Daily WHUFC News - 22nd December 2017

Quina targeting maiden Premier League start
WHUFC.com

Domingos Quina wants a bite of the Premier League after tasting his maiden first-team start in Tuesday's Carabao Cup quarter-final at Arsenal. The West Ham United teenager showed well in a central midfield role at the Emirates Stadium, despite ending up on the losing side. The 18-year-old, who had previously made four substitute appearances in the UEFA Europa League and EFL Cup, said the backing he received from his teammates meant any nerves had disappeared well before kick-off. "I found out in the meeting when the starting line-up was put on the screen and I saw my name!" he smiled. "I just thought 'Wow! What is happening?', but before the game I was relaxed and chilled and wasn't nervous or thinking about it being against Arsenal in a big stadium. "I felt pretty comfortable, for my first start. I was saying to Declan before the game in the changing room, 'I don't know why I'm not feeling nervous. I'm too chilled'. He just said to me 'Go out and do your thing, like you do in training' and that's what I tried to do when I had the ball. "Andre [Ayew] and Chicharito also said to me 'We know you have the quality to play here, so go out and enjoy yourself. You're here for a reason, so be responsible and do what you can' and I thought I did that.
"I just wanted to go out there and enjoy myself and, to be fair, I thought I did all right."

Domingos Quina challenges Olivier GiroudQuina is known more for his offensive talents than his defensive skills, but the teenager worked his socks off for his team in north London. Playing on the left of a central midfield three alongside Declan Rice and Pedro Obiang, the Guinea Bissau-born youngster was disciplined in his positioning, elusive in his movement and incisive in his passing, particularly in combination with Arthur Masuaku. "Because of the way the game went, we defended a lot and I was able to help out with that. I did what the manager wanted and what the team needed me to do, and I thought I did that. "I did get to express myself and do my thing a little bit going forward, too, and I enjoyed combining with Arthur down the left a few times. I just tried to do what was best for the team, rather than what was best for myself. "We were in the game and if we'd scored the first goal, we'd have won it. The goal Arsenal didn't score wasn't like they cut us apart to create it. "We've just got to learn from it and move on."

Having won a UEFA European U17 Championship with Portugal and appeared in European and domestic cup competitions with the Hammers, Quina's next ambition is to make his first Premier League start. "That's the big one! I don't know when it's going to happen, obviously, but I'll be ready for it. I'll be training hard to get the opportunity and be more involved in the games."

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Byram offers update on return from injury
WHUFC.com

Sam Byram is closing in on a return to full training and is eager to grasp the chance to impress manager David Moyes. Byram has been out of action since the beginning of November, having sustained a muscle injury in training, and is yet to play in a match for West Ham United since the appointment of the Scotsman last month. The 24-year-old is now back running and pushing to return to full training with his teammates, and show the manager just what he can offer on the pitch.
"I'm feeling good," Byram told whufc.com. "It's been a frustrating one. The timing, with a new manager coming in, has been frustrating, because I would have liked to have been able to show him what I can do and get a chance. "However, I'm over the worst of it now. I'm back outside running, and I've just started integrating the footballs as well. It's not going to be long before I'm back training with the lads and helping out. "I just want to get myself fit, help the team in any way I can, and impress the new manager."

In Byram's absence the Hammers have found form in the league, leaping out of the relegation zone with a 3-0 win over Stoke City at the weekend, giving the Irons seven points from their last three league contests. The right-back has been impressed with what he's seen from his colleagues in recent weeks and has called on the side to continue their good form and push up the league. The Hammers take on Newcastle and West Brom at London Stadium over the festive period, with a Boxing Day match away to Bournemouth sandwiched in between. Byram added: "I think in the last few games we've been starting to look like a real team. We've put in some good performances and done well. "We can't slack off now. We need to take our good performances into the coming games over Christmas and not take them for granted. We got those wins against Chelsea and Stoke through hard work and organisation and we need to do the same in the coming games."

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Collins: The confidence is back
WHUFC.com

James Collins is confident the Hammers can continue their fine run of Premier League form when they host Newcastle United on Saturday. West Ham welcome the struggling Magpies to east London for their final home game of 2017 and want to end the year on a high, having defeated Chelsea and Stoke and drawn with Arsenal in their last three league outings. After keeping clean sheets in all three, Collins is delighted with how the team have tightened up as a unit and he was especially pleased to play his part at Stoke last weekend after missing 12 weeks of the season with a calf injury. "We're full of confidence, as you might expect," the Welshman said. "A few weeks back, the confidence was low and people were probably fearing the worst with the games that we had, but it shows the character of the lads to come through and get seven points from the last three games. "We've got a big game against Newcastle now, but our confidence is high and I'm sure we can get another three points on Saturday. "We were happy we played Stoke last week after the power cut threatened to have the game postponed, because we thought it was a good time to play them, and hopefully that's the case again this weekend. "I'm 34 now and I feel good. I was out for 12 weeks, which is a long time, but I came back in and the boys really helped me out and performed really well, so I feel great."

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A REFLECTION ON THE ARSENAL MATCH
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 21 DECEMBER 2017 AT 4:53PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by @SKD_WHUFC

Firstly, I have nothing but praise for the last few games. Manager and players have got it all right and we are finally going in the right direction. I'm excited to watch us play each weekend again!

Now on to the game….

The team selection looked like it was pieced together with bubble gum and sticky tape. Clearly a quarter final is not on the priority list for Moyes which actually pisses me off no end. With no chance of a league position note worthy, we need to give everything we have for Cup games. I'm not talking about playing the starting 11 but we should have the same desire, drive and appetite for it. Either Moyes specifically instructed them to just compete, nothing more.. or change in confidence and work-rate is only happening with about 14 of the total squad. 1 shot from 90+ minutes shouldn't ever be acceptable, let alone in a quarter final. FFS!

Here are some of my personal observations –

Quina – The lad is 2-3 years away from having any impact at the highest level. Looked very average against a second string Arsenal midfield.

Cresswell – Had more interest in dental surgery than playing on the right side. I don't recall him going forward ONCE.

Rice – Decent without being spectacular. Not fast enough to play at wing back. Another strange decision.

Obiang – Good into tackles and to press but my god does the man need to work on how he helps us keep the ball.

Masuaku – I'll get slated for this… but oh well… great on the ball but shocking in product. I don't recall a shot, cross or critical pass in final third in quiet some time now.

Ayew / Chica – didn't get any support of service other than chasing Arsenal players facing their own goal. They had to drop as deep as holding mid to even get the ball at their feet. I really felt for them tonight.

Reid / Collins / Og – Poor defending for the goal, but looked reasonable outside of that.

Hart – Unfortunately really showed why he is currently the second choice. Could have easily come out on the goal and was rash when coming for the ball, earning himself a yellow in the process.

Carroll – Needs to be shown the door this window. He prevents play from being fluid with his fouls and style of play. Lacks quality on the ground and doesn't really have a desire right now. Feels as though he is collecting a wage cheque.

Sakho – Plays like he's shopping himself around.

Resting players is one thing, but setting yourself up to fail with strange changes and a lack of gameplay is completely something else. With the fact we are unlikely to win the league in the next 10 years, if we treat Cup contests like this year after year, our drought will last longer than England's World Cup drought. Very poor WHU.

Onwards and upwards to the Newcastle game with optimism that our league form continues.

COYI's!

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WEST HAM UNITED AND THEIR FANS – PIONEERS OF KICK IT OUT!!
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 21 DECEMBER 2017 AT 5:21PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk

It really gets on my nerves when I read negative stuff about West Ham fans and the club in the press. You always read and hear the stereo types that our fans are trouble makers, racists and are rude. Whenever there is a slight altercation involving a West Ham fan at a match it seems to make the headlines, yet when other fans do it, there appears to be no mention.

Most recently there was a report of some altercation at the recent Carabao Cup game between West Ham and Arsenal. Again, it appeared to be blown all out of proportion.

Yes, we've had issues in the past, but they are no where near as bad now, and nowhere any worse than any other club. Just last year, a group of my friends from the Punjabi Wolves received racial abuse at a Leeds game which was this not reported in the press. I was totally gob smacked at the fact, if it had happened at a West Ham game, it would have been reported. You never hear that sort of racist stuff at West Ham games nowadays and there is a reason why you don't. It hasn't just happened over night either. You may not be aware, but West Ham United and its fans are pioneers of kicking out racism out of West Ham.

Back in 1996 West Ham United and their fans, were actively trying to kick the racists and fascists out of the club. While other clubs were talking about it, West Ham and their fans were actually doing it. The above card details, a partnership formed by West Ham United football club, it's fans and "Newham Monitoring Project – NMP" (a local East London anti-racism organisation). Fans of all colours at West Ham were uniting and handing these cards out. They didn't want the racists at the club and there were several reasons for this.

Most fans had friends from lots of backgrounds, and did not want their Black/Asian friends/fans being abused.
Fans and the club wanted the fan base to grow, and wanted the local kids (Black/Asian) to support their local team and not Man United and Liverpool (like many of them did)
Fans saw their own black players being abused by opposing fans and did not like that.
There were many other reasons too, but the bottom line was the Club and the majority of the fans saw racism as unacceptable. It must be said that NMP provided the catalyst for all this to happen. Pioneers, there like Asad, Gilly and Piara led the way. This anti-racism movement at West Ham was in full flight, long before mainstream media jumped on the bandwagon. Even some notorious ex-hooligans started handing out cards saying "we don't want to be like Millwall".

It wasn't plain sailing. I remember one of my mates Gilly saying "he had nearly been attacked for handing out a card", but on the whole, it was well received. You could say West Ham United and the fans took proactive action, when other clubs just talked about it. Kick it Out had been running since 1993, but to my mind had not really made the headway it wanted to. West Ham United and its fans just quietly got on with it, in the "West Ham Way" of doing things. They made a difference to fans like me. Today thanks to them, I feel totally accepted. I've never had any issues with any fans when I go to games. There will always be the exception and "a village idiot" at a game, but "idiots" like that usually get grief off everyone.

Today we have a West Ham Family to be proud of. A diverse family made up of brothers and sisters of all walks of life, colour, orientation, age, sex etc, and we all accept each other.

So, when you read some crappy two-bit journalist call out West Ham fans as being hooligans and thugs, tell them the above history. Tell them, we had one of the first black players in Clyde Best. Tell them we were pioneers in kicking out racism, when other clubs just talked about it. Tell them we come from a diverse area, and our cockney spirit embraces everyone. Tell them, we may use the occasional colourful metaphor, but when it come to equality and diversity in football, it was West Ham United and its fans that led the way.

Be loud!
Be proud!

Know your club history

COME ON YOU IRONS!
By
Vic Singh @vicsinghb

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WHERE DO WE GO FROM ARSENAL AND WHAT SHOULD WE DO FOR NEWCASTLE?
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 21 DECEMBER 2017 AT 5:12PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by Paul Schofield

Well that's it for West Ham and the Carabao Cup….I wasn't at the game unfortunately but listened on the radio and it sounded very disappointing!!! That said are we really that sad to be out of this competition? We still languish in the bottom half of the table only a loss away from being back in the bottom three. For that reason I can't help but think that us getting through the Arsenal cup game with no new injuries (to my knowledge) and some game time for some of the fringe players is about as positive as we could have hoped for from such a poor performance.

I can't argue with Moyes changing the side for this game….a lot of the first choice players looked out on their feet after Arsenal in the league and then Stoke. Just look at Giroud for Arsenal…I am sure that there are plenty of Arsenal fans waking up this morning gutted to have lost him for the next however many weeks. What this game does show is a lack of strength in depth in our squad. A lot of noise has been made about blooding the young players doing so well in the U23 side but I think there's a gulf between U23 football and playing in the first team. So hopefully we can strengthen in January!!

We move on to the Newcastle game with what you'd hope is a rested attacking force with Arnautovic and Antonio having a well-earned break. Who comes in for Lanzini? Did Ayew do enough last night….has he done enough during this season to get a start? For me the answer is yes. I believe Carroll is a great option from the bench but doesn't do anything for our quality of football when he starts. Hernandez has undoubted quality but I am unsure whether he works hard enough to fit in to our current system and we're certainly not in a position to be carrying anyone.

In summary I am ok with being out of the cup; not ok with the terrible performance served up by a second string attacking force! The teams left in the Carabao would have provided at least another 2 really tough games and even worse a confidence draining thumping in a semi or unthinkably in the final! Certainly the players owe the 7,000 fans that went to Arsenal a HUGE performance on Saturday and beyond. Staying in the Premier League has to be our priority now but there's always the FA Cup…….COYI

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HAMMERS BACK ON TRACK AFTER HITTING SOME RECENT FORM
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 21 DECEMBER 2017 AT 5:02PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk

After a dreadful start to the season, it seems as though West Ham have finally got things moving in the right direction. With just nine points from their opening 12 games, things were looking pretty grim for the Hammers and the club knew that something drastic needed to happen, and fast.

They replaced manager Slaven Bilic with former Manchester United and Everton boss David Moyes, and what a smart decision that is shaping up to be. Although they lost their next game with the new manager in charge to Watford, the side has seemingly transformed under the Scot's guidance and recorded 8 points in their first six games with Moyes at the helm. That's just one point shy of what they had managed to achieve from 12 matches under Bilic.

What's even more positive for the club was the quality of the opposition that they took these points from. A draw with Arsenal and a win against Chelsea has completely changed the atmosphere at London Stadium. Their loyal fans are now eager with anticipation to see what else this newly inspired squad can do.

Before the Chelsea game, they travelled to the City of Manchester Stadium to take on league leaders, Man City. The Citizens have been in sensational form this year and most people thought that this would be another one-sided affair in which the Blues romped all over their opposition. But West Ham took an early lead at the end of the first half when Angelo Ogbonna headed the visitors deservedly ahead. Unfortunately, after the break, Nicholas Otemendi equalized and then David Silva snatched the winner just seven minutes from time.

However, even though they didn't get the three points, it was easy to see that something had changed within the squad. They were more organised without the ball and created better chances from the flanks. This was a team that had destroyed Liverpool 5-0, taken down Arsenal 3-1, and hammered Tottenham 4-1, and they were struggling against the Hammers. Something had definitely changed under Moyes, and for the first time this season, supporters could see there was a light at the end of the tunnel.

With a new found confidence they welcomed Chelsea in their next home game and caused a massive upset by defeating the defending champions 1-0. Marko Arnautovic's beautiful strike just six minutes into the game was enough for the Hammers to take all six points. Although the Blues pushed hard for an equalizer West Ham were controlled and effective at the back and looked extremely threatening on the counter-attack. It was Moyes first win in charge of the club and the manager was obviously delighted to have beaten the title holders.

One of the key changes the new manager has made is replacing goalkeeper Joe Hart with backup Adrian. Against City, Hart was unable to play because of loan rules and had to be excluded from the squad. The reserve keeper was so impressive between the sticks that it seems he may become the first choice keeper, with Moyes opting to start the Spaniard in every game since.

The English keeper's form has come into question on several occasions this season and letting in four goals against Everton wouldn't have done him any favours with the new manager. It's not a good sign for the England international that he can't maintain his spot in a team fighting to stay in the league. According to tipping site Oddschecker, his Hart's odds of making the World Cup squad have dropped nosedived in recent weeks, which means he is not even in the top three backed keepers to be England's first choice.

Adrian was in top form against the Gunners and helped the Hammers to another vital point. Although the West Ham attack couldn't break down Arsenal's defence, they were exceptionally good at the back with the reserve keeper making some fine saves.

The latest 3-0 win away to Stoke City was the team's most convincing display of the season and has given them a little breathing space between them and the relegation zone. Hopefully, the squad can continue to build on their current form and grab a few more victories over the busy period. If they play like they have in their last four matches, the thought of dropping down to the Championship would be just a bad memory.

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Arsenal 1-0 West Ham (And Other Ramblings)
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 21st December 2017
By: HeadHammerShark


"I'm wasting all my time
I push it all away"
- Day Wave, "Wasting Time"


Context, context, context. Breathe in, breathe out, stare longingly at that semi final draw and try and put all of this into context. We have a lot of injuries. Arsenal have enough players to have two separate teams. Arsene Wenger's dad is refereeing. All those eighteen year olds. It was cold.

But even with all of that being true, this still feels like a hollow defeat. To borrow from cricketing parlance - we died wondering. And so, on the way home last night, I found myself pondering whether this had been one of the most pointless endeavours in human history. Ninety minutes played with just a single shot at goal from us, and only one shot on target from both sides in the entire game, which Joe Hart most certainly did not save. What a colossal waste of time.

Watching such impressive futility I couldn't help but think of the Roman Emperor, Caligula, who was apparently so furious with the sea that he ordered his soldiers to take their spears and stab the water, and then commanded them to collect sea shells as tokens of victory. In his defence, I have often felt like this about my new Sky Q box.

Sadly, this story is unlikely to be true and is widely regarded to be a concoction of Roman historians, but as I watched Aaron Cresswell battle gamely here as a very makeshift right wing back, I couldn't help but think that if we gave him some Speedo's, a beach towel and a speargun he couldn't actually do any worse than he was doing.

"I wonder if there are any central midfielders in here?" says David Moyes


***

"Oh is this the way they say the future's meant to feel?
Or just twenty thousand people standing in a field?"
- Pulp, "Sorted Out for E's and Whizz"


So what did this mean exactly? What was the point of that stirring, life affirming, renewing-our-vows-of-fidelity comeback at Wembley if we were going to surrender so meekly here? After all, this was a quarter final of a major trophy and it's a pretty messed up set of priorities when we're exchanging all of that glorious possibility for a shot at finishing 12th in the league. But it's really a bit more nuanced than all that.

Of course, we took seven thousand fans last night, and even at a tenner a ticket we were being fleeced, given the performance, but before tearing into Moyes and the players too quickly, I will ask a broader question of those fans who are rightly angry at such an insipid display. For me, the issue here is not one of whether we should have been more attacking, but more one of whether we actually could have been more attacking? Because, while I agree wholeheartedly with those who say that we should never spurn any opportunity to win a trophy, I think it's also reasonable to ask exactly what people would have done differently. Simply saying "have a go" or "show a bit of passion" isn't sufficient because those are meaningless phrases. The question here is...how?

The problem for Moyes essentially boiled down to the fact that he had no midfield available to him. He lost Edimilson Fernandes, Cheikhou Kouyate and Mark Noble to the West Ham annual Christmas injury bug, and Manuel Lanzini to a suspension after he was found guilty of diving whilst playing for a team with a turnover of less than £150m. Similarly absent were Josh Cullen and Reece Oxford who are on gap years somewhere getting their hair braided on the Inca trail, and Michail Antonio was declared unavailable by our medical team after it was confirmed that this game would last longer than an hour.

So before he even began Moyes was shuffling deckchairs on the Titanic, and his answer was to hand starts to a pair of eighteen year old kids in Declan Rice and Domingos Quina. Alongside them was Obiang and they sat in front of a back five where Cresswell was pushed into service as a right wing back because Sam Byram has hamstrings made of blancmange and Pablo Zabaleta has bingo at Help the Aged on a Tuesday. To say we were under strength doesn't quite cover it. I didn't see a lack of effort on the pitch, but more a startling lack of ability.

Declan, you go here, Aaron, you go here...


As such, we battled manfully enough, but with no creativity in the middle we kept running into problems once we got past the halfway line. Our sole opportunities came when Arthur Masuaku was on the ball and was able to run with it. Beyond that, we were reduced to aimless punts in the direction of Chicharito, and generally hoping that we might get a corner and smuggle one in.

For his part, I didn't think that the Mexican did enough to hold the ball up, and instead spent too long trying to run off the shoulder of the last defender. That's not proper forward play, and unless you have some pretty accurate long range passers in key positions, is destined to fail - and we had James Collins and Declan Rice.

Ironically, the one time Chicharito did get in behind, he latched on to an Obiang through ball and was immediately bundled over by one of Chambers or Holding (I couldn't tell them apart). It was a certain foul, and possibly a discussion over a red card. Instead, referee Kevin Friend just ignored it and waved play on. Ho, hum, get the tin foil hats out again lads.

***

"There's the hum, young man where you from? Brooklyn number one
Native son, speaking in the native tongue
I got my eyes on tomorrow"
- Mos Def, "Hip Hop"


On a night of vanishingly few positives, and a literally vanishing Andre Ayew, I took some comfort from the performance of Domingos Quina. He started uncertainly, which is fair enough when you're up against players of the experience of Coquelin and Elneny, but I felt he grew into the game and showed some nice touches. He is diminutive in stature and clearly needs a bit more game time but I thought he showed enough to warrant further looks.

By contrast, I felt the game mostly passed Rice by, which is also fine because he's a centre back being asked to play in midfield and is also just eighteen. I can see why he gets in ahead of Quina, because he is versatile and more physically ready, but ninety minutes of passing the ball four yards sideways to Obiang didn't convince me that he has a future in midfield. To be honest, I'd rather he went on loan somewhere in the Championship for a month and got kicked around a bit and made his mistakes there instead of for us. I'll also note that I don't want him to have a season long kick-the-issue-up-the-road loan, like Reece Burke is having.

I must also confess that, particularly in this venue, it caused me to once more ponder the merit of sending Reece Oxford elsewhere. I suppose it's always true that on nights like this, players who aren't in the team can certainly improve a great deal.

With those two youngsters alongside him, Obiang was frequently overrun and so Ayew was often seen dropping back, and as a result we really struggled to get forward at all. it also highlighted that none of Ogbonna, Reid or Collins can distribute the ball, and really hammered home the benefit of having Fonte or Cresswell in there, simply so that the ball can be passed forward with an entire bloody rosary of Hail Mary's to accompany it. As you can see from this 11Tegen11 shot map, we managed a solitary effort at goal - a Cresswell free kick - and apart from that were reduced to cheering the half time penalties going in past the Gunnersaurus.


I mean, honestly, that's not even a shot map - it's a Subbuteo pitch with some gravy spilled on it. The goal was a cavalcade of shitness as Hart stayed rooted to his line, while our centre backs bumped into each other like they were blindfolded and drunk and playing party games, and Danny Welbeck popped up to shin the ball in after controlling it on his stomach. As a metaphor for the game itself, it was a little too on the nose if anything, and even the guys waving those annoying flags behind the goals did so a bit sheepishly.

And that was it. A League cup quarter final that circled the drain and disappeared without even the hint of an intervention. Not even the late, desperate decision to fling on Carroll and Sakho paid off as the latter was sulking and the former spent the entire time giving away fouls or being fouled. Sadly, the referee was adopting the old boxing adage of giving the edge to the team on the front foot, and thus ignored all of that. He also failed to do anything at all about Arsenal's timewasting and injury feigning in the last ten minutes - the only world class thing anybody did on the pitch all night. None of it made any difference of course, as we were so bad, but on a night when there was no beer on sale, and no spark on the pitch, it all just added to the irritation.

***

"Just wait 'til tomorrow
I guess that's what they all say, before they fell apart"
- New Order, "Regret"


But let's deal with something now, namely that this was a big game, and we never showed up. Context is important, and we can't ignore that we're in no position to sacrifice league points in pursuit of anything, but what this also signified for me was two things; firstly, that our squad is almost criminally weak, and that the death of the league cup as a credible competition is almost upon us.

The timing doesn't help. We are about to enter a period when our season will be determined, and we'll be playing five league games in fifteen days. We will have to play those fixtures without any help from January additions, because the game will all be over before they get here. So Moyes had to pick his poison and I can't argue with how he chose.

By contrast, a team like Arsenal actually need these games because it allows them to give playing time to fringe players. Between the league cup and the Europa League it's actually eminently possible for Wenger to give these guys a dozen games before Christmas, which is a nice way to keep your players happy. As such, this competition has become a godsend for those with bloated squads (the big clubs), and a nightmare for anyone trying to preserve ageing legs going into the woodchipper that is Christmas (everyone else).

What this has done then, is reinforce the point in the minds of chairmen and managers that the Premier League TV money of £80m is a far greater reward for a season's work than a cup victory. And while fans might disagree with that on a cellular level, we all also know that there is some truth in that. I hear plenty of fans arguing that they would take a Cup victory and relegation, but I have to assume that those people have not heard of Wigan. Sadly, even though I hate myself for typing it, it's not as straightforwardly binary as making that kind of choice. Fans forget that when you make a semi final now it's a two legged affair in January, when your knackered, depleted squad might very well lose 9-0 on aggregate to Manchester City, so even in that theoretical scenario it's not guaranteed that winning here would get us a trophy.

But what's also maddening about this, and the piece I sympathise with enormously, is that this is one of only two things we can win. As a mid table club, we are totally reliant upon cup competitions for actual silverware, and therefore to pack up and give up on half of our chances doesn't sit well. In fairness, I don't think it sat well with Moyes either, and as I've said above, I saw his stance as being one of necessity rather than ideology. But the fact is, West Ham are precisely the kind of club for whom the League Cup should be an aspiration. We should be too good to go down and too inconsistent to dream of much else, so this should be a target that we go after with all the zealotry of a Republican congressman cutting children's healthcare in an attempt to reduce his own taxes. But that's just not possible with this squad.

And even though I gave David Sullivan some credit for his hiring of Moyes at the weekend, I sincerely hope he spent this ninety minutes with his cheeks burning and his eyes on the ground. Look at the state of that midfield, David, and tell me you're proud of your summer's work. The folly and hubris of those purchases was laid bare as we ended this game with Ayew and Arnautovic in a three man midfield, and Rice as a wing back and even then our best hope of scoring was still our left back.

I thought it was telling that at the weekend, Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe rotated his entire midfield for their game at home to Liverpool. Not that it did them any good, but the point remains. Other teams have depth where we have none, and it's going to be an incredibly long winter if that's not addressed, no matter how well organised our back four has suddenly become.

***

"But my mother always said you can forgive and forget, and expect that most promises won't be kept
I guess I gave credit where it wasn't deserved
Some brothers must have preferred not to keep their word"
- Jurassic 5, "Great Expectations"


Another day, another falling out with Diafra Sakho. I understand why he, and other fans, might be frustrated with his lack of playing time, but he's seemingly such a disruptive influence that I can understand why Moyes isn't prioritising his happiness over that of people like Ayew or Hernandez, who aren't openly campaigning to leave the club at least.

So, with the Senegalese apparently getting £50,000 every time he starts a league game, he has started...zero league games this season. All very Entertainment 720, for those of you who know your Parks and Recreation, and seemingly a sure fire way to piss off a player who you need.

Fifty grand to start!


It's not that I think we owe anything much to Sakho, given his propensity for disappearing when the going gets tough, but I just don't understand why he would be given this incentive and then actively prohibited from reaching it. He has been ignored all season, firstly in deference to Carroll and lately in favour of two midfielders turned forwards. I can see why he might be a bit pissed off, and think that was a deliberate attempt to avoid paying him his due.

In addition, the sad reality is that he is the only one of our actual forwards with the capabilities to do what Moyes clearly wants from his front men - namely, to run channels, hold the ball up and get about the pitch with more mobility than a trebuchet. But from where Moyes sits, I can certainly understand how little desire there would be to accommodate the wishes of a player who is openly determined to leave.

What a way to do business.

Up the other end Joe Hart had another one of those evenings where he didn't do anything wrong but he didn't do anything right, and he won't be back between the sticks on Saturday. There was a strange, slightly down moment when some fans started singing Adrian's name after Hart came charging off his line and was booked for - as far as I could tell - not touching Welbeck. I get that fans feel Adrian has been hard done by, but when that manifests itself in actively trying to undermine the confidence of the guy on the pitch then that's a bridge too far for me. I accept that this was a frustrating night, a Fast and Furious movie of a night, a One Direction member's solo album of a night and a general waste of time. But we must be better than that.

After all, slagging off players generally has one outcome - it makes other players dislike the fans and the club. What do we think that Hart's mates in the dressing room think when they hear that? What about prospective signings, who are already wondering about joining a club with a near constant media circus surrounding us, a rehabilitating manager and an owner with a tendency to comment on them in the press? It's no wonder that Sullivan has to work harder than Antoine Griezmann's PR company just to get anybody through the door for a chat.

Come on folks - we're better than that. When I wrote my retro pieces about Ian Bishop, Trevor Sinclair and Jack Collison, the unifying feature was how all of them felt a connection with the wider West Ham fanbase that helped them in moments of darkness. I'm sure that there are plenty of other players who would state that they had the opposite experience, but the point does still hold, I think. We can make a difference, and we should try and make the difference a positive one. Otherwise, we're just wasting our time. We might as well stab the sea.

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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CLASSIC PARTNERSHIPS - MANU/MARKO POTENTIAL?
By Goatygav 21 Dec 2017 at 17:00
WTID

I was so fed up with the performance and result on Tuesday night I'm not going to go in to much detail about it. To say I was gutted is understating it. Declan Rice had a piece published on the official site pregame pointing out that the game is about winning things. Whilst I don't agree completely, let's face it – how could I ever do that as a West Ham fan, he was bang on regarding the essence of our hopes and aspirations within realistic boundaries. I'm a football fan, not a financial guru, so the arguments behind 'Armageddon' if we're relegated and Premier League results are more important than cup progression mean nothing to me. Thirty seven years without a major trophy have only served to whet the appetite. So starved of success are we that I'd take relegation and a cup win, nay I'd bite your hand off for it, seven days a week and twice on Sundays. There's much more I've got to say about this but I'll park it there as it's another subject altogether.

Football is a simple game complicated by idiots – Bill Shankly

On a far more positive note I'm really starting to love watching the Lanzini and Arnoutovic play together. Such a shame Manu's not around this weekend as I believe that the pairing with Marko is really starting to gel. Arnie has been a revelation in the last few games. If I have any kind of criticism of him it would be the amount of chances he seems to need before scoring but he's creating so much up top for us it's more than making up for it. Bill Shankley, one of the game's true geniuses, once said "Football is a simple game complicated by idiots," which he, later, qualified further by saying "Football is a simple game based on the giving and taking of passes, of controlling the ball and of making yourself available to receive a pass. It is terribly simple." We all know there's a great deal more to it than that but, in essence, pass and move has formed the underlying rule adopted by all the great managers down the years. The second goal against Stoke was a superb example of how the great Mr Shankley's principles can be applied. Good movement. Good passing but also a great understanding between two of our most creative players. Movement by Diafra Sakho for the third goal was clever too – one of the strongest aspects of his game and one we'll miss if and when he's sold. The ball to put him through for that goal was a slide-rule pass from Manu but he still had a lot to do and took it beautifully. I'm aware that he had fluffed his lines, somewhat, just beforehand but he showed his goalscoring instincts to wrap up the game. A big thanks from me to the team for delivering a great result – really enjoyed listening to the fans sing 'Jingle Bells' at the Brit.

So what next? Both Marko and Manu have time left on their contracts. Are we witnessing the start of a great partnership at the club? My feeling that this season would be a memorable one, before a ball was kicked, looked hopelessly wide of the mark. Now things are looking better. The Christmas period this season appears to be one of the biggest season defining periods in many a year. How big a miss Manu will be on Saturday remains to be seen. Necastle are not on the best of runs at the moment and, conversely, we've taken 7 points from 9 in games against Chelsea, Arsenal and Stoke away. Can we keep the run going?

Another who is coming in to his own is Artur Masuaku. He's really not a defender, for my money, but he's causing opposition defenders, especially full backs, all sorts of trouble. Great to hear him with his own song too.



Overall David Moyes has made a good start. I genuinely believe it's not all down to him. Stuart Pearce has also made a big contribution to how solid we're starting to look in games. Defensively we've improved hugely. Pains me to say it but the team often sat deep this season, with Slaven in charge, and were still leaking goals like a sieve despite the negativity and over cautiousness. Happily confidence appears to be returning. No more rabbits caught in the headlights – moving the ball at a snail's pace and passing back to the keeper. On the subject of keepers I'd be surprised to see Joe Hart return to playing Premier League games. With Adrian between the sticks we've played extremely well at the back so, for me, he should retain his Premier League place this weekend. There's a special relationship between Adrian, the club and the fans. Joe Hart, whilst being a good keeper and someone who I like, is on loan and, sadly, hasn't built an affinity with us yet. I know he wants to succeed for West Ham and is highly motivated and committed but it can't be easy knowing that he may well move on in the Summer. Not the best bit of business bringing him in IMO.

Like SJ this will be the last article I post before Santa makes his way down the chimney. Happily Mrs Goatygav no longer needs the sling on her arm and Christmas dinner is not under threat of having me incinerate it this year. So I'll wish you all a Merry Christmas – here's to another 3 points on the board against Newcastle making those brussel sprouts just that little bit more palatable.

COYI! West Ham 4 The Cup!

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MOORE-STEPHENS PART 2- SEATING CAPACITY
By Blind Hammer 21 Dec 2017 at 08:00
WTID

In the second of the Moore-Stephens series Blind Hammer looks at Stadium Capacity.

Nothing typifies the financial crisis surrounding the London Stadium more than the issue of seating. In my last Moore-Stephens post I looked at "relocatable seating" and the lack of a business case for this.

Today I look at the Concessionary Agreement and Stadium Capacity.

When West Ham entered the Stadium they believed that they had an agreement to increase the Stadium capacity to 60,000. In the event after the rowdy actions of gormless idiots, who struggle to rub a brain cell together, at the now infamous Chelsea game, capacity was restricted to 57,000. In fact this misbehaviour of the few morons, who thought they were somehow clever in confronting Chelsea fans, was not that serious in the general scheme of football disorder. However their stupidity was instantly seized upon by E20 as a bargaining chip to try and extract more money. It is clear now that there will be no application for a Safety Certificate to return agreed capacity to 60,000 in advance of a renegotiation.

So if Sadiq khan and E20 want to renegotiate we need to start with an analysis of the Concession Agreement.

There is both good and bad news.

The bad news is that the Agreement does not guarantee a capacity of 60,000. In fact there is not even any agreement to support the current 57,000. The relevant section is copied below.

Agreed Capacity means, subject to Clauses 15.5 to 15.8:
(a) A minimum of 53.500 seats when the Stadium is provided in Football Mode including a
Minimum of 3,400 Club Seats; or
(B a minimum of 49,500 seats when the Stadium is provided in Athletics Mode including a
Minimum of 3.400 Club Seats."*
"Club Seats" are, defined as;
" seat in that area of the Stadium indicated as "Hospitality", "Hasp+ Boxes", "VIP
I Hospitality", "VIP I Directors", "VIP" or "Corporate Boxes" …."

So there is the possibility that in the event of further crowd trouble Stadium capacity could again be punitively reduced. In theory capacity could drop to 53,500 and still comply with the Agreement. In such an event E20's argument, as before, are likely to revolve around the need for health and safety and security. However this could provide a thin veil for another agenda. E20 made this "commercial" agenda explicit when they responded to Sean Whetstone's questions on Stadium Capacity earlier this year.
They stated then:
""Any future application for an increased capacity at the Stadium is dependent upon an ongoing assessment from a legal, health and safety, and commercial perspective."

E20 have therefore unabashedly admitted that Stadium Capacity is of "Commercial" interest to them. Realistically we should expect nothing but stonewalling from E20 in advance of any renegotiation.

However the Concessionary Agreement contains good as well as bad news.

After my first post some supporters feared a scenario where West Ham were forced to play in a Stadium in perpetual Athletics mode. The Agreement shows that these fears are groundless. West Ham are the "Anchor Tenants" and their rights are dominant. Some example passages from the Agreement are copied below.

"* Football Mode Seating Requirement means a temporary seating structure to cover the running track and provide seating on each side of the playing surface with the front of each seat in the front
row of the Lower Tier being between 10 metres and 20 metres (inclusive) from the edge of the
playing surface, and adequate roofing to cover all the seats provided in the temporary seating structure that will provide the Stadium with the Agreed Capacity"*

And again:

"uphold the Overriding Priority Principle in accordance with Clause 7.1 (Overriding Priority Principle):
Provide the Stadium in a Fit and Proper Condition and to the Agreed Capacity for each Event in accordance with the Agreed Event Calendar:
1.1 Retractable and/or re-locatable Lower Tiers.
1.2 The front of each seat in the front row of the east and west Lower Tiers to be between 10 and 20
Metres from the touchline opposite the centre spot.
1.3 The front of each seat in the front row of the of the north and south Lower Tiers to be between 10
And 18.9 metres from the goal line opposite the penalty spot.
1.4 Position and rake of the tiers designed so as not to obstruct the sightlines from the Upper Tier seating
and provide reasonably acceptable viewing standards for those within the Lower Tier.
1.5 A new permanent and fixed mid-tier on the west side of the Stadium in order for spectators to gain a
view over the west Lower Tier in Football Mode"

The commitment to the Stadium in Football mode runs throughout the agreement and there is no practical way that E20 could renege on this. There are arrangements Where E20 can remove relocatable seating but these are heavily hedged to certain event windows and if E20 breach these windows they become liable to pay compensation. E20 can avoid providing relocatable seating "in the event of Force majeure", that is a natural or other disaster. The example given in the Agreement is a "Radiation attack".

So in all practical terms the Stadium has to be provided in Football mode as a matter of "Overriding Principle".

The question for any renegotiation then becomes not whether there will be a Stadium in Football mode, but what type of Football stadium it should be. , West Ham will need to clearly stake out what capacity they want, and renegotiate other Stadium features. What should inform these aspirations will be discussed in the next part of this series.
COYI
David Griffith

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Swansea City defender Alfie Mawson a transfer target for West Ham United
Alfie Mawson, the Swansea City defender, has been valued at around £25 million CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES
John Percy
21 DECEMBER 2017 • 10:30PM
Telegraph.co.uk

Swansea City are facing the prospect of another damaging player sale after it emerged West Ham United are targeting Alfie Mawson, the England Under-21 player.
With Swansea searching for a new head coach after the dismissal of Paul Clement on Wednesday, the Premier League strugglers are braced for interest in Mawson when the transfer window opens. David Moyes, the West Ham manager, has identified the signing of a centre-half as a priority and is ready to make a move for the 23-year-old, who joined Swansea from Barnsley last year.

Swansea could demand up to £25 million and use the money to fund their own signings. Mawson has at times struggled to repeat his impressive form of last season but remains a highly regarded English centre-half. It is understood Swansea are in talks with Mawson over a new contract, with 18 months remaining on his present deal, and the club are determined to keep him despite their perilous position in the table.

The sales of Gylfi Sigurdsson and Fernando Llorente in the summer proved significant and the loss of Mawson will also prove a huge blow as the club battle to stay in the top flight. Clement was sacked on Wednesday after the American owners, Steve Kaplan and Jason Levien, ran out of patience. Swansea have placed player-coach Leon Britton in caretaker charge and are holding talks with potential candidates, including Slaven Bilic and Frank de Boer.

The list of contenders is thought to be small, with ambitious moves for Louis van Gaal and Ronald Koeman rebuffed, while Ryan Giggs – previously a target for chairman Huw Jenkins – has ruled himself out. Swansea sources insist they could still appoint a manager before tomorrow's crunch game with Crystal Palace. Bilic, the former West Ham manager, is in the frame, while De Boer is also a contender, despite lasting only five games at Palace this season.

If Britton is in charge for the Palace game, alongside him will be highly rated under-23s coach Cameron Toshack – son of former Wales manager, John. But Britton, 35, has insisted he has no interest in taking the job permanently. "People used to speak of Swansea as a model football club," said Britton, who has been with them for 15 years. "It's been disappointing we've had so many managers in such a short space of time and we need to try to get the club back on track and settle down. "Moving forward, we have to get a manager in place and get some stability back. "It is not the right time for me to take the job on a permanent basis. I will always help the club, but I am not looking at the full-time role."

Swansea are four points adrift of safety ahead of Palace's visit and have secured only three league wins this season. Clement paid the price after the 3-1 defeat at Everton on Monday evening, despite his role in guiding the club to safety last season. Britton said: "This season has not worked out as we would have wanted. "Football is a results business and if you don't get those results, then it's the manager who leaves. "For one reason or another, this year we have not performed as a team. At this stage 12 points is not where we want to be and it shows our consistency isn't there. "People will write us off, that's natural as we're bottom of the league, but I believe in the squad and the quality we have can get us out of this situation. I hope we see a reaction. One of the reasons I agreed to take the role is I believe I can have an effect on the team."

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