Daily WHUFC News - 4th April 2018

Cresswell: We performed under pressure
WHUFC.com

Aaron Cresswell said the Hammers rose to the occasion to secure a huge three points against Southampton on Saturday. West Ham went into the London Stadium contest knowing victory would take them five points clear of their visitors, and they made sure of that outcome with a blistering first half performance. On Cresswell's 150th game in Claret and Blue, the hosts were two goals up within 17 minutes thanks to Joao Mario and Marko Arnautovic, before the Austrian rounded off a fine move to make it three on the stroke of half-time. It was enough to give the Hammers a comfortable second period and Cresswell was thrilled with every element of the day. He explained: "Let's not beat around the bush, the pressure was certainly on us on Saturday, but we performed straight from the off. "The fans were behind us, we were all as one and the first half was excellent – the best we've been all season. "Everyone played a part. We set our stall out, got that 3-0 lead, and then the second half was pretty comfortable. "I was a little bit disappointed that my shot at the end didn't go in! The ball was a bit in front of me, but some go in and some don't. I'm not bothered who scored the goals as long as we won. "The win was the perfect way to mark my 150th game for the Club. Getting a clean sheet and winning 3-0 in a game as big as Saturday was massive."

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Pundits and ex-players heap praise on 'awesome' Arnautovic
WHUFC.com

Pundits and ex-players alike were left purring over Marko Arnautovic's match-winning display in Saturday's 3-0 Premier League victory over Southampton. The Austrian hit the net twice as West Ham United scored a massive win over their relegation rivals at London Stadium, the second of them an unstoppable volley from Arthur Masuaku's outstanding cross. The internet was awash with praise for Arnautovic, who has now scored nine goals in his last 13 Premier League appearances in Claret and Blue. Former England midfielder Jamie Redknapp named the Hammers forward in his Team of the Week in the Daily Star, as did ESPN FC's esteemed panel of former Liverpool defender Steve Nicol, former England midfielder Paul Mariner and journalist Gabriele Marcotti. "Marko Arnautovic was another unanimous pick to complete our best XI after he scored twice to spearhead West Ham's 3-0 win over Southampton. 'Moyes has done a great job with him,' says Nicol, while Marcotti describes the Austrian as 'the poor man's Ibrahimovic'."
BBC Match of the Day columnist and former Stoke City and Tottenham Hotspur striker Garth Crooks named the No7 did likewise, alluding to the fact that Arnautovic had returned to haunt his old Stoke City manager Mark Hughes for the second time this season. "Regular readers of my team of the week will know that I warned Mark Hughes when he was manager of Stoke that his criticism of Marko Arnautovic on his return to the Bet365 Stadium earlier in the season was ill advised. "Strikers stay awake at night desperate to stick two fingers up to managers who publicly criticise them. The Austrian international exercised his right to inflict another blow to Hughes' long-term career prospects, this time against Southampton, with an awesome display of finishing. "How ironic. Arnautovic could have a say in both Southampton and Stoke going down. Where that would leave Mark Hughes is anyone's guess."

The Daily Telegraph's chief football correspondent Jason Burt took a similar slant in his best performing XI from the Easter weekend. "Few players can match Arnautovic for skill and power when he is fired up and so it proved as he led West Ham to their vital win over Southampton. It helped that his old Stoke City boss, Mark Hughes, who he had a strained relationship with was in the opposition dug-out."

Writing in The National, the English language newspaper for the United Arab Emirates, Richard Jolly focused on Arnautovic's growing importance to David Moyes' West Ham team "A double against Southampton means he has scored six goals in West Ham's six league wins under David Moyes. He could keep them up."

The website premierleague.com recommended Fantasy Premier League managers select the West Ham striker in their teams for the run-in. Arnautovic was the top-scoring player in Gameweek 32 with 16 points, scoring a brace and earning maximum bonus for his performance against Southampton. "That performance typified his recent form for the Hammers. Arnautovic has been a revelation since being moved up front by manager David Moyes for the visit of Chelsea in Gameweek 16. "Arnautovic has scored or assisted 59 per cent of West Ham's goals since moving up front. That suggests that he can come through a testing run-in and go on providing exceptional value in Fantasy."

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West Ham United Ladies v Charlton Athletic Women: All you need to know
WHUFC.com

West Ham United Ladies will take on Charlton Athletic Women in the final of the Bostik Isthmian League Cup.

Read on for all the information you need ahead of Wednesday's contest.

Where and When?

The Hammers will play Charlton on Wednesday 4 April, with kick-off scheduled for 19:30.
The match will be played at Aveley's Parkside ground, in South Ockendon.

Tickets:

Tickets for West Ham United Ladies v Charlton Athletic Women are available on the night, on the gate at Parkside, from 6pm.
Tickets for adults will cost £5, while concession tickets are £3. Under-16s attending the contest that are accompanied by a guardian can get in for just £1.

Meet the opposition:
Charlton Athletic have enjoyed an incredible campaign so far, and sit third in the Premier League Southern Division, with just two league defeats this season.
The Addicks' excellent year saw the side reach the quarter-finals of the SSE Women's FA Cup, where they put up a real fight against Arsenal Women.

Riteesh Mishra's side will certainly offer a tough challenge for the Irons in Wednesday's final.

What they said:
"Just to get that reward and win the Cup final would firstly be everything that we earned – us and the staff – and it's also that feeling of winning it as a team which will be amazing."
Rosie Kmita
Vice-Captain

Last time out:

The last time West Ham United Ladies played Charlton Athletic Women, the side achieved arguably their best result of the campaign.

Two goals from Molly Peters and a finish for Paige Anderson-James gave the Irons an unforgettable 3-1 victory away at the Valley, inflicting a first loss of the season on the Addicks.

It was a sensational victory for the Hammers, who heading into the game had won just twice all campaign, and one that provided the platform for the rest of the season.

How to get there:

Parkside, Aveley's stadium, is easily accessible off the M25 and can be found just before the Datford tunnel.
Take the A13 West towards London, and follow Ship Lane. Then take the Aveley Bypass to Park Lane.

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Smith: Cup final win over Charlton would be 'amazing reward'
WHUFC.com

West Ham United Ladies assistant coach Myles Smith insists the side are not attending Wednesday's Isthmian League Cup final simply to make up the numbers, as they seek to beat Charlton Athletic Women. The Irons will play the Addicks in the midweek Cup final at Aveley FC's Parkside Stadium, and head into the contest on the back of a nine-game unbeaten run in 2018. West Ham's opponents, Charlton, sit third in the Premier League Southern Division, and have only lost twice in the league this campaign, although one of those was an incredible 3-1 win for the Hammers at the Valley in October. And Smith, while revealing his excitement for the match, says the Irons are going into Wednesday's match with every intent of leaving with the trophy. "I think everyone is lying if they say they don't get nerves, but excitement is a big one," Smith told whufc.com. "It's the final and you're there to lift the trophy at the end of it, and that's what we're going there for. We're not going there to put on a good performance and not lift the trophy. We're there to lift the trophy. "I think it's a very big night. It's a chance for us to win silverware. There's a lot of work and effort that's gone on behind the scenes by players and staff, and it would just be amazing. It would be amazing for all the staff and it would be amazing for all the players to be rewarded. "Excitement is huge and the girls are excited. We have to manage that. We have to keep them on their toes and make sure they work just as hard, and they don't become complacent, and that they are good to go, and ultimately their nerves don't get the better of them."

The Hammers are yet to lose in 2018 and Smith is cautious about changing a training strategy that has been working for the Ladies, and knows that the onus is on the coaching team to manage excitement levels and keep focus purely on the match, not the occasion. He continued: "We like to do things the same. Obviously, it's a final. The girls know it's a final and it has more significance, and you can't hide from that. But at the same time, we're preparing in the same way that we would do in terms of the training. "Our analyst, Neo, has been looking at Charlton for the past couple of weeks and we've been preparing ever since. The girls will do some more tactical training and then before the game we will look at walking through before we prepare for Wednesday. It's somewhat routine but obviously you have to fine-tune the detail depending on your opposition."

With the final between West Ham United Ladies and Charlton Athletic Women being played at Aveley, Smith has called on fans to come and support the side in the final. Tickets are available on the gate on the evening, starting at just £1, and the assistant coach believes the fans can play a huge role in securing a win.
"We would absolutely encourage a lot of West Ham supporters to come down and cheer us on. It's a 7:30pm kick-off on Wednesday and I know a lot of our Academy players are coming to see the game. "If you can make it and cheer us on I know it would really help the girls!"

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My West Ham Scrapbook - Joey O'Brien
WHUFC.com

Former Hammer Joey O'Brien picks out his favourite moments from his five seasons with West Ham United...

BACK IN BUSINESS

When Sam Allardyce brought me to the Club on trial in July 2011, I had only played four first-team matches in two years as I'd had a couple of bad knee injuries, so I had a lot to prove. I had played a few games for Sheffield Wednesday on loan the previous season, but then I got released by Bolton Wanderers and I needed to find a new club. I came down to London for pre-season and Sam and Neil McDonald, who I had played under at Bolton, took me away with the lads to Switzerland and I had to prove my fitness, and they wanted to see how my knee would react to regular training after such a long time out. I had a massive motivation to do that and thankfully everything went well enough and I signed a contract on 30 July, which was only a week before our first game of the season.
We played Cardiff at the Boleyn Ground and absolutely battered them, but they managed to win 1-0 with a last-minute goal. For me, though, I was pleased to get through the 90 minutes. I told Sam I wanted to get back to playing in the Premier League again and, after a long season, it ultimately worked out that way.

TAMING THE LIONS

I am sure Sam didn't expect me to play as many games as I did in my first season at West Ham – I played 33 – so we were both pleased with how things turned out that year. One of my favourite games came early in the season when we played Watford at Vicarage Road. We won 4-0 and I even managed to score my first goal for the Club, which shows you how bad Watford must have been! With the squad we had, full of quality and experienced players, we should have won the Championship title, but we had a bit of a sticky patch in March when we just drew too many games, so we had to go through the Play-Offs. Before that run, we played Millwall at home and I must say I really enjoyed that game, not only because we won, but because I got my favourite assist! It's not in the record books, but I am claiming it, because it was my ball forward which dropped to Winston Reid for our winner. My old pal Kevin Nolan didn't make it easy for us that day, getting sent-off early, but we managed to get the job done, and I'll always claim that assist.


BACK WHERE WE BELONGED

I unfortunately missed the Play-Off semi-finals and final through injury, but I was there at Wembley as part of the squad and it was an unforgettable day for everyone connected with the Club. We were back where we belonged in the Premier League, and I had also fulfilled my personal ambition of getting back there after all my injury problems. We played Aston Villa on the opening day and I got on for 20 minutes as a substitute. Kev and Joe Cole scored and we won 2-0.
My favourite games from that season, 2012/13, came either side of Christmas. The first was at home to Stoke City in November, when I got my first Premier League goal. It was live on Monday Night Football, so all my friends and family back home in Ireland got to see it. The second was also at home, against a Chelsea team who were the reigning Premier League champions, and we got battered in the first half, then came back to win 3-1. It was the night before our Christmas party and I can tell you the bus ride after that game was a good one! The third was on New Year's Day, when I scored against Norwich at Upton Park. My two brothers were over and it was one of them's birthday, so that made it extra special.

TON-UP!

The final season at Upton Park was an unforgettable one for everyone at the Club and, even though I didn't play any Premier League games that season, I will always remember it. I did play in the UEFA Europa League qualifiers at the start of the year, though, and there was some atmosphere for the first one against Lusitans of Andorra. It was the night that Slaven Bilic was unveiled as manager and we had a full-house at the start of July! The atmosphere was fantastic and we won the game 3-0, then for the return leg, which was my 100th game for the Club, they made a presentation to me in the dressing room, which was a nice touch.
I might not have been the best player in West Ham history, but I always gave my all and did my best, which I think the supporters appreciated.

SIGNING OFF IN STYLE

Growing up in Dublin, I had always been a Liverpool fan and I always loved playing at Anfield. I wasn't really in Slaven Bilic's plans when he took over from Sam as manager in the summer of 2015, plus I'd had some ankle problems. I'd not played first-team football at all since the UEFA Europa League qualifiers the previous August, so it was a bit of a shock when I was named in the squad for the FA Cup tie there in January 2016. I think it was a toss-up between me and Pete the Kit Man for the last place on the substitutes' bench and Pete must have done his back lifting all the kit bags, so I got the nod! Then Tonks (James Tomkins) split his head open in the first half and I got on the pitch, which was great. We played OK and Darren Randolph got us a replay with some good saves, then of course we managed to win that with Angelo Ogbonna's header right at the end. I even hit the post earlier in that game. I might not have played too many games in my final season at the Club, but those two were nice memories to take with me.

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Kids for a Quid at Stoke clash
WHUFC.com

Kids can attend West Ham United's Premier League clash with Stoke City for just £1 – with tickets now on General Sale. The Hammers are set to face the Potters at London Stadium on Monday 16 April as David Moyes' side look to build on last weekend's 3-0 victory over Southampton - and the Club's commitment to affordable family football allows Kids accompanied by an adult to purchase tickets for a quid. As a reward for the Claret & Blue Army's magnificent and loyal support, tickets are available from £30 adults and £1 kids, making this Premier League clash an unmissable night in east London.

Buy Stoke tickets here now
This offer is available for a limited time only, so hurry to secure your seat for the best price.

Kids must be accompanied by an adult to purchase tickets for £1. One adult can accompany multiple kids.

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Hammers hiring for Matchday Disabled Supporter Assistants
WHUFC.com

West Ham United are currently hiring for Matchday Disabled Supporter Assistants to offer support and guidance to disabled supporters, ensuring they have the best matchday experience possible.

Working as part of a larger team of Disabled Supporter Assistants, the successful candidate will play a key role in making sure home and away fans have all visual/hearing aid equipment set up and get to and from the West Ham shuttle bus, among other duties.

Disabled Supporter Assistants have been essential to the West Ham United match day experience for the last ten years and the successful candidate will be crucial in replicating this service at London Stadium.

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Young defender Pike departs
WHUFC.com

West Ham United can confirm that Alex Pike has had his contract terminated by mutual consent. The 21-year-old defender leaves the Hammers after eleven years in Claret and Blue, during which he made his sole first-team appearance in a UEFA Europa League third qualifying round defeat at Romanians Astra Giurgiu in August 2015. Pike, who spent time on loan at League Two club Cheltenham Town in early 2017, featured more than 50 times for West Ham at U23 level. West Ham United would like to thank Alex for his efforts and wish him well in his future career.

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Any Old Irons expands into new part of London
WHUFC.com

Since West Ham United Foundation launched the innovative Any Old Irons programme back in 2016, more than 200 Over-65s have signed up and made friendships, learnt new digital skills and reconnected with their community.

After originally being launched in Newham – with the sessions being held at East Ham Working Men's Club – the Any Old Irons project is now expanding to Tower Hamlets.

Run in conjunction with Friends of the Elderly and supported by the Premier League and the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA), Any Old Irons gives participants the opportunity to connect with other fans locally, bringing them together for fun and friendship. Those attending can also learn how to stay in touch with their fellow fans and the Club using digital technology.

Maureen, a regular at the Any Old Irons sessions in East Ham, could not be clearer about how the programme has helped her.

"Catching up with AOI friends and also meeting and proudly introducing the newbies to the group is always a pleasure and something I look forward too," she said.

"I have made some firm and long lasting friendships within the group which I hope will develop as we all grow older, also going to the West Ham United matches and meeting other group members is now part of the match day experience for a lot of us! Being part of the Any Old Irons has allowed me to take time out for me and given me an opportunity to socialise."

With 75% of the previous Any Old Irons now saying they have a new friend network, and 55% of the participants saying they have improved their digital skills, the project has proved a huge success.

Maria Abraham, Health Manager at West Ham United Foundation, is excited about the expansion. She said: "We're delighted to be able to take Any Old Irons into a new Borough, and are keen to see as many as possible sign up. If you know anyone over 65 then pass them our way as we'd love to welcome them to Any Old Irons!"

To find out more or register your interest, email hello@fote.org.uk or call 0330 332 1110.

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Hammers monitoring goalkeeper and striker
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 3rd April 2018
By: Staff Writer

West Ham are keeping tabs on Malian international goalscorer Moussa Marega ahead of a potential summer move. The 26-year-old has already hit the magic 20-goal mark for the season with current club Porto and West Ham - along with one or two fellow Premier League clubs - have already been alerted to his potential availability this summer. Rated around the €40million mark (£35million), Marega - who is said to favour a move to England - scored 14 goals in his first 14 starts of the season playing alongside fellow African strikers Vincent Aboubakar and Yacine Brahimi as part of a three-prong attack. Last season he scored 13 goals whilst contributing seven assists during 25 appearances on loan for Vitoria Guimaraes. Tottenham and Everton have also been cited as potentially interested parties.

* West Ham could be about to replace Joe Hart with another Manchester-based goalkeeper. According to the Mirror, the Hammers are considering making a summer move for Manchester United's fourth-choice stopper Sam Johnstone, currently on loan in the Championship with Aston Villa. Johnstone - who will be behind David De Gea, Sergio Romero and 21-year-old Joel Pereira in the pecking order at Old Trafford when he returns from his season-long loan spell - would effectively replace Joe Hart, who has spent much of the season at West Ham on the bench despite earning in excess of £100,000-per-week.

* A Serie A giant are reported to have joined Premier League clubs closely monitoring the situation of one of West Ham's most valuable young players. 19-year-old Domingos Quina, who joined West Ham from Chelsea in May 2016 is reported to be on the radar of AC Milan, having already raised the attention of several Premier League clubs in recent months. The Italian superpower are said to be battling the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool for the Portuguese midfielder's signature, despite Quina still having another 15 months left on his current contract.

* Finally, West Ham are said to be keeping tabs on the situation involving Sporting midfielder Rodrigo Battaglia. The 26-year-old Argentine has featured for the Portuguese club in the Champions League this season and according to O Jogo is attracting plenty of interest from Italy with Inter Milan, Roma and Napoli also said to be interested.

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Adrian linked with Spanish return
KUMb.com
Filed: Tuesday, 3rd April 2018
By: Staff Writer

West Ham United goalkeeper Adrian is being linked with a return to his former club following a stop/start season at the Olympic Stadium. The 31-year-old stopper joined West Ham in July 2013 on a free transfer from La Liga side Real Betis before going on to become the club's regular first choice goalkeeper. However the arrival of Joe Hart last summer on a season-long loan unsettled the Seville-born star and the former's imminent return to parent club Manchester City has failed to dissuade the Spaniard from believing his future may lie elsewhere. One potential destination could be first love Betis, Adrian's only other professional club, for whom he first signed in 2006 as an 18-year-old prospect. The Béticos recently agreed a pre-contract deal with Espanyol youngster Pau Lopez but are seeking a second, more established goalkeeper to mentor and play alongside the 23-year-old. And former charge Adrian would fit the bill perfectly - even though his potential departure could leave West Ham without a recognised goalkeeper come the end of the season.

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West Ham 3-0 Southampton (And Other Ramblings)
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 3rd April 2018
By: HeadHammerShark


"Twenty thousand roads I went down, down, down And they all led me straight back home to you" - Gram Parsons, "Return of the Grevious Angel"
It's been a while.

Since we played. Since we played well. Since we won. Since it felt like it might be safe to look up. Since the most pertinent subject for one of these columns was the action on the pitch rather than off. And it's been nearly six years since we were able to cruise into the relative comfort of a three goal half time lead, having last done it against Fulham in 2012. But, you know, Fulham.


We are the Mark Hughes Appreciation Society


So what an afternoon this was. For all the gloom that hangs over this season like 1930's smog, it can't be denied that this was a beautiful blast of sunshine in the darkness. From the exhilarating start, through the gift of a two goal lead to that glorious third, this was an afternoon to savour. This was a day to make you remember why we do this. Why we throw down our money even when we expect nothing and of how sometimes football can take you and elevate your spirit.

It is worth remembering that this game was supposed to take place at St Mary's. Our August fixture was switched in order to accommodate the reinstallation of that state of the art scaffolding that now adorns our rented home, and we duly crashed 3-2 on the South Coast to a last minute penalty, because West Ham.

Who knows what might have happened had we been at home. Maybe we would have won and kickstarted our season and Slaven Bilic might still be here. Perhaps we'd still have been beaten and instead of having this fixture at home, been forced to go on the road in search of points. It matters not now, but to the extent that you think London Stadium fixtures are an advantage then it's worth noting that we are in that stage of the season where it's non negotiable that we start to get results. Losing here was unthinkable.

And for David Moyes, now was the time to show that all that early praise was warranted. After all, plucky defeats at Manchester City are only useful if you then build upon that foundation. Initially he seemed able to do that, before running into typically West Hamian obstacles such as players having sellotape for hamstrings and selling your top scorer in the transfer window and replacing him with someone called Jordan.

I didn't especially care that the players went to Miami for warm weather training or that they, gasp, went to the beach when they were there. In fact, I would much rather that the club did a few more things that fans didn't appreciate or understand so long as it was done in service of a wider, broader plan that was designed to take this club forward. Whether we are there yet or not, I don't know, but the opening seventeen minutes of this match were justification enough for the activities of the last fortnight.

***

"I'm aware you're tired and lost"
- The War on Drugs, "Pain"


If you are facing a life or death struggle, it is generally considered helpful to face a suicidal opponent. Never was this better exemplified than the opening quarter of this match, when Southampton appeared to be wandering around in a cyanide fever dream, desperately trying to find new and exciting ways to gift us goals.

L.O. Fucking. L


Saints began with all the urgency of a London Stadium ballboy, and never really improved from there. Mario Lemina started things off by getting dispossesed in our half and then chugging back as Cheikhou Kouyate stormed away down the unmanned right hand side. His cross picked out Joao Mario on the edge of the box, and the Portuguese made a difficult, thrilling finish look easy as he took two swift touches and rifled it past the flailing Alex McCarthy.

This was a David Sullivan wet dream, as any risk of riot or protest was swept away with that goal. One could almost feel the confidence coursing through the stadium as both the home fans and team began to cotton on to the fact that Southampton were absolutely there for the taking. Marko Arnautovic should have made it two nil when Mark Noble slipped him through with a lovely reverse pass, only for the Austrian to skew wide when it really did seem impossible not to score. It proved immaterial as Mario shortly picked him out again with a tremendous cross, and after McCarthy saved his initial header brilliantly, the rebound fell straight to him to tap home and double the lead. Marko then looked up and gave Mark Hughes the crossed Hammers, which I thoroughly approved of as Mark Hughes is such a dickhead you can imagine that he said his wedding vows passive aggressively.

Even with HammerKiller Charlie Austin up front, Southampton looked about as interested in attacking action as the referee in the Anthony Joshua fight, and with Declan Rice imperious, there seemed little serious threat of a comeback. That was all rendered moot with our third, right on the cusp of half time and a salutary lesson to all those who decided to risk trying to beat the fifteen minute, half time toilet queues.

Arthur Masuaku was freed on the left after some nice interplay between Kouyate and Cresswell. He carried it forward, but rather than take on Soares instead chose to whip a sumptuous crossfield swerving cross in behind the retreating defence, where Arnautovic met it with a glorious cushioned side foot finish. Had it been scored on another day, in another stadium, for another team, we would be hearing about this goal endlessly. Unfurling like an A3 masterpiece rolled out along a workbench, it was the most beautiful "fuck you" that a man could ever give to his former boss. I really don't understand why a club as progressive as Southampton have hired a manager as regressive as Hughes, but for one afternoon only, it made for a lovely picture show.

I actually have quite a soft spot for Southampton in the post Nigel Adkins era, and have followed their progress closely after we were both promoted together in 2012. They appear well run, with savvy decision makers, a thriving academy and a clear plan for how to progress their club. In short, they are everything West Ham are not. But, for all that, they have declined as we have, and after this result must surely be fearful of the drop.

In many ways, their situation is the example that should be held up for UEFA and the Premier League as an example of the damage they are doing to the game. Saints have produced Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Gareth Bale, Adam Lallana, Callum Chambers, Luke Shaw and James Ward-Prowse. They have also introduced Victor Wanyama, Dejan Lovren, Virgil Van Dijk, Sadio Mane and Mauricio Pochettino to the English game. They also fleeced our idiot chairman of eight million quid for Jose Fonte, but ending up on the right side of a transfer deal with West Ham isn't much of a badge of honour these days.

That they have been cherry-picked and deprived of those players by bigger, richer, UEFA-funded teams such as Spurs and Liverpool is a grave cause for concern. Quite what has happened to all that money is probably another question, but the broader point is that cash isn't an issue to Champions League clubs because they are given revenue streams that the rest of us cannot access.

But while all of that is reason to stand in sympathy with our South Coast brethren in the Brotherhood of Lower Half Teams Hoping to Make a Cup Final and Not Get Relegated, it didn't much matter here. Their team were awful.

***

"Baby baby, sweet baby
You left me hurting' in a real cold way"
- Aretha Franklin, "Since You've Been Gone (Sweet Sweet Baby)"


Something was different today. For the first time in two months we were able to call upon Arthur Masuaku on the left, and his ability to retain possession while drawing men to him, was vital. While West Ham were superior to Southampton all over the pitch, that ability to carry the ball from deep positions is something we have been sorely lacking in these recent shellackings and was a key difference here.

I'm not sure that the Caley Graphics xG map is all that useful today as it doesn't tell the tale that the visitors never actually had a shot in anger until after they went three down. In fact the second half of this game was really very Series Two of Heroes, whereby a very promising start just dissipated away completely. Of course, that matters rather less in Premier League matches than it does in network television shows, but I will say that watching Aaron Cresswell nearly volley home an outrageous Mario free kick was more entertaining than anything that Claire the cheerleader did second time around.

With the visitors forced to commit men to wide areas to stop Masuaku advancing, that ensured the central midfield was a less congested place than usual, and the prime beneficiary was Joao Mario, who flitted around purposefully and ensured that we didn't miss Manuel Lanzini as much as we might. It is true that in heavier duty encounters he might not be a luxury that we can afford but it can't be ignored that his two early contributions were the reason we were two nil up so quickly.

Just like West Ham, obviously


What was also noticeable in this game was that we looked rock solid defensively. Angelo Ogbonna is my Hammer of the Year so far, having been our best defender, scored a winner at Wembley against Spurs and never once elbowing anybody in the face and getting sent off in the first half of a game, and he was excellent here again. However, the key to our solidity was the teenager Rice, who came off two stellar performances for Ireland in midweek which, my cousins inform me, have already led to him being called Decenbauer in the Emerald Isle.

What is so impressive about the youngster is that he seems to have such an innate understanding of his own game. His reading of play is outstanding and every time Saints looked like they might be inching into dangerous areas, he appeared to snuff out the danger. We have been dreadful at identifying good young defenders in recent years - primarily because we've only been trying to buy old ones - but perhaps the academy has finally solved a problem for us. The idea of giving James Collins a new contract when you have a talent like this to replace him is crazy. The Welshman has been a faithful servant but it is time to drag our defence out of the dial up era and into the digital age. There is, after all, nothing intrinsically wrong with having mobile players in your team.

And perhaps the greatest reminder of that came when Edmilson Fernandes was introduced for the now seemingly permanently injured Michail Antonio after just nine minutes. Fernandes played in an old fashioned right half role and was, frankly, everywhere. I've never been completely on board with the idea that all of our problems would magically resolve themselves if everyone just ran about a bit more, but you couldn't deny the impact of a mobile pressing midfielder here. That ability to pressure Saints led to several turnovers, which led to all of our goals, and also led to Mark Hughes suddenly busying himself as Arnautovic was substituted. Schadenfreude really can be quite the laugh.


Michail and the Hamstring Theory


As for Antonio, he got injured kicking the ball so I don't really know what to make of him anymore. Some say he overtrains, others that he doesn't train enough, but either way hamstring issues for a player of his explosive physicality are very bad news. If they can get a decent amount for him in the summer I would be inclined to take it. Let someone else do the job of patching him up and trying to find a position where his defensive frailties won't matter. On a day of almost unrestrained joy, watching him limp off in tears was a salutary reminder that injuries remain one of our biggest problems. After all, it takes a remarkable turn of events to have a three-week break and get to the end of it with fewer fit players than you started with.

***

"See if you can tick the man go downtown,
Where all you skins and mods you get together, make pretend it's 1969 forever"
- Babyshambles, "Delivery"


I'm not going to talk much about off field issues this time around.

Well maybe a little, but sometimes we all just need to take a break from such matters. Now and again it's alright to let one pass by outside the off stump without offering a shot. I could comment upon David Sullivan using the club to avoid tax, Karren Brady giving the most self immolating interview of her career, Sullivan sitting down with WHUISA and agreeing to consider a fan on the board or even the emergency SAB meeting which seemingly operated as a way for the Board to get Trevor Brooking to tell us all to stop whinging.

But sometimes that stuff has to take a backseat. Occasionally one has to focus on the task at hand, and here today that was picking up a win against a fellow struggler. After all, I have vehemently argued against the notion that going down would in any way be a good thing for the club. Too many innocent people lose their jobs, too much good work is undone and the clock is reset too far.

So I agree with those who say that the team must come first.

But it should be noted that there is a lot of momentum to the fan movement just now. In the last three weeks I have been asked to comment on stories for The Independent, Bloomberg and Spiegel, written a piece for The Guardian, declined interviews with Talksport and ITV News, and had my articles quoted without permission in Metro, the Irish Independent and by the Press Association.

I say none of that to try and suggest that I am some sort of pre-eminent commentator on West Ham - quite the opposite in fact. Each post on The H List is read by around 2,000 people, of whom about half are outside of the UK, a quarter are related to me and the rest are in prison and have restricted internet access. There is a further readership at KUMB.com and that is it. I highly doubt if this column is anywhere near the top ten most visited fan sites for West Ham supporters.

But if a tiny blog like this can get some traction then this is a big story. We will probably never again have such a global platform upon which to float our views. There is little doubt that the protests at the Burnley game have stirred an interest far beyond the usual audience for such pieces, because there is a perfect confluence of public interest around the stadium, the highly visible public figures involved, a political slant, the inherent distrust that football fans have for football club owners and, of course, lots and lots of money.

And so, for those who take the let's-just-survive-now-and-sort-it-out-in-the-summer line, it has to be acknowledged that this is manna from heaven for Sullivan and Gold. They want nothing more than to push all this down the road, and promise to get it fixed in the next transfer window. At this point, after years of saying that exact thing, it is basically their mantra.

It puts us in an invidious position as fans. Protest and try to affect immediate and necessary change within our club, but with possible devastating side effects on the team. Somehow, there has even been a suggestion from Moyes that the Burnley protests would affect our ability to attract world class players in the summer, to which I say - well, what's been the excuse up until now then?

But let's forget that for now. Because on days like today one has to remember that we do support a football team, after all. I alternate taking my two oldest daughters to games, and for the eldest this was her first win at the London Stadium in two years of trying. And when Masuaku found Arnautovic floating on the back of an errant defender, and he cushioned home that magical third goal, it felt like the wait had been worth it.

In that single moment, he demonstrated better than I ever could the glories that might lie ahead if she was just prepared to persevere through rain and riot and repeated heartbreak. And walking home, through streets that had previously only ever offered up sad, contemplative reflection we were at last able to talk excitedly of goals and victories. We have won eight league games this season, and just six at home. Let's savour this one.

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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DO WE EXPECT TOO MUCH FROM OUR PLAYERS?
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 3 APRIL 2018 AT 9:12PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by @benfleet_hammer

On the West Ham Way podcast last week, a question was posed which really got me thinking… 'What if they're just not good enough?' The question left me wondering: are our players as good as we think they are? Are they individually capable of producing the performances we expect them to produce? Are there solid foundations for the high expectations we have?

For some of our newer players, our expectations are formed by the reputation they established at their old clubs. The likes of Zabaleta, Arnautovic, Hart and Hernandez were always likely to carry the pressure of high expectations because of their previous performances in the Premier League, for example. There are also some players who carry the same pressure because they are full internationals, turning out for their countries at the highest levels. These expectations, I can get on board with.

For the large majority of our current squad, however, our expectations were set by the final season at Upton Park. The likes of Noble, Cresswell, Kouyate, Reid and Antonio had an outstanding season – undoubtedly their best in a claret and blue shirt. It seems to me that most West Ham fans are certain that these players raised their level in that final season, whether due to the emotional, adrenaline-fuelled energy around our home games that season, the aggressive management of Slaven Bilic or the unquantifiable impact of superstar Dimitri Payet. I believe these players peaked. Noble and Kouyate were covering every inch of ground and getting through a high number of tackles while also playing precise passes in the right areas, Cresswell was putting in high-quality crosses game after game, Antonio was scoring goals and streaking past defenders for fun, Reid was seemingly always one step ahead of the other team. For one incredible season, these good players looked phenomenal. The 6 or 7 out of 10 performances became 8 or 9 out of 10 performances. They were producing sensational performances which we hadn't seen before – and we haven't really seen them since.



Aside from possibly Angelo Ogbonna, I would find it difficult to name a first-team player who has played consistently in both seasons and is performing better, or at the same level, in the 17/18 season. We haven't seen performances like it from these players in one-off games, let alone in a run of games. Amid all the other issues at the club, the performances on the pitch by a number of players this season haven't been where fans expect them to be. The question is, are our expectations unfair?

I believe that many fans are guilty of expecting too much from some players. We've seen the absolute maximum they can produce and now we expect to see it from them week in, week out. It's not going to happen. The most obvious comparison to make here is Leicester's title-winning side from the 15/16 season. Would it be realistic to expect the same performances from players like Wes Morgan, Danny Simpson, Danny Drinkwater and Marc Albrighton? Players who, like ours, had never produced anything like it in lengthy professional careers until that season? For those Leicester players, most pundits and fans are quite content to write it off as a 'freak' season, yet it seems that for our players it has been treated as an indication of their true level.

A number of our established first-team players have fallen short of the standards they set themselves. They played out of their skins for a season and set the bar incredibly high, but unwittingly they gave us a rod to beat them with. Expect the players to work hard and do what they have always done – e.g. Noble: keep the ball moving, cover ground, tackle hard and fair – but don't expect them to reach their peak in every game or reproduce the extraordinary. I believe the players should aspire to reach that standard, and as fans we should hope that they do so too, but we're setting ourselves up to be disappointed if we expect it.

COYI

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AN EARLY SEASON REVIEW – LOOKING AT POSITIONS WE MUST REINFORCE FOR NEXT YEAR
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 3 APRIL 2018 AT 9:04PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by @GingeSteel

With an estimated – and astonishingly low – 36 points being the expected number to keep a team in the Premier League this year, West Ham, now on 33 points, look safe with a 93% chance of survival (via FiveThirtyEight). Now that West Ham have a 93% chance of staying in the Premier League, I feel comfortable looking at our squad and creating a platform for discussion going forward into next season. The rumor is that Moyes wants to completely overhaul the squad, but the board seem uncertain if he is the man to lead us forward. Other names such as Pellegrini and Marco Silva have been thrown around as potential replacements. Nonetheless, let's have a look at each position and examine who we expect the squad to include before any transfers.

NOTE: this is not a complete list. This is just a list of players who reasonably have a chance of featuring for the first team. If the same squad rules remain, we have 25 roster spots, with at least 8 home grown players (HGP). U21 players, such as Rice, Oxford, Haksabanovic, and Quina, do not count. HGP have a star (*) and U21 have a plus (+).

Goalkeeper Adrian, Trott (+)
Center back Ogbonna, Rice (+), Collins (*), Reid, Oxford (+)
Right back/Ring wing back Zabaleta, Byram (*)
Left back/ Left wing back Masuaku, Cresswell (*)
Center Midfield Noble (*), Obiang, Kouyate, Fernandes, Cullen (*)
Attacking midfielder Lanzini, Quina (+), Haksabanovic (+)
Right Wing/ Left wing Snodgrass, Antonio (*)
Striker Arnautovic, Hernandez, Carroll (*) , Hugill (*), Martinez

GK – With Joe Hart set to leave when his contract expires, we should be in the market for a keeper. We've been linked with Johnstone and Bentley in the past, which would fill the spot. Butland may be available if Stoke are relegated, but he will be in high demand. Having an English backup keeper would help with the HGP requirement if we sold a HGP. Verdict: add a GK no matter what.

CB– The Oxford situation seems volatile with Borussia Mönchengladbach seemingly interested in signing him long term based on the January window's events. If he stays, we may be able to squeak by with those 5 CBʼs and Cresswell if needed. Admittedly, it would be a young group with 2/5 CBʼs being U21 players. All in all, considering Collin's age and Reid's injury prone nature, as well as Rice and Oxford's age, one more CB would not hurt. In the past, we have been linked with Mawson, however, he may be out of our price range. Verdict: add a CB, especially if Oxford leaves.

RB/RWB – An interesting problem because we have both Zabaleta and Byram. However, we should be looking to replace Zabaleta soon as I cannot see him lasting more than one more season. We have been linked with Fredericks from Fulham, who I believe would be a brilliant free signing. However, Everton are also linked. Verdict: add a RWB if the price is right.

LB/LWB – Masuaku + Cresswell are solid (unless Masuaku gets hurt and Cresswell has to play CB). Weʼd probably be better off in a back 4 if that happened. Verdict: add no one.

CM-We need reinforcements here. Obiang might not be 100a after his knee injury. Furthermore, weʼve been screaming for some talent at this position for years as itʼs clearly our weakest link, identified by both Bilic and Moyes. I would not mind bringing one or two holding midfielders, meaning we may have to sell one. Obviously we have been linked with Carvalho and Dendoncker. Unfortunately, the ship may have sailed on them, if we are being honest. Others we have been linked with recently are Shelvey, Arter, and Fellani (Moyesʼ boy). Verdict: add a CM no matter what

AM – Lanzini is good. We do need another just for competition purposes and depth. I would love Mario to stay, but his price might be out of our range. This might mean we see the emergence of either Quina, Haksabanovic, or Fernandes. Verdict: Add Mario if the price is right (otherwise, add no one)

RW/LW – Bring someone in please. I canʼt see Snodgrass staying after everything thatʼs been said about him by the owners. Furthermore, Antonio is unreliable and cannot seem to have a sprint without pulling his hamstring. It should be noted that we do not play with wingers, so if we bring in a solid RWB, there might be no need to fill this vacancy. Verdict: add one if Snodgrass leaves (one out, one in).

ST – This entirely depends on who we sell and keep. I think Arnautovic should be our ST next season without a doubt. Heʼs proved heʼs a beast there. If we sell Hernandez or Carroll, we should bring in reinforcements. Hugill is an acceptable backup. Martinez needs to show he deserves a spot after a slow start in La Liga 2. Verdict: add one if Hernandez or Carroll leave (One out, one in).

Well there you have it! In my opinion the 4 glaring positions that need reinforcement are GK, CB, RWB, and CM. The positions that need like for like reinforcements if someone leaves are LW/RW and ST. I've tried to be impartial about who I personally would have leave and bring in. What do you think, Hammers? Where would you look to strengthen this upcoming season?

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FINE MARGINS , BALANCE AND THE LANZINI CONUNDRUM
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 3 APRIL 2018 AT 8:32PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by Malcolm Atkins @malatk

I was not able to get to the game Saturday, a real shame as following the horrible atmosphere for Burnley it would have been good to have been part of such a positive contrast. Having watched the game back on sky, I am struck by the fine margins that affect games. The commentators were discussing the fact that the first half performance was good against Burnley and West Ham could have gone in 2-0 up. Obviously, they didn't and events which followed Burnley's goal led to a complete meltdown on and off the pitch. Fast forward to Saturday and all the talk was how positively West Ham started the game and how the fans were fully behind them, clearly all accurate – but – having seen good early pressure, and without doubt a much higher level of commitment all around the park, just prior to the first goal West Ham had a dodgy couple of minutes. There was a little bit of Southampton pressure, couple of corners and decent crossing opportunities particularly Tadic in a dangerous position after Austin fed him and then went for the return. The defence stood up well, luck did not turn on us, the commitment led to winning possession, a counter attack, great run, fantastic finish 1-0, few minutes later Arnie header hits the keeper, they called it as a great save but it was pretty much at him, comes back to Arnie's feet 2-0 game over.

Now this is not meant to be negative, West Ham were miles better Saturday, albeit against a poor Southampton but these fine margins make all the difference. Had Tadic's cross been half decent and towards Austin rather than poor and ultimately, rather nervously put out for a corner by Kouyate he may have hit the target 1-0 down however undeserved and I feel we would have been in a very different place, similarly had Arnie taken one of the early chances against Burnley I feel we would have gone on and won. These moments change games, over a season things will largely level, hence teams end up in and around where they should be but it can make the difference of 2-3 positions in an average season, this year with 12th – 19th still only split by eight points these things are absolutely critical.

We are now above Palace, they had a couple of really good chances which Benteke missed, a poor decision meant Mane wasn't sent off and they find themselves back in the relegation mix. It is these moments that will decide who stays up, we have a tough run in and are not out of the woods yet. Hopefully we are due a few more things dropping our way, starting at Chelsea.



I hope there are not too many changes for the Chelsea game, the team looked better balanced Saturday. I honestly think we look better overall when Lanzini is out at the moment. He is a talent, no doubt, although he seems to me one better suited to a side that is in full flow rather than one digging out results but the shape of the team often looks wrong and I feel it is tweaked to fit him in. I think he is best in a number ten role but we are not playing that way right now and he is a bit light in terms of goals, when played in midfield the side seems to be set up to compensate for his defensive shortcomings Kouyate always looks better when in a more advanced role and seemed to get forward much more Saturday. I would hope Chicharito still has a role as I feel his finishing may be crucial given the fine margins I discussed earlier. Mario is quite lightweight like Lanzini but was putting in a real shift Saturday,in contrast to Lanzini's recent offerings, chasing and harrying as well as providing some absolute quality. Masuaku's return brought some much needed pace, the element most lacking in the team this season and we looked a totally different proposition despite losing Antonio.

Finally, credit to David Moyes; when Antonio went off I joined the collective social media groan as he was replaced with the perceived defensive qualities of Fernandes rather than a strike in Hugill, It looks a great decision with the benefit of hindsight. The team that finished Saturday starting against Chelsea with Lanzini and Chicharito re-enforcing the bench would do for me – praying we nick something.

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THE ADVANTAGES OF EDUARDO MACIA
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 3 APRIL 2018 AT 9:23PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by @jackbailey27

Irons, with what's been a very frustrating season, with that excellent 3-0 win over Southampton it is beginning to look like our premier league security is there for another year, now I know there is massive unrest with a lot of parts of the club and personally I am board out but in my heart of hearts I know they will not sell as in my opinion the reason they bought the club in the first place is that they saw us move into the 'London Stadium' and that is wouldn't be cost effective for the taxpayer, allowing them to basically get it for free, which looks likely we will in the next few years.

But the reason I am writing this article is because with the recent rumour of us looking to get a Director of football, I'd like to put out what I think would be good additions to what we currently have, but building a clubs way of playing. This may not sound all correct at the moment but listen to my reasoning. With the rumour of us targeting Eduardo Macia of Leicester City, I'd like to see West Ham built in a similar way Leicester have since winning the Premier League in 2016

Since winning the league Leicester haven't looked like they would be near the relegation zone except for Claudio Ranieri's last few matches in charge but I'm more talking about their formation and the way they scout and choose players to buy. Leicester ever since coming back into the Premier league in 2014 have always played a 442, which although looks simple on paper has been cleverly put together for their team, making their team difficult to beat and when attacking look very capable to score multiple times.



In Midfield is where I find it interesting as with a normal 442 the 2 central midfielders are normally box to box midfielders needing to both go forward and back, or one will hold and one will attack, but with Leicester they use a massively underrated player in Wilfred Ndidi who is comparable to N'golo Kante which every club would love to have in there squad, but they play him next to a technically excellent Vicente Ibbora and if you watch and of their games often Ndidi will win the ball back and instantly pass it to Iborra knowing that is the best option to attack, this variation of the 442 they have been using for 4 years, they brought Iborra last summer and Ndidi the winter before, so they are buying players for specific position which I believe West Ham just haven't if you look at all our recent transfer windows.

Where Leicester have a set formation that all Managers and Players all play and are all comfortable since Bilic come in and with Moyes we have had so many different formations and we still cannot find our best one. Now my opinion on this would be to pick one and stay with it! Don't buy square pegs for round holes buy players specific for the specific positions, starting this summer, get the correct manager in (Howe or Silva in my opinion) get the Director of Football in and let them both consult each other about how they want to play, what players they are happy with/want to keep, what players they are happy to sell and then what type of players they need to certain positions.

So for example if the future manager and DOF wanted to play Leicester's 442 with holding midfielders we could once again target Dendocker and Carvalho, hopefully with serious bids this time though.

Obviously it is a lot harder than just buying players and playing them but we need to give West Ham, our team a little but more of a playing identity, something with structure that the players will understand and work on week in week out, one that fans will be excited to come and watch and it will also entertain fans also.

COYI

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Is this the reason behind Michail Antonio's injury struggles - and why his woes could continue
The Hammers winger is set to miss the rest of the 2017/18 campaign
Football london
By Adam Jones Sam Inkersole
West Ham Correspondent
07:50, 3 APR 2018

Michail Antonio has already missed 16 games this season through injury and he is likely to miss a further seven having suffered a severe hamstring injury during West Ham's 3-0 win over Southampton on Saturday. It's not the first time that the reigning Hammer of the Year has picked up injuries that have de-railed him as we explore below. Back in March of last year, Antonio had to withdraw from the England international squad after picking up a hamstring problem in a 3-2 win over Leicester City. After that injury he was rushed back to face Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium as West Ham battled against relegation and suffered a recurrence of the problem which ruled him out from April until the start of the current campaign last August, He has already missed ten games with a groin problem this season, six games with a rib bruise picked up in the 3-0 defeat to Brighton and now his latest hamstring woes have compounded his season.
The Hammers man let fly from 30 yards with a shot against the Saints but as he landed back on his right leg, it seemed to buckle underneath him. He tried to walk it off but made it five yards before taking a seat on the pitch. Antonio is in danger of being labelled injury-prone as his problems seem to keep him out for an extended period of time as well, he's rarely out for a game or two - his latest strife is testament to that.

But, is there a reason why the West Ham winger continues to struggle with injury and in the main, muscle problems as well?

Dr Ralph Rogers, a world-renowned sports physician and regenerative orthopaedic consultant, believes athletes who have suffered hamstring injuries previously are not only more likely to pick it up again, but also could be prone to injuries in other areas. He spoke told our friends at the Liverpool Echo when asked about Daniel Sturridge's injury woes and it translates very well to the issues Antonio is currently suffering. Dr Rogers said: "Let's take a football player in general who hasn't played for a while, you have to become match fit. "If someone suffers a hamstring injury, what can happen often is that people develop scar tissue. What we know about scar tissue is that it doesn't function like normal muscle and it's prone to re-injury. "If there's a lot of scar tissue, then we know that people are prone to re-injury. You have explosive players who are all about speed, so if the muscles are tight and cold then it's easy for them to snap, so to speak. "What we know about athletes in general is that once you've had an injury you are prone to others, and not necessarily in the same place. "There's a whole bio-mechanical thing that happens when some people are injured, just think about someone who's had a knee operation - your whole body shape changes. "Even when you come back, your bio-mechanics are still off slightly, there's a muscle imbalance and your muscle strength slightly changes. "If you're still that same player mentally but you have different bio-mechanics, you're actually prone to injury in another place. "If you have a hamstring injury it's not just about strength in your hamstring, it's also about strength in your quadriceps and keeping the strength on both sides. Your pattern of running needs to stay the same so you don't put undue stress on another part of your body. "It's not just about treating that hamstring, it's about other parts of the body. I think any player who has a hamstring injury is definitely unlucky. "But you have your multi-directional players, your sprinters - yes of course they are more prone to having these type of injuries just because of the way they play. "One of the great players in that area is Michael Owen, he was another explosive player which people often point to as having hamstring injuries."

Dr Rogers also spoke about the undoubted pressure that some Premier League doctors could feel to get star players fit and playing again, sometimes earlier than they should, because of the finances behind the modern game. Speaking generally again rather than about a specific individual or club, the sports medicine expert knows that clubs could have a lot of money riding on certain situations - look at Antonio against Arsenal last season - and will obviously want all of their best players on the pitch. But, it could also work against the player and harm their chances of ever being fully fit. Dr Rogers added: "Sometimes players are not ready to come back. Let's say you're paying somebody £200,000-a-week and you've got a big FA Cup final coming up - you take a chance. "There's a pressure on my colleagues, sometimes undue pressure, to get players back onto the pitch faster than we would want to. "That's with a lot of teams, there's a massive economic future in all of this if you're missing out on the Champions League, winning the league, being promoted - there's a lot of money involved. "There's a real art in getting people prepared, not rushing them too fast and actually getting them on the pitch when you can. It's not an exact science and I have a great deal of respect for my colleagues who are doing a great job. "Some people are just unlucky, it's as simple as that."

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LUCKY SUPERSTITIONS AND FEELING A WHOLE LOT BETTER
By Tony Hanna 3 Apr 2018 at 08:00
WTID

Everyone feeling a lot better? Isn't it amazing how the mood can change on the back of an effort like what we saw on Saturday. Yes, Southampton were poor, and whether that was down to us or them is debatable, but to be honest I don't care. Three points doesn't make us safe by any means, but this was a game we desperately needed to win and we did. The players played their part as did our fans in the ground, but make no mistake, I played my role in this result too. It is not often I delve deep into my underwear draw for my lucky red underpants but three hours before the game that was what I was doing. They were way past their best quite a few years ago and I haven't worn them in ages, so when my wife caught me changing she just shook her head and I could tell she thought I was losing the plot. Not so! I am convinced they played a huge part in the Hammers win as they have got us over the line so many times before when we have desperately needed a win. Seriously though, there were some other factors that probably influenced our result to a greater degree than my superstitions on the weekend.

You could tell the crowd were behind the team right from the start and I do believe if we had gone a goal down the noise might have even increased in defiance of the odds. I think everyone involved with the club knew this was to be a day where it was critical we were resolute. We saw pressing, we saw first to the ball and we saw a togetherness. Those three ingredients will always lead to crowd support at West Ham. This was a real team effort but as always there were a few players that deserve special mention. If Marko Arnautovic does not win HOTY I will eat those lucky red pants but should the Austrian fall foul in the last seven games of the season it would surely go to Angelo Ogbonna. For me, this was one of his his best games in a West Ham shirt. It was not as if we had to wear any barrage of attacks from Southampton, far from it, but the Italian never put a foot wrong all day and he totally commanded the defence. Young Declan Rice arguably had his best game in his young career and in the first half Charlie Austin and Gabbiadini hardly had a touch.

The return of Arthur Masuaku was also another factor that just gave the crowd and the team an extra lift. He is a handful for any opposing wing-back and his cross for Arnie's third goal was simply World class. You could see his eyes look to exactly where he needed to play the ball and he expertly pinpointed the pass after a thirty yard run that started in our own half. It was pure class. And while I could mention every player, they were all so good, I will just finish with Fernandes who really stepped up after coming on early for the very unlucky Antonio. It looks like we might have another player out for the rest of the season and you could see the raw emotion pour out when he had to leave the field. But Fernandes was to be another young player, along with Rice, who look like they may have played themselves into the first eleven for the immediate future. There is no doubt we need to see more of this type of effort – more of this pressing and desire, and we need to see it more consistently. Someone on the blog before the game wrote "our season starts today". I am sure it was meant to be a humorous post as it had a smiley face at the end and the quote has been used so many times this season you have to laugh – but there is many a true word spoken in jest. Our season has just seven games to go and we need Saturdays result to be a new platform to work from.

The next three fixtures are away at Chelsea, the ever important home clash with Stoke which is followed by another London derby at Arsenal. By my reckoning four points from those three games should see us safe. Later in the month we play Manchester City at the OS. Their first half display at Everton was one of the finest forty five minutes I have ever seen from an English Premier League club. Simply awesome. I will be cheering them on against Liverpool in the Champions League if only for one reason. Should City make the semi-finals our match with them is sandwiched between the scheduled two legs and with the title all bagged up by then there is every possibility they may rest some of their best players against us. At the very least it may take their main focus away from our game. After the weekends win there seems to be a lot of confidence that we will now be safe, but for me we still have a bit to do. I just hope I don't need to be putting any more wear and tear on those lucky red underpants this season!

At the end of the season we will be looking forward to the World Cup in Russia. When I first started watching football in the '60's England were one of the best teams in the World. But there were two areas where we were head and shoulders above everyone else in the game. Firstly it was our goalkeepers. Not only did we have the World's best in Gordon Banks, we followed that up with Clemence and Shilton a decade later. Poor Phil Parkes could only manage one cap in this era – if he were playing in today's game he would be an automatic choice between the sticks for England. The depth of English and British talent was immense back in the 60's and 70's and many first division clubs had British keepers that were top drawer. Fast forward to now and the landscape is very different and for me this is one area where England are quite a way behind the competition. Trying to choose between Pickford, Butland, Hart and Pope is a long way from where we used to be.

The other area where we have fallen behind is referees. Again this was an area where we excelled in the past and many very good British referees never made a World Cup due to the Nations quota for the tournament. However, for this World Cup the country that invented the game will not have a single official involved in the competition. There have been 36 referees and 63 assistant referees appointed and not one is British which is very disappointing considering they are working every week in the most watched domestic league in the World. Europe were allocated ten referees, together with compatriot assistants, which is roughly a third of those selected, but not a Brit in sight and that is a damning stat on the standard of officiating in the Premier League at present.

On a side note – happy birthday to fellow writer Hamburg Hammer today

Please check back after the match for the results.

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