Daily WHUFC News - 2nd November 2017

Date set for Arsenal Carabao Cup Quarter-Final
WHUFC.com

West Ham United's Carabao Cup quarter-final at Arsenal will be played on
Tuesday 19 December, with a 7.45pm kick-off. The Hammers head to Emirates
Stadium looking to book their first semi-final appearance in this
competition since the 2013/14 campaign, and will hope for a second Carabao
Cup London derby victory in succession. After seeing off Cheltenham Town and
Bolton Wanderers in the earlier rounds, Slaven Bilic's men produced a
stirring comeback to recover from 2-0 down and defeat Tottenham Hotspur 3-2
in the last 16. That set up December's tie against the Gunners, who have
defeated Doncaster Rovers and Norwich City to progress to this stage of the
Cup. The clubs have met twice before in the League Cup, with the Hammers
winning 3-1 at Highbury in October 1966, and Arsenal emerging triumphant 2-1
at the Boleyn Ground in January 1998.

Ticket information will be released shortly and announced on whufc.com

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Samuelsen - We can go all the way to Wembley!
WHUFC.com

"We can go all the Wembley!" was the message from Martin Samuelsen after
West Ham United under-21s beat Bristol Rovers 3-1 in the Checkatrade Trophy
on Tuesday night. The Hammers beat the League One outfit at the Memorial
Stadium and in doing so, secured qualification through to the knockout
rounds of the competition with a game to spare in Group C (South). Two goals
from Toni Martinez and one for the returning Samuelsen were the difference
as the young Hammers made light work of a little-changed Bristol Rovers
outfit. "It was really good to win on the night and I'm really pleased with
the team performance." Samuelsen explained. The Norwegian under-21
international was making his first start since late-September after injury
forced him miss much of October, but slotted straight back into his familiar
no.10 role behind Martinez up top. And from minute one he and fellow
attacking midfielders, Sead Haksabanovic and Nathan Holland were a big
threat.
He capped his return with a well taken goal soon after the restart, reacting
quickest to a loose ball in the penalty area to fire West Ham in to the
lead. "I feel good, I got a little tired towards the end but I'm happy to
score and I'm feeling good" he said. "I've scored those goals ten thousand
times in training - worked on those types of shots, reacting quickly, so
when I saw the ball I was confident I was going to score." "We (Holland and
Haksabanovic) enjoy playing with each other, we understand each others
movements and I'm very happy to be playing with them."

West Ham still have to visit Wycombe Wanderers in the group stages, but know
that last night's win has already secured their progression in to the
Checkatrade Trophy latter stages. The competition, which concludes with a
Final at Wembley Stadium, featured just three U21 sides beyond the group
stages in last year's Southern draw but Samuelsen still has his eyes set on
the big prize. "I think we can go all the way and win it!" he exclaimed.
"That's what we want to do, we're not here to just play and take on these
senior teams, we're here to win. We'd love to go all the way to Wembley."

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Westley - Tonight was a really good team performance
WHUFC.com

It was a near-faultless team performance according to Academy Director,
Terry Westley, after West Ham United's under-21s beat Bristol Rovers in the
Checkatrade Trophy on Tuesday evening. Despite conceding after just 25
seconds at the Memorial Stadium, West Ham dominated proceedings on a chilly
evening in the West-country and fully deserved their 3-1 win. A brace from
Toni Martinez – his tenth and eleventh of the season already - either side
of a Martin Samuelsen goal secured the points and guaranteed the Hammers'
qualification into the knockout rounds of the competition.
To take on League One outfit and win so convincingly was especially pleasing
for Westley: "The manner in which we won is extremely satisfying" he said.
"We've had a hard October, playing Manchester United, Chelsea away, then
Manchester City at the weekend and now to finish it off against a League One
side, who had a very strong team out today, we took it to them. "After a
disastrous start, it just shows the character of this group led by a
tremendous captain in Declan Rice and beside him Josh Pask, as centre-halves
they really got to grips with what Bristol Rovers threw at us. It was hard
at times, having to keep heading balls and clearing it out but when we got
it down, we passed them off the pitch. 3-1 could have easily been more than
that."

The equaliser came from the penalty spot on 43 minutes after Ben Johnson was
brought down inside the box. It was Martinez who stepped forward and
confidently drove the ball into the bottom corner to level things up.

After the break, West Ham dominated. Pace down the right, left and through
the middle from Haksabanovic, Holland and Samuelsen and Martinez
respectively put the Pirates' defence under extreme pressure and it wasn't
long before they cracked: Martin Samuelsen capitalising on some space in the
box to fire home from close range. Martinez's second and the Hammers' third
was the goal of the night, however. "His second goal was sublime." Westley
exclaimed. "The way he got in between people and he saw the keeper and
instantly knew he had to take it in one touch, it was a magnificent finish."


Toni Martinez's two goals may grab the headlines and Westley was delighted
with the Spaniard's contribution, but was quick to place praise on the whole
team effort on this particular night. "Sometimes you have 'it's a Martinez
show' or 'it's a Holland show', tonight was a really good team performance
by everybody."
"The challenge for tonight was: 'you want to go and show you can play in
League One or the Championship so you've got to show you're as good if not
better than these players' and we'll get back on the bus knowing that a lot
of our players can play at this level."

The win caps of a fantastic October for the Development Squad, who have
faced U23 opposition in Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City
before the Checkatrade Trophy battle with League One, Bristol Rovers, on
Tuesday. From a possible twelve points, they have taken ten – only a draw
against Chelsea, away, in between three hugely impressive victories.
"Without a doubt [we'd have taken ten points]" the Academy Director
explained. "That's what this group needs, those type of challenges against
the very best players. Saturday, we had four under-18s in the starting
line-up, today we had three in Ben Johnson, Conor Coventry and Domingos
Quina so we're young, we're a very young team in this league and we
outplayed them tonight."

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Ladies breeze past Worthing into next round of League Cup
WHUFC.com

West Ham United Ladies progressed to the next round of the Isthmian League
Cup with a comfortable 2-0 win over Worthing Ladies on Tuesday night. The
Hammers travelled down to the south coast for their second fixture in three
days but showed no signs of fatigue as they dominated in a match won by
Molly Peters and Amber Stobbs strikes. After just three minutes, the
visitors came close to taking the lead when Chloe Burr was slotted in down
the right-hand-side, but the winger blazed her shot wide from a tight angle.
Moments later, Dayna Chong went close with a 25-yard effort, but six minutes
into the tie, the Hammers had the lead they deserved. Stobbs' pinpoint
through ball found Peters through the middle, who coolly approached goal and
passed wide of the keeper from close range to make it 1-0.
Peters should have had her second before the ten-minute mark, only kneeing a
ball into the keeper's hands after Stobbs' lofted pass, but the latter soon
had the Hammers coasting with their second. Captain in the absence of Amy
Cooper, the midfielder approached goal with composure, finishing easily
across the keeper on the right side of the box. Peters was again foiled by
the Worthing keeper on 20 minutes, but for the remainder of the half, the
hosts tightened up at the back despite not getting the ball anywhere near
Sindi Kanto's box. Before the break, there was one last slice of action as
Stobbs crashed against the crossbar from a long-range free-kick, but the
Hammers went in 2-0 up and comfortable. Though Greg De Carnys' team could
not extend their lead in the second half, they once again dominated and had
their chances. The lively Rosie Kmita was denied from point blank save just
three minutes into the second period before her sister Mollie had a stunning
volley pushed away from goal.

On the hour mark, Chong was again close to scoring as her shot flashed
across goal and with 12 minutes left on the clock, Rosie Kmita's corner was
bundled just wide. The closest West Ham came to scoring a third was saved
until seven minutes from the end, however, as left-back Jasmine Auguste hit
the crossbar spectacularly via a touch from the keeper's fingertips.
Worthing held onto the second half draw but crashed out of the competition
as West Ham confidently progressed to the next round with ease.

Worthing: Samain, Mason, Cave, Emmerton, Langridge (Humphrey 62), Hewlett,
Forst, McKellar, Worsfold, J. Pallant (Debaes 90), Robinson.
Subs not used: B. Pallant, Carruthers, Hills

West Ham United: Kanto, Auguste, Wheeler, Austin, M. Kmita, Georgiou, Chong,
Stobbs (Chitatae-Samuriwo 57), Burr (Waithe 27), R. Kmita, Peters (Bent 57).
Subs not used: Miller, Mackie.

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West Ham United in November: All you need to know
WHUFC.com

West Ham United face a busy November across our first team, Academy and
Ladies sides. Find out where we're playing and when in our guide below…

FIRST TEAM

West Ham United v Liverpool
London Stadium
Saturday 4 November, 5.30pm

November begins with the eagerly-anticipated home clash with Liverpool. The
Hammers will be looking for a London Stadium response after losing out to
Brighton last time out in E20, while Liverpool also lost on their last away
day – 4-1 at Tottenham Hotspur. Jurgen Klopp's side are currently sixth in
the Premier League table, with 16 points from ten games, while they sit at
the head of their UEFA Champions League Group, halfway through the opening
phase.
Tickets for this fixture are available on the Ticket Exchange to supporters
with a previous booking history.

Watford v West Ham United
Vicarage Road
Sunday 19 November, 4pm

Following the third international break of the season, the Hammers return to
action with the short trip to Watford. A Sky Sports Super Sunday fixture,
the Hammers will be hoping to bring the Hornets back down to earth following
their bright start to the campaign. Last term Andre Ayew netted in a 1-1
draw at Vicarage Road.

Tickets for this game have sold out.

West Ham United v Leicester City
London Stadium
Friday 24 November, 8pm

The Hammers' second Friday Night Football clash of the season sees the
2015/16 champions Leicester City head to London Stadium. The Foxes have not
enjoyed the best of starts to the campaign, and Craig Shakespeare paid the
penalty with his job. Former Southampton boss Claude Puel has subsequently
been appointed to the King Power Stadium hot seat and he made a winning
start against Everton last weekend.

Tickets for this fixture are on sale to Claret Members.

Everton v West Ham United
Goodison Park
Wednesday 29 November, 8pm

The Hammers bring November to a close with a trip to Goodison Park to take
on struggling Everton. The Toffees spent big in the summer but have failed
to back that up on the pitch, and Ronald Koeman was sacked following a 5-2
defeat to Arsenal. Ex-Hammer David Unsworth is in temporary charge.

Tickets for this match have sold out

PREMIER LEAGUE 2

West Ham United U23 v Derby County U23
London Stadium
Friday 17 November, 7pm

West Ham United's Premier League 2 team play their second London Stadium
game of the season when they welcome Derby County to east London for a
Friday night game. After beating Manchester United 4-2 last time out in E20,
Terry Westley will be looking for another big performance from his team.

Season Ticket Holders can gain free admittance to this game, with tickets
priced at £5 adults and £3 concessions otherwise. Full ticket information
will follow shortly.

West Ham United U23 v Benfica U23
AGP Arena
Tuesday 21 November, 7pm

The Hammers head to Billericay for their final Premier League International
Cup group game on 21 November. After defeats to Tottenham Hotspur and a
strong Villarreal side, the Hammers will want to end their European campaign
with a strong performance against the Portuguese team. Season Ticket Holders
can gain free admittance to this game, with tickets priced at £5 adults and
£3 concessions otherwise. Full ticket information will follow shortly.

Arsenal U23 v West Ham United U23
Boreham Wood FC
Friday 24 November, 7pm

On the same day the first team face Leicester, the PL2 side take on Arsenal
at Boreham Wood. The Hammers enjoyed a fantastic October, taking seven
points to move up to fourth in the table, just two points behind Everton in
second place. Arsenal currently sit fifth.

Wycombe Wanderers v West Ham United U21
Adams Park
Tuesday 28 November, 7.45pm

After victories over Swindon Town and Bristol Rovers in the Checkatrade
Trophy, the Hammers have already progressed to the knockout rounds of the
competition which features League 1 and 2 sides, plus Premier League Academy
outfits. They round-off their group games with a trip to Wycombe Wanderers.
Ticket information will be available shortly.

LADIES

Coventry United v West Ham United Ladies
Butts Park
Sunday 12 November, 2pm

The Ladies kick-off November with a trip up the M1 to face Coventry United.
Revenge will be on their mind after they were edged out 2-1 by the same
opposition in October. Greg De Carnys' side have been building their form in
recent weeks, securing back-to-back wins against QPR and Worthing.

West Ham United Ladies v Crystal Palace
Rush Green
Sunday 19 November, 2pm

The Hammers return to home action with a London derby against Crystal Palace
a week later. The Eagles won 3-1 in their last meeting a month ago, but with
only four places separating the teams in the table, the Hammers will be
hopeful of coming out on top this time around.

Season Ticket Holders, Claret Members and U16s can gain free admittance for
this match. Adult tickets are priced at £2.

West Ham United Ladies v C&K Basildon
Rush Green
Sunday 26 November, 2pm

The Ladies end the month by taking on Essex side C&K Basildon. Basildon are
flying high in the FA Women's Premier League Southern Division table, but
with the Hammers returning to form, they will be targeting this match as an
opportunity to claim all three points. Season Ticket Holders, Claret Members
and U16s can gain free admittance for this match. Adult tickets are priced
at £2.

UNDER-18s

West Ham United's Academy side host Liverpool on 4 November (11am kick-off),
before travelling to Aston Villa on 18 November (12pm) and Chelsea on 25
November (11.05am).

The Hammers will be looking to climb up the table this month, with four
points from eight games to date.

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West Ham open smart new Store in Basildon
WHUFC.com

West Ham United fans turned out in their droves as the Club's new Basildon
Store opened on Wednesday. Supporters queued from 6am to be the first to
explore the smart new shop in the Essex town's Eastgate Shopping Centre.
There, they eagerly snapped up Umbro kits, trainingwear and a wide variety
of leisurewear, nightwear, accessories and Christmas stocking fillers. "We
are delighted to be back in Basildon by popular demand," said West Ham's
head of retail Kerry Patterson. "The Club has a huge following in the south
Essex area and this Store gives them the perfect opportunity to grab their
West Ham goodies for Christmas. "We have lots of exciting events planned,
starting with our Golden Hanger promotion, which proved really popular, and
we are expecting some first-team players to pay a visit or two in the coming
weeks. "The Store is fully stocked will all the product lines available
online and in our other popular stores in Romford, Lakeside Thurrock and at
London Stadium, so please pop in and see us!"

Among the first shoppers were the three lucky winners who discovered Golden
Hangers among the hundreds of lines on sale, winning themselves £50 vouchers
and a visit to the Hammers' Rush Green training ground. George Verlander was
the first to find his Golden Hanger, buried in a basket of Claret and Blue
footballs, followed quickly by fellow fans Steve Leach and Nigel Humphrys.
"I'm not Dale Winton off Supermarket Sweep, so rather than rush around, I
thought I'd rock in and when I saw the footballs, I had a poke about and
there you go," said George, from nearby Benfleet. "What a lucky boy I am! "I
woke up early, had my morning coffee and went into the store with a couple
of tactics. You have to stay calm and composed for big events like this and
thankfully it paid off. "I was very happy to walk away with the £50 in
vouchers, which I'll either spend on something I can find which fits me, or
on something for my Dad for Christmas!"

Verlander, a 1966 member at London Stadium, says the Hammers' decision to
return to Basildon was a testament to the number of supporters living in
south Essex. "To be able to come down the road and pick our stuff out here
in Basildon, that's perfect. If you look at the demographics, a lot of fans
have now moved out of east London to live out this way, so it's the
heartland. "There is massive support for West Ham around here, it really is
our heartland."

West Ham United's Basildon Store is situated on the ground floor of the
town's Eastgate Shopping Centre and open from 9am-5.30pm Monday to Saturday
and 10am-4pm on Sundays. Supporters can also shop online 24/7 at
officialwesthamstore.com

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Martinez to prove himself - on loan?
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 1st November 2017
By: Staff Writer

West Ham's in-form Academy striker Toni Martinez scored a brace that sent
Bristol Rovers tumbling to defeat in the Checkatrade trophy - but appears to
be no closer to a place in Slaven Bilic's first team squad. The Spanish
youngster helped his side - led ably by Declan Rice - to a 3-1 win at the
Memorial Stadium last night, despite the hosts having taken the lead inside
the opening 30 seconds. Martinez levelled for West Ham from the penalty spot
two minutes ahead of the half time interval before grabbing his second of
the night to make it 3-1, after Martin Samuelsen has sent United into the
lead.
And watching manager Terry Westley was subsequently full of praise for the
youngster, who, according to his post-match comments, is likely to go on
loan in the near future. "His second goal was sublime," Westley told West
Ham's website. "The way he got in between people, saw the 'keeper and
instantly knew he had to take it in one touch, meant it was a magnificent
finish. "The challenge for [our players] tonight was this - if you want to
go and play in the first division or the Championship you've got to go and
show you're as good as their players, if not better. "We got back on the
bus knowing a lot of our players can play at this level, for sure."
Having beaten Bristol Rovers last night, West Ham's next tie in the Under
21s competition is a trip to Wycombe Wanderers later this month; that game
is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, 28 November. The Checkatrade Trophy
(previously known as the Football League Trophy) has been running for 34
years and currently consists of 64 teams - all 48 clubs from League One and
League Two plus 16 invited Academy (Under 21) squads from the Premeir League
and Championship.
West Ham, who are in Southern Group C alongside Rovers, Swindon Town and
Wycombe won their opening game of the campaign at Swindon in August, winning
3-2. The top two teams from each of the 16 groups will qualify for the next
phase of the competition.

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Season already written off?
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 1st November 2017
By: Jamie Norwood

I know we're only 10 games into the campaign, but is this season already a
write off? From the way the owners run the club, you'd think they would be
happy finishing 17th this season as long as we're not relegated! I have
always been a big supporter of Slaven Bilic, but I think the majority of us
know he isn't going to be here next season, so why is he here now? Every
game there seems so much pressure on him to get a result, it's almost as if
we lose a game we're in a crisis. He is then given two games to save his
job. Which he seems to have done. But what happens if we lose to Liverpool
on Saturday? Does he have two more games to save his job again? Is this what
this season is going to be like? Just repeat this cycle until his contract
runs out?

Not only is it a laughable way to run a football club but it's also not fair
on Bilic. He has always acted with real class since he has been in charge,
he's never spoken out against the owners (when it must have been really,
really tempting) – he's always honest and it is clear he loves the club. I
do however think it is time for him to go, as much as it hurts me to say it.
You have to question his tactics and I think a lot of the players are
letting him down at the moment. Are they not playing for him? The players
look unfit and that has to be down to the manager and his coaching staff. In
fact the stats back it up:

- Rank 20th in distance covered
- Rank 20th in sprints
- We have the second oldest team in the league
- We've conceded six goals in the last 10 mins of matches – the second-worst
record

Not good reading. But not entirely surprising if you've watched us this
season!

The performance against Brighton was the final straw for me, a truly
shocking performance. Sluggish, no passion and literally looked like no plan
was in place. Carroll was out because of suspension, so we had Kouyate up
front as a target man (whose best position in my opinion is at centre back).
Now it wasn't Bilic's fault that Carroll stupidly got sent off vs Burnley,
but on the previous weekend Toni Martinez scored a hat-trick for the under
23s; why not give him a chance? Try something different?
Yes, we came back to beat Spurs, but was that because of Bilic's tactics or
was it that Spurs were so complacent? The weekend game vs Palace. 2-0 up
and two very good goals, so go for the kill. We are playing a team who have
three points all season so their confidence must have been rock bottom.
Come out for the second half and go for a third goal - why are we set up to
defend like we're playing Man City/Arsenal etc? Backs against the wall
stuff.

You look at the players on the pitch and there is a lot of talent there, but
the game management was appalling (both manager and players). You would
argue if Antonio keeps the ball in the corner (schoolboy stuff) we win, but
you cannot say Palace didn't deserve something out of that game. And that
has to be concerning when you are 2-0 up against them! Jamie Carragher
showed on MNF last night that when Antonio crossed the ball, we had five
players in an attacking position. 96th minute and 2-1 up – it's ridiculous.
I would like to mention the transfer window, where our net spend was £17m
(just 4m if you include the January window where Payet was sold for £25m).
Is that really backing a manager that you believe in?

Bilic came out at the end of last season and stated that he wanted to
introduce pace (just have another look at that sprint stat above). So are
these the players he wanted? Or was this Sullivan and Tony Henry? Towards
the end of the window Bilic wanted William Carvalho, yet Sullivan didn't
want him (or put in a derisory bid) and offered his own, alternative targets
to the manager. So once again, you haven't backed the manager? If you do not
trust his judgement, why is he your manager?
Are we really going to throw this season just to save the compensation money
of sacking Bilic? As I said, I am a big Bilic fan and I think the way he has
conducted himself has been brilliant, but I do think his time is up. It
should be done with respect. Not where all the fans will turn on him,
calling him all names under the sun. He deserves better than that. We left
Upton Park to move to the 'London Stadium' and were promised the 'next
level' – is that next level the Championship?

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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BUILDING FROM THE BACK – IS THERE ANY OTHER WAY TO FIND A SOLID DEFENCE?
By Goatygav 1 Nov 2017 at 11:00
WTID

When a new manager arrives at a club they bring with them a certain way of
doing things. Their 'Modus Operandi, or 'MO' if you prefer, is driven by
their own beliefs about how the game should be played. Very occasionally a
manager is lucky enough to inherit players who either suit the system they
would like to introduce or, if even more fortunate, add strength in areas
where the said manager is lacking. When Arsene Wenger arrived at Arsenal he
was taking on a team that had the best organised defence in the country.
Bruce Rioch had already begun the work that Arsene continued but both men
were the benefactors of Geroge Graham's defensively constructed squad. Many
have observed that Arsene Wenger was at his most successful during his early
years managing the Gunners. A large percentage of the observations have put
those cups and championships down to the strength that already existed at
the back with the famous Arsenal 'Back Four' of Lee, Dixon, Adams and Keown.
With David Seaman behind them it was a formidable back line. Without them
you could speculate that Manchester United would have completely dominated
the nineties and early noughties. Whether this defensively proficient team
was added to by either Rioch or Wenger is still being debated but bringing
in Patrick Viera added further steel to match that of Roy Keane's addition
to Alex Ferguson's squad at Manchester United.

Observations have put those cups and championships down to the strength that
already existed at the back
Love him or loathe him Mr Allardcye made West Ham hard to beat. He organised
the team in such a way that opposing sides found very hard to break down.
Probably more effective than, even, Mr Allardyce is Tony Pulis in this
respect. Within a very short space of time Pulis managed to turn things
around for Crystal Palace and save them from, almost, certain relegation.
Not just at Palace either – West Brom was another challenge. In fact the two
are very similar with the Welshman, in my estimation, edging it due to
slightly greater tactical knowledge. Be that as it may you have to admit,
however, that our last team manager brought much needed organisation and
discipline to the squad. One thing that both managers share is that they
played as defenders during their career. When they arrive at new clubs they
busily set about getting their respective defences organised and solid.
Every player knows his job exactly. A no-nonsense, or safety first, approach
is generally introduced as well as strong players in advanced positions who
can 'hold' the ball until they're able to bring in team mates. Wide players,
and play, are preferred with lots of crosses coming in from the flanks for
those strong forwards to get on the end of. A very simplistic view which, as
we know, in reality is far more scientific but it's a system that has worked
very effectively. Both managers have never been relegated despite, on many
occasions, being appointed by clubs in poor league positions in need of a
manager to 'make them safe'.

Within a very short space of time Pulis managed to turn things around
Moving on to Slaven you would expect, being an ex-defender himself, that he
would have come in and done something similar . Perhaps he would have been
better off if he hadn't inherited a solid back line and could have built his
own. When Slaven arrived, however, the defence was not the no.1 priority. A
more exciting, entertaining, brand of football was demanded by the club's
owners and many fans. That meant the signing of several players with good
technical ability, who suited a system of play that involved passing through
midfield, was undertaken. Lanzini and Payet as well as Angelo Ogbonna, who
was used to the more technical form of defending whilst playing in Italy,
joined Pedro Obiang and Michael Antonio, with Victor Moses on loan, as new
signings. My personal feeling about that transfer window was that it was our
best ever. Best I can remember anyway. Following that Super Slav went about
getting the team playing less percentage balls and more short passes out of
defence and through midfield. Personally I felt like we'd got 'our West Ham'
back. All was rosy in the garden in our last ever season at the Boleyn
Ground. Then the move and Monsieur Payet's sulk. One of the best transfer
windows in 2015 was followed by one of the worst in the Summer of '16. Who's
fault that was is subject to debate but, all boiled down, many players
flattered to deceive and we came crashing back down to earth. The rest is
history which I don't have time to cover off right now – suffice to say the
honeymoon period of Slav's first season is a distant memory.

By comparison West Ham's development has been a succession of speedboat turn
after speedboat turn.
Overall I get the feeling that, rather than building from the back, there's
an element of sticking plaster upon sticking plaster. If the team are going
to be successful in the future there needs to be a longer term plan. With
manager changes every three years this becomes very difficult but not
impossible. Some clubs do manage it. Southampton's 'Black Box' model, like
one of the steady ocean liners leaving the city's port, contributes to a
longer term overall plan. By comparison West Ham's development has been a
succession of speedboat turn after speedboat turn.

James Collins put in more than one 'Man of the Match' performance during
last season's run in.
So what now? We've had a quarter of a season played and we linger in the
bottom quarter of the table. I'm not sure it's all doom and gloom however.
Personally I feel that most of the work to do is at the back. When a defence
is looking strong it's far easier to play with more confidence and that's
Slaven's main challenge. Going back to the 'no nonsense' approach I want to
highlight one player who I feel made a massive contribution to our late,
good, form last season. James Collins put in more than one 'Man of the
Match' performance during 2017's run in. He was an absolute rock. Played
some of the best football of his career. Occasionally it was 'Row Z'
clearances but his presence seemed to garner confidence at the back which
permeated forwards up the pitch. Looking at Physio Room Ginge is going to be
out until mid-late November. Reid and Fonte make up our other two on the
injured roster. Not a great position to be in having three Centre Backs out
at the same time eh? The sooner JC can get back the better so far as I'm
concerned.

Overall, for me, it's currently about regaining confidence which will only
come if things are shored up at the back. Whether Declan Rice, Angelo
Ogbonna and Kouyate can step up in the next couple of games, or if it's
we're going to have to wait for the return of Ginge and Reidy, remains to be
seen however I do wonder if Slav will have that much time. Sincerely hope
so.

A lesson learned but a costly one.
Looking back to last Saturday I can't quite get over how naive the team were
in the final minute of the game. I'm not a fan of watching the clock out in
the corner. It's not what you pay your money for but, frankly, crossing a
'low percentage' ball whilst under little pressure was a poor decision. One
of a few options that he shouldn't have had. By that I mean it really didn't
need three other players charging forward at that stage – leaving the
midfield completely exposed in front of defence. A lesson learned but a
costly one. We all make mistakes, and I'm certainly not going to stop being
a fan of Michail Antonio, but that was a hard one to forgive at the time and
I won't repeat what I yelled when Zaha, subsequently, found the back of the
net. I'm sure, however, that it will be a hard lesson for Michail as the
dressing room will not have been an easy place for him to be afterwards. One
that will probably stick in the memory. Apart from Antonio's error the
entire team were nervous and negative, in the second half, whilst inviting
pressure and opportunities for Palace to create goal scoring chances. Work
to do there.

I like to end on a positive note and this news did give me some cheer when I
read it. After he has patiently stuck to the task I'm very pleased for Reece
Oxfrod who took his Bundeslige bow as a sub last weekend in a 3-1 win over
Hoffenheim. Let's hope the door of opportunity stays open for Reece in the
coming weeks and he capitalises in confident fashion. Mönchengladbach's next
game is against FC Mainz on Saturday , who sit in 13th, so if Reece gets the
nod it will, hopefully, be a winning home debut. Other encouraging stuff
comes from the U21's game against Bristol Rovers on Tuesday night. Another
great win, this time 3-1, for the lads with a great return from Samuelson
and more goals from Martinez. Very much liking what Nathan Holland is doing
this season too Great stuff!

COYI! West Ham 4 The Cup!

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