Daily WHUFC News - 5th January 2018

Obiang's rocket and a resolute defence make Wembley point
WHUFC.com

Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 West Ham United
Premier League, Wembley Stadium, Thursday 4 January 2018

Pedro Obiang's wonder strike earned West Ham United a hard-won Premier League point at Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday evening, helping his side rise one place to 15th in the table. Just 48 hours after the home victory over West Bromwich Albion, David Moyes' side gave another committed display at Wembley Stadium to stretch their recent run to one defeat in seven top-flight matches, and see them go above AFC Bournemouth in the standings. Indeed, despite conceding 31 goal attempts to their own three, West Ham's outstanding defending - the Hammers blocked 13 shots and Adrian saved seven more - set the platform for Obiang to fire the visitors into a shock lead that was only cancelled out by an equally impressive strike from Hueng-Min Son seven minutes from full-time. Spurs started on the front foot and almost scored a fourth-minute opener from a left-wing corner when Adrian bumped into Cheikhou Kouyate and lost the ball. Davinson Sanchez took an immediate snapshot, but Declan Rice blocked the route to goal. Tottenham were dominating possession and Adrian had to make a smart save down low to his left to push Harry Kane's 20-yard curler aside just before the half-hour. Eleven minutes before the break Kane really should have done better in front of goal when Serge Aurier was picked out by Jan Vertonghen's raking diagonal ball, allowing the full-back to knock square for his unmarked striker. The Hammers held their breath and Kane's touch let him down and the ball span wide. Then, on the stroke of half-time, Adrian showed sharp reflexes to touch Christian Eriksen's drive over the bar after the shot took a nick off Angelo Ogbonna and flew towards the roof of the net.

West Ham's defending was resolute, even if they struggled to make their mark in Spurs territory and Ogbonna was again in the right place at the right time to block from Son after the break. Well-timed interventions in the Hammers box were becoming a theme, and Pablo Zabaleta was next to deny the hosts when Kane wriggled clear to shoot inside the box. As the game entered its final quarter the Hammers still had not registered an attempt on goal of any description, but that changed in magnificent style with 70 minutes played. Andre Ayew provided the catalyst for the goal with an excellent piece of hold-up play, and when the hosts stood off Obiang more than 25 yards out, the Spaniard took the invitation to shoot, sending a scorcher flying into the top left-hand corner which Hugo Lloris simply could not handle. It took an equally impressive strike to unlock the Hammers defence with just seven minutes left to play as Son lined up a shot from just as far out, finding the power and accuracy to beat Adrian with a fierce shot from even further out. There was still time for Lloris to deny the impressive Ayew with his legs, and West Ham to produce a series of brave blocks as the game went into added-time, but when Mike Dean's whistle went for full-time, David Moyes and his players could be more than happy with their night's work.

Tottenham Hotspur: Lloris, Aurier, Sanchez, Vertonghen, Davies (Llorente 82), Eriksen, Dier (Wanyama 74), Sissoko (Lamela 74), Alli, Son, Kane
Subs not used: Vorm (GK), Trippier, Dembele, Winks
Goal: Son 84

West Ham United: Adrian, Zabaleta, Reid, Ogbonna, Rice, Masuaku, Obiang, Noble, Kouyate, Lanzini (Carroll 85), Chicharito (Ayew 65)
Subs not used: Hart (GK), Makasi, Haksabanovic, Quina, Martinez
Goal: Obiang 70
Booked: Carroll, Noble

Referee: Mike Dean

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Moyes: I thought we did a really good job
WHUFC.com

David Moyes admitted to rubbing his eyes in disbelief when Pedro Obiang's wondergoal hit the back of the net in Thursday's 1-1 Premier League draw with Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley. The Scot's West Ham United side were forced to defend resolutely for long periods at the Home of Football, and were rewarded for their courage when Obiang belted their first shot on goal into the top corner from all of 30 yards midway through the second half. Spurs' South Korea star Hueng-Min Son levelled with an equally impressive long-range strike with seven minutes to play, but Moyes was taking the positives out of a hard-earned point, rather than lamenting the suggestion that two had been lost. "I've got to say we scored a brilliant goal but unfortunately they scored a really good goal as well, but it's a good point for us," said the manager. "After what we had to do a couple of days ago [in beating West Bromwich Albion 2-1 in the last minute] and then play again and go again against a team such as Tottenham, I thought we did a really good job." "I have no idea where that strike came from Pedro because I can't say I've seen it, but I've got to say he didn't half strike it sweetly. We didn't have many shots but the one we did have was very good. "I had a look of disbelief on my face and rightly so, because we hadn't been up the pitch that often. "After we scored, Kouyate had a great chance to make it 2-0, too, so we might not have had a lot of shots and if we'd gone 2-0 up it would have been a real surprise, but going 1-0 up was a big enough surprise for me at the time!"

With the likes of Marko Arnautovic, Michail Antonio, James Collins and Jose Fonte unavailable, Moyes gave starts to Chicharito, Declan Rice and recalled Mark Noble to his starting XI. The result was a resolute performance and a point which saw the Hammers rise above AFC Bournemouth to 15th in the standings.
"That's the team which beat Real Madrid 3-1, so we shouldn't be surprised we only had a few shots or be surprised at the way we played, and perhaps you shouldn't be surprised we took a point because we went close against Manchester City and we beat Chelsea and drew with Arsenal. "You've got to say we're doing one part of it right and we'd like to do the other part of it much better, obviously, but I'm the coach and I have to try and find a way of getting results with the players available. We need to change and find a way of winning the next games we have against teams around us in the table. "It's hard work on the touchline when you're playing against Tottenham with their quality of players and the amount of attempts they had on goal, but the players have been drilled to make sure they do the right things and make it hard for Tottenham to score and I thought they did a really good job at it."

Next up for the Hammers is a tricky-looking trip to League One high-fliers Shrewsbury Town in the Emirates FA Cup third round on Sunday afternoon. With many of his senior players either injured or having played 180 minutes of draining Premier League football this week, Moyes says he will have to assess their fitness before picking his squad to take to Shropshire. "We'll get back in on Friday and get the players as ready as we can for Sunday. We're missing quite a few players through injury at this moment in time. "This game was the same for both us and Spurs in that we both had a quick turnaround so I think that was fair, but the hard bit comes now as we're the team who have not had the time to prepare and recover for an FA Cup tie. "We've got to get on with it and we'll go there and try and win and get through to the next round of the FA Cup. That's important, but I've always said the priority is getting Premier League points and getting us away from the wrong end of the table. I thought tonight was a really good point for us."

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Obiang: What was in my mind? Nothing! Just shoot!
WHUFC.com

Pedro Obiang admitted his 30-yard Wembley wonder-strike in Thursday's 1-1 Premier League draw with Tottenham Hotspur was 'really lucky'. The Spaniard belted in his third goal in West Ham United colours to give his team an unlikely lead at the Home of Football, where Spurs unleashed 31 goal attempts to the Hammers' three, collecting Andre Ayew's pass before arrowing an unstoppable shot past Hugo Lloris. Obiang was also part of a superb rear-guard action both before and after his goal, and Tottenham were only able to rescue a point when Hueng-Min Son scored with an equally impressive long-range strike seven minutes from full-time. "I think it was the right time to score but everything happened because we defended really well," said the midfielder. "We kept the game goalless and, in that moment, I saw the possibility to try and I scored, so I was really lucky! "It was our first shot and that's because we had to work hard with our defending. It was a tough game for us because we have played many games and we were a little bit tired, so it was more difficult for us to attack. "What was in my mind? Nothing! Just shoot! I said to myself to try something different, so I did and it went in! I didn't try that many times, even in training, because usually I try to shoot differently, down low to the corners, but I tried something different. "I had a chance in an earlier game and didn't try it, so I thought I'd have a go in this magnificent stadium and it went in! It's special to score at this important stadium, where many top players have played, so I feel very special to have scored here at Wembley."

Obiang said West Ham can take pride in their recent improved run of performances and results under David Moyes. The Hammers have held Arsenal and Tottenham, beaten Chelsea and Stoke City and lost just one of their last seven matches to rise to 15th in the Premier League table. "One point is good for us, even though we could have taken all three, but something has changed for us. "We started the season and lost our first three games and we might have lost games like this, but now we have taken four points from our two games this year and we want to keep going in this way."

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Adrian: We were compact and defended as a team
WHUFC.com

Adrian had praise for the Hammers' resilience as they battled hard for a point at London rivals Tottenham on Thursday. Less than 48 hours after beating West Bromwich Albion at home, West Ham were back in action at Wembley, thwarting a Spurs side who enjoyed the majority of possession and territory but only had Heung-Min Son's thunderbolt to show for it. That owed much to the visitors' sturdy work in defence and the Spanish goalkeeper was full of praise for the job the players in front of him did. "We defended like a team, all together and very compact," he said. "We were hard to beat and we've played good games against the top teams in recent weeks. "Now we have to keep this level against teams who are lower in the table, show that we are ready to compete and take points from them too. "To be fair, when you concede a late goal it feels a little bit like a defeat but it was a hard game. We defended well, we had some good counter attacks and Pedro scored a great goal. "It's a good point away from home and we keep on a positive run."

The pick of the No13's six saves came on the stroke of half time when he adjusted well to push Christian Eriksen's venomous drive over the top after it had taken a large deflection off Angelo Ogbonna. "It was another deflection!" Adrian reflected. "That always makes it hard for a goalkeeper when it takes a touch off a player before it comes to you. "This time, I had the luck to touch the ball and save it behind for the corner."

18-year-old Declan Rice walked off with the Man of the Match award for another composed display in defence and Adrian was once again impressed with the youngster's performance. He added: "I congratulated Declan after the game, because it was a big match in a massive stadium against a good team like Tottenham. "He did very well in defence, he did his job, so I have to congratulate him."

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Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 West Ham United
By Emlyn Begley
BBC Sport

Son Heung-min and Pedro Obiang scored two stunning long-range strikes as Tottenham drew with West Ham. Obiang's 35-yard drive into the top corner was the first shot for David Moyes' Hammers at Wembley, with Spurs having had 20 by that stage. The hosts dominated the game - both sides' second Premier League match in 48 hours - but were denied by a series of last-ditch blocks and saves. But Son broke West Ham's resistance with a 30-yard strike beyond Adrian. West Ham were without the injured Andy Carroll - who was on the bench - and Marko Arnautovic, so Moyes set his side up not to lose, a target they accomplished and very nearly bettered. By the 70th minute they still had not had a touch in Spurs' penalty area, but then suddenly and entirely against the run of play they found themselves in front thanks to a goal-of-the-season contender. Manuel Lanzini gave the ball to Obiang, who came in from the left channel and unleashed a thunderous effort past the helpless Hugo Lloris to register only his third goal for the club. After Spurs levelled through Son's equally sublime strike, West Ham's defensive resolve was summed up in injury time when Victor Wanyama, Dele Alli, Christian Eriksen and Son all had shots blocked in the space of 30 seconds.
Son said after the game that he thought "Obiang's goal was better". "The strike was unbelievable," he added. "We have the best goalkeeper in the world and he can't do anything. It was a great strike."

Frustrating night for Spurs

Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino will be disappointed with his side's failure to unlock the Hammers' defence and they now sit three points off fourth-placed Liverpool. They had 31 shots - eight on target, 14 blocked - with their only successful effort bypassing West Ham's resolute back five, which at times felt like a back 10. Erik Lamela fed in-form Son to score a goal not too dissimilar to Obiang's, the South Korean hitting a lovely effort that swerved and faded away from Adrian's grasp. Harry Kane, fit to start after only being a substitute as they beat Swansea 2-0 on Tuesday, had a disappointing night in front of goal. He had seven shots, three on target, although he could have had a penalty when Pablo Zabaleta appeared to pull his arm in the area. This season has seen plenty of defensive performances and one-sided games in the Premier League, and Pochettino's side will need to do better next time they face such a tactic.

Man of the match - Angelo Ogbonna (West Ham)

Angelo Ogbonna (pictured charging down Harry Kane's shot) blocked another two efforts and cleared the ball 10 times. He did his job and never touched the ball in Spurs' half

'Normally it would be 3-1, 4-1, 5-1' - manager reaction
Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino: "We only scored once - and the most difficult chance. I'm very pleased with the effort but very unhappy with the result. We deserved to win but football is like this and we have to accept that. "We had to score and be effective in front of goal. To play and run like that after two games in 48 hours deserves credit. "It was an amazing goal from Obiang, their first shot, it's difficult to accept. Normally we would finish 3-1, 4-1, 5-1 but it wasn't like this. "I didn't see any penalty shouts from my position. I am not going to say anything about the referee, I trust in them."

Moyes hails 'great' Hammers performance
West Ham boss David Moyes to BBC Sport: "To come here and get a point after what we did two days ago [a 2-1 win over West Brom] is a great effort. "We have scored a goal and so have they - they can have as many shots as they like. It was a great finish from Obiang, unexpected. He struck it brilliantly well. "We're miles away from how I want us to play but we are doing some things right. We are defending well which gives us a chance against the top teams. I want the players to look up the table. "We need a lot in the transfer window but if I can get one or two I'll be happy."

BBC Radio 5 live analysis
Former Premier League striker Steve Claridge at Wembley: Mauricio Pochettino didn't do enough to turn that game around. He should have put Fernando Llorente on earlier. It was only when West Ham scored that he made the changes and went more attacking. West Ham were magnificent on the night - spirit, organisation and work-rate - everything David Moyes demanded. The stats don't tell the true story - Spurs may have had 31 shots but created four half chances and one really good one. Spurs didn't really look like opening West Ham up. Their performance belies those stats.

Match stats - Kane loses the London derby scoring touch
In four London derbies in all competitions under David Moyes, West Ham have managed just three shots on target. However, they've scored two of them, and have lost just once (W1 D2).
Son Heung-min has been directly involved in 12 goals in his last nine home games for Tottenham in all competition (seven goals, five assists).
Spurs have never lost a Premier League game on a Thursday (P11 W6 D5 L0) - it is the highest number of games played by a team on a specific day without defeat in the Premier League era.
Harry Kane has scored just three goals in his last 10 Premier League London derby matches, failing to find the net on eight occasions in that run.
After a run of 13 defeats in 16 Premier League games against 'big six' opponents (W1 D2), West Ham are unbeaten in their last three against them (W1 D2).

What's next?
Tottenham host AFC Wimbledon on Sunday (15:00 GMT) in the FA Cup third round, with West Ham at Shrewsbury an hour earlier.

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TOTTENHAM 1-1 WEST HAM – MATCH REPORT
AUTHOR: BRIAN KNOX. PUBLISHED: 4 JANUARY 2018 AT 10:28PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Match Report by @WestHamAmerican

West Ham drew even with Tottenham tonight 1-1 in a Premier League match at Wembley. Goals by Pedro Obiang and Son Hueng-Min were the sum of the action, as both West Ham and Spurs each played their second league match in 48 hours. For the Hammers it was a chance to grow their narrow safe position in the table, albeit without their record signing Marko Arnautović, who apparently picked up an injury since the West Bromwich victory.

The first half was all Spurs except the visiting club decided to play ten men behind the ball, leaving Javier Hernandez with little service and not much help on the rare counter attack. Tottenham had possession for two thirds of the opening half and had plenty of shots, but Adrian played masterfully with the likes of Dele Alli, Harry Kane, and Son all firing on him. West Ham finished the opening half with no shots on goal.

The first half was so uneventful, without injury or substitution, that there was no added time. In fact, Mike Dean ended the half a bit before the 45' mark.

No changes to either side during the break and play resumed with Tottenham still owning the edge on possession. Early in the half, Chicharito did have a free run to goal after Davinson Sanchez errantly gave up possession but he was caught from behind before he could make a clean shot.

After going almost 70 minutes without a single shot on goal, West Ham's fortunes changed rapidly. Pedro Obiang took possession well outside the penalty area and decided to take a distance crack at the goal. His 30 yard strike was outside the reach of Hugo Lloris and in a shocker, West Ham were up 0-1 over Spurs.

For the next 14 minutes the Hammers resumed their play behind the ball. Not to be outdone by Obiang, Son took a distance strike from the center of the pitch and also placed it just beyond Adrian's grasp to give the hosts the equaliser. As Manuel Lanzini had gone down to injury moments prior to the goal, David Moyes brought on Andy Carroll, to replace the Argentine.

Despite some frightening moments, West Ham were able to weather Tottenham's assault over the four minutes of added time, and on a rainy night in London, West Ham walked off with a greatly-needed point.

It seems that Moyes has righted this ship somewhat. The reports of Bilic's fitness demands being soft were obviously not incorrect as West Ham would have lost this match three months ago by multiple goals. Great marks to young Declan Rice, who started in place of the injured Aaron Cresswell tonight. The confidence exuded by this youngster facing the likes of Kane and Allie is very impressive. Growing talent from the ranks of the U-23's is a rare occurrence in today's Premier League. Hopefully the return of Reese Oxford will yield similar results in the coming months.

Speaking of U-23's, what will the starting XI look like against Shrewsbury Town on Sunday night? Given the injuries and the gauntlet of matches over the Christmas season, it is hard to suspect that Moyes will play too many of his usual first teamers. Given West Ham's position in the table, an early exit from the FA Cup might not be the worst fate that could happen; although a Premier League side losing to a League One club would be embarrassing, even coming off the heels of a great result at Wembley tonight.

As the January transfer window continues be sure to check out TheWestHamWay.co.uk for all the latest updates. Ex will keep us all informed on who is coming, who is leaving, and where we are going next.

Spurs: Lloris (C), Aurier, Sanchez, Vertonghen, Davies, Dier, Sissoko, Eriksen, Dele, Son, Kane
Subs: Vorm, Trippier, Wanyama (75'), Dembele, Winks, Lamela (75'), Llorente (82')

West Ham: Adrian, Reid, Zabaleta, Kouyate, Lanzini, Obiang, Noble (c), Chicharito, Ogbonna, Masuaku, Rice
Subs: Hart, Carroll (85'), Ayew (65'), Martinez, Quina, Makasi, Haksabanovic

Referee: Mike Dean

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West Ham miss powerhouse top 30
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 4th January 2018
By: Staff Writer

West Ham United have been ranked at the world's 35th most powerful club in the latest annual Soccerex survey.

The study, that ranks football clubs in order of economic power sees the Hammers ranked below clubs such as the MLS' New England Revolution and China's Hebei China Fortune in the 2018 edition of the survey.

The analysis is based on club balance sheets and annual reports, as well as other sources of information such as UEFA, the Financial Times and Forbes. Five variables - namely playing assets, fixed assets, cash flow, the owners' 'potential investment' and net debt- are taken into account when assessing each club's rating.

Premier League leaders Manchester City head the way with a FFI index score of 4.883 - the result of heavy investment from Abu Dhabi. The club possesses one of the most valuable squads in world football, and has invested heavily in fixed assets such as the Etihad Campus, which includes the club's stadium and training ground.

In addition, the club has a multi-billionaire owner who has invested more than €650 million since buying the club. In addition to the owner's investment, the Premier League's recent expansion, fuelled by massive broadcast deals, has also contributed to Manchester City's
financial strength.

In stark contrast, West Ham's FFI score of 0.577 is the result of a squad value of £196m, fixed assets worth £63m, bank funds of £37m and the 'owner potential investment' figure of just £16m (only 58th highest on the list). The club's £90m net debt was also taken into account.

For this latest edition, the financial year analysed was 2015/16. The top 20 most powerful clubs are as follows:

1. Manchester City
2. Arsenal
3. Paris St Germain
4. Guangzhou Evergrande
5. Tottenham
6. Real Madrid
7. Manchester Utd
8. Juventus
9. Chelsea
10. Bayern Munich

11. Zenit St Petersburg
12. RB Leipzig
13. Barcelona
14. LA Galaxy
15. Atletico Madrid
16. Liverpool
17. Borussia Dortmund
18. Olympique Lyonnais
19. Monaco
20. Leicester City


Meanwhile the 19 English clubs listed in the top 100 are rated as follows:

1. Manchester City
2. Arsenal
3. Tottenham
4. Manchester Utd
5. Chelsea
6. Liverpool
7. Leicester City
8. Everton
9. Southampton
10. Stoke City

11. West Ham Utd
12. Newcastle Utd
13. Crystal Palace
14. Swansea City
15. Bournemouth
16. Burnley
17. Sunderland
18. Brighton & Hove Albion
19. Aston Villa

27 per cent of the clubs listed in the top 30 feature in the Premier League or Championship, whilst the US provide the second largest group with 17 per cent of listees.

1. England (Premier League, Championship)
2. USA (MLS)
3. France (Ligue 1)
4. China, Russia, Ukraine
7. Italy (Serie A)
8. Spain (La Liga)
9. Germany (Bundesliga)

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West Ham 2-1 West Brom (And Other Ramblings)
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 4th January 2018
By: HeadHammerShark


"I'd rather see the world the way it used to be, a little bit of freedom all we're left
So catch me if you can, I'm goin' back"
- The Byrds, "Goin' Back"


I'm not into ruining your enjoyment of films, so if you haven't seen Mad Max: Fury Road and want to avoid spoilers then feel free to skip down until you see a shot map and start your West Brom experience there. You won't miss much.

But for those who have seen it, or don't care, then you'll know what I mean when I say that this game had an oddly familiar storyline. Fury Road is built upon a fairly flimsy plot that sees Charlize Theron, playing Imperator Furiosa, escape from a post apocalyptic Australian warlord by the name of Immortan Joe, with a handful of his "wives" in tow. Along the way they pick up Tom Hardy's Max Rockatansky, and battle their way past various pursuing forces to escape to a mythical Green Place where they presumably all plan to change their names to something sensible. The problem is that when they get there, it's just as barren as the rest of the world.

I was feeling a bit Furiosa myself until that last minute winner


Realising that only place around with any water and plants is Immortan Joe's hideout, they do the craziest thing possible... they turn around and go back.

Which not-at-all-crowbarred link brings me to David Moyes and this performance. Because we've made a bit of progress ourselves recently, and depending on how generous you feel, one could make the argument that we are a good penalty taker and a competent referee away from sitting comfortably in mid table. All of which has been achieved without Andy Carroll, and based largely on a more solid looking defence and a surprisingly decent number of goals scored, primarily due to Marko Arnautovic sparking into life.

And yet, with all of that in the bank, Moyes took the seemingly crazy decision here to revert back to the old Bilic style of play. Carroll was chosen up front at the tip of a particularly blunt spear, and we went back to that disastrously hopeless hybrid style of play where we smash lots of ineffective crosses in Carroll's general vicinity, while also trying to pass the pall through him as though he were a different type of player altogether. As it was, we reverted all the way back to last season and pulled out one of those typically awful Bilic wins with a late goal and we're mighty grateful for it, but...still.

This Moyes reign has been built on attempting to move past those familiar flaws and creating something different. What the last three games have told me is that with this particular set of players, and against similarly mediocre opponents to ourselves, we still have some enormous problems that have to be remedied this month.

But for all that, if this was a backwards step it was still a pretty productive one. Last minute winners have that extra frisson of wonderment because you know the opposition cannot come back, and in that sense are beautifully liberating. Your mind doesn't immediately start to process how long you have to cling on, and instead you can just hand yourself over completely to a moment of pure, unadulterated happiness. In such moments we remind ourselves of how even the most moribund game can be rescued by a fleeting moment of joy, and remember precisely why we fell in love with this whole bloody thing in the first place.

Wet Tuesday nights aren't generally great for epiphanies, but in the buffeting winds and constant rain of Storm Eleanor, it sure was nice to steal a win and take a step forward in our relegation struggle, even if we did it by going back.

***

"I'll never forget you, although at times we couldn't shake it
You're my joy, always remember me"
- The Noisettes, "Never Forget You"


I won't lie. When I saw that Carroll was starting this game, my heart sank. So much of his play this season has been uninspired and immobile, that to watch him now is to be reminded of a boxer being taken slowly and unwittingly to the knacker's yard. Truthfully, and this may sound ludicrous considering his goals, I didn't see much in his open play to suggest that analysis is particularly flawed. Sure, that's very "what have the Romans ever done for us?" and there were certainly occasional lovely moments of chest control and laying off, but by and large he looked forlorn and isolated as the game generally seemed to pass him by.

But, for all that, this shot map from Caley Graphics shows we did actually create a decent number of opportunities in the box, even if the low xG is reflective of how many men West Brom tended to get in front of those chances. Our first half attacks mainly relied on Manuel Lanzini arriving late and pouncing on second balls after Carroll had crashed into something in front of him, and the visitors were reliant upon some good saves from Ben Foster as a result. One piece of skill in particular from Lanzini, to pluck a swirling high ball from the sky, belonged to another, better, game.

Despite our pressure, West Brom had their own opportunities and after Rondon went close, James McClean picked up a loose ball and went on a long, mazy dribble that should have led to him taking a pointless long range shot in front of our goal. Instead, it hit Obiang, looped up and caught Adrian flat footed and gave the visitors the lead. They celebrated this by all running to the sideline and standing there drinking water until the referee eventually coaxed them back to the pitch. Thus began another long, boring exhibition of West Brom timewasting.

But football is a strange mistress and her whims cannot always be predicted or rebuffed. After that generally dreadful first half we were rejuvenated slightly by the half time introduction of Mark Noble for Pedro Obiang. I felt the Spaniard was a little bit unlucky insomuch as Cheikhou Kouyate was once again playing as if being remote controlled by an uninterested spaniel sat in the crowd, but he does always offer the mobility that is sadly lacking elsewhere in the team.

But with Noble came control, and finally some structure to our forward play beyond simply giving it to Masuaku and hoping for him to beat five men. And as poorly as I felt Carroll did in terms of linking up play, there can be no doubting the sensational quality of his goals. The first was what we once might have termed a typical Carroll goal, as Cresswell swung in a sumptuous cross and he greeted it like a pissed Geordie pirate swinging from the deck of one ship on to another and smashing opposition sailors into the sea. It was a thing of murderous, visceral beauty and even though he seems to do it less frequently than ever, there is still something irresistible about watching such a goal unfold.

Andy casually waits for a cross


I felt the second was better, if only because it required a more difficult technique. Noble and Lanzini combined to free Arnautivic down the left and his cross eluded everybody except for the exhausted Carroll, who brilliantly turned it back into the goal from the narrowest of angles with his weaker right foot. It was harsh on West Brom, although relegation battles are no place for sentiment, and also vindication for Moyes. For while I thought Carroll's inclusion simply sent us back to halfway house of Bilic's worst days, the man scored twice and won us the game, and that's not to be sniffed at. It's also likely that Moyes eyed up our stupid playing schedule and decided that playing him here against a knackered, slow team like West Brom, was preferable to having him play at Wembley against Spurs.

The worry with these brief resurgences from Carroll is that they have tended to cloud manager's minds and cause them to persist with him for long barren spells that we can ill afford. Equally, it's hard to ascertain whether he has reined in his crazily physical style because his body can no longer take it, or because Moyes has told him to for the sake of his disciplinary record, but there is no doubt that he seems slightly diminished as a physical threat at present.

But until we get a new striker who can offer more than the seemingly one dimensional Carroll and Hernandez, then we will have to go with what we have. And, if nothing else, Carroll doesn't ever give up and keeps working as hard as he can. I wouldn't play him, but I can see the appeal.

***

"Pack it up, pack it in, this is who I should have been
But instead I waste my time"
- Turin Brakes, "Timewaster"


There is a rule in association football which states that goalkeepers may not hold on to the ball for longer than six seconds. This rule does not apply to Ben Foster. Instead, he simply holds on to the ball for as long as he decrees is reasonable because the concept of linear time is beneath him. Even as you sit reading this, Ben Foster is wandering around the 18-yard box at the London Stadium while referee Mike Jones looks lovingly at him, taps his watch and then fails to add any time on.

Far be it for me to agree with Eric Dier, but Foster pulled this exact same shit with the exact same referee last month in a game at Wembley, and he got away with it here too.

So, it's actually possible?


I don't hate West Brom. In fact, they're not too dissimilar a club to us in the sense that they've had to play second fiddle to local rivals, while having to battle with a lack of finance and boardroom competence. To me, there is always a spiritual connection between those of us who have to be permanent whipping boys for the Top Six. But...and I say this without meaning to offend any Baggies fans, I fucking despise this iteration of their team.

It's not even much to do with the players, but simply a legacy of having Tony Pulis as a recent manager. And so it is that they waste time, foul cynically, play boringly and generally do everything that you would imagine the Patron Saint of Anti Football would instruct them to do. It's Alan Pardew's team now, of course, but it will take a while for him to rid them entirely of such DNA.

I asked Mark Segal of Opta about the stats for this game and he confirmed that out of a game time of 97:59 the ball was in play for just 57:34. In fairness to West Brom, this was nowhere near as bad as Newcastle who managed to restrict our recent game to just 50:31 of game time with a world class display of procrastination. In both cases the referee added just four minutes.

But it's a frustrating trait either way, because it is so rarely punished effectively by officials. I wrote after the Newcastle game that the authorities must do something about this and move to a straightforward system of playing for sixty minutes and discounting any time when the ball is dead. There is no doubt that Pulis types would find a way to try and game that particular system, but it would be nice if they at least tried to give paying spectators something close to a full match for our inflated tickets.

All of that being true, I still do sympathise with West Brom having to play us just two days after their last game while we had five days rest. The problem for us will come when we play Spurs on two days rest, and then go to Shrewsbury to play our under eleven team in the hope of getting knocked out and reducing our fixture load. Giving sides such disparate preparation time is manifestly unfair, and it was greatly to the visitors' credit that one would have been hard pressed for most of the game to determine who exactly was supposed to be the rested team. That said, who cares. Thanks for the three points, Pards.

***

"Don't let it bring you down, it's only castles burning
Find someone who's turning, and you will come around"
- Neil Young, "Don't Let It Bring You Down"

Kouyate, Reid and Madley. Not much good stuff happening here


A distinctly depressing part of our season so far has been the precipitous decline of some of our older players. Here Kouyate was once again atrocious, and Winston Reid joined him with yet another inconsistent and worrying display. Both are on long contracts that no other Premier League team would ever offer them, so it's hard to imagine them moving on purely because their financial situation is so strong here. This is the folly of having the 13th biggest wage bill in Europe and spending it on the second oldest squad in the Premier League. Indeed, Reid was even given a contract extension earlier in the season which he immediately celebrated with a soft muscle injury at Southampton. Sometimes we really are like a parody of ourselves.

But their inconsistency leaves Moyes with a headache. Reid will almost certainly play at Spurs because Cresswell is injured, meaning we may revert to a back four which has generally seen us leak like the post iceberg Titanic. Even Angelo Ogbonna's marvellous recovery tackle here to stop Oliver Burke making it 2-1 was only necessary because our defence had been totally split open by a straightforward central ball over the top. I'm not sure Harry Kane will be so profligate.

As for Kouyate, you'd imagine he will play too, because he can't seem to function alongside Obiang, and therefore with Noble a certainty to return it will be the Spaniard who drops out. This is all made more difficult by the fact that Moyes has no depth in central midfield whatsoever, meaning that he only really has an apparently declining Kouyate or a wildly inconsistent Obiang to choose from. I actually think the latter has been miles better when partnered with Noble, but if his passing disappears as it did here then he's not really a great deal of use, especially when we have so few genuinely good attacking options these days.

Geo at Hammers Chat put together this video on our central midfield options, which I think does a decent job of capturing how rubbish Kouyate has been all season. This was really highlighted here when Noble came on, and seemingly revolutionised our play by simply putting his foot on the ball and looking for effective passes. By contrast, Kouyate - never much of a passer on his best day - simply ran around a lot and then made more two yard passes than I think I've ever seen. The guy who destroyed Spurs almost single-handedly at the end of last season is not the one we are seeing now. In an odd way, you'd hope he is injured because if not then we might have to face up to the reality that he is another one who has fallen off that same cliff as Carroll, Zabaleta and Reid. What a squad we've constructed.

One player who isn't in danger of stumbling off any cliffs is Marko Arnautovic who has gone full circle from being a £24m waste of time to terrace hero all in the space of about four weeks. His work rate is impressive and visible, meaning that he was getting ripples of applause in the first half silence simply for running about a bit and pressuring defenders. At times, we can be very easily pleased.

What he continues to do well, and where he is more useful, is popping up in areas of danger and linking cleverly with Lanzini. You sense that those two will have to do most of the attacking work in the absence of Antonio, but given that we've scored ten goals in our last four games there are certainly signs that we are carrying more threat. The indications also seem to be that Hernandez isn't going to be a Moyes player, as he's been reduced to a bit part role whereby he comes on late and hangs around in the box waiting for Carroll to maim someone and give him a knock down. The main thing I've drawn from watching our attacking in these last couple of games is that the single biggest boost we could get in January would be a fit and firing Michail Antonio back in the team.

And on that point - while these points are precious and have inched us closer to safety, and importantly, away from Swansea and West Brom, there can be no doubt that we need help. While I am still not convinced that we have any money, and I can't wait for those accounts, there can be no argument any more that we shouldn't be adding players. Sneaking past a knackered West Brom in the last minute is all good fun, but hardly the signal of a burgeoning renaissance.

So, it's the worst time to buy, and we have the worst recruitment team in the league, but we still need bodies. We are ludicrously exposed to injuries and suspension, and if Lanzini or Arnautovic were to go down for the season we would have next to no creativity available to Moyes. Although there is no chance that Stoke will sell to us, a reported bid for Joe Allen does make a sort of sense given that he would immediately become our best option in the middle. As much as I'd like to see Sakho get a chance that seems to be a dead duck, so he needs to be replaced, and we could really use some mobility in that back line too. And with our January fixtures being against Huddersfield, Bournemouth and Palace, we could really do with those reinforcements arriving as soon as possible.

***

"And yet he tries so hard to please, he's just so keen
For you to listen, but no one's listening"
- Blur, "Charmless Man"


I am so sick of this shit.

Honest to God, I am fed up of the constant barrage that West Ham fans have to face because a section of our support cannot behave in a manner that is consistent with the standards of civilised society.


The latest excuse for the world to pile in has arisen because Jake Livermore was substituted here and then went into the crowd in an altercation with a fan. I saw none of this, because I sit in the upper tier and thus would need a high powered telescope to see anything that far away. Therefore, the first I knew of it was the following morning when I began to read accounts on social media from fans of other clubs. Most of these were insistent that the cause of the ruckus was racial abuse, while others were equally sure that it happened because a fan abused Livermore over the death of his infant son. The only thing that most of these accounts could agree on was that they had no idea what was actually said and were guessing based on their own prejudices. That's what you get for reading social media, I guess.

Having followed it more closely today, both clubs have now issued statements, with West Brom explicitly stating that Livermore reacted to a comment from the crowd about his son, while West Ham's just says that they are looking into it and removed the fan at the time. Having read a couple of accounts from people around the scene, each state that this in fact wasn't what was said and that actually Livermore misheard a comment referring to him as a "y*d". That hasn't really percolated through to the majority of media outlets, who have simply reported the West Brom statement and little else.

As a West Ham fan, I feel I need to point out that if the version of those supporters is true it doesn't really reflect much better on the supporter in question. Calling someone a "y*d" is pretty much always done pejoratively by West Ham fans, and symptomatic to me of a problem that we have with anti-Semitism among a small, but loud enough section of our support. I know that there are those who may dispute that, but when we were 2-0 down at Wembley I heard that godawful hissing bullshit again and we'd be better off to admit we have that element among our fans than try and deny it and allow it to bubble under.

So what we're left with here is another unsavoury incident that drags us all through the mud and fills up our social media timelines with yet more broad brush characterising of West Ham fans as scum. Of course I should ignore that and rise above it, but the problem is that these days, that is how a lot of people consume their news and opinions. I haven't read a hard copy newspaper in a long time because I read everything online. And with that ease of access comes the democracy of opinion - which is to say that everybody has one, and now we have to hear it. So my frustration is that these actions by individuals or small groups just tar all of us with the same loose tag, and continues to diminish the standing of the club.

So let's get this in perspective - this was apparently one person in a crowd of fifty thousand screaming reprehensible things. Whether he used the word "y*d" or "kid" doesn't change that, but it was just one person. No West Ham fan condones that, but a few too many of us get involved in screaming abuse at players of all stripes. I've been thinking a lot about this recently, and in particular this notion that the game of football is all about opinions. And I am forced to ask myself - why?

Because here's the thing about that - the opinion of this guy who yelled at Jake Livermore wasn't really worth hearing was it? The opinions of the fans who threw bananas on to pitches in the Seventies weren't worth hearing either. Richard Keys opinions have never been worth listening to. So I guess what I'm saying is that I really don't understand why anyone would think it's okay to stand five feet from a professional footballer and scream personal abuse at him. I think that makes you a dickhead. And there you go, that's my opinion.

Please note that the opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, nor should be attributed to, KUMB.com.

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Would VAR have ruled out Heung-Min Son's goal at Wembley?
Last Updated: 04/01/18 11:45pm
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Tim Sherwood believed Serge Aurier fouled Manuel Lanzini in the build-up to Tottenham's equalising goal - but would VAR have ruled it out? Heung-Min Son fired home a deserved equaliser for Spurs with one of the goals of the season, but Aurier's scissor tackle in the build-up on Lanzini could have been deemed a foul.
VAR's are used to help the referee determine whether an infringement was made that should result in the goal not being awarded - and if it was in use at Wembley, then the goal could have been ruled out if the officials deemed the tackle in breach of the laws. Sherwood, who was working for Sky Sports as a pundit alongside Joe Cole, thought Aurier's tackle was a foul but remained unsure whether the goal would have been chalked off if the VAR was in use. Sherwood said: "I think it's a foul - he gets the ball but he's endangering the opponent. I said it was a foul and Joe Cole didn't so we've all got different opinions."
VAR is only to be used "to correct clear errors and for missed serious incidents" in those "match-changing" situations. It will be trialled in around 20 games between now and the end of this season, including for both legs of the Carabao Cup semi-final between Arsenal and Chelsea later this month, live on Sky Sports.

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David Moyes' West Ham masterplan against the big teams pays off once again in draw with Tottenham
Last Updated: 05/01/18 12:05am
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David Moyes has brought organisation and discipline to West Ham's defence, taking points off Chelsea, Arsenal and Spurs. Here, Peter Smith looks at how he steered his side to another impressive result at Wembley... "There's another side to football when you've not got the best players and we did that side well tonight," a delighted David Moyes told Sky Sports after seeing his West Ham team battle to a 1-1 draw away to Tottenham. Considering Spurs' almost complete dominance over the course of the 90 minutes, it was a result almost as remarkable as the two screamers scored in the match. But Moyes has found a template to frustrate the Premier League's big guns. With only 29 per cent of possession and one shot on target compared to 31 shots faced, West Ham - fielding a back five and two holding midfielders - did just that to Tottenham at Wembley. After suffering a valiant 2-1 comeback loss at Manchester City at the start of December, West Ham have beaten Chelsea 1-0, drawn 0-0 with Arsenal and now held Spurs. To think that reverse at City stretched a run against the 'Big Six' to 13 defeats in 16 fixtures highlights how impressive earning five points from those subsequent London derbies has been.

Moyes' London derby run
In four London derbies in all competitions under David Moyes, West Ham have managed just three shots on target. However, they've scored two of them, and have lost just once (W1 D2). Yet, while these backs-to-the-walls defensive displays are usually only successful after hours of drills on the training ground, West Ham's performance against Spurs is even more notable by the fact their plans were only formulated on Thursday morning. "We had no time [to prepare]," said Moyes, whose side fought back to beat West Brom on Tuesday night at the London Stadium. Perhaps, after holding firm for so long against City and then keeping clean sheets against Chelsea and Arsenal over the past month, the West Ham players know what Moyes wants from them now.
In their two previous contests with Spurs this season, West Ham have gone 3-0 behind in the September Premier League game and then slipped 2-0 down in October's EFL Cup tie before battling back. But there was a dogged resilience to their defence this time around. "They were well organised and willing to put their body on the line," Sky Sports pundit Tim Sherwood said. Mark Noble agreed. "Sometimes to play against teams like Spurs you need a game plan to level it up a bit," said the Hammers captain. "Me and Ped [Pedro Obiang] were told to sit in front of that back five and not go anywhere. I don't know how Pedro ended up where he was! Great strike!"
Indeed, Obiang's moment of magic is in the mix for the goal of the season prize (although he'll have competition from Heung-min Son's equaliser). But while his five tackles, three clearances and three interceptions won't be remembered, that commitment to protecting the backline alongside skipper Noble was crucial at the other end. It is hard to believe this West Ham side had shipped seven goals in their last three outings - and Moyes must wonder why his men weren't able to apply themselves in their own third against Newcastle and Bournemouth as they did here - but five points from the festive fixtures has been a healthy return. West Ham are now up to 15th. That may only be two points above the relegation zone but it's also only three off the top 10. That's how finely balanced the bottom half of the league is this season - and why results against the big guns are all the more valuable.

Next up for West Ham in the Premier League are Huddersfield, Bournemouth, Crystal Palace, Brighton and Watford. They are fixtures which will demand a different approach and Moyes will be keen to welcome back injured forwards Andy Carroll and Marko Arnautovic.

These next five fixtures could shape West Ham's season - but their resilience against the top sides has given them an ideal platform from which to attack the teams around them.

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David Moyes bemused by Andy Carroll-Chelsea transfer link
Last Updated: 05/01/18 6:38am
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David Moyes insists he knows nothing about reports linking West Ham striker Andy Carroll with a move to Chelsea. The 28-year-old rekindled his goalscoring touch with a double against West Brom on Tuesday, and The Sun newspaper claim the West Ham striker is on Chelsea's shortlist of January signings. But, speaking after West Ham's 1-1 draw with Tottenham, Moyes was bemused when quizzed on Carroll's potential switch to Stamford Bridge, saying: "I have no idea about that."
A battling defensive display and Pedro Obiang's thunderbolt moved West Ham within touching distance of another Wembley victory over Spurs, following their Carabao Cup success in October. But Heung-Min Son's equally spectacular drive six minutes from time rescued a point for Mauricio Pochettino's men. Victory would have lifted West Ham up to 11th in Premier League, instead, having been pegged back, Moyes' men climbed only to 15th in the table. Asked if the draw would change his January transfer plans, Moyes added: "No, it doesn't affect my thinking. "I've been here for seven or eight weeks, so the club should have an idea what is required as well. Pedro Obiang scored a stunning goal at Wembley as West Ham took the lead in the 1-1 draw with Tottenham in the Premier League.
"The big thing is we try to make sure we get away from the bottom of the table - we don't want to fall back in. "We need some extra players, we're quite well endowed in certain areas - upfront we've got a lot of players to choose from - but we don't have it in other areas."

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Former West Ham winger Zavon Hines leaves Maidstone United to sign for Chesterfield
Posted on 4th January 2018 by admin in Latest News, National League

Zavon Hines is back in the Football League with Chesterfield following a successful spell at Maidstone United. The ex-West Ham forward scored 10 in 25 games for the Stones after signing on a free transfer in the summer, having been at Southend United last season. The 29-year-old, who has also played for the likes of Bournemouth, Bradford City and Burnley, had two weeks left on his short-term deal with the National League club. Maidstone manager Jay Saunders said: "Zav's done a job for us during his time here and at the same time we've given him an opportunity to rebuild his career and enjoy his football again. "I get that he wants to have another crack at the league and I am not going to stand in the way of that, especially with his deal ending so soon and us having Jamar back playing. "We wish him all the best and thank him for his contribution to our season so far." Hines added: "It's all happened very quickly, but I'm happy to be back in the Football League. Hopefully I can repay the faith that the manager has shown in me." Chesterfield are 22nd in League Two, one point above the relegation zone.

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