Daily WHUFC News - 20th November 2017

Hammers fall to Vicarage Road defeat
WHUFC.com

David Moyes' tenure as West Ham United boss started in frustrating fashion
as the Hammers were beaten 2-0 by Watford on Sunday. Goals from Will Hughes
and Richarlison sealed the win for the Hornets, who rode their luck at times
as the visitors saw a number of golden opportunities pass them by. Cheikhou
Kouyate was guilty of missing two superb chances to equalise and Manuel
Lanzini had an effort cleared off the line, but Marco Silva's side held on
to record the victory in Hertfordshire. It was far from the dream start to
Moyes' West Ham career as Watford took the lead after just eleven minutes at
Vicarage Road. A cross from the left was only half cleared, and although
Andre Gray's attempt was scuffed after he had brought it away from Pedro
Obiang, it fell kindly for Hughes who calmly curled into the far corner,
leaving Joe Hart in goal with little chance. Andy Carroll had a header saved
shortly after and Aaron Cresswell tried an ambitious attempt from his own
half with goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes spotted off his line but on the half
hour mark the Hornets went close to doubling their lead. Richarlison's
initial effort was pushed away by Hart but only as far as Kiko Femenia, who
fired an inch or two wide from the edge of the box. That was as close,
however, as the hosts came to a second in the first period and next it was
the Hammers' turn to threaten. Skipper Mark Noble fired a superb pass
through the defence for Kouyate, who was somehow denied by Brazilian Gomes
who spread himself at the feet of the midfielder. And in first half stoppage
time, Moyes' men went even closer but it was again Gomes the hero for the
hosts. First pushing a Marko Arnautovic in front of him, the stopper somehow
reached up and clawed the winger's second effort away from the goalline from
point blank range.
Cheikhou KouyateThe visitors began the second half as they had ended the
first; on top, and a golden chance to equalise fell the way of Kouyate once
again. Great work from Arnautovic saw the Austrian get to the byline and
pull back for the Senegal international, who smashed well over with the goal
at his mercy. And the Hammers' misses came back to haunt them when on 64
minutes, Watford grabbed a second. Winston Reid could only find the feet of
first goalscorer Hughes with a clearing header, and the midfielder drove
forward, eventually finding Richarlison with a pinpoint pass. Bearing down
on goal down the left hand side, the Brazilian stayed on his left foot and
fired past Hart to double the Hornets' lead. With a quarter of an hour
remaining, Lanzini fired towards the bottom corner and thought he had cut
the deficit, but Christian Kabasele was on hand to turn it off the line.
West Ham continued to push to find a goal which would give them hope at
Vicarage Road, but Silva's team stood strong and the three points went to
Watford.

Watford: Gomes, Mariappa, Femenia (Holebas 86), Britos, Kabasele, Doucoure,
Cleverley, Zeegelaar, Hughes (Pereyra 83), Richarlison, Gray (Carrillo 90+7)
Subs not used: Karnezis, Prodl, Capoue, Okaka
Goals: Hughes 11, Richarlison 65
Bookings: Britos 29

West Ham United: Hart, Zabaleta, Reid, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Kouyate, Noble,
Obiang, Arnautovic (Masuaku 72), Lanzini, Carroll (Sakho 65)
Subs not used: Adrian, Martinez, Fernandes, Quina, Rice
Bookings: Carroll 27, Arnautovic 37, Obiang 41, Noble 82

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Noble: I urge the fans to stick by us
WHUFC.com

West Ham United skipper Mark Noble urged supporters to stick with his side
despite a disappointing 2-0 defeat by Watford on Sunday. Will Hughes and
Richarlison's goals gave the Hornets all three Premier League points at
Vicarage Road but it could have been a different story had the Hammers, in
manager David Moyes' first game in charge, taken a number of superb chances
which fell their way. Cheikhou Kouyate was denied brilliantly by Heurelho
Gomes in the first half and fired over from close range in the second
period, while Marko Arnautovic and Manuel Lanzini also saw efforts
miraculously kept out of the Watford net. Marco Silva's men took the points,
however, condemning West Ham to a third defeat in four league games and
leaving them inside the bottom three, and Noble admitted it was a
frustrating evening in Hertfordshire. "It's a very difficult situation for
us," the captain said, before imploring the Claret and Blue Army to play
their part in turning the season around. "The fans show their emotions, and
rightly so because they're not happy and they pay a lot of money to come and
watch us. "I know it's hard, I know they're frustrated, and we are too
because we know we're better than what we're showing, but I urge them to
stick by us and hopefully the good times will come back. "As much as we're
not performing on the pitch at the minute, we need them to stick by us."
The Hammers have been working hard on the training ground to get things
right since Moyes' appointment as manager, but it was a disappointing start
to the Scot's reign. And fragile confidence is a problem the Hammers are now
encountering, according to Noble, particularly after Hughes' fortuitous
opener for the hosts put the visitors on the back foot after just eleven
minutes. "To be honest, we went into the game with a lot of belief. We have
done a lot of work in the last couple of weeks but we conceded an early goal
and it's an uphill battle from there. "We had two good chances to equalise
in the first half but in the end, I thought Watford were the better team.
They have been together with their manager for a while and we've had a
couple away on international duty and we've trained with our young lads.
"But it could have been a different if we'd finished our chances but that's
the way it's going at the moment. There's a bit of a lack of belief in our
players and I think we showed it. "You have to stick together and work hard
and as soon as you start having a go at each other, it becomes hard. "Do I
believe we have got enough and will be OK? Yes, I do. But it will be tough
and we need to play better than we did tonight."

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Moyes: We've got to try to turn things around quickly
WHUFC.com

David Moyes admits he has plenty of work to do after seeing West Ham United
fall to a 2-0 Premier League defeat at Watford in his first game in charge.
The Hammers marked Moyes' first game in the dugout and 500th Premier League
match as a manager by conceding goals in each half to Will Hughes and
Richarlison at Vicarage Road. At the other end, Cheikhou Kouyate and Marko
Arnautovic – who left the stadium nursing a suspected broken thumb – each
missed a pair of gilt-edged chances, leaving everyone in Claret and Blue
feeling decidedly frustrated. Then, having gone 2-0 down midway through the
second half, confidence visibly drained from the West Ham players and
Watford held on for a comfortable and deserved victory. "I expected
something like that, because that's what it's been before," said Moyes, when
asked for his assessment of the game. "I was disappointed that we didn't do
better, but we missed a couple of really good chances at 1-0, just before
half-time. "The better team won the game, but there was a chance for us to
affect the outcome of the game and we didn't do it. So, we're going to have
to improve and hopefully I'll get the chance to work with the players over
the coming weeks and it will make a difference." "I was only ever going to
find out what they were like by working with them and then seeing them play
during the game. "I could see that they needed a couple of things to go for
them and, in the couple of big moments we had, a couple in the first half
and one just after half-time, when they didn't go for them then you could
see the confidence draining away. "We've got to try to turn things around
quickly and we've got to find a way of winning, which we will try to do. The
important thing was to stay in the game but, when we conceded the second
goal, it became a lot more difficult. "We ran out of steam with 15 or 20
minutes to go after I thought we started the second half playing better than
we did at times in the first half. We have things to work on and, hopefully,
things to improve on. "We have to try to win games and get results and pick
them up as we go along and I believe we will do, but we need to play much
better than we did today, because today's performance wouldn't be good
enough."
Moyes was rightly disappointed with the manner of Sunday's defeat, but urged
West Ham fans not to turn on his team at a time when they need their support
more than ever. "We need to try to pull everybody together. We need the
crowd and we need the West Ham supporters. I know from what I saw today why
they would be disappointed, because I'd be the first to say it was not good
enough. "I'm really disappointed with the overall performance, but it's a
start and we've only been together a week and they're going to have to give
me a little bit of time to do something with it. "Today's performance was
not good enough, but that's what I need to assess and we've got a lot of
games coming up thick and fast, and we need to perform better than that if
we're going to win."

Finally, Moyes confirmed that Arnautovic had been taken to hospital
following Sunday's game for his thumb injury, suffered as he fell awkwardly
while making a second-half challenge, to be fully assessed. "The first
thought was a broken arm, but it looks like he's broken his thumb and we've
sent him to the hospital to get X-rayed and we'll know more after he's had
it scanned."

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'We need to try and find a way of making sure we are together and united'
WHUFC.com

David Moyes has issued a plea for unity as he attempts to turn West Ham
United's season around. The new manager did not need long to see why the
Hammers have struggled this season as mistakes at both ends of the pitch led
to a 2-0 Premier League defeat at Watford in his first game in charge. The
loss, which left West Ham inside the relegation zone after winning just two
of their opening 12 top-flight matches, was met with frustration by the
Claret and Blue Army.

Moyes understands the disappointment felt by the fans, but implored them to
get behind the team ahead of and during Friday's visit of Leicester City to
London Stadium...

We need a united Club

I don't know the reasons for it and the history of what's gone on here, and
I'm really thankful that they have been supportive of me. But we need them
now, we need a united Club, and it's hard and people have grievances. But
the supporters know the history and the past much better than I do. I said
to the players at the end 'It's tough to play when the crowd's like that'.
Small things can make a big difference. I can understand the supporters'
feelings because we didn't play well enough in the second half especially.

The better team won on Sunday

The better team won the game. I did think we had three big opportunities,
two in the first half, one in the second, and I think they would have made
it one [goal] each. We need things to go our way to build confidence and to
get a togetherness, we need something. It's tough for the players, I can
sense that. But I didn't enjoy the performance in the end. I didn't enjoy us
getting robbed of the ball. We gave it away cheaply and too many times and I
expected us to do better with it.
I thought we tried to stay in the game. We wanted to stay in the game to
give ourselves a chance, and we probably did. Even at 2-0, we had a few
balls flash across the box with nothing on the end of it. But in the end, it
wasn't good enough and that level of performance will not be good enough to
get much better.

I thought we defended OK, but we gave away cheap goals. The first goal we
had three half challenges and didn't deal with it. The second one, I think
Pablo Zabaleta went in for a cross and they were then running at us in the
inside left. I thought we didn't do well enough in all the departments at
different times. But we created one or two chances which could have changed
the outcome. I thought Watford's build up and style was better than ours and
I hope ours will improve as I get to work with the players more and know
them better.

I know I have a big job to do

We need to try and find a way of making sure we are together and united. I
can only try and get wins which will hopefully let the supporters feel
better about the team. I thought this was a big job. I think there were
players with big reputations who disappointed me a little bit and I thought
they will show me more and show why there are regulars. But Sunday was the
first time I've had the chance to see them play. They need to show why they
have got a reputation. They need to show me why they've got it.

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#REFWATCH: ANDRE MARRINER – WATFORD VS WEST HAM
AUTHOR: SAMTWHWREF. PUBLISHED: 19 NOVEMBER 2017 AT 10:52PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by @SamRoyden

It's been 12 days since David Moyes was appointed to replace Slaven Bilic at
West Ham and I think it's fair to say that there remains to be some uproar
among some of the fans at Moyes' appointment. My initial thoughts was that
if Moyes can emulate the kind of performances, it would be a great
appointment. It's always going to be a tough job and miracles cannot happen
over night however, the disappointment at Watford will give David Moyes a
lot to pounder over about which players are going to step up and show some
fight for the team.

Andy Carroll, coming back from a three game ban, nearly enjoyed a further
three weeks ban after catching Watford's debutant Zeegelaar with a leading
elbow within the first 30 seconds. Andy Carroll is an utter liability and
with a challenge like that, is not only endangering an opponent but it's
purely and simply idiotic. Carroll was stupid at Burnley and he's followed a
similar suit with a serious of ridiculous and unnecessary challenges at
Watford.

I've said on many occasions that using your arms is a natural when jumping
to gain elevation especially from a standing position, but when you're
running and jumping at pace into an opponent and leading with your elbow,
it's unacceptable. Carroll, in my opinion, was fortunate not to get a yellow
card as an absolute minimum. If Marriner had showed him a red, there
wouldn't have been any complaints. Thankfully for Carroll, Marriner was
slightly out of position with the game only 20 seconds in, and the assistant
referee was in line with the last defender so this was missed by both.

Andy Carroll continued with his stupid antics by being cautioned for an off
the ball incident with Richarlison after becoming frustrated for losing the
ball. Nearing the end of the first half, Carroll thought after being knocked
to the floor that it was acceptable to have a kick out at a Watford
defender. Marriner had enough of Carroll over the course of 45 minutes and
called over Mark Noble for a final warning and Carroll walking on thin ice
going into the second half.

Andre Marriner is a very good well equipped referee, potentially one of the
better referees in the Premier League this season. I bet he thought that he
might have a comfortable afternoon with this fixture but he was kept on his
toes with a couple of big decisions.

West Ham's disciplinary record is one of the worst in the league for some
reason and with some of the challenges flying in and the lack of discipline
among players, I'm not surprised why. West Ham's second caution of the game
came when Marko Arnautovic, who was bright at times before his injury, over
stretched after miss controlling the ball and catching Tom Cleverly on the
top of the boot. Whenever you're not in control of the ball and you're
desperately lunging to win the ball back, you're not deemed in control and
Marriner was right to caution this foul.

There were a couple of challenging decisions that Andre Marriner had to make
with the first being a penalty decision from Watford with appeals echoing
around Vicarage Road. In realtime, this was a very difficult decision to
make especially from a TV viewing perspective. My heart sank and I thought
he was going to give it and when I saw Marriner wave away appeals, I was
relieved. It was only when I saw two or three replays that it was evident
that Richarlison actually trod on Pablo Zabaleta's foot before hitting the
ground. The fact Andre Marriner made that decision within a split second and
getting it spot on is an absolutely brilliant decision.

With West Ham playing very poorly and Winston Reid at fault for the second
goal, Will Hughes was fortunate not to be penalised for handball after the
ball bounced off his leg into his hand. After contact with Hudges' hand, the
ball looked under control, which gave Hughes an advantage which subsequently
assisted Richarlison and Watford's second goal to put Watford out of sight.
When reviewing Marriner's position, he was behind Will Hudges and wouldn't
have see the contact on his right hand. In my opinion, if Marriner saw this
incident, he would have blew for a foul to West Ham.

There was another Watford handball which came after a great piece of
defending by Christian Kabasele by keeping Manuel Lanzini's shot from
hitting the back of the net. The Watford defender put his body on the line
to make the interception with the ball hitting his thigh and ricocheting
onto his arm. There was no obvious intention in my opinion and would have
been an extremely harsh decision as it was ball to hand, not a deliberate
handball.

Overall, Andre Marriner had a good game and I thought he got a lot of his
decisions right. The Andy Carroll incident is a difficult one as it's a huge
decision to make so quickly after kick off. The position Marriner employed
is the same position I would take up at kick off and straight away the ball
was knocked cross field and that starting position would have been comprised
with the speed of the pass to see the incident. Andre Marriner controlled
the game well and made good decisions throughout.

As West Ham fans, we never thought that change would happen overnight and
you have to give the management team time. Moyes won't take any shit and
clearly showed his disappointment of the team performance. It's a hard
position that our upcoming games include Leicester and Everton in November
before 3 consecutive games against top 3 teams, Manchester City, Arsenal and
Chelsea.

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WATFORD 2-0 WEST HAM – MATCH REPORT
AUTHOR: BRIAN KNOX. PUBLISHED: 19 NOVEMBER 2017 AT 8:14PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Match Report by @WestHamAmerican

The change of management in the technical area did not change West Ham's
futility during the current Premier League campaign. The Hammers suffered a
2-0 defeat during their Sunday visit to Hertfordshire. With the loss, West
Ham remains firmly in the relegation zone.

The story could not be more different for the Hornets, who, while not a
historical power in England's top flight of football, find themselves
playing entertaining football and enjoying time in the top ten of the table.
For Watford, their biggest concern might be hanging on to their manager,
with Everton prepared to splash some money his way.

For the day's match, it was a chilly day but the travelling West Ham
supporters were a loud portion of the 20,018 in attendance. Even when their
side went down, they continued to encourage their players.

Watford's scoring began in the opening half when Will Hughes took Andre
Gray's deflection and easily scored just inside the far post. West Ham had
multiple opportunities to level the match before the break. Both Marko
Arnautovic and Cheikhou Kouyaté had remarkable opportunities they were
unable to convert, through poor shot selection or great play by Heurelho
Gomes. The Brazillian goalkeeper had great moments, and kept the clean
sheet for the match.

During the break, David Moyes replaced Andy Carroll with Diafra Sakho, in
hopes of finding a bit more pace on the attack, however, the opening twenty
minutes of the second half saw the match almost entirely played in the West
Ham penalty area. There were no counter attacks or even much movement
beyond midfield as Watford was very technical and precision-like in
maintaining possession against an outmatched Hammers side.

Predictably the home club was able to find their second goal during this
period as Will Hughes played through to Richarlison, who had an unimpeded
run to the goal. While Hughes had inadvertently handled the ball with his
hand, Andre Marriner didn't feel it was significant enough to whistle him
for the handball. Richarlison's goal stood, and Watford had a comfortable
lead for the remainder of the match.

West Ham's setbacks didn't end with the score sheet as late in the match,
Marko Arnautovic suffered a serious thumb injury that looked to be very
painful. The West Ham record-signing was taken off the field and no word on
his recovery time will be given until later in the week.

With injuries and stoppage of play, Marriner awarded eight minutes of added
time to the match, but West Ham was unable to maintain much possession and
never mounted much of a threat to Watford's clean sheet. The final whistle
meant that West Ham was firmly in 17th place on the table, and has a lot of
work to do before May if they want to remain in the Premier League.

This is such a dangerous time for West Ham. Devoid of much attacking
creativity, and playing much of the matches behind the ball, Moyes will
really have to find some ways to spark some scoring. The schedule in
December is brutal: In 16 days West Ham plays at City, at home against
Chelsea and Arsenal, at Stoke, and then a League Cup tie at Arsenal all in a
period of 16 days.

If West Ham hopes to stave off relegation, they will need to find some
points in that challenging run of matches. Otherwise, this season is
heading towards the Sky Bet Championship league very quickly.

Watford: Gomes, Mariappa, Femenia (Holebas 86), Britos, Kabasele, Doucoure,
Cleverley, Zeegelaar, Hughes (Pereyra 83), Richarlison, Gray (Carrillo 90+7)
Subs not used: Karnezis, Prodl, Capoue, Okaka
Goals: Hughes 11, Richarlison 65
Bookings: Britos 29

West Ham United: Hart, Zabaleta, Reid, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Kouyate, Noble,
Obiang, Arnautovic (Masuaku 72), Lanzini, Carroll (Sakho 65)
Subs not used: Adrian, Martinez, Fernandes, Quina, Rice
Bookings: Carroll 27, Arnautovic 37, Obiang 41, Noble 82

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'Sack the Board', chant travelling fans
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 19th November 2017
By: Staff Writer

Millions of Sky Sports subscribers were left in no doubt as to the depth of
anti-Board feeling amongst West Ham United's travelling supporters tonight.
The small but vocal travelling contingent used the opportunity of a live TV
game to share their views on the club's current administration who, having
already overseen a relegation in their first year (2010/11) at West Ham
could be on their way to a second with the team in desperate trouble once
again at the foot of the Premier League.

West Ham Fan TV @westhamfantv
'Lies Lies Lies' Fans singing about the board as frustration grows at
Watford
5:44 PM - Nov 19, 2017
12 12 Replies 229 229 Retweets 267 267 likes

Co-owners David Gold and David Sullivan, along with vice chair Karren Brady
were pilloried throughout the game by fans, as flags bearing the famous
'"lying, theiving cheats" line - as immortalised during the 1992 Bond
protests - were hung from the stands. Meanwhile the erection of one
anti-Board flag, placed at the bottom of the away end and directly behind a
goal led to a minor altercation between the fans and a steward, who is
believed to have been employed by West Ham.


West Ham Fan TV @westhamfantv
'Sack The Board!' The message is loud and clear from West Ham fans at
Watford
5:28 PM - Nov 19, 2017
35 35 Replies 262 262 Retweets 398 398 likes

The steward - who has been spotted at the Olympic Stadium in recent weeks
performing a similar task - attempted to remove the flag, which naturally
led to an argument between the employee and a group of supporters. No
arrests were however reported as a result, however at least two of West
Ham's travelling contingent were ejected from the ground as a result.

View image on TwitterView image on TwitterView image on TwitterView image on
Twitter
Paul Turner @P_Tizzle31
Anti-board flags not allowed at #WATWHU with #WHUFC stewards tearing at it
and taking it away. Free speech and all that...
4:37 PM - Nov 19, 2017

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West Ham face worrying times, says Alan Pardew
Last Updated: 19/11/17 7:23pm
SSN

Alan Pardew says these are worrying times for West Ham after the David Moyes
era began in defeat. The Hammers were beaten 2-0 at Watford on Super Sunday,
and sit 18th in the Premier League table having not won in five games.
Former West Ham manager Pardew says their attacking talent did not have
enough of an influence on the game, and feels confidence is low in the camp.
West Ham boss David Moyes admits he was disappointed with his sides
finishing ability as they squandered a handful of chances during his first
game in charge, a 2-0 loss at Watford. "Looking at them today, if they'd
have got a goal it would have given them confidence, and confidence is a
strange thing. It makes you run faster and further, and lifts you as a
player. They didn't get that today, a lift of a goal. "It was a performance
similar to what we've seen from West Ham before, and it's worrying times for
them, because they look short at the moment, particularly offensively.
"I don't think they created great chances today, not enough for a West Ham
team. Lanzini, Arnautovic, Carroll were quiet today, and these are the type
of players who should give the team a lift on match day by getting goals and
creating goals."
West Ham now host Leicester on Friday Night Football, live on Sky Sports
Premier League, before a tough run of fixtures leading up to mid-December.
They then go to Everton (November 29) and Man City (December 3), before
hosting Chelsea (December 9) and Arsenal (December 13) in the Premier
League, and Pardew fears it could be a decisive run of games. Pardew added:
"What's difficult about this sequence of games is his home games (Leicester,
Chelsea, Arsenal) because Leicester looks really important. His next two
will be difficult. It's a tricky run."

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David Moyes has called for West Ham to come together as a club after fans
turn on players
Last Updated: 19/11/17 7:00pm
SSN

West Ham boss David Moyes admits he was disappointed with his sides
finishing ability as they squandered a handful of chances during his first
game in charge, a 2-0 loss at Watford. David Moyes has called for West Ham
to come together as a club after the away fans protested against the board
and mocked their own players at Watford. On his Hammers bow, Moyes' team
were seen off by goals from Will Hughes (11) and Richarlison (64) as Watford
boss Marco Silva - heavily linked with the Everton job - further enhanced
his reputation. Cries of "you're not fit to wear the shirt" were sung from a
disgruntled away end, who have seen their team lose their last four games
and remain in the relegation zone.
When asked about the fans' frustrations, Moyes said: "I don't know the
history - all I can say, I'm really thankful for the support of me. "We need
a united club. The supporters will know the past. I said to the players,
it's tough to play when the crowd is like that. A goal can make a
difference." Despite the defeat, there was cause for hope for Moyes as his
team had six shots on target but a mixture of wayward finishing and two
brilliant stops from Heurelho Gomes blunted their progress. However,
following going down to 2-0, West Ham created little and Moyes was
disappointed by the quality shown by some of his players. "I found out
today, I was only going to find out what they were like when I took training
and in the game," Moyes said. "The better team won the game, I won't say
different, but we had chances to change the outcome of the game. "We have
got to try and find a way of winning, we will try and find a way. "The most
important thing was to be in the game and when we conceded the second that
went. We need to learn how to stay in games."

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WATFORD 2, WEST HAM 0. I WANT TO BELIEVE IT WILL END UP OK.
By David Hautzig 19 Nov 2017 at 18:37
WTID

Did you know I also have a column here on West Ham Til I Die? When I write a
Match Report and go to the administrative part of the site, I choose David
Hautzig Match Report as the category under which I post. There is also a
heading called David Hautzig Column. I have posted a grand total of one in
my four years doing this.

Relieved, aren't ya?

The single solitary contribution to that faux journalistic endeavor was
written days after the club decided not to offer Sam Allardyce a new deal.
Names like Bielsa, Rafa, Emery, Bilic, even Klopp were thrown about. Here's
how I finished that piece;

"Which leads me to the final name that has made the rounds, David Moyes. To
my somewhat risk averse way of thinking, he provides what we need. A fresh
look at things all the while being as safe a pair of hands as Allardyce.
I've read many a tweet and comment that oppose the idea almost as fervently
as they oppose Sam, saying it's no more than a sideways move. Yet for all we
know his edict while at Everton was to play a style that made the Toffees
hard to beat, and that if asked he could switch things up. And it's not like
Van Gaal has had an easy time at Man U, leading me to believe Moyes was
given a raw deal at Old Trafford. Until recently I thought him joining us
was pretty close to a dead cert. Tony Henry is on board, he has a release
clause to join an EPL team if asked, Etc. But after his interview with Sid
Lowe in The Guardian it's more dead in the water than nailed on. Which I'm
very disappointed about. I think David Moyes has a lot to say about what
kind of manager he is.

I hope he changes his mind and let's West Ham United hand him the
microphone."

Supporter anguish over the appointment of Moyes has centered around his last
two jobs, and how they were "failures". Failing at Sunderland was as likely
as sinking with The Titanic. As for Real Sociedad, I think the judgement is
a bit unfair. He arrived there in 2014 after eleven games, of which the club
had only won two. Familiar ring, huh? Anyway, they were just above the drop
zone. He finished the season in 12th, eleven points clear. Over the summer,
Moyes warned supporters not to get carried away. They began his second
season poorly, and he was sacked after eleven games and Sociedad in the drop
zone. His point total over the 38 games he was in charge was 46. A number I
would kill for now.

My point is this. David Moyes is about right for us. Any notion that a "top
manager", or "next level manager" would be willing to join us and work under
our board is, in my opinion, folly. I was one of those supporters who bought
into the stadium move and what it would bring us. But now I feel like
Dorothy in The Wizard Of Oz when the curtain gets pulled back and we see a
silly old man. One can always dream, but we know where those dreams end up.

I was not anticipating abject fear seven seconds into Moyes time in charge,
but when Carroll swung his arm out and clocked Zeegalaar in his English
debut, I saw red. Thankfully only in my anger at AC's potential recklessness
and not from the referee. Seconds later Carroll sent an infuriatingly
dangerous back pass to Hart from near the halfway line. Hart had to leave
his area just to punt the ball away.

For all of West Hams early aggression and pressing, Watford had the little
bit of luck we needed in the 11th minute. After running down a long pass to
the touchline, Zeegalaar sent a cross into the box that Gray scuffed. But
the ball dribbled towards Hughes in front of Hart, and he calmly put it into
the back of the net.

Watford 1
West Ham 0

For the next ten minutes after the goal, Watford gave a clinic on good shape
and organized defending. The Hammers moved the ball around. Side to side.
Short passes, followed by a long pass cross field. Then a pass back to Hart.
But not one ball into the box or anywhere near Gomes. In the 22nd minute
Watford may have a had a shout for a penalty when Zabaleta tangled with
Richarlison at the top of the West Ham penalty area, but Mariner continued
on his merry little way.

In the 28th minute, Carroll continued his role as villain in the eyes of
Watford supporters when he leaned into Richarlison after trying to pretend
he was Iniesta or something. That time Mariner decided to show Wolf's dad
yellow, and we all knew we would spend the rest of the game cowering every
time the big man went in the air, arms flailing.

Watford came close to doubling their advantage in the 32nd minute when
Richarlison and Doucoure worked a give and go at the top of the West Ham
penalty area. Hart was able to push Richarlison's low shot away, but right
to Kiko who tried his own low effort that went wide for a goal kick.

West Ham should have leveled in the 43rd minute when some fabulous one touch
football at the top of the Watford box by Carroll, Obiang, Lanzini and
Kouyate sent the Senegalese midfielder in on Gomes alone. But the Watford
keeper made an excellent save to keep the home side on top. Watford were
able to launch a counter on the ensuing West Ham corner, but Hughes
attempted bicycle kick in the box sailed high over the bar.

In the 48th minute, Gomes made what I can only describe as a superhuman save
off of Arnautovic. Carroll fed Zabaleta down the right. The Argentine right
back sent a cross to Arnautovic that Gomez somehow stopped. To make it even
more frustrating, Arnautovic got his own rebound alone in front of goal but
Gomes somehow made another save. As the announcers said, Gomes was more
responsible for Watford being ahead than Hughes.

Halftime
Watford 1
West Ham 0

Watford asked the first question of the second half in the 50th minute when
Kiko made a run down the right and crossed to Gray in the box. The Watford
striker who in the summer was rumored to be coming to East London was able
get to the ball but his shot went over the bar.

West Ham saw yet another chance go begging moments later when Arnautovic
beat Britos on the right and rolled a pass to Kouyate in the box but he
couldn't keep his shot down and it flew high over the bar. A few minutes
later Hughes and Kiko worked the ball down the right before getting the ball
to Doucoure, who tried a curling right footer that left Hart standing still
but the ball went wide.

Watford won a corner in the 59th minute when a Gray effort went out off of
Reid's leg. The initial delivery into the box was cleared, but not far
enough to avoid another Watford wave. The ball was sent back into the box by
Cleverly for Mariappa, and his header gave Hart a chance to be brilliant.

Watford's attacking efforts in the second half finally reaped a reward in
the 64th minute when Hughes, after what was adjudged to be a ball to hand as
opposed to a hand ball, fed Richarlison streaking down the left. Reid forced
the Brazilian to shoot with his left, his second favorite foot. He accepted
the challenge and beat Hart with a low shot to the far corner.

Watford 2
West Ham 0

If West Ham didn't have bad luck today, etc etc. In the 73rd minute, after
Sakho and Masuaku replaced Carroll and Arnautovic, the two Hammers
substitutes combined in the box to set up Lanzini from 15 yards out. His low
shot beat Gomes, but wouldn't you know it Kabasele was there to clear the
ball off the line.

Final Score
Watford 2
West Ham 0

I feel the need to look for positives here. Maybe to confirm what I believe,
that the decision to replace Bilic with Moyes was correct? That wouldn't be
beyond me. But while Watford looked more creative and decisive on the ball,
West Ham had two chances from Kouyate, two from Arnautovic, and a Lanzini
shot cleared off the line. So we had opportunities to score. I also think we
looked better pressing, and more solid at the back despite conceding two.
Yet the facts are clear. This is our second worst start ever to an EPL
campaign, and we all know what happened the year that was worse.

I want to be hopeful. I have to be fearful.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
David Moyes lays into West Ham flops as he accuses them of trading on their
reputations after Watford defeat
The Hammers suffered a 2-0 loss to Watford in Moyes' first game in charge
The Mirror
ByMike Walters
Sports Writer
20:53, 19 NOV 2017UPDATED20:56, 19 NOV 2017

David Moyes laid into West Ham's flops and accused them of trading on their
reputations. The Hammers remain marooned in the bottom three after goals
from Will Hughes and Richarlison condemned the East enders to morale-sapping
defeat in his first game in charge. Furious fans turned on owners David
Gold, David Sullivan and vice-chair Karren Brady, and shocked Moyes did not
hide his frustration. He said: "I thought this was a big job, but there were
some players with big reputations who disappointed me. "There were some who
I thought would show me more, and why they play for the team regularly. They
need to show me, 'If that's your reputation, show me why you've got it.'
"Overall, that level of performance will not be good enough."
Friday night's home game with Leicester at the Taxpayers stadium could turn
toxic if the Hammers suffer another setback. Moyes admitted: "It's tough for
the players - I could sense that – but I didn't enjoy our performance in the
end. I didn't enjoy us giving the ball away too cheaply, too many times and
I expected us to do better. "The better team won the game, although we did
have three big opportunities to make it 1-1, and we need things like that to
go our way to build confidence and a togetherness at the club.
Travelling fans chanted "Sack the board" and turned on England discard Andy
Carroll, who had been critical of supporters for leaving early in last
month's home defeat by Liverpool. And Moyes admitted he hooked Carroll
midway through the second half because he feared his combustible striker was
going to collect a red card. Carroll had left Watford debutant marvin
Zeegelaar with a bloody nose in an aerial challenge after just seven SECONDS
and the Hammers boss admitted: "I don't know the history or the reasons for
it (hostility towards the board). "The fans were supportive of me, and I'm
thankful for that, but I can understand their feelings because we didn't
play well enough. "At half-time I had to make a decision because I wasn't
sure whether Andy was going to get himself sent off. "I thought we defended
OK, but then we gave away cheap goals by getting bundled off the ball and we
didn't really deal with it. We didn't do well enough in all departments at
different times."
Vibrant Watford ended a run of three consecutive defeats – but head coach
Marco Silva still refused to say whether he would stay at Vicarage Road amid
Everton's persistent attempts to poach him. Silva tap-danced: "I thought we
controlled the match, more or less, and what I can control in terms of my
future is to plan the next session and prepared for our next game "Some
people have been doubting my commitment, but today me and my players gave a
very good answer." Watford fans serenaded Silva with a chant of "We want you
to stay," and he replied: "It's good when the fans enjoy what we are doing."
Everton are expected to return with a third approach for Silva this week,
but Hornets owner Gino Pozzo has no intention of granting them permission to
seduce his manager with £4m-a-year and a £70m transfer kitty in January.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Andy Carroll needed watching from the first minute
KEITH HACKETT
Keith Hackett 19 NOVEMBER 2017 • 10:19PM
Telegraph.co.uk

Andre Marriner would have seen Andy Carroll's name on the teamsheet roughly
an hour before kick-off. The first thing he should have done was get
together with his assistants and ensure all eyes would be on the striker in
the first few minutes. Marriner needed to be in Carroll's zone; instead, he
was too far away from the action after just 10 seconds when Carroll used his
elbows illegally on Marvin Zeegelaar. It was a definite yellow-card offence,
borderline red, but Carroll got away with it. Referees, like players, must
be prepared and these are the sort of discussions that need to be had in the
dressing room ahead of their warm-up. You must identify players, like
Carroll, who are capable of disruption early on because they are catalysts
to change the game. This is not turning players into victims but an
essential part of the referee's prep. A red would have been harsh yesterday
because Carroll did not use a bent arm, which leads to a dismissal. But the
blood, the prostrate player and the furious reaction told their own story,
and Carroll was not even booked until later in the game.
On Saturday, Graham Scott proved himself equally switched off at the start
of Leicester City's game with Manchester City by not sending off Vincent
Kompany for denying Jamie Vardy a clear goalscoring opportunity. Scott
lacks experience at elite level but his assistant should have told him what
colour the card needed to be. Wrong decisions can prompt a lot of reaction.
All this makes it very difficult for referees to get matches back on track.
This doesn't always happen and, at Crystal Palace on Saturday, I think
Anthony Taylor bought an outrageous dive by Oumar Niasse.

Keith Hackett is a former referee and resident expert on You Are The Ref.Com

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Andy Carroll needs to shape up or be shipped out by West Ham United... the
striker is squandering a unique talent
Six seconds was all it took for Andy Carroll to hit Marvin Zeegelaar with an
elbow
Carroll was later booked for a petulant trip on Watford star Richarlison
He is wasting his talent and has no chance of reaching the 2018 World Cup
By Adam Crafton for the Daily Mail
PUBLISHED: 22:30, 19 November 2017 | UPDATED: 22:30, 19 November 2017

Six seconds. That is all it took for Andy Carroll. Just over a month after
leaving his side in the lurch by elbowing his way to an early shower at
Burnley, Carroll risked doing it all over again six seconds into this game.
Referee Andre Marriner spared Carroll the same fate this time, but the
striker was fortunate to escape a caution in the opening minute. Poor old
Marvin Zeegelaar, a 27-year-old Dutch defender making his Premier League
bow, made acquaintance with Carroll's swinging elbow and the game took
several minutes to restart. He returned to the field with cotton buds
stuffed into his nose and will need to wait to see if it is broken. To his
credit, he soldiered on. It was not a clever act. It was the kind of cheap
hit that English football has mostly confined to nostalgic memories on VHS
tapes and on another day, Zeegelaar might have suffered serious damage.
Carroll is now 28, and the penny may never drop. This is a player that Kenny
Dalglish, a sound judge of striking talent, thought to be worth £35million.
At his most effective, Carroll is strong, athletic and powerful. His leap is
mighty and his shot is hard. He should be at the peak of his powers and
offering Gareth Southgate a unique threat at the World Cup. Yet he is barely
a footnote to the England manager's plans. He has notched only five goals in
the calendar year and he so rarely brings together his qualities in a
positive way. It is a tragic waste of a supreme physique and assured talent.
West Ham fans appear fed up of his immaturity. His recent comments
criticising fans for leaving early went down like a bucket of cold sick, and
here he was the recipient of sustained goading from the terraces.
For manager David Moyes, it is a complex challenge. Carroll's mere presence
in the starting line-up is becoming more of a hindrance than a help to West
Ham. Even withstanding the referee's early leniency, Carroll found his way
into the book mid-way through the first-half and then was given a final
warning. Moyes took a sympathetic view: 'Andy has done everything in
training, tried to be correct in everything he's done. 'I thought every time
he goes for a challenge the opposition crowd are going to make it difficult
to affect the referee but I've not seen the challenges. 'Half-time was a
decision because I wasn't sure if he was going to get sent off so I told him
I would be taking him off.' Yet before the game started, Moyes would not
have factored in a likely dismissal for his striker. It should not be part
of the gameplan and it should not be a fear every time one of your
highest-paid performers takes to the field. If Carroll were a toddler, a
parent would be out of patience by now. Sadly, it may not be long before his
employers take the same view.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
The referee should have acted after six seconds of Watford against West Ham
United due to Andy Carroll's elbow
Andy Carroll elbowed Marvin Zeegelaar of Watford six seconds into the match
This was Carroll's first league start since being sent off at Burnley on
October 14
He was only cautioned after half and hour for a fairly innocuous challenge
By Graham Poll for the Daily Mail
PUBLISHED: 22:30, 19 November 2017 | UPDATED: 22:34, 19 November 2017

When you referee West Ham, Andy Carroll's name jumps out of the team sheet
as it's handed to you an hour before kick-off. So when he goes up for the
ball with a leading arm, catching Marvin Zeegelaar on the nose, you would
expect the referee to see the incident and act upon it. This was Carroll's
first Premier League start since being sent off at Burnley on October 14
when he was throwing his arms around and caught Ben Mee. However, Andre
Marriner either missed the first-minute incident or thought the challenge
was a fair one. Maybe it was too early in the game, timed by TV at six
seconds, but given Carroll's 'form' you really would expect better from such
an experienced referee. Ironically, when Carroll was cautioned just before
the half-hour it was for a fairly innocuous challenge on Richarlison.

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