Daily WHUFC News - 5th November 2017

Liverpool secure London Stadium win
WHUFC.com

Goals from Mohamed Salah, Joel Matip and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain saw West Ham United fall to a 4-1 defeat against Liverpool. Quick fire finishes by Salah and Matip in the first period put the Reds 2-0 ahead at half-time, but Manuel Lanzini superbly scored to give the Hammers a way back into the game on 55 minutes.
However a quick response by Oxlade-Chamberlain put Liverpool two goals ahead again soon after, while Salah secured the defeat for the Hammers. West Ham began the game with a high tempo and could have taken the lead early on when Andre Ayew gambled and chased down a long ball, finding himself with just Simon Mignolet to beat. The striker, who has three goals in his last two games, lifted the ball over the goalkeeper but could only find the near post. It was from a West Ham corner that Liverpool scored their first goal. A quick counter saw Sadio Mane and Salah link up to create a three-on-one situation. Mane played in Salah and the Egyptian tucked past Hart. Just a couple of minutes later the Red had their second. A corner deflected unkindly off of Mark Noble, which Hart got down well to stop from finding the net. The England international however could not do much about the follow-up, which Matip gratefully slotted in. The Hammers were back in the game just ten minutes into the second half. Andre Ayew played a delicious cross, which eluded Joe Gomez. Lanzini was on hand to control the pass and delightfully dink over Mignolet to half the deficit. Unfortunately for the Hammers Liverpool restored their two-goal lead almost instantly. Oxlade-Chamberlain was given two bites of the cherry after his first was saved by Hart, with the winger making no mistakes with his second effort. The addition of Andy Carroll and Marko Arnautovic to the fray looked a strong choice of substitutions from Bilic, with Carroll and Chicharito linking well to provide another chance for Lanzini before the Mexican headed over after a cross by the No.7. But Salah made it four for Liverpool after Mane played the Liverpool attacker in. The Egyptian made no mistake with a half-volley into the far corner.

West Ham United: Hart; Kouyate, Reid, Ogbonna; Fernandes (Carroll 46'), Noble (Arnautovic 61'), Obiang, Cresswell, Lanzini; Ayew, Chicharito (Sakho 72')
Subs not used: Adrian, Haksabanovic, Masuaku, Rice
Goals: Lanzini 55'

Liverpool: Mignolet; Gomez, Matip, Klavan, Moreno; Can, Wijnaldum, Salah, Oxlade-Chamberlain (Solanke 87'), Mane (Milner 76'); Firmino (Lovren 87')
Subs not used: Karius, Sturridge, Grujic, Alexander-Arnold
Goals: Salah 21' 76', Matip 23', Oxlade-Chamberlain 56'

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Bilic: We have no excuses
WHUFC.com

Slaven Bilic admitted there were no excuses for his side's mistakes in Saturday's 4-1 home defeat to Liverpool in the Premier League. Jurgen Klopp's side came away from London Stadium with three points after Mohamed Salah bagged a double and Joel Matip and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain also found the net. Manuel Lanzini did get the hosts back in the game as he reduced the deficit to 2-1 in the second half but the Reds hit Bilic's side on the counter on a number of occasions and secured maximum points. After the defeat, the disappointed Croatian confessed it was poor to concede the goals his team did. "There is no excuse to concede some of the goals, a goal from your corner kick," he said. "Then, the second goal, you can call lapse of concentration or unluckiness but, at this level, no – [there is no excuse]. "We started well in the first 20 minutes and we had a chance and we had a good shape behind the ball which was exactly what we wanted. "We were covering space behind us but they are good with the pace of [Sadio] Mane and the pace of Salah and then we conceded two goals that are very cheap or very counter attacks for them. "We changed the shape in the second half, we were more open and we were taking the risks and came back with a goal but they scored straight away. "After that, we knew they had the pace on the counter attacks but it was a big defeat for us."

After the Hammers came from two goals down to beat Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley in the Carabao Cup in recent weeks, there was hope when Argentine Lanzini found the net but it wasn't to be for the hosts as Oxlade-Chamberlain grabbed the Reds' third within seconds. And Bilic admitted the Hammers now find themselves in a difficult position having only gained two points from their last four Premier League matches. "It's a very difficult situation. It's not the effort, we can't talk about lack of effort today. The first goal is a counter attack and the ball dropped kindly. "Our one player who was in front of the box didn't react really well and then it's hard to defend a counter attack. But now it's hard for me to talk about."

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#REFWATCH: NEIL SWARBRICK – WEST HAM VS LIVERPOOL
AUTHOR: SAMTWHWREF. PUBLISHED: 4 NOVEMBER 2017 AT 8:05PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by @SamRoyden

The embarrassment continues. Regardless of the slight improved in the second half, the lack of fight, hunger, leadership in the team is evident and hugely concerning after weeks and weeks being outplayed.

At the end of the day, Slavan Bilic picks his starting eleven before the game, the players are liable to do the job on the pitch. I've said on many occasions over the last 18 months that the buck stops with Bilic as the team manager however, how can you defend what is happening at the moment. The manager does the training, the tactics, the pre-match analysis on the opposition but it comes to a point when you have to look at the players mentality when you're slowly slipping into a relegation battle. You have to consider the uphill task ahead of us this season.

Liverpool came to the London Stadium in high confidence after winning in the Champions League but looking at statistics, Liverpool have conceded the most away goals so far this season which showed weakness in their defence and West Ham made minimal attempt to capitalise on that trend.

There is not a lot of good happening at West Ham at the moment but before kick off, a tribute was held for Remembrance Day with a minute silence which was respected by both set of players & fans and 'lest we forget' spelt out in the crowd in claret and blue by the fans, which is class from West Ham.

Neil Swarbrick was the referee who was appointed for this fixture. Swarbrick has officiated seven games so far this season, all of which in the Premier League, and has issued 17 yellow cards, no reds and one penalty this term.

I thought Swarbrick started the game well and from my experience, it's the first 5-10 minutes of the game which really sets the standard for the rest of the game. Swarbrick took up some really good positioning to see the small fouls in the first ten minutes. However, just like a flick of a switch, Swarbrick's decision making made a complete U-turn and he missed two or three blatant fouls, particularly from Matip on Hernandez. The Liverpool centre back swung a wild right foot and caught Hernandez on the knee making no contact with the ball. Swarbrick was again in a good position but I wonder whether the way Hernandez fell to the ground made Swarbrick reconsider whether it was a foul. Regardless of the fall from Hernandez, it was a foul and Swarbrick got this wrong in my opinion.

The rest of the first half followed a similar pattern. Swarbrick continued to miss or incorrectly award free kicks which made Swarbrick the centre of the frustration from the crowd, players & managers, up until West Ham let in two goals in three minutes and then crowd turned their anger on the players.

Mark Noble was the only cautioned player in the disaster first half for West Ham for simulation, which is as embarrassing as it gets. There was no contact by a Liverpool player. The West ham 'captain' stuck out a leg in the desperate hope for some sort of contact and Swarbrick was in the right position to caution Noble for this antics.

The second half only got worse for West Ham, with a slight hope of a potential comeback but for Manuel Lanzini's goal to be undone by allowing Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to walk through the defence to score 57 seconds after making it 3-1. Neil Swarbrick second caution of the game was as easy as they come. Winston Reid came storming into a very late challenge on Sadio Mane completely hacking the Senegalese down preventing the Liverpool forward from progressing at the half way line.

There were two shouts for penalties in the second half from a West Ham point of view. The first appeal was majority from the West Ham faithful involving Simon Mignolet and Manual Lanzini. The Liverpool goalkeeper was slow out of the traps to chase a down a 50/50 ball with the Belgian just getting there at the nick of time and getting his toe on the ball before contact was made with Lanzini – This was never a penalty in my opinion so a good decision by Neil Swarbrick.

The second appeal had more substance than the first appeal involving Alberto Moreno and Javier Hernandez. The West Ham man was inside the 6 yard box jumping to latch onto a very good cross by Marko Arnautović and whilst in the air, Moreno nudged the West Ham man in the back upon contacting with the ball which subsequently flew over the bar. I do think that Moreno was very lucky that Swarbrick didn't see it as I thought it was risky for Spaniard to make contact with Hernandez without making a legitimate attempt to win the ball.

To add salt to the wound, Manuel Lanzini was cautioned by Swarbrick for kicking the ball away in frustration after conceding a foul.

Luckily for Neil Swarbrick, West Ham's frustration was clearly evident with the players and the manager which reduced the heat on the referee after less than an encouraging performance with so many errors. Swarbrick started the game well in the first 10 minutes which as mentioned before, it is imperative to get a good start under your belt however, it went downhill after 15 minutes of the game.

The final season at The Boleyn was one of my fondest memories as a West Ham fan during my lifetime including the Play Off Final in 2012, which shows my age at 24! But as a fan, I'm watching week after week in disappointment and Steven Gerrard & Frank Lampard summed it up to a tee, 'West Ham fans don't deserve this' and we don't. A decision needs to be made because everything is wrong about the club at the moment and I was catching up with my girlfriend's Dad, Gary, this afternoon and he said, 'Look at Sunderland, a team relegated in the Premier League for not making correct decisions, lack of player fight and shambolic tactics and are now struggling in the Championship, this could be us if it doesn't change'. What a frightening thought, that our club with our heritage. Whether its the board, the manager or the players, something needs to happen before the next games that include Watford and Leicester.

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WEST HAM 1-4 LIVERPOOL – MATCH REPORT
AUTHOR: BRIAN KNOX. PUBLISHED: 4 NOVEMBER 2017 AT 8:59PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Match Report by @WestHamAmerican

West Ham lost this evening 1-4 to Liverpool in what many speculate could be Slaven Bilic's final match as West Ham manager. Poor defending of Liverpool's lightning fast counter attacks and a sizeable portion of the West Ham back four out with injury or suspension was too much for a relegation-threatened side trying to save their gaffer.

In the early going, West Ham played with some enthusiasm and hoped to reward the nearly full London Stadium crowd with a positive result. In fact, Andre Ayew almost opened up the scoring for the home crowd with an early one-on-one with Simon Mignolet that went off the nearside post. But the first actual goal was to Mohamed Salah who joined Sadio Mané on a quick counter after an unsuccessful West Ham cornerkick. Aaron Cresswell found himself in a two on one situation as Mane played to Salah who slotted in, out of Joe Hart's reach.

Less than two minutes later Liverpool found some success on their own cornerkick attempt as it deflected off of Mark Noble but was unable to be gathered by Hart and Joël Matip quickly tapped it in for the second goal in 90 seconds.

For the second half Slaven Bilic sought more attacking options and pulled Fernandes for Andy Carroll. Having Chicharito, Ayew, and Carroll all on at once did make West Ham more dangerous and for the first moments of the second half, it looked as if the Hammers could climb back into the match, as they had at Wembley last month. Barely ten minutes into the half Manuel Lanzini did get West Ham on the score sheet with a talented finish as he chested a cross and volleyed into goal.

With the stadium crowd on their feet and the bubbles in the air, a great comeback was quickly averted as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain scored almost immediately after the teams reset for kickoff. While West Ham tried to get back into the match, a 75th minute goal from Salah, his second of the day, sealed the Hammer's fate, and possibly Slaven Bilic's as well.

The final moments featured West Ham slowly building their attack while Liverpool would respond with a speedy counter that usually had the Claret defenders on their back foot and Hart diving in to the turf.

A disappointing evening for West Ham, and after Sunday's matches this team could fall into the bottom three of the table. Whether the board makes a coaching change this weekend or Bilic is allowed to survive through the international break, this isn't what supporters on the East End had in mind after a seventh place finish two seasons ago, and a move to a much larger stadium. At the very least, the recovery of notable defenders should help stabilize the situation, as West Ham surrenders more goals than any other club in the league.

There should be more news over the next few days regarding the future of this club, as always check TheWestHamWay.co.uk for the latest and most accurate reporting as we wait for word from the board on the future of Bilic and his staff.

West Ham: Hart, Cresswell, Reid, Ogbonna, Fernandes, Kouyate, Lanzini, Noble, Obiang, Hernandez, Ayew.
Subs: Adrian, Rice, Masauku, Haksabanovic, Arnoutovic, Carroll, Sakho

Liverpool: Mignolet, Moreno, Matip, Klavan, Gomez, Wijnaldum, Can, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Salah, Mane, Firmino.
Subs: Karius, Lovren, Milner, Sturridge, Grujic, Solanke, Alexander-Arnold

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West Ham United 1-4 Liverpool
By Gary Rose
BBC Sport

Liverpool produced the "perfect" counter-attacking performance to thrash West Ham at London Stadium on Saturday, Reds manager Jurgen Klopp said. Mohamed Salah scored twice, while Joel Matip and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain also netted in a 4-1 win. The Reds, who are sixth in the Premier League, have now scored 10 goals in their last three games in all competitions. "Our counter-attacking was pretty perfect," Klopp said. "We had some wonderful play. That's 3-0, 3-0, 4-1, it's been a really good week."
Salah put his side ahead in the first half, firing beyond keeper Joe Hart after the Hammers were caught out by a quick counter-attack. The Reds doubled their lead soon after when Matip slotted home from a corner. Manuel Lanzini's deft finish briefly gave the hosts hope but Oxlade-Chamberlain's first Premier League goal for Liverpool restored their two-goal advantage before Salah's powerful finish sealed the win. Defeat for West Ham means they are 17th and just one point above the relegation zone. The Hammers' points total of nine after 11 games matches their total over the same period in 2010-11 when they were relegated from the top flight. "The pressure mounts game by game and at this moment it is big," Bilic said. "We will see what the club will do. The club is above everyone."

Liverpool's attacking play has been outstanding at times this season but during the first few games of the campaign they lacked the clinical touch in the final third to round it off. However, successive 3-0 wins against Huddersfield in the Premier League and then Maribor in the Champions League in recent weeks suggested that had perhaps been found.

With Manchester City hosting Arsenal and Chelsea entertaining Manchester United on Sunday, the trip to West Ham offered Liverpool an excellent chance to gain ground on their title rivals before their games. It was a chance they grasped with both hands. Against a side who had set up to try to stifle their attacking qualities, the visitors made the most of their few opportunities - something they failed to do earlier in the season - as two of their three shots on goal in the first half resulted in goals. Sadio Mane, back in the side for the first time since the start of October after recovering from a hamstring injury, highlighted why he is such an integral player for the Reds as his pace allowed Liverpool to break quickly from a West Ham corner. The Senegal forward took the ball from the edge of his own area to the edge of the West Ham box before setting up Salah for a simple finish. "I decided after just one training session to bring Sadio in from the beginning," Klopp added. "I've never done that before, but obviously it was not the worst idea I've ever had. Sadio is a naturally fit player, he is a machine."

Salah the signing of the summer?

The opener was Salah's fifth goal in as many games for the club and the winger is proving to be worth every penny of the £34m Liverpool paid Roma for his services in the summer. The Egypt international's second of the game, a neat drive across Hart into the far corner, means he has now had a hand in 15 goals in all competitions this season, more than any other Liverpool player. The win marked the first time since August that Liverpool had recorded back-to-back wins and maintaining that sort of consistency will be crucial to their hopes of finishing in the top four.

Is there any hope for Bilic?

It has been a testing season for the West Ham manager, who on several occasions this season has reportedly been teetering on the brink of losing his job, only to oversee a result that relieved any immediate pressure. The Hammers avoided a fourth successive Premier League defeat by beating Huddersfield 2-0 on 11 September and last month staged a stunning fightback to beat Tottenham 3-2 in the League Cup after trailing 2-0 at half-time. West Ham were arguably the better side for the first 20 minutes against Liverpool but defensive naivety proved their downfall. Despite knowing the threat Mane and Salah posed on the counter, the hosts left just one defender back for the corner that led to Liverpool's first before Matip was left unchallenged to tap in a second barely two minutes later. And even the glimmer of hope offered by Lanzini's goal early in the second half was quickly snuffed out as a lapse of concentration allowed the visitors to score immediately from the restart. Against a side who had scored six goals in their previous two games and won 4-0 at London Stadium in May it was perhaps always going to be a tough task for the Hammers, but Bilic knows his situation is becoming increasingly precarious. "I don't feel a broken man," he said. "On the other hand, the situation for West Ham is not good and the club is above every individual. "Of course I always believe in myself but it is not only about that now."

Man of the match - Mohamed Salah
Mohamed Salah appears to be getting stronger with every game for Liverpool. He has now scored six goals in his last five appearances for the Reds

Liverpool have scored eight goals in their two Premier League trips to London Stadium, the same tally as the Hammers have scored in their last nine there in the competition.
Since moving to London Stadium in August 2016, West Ham have lost more games at their home stadium than they have won (W9 D4 L11).
In fact, since the move, only Swansea (44) have conceded more goals at home in the Premier League than West Ham (41).
For the 14th time under Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool have scored more than four goals in a single Premier League game - only Manchester City (16) and Tottenham Hotspur (16) have done so on more occasions in this period.
Mohamed Salah has scored or assisted nine goals in his first 11 Premier League games for Liverpool (seven goals, two assists); only Daniel Sturridge has been directly involved in more after 11 games (10).
Indeed, no player has scored more goals after 11 Premier League games than the Egyptian (seven - level with team-mate Sturridge).
Sadio Mane assisted twice on his comeback from injury; no Liverpool player has been directly involved in more league goals since his debut in August 2016 (23 - 16 goals, seven assists).
Since Dimitri Payet's departure in January, no player has been directly involved in more goals for West Ham in all competitions than Andre Ayew (16 - 10 goals, six assists); nine more than any other player.
Joe Hart has conceded 33 goals in 18 Premier League games against Liverpool during his career; nine more than he has let in against any other side.

What next?

It is the international break next with West Ham returning to action on Sunday, 19 November, when they travel to Watford (16:00 GMT). Liverpool, meanwhile, are at home to Southampton on Saturday, 18 November (15:00).

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Slaven Bilic: West Ham boss under 'big pressure' after defeat by Liverpool
BBC.co.uk

West Ham manager Slaven Bilic says he is under "big pressure" and in a "very difficult" situation after Saturday's 4-1 Premier League defeat by Liverpool. Thousands of Hammers supporters left London Stadium early for the second home game in a row as the Hammers were left a point above the bottom three. "The pressure mounts game by game and at this moment it is big," Bilic, 49, told BBC Sport. "We will see what the club will do. The club is above everyone."

West Ham have lost three of their past four games at London Stadium and were unable to cope with Liverpool's pace on the counter-attack throughout Saturday's game. Mohamed Salah scored twice for the visitors, with Joel Matip and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain also on target. Manuel Lanzini briefly gave West Ham home by making it 2-1. Bilic said he would speak to co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold as usual after the defeat. "I don't feel a broken man," he said. "On the other hand, the situation for West Ham is not good and the club is above every individual. "I cannot say anything negative [about the owners]. They have been supportive, very good to me in my two and half seasons, but the situation is very difficult."

West Ham's next match is at Watford on Sunday, 19 November. "The international break does not change my situation, it makes no difference," said Bilic. "Of course I always believe in myself but it is not only about that now."

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West Ham 1-4 Liverpool: Mohamed Salah adds to Slaven Bilic troubles
Last Updated: 04/11/17 8:04pm
SSN

Mohamed Salah scored twice as Liverpool increased the pressure on Slaven Bilic with a 4-1 victory over West Ham at the London Stadium on Saturday. Summer signing Salah put the visitors ahead in the 21st minute and Joel Matip made it 2-0 from a corner shortly afterwards. The Hammers eventually responded through Manuel Lanzini in the 56th minute, but Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain struck back just 57 seconds later with his first Premier League goal for Liverpool and Salah then made it 4-1. The win sees Liverpool close the gap on the top five, all of whom play on Sunday, while West Ham continue to hover above the relegation zone after another underwhelming performance. The home side were booed off at half-time and full-time, and manager Bilic now heads into the two-week international break with his job potentially under threat. he Hammers could have gone ahead early, with Andre Ayew striking the outside of the post after Roberto Firmino was denied early by Joe Hart in the second minute. Chances after that were few and far between as West Ham defended deep and tried not to give Liverpool space to run in behind. That worked until the visitors scored two goals inside three minutes midway through the first half. First, Liverpool broke from a West Ham corner, with Mane racing clear from inside his own half and then playing in Salah to finish past Hart. Shortly afterwards, Hart saved from a corner but could only palm the ball out for Matip to tap in from close range in the 24th minute.
West Ham could not mount any sort of response before the break, but they did cut the deficit in the 56th minute when Lanzini chested down and then flicked a shot into the far corner. The celebrations were short-lived, though, as Oxlade-Chamberlain replied less than a minute later, finishing from close range after Hart saved his initial shot. Lanzini and Javier Hernandez spurned chances for West Ham and, after Firmino fired wide, Salah made it 4-1 when he drilled a brilliant shot into the far corner. Liverpool could have had more as West Ham fans headed to the exits, with those who did stay until the final whistle voicing their disapproval at the performance.

Opta stats

Liverpool have scored eight goals in their two Premier League trips to the London Stadium, the same tally as the Hammers have scored in their last nine there in the competition.
Since moving to the London Stadium in August 2016, West Ham have lost more games at their home stadium than they have won (W9 D4 L11).
In fact, since the move, only Swansea (44) have conceded more goals at home in the Premier League than West Ham (41).
For the 14th time under Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool have scored 4+ goals in a single Premier League game - only Manchester City (16) and Tottenham Hotspur (16) have done so on more occasions in this period.
Salah has registered 15 goal involvements in all competitions for Liverpool this season (12 goals, three assists), more than any other player for the Reds.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain celebrates scoring
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain celebrates scoring
Man of the match - Mohamed Salah

Salah continued his fantastic start to the season by scoring his 11th and 12th goals for Liverpool. The first was a composed finish with just Hart to beat, while the second was a superb drilled shot across goal and into the bottom corner. Along with Mane, the Egypt international looked dangerous throughout and could have scored his first hat-trick as Liverpool continued to flood forward late in the game.

What's next?

West Ham are live on Sky Sports Premier League when they travel to Watford on Sunday, November 19 and also when they host Leicester on Friday Night Football on November 24. Liverpool host Southampton and then Chelsea after the international break, either side of a Champions League trip to Sevilla.

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Slaven Bilic determined to fight on at West Ham after Liverpool loss
Last Updated: 04/11/17 9:00pm
SSN

Slaven Bilic vowed to fight on as West Ham manager after a 4-1 defeat to Liverpool, saying he has "belief" in himself and his players. The Hammers have only won twice in the Premier League this season and have now conceded more goals than any side in the division. Bilic's job had reportedly been under threat before West Ham beat Tottenham in the Carabao Cup on October 25, and this latest defeat creates more questions heading into the international break. But Bilic said: "Of course I believe in myself, in my staff and in my team and their character and everything. "I came so far from a small country first as a player then as a manager, so it's not about that. I am a big fighter. I definitely don't feel a broken man. I am very, very strong. On the other hand, the situation for West Ham is not good and as I said two years ago, one year ago, and now, the club is about every individual and that includes me." Asked what makes him think he can turn things around, Bilic said: "All my previous work and my dedication. "It's hard for me to talk now about myself. I'm not doing a job interview, I know that. I never like to talk about myself like I'm dead, I will never do it. I know my values. If I'm anything, I'm a strong man and I am a big believer in myself. "I am the one who is taking the bullets all the time when I have to and when I don't have to. So it is out of the question how strong a character I am. I believe in myself, I believe in my work, I believe in my staff and I believe in my players. Otherwise, I wouldn't have come so far from a small country."

The Hammers were largely lacklustre against Liverpool at the London Stadium, except for a short spell in the second half when Manuel Lanzini pulled a goal back for 2-1. But Liverpool, who had scored twice in three minutes in the first half, replied quickly to restore their two-goal lead before scoring a fourth to make sure of victory. "We conceded a couple of goals which had nothing to do with the game plan and the preparation about how we were going to stop them," said Bilic.
"We had to change the shape because we wanted to turn the game around. We wanted to be more dangerous up front. And it worked. That change left us a bit more open in the middle of the park "The third goal was very naïve because we needed just a few moments of calmness and then to start to build on that because there was a long time to go. But when you concede the third goal it's a killer."

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WEST HAM 1, LIVERPOOL 4. WE LOST AGAIN.
By David Hautzig 4 Nov 2017 at 19:35
WTID

Here's how a wine salesman prepares to pretend to be a football writer on a match day.

I sit at my kitchen counter with the first coffee of the day and think about what theme is bouncing around my thick head and try to correlate those often absurd thoughts to the impending events of the day. I then type the word TODAY, just like that, at the end of the paragraph to remind myself to go back and include a final sentence about what we all just saw. That's a clue by the way. Once or twice I've forgotten to do that, so if you see TODAY typed out you know I'm exhausted, sick, or just plain tired of giving West Ham another thought and I've forgotten to remove it.

Yet as I finish my blend of Ethiopian and Mexican coffee from my local Argentine coffee roaster I cannot think of any theme other than the gloom many of us feel. A gloom I expect to continue later today. A gloom I fear will be with us all season, possibly ending with what the people who theoretically could alter the course of history have called "Armageddon". And of course, I was correct.

The first moment of defensive anxiety for West Ham came in the second minute when Obiang fouled Moreno, giving Liverpool a free kick from thirty yards out. The ball sailed over everyone in Claret and Blue and Firmino found himself with the ball at his feet right in front of Hart. I expected an early goal, but Hart was able to make the save.

West Ham should have taken advantage of some good luck in the ninth minute when Lanzini ran at the Liverpool defense. His attempted pass to Ayew took a deflection and floated over Klavan and Matip. Ayew was able to stay onside and run onto the ball, but instead of using his right foot he tried a shot with the side of his left and hit the outside of the post.

Is there good refereeing in the world? I mean anywhere? In the span of three minutes, Swarbrick ignored an obvious foul on Hernandez, a slightly less obvious foul on Noble, and then called a questionable foul on Obiang. I'm not pointing those incidents out as a way of saying "whoa is us, the refs hate us". If I cared about another club I'd certainly notice similar time periods in those games. But I don't.

You know, when you win a corner you like to think it's to your advantage. Right? But this is West Ham. Fernandes won a corner after some decent work from Ayew. But Lanzini's outswinger was cleared, and when Fernandes decided to commit himself to trying to beat Salah and Mane to the ball you knew it would end badly. Salah pushed the ball forward to Mane and Liverpool were off to the races, three against the lone Cresswell. An easy rolled pass back to Salah and the net looked like the Red Sea.

West Ham 0
Liverpool 1

Because I'm writing now while watching instead of putting the report together after the match is over, my head was down when the two NBC presenters announced the second goal. I was unprepared. A low cross from Salah deflected off of Noble's shin, forcing a diving save from Hart. But the only players that followed the path of the ball wore cheese dip colored orange shirts, and Matip tapped it in.

West Ham 0
Liverpool 2

When Noble was shown a yellow card for simulation in the 37th minute, I made a mental note that it would be a small miracle if he lasted until he was subbed off. A reckless challenge leading to a second yellow leading to four or five goal drubbing felt inevitable. Along with an inability to string any passes together and a look of fear and loathing over the faces in West Ham shirts, the day felt lost with almost an hour left.

Halftime
West Ham 0
Liverpool 2

Did you know that Andy Carroll hadn't scored a goal at The London Stadium since that Crystal Palace game last January? I didn't. The halftime substitution made sense in that West Ham hadn't asked any questions of a Liverpool defense that has been among the worst in the league on the road. I was just unaware that the threat of AC was so statistically remote.

West Ham got themselves and the crowd back into the game for a moment in the 56th minute when Ayew sent a long cross to Lanzini in the box. The Jewel showed lovely skill to control the ball with his chest, turned Gomez around, and flicked the ball over Mignolet.

West Ham 1
Liverpool 2

The wee bit of optimism that had swept over the home supporters lasted less than a minute. Firmino beat Reid near the top of the West Ham penalty area and slid the ball on the right to Oxlade-Chamberlain. Cresswell looked like he had watched the baseball World Series and wondered what sliding into a base felt like. It would have been nice if he had tried that on his own somewhere, not when he was responsible for marking Ox. He slid by, Ox had his first effort saved by Hart but he tucked in the rebound.

West Ham 1
Liverpool 3

The game remained wide open, and West Ham came close to closing the gap to one goal again in the 59th minute when Carroll headed the ball down to Lanzini on the left but unlike his flick minutes earlier this effort sailed high over the bar.

West Ham had a solid shout for a penalty in the 69th minute when Arnautovic sent a short cross to Hernandez is the box. Just as Chicharito went up to head the ball Moreno gave him a little shove in the back and the ball went over the cross bar. Moments later Firmino was in on goal down the right but his low shot rolled past the far post and out for a goal kick.

With less than twenty minutes to go, Bilic added Sakho and used the last of his three substitutions. So West Ham had the following players on the pitch at the same time. Hernandez, Ayew, Carroll, Arnautovic, and Sakho. Offensive? Yes. But how was the defense? Offensive. Same word, two different meanings. In the 76th, Mane ran at the West Ham defense as if they weren't even there. He even lost the ball for a second, but easily won it back. He saw Salah alone in the box and rightly passed to him. He beat Hart with ease.

Final Score
West Ham 1
Liverpool 4

I'm not going to go over the same stuff over and over again. Here's my summation of the day. West Ham played. West Ham lost. West Ham in my opinion are in deep trouble, top to bottom.

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David Moyes emerges as favourite to replace beleaguered Slaven Bilic after West Ham's thrashing by Liverpool
The Hammers were beaten again at the London Stadium and Bilic is now facing the axe
The Mirror
Steve Bates
20:43, 4 NOV 2017UPDATED20:44, 4 NOV 2017

Slaven Bilic has claimed he's not a broken man - despite facing the axe at West Ham after a 4-1 defeat by Liverpool at the London Stadium. Bilic appeared a dead man walking last night – with former Manchester United, Sunderland and Everton boss David Moyes a big shout for the job with bookies making him 3-1 on to replace the struggling Croat. But Bilic was remaining defiant despite another damaging defeat which saw them slip to just above the relegation zone. Bookies cut their price to 8/13 for Bilic to be gone in the international break but he said: "I believe in myself the team and my character. "I've been a long time in football and come so far from a small country first as a player ,then a manager . "I'm a big fighter and I definitely don't feel a broken man. I feel very strong. But on the other hand the situation for West Ham is not good and as I have said it's not about one person and that includes me. "I'm a strong man and the one who is taking the bullets all the time when I have to and when I don't have to. "That's what a strong character I am. But are we playing well? No we are not . It's my duty and my job to take that responsibility and I am taking it and showing how strong I am. "I will speak to the owners when they call me. I will always face the situation and the consequences I never hide behind anything. "I have to talk to the chairman, we are going to discuss this defeat. " It's not the first one, it's the second in a row in home. It is a very difficult situation for me. "I always believe in myself, I wouldn't be here otherwise." Asked whether he still has the backing of the club Bilic added: "It's hard for me to talk about that now."

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Slaven Bilic should start turning up to games with his bags packed if London Stadium calamities continue
The Hammers were hopeless again as they lost to Liverpool and Bilic will know he may not survive for much longer
The Mirror
Simon Mullock
19:40, 4 NOV 2017UPDATED22:25, 4 NOV 2017

Karren Brady would have recognised the look on Slaven Bilic' s face – she sees it every week in Alan Sugar's boardroom. It's the one where Lord Sugar is about to point a gnarled index finger at some unfortunate 'Apprentice' wannabe and tell them they're fired. Bilic might not get the bullet for West Ham's latest capitulation at the London Stadium , but Baroness Brady must surely be whispering in the ears of David Gold and David Sullivan that the time for change is nigh. If the Croatian survives the international break, it might be an idea for him to turn up for games with his bags packed and a get-away car booked. It was game over inside 24 minutes for West Ham. By then, Liverpool had scored twice inside two minutes through Mo Salah and Joel Matip – and without even trying too hard.
Manuel Lanzini replied nine minutes after the break, but West Ham's bubbles were pricked 90 seconds later when Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain grabbed his second Liverpool goal. And Salah put the finishing touch to an impressive Liverpool performance with a goal that took his total for the season to 12. It was difficult to tally the sheer naivety of the home side's defending with the fact that their manager was a centre-back of world-wide renown. Last week, with three points at Crystal Palace virtually in the bag, a moment of madness saw Michail Antonio surrender the ball close to the opposition's corner flag and Wilfried Zaha to plundered an injury-time equaliser. The defending that allowed Salah to sidefoot Liverpool ahead in the 22nd minute was just as tragic. A West Ham corner, taken by Manuel Lanzini, was headed clear by Ragnar Klavan and when Salah beat Edimilson Fernandes to the loose ball on the edge of the box to free Sadio Mane, suddenly it was three Liverpool attackers against the retreating Aaron Cresswell. Mane ran 70 yards unchallenged. He could have picked out Oxlade-Chamberlain, but instead he returned the ball to Salah and the Egyptian caressed his finish past Joe Hart. Liverpool's next attack brought another goal – but at least this time it was from a corner of their own. Salah's near-post delivery didn't seem particularly dangerous, but the ball bounced off Mark Noble's shins and towards his own goal.
Hart reacted instinctively to parry the ball down, but Matip reacted first to score. Little wonder that while Bilic retreated into a thousand-yard stare, Jurgen Klopp shadow boxed in celebration. Both men needed to win this game - for very different reasons. Liverpool had an early chance when Salah's clipped free-kick and Emre Can's flick found Roberto Firmino arriving at the far post. The Brazilian controlled with his chest but Hart was able to block out the Brazilian's effort with his heel. West Ham also found some encouragement when Lanzini's pass was deflected into the path of Andre Ayew by Can. Ayew managed to squeeze the ball beyond Liverpool keeper Simon Mignolet from a tight angle, but his shot bounced off the post. Mignolet, handed the captaincy by Klopp in the absence of Jordan Henderson, finally came under some pressure in the second half after Bilic had replaced Fernandes with Andy Carroll. And Lanzini revived the Hammers in the 54th minute when he cleverly nudged Joe Gomez from under Ayew's right-wing cross to steer a finish into the corner. But Liverpool opened up the home side again almost immediately. Firmino's left Winston Reid floundering with a smart turn and burst of pace before releasing Oxlade-Chamberlain to his right. Hart managed to block the Ox's first blast but the £30million midfielder's follow-up flew into the top corner off the West Ham keeper's right boot. Salah completed the rout 15 minutes from time when he took Mane's pass to beat Hart with a lethal angled finish into the bottom corner.

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David Moyes in pole position for West Ham job should Slaven Bilic be sacked
Matt Law Sam Wallace, chief football writer
4 NOVEMBER 2017 • 9:26PM
Telegraph.co.uk

David Moyes is in pole position to take over at West Ham United until the end of the season should the club's board bring the curtain down on Slaven Bilic's time in charge after another embarrassing home defeat, this time to Liverpool.

The 54-year-old Moyes is regarded by the club as the best immediate option to shore up West Ham despite taking Sunderland into the Championship last season, one that ended with him resigning from the club. Bilic's contract is up until at the end of the season and he restated his belief that he could turn around the team's fortunes – no wins in their last four league games – after they lost 4-1 to Liverpool amid another defensive shambles.

West Ham owner David Sullivan has traditionally been unwilling to sack managers mid-season, or pay compensation to appoint replacements and Moyes would be available without a cost. Faith in the team among the club's support is shaken with thousands in the 56,961 crowd leaving early and booing at the end of the first half and at half-time, although Bilic was not personally targeted.

The club face Watford when they return from the international break which gives Sullivan and co-chairman David Gold some time to consider their decision. Asked whether he still believed he was the man to lead West Ham with the team one point outside the relegation zone, Bilic said: "Of course I believe in myself and my staff and my team and my character.

"I've been a long time in football and I've come so far from a small country, first as a player then as a manager. I'm a big fighter. And I definitely don't feel a broken man. I'm very, very strong. On the other hand the situation for West Ham is not very good. But the club is about every individual and that includes me.

"I believe in myself and I'm the one taking the bullets. What I don't question is whether I'm a strong character or not. Otherwise I would not have come so far. But, are we playing well? No we are not. And it's not only my job and my duty, the way I want to be is to take responsibility. But that also shows how strong I am."

Asked when he would speak to the West Ham board, Bilic replied "When they call me. I'm always facing the situation, facing the consequences. I'm strong and was always strong and I'm not hiding behind anything."

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Slaven Bilic ready to 'take the bullets' ahead of crunch talks with West Ham owners
Analysis: Bell tolls for Bilic after heavy Liverpool defeat
Premier League table: Hammers now one point from the drop zone
JACK ROSSER at the London Stadium
ES Sport

Slaven Bilic says he will 'take the bullets' for West Ham but does not know if he will be given time to turn things around after their 4-1 defeat to Liverpool. A lacklustre Hammers side were handed a second consecutive home defeat as goals from Mohamed Salah, Joel Matip and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain plummeted Bilic to his lowest ebb in east London. Having been given two games (Tottenham and Crystal Palace) to save his job after the Brighton defeat Bilic will have to answer some tough questions. When asked if he'll have the time to turn the tide at London Stadium, the Croatian admitted he was unsure but remained confident in his abilities. "I don't know. There are two situations. One, of course I believe in myself, my staff and my team and my character, I have had a long time in football. I came so far from a small country first as a player and then a manager. I am big fighter and all that.
"And I am definitely not feeling a broken man. I am very strong. "On the other hand, the situation for West Ham is not good and as I said, two years ago, one year ago and now, the club is above every individual and that includes me. "I never like to talk about myself like 'I'm that, I'm that, I'm that' I never do it I know my values and if I am anything I am a strong man and I am a big believer in myself and I never, and I am the one who is taking the bullets all the time when I have to and when I don't have to so that is out of the question, how strong a character I am."

Bilic is expected to meet with the owners on Monday, and the Hammers boss says he will face up to the consequences whatever the decision, and batted away suggestions that he could simply turn off his phone. "When they call me [I'll speak with the owners], when they call me. "No [I won't turn off my phone], I am not like that, I am never like that and I am always facing the situation and facing the consequences. Now you can am I am strong and I never hide behind anything."

Should West Ham replace Bilic, bookmakers Betfair price former Everton, Manchester United and Sunderland manager as a 4/11 favourite to be appointed the next West Ham manager, while Roberto Mancini (4/1) and Rafa Benitez (8/1) the other contenders.

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