getting more than two minutes at the end of games to show his worth.

Perhaps Carroll will run riot at Everton and force me to eat my words, and I happen to think his hold up play remains pretty decent but a team with our problems needs more than that. On occasion we need a central striker who can run in behind, or run into channels to win or retain the ball high up the pitch. I'm not tactical genius, but I can see that Carroll is incapable of this, meaning his entire output at the moment seems to be taking the ball just inside the opposition half with his back to goal and a five man midfield staring at him dolefully. It's perhaps little wonder that he hasn't scored since April.

In an ideal world I guess you would want our wide players to run past him and feed off him, but we have no pace out there so they struggle to get beyond him and as a result he gets caught trying to bring the ball down while outnumbered, and then just ends up getting frustrated. I'd also say that his aerial threat has been effectively neutered by the red card at Burnley and the elbow that slipped the net at Watford.

I feel sorry for him, in so much as I don't think this is all his fault. He's just an electric guitar in a symphony orchestra. It could work, I suppose, but I don't see how. But if the Moyes predilection for playing Carroll and Kouyate as our most advanced attackers and smashing endless streams of crosses at them continues, then I could easily see the Geordie talisman falling out with the crowd again.

***

"Yeah, said it's alright, I won't forget
All the times I've waited patiently for you
And you'll do just what you choose to do"
- Love, "Alone Again Or"


Which brings me back to the crowd and the off the field adventures almost as though I had planned it. I wrote before the last game that I was greatly concerned about the prospect of open revolution in the ground, not because of any great love for the Board, but simply because fans can't just switch effortlessly between spewing vitriol at the Director's Box and then encouraging the team. As it transpired, the support was excellent and if that continues for a while then I think the chances of the team hauling us away from this current mess greatly improves.

Let me guess...he wants a Director of Football


But that hasn't stopped thing progressing apace off the pitch. I implored you all to join WHUISA last time out as I think that proper engagement with the club is important and doing it through a democratically elected group is the way forward. At present their membership stands at 800, which is impressive in a short space of time but needs to continue climbing up into the tens of thousands to truly give the committee the heft they need to press the issues they need to press. They are meeting with the club on 30 November and you can contribute to the discussion around agenda items here.

However, other groups are also in dialogue with the club, including the Real West Ham Fans Action Group who are due to meet with members of the Board next week. This was a group created by Andy Swallow and attracted over 7,000 members in just a couple of days. I have no affiliation with them, but a couple of people I know have suggested it's the real deal and that the group will be an effective rallying point for dialogue with the Board, and will coordinate their efforts with WHUISA.

Their current request is for people to suggest five topics for them to take into the meeting, and as such I thought I'd have a go at sketching out some ideas for discussion. My self imposed rules were that it had to be a realistic area for dialogue (selling up is not a realistic request, nor apparently is demanding Westfield treat us like humans) and should be reasonably broad in nature so as to both facilitate discussion and also try and reflect what I think are concerns from the wider fanbase.

To the extent I get anything factually wrong here, please tell me and I'll update.


1. The Stadium

We need to a have a frank discussion about the stadium that can't simply be based on the premise that the move was a rip-roaring success and that some arbitrary percentage of fans plucked from nowhere are happy with it. I think there are some very specific things about attending matches that others can comment upon, but I think there is a simple truth that a lot of fans who have to sit behind the gangways feel like they are a hell of a lot further from the action than they were at Upton Park. Offering to relocate people is fine, but the general trend seems to have been to move down closer to the pitch and I'm guessing that eventually these seats will become like gold dust.

So can the club please explain their plan to install the retractable seating originally promised, with a particular focus on their plan to install seating that can be retracted rather than dismantled, ensuring that we never again have to start the season with three away games in order to accommodate a minority sport that doesn't contribute to the upkeep of the stadium.


2. The Finances

My understanding of the terms of our lease are that we could not have any external debt at the time of our move, meaning that the owners were forced to make loans to the club. Unlike, say, Stoke where the Coates family have done this at a zero percent rate of interest, the club is paying between six and seven percent at present to our owners.

Whilst I am not necessarily suggesting that the loans should be at nil rates, it does not sit comfortably with the owners desire to project themselves as owner-fans when they are charging the club a rate of interest similar to that paid by other clubs to external lenders. Why do the owners feel this rate of interest is appropriate and would they consider lowering the rate in order to free up more cash for the club? As they seemingly value the club at over £600m, this would be a relatively small sum for them to give up each year prior to a sale, but impactful to the club given our small net spend this season.


3. The Fans

How can the Club justify not taking up a full allocation of away tickets to away games, including a League Cup quarter final at Arsenal? It's outrageous...but (*).

(*) The Club have ceded on this one today, so I've deleted my main diatribe on the topic. This gives me the pleasing sense of having achieved something.


4. The Academy

West Ham's academy is not functioning at a level commensurate with our status or needs. Chelsea, Arsenal and Spurs are producing Premier League players at a rate far beyond us, and in doing so have an income stream that is not open to us.

Put simply, what are the club proposing to do about it?


5. The Team

Ah yes. The area where I'm most likely to fall foul of my own rules.

Well, the team is mediocre and has been for a number of years. Since taking over the club and appointing himself Director of Football, David Sullivan has presided over a relegation, a promotion and a succession of bottom half finishes. The exception to this was 2015/16 when we finished 7th. Leicester won the league that year. We have had one semi final appearance in the League Cup where Man City scraped past us 9-0 on aggregate.

During that same time our transfer activity has been dubious at best, with barely anything recovered from external sales relative to our outgoings. Our largest sale was when Dimitri Payet left the club six months after his triumphant Euro 2016 campaign. We received less for him that Newcastle received for Moussa Sissoko the year before. The last four transfer windows have been unsuccessful.

We have employed four managers in that seven year span, with the Board's first choices rejecting the job on each occasion. We are currently employing a manager on a short term deal to try and keep us up, and as I write this we sit in the relegation zone.

The club currently have a higher wage bill than Dortmund, Valencia, Inter and Roma. The chairman was so delighted about this that he tweeted it out to all of us. I am assuming that someone on the Board actually realises that paying lots of money to be average is a bad thing but, at this stage, who knows.

So, my question is straightforward. We have changed the manager, the players, the scouts and the coaches. At this point the only person to have retained their position in this structure for the last seven years is our Director of Football. So, can we have a new one please?

Please feel free to add your own comments below, or perhaps better yet, tell the organisations directly. I'm not entirely sure I fully understand all that is happening with the Board, and truthfully think their desire for approval is really a weakness, but it is what it is and I'm happy to stick my two penneth worth in. Don't be shy of doing the same.

Please note that the opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, nor should be attributed to, KUMB.com.

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OPPOSITION Q&A WITH EVERTON
By Jeff Gayle 28 Nov 2017 at 10:30
WTID

West Ham travel to the City of Doom to play Everton in the midweek game on Wednesday, where we will be hoping that David Moyes can return to his former club and claim his first victory for us. Goodison is not a ground where we have had much return – 6 away wins in the past 50 years. (Particularly galling for me as my wife's family are Evertonians) However we do have the recent memory of that comeback from 2 – 0 down to win 2 – 3 courtesy of a last minute goal from Dmitri Payet following a header from Andy Carroll and that flick from Diafra Sakho: as clear a memory to me as if it happened last night!
Ahead of the game I spoke to food blogger and hardcore Everton fan James Coke aka The DIsabled Chef to discuss everything West Ham and Everton.

This week's game sees us both sited near the bottom of the table, where I imagine that pre-season we would have both been hoping for top half positions? Both teams have recently sacked their managers, were you one of those that was calling for Koeman's head?
Well I always thought you boys would struggle. Signing a lot of Premiership OAP's after a big pay day was madness so I reckon I've been partly vindicated on that one, but I got it totally wrong on Everton, who I'd tipped for Top 5 vertigo. What a shambles we've been! In fact we've done the same as you – signing Grandad Rooney and sticking with the likes of Williams & Jags, like you've done with Noble & sick note Andy. Sadly they have all become liabilities and we both pay them a King's ransom – it's a joke. As for Koeman – Don't get me onto him! I've never forgiven him for hauling down Platty and then flipping Seaman in that World Cup qualifier in 1993. My mate who is a big Saint, warned me abut his arrogance and ability to wind players up. He's done a great job doing that with the likes of Ross Barkley and by the end seemed incapable of motivating the team, so he had to go. Believe me I was more than happy to see him and his bro, run out of town but I can't say things have been hunky dory since his departure.

Be honest do you wish that Everton had appointed David Moyes to be back in charge at Everton and not West Ham?
I loved Moysey. When he left, it felt like the end of an eleven year marriage and I found it difficult to adjust to my new Spanish flame. You knew what you were getting with Davy boy. Ok, it was often dour but I had some great times following him and his Blue army. However I didn't want him back once he'd told luvvie Blll he wanted out, it was like the bar coming down in a game of bar billiards – it was over!. When I'd heard he signed up with you boys I did have a little chortle. Me and my mate had been in the lower bullens for Moysey's farewell, ironically against West Ham. There was some great banter that day between the fans. West Ham had been singing 'You've got no Manager' with the Gladys Street endresponding immediately: You've got Sam Alladyce', which had everyone in the ground creasing up, including big Sam. It would have been very ironic then if we'd ended up with a managerial flip flop on Wednesday night. As they say – be careful what you wish for.

I understand that some Everton fans were asking for David 'Rhino' (as the Everton fans call him, although West Ham fans would consider him to be a bit 'hen-pecked') Unsworth to be put in charge, immediately after Koeman's sacking. Were you one of those, and if so what do you think about him now?
Steady dude – I thought he enjoyed his time in Canning Town before getting lost on the M6 on transit to Villa. Have to admit I was right up for 'Rhino'. He's done a great job with the U23's, winning the title last season and it seemed like a natural step up – especially as he is one of our own. However the last six games have been chastising for him. He looked like he'd had a little cry after the weekends humiliation at St Mary's and appears to be out of his league. It's a shame as he'd blooded some of the young lads and him and Big Dunc might have sorted out some of those egos and what it means to pull on that royal blue shirt. It's a brutal game though and we've got to stay up, so I'm with Joey Barton on that (well not the fat-ism bit, which is a bit rich coming from him) and having Rhino returned to the pastures he's comfortable with and the protected status that he should be afforded.

I understand that Everton will be announcing their new manager this week, any thoughts on that?
Hmmm……..yes, it's been playing on my mind. What gets me is why we hadn't had someone lined up as soon as Ronnie boy was shown the door. To be honest I have lost faith in Steve Walsh (our signings in the summer say it all), and the board for that matter anymore. Their recent dealings have been amateurish, lacking a plan of action. In my dreams, I'd love the idea of Diego Simone, prised from Athletico Madrid, turning up to Finch farm with a dagger between his teeth, but we'll probably end up with Tony Pullis and a dogfight for survival. At least it won't be 'dodgy' Sam who crazily ruled himself out from this dream job – or has he?. At this moment in time what fool would turn down the opportunity to manage Everton FC and judging by reports this morning Sam is back in the mix – it's every Evertonians nightmare scenario.?

Where do you think Everton will end up at the end of the season?
I had such high hopes at the start of the season. Yes, we'd lost Rom, our goal machine, but we'd had acquired a host of ageing No 10's, some young English defenders and other guys who'd never played in the Premiership for £150 million – What could possibly go wrong? So far it's been a disaster! Every game I find myself clawing my face pleading with higher beings to make things better, but it gets worse, week by week. Gallows humour about fear of the drop helps, but the ongoing storm has forced me back to my bunker, fearing the worst. However as a life long Evertonian I always live with hope – 12th.

Is David Moyes the right man for West Ham, and where do you think he will lead us come the season's end?
I hope he is. He was great with us bringing some real passion and stability to the club, but I worry whether that left him somewhat, when he exited Goodison. He hasn't had it easy in his last three jobs and he'll need time to get things going with West Ham and time is often something you don't get in the Premiership. Hopefully you Irons will warm to him and I'm sure he'll find a way to keep you up, but I'm not sure he is your long term option – 15th

Of course West Ham fans will remember that famous 2 – 3 victory at Goodison two seasons ago mentioned above. Do you have any particular memories of West Ham/Everton games of the past?
Well I won't forget Frank Lampard dancing round the corner flag at Elland road in 1980 either, but happier memories include, a late Tony Cottee winner in '94 and going bonkers in the Bobby Moore stand, Yaks winner in the League cup quarter final and a few other beatings we've handed out to you over the years. I checked out the Olympic stadium for our bore-draw last season and thought it was soulless. Even some of the stewards from the old Boleyn ground I was chatting too, thought the club had sold out and the new stadium lacked the atmosphere of the old. We could learn a lot from your experience when we move to Bramley Moore. Both of us are community clubs and even with the changing climate of the game and the billions being poured into it , we should never lose that identity. The fans are the ones that have shaped our clubs, laid its foundations, we are the
custodians if you want and that should never be forgotten.

If you could have any current West Ham player in your first team who would you choose and why?
Is that a trick question? Are you having a bubble with me? No offence but no-one is jumping out at me. Cresswell could do a job on saying that and Antonio has drifted in and out of my fantasy team this season But the 'Ammers' have been as bad as the 'Toffee's'. It could be swap shop time on Wednesday though if the managers situation is anything to go by. I'm sure Moysey will come knocking on the door in January for Mirallas, Bainsey & Jags; and Sam if appointed, will be dipping into the West Ham reserves. The whole situation should fill us both with dread – let's move onto the next question.

*Which Everton player(s) will be key to your hopes this season? *
I had hoped to provide a plethora of names but I'm struggling from what I've witnessed this season. The defence is so dire (be worried they are coming to you) that a lot rests on Pickford. Other than him we need to sort out the No 10 and build around Sigurdsson and hope Bolaisie & Coleman have recovered fully. Barkley needs to be brought back into the fold but I fear he'll leave. Other than that I reckon I could put in a better performance confined to my wheelchair than some of the donkeys we have masquerading as players.

How do you expect Everton to setup against West Ham on Wednesday/team/formation prediction?
Both teams need a win but we'll be missing Keane & Baines, so our defence should be even more shaky than normal. I hope we play with Lookman to test your pace and I wouldn't mind seeing Sandro getting a run out. He scored a cracker in our 1-5 thrashing by Atalanta but I stick reckon he has something to offer. I reckon we'll go with a 3-5-2 Pickford, Jags, Williams, Martina, Kenny, Besic, Gueye, Davis, Lookman, Gylfi & Sandro

All Hammers fans will be thanking whichever higher power they recognise that Romelu Lukaku is no longer playing for Everton. Since his departure you are struggling to score goals, are you feeling confident that you can beat us? Prediction for score?
Rom had a hex on you guys, guaranteed to score in every game so his absence will boost you. However, it'll be a bear bit and a night game which will motivate us. We've had some right clangers overs the years but I expect this to be a cagey affair. It reminds me of Mike Walkers penultimate game in '94 which I listened to on Capital Gold with Jonathan Pearce sounding like a screaming banshee. We narrowly beat you 1-0 nil that night and I'm predicting the same score-line Wednesday with Sandro to bag the winner. Whatever happens I'm going to miss out! It's my birthday and my missus is taking me to the theatre which is a complete cock up on my part. I''ll have my phone on silent but will be dreading any messages from my West Ham buddy whose sure to let me know if you score. Hopefully when I leave the theatre my inbox will be clear, Everton will have won and I'll be wording my text asking how it all went. God, football is a cruel mistress!!

Thanks to Jim for his time, his musings on food can be found at The Disabled Chef
For my part I think that we can get the 7th away victory of my lifetime at Goodison: 1 – 2 to West Ham. Come on you Irons!

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