Happy New Year!
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2017: A Year In Review
WHUFC.com
The Official Website takes a look back over 12 rollercoaster months in the life of West Ham United...
January
The New Year kicked-off with the visit of Manchester United to London Stadium and West Ham United sitting in a relatively comfortable 13th in the Premier League table. January was a month of highs and lows for the Hammers, with Andy Carroll-fuelled wins over Crystal Palace and Middlesbrough preceded by home defeats by the two Manchester clubs, including a 5-0 FA Cup third-round humbling by City. The first month of 2017 also saw Dimitri Payet's protracted departure confirmed, with the want-away Frenchman returning to former club Marseille in a £25m deal on 29 January.
February
A 4-0 home defeat by Manchester City, this time in the Premier League, proved to be West Ham's only reverse of a productive February. A trip to Southampton produced a third away win in four matches, with Pedro Obiang marking the occasion with his first goal for the Club. Carroll continued his renaissance, too, with another clinical finish. Two draws rounded out the month, albeit in differing circumstances. At home to West Bromwich Albion, the Hammers came from behind to deservedly lead, only for Gareth McAuley to snatch a late leveller. Away at Watford, Andre Ayew popped up to equalise before Michail Antonio was sent-off for the first time in Claret and Blue.
March
The third month of the year was one that West Ham fans will not want to be reminded of. Chelsea visited London Stadium for the second time, but there would be no repeat of West Ham's EFL Cup heroics in the Premier League, Eden Hazard and Diego Costa scoring in a 2-1 away victory. Five days later, the Hammers headed to the Vitality Stadium, where they paid the penalty for an error-strewn performance, despite AFC Bournemouth missing two penalties, and lost 3-2. And that was the same scoreline by which champions Leicester City completed a 'double' over the Hammers, despite Manuel Lanzini's outstanding free-kick.
April
Unfortunately, April picked up where March had left off, results-wise. Fresh from three straight defeats to end the previous month, the Hammers were made to look like fools as struggling Hull City scored a 2-1 victory at the KComm Stadium on 1 April. Three days later, a 3-0 defeat at Arsenal had Slaven Bilic's side looking nervously over their shoulders at the relegation zone, now just five points below them. Swansea City, who occupied 17th spot, were next on the fixture list, and Cheikhou Kouyate's first-half strike thankfully eased London Stadium nerves. Draws with Sunderland, Everton and Stoke City meant West Ham went into May all but mathematically safe.
May
The final three games of West Ham's campaign were a microcosm of their 2016/17 season as a whole, with notable victories bookending a horrific home defeat.
For the second consecutive year, Tottenham's Premier League title aspirations died in east London, where Manuel Lanzini's late goal condemned Spurs to a 1-0 defeat. Nine days later, Liverpool brought the Hammers back down to earth with a comprehensive 4-0 win. However, the season would end on a high as goals from Sofiane Feghouli and Andre Ayew saw Bilic's team come from behind to win at Burnley on the final afternoon.
Transfers
After a busy summer 2016 transfer window, West Ham were more selective in recruiting new players in 2017.
Preaching a message of 'quality over quantity', the Hammers brought in two-time Premier League champions Pablo Zabaleta and Joe Hart from Manchester City and Mexico's all-time leading goalscorer Chicharito from Bayer Leverkusen. The captures of Austrian forward Marko Arnautovic and dynamic Montenegro attacker Sead Haksabanovic completed the first team business. Going the other way were Havard Nordtveit, Enner Valencia, Darren Randolph, Ashley Fletcher, Sofiane Feghouli, Stephen Hendrie and Raphael Spiegel.
Pre-season
As they had been a year previously, West Ham's pre-season results were indifferent. A two-week training camp in Austria climaxed with a goalless draw with amateur side Sturm Graz II and a 2-1 victory over Championship club Fulham – the only win of the summer. The Hammers headed for Germany next, narrowly losing the Betway Cup, 3-2 on aggregate, to Bundesliga side Werder Bremen, although Marko Arnautovic and Toni Martinez both netted well-taken goals. A 3-3 draw at Hamburg-based Altona 93 was followed by a flight to Reykjavik, where the Hammers took part in the first game played between two English Premier League clubs in Iceland. Unfortunately, Manchester City proved too strong, winning 3-0.
August
Logistical work to return London Stadium to 'football mode' following the 2017 IAAF World Champions and World Para Athletics Championships meant West Ham had to play their opening three Premier League fixtures away from home. That proved difficult for Slaven Bilic's side as Manchester United, Southampton and Newcastle United all defeated the Hammers at their own stadiums. The Southampton loss was particularly galling, as West Ham fought back from two goals down with ten men, only for a contentious last-minute penalty to deny them a hard-fought draw. The Carabao Cup provided some relief, as goals from Ayew and Diafra Sakho secured a 2-0 second-round win at League Two Cheltenham Town.
September
A belated first home game of the season also marked West Ham's maiden Premier League victory of 2017/18, as goals from Obiang and Ayew saw off Huddersfield Town. A creditable goalless draw at West Bromwich Albion was followed by a dramatic 3-2 home defeat by Harry Kane-inspired Tottenham Hotspur. The Premier League month was rounded out by another narrow home win, this time 1-0, against struggling Swansea City. Again, the Carabao Cup provided some welcome cheer with the Championship's bottom side, Bolton Wanderers, being brushed aside 3-0 in Stratford, with Arthur Masuaku's late rocket a highlight. Meanwhile, teenager Declan Rice continued to see his stock rise with a series of assured displays.
October
Any optimism that West Ham had enjoyed going into October quickly dissipated during a winless Premier League month. The month actually started positively when Antonio put his side into an early lead at Burnley, but Sam Vokes' late leveller was a sign of things to come. Newly-promoted Brighton & Hove Albion scored a shock 3-0 win at London Stadium, before another last-gasp equaliser, this time at Crystal Palace, saw two more points squandered. There was one bright spot, however, in the shape of a come-from-behind 3-2 Carabao Cup fourth-round win over Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley Stadium.
November
Slaven Bilic's final match in charge proved to be a 4-1 home Premier League defeat by Liverpool on 4 November, bringing down the curtain on the Croatian's two-and-a-half year reign. In all, Bilic managed 111 Hammers games, winning 42, drawing 30, and losing 39, while guiding the Club into Europe during the unforgettable final season at the Boleyn Ground. Former Everton boss David Moyes was his replacement. The Scot's reign got off to a losing start at Watford, but a decent performance in the home draw with Leicester City meant there was cause for optimism going into the final month of the year.
December
A trip to runaway Premier League leaders Manchester City was cause for alarm, but the Hammers played well in losing 2-1. And the feeling that things were turning around strengthened during a fine week in which West Ham defeated Chelsea and Stoke City either side of a goalless draw with Arsenal. Club record signing Marko Arnautovic was the star of the show, scoring against both the Blues and the Potters, while the five-man defence gave the side greater solidity at the back. The Carabao Cup run ended in a 1-0 defeat at Arsenal, but there remains optimism that 2018 will bring better things for everyone of a Claret and Blue persuasion.
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2018 - MORE OF THE SAME OR ONWARDS AND UPWARDS ?
By HamburgHammer 1 Jan 2018 at 08:00
WTID
Happy New Year to all my fellow Hammers, readers, authors and posters here on WHTID. I hope 2018 will bring you health, good fortune and happiness for yourself and your families.
As for West Ham thankfully the footballing calendar doesn't leave much time to ponder and reflect too much on points lost and opportunities missed, the West Brom game is already upon us and then there is another little thing to deal with, what was it again ? Ooh, I'm feeling a bit taters, where's the bloody draft coming from ? Oh yes, of course, the transfer window is open once more.
While we are still perched dangerously close to the edge of the Premier League cliff (after recent results we are actually in one of the relegation spots for the time being), it'd be foolish to assume there won't be any transactions for West Ham in the coming weeks. Our squad needs shaking up a bit. Players who haven't quite delivered or are unhappy with their lot at the club are likely to be shipped out.
Of course most of what's following is mild (or wild ?) speculation on my part, but that's all part of the fun of the transfer window, innit ? And God knows, a bit of fun is most welcome at this point, especially when it comes to our cosy little family club/global brand.
So, who will leave ? In my book, quite a few. If we can or will adequately replace them is anyone's guess, but I would expect Hart to leave after seeing his loan terminated early.
The whole point of him coming to us in the first place was establishing himself as the clear cut Number One goalkeeper with us, booking his ticket for the World Cup in Russia in the process.
As it is though he has rarely impressed on the pitch this season. Granted, it's not exactly a picnic having to play between the sticks for West Ham and behind our current defenders these days, but still a goalkeeper who aims to be England's goalkeeper of choice for the World Cup should still be able to win games for his team on the pitch, pulling off unbelievable saves, instilling confidence in his defenders, being a solid rock at the back. Unfortunately Hart hasn't been able to do that and for that reason has lost his position as regular starter and rightly so.
I am sure that both West Ham and Joe Hart thought this loan spell would work out a lot differently, but as things stand the deal is no longer working for the player or the club.
I see a parting of ways as the natural thing to do here. I would also expect Diafra Sakho to leave as obviously his heart is no longer in it and he almost seems destined to go anywhere as long as it's away from West Ham and he finally gets starts (understandably so), be that somewhere else in England or in France.
I also wouldn't be surprised to see Carroll leave should we receive a decent offer for him as quite frankly, like so many other strikers at the club in recent years, he just hasn't delivered the goods. Coupled with his injury record he just doesn't score enough (or create scoring opportunities for others), so he could be out the door as well.
Maybe, just maybe accompanied by Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez.
The Mexican has scored goals like clockwork everywhere he has plied his trade so far, the common denominator being him scoring all his goals from inside the box. So the secret to get the most out of him is to create plenty of movement (and havoc) near and inside the opposition's penalty box. For some reason West Ham don't seem to be able or willing to do that, hence Hernandez is not scoring as often as he'd like to. Also I think he wants and needs more minutes on the pitch and most clubs would be happy to give him just that, knowing what he can do if being played in the right system.
Ayew might be sold as well, but it'd be an exercise in cutting our losses as it sounds impossible that we will recoup anywhere near the fee we paid for him not too long ago.
I am aware that this would require wholesale changes for us upfront and I am also aware that January is a very difficult time to make value for money signings.
In fact, it is difficult to make any signings full stop.
Plus it doesn't really help if you are asking potential signings to join a relegation battle rather than playing for Europa League qualification.
There is also a chance we may lose some defenders, Collins and Ogbonna being the most likely candidates. This would tie in with Reece Oxford being recalled from Borussia Mönchengladbach, apparently against the expressed wishes of the player himself.
I have to say I was caught by surprise hearing that Oxford's loan has been cut short. He was just starting to establish himself over there, finally getting regular starts. It's easy to understand why he would want to stay in the Rhineland for now as there are obviously no guarantees he will get more gametime at West Ham.
All we know so far is that Moyes will take a look at him and then decide. Which also applies to Reece Burke and Josh Cullen as both will be recalled from their loans at Bolton to be assessed by the gaffer.
According to rumours both are likely to not make the grade and get sold in this window to generate some funds to add to our transfer kitty. It is always sad when you see a youngster NOT make it and their spells at West Ham coming to an end. But on the other hand it is just part of the circle of life in football. We all know that the vast majority of prospects don't quite make it in the end, but then again there is still a chance for Burke and Cullen as maybe, just maybe Moyes sees potential and will give them a shot for the remainder of the season. In any case it is cheaper (but also a lot riskier) to play prospects rather than signing new players who already have experience at the top level.
Having watched several transfer windows under our current board already I have come to basically expect nothing from them when it comes to getting deals over the line, especially for players of a certain quality with a pricetag to match. I just don't think they still know how to cope in today's crazy market. Of course from a fan's perspective the current transfer fees are mindboggling, even for average Premier League players. But the prices are what they are and if you are not prepared to pay the price you won't get the player as another club will simply step up and pay if they are really interested in getting that particular player.
There aren't many shrewd deals available anymore out there and the only thing that might push our board towards spending a fair amount of cash is the fear of actually getting relegated. That indeed would be horrible for our club on so many levels. It also would instantly devalue the board's investment significantly and if anything, they won't allow that to happen if they can avoid that.
I will welcome any new signing at the club with wide open arms, a lot of hope and yes, also a modicum of optimism. It's been said before, all it takes is two wins on the bounce and we'd be very much back in business. It's very tight in the table and it's easy to make up or drop several places in the table with just a few results. I am absolutely certain that we will stay up but I am equally certain that it's going to be a struggle for the rest of the season. We will always hover in and around the relegation places, that's just the way the season seems to be shaping up.
West Brom next then. Again, a very winnable game, but as we know that alone should give us plenty of reasons to approach this fixture with caution. There are no easy games for us this season. Have we ever dominated the opposition in a game in the past 18 months, winning at a canter or having the opposition under the kosh for the entire game ?
I don't think so. I expect a tense affair, a scrappy game, but hopefully one we can win regardless, even if it may not be beautiful.
I'm looking forward to the West Brom game, the rollercoaster of emotions that is the January transfer window and of course to writing some more articles for you good people in 2018. I hope they will still be about Premier League football once August 2018 comes around…COYI!!!
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ARNIE FROM AUSTRIA: A WEST HAM LEGEND IN THE MAKING?
By rapidhammer 31 Dec 2017 at 17:00
WTID
I have been to London twice this autumn and Christmas time. Fortunately I was able to watch West Ham on both occasions and to some extent I witnessed history: I was present at Slaven Bilic's last game in charge back in November, and I watched my fellow Austrian Marko Arnautovic's first goal for the Hammers. Having initially thought of writing a post comparing these two games, entitled "A completely different story", I now have left it too late to write a column with this header: West Ham weren't able to pull clear of the drop zone and still find itself in the relegation mire on New Year's Eve.
Having watched the abject and dismal performance against Liverpool on my first visit this autumn, when the Irons were completely unable to string some passes together and trouble a Liverpool side which was far from its best, I couldn't expect a win over last season's champions on my next visit to the London Stadium. But the narrow loss a week ago to the one team that is playing a perfect season so far, Manchester City, had let us raise some hope, despite the results under new manager David Moyes had not been in West Ham's favour so far, and the Irons still were chasing their first win under the new gaffer.
Also the player I am particularly interested this season, fellow Austrian Marko Arnautovic, had not lived up to the expectations before the Chelsea game. He is the best player in Austria's current national team and on his day he can be brilliant, but far too often he has lacked commitment and his work rate on the pitch was poor. When I was asked what I thought about Arnautovic's move from Stoke to West Ham in the summer, I used to reply: "Well, so far Marko has made me angry just some times a year – when I watched him play for Austria – but from now on I will be angered by him every weekend."
And that exactly happened from the beginning of this season with Marko struggling under Slaven Bilic, being red-carded in his second league game, and unable to find the net or providing an assist in a league game until December. When new manager David Moyes came in, Marko Arnautovic's name was the first one to be mentioned in the tabloids as a player the Scotsman would like to sell to generate funds for new signings in the January window.
But West Ham's "number 7" started in three of Moyes's first four games in charge prior to the Chelsea match. And Marko's attitude seemed much improved, he responded well to the gaffer's request to raise his work rate, to track back and defend when West Ham had lost possession, and to play in a more central position than under Bilic who had used him mostly on the wing.
I am not sure if Moyes has really threatened to wield the axe and sell Arnautovic in the January window if his instructions weren't followed, but he surely must have found the right words for the Austrian. It was the 1-1 against Leicester (though still not the first win under the new manager) when things began to look brighter, and it was not only the loud home crowd that impressed the pundits in that match, but also Marko Arnautovic who made such an impression that he was named "man of the match". He received a deserved standing ovation when he was replaced by Andre Ayew after 70 minutes.
This step forward was followed by a cruel setback though: West Ham lost 0-4 to Everton, allowing Wayne Rooney to score four goals, and the next three games were to be played against much stronger opposition: Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal. Would my second live game in the London Stadium this season (against Chelsea) be one of four defeats in a row which were on the cards this December? Therefore when planning the trip to London I had scheduled a Christmas concert by candlelight for Saturday evening after the game in order to prevent my family from starting the pre-Christmas holiday on a low.
Albeit, the good news is that the start to our stay in London was quite the opposite! On a bright and cold Saturday we had a smooth journey to London Stansted and the claret seat belts in the plane showed all the right colours on our flight! Having landed perfectly in time we travelled from the airport to West Ham station where we met the wonderful Paul Turner who stored our luggage in the boot of his car and drove to London Stadium with us. We had time enough before the game to buy me a West Ham Christmas scarf which immediately replaced the blue one I had grabbed thoughtlessly early in the morning when we had left home for Vienna airport.
We were on our seats in time to join in to the singing of "Bubbles" and from the beginning of the game it was very clear that this was a West Ham side very different from the poor XI I had watched five weeks ago. David Moyes had instilled a different attitude into the team, there was commitment, good passing, regained confidence and a lot of skill (especially from Masuaku who was a revelation in his new role on the left wing). The crowd responded well to the pleasing procedures on the pitch and the West Ham supporters were of good voice throughout the game, really being "West Ham's claret and blue army" and outsinging the Chelsea fans by far. I also cheered and sang so much this afternoon that my wife feared I was going to lose my voice and would be unable to sing along to the Christmas carols in the candlelight concert in the evening.
The sunny lunchtime at the London Stadium looked even brighter when just 6 minutes into the game a one-two with Manu Lanzini brought Marko Arnautovic in a good position in the box. Everyone rose to his feet and who wasn't quick enough to jump up immediately, unfortunately missed the very well placed shot into the left bottom corner that put West Ham ahead. It was a beautifully taken first goal for "Arnie" and his jump into the crowd showed the big relief this goal meant to the Austrian! We were sitting in the same stand in which he was hugged by the crowd, but unfortunately our seats weren't in the lower tier, so we couldn't express our delight personally and say "Servus" from face to face. But this fact didn't detract from our pleasure which grew bigger and bigger throughout the game when West Ham showed resilience and also the necessary composure to hold on and in the end beat last season's champions 1-0.
With his goal and his celebration with the fans "Arnie" (as he is called now by the West Ham fans) evoked memories of Carlos Tevez who also jumped into the crowd when he had scored his first goal after a long and tough time back in the 2006-07 season. Well, and Marko Arnautovic's nick name reminds me of someone else – another famous Austrian, the "terminator" Arnold Schwarzenegger, especially as Arnie's goal helped to terminate a winless streak of 8 league games.
It feels as if the Austrian forward has not stopped scoring since the game against Chelsea! David Moyes was right to praise Arnautovic lately for responding well to his challenge to raise his work rate or face being dropped. Arnie hit the back of the net in the 3-0 win against his former club Stoke and in the annoying 2-3 defeat against Newcastle, and now he has scored his first brace in the dramatic 3-3 against Bournemouth on Boxing Day (a game which West Ham would have won if the ref had not given the Cherries' controversial equalizer in stoppage time!). Although West Ham is back in the relegation zone on New Year's Eve: the Cherries have beaten Everton on Saturday moving up from 18th to 13th in the table and the Irons have played one game less due to the postponement of their match against Tottenham.
Let's hope the new year will bring a bright start with a win over West Brom on the 2nd of January in the London Stadium – maybe with some more exploits of our Arnie from Austria! I am very happy that last summer's record signing finally has become a real asset of West Ham's squad. When he continues to play (and score) like he has done since Moyes's managerial takeover at West Ham he could be a West Ham legend in the making!
After the first game of the year West Ham have to play three games away vs. Spurs, Shrewsbury (FA Cup) and Huddersfield. Though I know that getting results in the Premier League is most important for the club, the weekend in January which is most important to me is the one we play Shrewsbury in the FA Cup: if the Irons win and the draw brings them a home game in the next round, this could be my third West Ham game this season, because we are going to be back in London by the end of January when the 4th round of the FA Cup is played.
So come on you Irons, let this January be a success for claret and blue – on the pitch and with a good transfer window, too! I hope David Moyes will not only have been able to find the right words to instill a new attitude into the squad, but also to find the right players to bolster this squad. Especially in midfield I think the team needs to be strengthened …
But one thing is for sure: West Ham player Marko Arnautovic is not for sale in this window, he's one to watch on the pitch this January!
Happy New Year everybody! COYI!
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THE HIGHS, THE LOWS AND ROBERT MADLEY
By Tony Hanna 31 Dec 2017 at 08:00
WTID
The past year has certainly been a big disappointment for West Ham fans. The highlights from January to May in the season prior included two excellent performances beating Palace 3-0 at home and Southampton 3-1 away, but the topping on the cake was that barmy night under the lights beating Tottenham 1-0 with a significantly understrength team. Had Spurs won that night they would have finished the season with 13 consecutive wins but a loss pretty much ensured they would not be Champions. The second half of the year into this current season has not been much better with again just three games that got us really excited. The marvellous comeback in the League Cup game which saw a 2-0 deficit against Spurs (again) turned around for a 3-2 win; the brave 1-0 defeat of last season's champions Chelsea, and the footballing display we dished out at Stoke in a 3-0 drubbing were for me the main highlights. In November we parted company with the 15th full time manager in our history as Slaven Bilic made way for David Moyes.
Supporting West Ham for over five decades has never been easy but it has been far less rewarding since the inception of the Premier League era. Take the past 12 months, six highlights for the whole year. No major trophy since 1980 – thirty seven bloody years! Let's face it, we are not going to win the PL any time soon, if ever, but at least we used to give the domestic Cups a fair crack. I saw us win three in the first two decades supporting the club – and a European trophy. Our League campaigns were almost always disappointing but for the most we saw some great players and at times some wonderful football. Even in division two we saw some of our best players of all time. Trevor Brooking, Alan Devonshire, Billy Bonds, Alvin Martin, Frank Lampard , Phil Parkes and Ray Stewart. How could a team with these players be playing in the second flight – but there again our highest league position with Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters all in the side was eighth! However, in most of those years there were a lot more than six highlights. Since then the title challenge of 1986 and the Payet season are like a comfort blanket to a child – something to cling on to with all our might. I really feel we missed a trick by not fielding our best eleven at Arsenal in the LC quarter final. Not only did we surrender any cup ambition that night, but also the confidence and momentum that was starting to build. Those two ingredients are worth their weight in gold to any sporting team and I feel we lost more than a football match at the Emirates.
Some of the hidings we have taken, some of the train wrecks we have witnessed, well we can never be accused of being plastic can we? Back to the Payet season, sorry if I offend anyone by calling it that, I realise there were many more factors that led to that great season, but towards the end of that season we had a run of three games where poor refereeing decisions possibly cost us 4th place. On March 19th 2016 Robert Madley awarded a penalty to Chelsea in injury time for an incident that took place outside the box which once converted saw three points turned to a solitary one. He had earlier turned his back on Cesc Fabregas moving the ball back several yards to his advantage at a free kick which he duly converted from a more advantageous position. In our next match Kouyates red card against Palace (which was later rescinded) tipped a comfortable win into another draw whilst a fortnight later the softest of late penalties at Leicester forced yet another 2-2 draw from the jaws of victory. These were all notable incidents where the officials got it wrong at our expense. However, what we witnessed at Bournemouth last week was an absolute disgrace. It has been done to death now but Robert Madley is one fella I never ever want to see referee a West Ham match again.
I have never been one for New Year's resolutions. Being strong willed if I want to change something in my life I don't need any special day of the year to do it. However, it is a tradition for some and I know many people who do like to partake. If David Moyes is looking to make one or two what would your suggestions be? I think I would start by making it an absolute must that we bring in a top quality holding midfielder in the January transfer window.
I wrote in my article last week that Sakho, Ayew, Carroll and Kouyate may be players we may listen to offers for in the January window. Nothing has happened to change my mind there but what of incoming targets? Reece Oxford has been recalled from Germany despite only playing a handful of games. I would be surprised if the youngster is not given a run in the Cup against Shrewsbury to give the boss an idea as to whether he has improved any? Meanwhile, transfer targets mentioned in the press include;
Alfie Mawson Swansea centre back who will be 24 years old later in January. Can't say I have watched a lot of him to be honest but what I have seen he looks pretty decent. It is always hard to appraise a defender who is playing for a team that is bottom of the league and in Mawson's case hasn't played in the top flight for very long. Moyes is looking for a central defender and the bookies make him 4/6 (a 60% chance) to join the Hammers.
Steven N'Zonzi French midfielder who is out of favour at current club Sevilla. I was impressed with the player when he was at Stoke – his ball retention and distribution was very good. He is a big lad and in 2011 when playing for Blackburn he elbowed Ryan Shawcross in the face and received a four match ban for his efforts – so he has a bit about him. His form at past clubs has often tapered off after bright starts and at 29 he may be a risk considering he would demand a large fee. Despite the paper talk saying we are interested, Skybet don't even have us listed as a club chasing him. Arsenal are currently even money favourites (50%) for his signature.
Marouane Fellaini David Moyes would have plenty of knowledge on this player from his time at Everton. Out of favour at Manchester United in a World Cup year usually means where there is smoke there is fire. However, despite the rumours West Ham are 18/1 (5%) to sign the Belgian this window and he is 1-2 (66%) to stay in Manchester.
Jonjo Shelvey There has been a sprinkling of money in the past 24 hours for the Newcastle midfielder to join the Hammers. We are quoted at 4/1 (20%) whilst he is priced at 1/3 (75%) to stay put which at this point seems the most likely outcome.
Other players muted to be on our radar are Jack Wilshere and Daniel Sturridge who are both quoted at 5/1 (16%) which seem way under the odds as both seem unlikely at this point in time.
Happy New Year to you all and stay SAFE
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STILL FOLLOWING THE WHITE LINE – AN UPDATE FROM THE INFIRM CITY FIRM
By Tony Hanna 30 Dec 2017 at 08:00
WTID
Guest post by Voice of Reason
Despite all of the obstacles that have been put in our path, the Infirm City Firm has limped its way to the end of 2017 and is still alive (just) and kicking (very weakly).
The other members of the Executive Board (me, BSB and Russ) are rather concerned about the Big Fella (Safehands) who has missed a few matches. We thought it was due to filming and location issues but a pattern seems to be emerging and the games that are missed are all north of Watford.
A strange situation which we need to get to the bottom of. Although Safehands managed to come to West Brom, absence was recorded in the register for Burnley and Stoke and it will be a similar situation for the Cup game at Shrewsbury and for Huddersfield.
Anyway, in a sort of diarised format, this is what has happened over the past three months.
Sat 17th Sept – West Brom away
2 cars needed as the attendance figures go up!
BSB & Safehands took Irons 1959 whilst Russ drove CRB and myself. Also met Dan Coker in the pub and Carlinsir and his missus, who we managed to get tickets for, before the game which was a "turgid" (Russ's description) goalless draw. I have never seen a home team set up as blatantly for a draw as West Brom did. And it's not as if they were playing a top team. It's very easy to understand their fans thoughts about Tony Pulis and his negative, old school football. That man sure does love a central defender. Or about six of them to be honest.
Not a lot else to say.
Sat 14th October – Burnley away
VoR, BSB and CRB in attendance and we also met David Murray there having managed to get him a ticket, plus a ticket for Nigel's nephew Billy who lives oop north.
We went into Burnley Cricket Club which is adjacent to the football ground. They open up their car park and bars for away fans and is a great location for a pre-match pint. Some of our youngsters were a total embarrassment with some really fouls songs about Karren Brady. She's far from my favourite person but these were not funny and not clever – that's both the songs and the kids. This was all in front of families and female staff at the Cricket Club. We really do have our share of pillocks.
Going to Burnley shows that modern football does not have to be completely sanitised. Their ground has been upgraded in recent years but is still a "proper" football ground in the centre of town with a great atmosphere and a good bunch of fans. Would prefer to watch games there every week rather than at our mausoleum.
BSB's in-car catering included Scotch Eggs and Pork Pies as well as ham and beef rolls. In a chill box. This is almost at corporate catering level now!
A 1-1 draw – which we would have all taken before the game – could (and should) have been 3 points. Only Andy Carroll's sending off in the first half when we were one up stopped that happening. Officially he was sent off for two yellow cards but in reality it was for being stupid.
Bonus points for BSB for the catering but a yellow card for forgetting to take the flag.
Sat 28th October – Crystal Palace away.
VoR, BSB, Safehands, Nigel, Russ all rolled up for this one and we finally got the flag into the ground and hung on the railings, although I'm not sure it was very visible. Getting it in took some time as there were West Ham stewards demanding to see every flag. They were looking for the "Board Out" one that had been at Wembley for the Spurs Caribou Cup game and it still got in and was unfurled at the end of the game.
2-0 up at half time (a touch flattering) with two great goals from Hernandez and Ayew but we gave away a needless penalty early in the second half (Ogbonna) and then came under the cosh. Hart showed that he is still a very good keeper with a string of saves. They hit the woodwork twice and then scored in the 97th minute (even though Bobby Madman had only added 6 minutes – see later comments about this clown) due to Antonio's lack of football intelligence. He could have kept the ball in the corner but gave it away with a weak cross and Palace went up the other end and scored.
A very disappointing finale but a neutral would have said that Palace deserved at least a point.
Beer in plastic bottles and rubbish food in Selhurst Park and, as always seems to happen at Palace, every West Ham 'erbert decided to go. We really to have some twats follow us.
But we also have some very considerate people like a Mr Nigel Kahn, formerly of Canning Tahn who is always happy to help.
Sun 19th November – Watford away.
Following the long drawn out will he go / won't he go Slaven Bilic saga, VoR, BSB, Safehands and Nigel were in attendance for the first game of the Davis Moyes reign and we deservedly lost. 2-0.
No heart, no pace, no difference really. Even Andy Carroll was still throwing his arms into opposition faces and could have been sent off in the first minute. He wasn't even booked for that but got a yellow card later in the first half and it was a surprise that he came out in the second half as seemed like a red card waiting to happen. He was eventually replaced by Sakho.
For the first time this season the away fans really turned on the club – in the form of the owners and, to a lesser extent, the players generally and Carroll in particular. The "offensive" flag managed to breach security and duly appeared to be followed by a "debate" between the flag's owners and the West Ham stewards.
We had our flag but decided against showing it. I hid behind Safehands for safety's sake.
For the first time relegation seemed like a distinct possibility but Safehand's Ginger Shortbread was the highlight of the day and we did "stay til the end" which was more than Carroll did.
I'm afraid that inappropriate behaviour by one of our number has to be reported. Comments like that to 15 year old girls manning the car park at the Girls Grammar School will not be tolerated. This person knows who he is and we all hope he has learned his lesson. You are not an MP or a film producer and you will do well to remember that.
Sat 16th December – Stoke away
BSB, VoR, Russ and Barney travelled up without Safehands as Stoke is a bit of a way up the M6.
We met Carlinsir and his wife at Longton Rugby Club having picked Dan Coker up from Stoke station first.
As usual, the rugby club was most welcoming. £5 to park, cheap beer and a burger. No complaints there.
Our first away game since Watford as we decided to give Everton (midweek, cold, crap ground) and Man City (decided to hide behind the sofa instead) a miss. Everton was a good decision (4-0 loss) but we did well at City and were unlucky no to get something from the game.
So, following home games against Chelsea (1-0 win) and Arsenal (0-0 draw) this, in some ways was a test of how we would play against a lesser team.
But the first test was for Stoke's electrician as a complete power outage meant the game kicked off an hour late. Waiting outside in the cold wasn't the greatest way to spend an hour but even that did not justify the moron who shouted "open the fu***ng gates you c**ts". Amazingly, despite being told by a bloke with a megaphone, he was too bereft of brain to understand that the turnstiles were not working and it was pitch dark inside the ground and therefore dangerous. Plus, of course, there was no football. This was all from a middle aged man with a small boy. What a role model. (Thinking later, I wonder whether it was the same small boy who sat behind me at Bournemouth who is mentioned further down the article. Probably not, as there are a lot of them around).
Any road up, excellent performance ending in a 3-0 win. Arnautovic baited the Stoke crowd and the laughingly misnamed "Sparky" Hughes and the whole team played well including the Ginger Pele, back from injury and revelling in a game where the opposition just lumped it into our penalty area for him to head away.
There was the first full away airing of "Arthurs Song" (Arthur Masuaku, he's better than Lukaku"). Genius. And Lanzini got a retrospective ban for diving when winning the penalty that led to the opening goal.
A reasonable car boot buffet was produced by Barney (Mrs Barney?) although it has been noted that there were no pork pies, resulting in the fully deserved "must do better" comment on Mr McGrew's end of year report.
The flag couldn't make it due to Christmas shopping.
Tues 19th December – Arsenal away (Caribou Cup)
A worse game than West Brom away. Concentrate on the league. That's it.
Tuesday 26th December (Boxing Day) – Bournemouth away
VoR, BSB, Safehands and Russ gave up the armchairs, turkey sandwiches and mulled wine to travel to one of Britain's premier holiday resorts in the dead of winter.
Good News and Bad News
Good: Car Park still only £1, we got a point although, on overall play, we didn't deserve it, Arnie scored two more goals, the IFCF Secret Santa thingy at the Services on the way home (next year I'm going to get Safehands a whippet or a ferret), giving a mince pie to a complete stranger in the Services and leaving another one on the table for the first homeless person / greedy bastard to help himself to.
Bad: Accidents on the M25 and M3, non-stop rain, high winds, a kid of about 10 years old behind me (with his father!) who shouted "You F***ing C**t" at least 100 times over the course of the game in his high pitched voice and, worst of all, the Bobby Madley Show.
We've been on the wrong end of some of this idiot's decisions a few times (see Palace game above) but this time he excelled himself by allowing a 93rd minute "equaliser" to stand despite it being offside and handball both of which he gave from his position on the edge of the penalty area.
I've watched him on TV against other teams and this wasn't isolated bad refereeing. The Madman is just not a good referee. This time he seemed to take a perverse pleasure in allowing the goal and his smirking face has invaded my dreams ever since. If referees were allowed to speak to the media, and explain some of their more contentious decisions, there would be a far greater appreciation of them from sensible fans at least. I doubt it would change that horrible little 'erbert who sat behind me.
I would love to hear Madley's explanation of his decision at Bournemouth as I can't imagine what he could possible say to justify his actions. So we lose 2 points and he will probably rock up at a match in a few days and spoil another few thousand peoples day.
So it will be a new year when we next venture to fields far away, more in hope than expectation. We are off to Shrewsbury and Huddersfield (first time for both those grounds) in January to watch the start of our run to Wembley and our climb to safety.
Thanks to all of the Infirm City Firm for their company and their catering skills and particular thanks to both BSB and Russ for their driving.
And a very Happy New Year to you all.
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West Ham "fighting for our lives" admits Javier Hernandez before 3 tough games in less than a week
Third-bottom Hammers face 19th-placed West Brom, a derby trip to Spurs and then a tough away tie in the FA Cup
The Mirror
ByNeil McLeman
Sports Writer
22:30, 31 DEC 2017
Javier Hernandez says West Ham will be "fighting for our lives" against West Brom at the start of three huge New Year matches in six days. David Moyes' side go to Wembley for a London derby with Tottenham on Thursday, before a potential FA Cup banana-skin away to League One promotion chasers Shrewsbury three days later. But the first and biggest clash is at the Olympic Stadium against former manager Alan Pardew and his relegation-threatened Baggies side, who are one rung below them on the top flight ladder. "They are all very important games for the club," said the striker known Chicharito . "First, we play West Brom and we are fighting for our lives so we want to get the three points. "Then, we have a derby match — and it's a nice one, with Tottenham. The last time we went to Wembley, we were very happy with the result in the League Cup, coming back from 2-0 down to win 3-2, so we have good memories of playing against Spurs there. "Then the week ends with the FA Cup, which is a competition I'd love to win."
The former Manchester United star started the first 11 Premier League matches after his summer transfer from Bayer Leverkusen, scoring four times, but suffered a hamstring injury on international duty in early November. The Mexican has come off the bench in the last four games and is now ready to start again. "I am very happy and glad to be back," he said. "If you ask all footballers, they will tell you they don't want to be on the bench. "They all want to play and I'm trying to prove I want to be involved with more minutes, with more starts, and then we'll see what happens. "I'm always going to give everything for the team, whenever I am on the pitch. "I love football and I want to be as professional as I can, on and off the pitch, if I am given one minute or 90 minutes, and I will try to do my best."
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West Ham fans are saying the same thing following Wilfried Zaha's "dive" against Manchester City
Hammers fans aren't happy with Crystal Palace winger
Football London
ByTashan Deniran-Alleyne
09:30, 1 JAN 2018
Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha irked a number of West Ham United supporters for his involvement in winning a penalty against Manchester City yesterday afternoon. As the Eagles became only the second team to take points off the Premier League leaders so far this season - as well as becoming the first team to prevent them from scoring since April 2017 - the result could have been much better had Luka Milivojevic not seen his poor last minute penalty saved by Ederson.
The awarding of the spot-kick was rather controversial as Zaha skipped past both Raheem Sterling and Danilo before going down in the box following contact from the former. However, replays did show that contact was fairly minimal and that's prompted suggestions that the Ivory Coast international - not for the first time during his career - went down too easily in a bid to deceive the officials by winning a penalty.
Some may say that justice was served when the Eagles midfielder, who is normally so reliable from the spot, was denied by the City keeper and the result also means that the Irons are just a point behind their London rivals in the table as the fight for survival heats up. Understandably, supporters of the East Londonders don't want to see Palace pick up three points and it would appear that many feared the worst when Jonathan Moss pointed to the spot after Zaha went down in the area as some opted to vent their anger over the decision on social media.
West Ham Central
@WestHam_Central
Zaha is getting a ban so it isn't really a high for them is it? https://twitter.com/premierleague/status/947467554855014400 …
2:04 PM - Dec 31, 2017
13 13 Replies 1 1 Retweet 19 19 likes
Robbie Lawther
@RLawther94
@FA when will Zaha be banned for diving for the second time this season?? Disgusting
1:57 PM - Dec 31, 2017
Replies Retweets 1 1 like
Weѕt Hαm Sociαl
@WestHamSocial
Zaha is quality player, the diving is absolutely disgraceful though. Yet again he has deceived a referee, good to see that penalty saved.
1:55 PM - Dec 31, 2017
8 8 Replies 32 32 Retweets 193 193 likes
Azza
@CoachAzza
Finally, Zaha should be punished for his dive to win that penalty - regardless of whether it was missed in the end.
The FA have to remain consistent in their recent punishments over Lanzini and others.
2:10 PM - Dec 31, 2017
1 1 Reply Retweets likes
Lewis West
@L8wis
So Lanzini gets a ban for 'diving' despite contact but Zaha does it 5/6 times per game and has never been punished?! 🏊🤦♂️keep up the good work @FA
2:04 PM - Dec 31, 2017
Replies Retweets 2 2 likes
West Ham Geezer ⚒
@WHUFCGeezer
Justice......another dive from zaha
2:00 PM - Dec 31, 2017
Replies Retweets 2 2 likes
West_Ham_COYI
@West_Ham_COYI
Honestly don't think I've seen a player dive as much as Zaha. Everyone used to crucify players like Suarez but Zaha is non stop all game. Runs alongside someone and then drops to the floor like he's been shot throwing his arms around
2:15 PM - Dec 31, 2017
Replies 2 2 Retweets 15 15 likes
James Hart
@JamesHart6WHU
Another Zaha dive 😴
1:53 PM - Dec 31, 2017
Replies Retweets likes
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