Hammers fall to Vicarage Road defeat
WHUFC.com
David Moyes' tenure as West Ham United boss started in frustrating fashion
as the Hammers were beaten 2-0 by Watford on Sunday. Goals from Will Hughes
and Richarlison sealed the win for the Hornets, who rode their luck at times
as the visitors saw a number of golden opportunities pass them by. Cheikhou
Kouyate was guilty of missing two superb chances to equalise and Manuel
Lanzini had an effort cleared off the line, but Marco Silva's side held on
to record the victory in Hertfordshire. It was far from the dream start to
Moyes' West Ham career as Watford took the lead after just eleven minutes at
Vicarage Road. A cross from the left was only half cleared, and although
Andre Gray's attempt was scuffed after he had brought it away from Pedro
Obiang, it fell kindly for Hughes who calmly curled into the far corner,
leaving Joe Hart in goal with little chance. Andy Carroll had a header saved
shortly after and Aaron Cresswell tried an ambitious attempt from his own
half with goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes spotted off his line but on the half
hour mark the Hornets went close to doubling their lead. Richarlison's
initial effort was pushed away by Hart but only as far as Kiko Femenia, who
fired an inch or two wide from the edge of the box. That was as close,
however, as the hosts came to a second in the first period and next it was
the Hammers' turn to threaten. Skipper Mark Noble fired a superb pass
through the defence for Kouyate, who was somehow denied by Brazilian Gomes
who spread himself at the feet of the midfielder. And in first half stoppage
time, Moyes' men went even closer but it was again Gomes the hero for the
hosts. First pushing a Marko Arnautovic in front of him, the stopper somehow
reached up and clawed the winger's second effort away from the goalline from
point blank range.
Cheikhou KouyateThe visitors began the second half as they had ended the
first; on top, and a golden chance to equalise fell the way of Kouyate once
again. Great work from Arnautovic saw the Austrian get to the byline and
pull back for the Senegal international, who smashed well over with the goal
at his mercy. And the Hammers' misses came back to haunt them when on 64
minutes, Watford grabbed a second. Winston Reid could only find the feet of
first goalscorer Hughes with a clearing header, and the midfielder drove
forward, eventually finding Richarlison with a pinpoint pass. Bearing down
on goal down the left hand side, the Brazilian stayed on his left foot and
fired past Hart to double the Hornets' lead. With a quarter of an hour
remaining, Lanzini fired towards the bottom corner and thought he had cut
the deficit, but Christian Kabasele was on hand to turn it off the line.
West Ham continued to push to find a goal which would give them hope at
Vicarage Road, but Silva's team stood strong and the three points went to
Watford.
Watford: Gomes, Mariappa, Femenia (Holebas 86), Britos, Kabasele, Doucoure,
Cleverley, Zeegelaar, Hughes (Pereyra 83), Richarlison, Gray (Carrillo 90+7)
Subs not used: Karnezis, Prodl, Capoue, Okaka
Goals: Hughes 11, Richarlison 65
Bookings: Britos 29
West Ham United: Hart, Zabaleta, Reid, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Kouyate, Noble,
Obiang, Arnautovic (Masuaku 72), Lanzini, Carroll (Sakho 65)
Subs not used: Adrian, Martinez, Fernandes, Quina, Rice
Bookings: Carroll 27, Arnautovic 37, Obiang 41, Noble 82
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Noble: I urge the fans to stick by us
WHUFC.com
West Ham United skipper Mark Noble urged supporters to stick with his side
despite a disappointing 2-0 defeat by Watford on Sunday. Will Hughes and
Richarlison's goals gave the Hornets all three Premier League points at
Vicarage Road but it could have been a different story had the Hammers, in
manager David Moyes' first game in charge, taken a number of superb chances
which fell their way. Cheikhou Kouyate was denied brilliantly by Heurelho
Gomes in the first half and fired over from close range in the second
period, while Marko Arnautovic and Manuel Lanzini also saw efforts
miraculously kept out of the Watford net. Marco Silva's men took the points,
however, condemning West Ham to a third defeat in four league games and
leaving them inside the bottom three, and Noble admitted it was a
frustrating evening in Hertfordshire. "It's a very difficult situation for
us," the captain said, before imploring the Claret and Blue Army to play
their part in turning the season around. "The fans show their emotions, and
rightly so because they're not happy and they pay a lot of money to come and
watch us. "I know it's hard, I know they're frustrated, and we are too
because we know we're better than what we're showing, but I urge them to
stick by us and hopefully the good times will come back. "As much as we're
not performing on the pitch at the minute, we need them to stick by us."
The Hammers have been working hard on the training ground to get things
right since Moyes' appointment as manager, but it was a disappointing start
to the Scot's reign. And fragile confidence is a problem the Hammers are now
encountering, according to Noble, particularly after Hughes' fortuitous
opener for the hosts put the visitors on the back foot after just eleven
minutes. "To be honest, we went into the game with a lot of belief. We have
done a lot of work in the last couple of weeks but we conceded an early goal
and it's an uphill battle from there. "We had two good chances to equalise
in the first half but in the end, I thought Watford were the better team.
They have been together with their manager for a while and we've had a
couple away on international duty and we've trained with our young lads.
"But it could have been a different if we'd finished our chances but that's
the way it's going at the moment. There's a bit of a lack of belief in our
players and I think we showed it. "You have to stick together and work hard
and as soon as you start having a go at each other, it becomes hard. "Do I
believe we have got enough and will be OK? Yes, I do. But it will be tough
and we need to play better than we did tonight."
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Moyes: We've got to try to turn things around quickly
WHUFC.com
David Moyes admits he has plenty of work to do after seeing West Ham United
fall to a 2-0 Premier League defeat at Watford in his first game in charge.
The Hammers marked Moyes' first game in the dugout and 500th Premier League
match as a manager by conceding goals in each half to Will Hughes and
Richarlison at Vicarage Road. At the other end, Cheikhou Kouyate and Marko
Arnautovic – who left the stadium nursing a suspected broken thumb – each
missed a pair of gilt-edged chances, leaving everyone in Claret and Blue
feeling decidedly frustrated. Then, having gone 2-0 down midway through the
second half, confidence visibly drained from the West Ham players and
Watford held on for a comfortable and deserved victory. "I expected
something like that, because that's what it's been before," said Moyes, when
asked for his assessment of the game. "I was disappointed that we didn't do
better, but we missed a couple of really good chances at 1-0, just before
half-time. "The better team won the game, but there was a chance for us to
affect the outcome of the game and we didn't do it. So, we're going to have
to improve and hopefully I'll get the chance to work with the players over
the coming weeks and it will make a difference." "I was only ever going to
find out what they were like by working with them and then seeing them play
during the game. "I could see that they needed a couple of things to go for
them and, in the couple of big moments we had, a couple in the first half
and one just after half-time, when they didn't go for them then you could
see the confidence draining away. "We've got to try to turn things around
quickly and we've got to find a way of winning, which we will try to do. The
important thing was to stay in the game but, when we conceded the second
goal, it became a lot more difficult. "We ran out of steam with 15 or 20
minutes to go after I thought we started the second half playing better than
we did at times in the first half. We have things to work on and, hopefully,
things to improve on. "We have to try to win games and get results and pick
them up as we go along and I believe we will do, but we need to play much
better than we did today, because today's performance wouldn't be good
enough."
Moyes was rightly disappointed with the manner of Sunday's defeat, but urged
West Ham fans not to turn on his team at a time when they need their support
more than ever. "We need to try to pull everybody together. We need the
crowd and we need the West Ham supporters. I know from what I saw today why
they would be disappointed, because I'd be the first to say it was not good
enough. "I'm really disappointed with the overall performance, but it's a
start and we've only been together a week and they're going to have to give
me a little bit of time to do something with it. "Today's performance was
not good enough, but that's what I need to assess and we've got a lot of
games coming up thick and fast, and we need to perform better than that if
we're going to win."
Finally, Moyes confirmed that Arnautovic had been taken to hospital
following Sunday's game for his thumb injury, suffered as he fell awkwardly
while making a second-half challenge, to be fully assessed. "The first
thought was a broken arm, but it looks like he's broken his thumb and we've
sent him to the hospital to get X-rayed and we'll know more after he's had
it scanned."
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'We need to try and find a way of making sure we are together and united'
WHUFC.com
David Moyes has issued a plea for unity as he attempts to turn West Ham
United's season around. The new manager did not need long to see why the
Hammers have struggled this season as mistakes at both ends of the pitch led
to a 2-0 Premier League defeat at Watford in his first game in charge. The
loss, which left West Ham inside the relegation zone after winning just two
of their opening 12 top-flight matches, was met with frustration by the
Claret and Blue Army.
Moyes understands the disappointment felt by the fans, but implored them to
get behind the team ahead of and during Friday's visit of Leicester City to
London Stadium...
We need a united Club
I don't know the reasons for it and the history of what's gone on here, and
I'm really thankful that they have been supportive of me. But we need them
now, we need a united Club, and it's hard and people have grievances. But
the supporters know the history and the past much better than I do. I said
to the players at the end 'It's tough to play when the crowd's like that'.
Small things can make a big difference. I can understand the supporters'
feelings because we didn't play well enough in the second half especially.
The better team won on Sunday
The better team won the game. I did think we had three big opportunities,
two in the first half, one in the second, and I think they would have made
it one [goal] each. We need things to go our way to build confidence and to
get a togetherness, we need something. It's tough for the players, I can
sense that. But I didn't enjoy the performance in the end. I didn't enjoy us
getting robbed of the ball. We gave it away cheaply and too many times and I
expected us to do better with it.
I thought we tried to stay in the game. We wanted to stay in the game to
give ourselves a chance, and we probably did. Even at 2-0, we had a few
balls flash across the box with nothing on the end of it. But in the end, it
wasn't good enough and that level of performance will not be good enough to
get much better.
I thought we defended OK, but we gave away cheap goals. The first goal we
had three half challenges and didn't deal with it. The second one, I think
Pablo Zabaleta went in for a cross and they were then running at us in the
inside left. I thought we didn't do well enough in all the departments at
different times. But we created one or two chances which could have changed
the outcome. I thought Watford's build up and style was better than ours and
I hope ours will improve as I get to work with the players more and know
them better.
I know I have a big job to do
We need to try and find a way of making sure we are together and united. I
can only try and get wins which will hopefully let the supporters feel
better about the team. I thought this was a big job. I think there were
players with big reputations who disappointed me a little bit and I thought
they will show me more and show why there are regulars. But Sunday was the
first time I've had the chance to see them play. They need to show why they
have got a reputation. They need to show me why they've got it.
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#REFWATCH: ANDRE MARRINER – WATFORD VS WEST HAM
AUTHOR: SAMTWHWREF. PUBLISHED: 19 NOVEMBER 2017 AT 10:52PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by @SamRoyden
It's been 12 days since David Moyes was appointed to replace Slaven Bilic at
West Ham and I think it's fair to say that there remains to be some uproar
among some of the fans at Moyes' appointment. My initial thoughts was that
if Moyes can emulate the kind of performances, it would be a great
appointment. It's always going to be a tough job and miracles cannot happen
over night however, the disappointment at Watford will give David Moyes a
lot to pounder over about which players are going to step up and show some
fight for the team.
Andy Carroll, coming back from a three game ban, nearly enjoyed a further
three weeks ban after catching Watford's debutant Zeegelaar with a leading
elbow within the first 30 seconds. Andy Carroll is an utter liability and
with a challenge like that, is not only endangering an opponent but it's
purely and simply idiotic. Carroll was stupid at Burnley and he's followed a
similar suit with a serious of ridiculous and unnecessary challenges at
Watford.
I've said on many occasions that using your arms is a natural when jumping
to gain elevation especially from a standing position, but when you're
running and jumping at pace into an opponent and leading with your elbow,
it's unacceptable. Carroll, in my opinion, was fortunate not to get a yellow
card as an absolute minimum. If Marriner had showed him a red, there
wouldn't have been any complaints. Thankfully for Carroll, Marriner was
slightly out of position with the game only 20 seconds in, and the assistant
referee was in line with the last defender so this was missed by both.
Andy Carroll continued with his stupid antics by being cautioned for an off
the ball incident with Richarlison after becoming frustrated for losing the
ball. Nearing the end of the first half, Carroll thought after being knocked
to the floor that it was acceptable to have a kick out at a Watford
defender. Marriner had enough of Carroll over the course of 45 minutes and
called over Mark Noble for a final warning and Carroll walking on thin ice
going into the second half.
Andre Marriner is a very good well equipped referee, potentially one of the
better referees in the Premier League this season. I bet he thought that he
might have a comfortable afternoon with this fixture but he was kept on his
toes with a couple of big decisions.
West Ham's disciplinary record is one of the worst in the league for some
reason and with some of the challenges flying in and the lack of discipline
among players, I'm not surprised why. West Ham's second caution of the game
came when Marko Arnautovic, who was bright at times before his injury, over
stretched after miss controlling the ball and catching Tom Cleverly on the
top of the boot. Whenever you're not in control of the ball and you're
desperately lunging to win the ball back, you're not deemed in control and
Marriner was right to caution this foul.
There were a couple of challenging decisions that Andre Marriner had to make
with the first being a penalty decision from Watford with appeals echoing
around Vicarage Road. In realtime, this was a very difficult decision to
make especially from a TV viewing perspective. My heart sank and I thought
he was going to give it and when I saw Marriner wave away appeals, I was
relieved. It was only when I saw two or three replays that it was evident
that Richarlison actually trod on Pablo Zabaleta's foot before hitting the
ground. The fact Andre Marriner made that decision within a split second and
getting it spot on is an absolutely brilliant decision.
With West Ham playing very poorly and Winston Reid at fault for the second
goal, Will Hughes was fortunate not to be penalised for handball after the
ball bounced off his leg into his hand. After contact with Hudges' hand, the
ball looked under control, which gave Hughes an advantage which subsequently
assisted Richarlison and Watford's second goal to put Watford out of sight.
When reviewing Marriner's position, he was behind Will Hudges and wouldn't
have see the contact on his right hand. In my opinion, if Marriner saw this
incident, he would have blew for a foul to West Ham.
There was another Watford handball which came after a great piece of
defending by Christian Kabasele by keeping Manuel Lanzini's shot from
hitting the back of the net. The Watford defender put his body on the line
to make the interception with the ball hitting his thigh and ricocheting
onto his arm. There was no obvious intention in my opinion and would have
been an extremely harsh decision as it was ball to hand, not a deliberate
handball.
Overall, Andre Marriner had a good game and I thought he got a lot of his
decisions right. The Andy Carroll incident is a difficult one as it's a huge
decision to make so quickly after kick off. The position Marriner employed
is the same position I would take up at kick off and straight away the ball
was knocked cross field and that starting position would have been comprised
with the speed of the pass to see the incident. Andre Marriner controlled
the game well and made good decisions throughout.
As West Ham fans, we never thought that change would happen overnight and
you have to give the management team time. Moyes won't take any shit and
clearly showed his disappointment of the team performance. It's a hard
position that our upcoming games include Leicester and Everton in November
before 3 consecutive games against top 3 teams, Manchester City, Arsenal and
Chelsea.
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WATFORD 2-0 WEST HAM – MATCH REPORT
AUTHOR: BRIAN KNOX. PUBLISHED: 19 NOVEMBER 2017 AT 8:14PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Match Report by @WestHamAmerican
The change of management in the technical area did not change West Ham's
futility during the current Premier League campaign. The Hammers suffered a
2-0 defeat during their Sunday visit to Hertfordshire. With the loss, West
Ham remains firmly in the relegation zone.
The story could not be more different for the Hornets, who, while not a
historical power in England's top flight of football, find themselves
playing entertaining football and enjoying time in the top ten of the table.
For Watford, their biggest concern might be hanging on to their manager,
with Everton prepared to splash some money his way.
For the day's match, it was a chilly day but the travelling West Ham
supporters were a loud portion of the 20,018 in attendance. Even when their
side went down, they continued to encourage their players.
Watford's scoring began in the opening half when Will Hughes took Andre
Gray's deflection and easily scored just inside the far post. West Ham had
multiple opportunities to level the match before the break. Both Marko
Arnautovic and Cheikhou Kouyaté had remarkable opportunities they were
unable to convert, through poor shot selection or great play by Heurelho
Gomes. The Brazillian goalkeeper had great moments, and kept the clean
sheet for the match.
During the break, David Moyes replaced Andy Carroll with Diafra Sakho, in
hopes of finding a bit more pace on the attack, however, the opening twenty
minutes of the second half saw the match almost entirely played in the West
Ham penalty area. There were no counter attacks or even much movement
beyond midfield as Watford was very technical and precision-like in
maintaining possession against an outmatched Hammers side.
Predictably the home club was able to find their second goal during this
period as Will Hughes played through to Richarlison, who had an unimpeded
run to the goal. While Hughes had inadvertently handled the ball with his
hand, Andre Marriner didn't feel it was significant enough to whistle him
for the handball. Richarlison's goal stood, and Watford had a comfortable
lead for the remainder of the match.
West Ham's setbacks didn't end with the score sheet as late in the match,
Marko Arnautovic suffered a serious thumb injury that looked to be very
painful. The West Ham record-signing was taken off the field and no word on
his recovery time will be given until later in the week.
With injuries and stoppage of play, Marriner awarded eight minutes of added
time to the match, but West Ham was unable to maintain much possession and
never mounted much of a threat to Watford's clean sheet. The final whistle
meant that West Ham was firmly in 17th place on the table, and has a lot of
work to do before May if they want to remain in the Premier League.
This is such a dangerous time for West Ham. Devoid of much attacking
creativity, and playing much of the matches behind the ball, Moyes will
really have to find some ways to spark some scoring. The schedule in
December is brutal: In 16 days West Ham plays at City, at home against
Chelsea and Arsenal, at Stoke, and then a League Cup tie at Arsenal all in a
period of 16 days.
If West Ham hopes to stave off relegation, they will need to find some
points in that challenging run of matches. Otherwise, this season is
heading towards the Sky Bet Championship league very quickly.
Watford: Gomes, Mariappa, Femenia (Holebas 86), Britos, Kabasele, Doucoure,
Cleverley, Zeegelaar, Hughes (Pereyra 83), Richarlison, Gray (Carrillo 90+7)
Subs not used: Karnezis, Prodl, Capoue, Okaka
Goals: Hughes 11, Richarlison 65
Bookings: Britos 29
West Ham United: Hart, Zabaleta, Reid, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Kouyate, Noble,
Obiang, Arnautovic (Masuaku 72), Lanzini, Carroll (Sakho 65)
Subs not used: Adrian, Martinez, Fernandes, Quina, Rice
Bookings: Carroll 27, Arnautovic 37, Obiang 41, Noble 82
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'Sack the Board', chant travelling fans
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 19th November 2017
By: Staff Writer
Millions of Sky Sports subscribers were left in no doubt as to the depth of
anti-Board feeling amongst West Ham United's travelling supporters tonight.
The small but vocal travelling contingent used the opportunity of a live TV
game to share their views on the club's current administration who, having
already overseen a relegation in their first year (2010/11) at West Ham
could be on their way to a second with the team in desperate trouble once
again at the foot of the Premier League.
West Ham Fan TV @westhamfantv
'Lies Lies Lies' Fans singing about the board as frustration grows at
Watford
5:44 PM - Nov 19, 2017
12 12 Replies 229 229 Retweets 267 267 likes
Co-owners David Gold and David Sullivan, along with vice chair Karren Brady
were pilloried throughout the game by fans, as flags bearing the famous
'"lying, theiving cheats" line - as immortalised during the 1992 Bond
protests - were hung from the stands. Meanwhile the erection of one
anti-Board flag, placed at the bottom of the away end and directly behind a
goal led to a minor altercation between the fans and a steward, who is
believed to have been employed by West Ham.
West Ham Fan TV @westhamfantv
'Sack The Board!' The message is loud and clear from West Ham fans at
Watford
5:28 PM - Nov 19, 2017
35 35 Replies 262 262 Retweets 398 398 likes
The steward - who has been spotted at the Olympic Stadium in recent weeks
performing a similar task - attempted to remove the flag, which naturally
led to an argument between the employee and a group of supporters. No
arrests were however reported as a result, however at least two of West
Ham's travelling contingent were ejected from the ground as a result.
View image on TwitterView image on TwitterView image on TwitterView image on
Twitter
Paul Turner @P_Tizzle31
Anti-board flags not allowed at #WATWHU with #WHUFC stewards tearing at it
and taking it away. Free speech and all that...
4:37 PM - Nov 19, 2017
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West Ham face worrying times, says Alan Pardew
Last Updated: 19/11/17 7:23pm
SSN
Alan Pardew says these are worrying times for West Ham after the David Moyes
era began in defeat. The Hammers were beaten 2-0 at Watford on Super Sunday,
and sit 18th in the Premier League table having not won in five games.
Former West Ham manager Pardew says their attacking talent did not have
enough of an influence on the game, and feels confidence is low in the camp.
West Ham boss David Moyes admits he was disappointed with his sides
finishing ability as they squandered a handful of chances during his first
game in charge, a 2-0 loss at Watford. "Looking at them today, if they'd
have got a goal it would have given them confidence, and confidence is a
strange thing. It makes you run faster and further, and lifts you as a
player. They didn't get that today, a lift of a goal. "It was a performance
similar to what we've seen from West Ham before, and it's worrying times for
them, because they look short at the moment, particularly offensively.
"I don't think they created great chances today, not enough for a West Ham
team. Lanzini, Arnautovic, Carroll were quiet today, and these are the type
of players who should give the team a lift on match day by getting goals and
creating goals."
West Ham now host Leicester on Friday Night Football, live on Sky Sports
Premier League, before a tough run of fixtures leading up to mid-December.
They then go to Everton (November 29) and Man City (December 3), before
hosting Chelsea (December 9) and Arsenal (December 13) in the Premier
League, and Pardew fears it could be a decisive run of games. Pardew added:
"What's difficult about this sequence of games is his home games (Leicester,
Chelsea, Arsenal) because Leicester looks really important. His next two
will be difficult. It's a tricky run."
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David Moyes has called for West Ham to come together as a club after fans
turn on players
Last Updated: 19/11/17 7:00pm
SSN
West Ham boss David Moyes admits he was disappointed with his sides
finishing ability as they squandered a handful of chances during his first
game in charge, a 2-0 loss at Watford. David Moyes has called for West Ham
to come together as a club after the away fans protested against the board
and mocked their own players at Watford. On his Hammers bow, Moyes' team
were seen off by goals from Will Hughes (11) and Richarlison (64) as Watford
boss Marco Silva - heavily linked with the Everton job - further enhanced
his reputation. Cries of "you're not fit to wear the shirt" were sung from a
disgruntled away end, who have seen their team lose their last four games
and remain in the relegation zone.
When asked about the fans' frustrations, Moyes said: "I don't know the
history - all I can say, I'm really thankful for the support of me. "We need
a united club. The supporters will know the past. I said to the players,
it's tough to play when the crowd is like that. A goal can make a
difference." Despite the defeat, there was cause for hope for Moyes as his
team had six shots on target but a mixture of wayward finishing and two
brilliant stops from Heurelho Gomes blunted their progress. However,
following going down to 2-0, West Ham created little and Moyes was
disappointed by the quality shown by some of his players. "I found out
today, I was only going to find out what they were like when I took training
and in the game," Moyes said. "The better team won the game, I won't say
different, but we had chances to change the outcome of the game. "We have
got to try and find a way of winning, we will try and find a way. "The most
important thing was to be in the game and when we conceded the second that
went. We need to learn how to stay in games."
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WATFORD 2, WEST HAM 0. I WANT TO BELIEVE IT WILL END UP OK.
By David Hautzig 19 Nov 2017 at 18:37
WTID
Did you know I also have a column here on West Ham Til I Die? When I write a
Match Report and go to the administrative part of the site, I choose David
Hautzig Match Report as the category under which I post. There is also a
heading called David Hautzig Column. I have posted a grand total of one in
my four years doing this.
Relieved, aren't ya?
The single solitary contribution to that faux journalistic endeavor was
written days after the club decided not to offer Sam Allardyce a new deal.
Names like Bielsa, Rafa, Emery, Bilic, even Klopp were thrown about. Here's
how I finished that piece;
"Which leads me to the final name that has made the rounds, David Moyes. To
my somewhat risk averse way of thinking, he provides what we need. A fresh
look at things all the while being as safe a pair of hands as Allardyce.
I've read many a tweet and comment that oppose the idea almost as fervently
as they oppose Sam, saying it's no more than a sideways move. Yet for all we
know his edict while at Everton was to play a style that made the Toffees
hard to beat, and that if asked he could switch things up. And it's not like
Van Gaal has had an easy time at Man U, leading me to believe Moyes was
given a raw deal at Old Trafford. Until recently I thought him joining us
was pretty close to a dead cert. Tony Henry is on board, he has a release
clause to join an EPL team if asked, Etc. But after his interview with Sid
Lowe in The Guardian it's more dead in the water than nailed on. Which I'm
very disappointed about. I think David Moyes has a lot to say about what
kind of manager he is.
I hope he changes his mind and let's West Ham United hand him the
microphone."
Supporter anguish over the appointment of Moyes has centered around his last
two jobs, and how they were "failures". Failing at Sunderland was as likely
as sinking with The Titanic. As for Real Sociedad, I think the judgement is
a bit unfair. He arrived there in 2014 after eleven games, of which the club
had only won two. Familiar ring, huh? Anyway, they were just above the drop
zone. He finished the season in 12th, eleven points clear. Over the summer,
Moyes warned supporters not to get carried away. They began his second
season poorly, and he was sacked after eleven games and Sociedad in the drop
zone. His point total over the 38 games he was in charge was 46. A number I
would kill for now.
My point is this. David Moyes is about right for us. Any notion that a "top
manager", or "next level manager" would be willing to join us and work under
our board is, in my opinion, folly. I was one of those supporters who bought
into the stadium move and what it would bring us. But now I feel like
Dorothy in The Wizard Of Oz when the curtain gets pulled back and we see a
silly old man. One can always dream, but we know where those dreams end up.
I was not anticipating abject fear seven seconds into Moyes time in charge,
but when Carroll swung his arm out and clocked Zeegalaar in his English
debut, I saw red. Thankfully only in my anger at AC's potential recklessness
and not from the referee. Seconds later Carroll sent an infuriatingly
dangerous back pass to Hart from near the halfway line. Hart had to leave
his area just to punt the ball away.
For all of West Hams early aggression and pressing, Watford had the little
bit of luck we needed in the 11th minute. After running down a long pass to
the touchline, Zeegalaar sent a cross into the box that Gray scuffed. But
the ball dribbled towards Hughes in front of Hart, and he calmly put it into
the back of the net.
Watford 1
West Ham 0
For the next ten minutes after the goal, Watford gave a clinic on good shape
and organized defending. The Hammers moved the ball around. Side to side.
Short passes, followed by a long pass cross field. Then a pass back to Hart.
But not one ball into the box or anywhere near Gomes. In the 22nd minute
Watford may have a had a shout for a penalty when Zabaleta tangled with
Richarlison at the top of the West Ham penalty area, but Mariner continued
on his merry little way.
In the 28th minute, Carroll continued his role as villain in the eyes of
Watford supporters when he leaned into Richarlison after trying to pretend
he was Iniesta or something. That time Mariner decided to show Wolf's dad
yellow, and we all knew we would spend the rest of the game cowering every
time the big man went in the air, arms flailing.
Watford came close to doubling their advantage in the 32nd minute when
Richarlison and Doucoure worked a give and go at the top of the West Ham
penalty area. Hart was able to push Richarlison's low shot away, but right
to Kiko who tried his own low effort that went wide for a goal kick.
West Ham should have leveled in the 43rd minute when some fabulous one touch
football at the top of the Watford box by Carroll, Obiang, Lanzini and
Kouyate sent the Senegalese midfielder in on Gomes alone. But the Watford
keeper made an excellent save to keep the home side on top. Watford were
able to launch a counter on the ensuing West Ham corner, but Hughes
attempted bicycle kick in the box sailed high over the bar.
In the 48th minute, Gomes made what I can only describe as a superhuman save
off of Arnautovic. Carroll fed Zabaleta down the right. The Argentine right
back sent a cross to Arnautovic that Gomez somehow stopped. To make it even
more frustrating, Arnautovic got his own rebound alone in front of goal but
Gomes somehow made another save. As the announcers said, Gomes was more
responsible for Watford being ahead than Hughes.
Halftime
Watford 1
West Ham 0
Watford asked the first question of the second half in the 50th minute when
Kiko made a run down the right and crossed to Gray in the box. The Watford
striker who in the summer was rumored to be coming to East London was able
get to the ball but his shot went over the bar.
West Ham saw yet another chance go begging moments later when Arnautovic
beat Britos on the right and rolled a pass to Kouyate in the box but he
couldn't keep his shot down and it flew high over the bar. A few minutes
later Hughes and Kiko worked the ball down the right before getting the ball
to Doucoure, who tried a curling right footer that left Hart standing still
but the ball went wide.
Watford won a corner in the 59th minute when a Gray effort went out off of
Reid's leg. The initial delivery into the box was cleared, but not far
enough to avoid another Watford wave. The ball was sent back into the box by
Cleverly for Mariappa, and his header gave Hart a chance to be brilliant.
Watford's attacking efforts in the second half finally reaped a reward in
the 64th minute when Hughes, after what was adjudged to be a ball to hand as
opposed to a hand ball, fed Richarlison streaking down the left. Reid forced
the Brazilian to shoot with his left, his second favorite foot. He accepted
the challenge and beat Hart with a low shot to the far corner.
Watford 2
West Ham 0
If West Ham didn't have bad luck today, etc etc. In the 73rd minute, after
Sakho and Masuaku replaced Carroll and Arnautovic, the two Hammers
substitutes combined in the box to set up Lanzini from 15 yards out. His low
shot beat Gomes, but wouldn't you know it Kabasele was there to clear the
ball off the line.
Final Score
Watford 2
West Ham 0
I feel the need to look for positives here. Maybe to confirm what I believe,
that the decision to replace Bilic with Moyes was correct? That wouldn't be
beyond me. But while Watford looked more creative and decisive on the ball,
West Ham had two chances from Kouyate, two from Arnautovic, and a Lanzini
shot cleared off the line. So we had opportunities to score. I also think we
looked better pressing, and more solid at the back despite conceding two.
Yet the facts are clear. This is our second worst start ever to an EPL
campaign, and we all know what happened the year that was worse.
I want to be hopeful. I have to be fearful.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
David Moyes lays into West Ham flops as he accuses them of trading on their
reputations after Watford defeat
The Hammers suffered a 2-0 loss to Watford in Moyes' first game in charge
The Mirror
ByMike Walters
Sports Writer
20:53, 19 NOV 2017UPDATED20:56, 19 NOV 2017
David Moyes laid into West Ham's flops and accused them of trading on their
reputations. The Hammers remain marooned in the bottom three after goals
from Will Hughes and Richarlison condemned the East enders to morale-sapping
defeat in his first game in charge. Furious fans turned on owners David
Gold, David Sullivan and vice-chair Karren Brady, and shocked Moyes did not
hide his frustration. He said: "I thought this was a big job, but there were
some players with big reputations who disappointed me. "There were some who
I thought would show me more, and why they play for the team regularly. They
need to show me, 'If that's your reputation, show me why you've got it.'
"Overall, that level of performance will not be good enough."
Friday night's home game with Leicester at the Taxpayers stadium could turn
toxic if the Hammers suffer another setback. Moyes admitted: "It's tough for
the players - I could sense that – but I didn't enjoy our performance in the
end. I didn't enjoy us giving the ball away too cheaply, too many times and
I expected us to do better. "The better team won the game, although we did
have three big opportunities to make it 1-1, and we need things like that to
go our way to build confidence and a togetherness at the club.
Travelling fans chanted "Sack the board" and turned on England discard Andy
Carroll, who had been critical of supporters for leaving early in last
month's home defeat by Liverpool. And Moyes admitted he hooked Carroll
midway through the second half because he feared his combustible striker was
going to collect a red card. Carroll had left Watford debutant marvin
Zeegelaar with a bloody nose in an aerial challenge after just seven SECONDS
and the Hammers boss admitted: "I don't know the history or the reasons for
it (hostility towards the board). "The fans were supportive of me, and I'm
thankful for that, but I can understand their feelings because we didn't
play well enough. "At half-time I had to make a decision because I wasn't
sure whether Andy was going to get himself sent off. "I thought we defended
OK, but then we gave away cheap goals by getting bundled off the ball and we
didn't really deal with it. We didn't do well enough in all departments at
different times."
Vibrant Watford ended a run of three consecutive defeats – but head coach
Marco Silva still refused to say whether he would stay at Vicarage Road amid
Everton's persistent attempts to poach him. Silva tap-danced: "I thought we
controlled the match, more or less, and what I can control in terms of my
future is to plan the next session and prepared for our next game "Some
people have been doubting my commitment, but today me and my players gave a
very good answer." Watford fans serenaded Silva with a chant of "We want you
to stay," and he replied: "It's good when the fans enjoy what we are doing."
Everton are expected to return with a third approach for Silva this week,
but Hornets owner Gino Pozzo has no intention of granting them permission to
seduce his manager with £4m-a-year and a £70m transfer kitty in January.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Andy Carroll needed watching from the first minute
KEITH HACKETT
Keith Hackett 19 NOVEMBER 2017 • 10:19PM
Telegraph.co.uk
Andre Marriner would have seen Andy Carroll's name on the teamsheet roughly
an hour before kick-off. The first thing he should have done was get
together with his assistants and ensure all eyes would be on the striker in
the first few minutes. Marriner needed to be in Carroll's zone; instead, he
was too far away from the action after just 10 seconds when Carroll used his
elbows illegally on Marvin Zeegelaar. It was a definite yellow-card offence,
borderline red, but Carroll got away with it. Referees, like players, must
be prepared and these are the sort of discussions that need to be had in the
dressing room ahead of their warm-up. You must identify players, like
Carroll, who are capable of disruption early on because they are catalysts
to change the game. This is not turning players into victims but an
essential part of the referee's prep. A red would have been harsh yesterday
because Carroll did not use a bent arm, which leads to a dismissal. But the
blood, the prostrate player and the furious reaction told their own story,
and Carroll was not even booked until later in the game.
On Saturday, Graham Scott proved himself equally switched off at the start
of Leicester City's game with Manchester City by not sending off Vincent
Kompany for denying Jamie Vardy a clear goalscoring opportunity. Scott
lacks experience at elite level but his assistant should have told him what
colour the card needed to be. Wrong decisions can prompt a lot of reaction.
All this makes it very difficult for referees to get matches back on track.
This doesn't always happen and, at Crystal Palace on Saturday, I think
Anthony Taylor bought an outrageous dive by Oumar Niasse.
Keith Hackett is a former referee and resident expert on You Are The Ref.Com
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Andy Carroll needs to shape up or be shipped out by West Ham United... the
striker is squandering a unique talent
Six seconds was all it took for Andy Carroll to hit Marvin Zeegelaar with an
elbow
Carroll was later booked for a petulant trip on Watford star Richarlison
He is wasting his talent and has no chance of reaching the 2018 World Cup
By Adam Crafton for the Daily Mail
PUBLISHED: 22:30, 19 November 2017 | UPDATED: 22:30, 19 November 2017
Six seconds. That is all it took for Andy Carroll. Just over a month after
leaving his side in the lurch by elbowing his way to an early shower at
Burnley, Carroll risked doing it all over again six seconds into this game.
Referee Andre Marriner spared Carroll the same fate this time, but the
striker was fortunate to escape a caution in the opening minute. Poor old
Marvin Zeegelaar, a 27-year-old Dutch defender making his Premier League
bow, made acquaintance with Carroll's swinging elbow and the game took
several minutes to restart. He returned to the field with cotton buds
stuffed into his nose and will need to wait to see if it is broken. To his
credit, he soldiered on. It was not a clever act. It was the kind of cheap
hit that English football has mostly confined to nostalgic memories on VHS
tapes and on another day, Zeegelaar might have suffered serious damage.
Carroll is now 28, and the penny may never drop. This is a player that Kenny
Dalglish, a sound judge of striking talent, thought to be worth £35million.
At his most effective, Carroll is strong, athletic and powerful. His leap is
mighty and his shot is hard. He should be at the peak of his powers and
offering Gareth Southgate a unique threat at the World Cup. Yet he is barely
a footnote to the England manager's plans. He has notched only five goals in
the calendar year and he so rarely brings together his qualities in a
positive way. It is a tragic waste of a supreme physique and assured talent.
West Ham fans appear fed up of his immaturity. His recent comments
criticising fans for leaving early went down like a bucket of cold sick, and
here he was the recipient of sustained goading from the terraces.
For manager David Moyes, it is a complex challenge. Carroll's mere presence
in the starting line-up is becoming more of a hindrance than a help to West
Ham. Even withstanding the referee's early leniency, Carroll found his way
into the book mid-way through the first-half and then was given a final
warning. Moyes took a sympathetic view: 'Andy has done everything in
training, tried to be correct in everything he's done. 'I thought every time
he goes for a challenge the opposition crowd are going to make it difficult
to affect the referee but I've not seen the challenges. 'Half-time was a
decision because I wasn't sure if he was going to get sent off so I told him
I would be taking him off.' Yet before the game started, Moyes would not
have factored in a likely dismissal for his striker. It should not be part
of the gameplan and it should not be a fear every time one of your
highest-paid performers takes to the field. If Carroll were a toddler, a
parent would be out of patience by now. Sadly, it may not be long before his
employers take the same view.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
The referee should have acted after six seconds of Watford against West Ham
United due to Andy Carroll's elbow
Andy Carroll elbowed Marvin Zeegelaar of Watford six seconds into the match
This was Carroll's first league start since being sent off at Burnley on
October 14
He was only cautioned after half and hour for a fairly innocuous challenge
By Graham Poll for the Daily Mail
PUBLISHED: 22:30, 19 November 2017 | UPDATED: 22:34, 19 November 2017
When you referee West Ham, Andy Carroll's name jumps out of the team sheet
as it's handed to you an hour before kick-off. So when he goes up for the
ball with a leading arm, catching Marvin Zeegelaar on the nose, you would
expect the referee to see the incident and act upon it. This was Carroll's
first Premier League start since being sent off at Burnley on October 14
when he was throwing his arms around and caught Ben Mee. However, Andre
Marriner either missed the first-minute incident or thought the challenge
was a fair one. Maybe it was too early in the game, timed by TV at six
seconds, but given Carroll's 'form' you really would expect better from such
an experienced referee. Ironically, when Carroll was cautioned just before
the half-hour it was for a fairly innocuous challenge on Richarlison.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Monday, November 20
Sunday, November 19
Daily WHUFC News II - 19th November 2017
Noble: Moyes has a fantastic pedigree
WHUFC.com
Mark Noble believes that David Moyes' experience as a Premier League manager
will be vital for the squad as they continue their preparations for Sunday's
trip to Watford. Ahead of the 4pm kick-off at Vicarage Road, the West Ham
skipper spoke about how Moyes earned his reputation off the back of his
outstanding consistency over eleven years with Everton. Noble said: "He has
managed the most Premier League games out of any manager that we have had.
We've had some experienced managers before but the gaffer we have now has
fantastic experience with Everton which we all know him for."
Moyes – a three-time winner of LMA manager of the year – knows what it takes
to organise a team and get results having taken Everton from the brink of
relegation to consistent top ten finishes in the Premier League in his time
on Merseyside. With a plethora of managerial experience to draw from
including a spell with Manchester United, La Liga side Real Sociedad and
last season with Sunderland, Noble is sure Moyes will have an impact with
his new side. The No16 added: "He managed in Spain which was a life-changing
experience for him. I'm pretty sure that he will tell you that himself and
Sunderland probably wasn't the right job for him to take at the time but
he's done that and now he is with us." "Manchester United was a job that
you cannot turn down but to follow in Alex Ferguson's footsteps would have
been tough for anyone but if you look at the Moyes stats – the stats were
not bad at all."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
David Moyes: No more West Ham excuses
Last Updated: 17/11/17 9:12pm
SSN
David Moyes has warned he does not want to hear any "excuses" from West Ham
players and said there will be "no shortcuts now". The former Everton and
Manchester United manager has taken charge of West Ham following Slaven
Bilic's dismissal during the international break. Ahead of their trip to
Watford on Nissan Super Sunday, the Hammers are third from bottom in the
Premier League and have conceded more goals than any other side. Moyes is
keen for the players to raise their level, telling Sky Sports: "I don't want
to hear any excuses. There are no shortcuts now. It's been documented that
we have not done well on a lot of physical stats so I don't want to hear
excuses of 'why I didn't do this or why this didn't happen'. "Just get on
and do the job and be a little more humble for your team-mates. Make sure
you are part of the team and not an individual. "The players can't keep
getting away with making excuses, they have to stand up, take responsibility
and say 'this is what we need, this is what we want' and I am hoping my
staff and I can give them that."
Moyes' coaching staff includes Alan Irvine and Billy McKinlay as well as
former West Ham and England defender Stuart Pearce. Explaining his decision
to appoint Pearce, Moyes said: "When West Ham said to me who is in my staff
I thought 'I wonder about Stuart Pearce'. I think his motivation and the way
he goes about things, we need that. "Alan and Billy I know really well,
Stuart is new to me but he gives me a connection with West Ham and his
experience as a player and manager is really important to me as well. "I
need to get wins early doors. Alan is a really good coach and a fantastic
organiser and planner and I want Stuart's determination and commitment and
up-and-at-them right away because we are in a bit of a hurry."
The Hammers have only won twice in the Premier League this season, with
their last victory coming in late September when they beat Swansea 1-0. Two
players who could be key if they are to improve their form are Andy Carroll
and Marko Arnautovic. Moyes says he sees similarities between Carroll and
former Everton striker Duncan Ferguson, while he hopes to get more from
summer signing Arnautovic. "They [Carroll and Ferguson] are both fantastic
in the air. They are centre-forwards that the opposition don't want to play
against and we have to try use that at the right time to our advantage,"
Moyes said. "It won't be every game. They will be times when we need to play
with Javier Hernandez and Andre Ayew maybe, but there will be other days
when we need to play as Andy Carroll as a centre-forward. "We need Marko
Arnautovic to show us what he showed at Stoke. He has got the ability to
score goals and make goals but he has to be a team player as well and be
part of it. The players have all been made aware of what is expected of
them."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Mark Noble's Teammates: West Ham captain lifts the lid on Soccer AM
Last Updated: 17/11/17 6:56pm
SSN
West Ham captain Mark Noble spilled the beans on his teammates at the London
Stadium with Soccer AM's Adam Smith. Having come through the ranks at the
famous Academy of Football, Noble has been a mainstay in the Hammers first
team since 2004, making more than 400 appearances for his boyhood club.
So we couldn't think of anyone better placed to lift the lid on the
characters in the dressing room at the London Stadium ahead of West Ham's
trip to Watford on Nissan Super Sunday...
Who needs a wardrobe makeover?
I had an answer for this before I came in here and saw your jumper. It's
brutal! I don't know why you would get up in the morning and put that colour
on! There are actually some terrible dressers at West Ham, so apart from you
I'm going to have to say Adrian. He doesn't wear jumpers like you but
nothing fits well or goes with each other. It's all chucked on, there is no
love in his clothes.
Who is the best at impressions?
I can say this because he is still a West Ham player [currently on loan at
Aston Villa] and that is Robert Snodgrass. He is incredible, so funny. He
pranked my mate, who is a terrible goalkeeper, and rang him pretending to be
a non-league manager and offered him a £1,500-a-week contract. Obviously
that's something you would never get in non-league but he jumped at the
chance. It was a brutal prank, especially when you think you're really good
in goal, as my mate thinks he is. He was made up and was willing to drive up
to Felixstowe every week! Snods is brilliant at it.
Who is the best all-round footballer?
Manuel Lanzini. I love the way he plays, he's one of those players that you
can watch and admire the way he moves with the ball and glides past players.
Who is selfie obsessed?
I'd say Edimilson Fernandes. Not so much selfies but he's always putting
videos up of him dancing and listening to music in the car. He's a good lad
Eddie, he's quiet but secretly funny.
Who is the kit man's worst nightmare?
Angelo Ogbonna! I'm sure every kit man would say that as well. You always
hear Angelo shouting 'Jamo', who is our kit man, and he'll be asking for
another pair of socks because his pair aren't new enough, or something has
gone missing.
Who is the bookworm or the smartest player?
Because you said bookworm I'm going to say Pedro Obiang. I don't know
whether it's a total bluff as he wears glasses and brings books with him,
but he does read more than anyone else. I've never seen anyone else read
books really, and Pedro reads and looks smart.
Who has their hair cut the most?
I'm going to say Arthur Masuaku. He has the most different styles with mad
colours, wavy things and trims. Obviously, he's got the hair to do that
because it grows back pretty quick, if it was me I have to wait six months
for it to grow back!
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
David Moyes ready to spring surprise start for West Ham striker - but it's
not Toni Martinez
West Ham striker Diafra Sakho could be handed his first league start of the
season tomorrow
Football London
ByKevin Beirne
Deputy Editor
Diafra Sakho could be named in the West Ham starting line up for the first
time in the Premier League this season as David Moyes makes his bow as
Hammers boss. The Senegalese striker has started just twice in the current
campaign, with both of those coming in the Carabao Cup. But Moyes searches
for a way to shake things up in east London and deals with Andre Ayew
potentially out through illness, Claret & Hugh report that the Scot is
considering handing a start to the striker for tomorrow's trip to Vicarage
Road to take on Watford. Sakho has managed just one goal in his eight
substitute appearances in the league so far as he bagged the winner against
Swansea at thee end of September. But he has found himself on the scoresheet
in both games his started in the Carabao Cup against Bolton and Cheltenham,
adding an assist against the latter. Still, fans are unlikely to be thrilled
with the call up for Sakho considering their desire to see U23 hotshot Toni
Martinez get a run for the senior team. The Spaniard is unlikely to feature
tomorrow having played in the U23s' 5-1 defeat at the hands of Derby County
at the London Stadium on Friday night. But Irons fans are still eager to see
him included in the first team this year as they continue to struggle for
goals. The 20-year-old has racked up an impressive record of eight goals in
ten Premier League 2 games this season as well two from two in the
Checkatrade Trophy.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
Mark Noble believes that David Moyes' experience as a Premier League manager
will be vital for the squad as they continue their preparations for Sunday's
trip to Watford. Ahead of the 4pm kick-off at Vicarage Road, the West Ham
skipper spoke about how Moyes earned his reputation off the back of his
outstanding consistency over eleven years with Everton. Noble said: "He has
managed the most Premier League games out of any manager that we have had.
We've had some experienced managers before but the gaffer we have now has
fantastic experience with Everton which we all know him for."
Moyes – a three-time winner of LMA manager of the year – knows what it takes
to organise a team and get results having taken Everton from the brink of
relegation to consistent top ten finishes in the Premier League in his time
on Merseyside. With a plethora of managerial experience to draw from
including a spell with Manchester United, La Liga side Real Sociedad and
last season with Sunderland, Noble is sure Moyes will have an impact with
his new side. The No16 added: "He managed in Spain which was a life-changing
experience for him. I'm pretty sure that he will tell you that himself and
Sunderland probably wasn't the right job for him to take at the time but
he's done that and now he is with us." "Manchester United was a job that
you cannot turn down but to follow in Alex Ferguson's footsteps would have
been tough for anyone but if you look at the Moyes stats – the stats were
not bad at all."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
David Moyes: No more West Ham excuses
Last Updated: 17/11/17 9:12pm
SSN
David Moyes has warned he does not want to hear any "excuses" from West Ham
players and said there will be "no shortcuts now". The former Everton and
Manchester United manager has taken charge of West Ham following Slaven
Bilic's dismissal during the international break. Ahead of their trip to
Watford on Nissan Super Sunday, the Hammers are third from bottom in the
Premier League and have conceded more goals than any other side. Moyes is
keen for the players to raise their level, telling Sky Sports: "I don't want
to hear any excuses. There are no shortcuts now. It's been documented that
we have not done well on a lot of physical stats so I don't want to hear
excuses of 'why I didn't do this or why this didn't happen'. "Just get on
and do the job and be a little more humble for your team-mates. Make sure
you are part of the team and not an individual. "The players can't keep
getting away with making excuses, they have to stand up, take responsibility
and say 'this is what we need, this is what we want' and I am hoping my
staff and I can give them that."
Moyes' coaching staff includes Alan Irvine and Billy McKinlay as well as
former West Ham and England defender Stuart Pearce. Explaining his decision
to appoint Pearce, Moyes said: "When West Ham said to me who is in my staff
I thought 'I wonder about Stuart Pearce'. I think his motivation and the way
he goes about things, we need that. "Alan and Billy I know really well,
Stuart is new to me but he gives me a connection with West Ham and his
experience as a player and manager is really important to me as well. "I
need to get wins early doors. Alan is a really good coach and a fantastic
organiser and planner and I want Stuart's determination and commitment and
up-and-at-them right away because we are in a bit of a hurry."
The Hammers have only won twice in the Premier League this season, with
their last victory coming in late September when they beat Swansea 1-0. Two
players who could be key if they are to improve their form are Andy Carroll
and Marko Arnautovic. Moyes says he sees similarities between Carroll and
former Everton striker Duncan Ferguson, while he hopes to get more from
summer signing Arnautovic. "They [Carroll and Ferguson] are both fantastic
in the air. They are centre-forwards that the opposition don't want to play
against and we have to try use that at the right time to our advantage,"
Moyes said. "It won't be every game. They will be times when we need to play
with Javier Hernandez and Andre Ayew maybe, but there will be other days
when we need to play as Andy Carroll as a centre-forward. "We need Marko
Arnautovic to show us what he showed at Stoke. He has got the ability to
score goals and make goals but he has to be a team player as well and be
part of it. The players have all been made aware of what is expected of
them."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Mark Noble's Teammates: West Ham captain lifts the lid on Soccer AM
Last Updated: 17/11/17 6:56pm
SSN
West Ham captain Mark Noble spilled the beans on his teammates at the London
Stadium with Soccer AM's Adam Smith. Having come through the ranks at the
famous Academy of Football, Noble has been a mainstay in the Hammers first
team since 2004, making more than 400 appearances for his boyhood club.
So we couldn't think of anyone better placed to lift the lid on the
characters in the dressing room at the London Stadium ahead of West Ham's
trip to Watford on Nissan Super Sunday...
Who needs a wardrobe makeover?
I had an answer for this before I came in here and saw your jumper. It's
brutal! I don't know why you would get up in the morning and put that colour
on! There are actually some terrible dressers at West Ham, so apart from you
I'm going to have to say Adrian. He doesn't wear jumpers like you but
nothing fits well or goes with each other. It's all chucked on, there is no
love in his clothes.
Who is the best at impressions?
I can say this because he is still a West Ham player [currently on loan at
Aston Villa] and that is Robert Snodgrass. He is incredible, so funny. He
pranked my mate, who is a terrible goalkeeper, and rang him pretending to be
a non-league manager and offered him a £1,500-a-week contract. Obviously
that's something you would never get in non-league but he jumped at the
chance. It was a brutal prank, especially when you think you're really good
in goal, as my mate thinks he is. He was made up and was willing to drive up
to Felixstowe every week! Snods is brilliant at it.
Who is the best all-round footballer?
Manuel Lanzini. I love the way he plays, he's one of those players that you
can watch and admire the way he moves with the ball and glides past players.
Who is selfie obsessed?
I'd say Edimilson Fernandes. Not so much selfies but he's always putting
videos up of him dancing and listening to music in the car. He's a good lad
Eddie, he's quiet but secretly funny.
Who is the kit man's worst nightmare?
Angelo Ogbonna! I'm sure every kit man would say that as well. You always
hear Angelo shouting 'Jamo', who is our kit man, and he'll be asking for
another pair of socks because his pair aren't new enough, or something has
gone missing.
Who is the bookworm or the smartest player?
Because you said bookworm I'm going to say Pedro Obiang. I don't know
whether it's a total bluff as he wears glasses and brings books with him,
but he does read more than anyone else. I've never seen anyone else read
books really, and Pedro reads and looks smart.
Who has their hair cut the most?
I'm going to say Arthur Masuaku. He has the most different styles with mad
colours, wavy things and trims. Obviously, he's got the hair to do that
because it grows back pretty quick, if it was me I have to wait six months
for it to grow back!
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David Moyes ready to spring surprise start for West Ham striker - but it's
not Toni Martinez
West Ham striker Diafra Sakho could be handed his first league start of the
season tomorrow
Football London
ByKevin Beirne
Deputy Editor
Diafra Sakho could be named in the West Ham starting line up for the first
time in the Premier League this season as David Moyes makes his bow as
Hammers boss. The Senegalese striker has started just twice in the current
campaign, with both of those coming in the Carabao Cup. But Moyes searches
for a way to shake things up in east London and deals with Andre Ayew
potentially out through illness, Claret & Hugh report that the Scot is
considering handing a start to the striker for tomorrow's trip to Vicarage
Road to take on Watford. Sakho has managed just one goal in his eight
substitute appearances in the league so far as he bagged the winner against
Swansea at thee end of September. But he has found himself on the scoresheet
in both games his started in the Carabao Cup against Bolton and Cheltenham,
adding an assist against the latter. Still, fans are unlikely to be thrilled
with the call up for Sakho considering their desire to see U23 hotshot Toni
Martinez get a run for the senior team. The Spaniard is unlikely to feature
tomorrow having played in the U23s' 5-1 defeat at the hands of Derby County
at the London Stadium on Friday night. But Irons fans are still eager to see
him included in the first team this year as they continue to struggle for
goals. The 20-year-old has racked up an impressive record of eight goals in
ten Premier League 2 games this season as well two from two in the
Checkatrade Trophy.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Saturday, November 18
Daily WHUFC News - 19th November 2017
Ogbonna - Moyes' training sessions remind me of Juventus
WHUFC.com
Angelo Ogbonna has lifted the lid on the opening two weeks of work under new
West Ham United manager David Moyes. The Italy centre-half says the Scot has
brought new methods and ways of thinking to Rush Green and the players will
seek to put his thoughts into action at Watford on Sunday afternoon. Ogbonna
has been impressed with the former Everton and Manchester United boss, who
he says puts on training sessions akin to those he enjoyed during two
successful seasons with Serie A champions Juventus....
I am learning every day
It's a big change for us and it's so important. When you have organisation
and these kinds of people around, it can take care of everything. We have to
change and now we have a big chance to show who we are. It's difficult to
say our squad is better than our position in the table. Football is strange,
but everybody knows we can do better than we did already this season. I am
learning every day from David Moyes and his coaching staff. I am not
stopping learning every day and that makes me happy and comfortable. I'm
ready to play, but I'm not ready for my whole life, because someone can
always teach me something new. Every player can see around the squad and the
staff that we needed these kinds of people who can understand when it is
time to push on and time to take stock. I'm so disappointed for the last
manager because in football it happens that when things don't go well, the
first person sacked is the manager, but we know we have to improve a lot. We
want to say welcome to the new manager and I wish and believe that the team
is going to be better.
Upping the intensity
It is fair to say the intensity of training has increased and I think we
needed that. In the Premier League, our squad is really good, but we need to
play as a team and our squad can make a difference up front and at the back.
It's really important to have everybody fit and to fight for each other and
it's really good to train like this. We are positive but it will take time
to change everything. A lot of players have just come back from their
national teams and we only have a short time to prepare for the game on
Sunday. We need to stay focused and I'm sure we will be ready for Watford.
For now, we are talking a lot about ourselves because, first of all, we need
to concentrate on us rather than the future. We have to think about the
present because the present is the first moment of the future. We need to
take things step by step. When you get down, the first thing you can change
things is organisation. The new staff have given us a good way to see the
good points about us. You can see the things and what they are trying to do.
The new boss is no stranger to me
I knew David Moyes from before, when he was at Everton and then he went to
Manchester United. I knew about his training and how he evolved his methods.
When I see our training today, it's really close to Italian training. It's
really similar to Italian or Spanish training, tactical work but with the
ball. When I spoke with Pedro Obiang and the other players, they said 'Yes,
it's not just English training, but international' and that's why I say it
is an evolution. The Premier League is not just an English league. It has
international character, if you look at Manchester City, Manchester United,
Chelsea or Liverpool, they have many different things and that's why it is
the most important league.
Training sessions remind me of Juventus
If I compare it to Serie A and my time in Juventus, it is really similar. We
started with double sessions like I was doing a couple of years ago in
Italy. "Maybe we didn't have two sessions a day when we had two games in a
week, but when you have one game a week, you have to have double sessions
like this to be fit. "The harder you train, the quicker you get fit and when
we have time to train like we have had during the international break, you
have to do it.
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El Mhassani returns U18s to winning ways against Aston Villa
WHUFC.com
West Ham United U18s made a return to winning ways with a deserved 1-0
victory away to Aston Villa. The only goal of the game came just after 20
minutes as Anouar El Mhassani put the Hammers in front in an entertaining
fixture at Bodymoor Heath. The finish came as a result of a flowing team
move by the Hammers, with a string of passes eventually seeing the ball land
at the feet of Sean Adarkwa up front. The striker's excellent composure saw
him lay the ball off for El Mhassani, who coolly netted for the Irons U18s.
The victory was just the tonic the Academy side needed after a disappointing
loss last time out against Liverpool, having bested Reading in the game
prior. The win means West Ham U18x have taken six points from their last
three games and now sit 10th in the Premier League U18 South division. Coach
Mark Phillips said on the win: "We are positively delighted with the result
today. We changed our system slightly, as you will have seen, and it worked
wonders in this match. "The lads played some lovely football and adapted
excellently to what we asked them to do. We're really pleased with the
performance and it was a positive win for us."
The win puts the Hammers in good stead ahead of a contest next week away to
division leaders Chelsea.
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Diangana - Derby defeat will not define our season
WHUFC.com
Grady Diangana insists West Ham United U23s' bizarre 5-1 defeat by Derby
County will not derail their season. The Hammers went into their Friday
night fixture with the Rams at London Stadium knowing victory would take
them up to second place in Premier League 2 Division 1. However, a Derby
goal within 30 seconds and two more in the opening six minutes of the second
half rocked the hosts and, despite controlling possession for long periods
and creating far more chances than their opponents, Terry Westley's side
somehow ended up on the wrong end of a heavy defeat. "Letting in the early
goal really put us in trouble and the half-time team talk was to come out
and go for them, so to concede early again was really poor from us,"
admitted Diangana, who scored West Ham's consolation and also hit the
crossbar after being sent on by Westley as a second-half substitute. "We
just lacked that courage and strength to drive each other through the bad
times. "That said, this defeat is not going to define us. It's just one
setback and we're ready to make a major comeback."
Diangana said the Club's young professionals, including Sead Haksabanovic,
Dan Kemp, Domingos Quina, Nathan Trott and Toni Martinez, would learn a lot
from how they were punished for virtually every defensive mistake by Derby.
"That game replicated a first-team environment because if you make one silly
error, the other team will counter-attack and score, so it's a learning
curve for us and we have to be more reliable on the ball. "We sat down after
the game and got a telling off, but we've got to pick our heads up and go
again."
From Diangana's personal perspective, his performance was a strong one, with
the attacking midfielder playing his part as the Hammers attempted to launch
an unlikely late comeback. The 19-year-old capped his display with an
eye-catching first-time volley, which flew past otherwise unbeatable Derby
goalkeeper Josh Barnes. I was told to go on and give my all and give my
maximum and that's what I did. I don't score many tap-ins, to be honest, and
I'd rather switch it around and score more goals if they were all tap-ins!"
Next up for the U23s is a mouth-watering home fixture in the Premier League
International Cup, with Portuguese giants Benfica visiting Billericay Town's
AGP Arena on Tuesday evening at 7pm. There, Diangana insists the Hammers
will be eager to get Friday's defeat out of their system. "When we have a
match like this, we have a chance to do better straight away. They will be
similar to Villarreal, who we lost to in our opening match in this
competition, so it'll be up to us to rise to the test."
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Obiang - Moyes and his staff have given us positive energy
WHUFC.com
Pedro Obiang says the arrival of a new manager and coaching team has
injected the West Ham United squad with new energy. The midfielder says
David Moyes and his staff have upped the intensity of training sessions and
worked individually and collectively to improve the Hammers' fortunes. With
the whole squad back at Rush Green for the first time under Moyes'
management on Friday, Obiang expects the level to be raised again as West
Ham prepare for the Scot's first game in charge. The energy the manager and
his coaches have brought has been really positive and, in this situation,
for the players, for the supporters and for everybody, we are experiencing
new things," said the Spaniard. "Of course, we know what happened before,
but it is time to change and think about what we are doing right now and
that's what we are doing. "It's really important that we start afresh. Of
course, it has happened many times at every club, but now everything has
changed and it's not about one game, one player or one thing; we have
changed our mentality and we cannot have any more excuses. "If we work
together, every player and every member of staff, then we can do what we
want to do."
With just two training days ahead of Sunday's Premier League fixture at
Watford to work with his full complement of players, Obiang says the direct
approach of Moyes and his assistants – Alan Irvine, Stuart Pearce, Billy
McKinlay and Chris Woods – is the right approach. Starting at Vicarage Road,
the Hammers tackle 12 games in 44 days, meaning the coaching staff have
limited time to share their philosophy with the squad. "The staff know what
they want and what we need. They are talking with everybody and teaching us
the new things they want to put in. They are dealing with us directly
because they don't have too much time to do this.
"We have a game at Watford on Sunday, then a busy time with many matches
and, with the international break, they do not have many sessions with the
whole squad to prepare us. For those of us who were here during the break,
they have given us the best, and that has been good. We are training more
than before, not in terms of time, but in terms of the quality of the things
they are doing. The manager has changed the intensity of many things, we
have done more things tactically, and he's bringing everything new for us,
which is good because he is giving us his philosophy. "It's similar to the
training I did in Italy [with Sampdoria] but, at the same time, it is
different because we have many coaches around, telling us what they want and
that can only help us."
Obiang says Sunday's game will not only give the players their first
opportunity to put Moyes' plans into action, but also the chance to achieve
a vital victory. "Without the fact we have a new manager, this game is
important for many reasons; it's important for us, it's important for the
changes, it's important because of where we are in the table, it's important
because this is the perfect time to get a win to improve our confidence, and
it's important for us as players to show who we are. "We know we have good
players, but in the last few months we have not been at our best, so we all
know we need to do more and we will work hard and try to do this. "Watford
changed their manager themselves in the summer and they have done new things
and have taken confidence from this, but this is the kind of game we can win
if we are hungrier than them and show our quality."
Sunday's Premier League fixture at Watford will be screened live in the UK
by Sky Sports, with kick-off at 4pm. For worldwide broadcast listings, click
here.
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Westley - We're disappointed but we will learn
WHUFC.com
Terry Westley admitted that there were very few positives to take from West
Ham United U23s 5-1 defeat to Derby County on Friday evening. The Hammers,
who went in to the game on a six-game unbeaten run, conceded inside the
opening forty seconds and sadly it set the tone for the remainder of the
match. It was West Ham's first PL2 match at London Stadium since they beat
Manchester United 4-2 in October, but in front of new First Team manager
David Moyes, who watched on from the stands, the youngsters failed to take
their opportunity. Derby led 3-0 at half-time thanks to two gaols from
Offrande Zanzala and one from Luke Thomas. The visitors then scored two in
the opening five minutes of the second period to put the game out of sight.
Grady Diangana did get one back, in particularly impressive fashion, on 69th
minute but by then the game was gone. Academy Director Terry Westley was
clearly disappointed at full-time but was quick to reassure his squad that
nights like this are just as important in the development process. "So much
in life you're looking forward to certain things and tonight ou're thinking
'main stadium, a team that we can compete against and new manager watching
in the stands' so what an opportunity for these players" he said. "The young
players have impressed the new manager with the way they've gone about their
business on the training ground at Rush Green, but tonight with all of that,
we failed on virtually every point – there isn't really a plus I could give
you. "We must not jump overboard about one result, yes we've been beaten
well on the counter-attack and their forwards were too strong for our
defenders and that really summed the game up. "But if you look at October,
the players have done really well so you can't all of a sudden just say how
poor they were – development doesn't work like that. We won't get over the
top about good result and likewise, we don't beat ourselves up about bad
results. "We knew before the game that defensively it was going to be tough
for us because so many of our players were missing – we had a lot of square
pegs in round holes, players out of position so we knew that whole defensive
unit was a bit of a gamble. In midfield and in attack, we created chances
but we were always going to let in goals."
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New boss Moyes has 'buzz' back as he prepares for Hammers bow
WHUFC.com
David Moyes says he has 'the buzz' back as he prepares to manage West Ham
United for the first time in the Premier League. The Scot takes charge of
the Hammers at Watford on Sunday – his 500th Premier League match as a
manager – and is relishing his return to the dugout. When asked what he has
missed most about being a manager after six months out of the game, Moyes'
response showed why he is widely considered to be a true 'football man'.
"Definitely getting on the grass and definitely getting out with the players
again," he confirmed. "I think the buzz of preparing for training every day,
getting the players ready. "And honestly, the big thing is that the players
have been good, they have responded and we have said 'Don't be asking for
anything else because we are not canging it. This is it so get on with it
and get to the level we need to get to'."
Moyes returns to a league which served him so well during a successful
eleven-year spell at Everton, where he was voted Manager of the Year three
times and led the Toffees into the UEFA Champions League, but also hurt him
during less fulfilling spells at Manchester United and Sunderland. A stint
with Spanish club Real Sociedad in between his time at Old Trafford and the
Stadium of Light also tested the 62-year-old, and now he gets the chance to
draw on those contrasting experiences as a Hammer, starting at Vicarage Road
this weekend. "I'm definitely a better manager because of the experiences. I
could go over old ground of go back saying at Manchester United I had a
four-year contract and only got ten months. My record would have stood with
most over one year, but we all understand the reasons – at United you have
to win all the games. I totally accept that I didn't win enough games. "I
went to Spain and joined a club who were avoiding relegation and we keep
them up, and we do the job, and we get to the following year and they just
think they a just below where they should be. Simple. "But there is very few
people who get the jobs in those countries, so I think both of those choices
were the right choices. Did they work out as well as I wanted? Not quite,
but they weren't disastrous by a long way. "The Sunderland job was. Bad
decision by me, but I've talked a lot about that. All I can do is to give my
best here, which I will do and try to get as close to perfect as possible."
Moyes is old enough and wise enough to know that he will be under immediate
scrutiny as West Ham manager. With the Hammers starting his reign inside the
relegation zone, the pressure is on to get results now, and the former
Preston North End boss knows points on the board are pretty much all that
matter at this stage. His reputation, he admits, is on the line, and the
nature of modern Premier League football means he will only have a short
period to enhance it, or he will become just another top-flight boss whose
future is called into question. "I think I've put my reputation on the line
a little bit and I'm happy to do that. If you want to judge me on the grass,
I'll challenge most. But I'm only as good as my players, like any manager.
I've got to try to get them to overachieve. "My players at Everton
overachieved, punched above their weight, came close to Europe every year,
Champions League one year. Always in the top ten and now a consistent top
team. "That period it took me to get stability, I don't know of any manager
or coach that will be allowed that period again to try to get that to work."
A victory at Vicarage Road on Sunday would certainly do Moyes' reputation no
harm at all, that is for sure.
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West Ham United: How David Moyes can save Hammers' season
By Greg O'Keeffe
BBC Sport
The son of a ship-building draughtsman, David Moyes has planning and
attention to detail in his DNA. The new West Ham manager also has hard work
wired deep into his psyche. It was a combination of those qualities that led
to him being described as Britain's best pound-for-pound manager while at
Everton. The Scot led the Toffees to a fourth-placed finish in the Premier
League in 2005 - on a relatively low budget. His star has dimmed since
leaving for Manchester United in 2013 - he lasted 10 months there, and
subsequently struggled at Real Sociedad and Sunderland - but Moyes says he
is ready to light it up again. It will not be easy to do that at West Ham -
a side low on belief, sorely lacking cohesion and under the threat of
relegation in a new stadium which is yet to feel like home. BBC Sport
examines some of the key areas the 54-year-old must focus on.
Fitter, faster, stronger
Of the 23 Premier League goals the Hammers have conceded so far this season,
11 have come after the hour mark. They conceded a 96th-minute equaliser at
Crystal Palace to drop two points, let in an 85th-minute leveller at
Burnley, and were booed by their fans during a lethargic second half of a
3-0 home defeat by Brighton.
Tired legs, tired minds or both?
Whichever is true, Moyes must trigger quick improvements without the benefit
of a pre-season. By holding double training sessions during the
international break, he has already underlined his approach. That intensity
will not drop. At Everton, he would work his players relentlessly to ensure
they had an edge on opponents. Former Toffees captain Phil Neville remembers
one gruelling pre-season run - known as 'the horseshoe' - Moyes made his
players complete. "His method is to push you to your limits in training and
then the match is easy," he told the Liverpool Echo in 2013. "If there was
ever a time I thought, 'I could probably shoot you', it was then.
"Afterwards Mikel [Arteta] was feeling dizzy and laid down on the floor of
the dressing room. I was bent over cursing in the corner calling him the
worst manager in the league. "He came in, saw that, and said 'we'll be all
right from now on' and we were."
Get the forwards firing
West Ham have scored just 11 league goals so far this season from 116 shots.
Moyes has to get them firing again. He must ensure there is no bad blood
with Javier Hernandez, who had only a peripheral role under the Scot when
both were at Manchester United. The Mexican striker has been one of the few
positives for the Hammers this season - four league goals meaning he has
double the tally of any of his team-mates. Moyes will also need to keep Andy
Carroll fit - and find a way to get the best out of a man whose attributes
could be a good fit for a manager who likes his sides to get plenty of
crosses into the box. West Ham have played 990 minutes of Premier League
football this season, and Carroll has featured in just 338. But perhaps
Moyes' toughest task will be to turn around the downward trajectory of Marko
Arnautovic's club record move to east London. Arnautovic, signed in the
summer for £25m, is without a goal in nine appearances. Last season, while
playing for Stoke, he scored seven goals and created eight of what
statisticians Opta call 'big chances' - where a player should reasonably be
expected to score. The latter tally was more than any of his team-mates. So
far this season, he has created just one. He cost more than twice the £11m
Sunday's opponents Watford paid for Richarlison, but his statistics pale in
comparison with the Brazilian forward.
Arnautovic, though, is defiant.
"I know how strong I am mentally, how I work on myself," he said during the
international break. "I have lost nothing and I'm not in crisis." It has
been reported that Moyes has been told he can sell the Austrian in January,
but if he can get him back to his best, he will be an asset. And it seems as
though the Scot will not be afraid to dish out some tough love to his
players. "I'm going to be direct," he said. "If they don't like it, then I'm
sorry."
Discipline - in every sense
The Hammers have conceded more penalties (four) than any other side in the
Premier League so far this season. They're also fourth in the table of most
fouls, with an average of 19. Against Crystal Palace last month, they went
in at half-time leading 2-0, only for Angelo Ogbonna to concede a penalty
five minutes after the restart. That came two weeks after Carroll was sent
off for two bookable offences in the space of 99 seconds against Burnley,
and even the experienced Pablo Zabaleta has conceded two spot-kicks. Then
there is the tactical ill-discipline, such as Michail Antonio opting to
cross the ball rather than keep it in the closing seconds of the match with
Crystal Palace, who broke upfield to snatch a 2-2 draw. In solving these
issues, Moyes can again draw on his experience at Everton. In 2007-08, they
picked up a league-low 27 yellow cards as they finished fifth in the Premier
League. And he will hope the additions of his former Goodison assistant Alan
Irvine and no-nonsense former England Under-21 boss Stuart Pearce help
matters.
Find the next Pienaar and Baines
After what proved to be Slaven Bilic's final game in charge - a 4-1 home
defeat by Liverpool - left-back Aaron Cresswell acknowledged he and his
team-mates had let the manager down. Having formed an effective partnership
with Dimitri Payet down the Hammers' left, the statistics make it clear that
Cresswell's form has dipped. Last season, he delivered the second-most
successful crosses of any West Ham player (17), but he has managed just four
so far this term - three fewer than Zabaleta on the other flank. Perhaps
Andre Ayew's recent improvement - he has scored three goals in his past
three appearances - can help bring the best out of the man playing behind
him on the left. If it does, it could be a case of back to the future for
Moyes. Under the Scot's guidance at Goodison, defender Leighton Baines and
midfielder Steven Pienaar became one of the most potent left-sided pairings
in the Premier League. In the 2012-13 season, Pienaar scored six goals and
contributed six assists, with Baines netting five goals and having five
assists.
Trust in youth
At Everton, Moyes nurtured a young Wayne Rooney, and blooded future England
internationals Jack Rodwell and Ross Barkley. He also put his faith in
Seamus Coleman, who he signed from Sligo Rovers as a raw 20-year-old and
would become a first-team mainstay. Like the Merseysiders, West Ham fans are
justifiably proud of a respected academy, which has produced talents such as
Rio Ferdinand, Michael Carrick, Frank Lampard and Jermain Defoe. Moyes could
win some early credit from a supporter base nursing wounded pride and
feelings of dislocation at their new stadium by putting his trust in youth
once again. ould he do that, centre-back Declan Rice could be the player
most likely to benefit. The 18-year-old has already made eight appearances
this season. Having guided Coleman from the fringes of his club side to the
Republic of Ireland national side, could Moyes do the same with Rice?
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
DAVID KELLY (THE NOT-VERY-GOOD FORWARD, NOT THE NUCLEAR SCIENTIST)
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 18 NOVEMBER 2017 AT 1:19PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by Sid_lambert
"HAMMERS NAIL HITMAN KELLY" screamed the headline in the Friday edition of
the Daily Mirror. I remember it vividly, not least because it would spend
nearly two years pinned to the notice board in my bedroom that served as a
homage to all things West Ham United.
There'd been a gaping hole in my heart all summer created by the departure
of Tony Cottee to Everton. Images of the talismanic striker adorned all four
walls. I'd cut out every image, quote and interview. I'd memorised every
statistic, every word. I could tell you his favourite telly, his favourite
food and his favourite singer. For that fact alone, I was slightly jealous
of Luther Vandross.
But now my hero was gone. The man whose partnership with Frank McAvennie had
taken us so close to the league title in 1986, had given up on Upton Park.
And who could blame him? John Lyall's team had gone from heroes to zeroes in
the space of two seasons. From championship chasers to basement battlers.
McAvennie had gone to Celtic and not been replaced. Key players had lost
form and fitness. A threadbare squad – the Cearns family kept their hands in
their pockets in spite of the desperate need for investment – had clung to
their top tier status in 87-88. Cottee could see the writing on the wall. At
least his £2.2m fee, a British record, gave us plenty of cash to rebuild the
ailing Hammers.
There were rumours about Kerry Dixon from Chelsea, or even Big Bastard Mick
Harford from Luton, though neither materialised. Then word spread about a
player at Third Division Walsall who was a target for all the big clubs.
Kenny Dalglish had even been spotted at the Bescot Stadium back in May.
Christ, if King Kenny was interested, then he must be good. It would have
taken the Liverpool boss hours to get down the motorway at rush hour for
7.30pm kick-off. The last people to make that commitment to visit the
Midlands were the Luftwaffe.
This hot property in question was David 'Ned' Kelly, a golden-haired young
Irishman who apparently would have his pick of the top clubs. As the summer
went by, Arsenal and Liverpool kept their guns holstered. West Ham that took
their shot. A £600,000 fee was enough to secure the services of one of the
football league's top talents.
No matter your age, nothing quite gets the pulse racing like a newspaper
headline announcing a star signing. Your mind races. Your heart beats so
fast it wants to burst out of your skin. The possibilities are endless.
I can still see my ten-year-old self marvelling at that back page now.
Kelly, his blond mane whistling in the wind, in action for Walsall. I
pictured him in claret, blue and AVCO and laughed at Liverpool's misfortune.
How had they let him slip? The best striker in the league, or maybe even THE
WORLD, was on his way to West Ham and he only cost six hundred grand. Wait
until the other signings get here. We'll never be in relegation trouble
again.
Or so I thought.
With the cash burning a hole in the boardroom pockets, the summer didn't
deliver the transfer frenzy I'd hoped for. The only other summer signing was
Allen McKnight, a Northern Irish goalkeeper from Celtic. But there were
still problems all over the park that needed addressing. Alan Devonshire,
Liam Brady, Stewart Robson and Alvin Martin were stricken by injuries and
things had got so bad that Billy Bonds had packed away his claret and blue
zimmerframe to shuffle back into action at the grand old age of 41.
Even with my relatively poor grasp of maths – we hadn't even started long
division at school – the sums didn't quite add up. Where were the rest of
the signings?
Never mind, at least we had David Kelly.
The Irish striker isn't a man who divides opinion amongst the West Ham fans.
Try it sometime. Mention his name and you'll see many a middle-aged man
drift into the abyss of despair that was following West Ham in the late
eighties. God, it was awful.
The opening match of the 1988-9 season dealt West Ham a trip to fellow
strugglers Southampton. The team was much the same as the crap that barely
avoided being flushed out of the First Division the previous year. Brady and
Devonshire, whose joints were held together by chewing gum, were injured.
Steve Potts and Julian Dicks were the league's most inexperienced
full-backs, whilst in midfield Georgie Parris and Kevin Keen tried to do the
running for the slow-motion limbs of Stewart Robson, a shadow of the player
he'd been before injuries took their toll.
Allen McKnight wasn't ready for his debut so Tom McAllister started in goal.
And up front, David Kelly made his much-anticipated debut.
First impressions of Kelly were mixed. To call him skinny would do him a
grave injustice. He was one missed meal away from Bob Geldof getting the
band back together. To call him a soft touch was an understatement. He
looked like he'd lose a fight with a bus ticket. Starved of service and up
against seasoned hard men Russell Osman and Kevin Moore, he was bullied from
start to finish.
As were the rest of his team-mates. West Ham lost 4-0 in a scoreline that
flattered them. A 3-1 defeat at home to perennial relegation fodder Charlton
suggested that Lyall's side were in for another dismal season.
Kelly got off the mark in his fourth league start, a 2-2 home draw with
Villa, and scored in both legs of the League Cup tie with Sunderland,
including a brace at Roker Park. The Irons were reserving their best form
for the cup competitions, despatching Derby 5-0 and then humbling mighty
Liverpool 4-1 in a match that announced two-goal Paul Ince as an outstanding
talent.
Unfortunately, league performances remained terrible. The home form was
particularly galling. Fortress Upton Park was breached at regular intervals
and we would win a pathetic three home games all season. On the road, goals
were flying past Allen McKnight who was offered scant protection by the
defenders in front of him. Arsenal and Luton stuck four past us and by
December we were mired in 18th place.
To his credit, Kelly had actually scored 9 goals (5 league, 4 cup) by this
point of the season and there were tentative signs that a partnership with
Leroy Rosenior might be starting to blossom. Unfortunately, both men went
goalless during a disastrous December when we picked up three points from
five games and fell to the bottom of the league.
Fingers were being pointed. Blame was being shifted, both inside and outside
of the dressing room. The remnants of the Boys of '86 were protected by
their reputation and the new signings became convenient scapegoats. The
goalkeeper had already been christened "McKnightmare" after a series of
gaffes and game-by-game his confidence cracked further. It's worth noting
that after leaving Upton Park he barely played football again. It's a sign
that the club's transfer policy was hopelessly misguided and that the East
End can be a tough place to play football if you don't have a thick skin.
Meanwhile Kelly, who was clearly too raw to fill Cottee's shoes, became
another terrace target. No one questioned his effort, which eclipsed many of
his under-performing peers, but his quality wasn't enough for the highest
level. In the corridors of Anfield, Kenny Dalglish was applauding his own
judgement.
Despite that, the Irishman played his part in a midwinter mini-revival.
Arsenal were toppled in an FA Cup replay at Highbury and Kelly scored in a
precious 2-1 win at Derby that lifted us to the giddy heights of 19th
position.
His most meaningful contribution of the season came in a League Cup
quarter-final win over Aston Villa. Over 30,000 packed into the Boleyn
Ground to enjoy a welcome release from the drudgery of Barclays Division
One. After a tepid penalty miss by Liam Brady, Paul Ince put the hosts in
front from long range. Then Kelly took centre stage. Tony Gale flicked on a
Brady free-kick, Kelly spun his marker and in one explosive moment, lashed a
left-footer into the top corner. It was technique worthy of any top-flight
striker. If only we'd seen more of it.
He played a bit-part in the rest of the season after Lyall pulled what
seemed to be a masterstroke in re-signing Frank McAvennie from under the
noses of Arsenal. The hero had returned and Kelly was shoved to the
sidelines.
In the event, McAvennie would make 9 uneventful appearances without scoring
and it was Leroy Rosenior's late-season form that nearly provided the
greatest of escapes. Unfortunately, relegation was confirmed in a 5-1
battering at Liverpool.
Kelly finished the season with 11 goals in 39 league and cup appearances,
bettered only by Rosenior's stat of 15 in 39. The season prior Cottee had
scored 15 in 44. Set against that context, it's hard to justify Kelly's
unwanted place in West Ham folklore.
Though he made a handful of substitute appearances in the madness of Lou
Macari's brief reign, for many Irons fans he is remembered for that
miserable final season under Lyall. His name resurfaces occasionally. When
anyone talks about Worst Ever West Ham Strikers, a list that has lengthened
substantially longer under the current ownership, David Kelly always gets
plenty of mentions.
But was he really that bad?
The Irishman, who went on to have a respectable second-tier career at
Leicester, Newcastle, Wolves and Tranmere, once described his time at Upton
Park as joining a "bad team at a bad time." With the benefit of hindsight,
there's evidence to support that. Ray Stewart, Liam Brady and Alan
Devonshire were all sliding towards retirement. Tony Gale, Mark Ward, Alvin
Martin and Frank McAvennie would never again the scale the same heights as
they did in '86. Meanwhile, George Parris and Kevin Keen, both fine servants
for the club, struggled to establish themselves at the top level.
Football fandom is a world of absolutes these days. You can go from legend
to liability in a matter of weeks (just ask Romelu Lukaku). When you've got
the likes of Merson and Stelling spewing out soundbite after clueless
soundbite, there's no space for clear thinking.
It's not fashionable to say it, but some players are just at the wrong
level. Maybe the ten-year-old me still feels sorry for him. Or maybe David
Kelly just gets a raw deal.
I think of the likes of McCarthy and Mido, appalling, overweight and
unprofessional, and find it hard to lob him in with those lumps of lard.
Ultimately, he tried hard and wasn't good enough, in a team that wasn't good
enough, for top-flight football. But worst ever? Not even close.
Which reminds me, has anyone heard from Emmanuel Emenike?
About the author: Sid Lambert is a football writer who recently published
his new 5* rated book Cashing In. It tells the story of Ray Cash, a
19-year-old footballer making his way through the murky world of the Premier
League back in the 1990s, when football changed forever. You can buy it
here.
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AWAY DAYS: WATFORD
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 18 NOVEMBER 2017 AT 2:43PM
Thewesthamwayco.uk
Written by Katie S @flump9
Well things have changed a little since my last 'Away Days' article, last
time I was feeling positive that we would beat Crystal Palace and we had
Slaven Bilic as our manager. This time out, we have David Moyes and are
taking on a team that have had some good results.
It is hard to know what will happen this weekend, will a team with some
professionalism and passion turn up or will we see a tired team looking a
little lost? I wasn't happy about the appointment of Moyes, but I must
admit I am excited to see what Sunday will have in store.
If you are one of the lucky 2,100 fans making the short trip to Vicarage
Road, here is all the information you need.
My prediction is: Watford 1 – 2 West Ham
General Information:
Capacity: 21,977
Address: Vicarage Road, Watford, WD18 0ER
Random Fact: The stadium opened a Sensory Room in December 2016 for
supporters with Autism, who can watch the matches in a spacious room that
blocks out the noise of fans in the stands.
Seating
Away fans will be seated behind the goal in the Vicarage Road stand. The
legroom is sufficient and there are no pillars, meaning no obstructions and
a decent view.
Travel
Directions/Parking
From London Stadium it takes approximately an hour depending on traffic.
The quickest option by car is to take the M25, but you can also take the
North Circular.
There is no parking available for fans at the ground and street parking is
restricted
for local residents with matchday permits. Watford town centre has several
car parks, the easiest of which for access to Vicarage Road is Church Car
Park on the inside of the ring-road, opposite the turn-off into Vicarage
Road. All town centre car parks are within a 10 minute walk of Vicarage
Road.
One good option is Gade car park is located just off Rickmansworth Road, it
costs £1.00p/h up to 5 hours and £6.00 for up to 12 hours.
Click here for some alternative parking options: Parking near Vicarage Road
Train/Bus
The nearest station is Watford High Street, a 10 minute walk away from the
ground and Watford Junction train station is about a 20 minute walk.
Watford also has its own London Underground tube station, which is on the
Metropolitan Line and is situated just under one mile from Vicarage Road.
Food/Drink
Be aware that you won't be able to buy any alcohol in the ground itself, but
I have listed below a few away fan friendly pubs.
The Oddfellows on Fearnley Street is just 5 minutes from ground.
The Moon Under Water (Weatherspoons) in the High Street, welcomes children
if they are eating and is probably the cheapest for food and drink.
There is also an O'Neills and Walkabout nearby on the High Street.
If you're not going to be at the match, make sure you keep an eye on
@WestHamWaycouk on Twitter for live updates throughout the game.
*Details correct at the time of writing this article.
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David Moyes believes Stuart Pearce can help spark a West Ham revival
Last Updated: 18/11/17 2:13pm
SSN
David Moyes says Stuart Pearce will fire up West Ham's under-performing
players and their disillusioned fans. New Hammers manager Moyes has drafted
in the former England defender as part of his coaching team along with Alan
Irvine and Billy McKinlay. No-nonsense full-back Pearce spent two seasons
with West Ham towards the end of his career, making 50 appearances and
scoring three goals. The former Manchester City and England U21 boss has
been out of management since leaving Nottingham Forest two-and-a-half years
ago. "He's got a real fire in his belly which hasn't changed since he was a
player," said Moyes. "He has bundles of experience, as a player and a
manager. He has great knowledge. "I want every angle covered. I feel as if
I've brought people in who can do different jobs for me as well. I hope if
they're all at it then it makes my job even easier at the top. West Ham have
got an awful lot going for them. We've got a fabulous stadium which we will
play in for the next 100 years. We have to start getting used to it and
start winning there. "I think Stuart will play a big role. He said we need
to make sure everyone is connected with the supporters. "Stuart has brought
a bit of what was here before, he knows what it was like. I hope we can pull
that together. "Will the supporters make it easy for us? If we win. If we
don't it will be a lot harder." Moyes will be without Javier Hernandez at
Watford on Sunday, live on Sky Sports, after the striker suffered a
hamstring injury on international duty with Mexico.
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MATCH PREVIEW: WATFORD V WEST HAM
By Dan Coker 18 Nov 2017 at 08:00
WTID
Blast from the past
Syd King's West Ham United arrived at Cassio Road, the former home of this
weekend's opponents Watford, for a Southern League First Division fixture on
28th March 1908 while en route to a tenth-place finish. The first Scout
troop outside the UK had been formed in Gibraltar the day before and British
film director Sir David Lean was born three days earlier. Maurice Ravel's
Rapsodie espagnole had recently received its premiere in Paris – it was one
of Ravel's first major works for orchestra.
With goalkeeper George Kitchen injured in an FA Cup second round defeat at
Newcastle the previous month, understudy David Clarke continued his extended
run between the posts. The Hammers recorded a 3-2 victory in front of 3,000
spectators. Len Jarvis (pictured) – or 'Dick' as he was popularly known –
bagged a rare goal on this spring afternoon. The never-say-die half-back,
who was employed at a Grays cement works before signing for West Ham, was
one of the club's most consistent performers but only scored five goals in
his 140 appearances for the Hammers over six seasons. His spirit was
typified in a match against Brighton when he sustained a deep cut which
required several stitches after a kick to the face – he returned to the
action, albeit heavily bandaged. His whole-hearted approach often landed him
in hot water with the authorities – he gained attention and press coverage
when he smashed Millwall's Alf Dean against a metal advertising hoarding in
a game on 13th October 1906. The incident was investigated by the Football
Association and Jarvis was banned from playing for two weeks. This strike at
Watford transpired to be Jarvis' last goal for West Ham before a move into
league football with First Division Bury over a year later, in the summer of
1909.
Outside-right Jim Frost was also on the scoresheet at Cassio Road – it was
his second of four goals for the club, having made his debut just two months
earlier. Centre-forward Harry Stapley completed the Hammers' scoring with
his last goal for the club – this was Stapley's final appearance for West
Ham before he moved into league football with Second Division Glossop,
having scored 41 goals in 75 matches for the Irons. He retained his amateur
status so he could continue working as a schoolteacher.
Watford would finish the 1907/08 campaign in 14th position, while Stapley
would end the season as the Irons' top goalscorer with ten goals in 25
games.
West Ham United: David Clarke, James Gault, Archie Taylor, Dick Jarvis,
Tommy Allison, Bob Young, Jim Frost, Billy Grassam, Harry Stapley, Billy
Brown, Fred Blackburn.
Club Connections
Former Hammer Mauro Zarate is now on Watford's books, although the Argentine
forward is currently with Dubai-based side Al Nasr on a season-long loan.
Other players to have represented both clubs, divided by position, include:
Goalkeepers: Billy Biggar, Ted Hufton, David James, Perry Suckling, Manuel
Almunia, Jack Rutherford.
Defenders: Jon Harley, Calum Davenport, Lucas Neill, James McCrae, Chris
Powell, Colin Foster.
Midfielders: Henri Lansbury, Alan Devonshire, Alessandro Diamanti, Stuart
Slater, Jobi McAnuff, Jimmy Lindsay, Joe Blythe, David Noble, Jimmy Carr,
Mark Robson, Valon Behrami, Carl Fletcher.
Strikers: James Reid, David Connolly, Jack Foster, Roger Hugo, Billy
Jennings, Peter Kyle, Bertie Lyon.
Len Goulden played for West Ham and managed Watford, while Malky Mackay
played for both clubs and went on to manage the Vicarage Road club. Glenn
Roeder played for the Hornets and managed both clubs; Gianfranco Zola has
managed both the Hammers and the Hornets.
This week's focus though is on a goalkeeper who represented both clubs in
the early years of the 20th century and serves as a tribute to those
footballers, and indeed all, who have fought for our country at this time of
Remembrance. Joe Webster was born in Ilkeston, Derbyshire in 1886 and
started his career with his local club Ilkeston United in 1907. He moved to
Watford in 1910 where he was signed as Billy Biggar's replacement. Biggar
was also a former Hammers goalkeeper himself, having made seven appearances
in 1902/03 before becoming an outstanding servant at Watford, for whom he
played 217 matches between 1904 and 1910, when he moved to Rochdale.
Webster had big boots to fill but adapted admirably, making 148 appearances
for Watford in the Southern League. Watford failed to forward Webster's name
for registration at the start of the 1912/13 season though and were fined by
the Southern League authorities. Webster played alongside the young Arthur
Grimsdell whilst at Watford – Grimsdell would go on to captain England and
skippered Tottenham to FA Cup glory in 1921 before returning to Watford to
serve on their board of directors between 1945 and 1951.
Webster (pictured) signed for West Ham United in 1914 and made his debut in
a 2-1 win over Gillingham at Upton Park on 1st September that year. He made
17 Southern League appearances for the Hammers in 1914/15, keeping five
clean sheets. One of these shutouts came in a 1-0 win at former club Watford
on 28th November 1914.
World War One was to interrupt Webster's West Ham career though – he had
three years active service in France, serving in the 17th (Service)
Battalion of the Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex Regiment). This infantry
battalion was a 'Pals battalion' – a specially constituted battalion of the
British Army comprising men who had enlisted together in local recruiting
drives, with the promise that they would be able to serve alongside their
friends, neighbours and colleagues ('pals'), rather than being arbitrarily
allocated to battalions. Webster's particular battalion was known as the
'Football Battalion'.
During the First World War there had been an initial push by clubs for
professional football to continue, in order to keep the public's spirits up.
This stance was not widely agreed with and public opinion turned against
professional footballers. One soldier, serving in France, wrote to a British
newspaper to complain that "hundreds of thousands of able-bodied young
roughs were watching hirelings playing football" while others were serving
their country. The suggestion was even made that King George V should cease
being a patron of The Football Association. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, writer
and creator of Sherlock Holmes, publicly objected and appealed for
footballers to volunteer for service, saying "If a footballer has strength
of limb, let them serve and march in the field of battle".
Conservative MP for Brentford and future Home Secretary William
Joynson-Hicks formed the battalion on 12th December 1914 at Fulham Town Hall
after a suggestion by Secretary of State for War Lord Kitchener. England
international Frank Buckley became the first player to join with a further
30 players who signed up at its formation. The formation was announced to
the general public on 1st January 1915 and approximately 150 more enlisted
over the next few months, the battalion's ranks further swelled by numerous
amateur players, officials and fans. Webster's fellow goalkeeper, Tommy
Lonsdale, who had preceded Webster between the posts at Upton Park before
signing for Southend, also signed up. Press complaints continued though, as
there were some 1,800 eligible footballers – I have previously told the
story of how George Hilsdon, formerly of West Ham and Chelsea, hid in a
chicken run to avoid active service. Many footballers deliberately chose to
avoid the battalion by joining other regiments, causing the War Office to
initially have difficulties filling the 'Football Battalion'.
Webster fought as a Private on the Somme, at Vimy Ridge, at Ypres in the
Battle of Passchendaele and at Cambrai. He survived these battles and,
moreover, the Great War itself and re-joined West Ham after the Armistice,
with the Hammers having now been elected to the Football League. He made two
Second Division appearances, both at Upton Park, as deputy for Ted Hufton –
these were against Huddersfield in a 1-1 draw on 27th December 1919 and Port
Vale in a 3-1 Hammers win on 7th February 1920. The win over Port Vale would
be Webster's 19th and last match for the club – he went back to Watford as
the club's trainer at the end of the 1919/20 season and later held a similar
role at Northampton. Joe Webster died following an appendix operation on
15th October 1927 in Northampton – with his exact date of birth unknown, he
passed away at either the age of 40 or 41.
Referee
The referee on Sunday will be Andre Marriner; the 46-year-old's most recent
Hammers appointment was the 2-2 draw at David Moyes' Sunderland in April,
while he also took charge of our 2-1 home defeat to Chelsea in March, Boxing
Day's 4-1 win at Swansea and the 1-1 home draw with Stoke last November.
Prior to that, in last season's trip to Manchester City, he had failed to
send off Sergio Aguero for an elbow on Winston Reid with the Hammers
trailing 2-1 with 14 minutes remaining. The Argentine was retrospectively
charged with violent conduct and suspended for three matches, a decision
which did nothing to benefit West Ham. Marriner did, however, show leniency
that day towards the visitors by failing to issue Arthur Masuaku with a
second yellow card on more than one occasion.
Since we achieved promotion back to the top flight in 2012 the
Birmingham-based official has been far from a good omen for West Ham – he
has refereed 15 of our league matches, officiating in only three wins for
the Hammers, five draws and seven defeats.
Possible line-ups
Tommy Hoban, Craig Cathcart, Younes Kaboul, Nathaniel Chalobah and Isaac
Success are out injured for Watford, while Troy Deeney is suspended.
Goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes, centre-half Christian Kabasele and attacking
midfielder Roberto Pereyra are all expected to be fit but centre-half
Sebastian Prodl and winger Andre Carrillo face late fitness tests.
Richarlison has had 39 attempts on goal in the Premier League this season,
second only to Harry Kane's 59 – the Brazilian has scored with four of his
seven efforts on target.
For West Ham United, Winston Reid and Diafra Sakho should be available after
international duty but Chicharito is out with a hamstring injury. Sam Byram,
Jose Fonte and Michail Antonio are also unavailable. James Collins is back
in training but is not yet ready for selection after seven weeks out. Pablo
Zabaleta returns from suspension. David Moyes will take charge of West Ham
for the first time in his 500th match as a Premier League manager – a tally
only surpassed by Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger and former Irons boss
Harry Redknapp. The Hammers have lost only one of their last 13 league
matches at Watford.
Possible Watford XI: Gomes; Femenia, Kabasele, Britos, Holebas; Doucoure;
Pereyra, Cleverley, Hughes, Richarlison; Gray.
Possible West Ham United XI: Hart; Zabaleta, Reid, Ogbonna, Cresswell;
Noble, Kouyate, Obiang; Lanzini, Carroll, Ayew.
Enjoy the game – Up The Hammers!
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David Moyes insists West Ham is not his last chance in management
Ed Aarons
Saturday 18 November 2017 22.30 GMT Last modified on Saturday 18 November
2017 23.15 GMT
David Moyes has denied that taking over from Slaven Bilic at West Ham
represents his last chance in football management and the Scot is confident
he can arrest a slump that has left his new side in the relegation zone.
Before Sunday's trip to face Watford at Vicarage Road Moyes pledged to
tackle the indiscipline that has undermined West Ham's dreadful start to the
campaign and led to Bilic becoming the first manager to leave the club
during the course of a season since Alan Curbishley resigned in September
2008.
His replacement returns to the Premier League looking refreshed after
leaving Sunderland in the summer following their relegation and, at 54,
still feels he has plenty to offer despite difficult spells at Manchester
United and Real Sociedad before last season's implosion at the Stadium of
Light.
"I don't think it's my last chance," Moyes said. "If you look at managers in
the Premier League, most have managed 10-12 clubs. Look at Jupp Heynckes,
he's had about 14 clubs and has just gone back to Bayern at 70. It's
possible to manage lots of clubs. Is this my last chance? No."
After 11 largely successful years at Everton when they consistently punched
above their weight, Moyes still has plenty of credit in the bank and, most
importantly, West Ham's co-owners, David Sullivan and David Gold, clearly
trust him to turn things round quickly. But a short-term contract until the
end of the season is an indication that he has, unlike Heynckes, something
to prove once again, having started his management career at Preston in
1998.
Moyes, who will become only the fourth manager after Sir Alex Ferguson,
Arsène Wenger and Harry Redknapp to take charge of 500 Premier League
matches, admitted he will be under more pressure on Sunday than during his
first Everton match in 2002, when the current caretaker, David Unsworth,
scored after 30 seconds in a 2-1 win over Fulham. They went on to avoid
relegation easily and, in an effort to instil some of his methods, Stuart
Pearce – who made 50 appearances for West Ham between 1999 and 2001 – has
been added to the coaching staff in his first post since leaving Nottingham
Forest in February 2015. Moyes expects him to have a major influence on and
off the pitch.
"I think Stuart Pearce will play a big role. He said we need to make sure
everyone is connected with the supporters," said Moyes. "We are not going to
play at another stadium. We are playing at our stadium and we are going to
be winning games over the years at our stadium and the supporters and the
players need to get used to that. Stuart has brought a bit of what was here
before; he knows what it was like. I hope we can pull that together. Will
the supporters make it easy for us? If we win. If we don't, it will be a lot
harder."
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West Ham's London Stadium troubles show why David Moyes faces bigger
problems than just results
ES Sport
David Moyes can park a bus across West Ham's goal at Watford on Sunday if he
likes; two, if necessary. Among the team's many troubles which led to the
downfall of former manager Slaven Bilic, they have the second worst away
record in the Premier League - as well as a desperate one at home. So
steadying the ship is Moyes' first job. A point at Vicarage Road would be a
satisfactory start, even though the Hornets' good early-season form has
evaporated, losing their last three games. After that, it is at the big,
awkward bowl of the London Stadium where Moyes has to make his biggest
impression. That's partly because the Hammers have been so dreadful on their
own patch this season, losing calamitously to Liverpool and Brighton and
being beaten by Spurs. And even more so, it is because of the enduringly
hollow and sterile nature of the place. This is the biggest problem Moyes
could encounter in Stratford, even though he has the bonus of an evening
start in east London against Leicester City next Friday. With just six
months to prove he is worthy of an extended run in the job, it is a fair
assumption that his first move will be to make the Hammers hard to beat. But
it may not be enough in an arena which has sucked much of the spirit out of
the fans and the players since the club left Upton Park last year. That has
nothing to do with a demand from the stands that the side plays in the
so-called 'West Ham way', although it would be welcome. It has more to do
with the urgent need to breathe some life into the new arena - and that may
not happen if the team simply become better organised, more defensively
sound and fitter than they were as the Bilic era unravelled. That will
hardly set the place alight. It's a Catch 22: there are more pressing
priorities than entertainment; but without it, most occasions in the stadium
feel flat and empty - certainly in daylight hours, although there has been
the odd rumbustious London derby at night. And so the problems perpetuate.
Of course, it makes sense for Moyes to set rectifying the basics first
because West Ham have to escape from the threat of relegation. According to
soccerstats.com, their away form ahead of the trip to Watford places them
second from bottom with a record of no wins, three draws and three losses,
with 13 goals conceded. Just as much, though, they have to put an end to the
humiliating fact that they have been taken apart so often on their new
pitch. Liverpool hit four there two weeks ago to seal Bilic's fate, and
Brighton and Spurs scored three apiece. Their home form places them fourth
from bottom – two wins and three defeats from five - with, notably, only six
goals scored in east London and 10 conceded.
Last season, Arsenal, Manchester City (twice) and Liverpool all ran riot
there - even Southampton won 3-0. It has been a joy to watch for all those
rival fans who were incensed by the terms upon which the Hammers secured
their new home, claiming the club had landed a giant tax-payer-funded
windfall. n reality, the stadium breeds a downbeat mood, a tendency towards
disgruntlement and rebellion and a general air of dissatisfaction and
dislocation. It is partly because it isn't Upton Park, of course. But even
more, it is because it isn't a football ground. So it doesn't feel like one.
And unless West Ham start dishing out a few good hidings there - or at least
rack up some consistently significant wins - it never will. Many critics and
pundits insist that the side's failures cannot be blamed upon the ground.
But I genuinely believe it is a large part of the problem - and the owners
have to find some way to get over it. It's OK for visiting teams - they only
have to play there once a season and revel in its space. West Ham have to
deal with the problems and the atmosphere it creates all season long. And
those complaints about supporters leaving early? Well, after an 8pm evening
kick-off, it takes a long, long time for the crowd to get back across the
windswept Olympic Park to join the lengthy queues to get into Stratford
station. Huge numbers of fans live in Essex. It's a long walk if they miss
the last train.
Any serious supporter knows that the 'West Ham Way' was as much about
fragility and disappointment as it was free-flowing football. And it was all
years ago, with the game now drastically changed from the days when
magicians like Trevor Brooking and Alan Devonshire were gliding about at
their best. Moyes doesn't have to live up to that. It would be a grossly
unfair expectation. It took decades for Ted Fenton, Ron Greenwood and John
Lyall to create West Ham's much-vaunted traditions. The new man has just six
months, at first, and his mission is clear - survival. Former boss Sam
Allardyce spelled out recently why even for him, the club was an awkward one
to manage. He included the owners in it. David Moyes, who has a big chance
to refurbish his reputation in east London, may be about to learn just how
much the move to Stratford has added to that peculiar 'West Ham Way.'
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
Angelo Ogbonna has lifted the lid on the opening two weeks of work under new
West Ham United manager David Moyes. The Italy centre-half says the Scot has
brought new methods and ways of thinking to Rush Green and the players will
seek to put his thoughts into action at Watford on Sunday afternoon. Ogbonna
has been impressed with the former Everton and Manchester United boss, who
he says puts on training sessions akin to those he enjoyed during two
successful seasons with Serie A champions Juventus....
I am learning every day
It's a big change for us and it's so important. When you have organisation
and these kinds of people around, it can take care of everything. We have to
change and now we have a big chance to show who we are. It's difficult to
say our squad is better than our position in the table. Football is strange,
but everybody knows we can do better than we did already this season. I am
learning every day from David Moyes and his coaching staff. I am not
stopping learning every day and that makes me happy and comfortable. I'm
ready to play, but I'm not ready for my whole life, because someone can
always teach me something new. Every player can see around the squad and the
staff that we needed these kinds of people who can understand when it is
time to push on and time to take stock. I'm so disappointed for the last
manager because in football it happens that when things don't go well, the
first person sacked is the manager, but we know we have to improve a lot. We
want to say welcome to the new manager and I wish and believe that the team
is going to be better.
Upping the intensity
It is fair to say the intensity of training has increased and I think we
needed that. In the Premier League, our squad is really good, but we need to
play as a team and our squad can make a difference up front and at the back.
It's really important to have everybody fit and to fight for each other and
it's really good to train like this. We are positive but it will take time
to change everything. A lot of players have just come back from their
national teams and we only have a short time to prepare for the game on
Sunday. We need to stay focused and I'm sure we will be ready for Watford.
For now, we are talking a lot about ourselves because, first of all, we need
to concentrate on us rather than the future. We have to think about the
present because the present is the first moment of the future. We need to
take things step by step. When you get down, the first thing you can change
things is organisation. The new staff have given us a good way to see the
good points about us. You can see the things and what they are trying to do.
The new boss is no stranger to me
I knew David Moyes from before, when he was at Everton and then he went to
Manchester United. I knew about his training and how he evolved his methods.
When I see our training today, it's really close to Italian training. It's
really similar to Italian or Spanish training, tactical work but with the
ball. When I spoke with Pedro Obiang and the other players, they said 'Yes,
it's not just English training, but international' and that's why I say it
is an evolution. The Premier League is not just an English league. It has
international character, if you look at Manchester City, Manchester United,
Chelsea or Liverpool, they have many different things and that's why it is
the most important league.
Training sessions remind me of Juventus
If I compare it to Serie A and my time in Juventus, it is really similar. We
started with double sessions like I was doing a couple of years ago in
Italy. "Maybe we didn't have two sessions a day when we had two games in a
week, but when you have one game a week, you have to have double sessions
like this to be fit. "The harder you train, the quicker you get fit and when
we have time to train like we have had during the international break, you
have to do it.
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El Mhassani returns U18s to winning ways against Aston Villa
WHUFC.com
West Ham United U18s made a return to winning ways with a deserved 1-0
victory away to Aston Villa. The only goal of the game came just after 20
minutes as Anouar El Mhassani put the Hammers in front in an entertaining
fixture at Bodymoor Heath. The finish came as a result of a flowing team
move by the Hammers, with a string of passes eventually seeing the ball land
at the feet of Sean Adarkwa up front. The striker's excellent composure saw
him lay the ball off for El Mhassani, who coolly netted for the Irons U18s.
The victory was just the tonic the Academy side needed after a disappointing
loss last time out against Liverpool, having bested Reading in the game
prior. The win means West Ham U18x have taken six points from their last
three games and now sit 10th in the Premier League U18 South division. Coach
Mark Phillips said on the win: "We are positively delighted with the result
today. We changed our system slightly, as you will have seen, and it worked
wonders in this match. "The lads played some lovely football and adapted
excellently to what we asked them to do. We're really pleased with the
performance and it was a positive win for us."
The win puts the Hammers in good stead ahead of a contest next week away to
division leaders Chelsea.
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Diangana - Derby defeat will not define our season
WHUFC.com
Grady Diangana insists West Ham United U23s' bizarre 5-1 defeat by Derby
County will not derail their season. The Hammers went into their Friday
night fixture with the Rams at London Stadium knowing victory would take
them up to second place in Premier League 2 Division 1. However, a Derby
goal within 30 seconds and two more in the opening six minutes of the second
half rocked the hosts and, despite controlling possession for long periods
and creating far more chances than their opponents, Terry Westley's side
somehow ended up on the wrong end of a heavy defeat. "Letting in the early
goal really put us in trouble and the half-time team talk was to come out
and go for them, so to concede early again was really poor from us,"
admitted Diangana, who scored West Ham's consolation and also hit the
crossbar after being sent on by Westley as a second-half substitute. "We
just lacked that courage and strength to drive each other through the bad
times. "That said, this defeat is not going to define us. It's just one
setback and we're ready to make a major comeback."
Diangana said the Club's young professionals, including Sead Haksabanovic,
Dan Kemp, Domingos Quina, Nathan Trott and Toni Martinez, would learn a lot
from how they were punished for virtually every defensive mistake by Derby.
"That game replicated a first-team environment because if you make one silly
error, the other team will counter-attack and score, so it's a learning
curve for us and we have to be more reliable on the ball. "We sat down after
the game and got a telling off, but we've got to pick our heads up and go
again."
From Diangana's personal perspective, his performance was a strong one, with
the attacking midfielder playing his part as the Hammers attempted to launch
an unlikely late comeback. The 19-year-old capped his display with an
eye-catching first-time volley, which flew past otherwise unbeatable Derby
goalkeeper Josh Barnes. I was told to go on and give my all and give my
maximum and that's what I did. I don't score many tap-ins, to be honest, and
I'd rather switch it around and score more goals if they were all tap-ins!"
Next up for the U23s is a mouth-watering home fixture in the Premier League
International Cup, with Portuguese giants Benfica visiting Billericay Town's
AGP Arena on Tuesday evening at 7pm. There, Diangana insists the Hammers
will be eager to get Friday's defeat out of their system. "When we have a
match like this, we have a chance to do better straight away. They will be
similar to Villarreal, who we lost to in our opening match in this
competition, so it'll be up to us to rise to the test."
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Obiang - Moyes and his staff have given us positive energy
WHUFC.com
Pedro Obiang says the arrival of a new manager and coaching team has
injected the West Ham United squad with new energy. The midfielder says
David Moyes and his staff have upped the intensity of training sessions and
worked individually and collectively to improve the Hammers' fortunes. With
the whole squad back at Rush Green for the first time under Moyes'
management on Friday, Obiang expects the level to be raised again as West
Ham prepare for the Scot's first game in charge. The energy the manager and
his coaches have brought has been really positive and, in this situation,
for the players, for the supporters and for everybody, we are experiencing
new things," said the Spaniard. "Of course, we know what happened before,
but it is time to change and think about what we are doing right now and
that's what we are doing. "It's really important that we start afresh. Of
course, it has happened many times at every club, but now everything has
changed and it's not about one game, one player or one thing; we have
changed our mentality and we cannot have any more excuses. "If we work
together, every player and every member of staff, then we can do what we
want to do."
With just two training days ahead of Sunday's Premier League fixture at
Watford to work with his full complement of players, Obiang says the direct
approach of Moyes and his assistants – Alan Irvine, Stuart Pearce, Billy
McKinlay and Chris Woods – is the right approach. Starting at Vicarage Road,
the Hammers tackle 12 games in 44 days, meaning the coaching staff have
limited time to share their philosophy with the squad. "The staff know what
they want and what we need. They are talking with everybody and teaching us
the new things they want to put in. They are dealing with us directly
because they don't have too much time to do this.
"We have a game at Watford on Sunday, then a busy time with many matches
and, with the international break, they do not have many sessions with the
whole squad to prepare us. For those of us who were here during the break,
they have given us the best, and that has been good. We are training more
than before, not in terms of time, but in terms of the quality of the things
they are doing. The manager has changed the intensity of many things, we
have done more things tactically, and he's bringing everything new for us,
which is good because he is giving us his philosophy. "It's similar to the
training I did in Italy [with Sampdoria] but, at the same time, it is
different because we have many coaches around, telling us what they want and
that can only help us."
Obiang says Sunday's game will not only give the players their first
opportunity to put Moyes' plans into action, but also the chance to achieve
a vital victory. "Without the fact we have a new manager, this game is
important for many reasons; it's important for us, it's important for the
changes, it's important because of where we are in the table, it's important
because this is the perfect time to get a win to improve our confidence, and
it's important for us as players to show who we are. "We know we have good
players, but in the last few months we have not been at our best, so we all
know we need to do more and we will work hard and try to do this. "Watford
changed their manager themselves in the summer and they have done new things
and have taken confidence from this, but this is the kind of game we can win
if we are hungrier than them and show our quality."
Sunday's Premier League fixture at Watford will be screened live in the UK
by Sky Sports, with kick-off at 4pm. For worldwide broadcast listings, click
here.
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Westley - We're disappointed but we will learn
WHUFC.com
Terry Westley admitted that there were very few positives to take from West
Ham United U23s 5-1 defeat to Derby County on Friday evening. The Hammers,
who went in to the game on a six-game unbeaten run, conceded inside the
opening forty seconds and sadly it set the tone for the remainder of the
match. It was West Ham's first PL2 match at London Stadium since they beat
Manchester United 4-2 in October, but in front of new First Team manager
David Moyes, who watched on from the stands, the youngsters failed to take
their opportunity. Derby led 3-0 at half-time thanks to two gaols from
Offrande Zanzala and one from Luke Thomas. The visitors then scored two in
the opening five minutes of the second period to put the game out of sight.
Grady Diangana did get one back, in particularly impressive fashion, on 69th
minute but by then the game was gone. Academy Director Terry Westley was
clearly disappointed at full-time but was quick to reassure his squad that
nights like this are just as important in the development process. "So much
in life you're looking forward to certain things and tonight ou're thinking
'main stadium, a team that we can compete against and new manager watching
in the stands' so what an opportunity for these players" he said. "The young
players have impressed the new manager with the way they've gone about their
business on the training ground at Rush Green, but tonight with all of that,
we failed on virtually every point – there isn't really a plus I could give
you. "We must not jump overboard about one result, yes we've been beaten
well on the counter-attack and their forwards were too strong for our
defenders and that really summed the game up. "But if you look at October,
the players have done really well so you can't all of a sudden just say how
poor they were – development doesn't work like that. We won't get over the
top about good result and likewise, we don't beat ourselves up about bad
results. "We knew before the game that defensively it was going to be tough
for us because so many of our players were missing – we had a lot of square
pegs in round holes, players out of position so we knew that whole defensive
unit was a bit of a gamble. In midfield and in attack, we created chances
but we were always going to let in goals."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
New boss Moyes has 'buzz' back as he prepares for Hammers bow
WHUFC.com
David Moyes says he has 'the buzz' back as he prepares to manage West Ham
United for the first time in the Premier League. The Scot takes charge of
the Hammers at Watford on Sunday – his 500th Premier League match as a
manager – and is relishing his return to the dugout. When asked what he has
missed most about being a manager after six months out of the game, Moyes'
response showed why he is widely considered to be a true 'football man'.
"Definitely getting on the grass and definitely getting out with the players
again," he confirmed. "I think the buzz of preparing for training every day,
getting the players ready. "And honestly, the big thing is that the players
have been good, they have responded and we have said 'Don't be asking for
anything else because we are not canging it. This is it so get on with it
and get to the level we need to get to'."
Moyes returns to a league which served him so well during a successful
eleven-year spell at Everton, where he was voted Manager of the Year three
times and led the Toffees into the UEFA Champions League, but also hurt him
during less fulfilling spells at Manchester United and Sunderland. A stint
with Spanish club Real Sociedad in between his time at Old Trafford and the
Stadium of Light also tested the 62-year-old, and now he gets the chance to
draw on those contrasting experiences as a Hammer, starting at Vicarage Road
this weekend. "I'm definitely a better manager because of the experiences. I
could go over old ground of go back saying at Manchester United I had a
four-year contract and only got ten months. My record would have stood with
most over one year, but we all understand the reasons – at United you have
to win all the games. I totally accept that I didn't win enough games. "I
went to Spain and joined a club who were avoiding relegation and we keep
them up, and we do the job, and we get to the following year and they just
think they a just below where they should be. Simple. "But there is very few
people who get the jobs in those countries, so I think both of those choices
were the right choices. Did they work out as well as I wanted? Not quite,
but they weren't disastrous by a long way. "The Sunderland job was. Bad
decision by me, but I've talked a lot about that. All I can do is to give my
best here, which I will do and try to get as close to perfect as possible."
Moyes is old enough and wise enough to know that he will be under immediate
scrutiny as West Ham manager. With the Hammers starting his reign inside the
relegation zone, the pressure is on to get results now, and the former
Preston North End boss knows points on the board are pretty much all that
matter at this stage. His reputation, he admits, is on the line, and the
nature of modern Premier League football means he will only have a short
period to enhance it, or he will become just another top-flight boss whose
future is called into question. "I think I've put my reputation on the line
a little bit and I'm happy to do that. If you want to judge me on the grass,
I'll challenge most. But I'm only as good as my players, like any manager.
I've got to try to get them to overachieve. "My players at Everton
overachieved, punched above their weight, came close to Europe every year,
Champions League one year. Always in the top ten and now a consistent top
team. "That period it took me to get stability, I don't know of any manager
or coach that will be allowed that period again to try to get that to work."
A victory at Vicarage Road on Sunday would certainly do Moyes' reputation no
harm at all, that is for sure.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham United: How David Moyes can save Hammers' season
By Greg O'Keeffe
BBC Sport
The son of a ship-building draughtsman, David Moyes has planning and
attention to detail in his DNA. The new West Ham manager also has hard work
wired deep into his psyche. It was a combination of those qualities that led
to him being described as Britain's best pound-for-pound manager while at
Everton. The Scot led the Toffees to a fourth-placed finish in the Premier
League in 2005 - on a relatively low budget. His star has dimmed since
leaving for Manchester United in 2013 - he lasted 10 months there, and
subsequently struggled at Real Sociedad and Sunderland - but Moyes says he
is ready to light it up again. It will not be easy to do that at West Ham -
a side low on belief, sorely lacking cohesion and under the threat of
relegation in a new stadium which is yet to feel like home. BBC Sport
examines some of the key areas the 54-year-old must focus on.
Fitter, faster, stronger
Of the 23 Premier League goals the Hammers have conceded so far this season,
11 have come after the hour mark. They conceded a 96th-minute equaliser at
Crystal Palace to drop two points, let in an 85th-minute leveller at
Burnley, and were booed by their fans during a lethargic second half of a
3-0 home defeat by Brighton.
Tired legs, tired minds or both?
Whichever is true, Moyes must trigger quick improvements without the benefit
of a pre-season. By holding double training sessions during the
international break, he has already underlined his approach. That intensity
will not drop. At Everton, he would work his players relentlessly to ensure
they had an edge on opponents. Former Toffees captain Phil Neville remembers
one gruelling pre-season run - known as 'the horseshoe' - Moyes made his
players complete. "His method is to push you to your limits in training and
then the match is easy," he told the Liverpool Echo in 2013. "If there was
ever a time I thought, 'I could probably shoot you', it was then.
"Afterwards Mikel [Arteta] was feeling dizzy and laid down on the floor of
the dressing room. I was bent over cursing in the corner calling him the
worst manager in the league. "He came in, saw that, and said 'we'll be all
right from now on' and we were."
Get the forwards firing
West Ham have scored just 11 league goals so far this season from 116 shots.
Moyes has to get them firing again. He must ensure there is no bad blood
with Javier Hernandez, who had only a peripheral role under the Scot when
both were at Manchester United. The Mexican striker has been one of the few
positives for the Hammers this season - four league goals meaning he has
double the tally of any of his team-mates. Moyes will also need to keep Andy
Carroll fit - and find a way to get the best out of a man whose attributes
could be a good fit for a manager who likes his sides to get plenty of
crosses into the box. West Ham have played 990 minutes of Premier League
football this season, and Carroll has featured in just 338. But perhaps
Moyes' toughest task will be to turn around the downward trajectory of Marko
Arnautovic's club record move to east London. Arnautovic, signed in the
summer for £25m, is without a goal in nine appearances. Last season, while
playing for Stoke, he scored seven goals and created eight of what
statisticians Opta call 'big chances' - where a player should reasonably be
expected to score. The latter tally was more than any of his team-mates. So
far this season, he has created just one. He cost more than twice the £11m
Sunday's opponents Watford paid for Richarlison, but his statistics pale in
comparison with the Brazilian forward.
Arnautovic, though, is defiant.
"I know how strong I am mentally, how I work on myself," he said during the
international break. "I have lost nothing and I'm not in crisis." It has
been reported that Moyes has been told he can sell the Austrian in January,
but if he can get him back to his best, he will be an asset. And it seems as
though the Scot will not be afraid to dish out some tough love to his
players. "I'm going to be direct," he said. "If they don't like it, then I'm
sorry."
Discipline - in every sense
The Hammers have conceded more penalties (four) than any other side in the
Premier League so far this season. They're also fourth in the table of most
fouls, with an average of 19. Against Crystal Palace last month, they went
in at half-time leading 2-0, only for Angelo Ogbonna to concede a penalty
five minutes after the restart. That came two weeks after Carroll was sent
off for two bookable offences in the space of 99 seconds against Burnley,
and even the experienced Pablo Zabaleta has conceded two spot-kicks. Then
there is the tactical ill-discipline, such as Michail Antonio opting to
cross the ball rather than keep it in the closing seconds of the match with
Crystal Palace, who broke upfield to snatch a 2-2 draw. In solving these
issues, Moyes can again draw on his experience at Everton. In 2007-08, they
picked up a league-low 27 yellow cards as they finished fifth in the Premier
League. And he will hope the additions of his former Goodison assistant Alan
Irvine and no-nonsense former England Under-21 boss Stuart Pearce help
matters.
Find the next Pienaar and Baines
After what proved to be Slaven Bilic's final game in charge - a 4-1 home
defeat by Liverpool - left-back Aaron Cresswell acknowledged he and his
team-mates had let the manager down. Having formed an effective partnership
with Dimitri Payet down the Hammers' left, the statistics make it clear that
Cresswell's form has dipped. Last season, he delivered the second-most
successful crosses of any West Ham player (17), but he has managed just four
so far this term - three fewer than Zabaleta on the other flank. Perhaps
Andre Ayew's recent improvement - he has scored three goals in his past
three appearances - can help bring the best out of the man playing behind
him on the left. If it does, it could be a case of back to the future for
Moyes. Under the Scot's guidance at Goodison, defender Leighton Baines and
midfielder Steven Pienaar became one of the most potent left-sided pairings
in the Premier League. In the 2012-13 season, Pienaar scored six goals and
contributed six assists, with Baines netting five goals and having five
assists.
Trust in youth
At Everton, Moyes nurtured a young Wayne Rooney, and blooded future England
internationals Jack Rodwell and Ross Barkley. He also put his faith in
Seamus Coleman, who he signed from Sligo Rovers as a raw 20-year-old and
would become a first-team mainstay. Like the Merseysiders, West Ham fans are
justifiably proud of a respected academy, which has produced talents such as
Rio Ferdinand, Michael Carrick, Frank Lampard and Jermain Defoe. Moyes could
win some early credit from a supporter base nursing wounded pride and
feelings of dislocation at their new stadium by putting his trust in youth
once again. ould he do that, centre-back Declan Rice could be the player
most likely to benefit. The 18-year-old has already made eight appearances
this season. Having guided Coleman from the fringes of his club side to the
Republic of Ireland national side, could Moyes do the same with Rice?
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
DAVID KELLY (THE NOT-VERY-GOOD FORWARD, NOT THE NUCLEAR SCIENTIST)
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 18 NOVEMBER 2017 AT 1:19PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by Sid_lambert
"HAMMERS NAIL HITMAN KELLY" screamed the headline in the Friday edition of
the Daily Mirror. I remember it vividly, not least because it would spend
nearly two years pinned to the notice board in my bedroom that served as a
homage to all things West Ham United.
There'd been a gaping hole in my heart all summer created by the departure
of Tony Cottee to Everton. Images of the talismanic striker adorned all four
walls. I'd cut out every image, quote and interview. I'd memorised every
statistic, every word. I could tell you his favourite telly, his favourite
food and his favourite singer. For that fact alone, I was slightly jealous
of Luther Vandross.
But now my hero was gone. The man whose partnership with Frank McAvennie had
taken us so close to the league title in 1986, had given up on Upton Park.
And who could blame him? John Lyall's team had gone from heroes to zeroes in
the space of two seasons. From championship chasers to basement battlers.
McAvennie had gone to Celtic and not been replaced. Key players had lost
form and fitness. A threadbare squad – the Cearns family kept their hands in
their pockets in spite of the desperate need for investment – had clung to
their top tier status in 87-88. Cottee could see the writing on the wall. At
least his £2.2m fee, a British record, gave us plenty of cash to rebuild the
ailing Hammers.
There were rumours about Kerry Dixon from Chelsea, or even Big Bastard Mick
Harford from Luton, though neither materialised. Then word spread about a
player at Third Division Walsall who was a target for all the big clubs.
Kenny Dalglish had even been spotted at the Bescot Stadium back in May.
Christ, if King Kenny was interested, then he must be good. It would have
taken the Liverpool boss hours to get down the motorway at rush hour for
7.30pm kick-off. The last people to make that commitment to visit the
Midlands were the Luftwaffe.
This hot property in question was David 'Ned' Kelly, a golden-haired young
Irishman who apparently would have his pick of the top clubs. As the summer
went by, Arsenal and Liverpool kept their guns holstered. West Ham that took
their shot. A £600,000 fee was enough to secure the services of one of the
football league's top talents.
No matter your age, nothing quite gets the pulse racing like a newspaper
headline announcing a star signing. Your mind races. Your heart beats so
fast it wants to burst out of your skin. The possibilities are endless.
I can still see my ten-year-old self marvelling at that back page now.
Kelly, his blond mane whistling in the wind, in action for Walsall. I
pictured him in claret, blue and AVCO and laughed at Liverpool's misfortune.
How had they let him slip? The best striker in the league, or maybe even THE
WORLD, was on his way to West Ham and he only cost six hundred grand. Wait
until the other signings get here. We'll never be in relegation trouble
again.
Or so I thought.
With the cash burning a hole in the boardroom pockets, the summer didn't
deliver the transfer frenzy I'd hoped for. The only other summer signing was
Allen McKnight, a Northern Irish goalkeeper from Celtic. But there were
still problems all over the park that needed addressing. Alan Devonshire,
Liam Brady, Stewart Robson and Alvin Martin were stricken by injuries and
things had got so bad that Billy Bonds had packed away his claret and blue
zimmerframe to shuffle back into action at the grand old age of 41.
Even with my relatively poor grasp of maths – we hadn't even started long
division at school – the sums didn't quite add up. Where were the rest of
the signings?
Never mind, at least we had David Kelly.
The Irish striker isn't a man who divides opinion amongst the West Ham fans.
Try it sometime. Mention his name and you'll see many a middle-aged man
drift into the abyss of despair that was following West Ham in the late
eighties. God, it was awful.
The opening match of the 1988-9 season dealt West Ham a trip to fellow
strugglers Southampton. The team was much the same as the crap that barely
avoided being flushed out of the First Division the previous year. Brady and
Devonshire, whose joints were held together by chewing gum, were injured.
Steve Potts and Julian Dicks were the league's most inexperienced
full-backs, whilst in midfield Georgie Parris and Kevin Keen tried to do the
running for the slow-motion limbs of Stewart Robson, a shadow of the player
he'd been before injuries took their toll.
Allen McKnight wasn't ready for his debut so Tom McAllister started in goal.
And up front, David Kelly made his much-anticipated debut.
First impressions of Kelly were mixed. To call him skinny would do him a
grave injustice. He was one missed meal away from Bob Geldof getting the
band back together. To call him a soft touch was an understatement. He
looked like he'd lose a fight with a bus ticket. Starved of service and up
against seasoned hard men Russell Osman and Kevin Moore, he was bullied from
start to finish.
As were the rest of his team-mates. West Ham lost 4-0 in a scoreline that
flattered them. A 3-1 defeat at home to perennial relegation fodder Charlton
suggested that Lyall's side were in for another dismal season.
Kelly got off the mark in his fourth league start, a 2-2 home draw with
Villa, and scored in both legs of the League Cup tie with Sunderland,
including a brace at Roker Park. The Irons were reserving their best form
for the cup competitions, despatching Derby 5-0 and then humbling mighty
Liverpool 4-1 in a match that announced two-goal Paul Ince as an outstanding
talent.
Unfortunately, league performances remained terrible. The home form was
particularly galling. Fortress Upton Park was breached at regular intervals
and we would win a pathetic three home games all season. On the road, goals
were flying past Allen McKnight who was offered scant protection by the
defenders in front of him. Arsenal and Luton stuck four past us and by
December we were mired in 18th place.
To his credit, Kelly had actually scored 9 goals (5 league, 4 cup) by this
point of the season and there were tentative signs that a partnership with
Leroy Rosenior might be starting to blossom. Unfortunately, both men went
goalless during a disastrous December when we picked up three points from
five games and fell to the bottom of the league.
Fingers were being pointed. Blame was being shifted, both inside and outside
of the dressing room. The remnants of the Boys of '86 were protected by
their reputation and the new signings became convenient scapegoats. The
goalkeeper had already been christened "McKnightmare" after a series of
gaffes and game-by-game his confidence cracked further. It's worth noting
that after leaving Upton Park he barely played football again. It's a sign
that the club's transfer policy was hopelessly misguided and that the East
End can be a tough place to play football if you don't have a thick skin.
Meanwhile Kelly, who was clearly too raw to fill Cottee's shoes, became
another terrace target. No one questioned his effort, which eclipsed many of
his under-performing peers, but his quality wasn't enough for the highest
level. In the corridors of Anfield, Kenny Dalglish was applauding his own
judgement.
Despite that, the Irishman played his part in a midwinter mini-revival.
Arsenal were toppled in an FA Cup replay at Highbury and Kelly scored in a
precious 2-1 win at Derby that lifted us to the giddy heights of 19th
position.
His most meaningful contribution of the season came in a League Cup
quarter-final win over Aston Villa. Over 30,000 packed into the Boleyn
Ground to enjoy a welcome release from the drudgery of Barclays Division
One. After a tepid penalty miss by Liam Brady, Paul Ince put the hosts in
front from long range. Then Kelly took centre stage. Tony Gale flicked on a
Brady free-kick, Kelly spun his marker and in one explosive moment, lashed a
left-footer into the top corner. It was technique worthy of any top-flight
striker. If only we'd seen more of it.
He played a bit-part in the rest of the season after Lyall pulled what
seemed to be a masterstroke in re-signing Frank McAvennie from under the
noses of Arsenal. The hero had returned and Kelly was shoved to the
sidelines.
In the event, McAvennie would make 9 uneventful appearances without scoring
and it was Leroy Rosenior's late-season form that nearly provided the
greatest of escapes. Unfortunately, relegation was confirmed in a 5-1
battering at Liverpool.
Kelly finished the season with 11 goals in 39 league and cup appearances,
bettered only by Rosenior's stat of 15 in 39. The season prior Cottee had
scored 15 in 44. Set against that context, it's hard to justify Kelly's
unwanted place in West Ham folklore.
Though he made a handful of substitute appearances in the madness of Lou
Macari's brief reign, for many Irons fans he is remembered for that
miserable final season under Lyall. His name resurfaces occasionally. When
anyone talks about Worst Ever West Ham Strikers, a list that has lengthened
substantially longer under the current ownership, David Kelly always gets
plenty of mentions.
But was he really that bad?
The Irishman, who went on to have a respectable second-tier career at
Leicester, Newcastle, Wolves and Tranmere, once described his time at Upton
Park as joining a "bad team at a bad time." With the benefit of hindsight,
there's evidence to support that. Ray Stewart, Liam Brady and Alan
Devonshire were all sliding towards retirement. Tony Gale, Mark Ward, Alvin
Martin and Frank McAvennie would never again the scale the same heights as
they did in '86. Meanwhile, George Parris and Kevin Keen, both fine servants
for the club, struggled to establish themselves at the top level.
Football fandom is a world of absolutes these days. You can go from legend
to liability in a matter of weeks (just ask Romelu Lukaku). When you've got
the likes of Merson and Stelling spewing out soundbite after clueless
soundbite, there's no space for clear thinking.
It's not fashionable to say it, but some players are just at the wrong
level. Maybe the ten-year-old me still feels sorry for him. Or maybe David
Kelly just gets a raw deal.
I think of the likes of McCarthy and Mido, appalling, overweight and
unprofessional, and find it hard to lob him in with those lumps of lard.
Ultimately, he tried hard and wasn't good enough, in a team that wasn't good
enough, for top-flight football. But worst ever? Not even close.
Which reminds me, has anyone heard from Emmanuel Emenike?
About the author: Sid Lambert is a football writer who recently published
his new 5* rated book Cashing In. It tells the story of Ray Cash, a
19-year-old footballer making his way through the murky world of the Premier
League back in the 1990s, when football changed forever. You can buy it
here.
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AWAY DAYS: WATFORD
AUTHOR: EXWHUEMPLOYEE. PUBLISHED: 18 NOVEMBER 2017 AT 2:43PM
Thewesthamwayco.uk
Written by Katie S @flump9
Well things have changed a little since my last 'Away Days' article, last
time I was feeling positive that we would beat Crystal Palace and we had
Slaven Bilic as our manager. This time out, we have David Moyes and are
taking on a team that have had some good results.
It is hard to know what will happen this weekend, will a team with some
professionalism and passion turn up or will we see a tired team looking a
little lost? I wasn't happy about the appointment of Moyes, but I must
admit I am excited to see what Sunday will have in store.
If you are one of the lucky 2,100 fans making the short trip to Vicarage
Road, here is all the information you need.
My prediction is: Watford 1 – 2 West Ham
General Information:
Capacity: 21,977
Address: Vicarage Road, Watford, WD18 0ER
Random Fact: The stadium opened a Sensory Room in December 2016 for
supporters with Autism, who can watch the matches in a spacious room that
blocks out the noise of fans in the stands.
Seating
Away fans will be seated behind the goal in the Vicarage Road stand. The
legroom is sufficient and there are no pillars, meaning no obstructions and
a decent view.
Travel
Directions/Parking
From London Stadium it takes approximately an hour depending on traffic.
The quickest option by car is to take the M25, but you can also take the
North Circular.
There is no parking available for fans at the ground and street parking is
restricted
for local residents with matchday permits. Watford town centre has several
car parks, the easiest of which for access to Vicarage Road is Church Car
Park on the inside of the ring-road, opposite the turn-off into Vicarage
Road. All town centre car parks are within a 10 minute walk of Vicarage
Road.
One good option is Gade car park is located just off Rickmansworth Road, it
costs £1.00p/h up to 5 hours and £6.00 for up to 12 hours.
Click here for some alternative parking options: Parking near Vicarage Road
Train/Bus
The nearest station is Watford High Street, a 10 minute walk away from the
ground and Watford Junction train station is about a 20 minute walk.
Watford also has its own London Underground tube station, which is on the
Metropolitan Line and is situated just under one mile from Vicarage Road.
Food/Drink
Be aware that you won't be able to buy any alcohol in the ground itself, but
I have listed below a few away fan friendly pubs.
The Oddfellows on Fearnley Street is just 5 minutes from ground.
The Moon Under Water (Weatherspoons) in the High Street, welcomes children
if they are eating and is probably the cheapest for food and drink.
There is also an O'Neills and Walkabout nearby on the High Street.
If you're not going to be at the match, make sure you keep an eye on
@WestHamWaycouk on Twitter for live updates throughout the game.
*Details correct at the time of writing this article.
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David Moyes believes Stuart Pearce can help spark a West Ham revival
Last Updated: 18/11/17 2:13pm
SSN
David Moyes says Stuart Pearce will fire up West Ham's under-performing
players and their disillusioned fans. New Hammers manager Moyes has drafted
in the former England defender as part of his coaching team along with Alan
Irvine and Billy McKinlay. No-nonsense full-back Pearce spent two seasons
with West Ham towards the end of his career, making 50 appearances and
scoring three goals. The former Manchester City and England U21 boss has
been out of management since leaving Nottingham Forest two-and-a-half years
ago. "He's got a real fire in his belly which hasn't changed since he was a
player," said Moyes. "He has bundles of experience, as a player and a
manager. He has great knowledge. "I want every angle covered. I feel as if
I've brought people in who can do different jobs for me as well. I hope if
they're all at it then it makes my job even easier at the top. West Ham have
got an awful lot going for them. We've got a fabulous stadium which we will
play in for the next 100 years. We have to start getting used to it and
start winning there. "I think Stuart will play a big role. He said we need
to make sure everyone is connected with the supporters. "Stuart has brought
a bit of what was here before, he knows what it was like. I hope we can pull
that together. "Will the supporters make it easy for us? If we win. If we
don't it will be a lot harder." Moyes will be without Javier Hernandez at
Watford on Sunday, live on Sky Sports, after the striker suffered a
hamstring injury on international duty with Mexico.
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MATCH PREVIEW: WATFORD V WEST HAM
By Dan Coker 18 Nov 2017 at 08:00
WTID
Blast from the past
Syd King's West Ham United arrived at Cassio Road, the former home of this
weekend's opponents Watford, for a Southern League First Division fixture on
28th March 1908 while en route to a tenth-place finish. The first Scout
troop outside the UK had been formed in Gibraltar the day before and British
film director Sir David Lean was born three days earlier. Maurice Ravel's
Rapsodie espagnole had recently received its premiere in Paris – it was one
of Ravel's first major works for orchestra.
With goalkeeper George Kitchen injured in an FA Cup second round defeat at
Newcastle the previous month, understudy David Clarke continued his extended
run between the posts. The Hammers recorded a 3-2 victory in front of 3,000
spectators. Len Jarvis (pictured) – or 'Dick' as he was popularly known –
bagged a rare goal on this spring afternoon. The never-say-die half-back,
who was employed at a Grays cement works before signing for West Ham, was
one of the club's most consistent performers but only scored five goals in
his 140 appearances for the Hammers over six seasons. His spirit was
typified in a match against Brighton when he sustained a deep cut which
required several stitches after a kick to the face – he returned to the
action, albeit heavily bandaged. His whole-hearted approach often landed him
in hot water with the authorities – he gained attention and press coverage
when he smashed Millwall's Alf Dean against a metal advertising hoarding in
a game on 13th October 1906. The incident was investigated by the Football
Association and Jarvis was banned from playing for two weeks. This strike at
Watford transpired to be Jarvis' last goal for West Ham before a move into
league football with First Division Bury over a year later, in the summer of
1909.
Outside-right Jim Frost was also on the scoresheet at Cassio Road – it was
his second of four goals for the club, having made his debut just two months
earlier. Centre-forward Harry Stapley completed the Hammers' scoring with
his last goal for the club – this was Stapley's final appearance for West
Ham before he moved into league football with Second Division Glossop,
having scored 41 goals in 75 matches for the Irons. He retained his amateur
status so he could continue working as a schoolteacher.
Watford would finish the 1907/08 campaign in 14th position, while Stapley
would end the season as the Irons' top goalscorer with ten goals in 25
games.
West Ham United: David Clarke, James Gault, Archie Taylor, Dick Jarvis,
Tommy Allison, Bob Young, Jim Frost, Billy Grassam, Harry Stapley, Billy
Brown, Fred Blackburn.
Club Connections
Former Hammer Mauro Zarate is now on Watford's books, although the Argentine
forward is currently with Dubai-based side Al Nasr on a season-long loan.
Other players to have represented both clubs, divided by position, include:
Goalkeepers: Billy Biggar, Ted Hufton, David James, Perry Suckling, Manuel
Almunia, Jack Rutherford.
Defenders: Jon Harley, Calum Davenport, Lucas Neill, James McCrae, Chris
Powell, Colin Foster.
Midfielders: Henri Lansbury, Alan Devonshire, Alessandro Diamanti, Stuart
Slater, Jobi McAnuff, Jimmy Lindsay, Joe Blythe, David Noble, Jimmy Carr,
Mark Robson, Valon Behrami, Carl Fletcher.
Strikers: James Reid, David Connolly, Jack Foster, Roger Hugo, Billy
Jennings, Peter Kyle, Bertie Lyon.
Len Goulden played for West Ham and managed Watford, while Malky Mackay
played for both clubs and went on to manage the Vicarage Road club. Glenn
Roeder played for the Hornets and managed both clubs; Gianfranco Zola has
managed both the Hammers and the Hornets.
This week's focus though is on a goalkeeper who represented both clubs in
the early years of the 20th century and serves as a tribute to those
footballers, and indeed all, who have fought for our country at this time of
Remembrance. Joe Webster was born in Ilkeston, Derbyshire in 1886 and
started his career with his local club Ilkeston United in 1907. He moved to
Watford in 1910 where he was signed as Billy Biggar's replacement. Biggar
was also a former Hammers goalkeeper himself, having made seven appearances
in 1902/03 before becoming an outstanding servant at Watford, for whom he
played 217 matches between 1904 and 1910, when he moved to Rochdale.
Webster had big boots to fill but adapted admirably, making 148 appearances
for Watford in the Southern League. Watford failed to forward Webster's name
for registration at the start of the 1912/13 season though and were fined by
the Southern League authorities. Webster played alongside the young Arthur
Grimsdell whilst at Watford – Grimsdell would go on to captain England and
skippered Tottenham to FA Cup glory in 1921 before returning to Watford to
serve on their board of directors between 1945 and 1951.
Webster (pictured) signed for West Ham United in 1914 and made his debut in
a 2-1 win over Gillingham at Upton Park on 1st September that year. He made
17 Southern League appearances for the Hammers in 1914/15, keeping five
clean sheets. One of these shutouts came in a 1-0 win at former club Watford
on 28th November 1914.
World War One was to interrupt Webster's West Ham career though – he had
three years active service in France, serving in the 17th (Service)
Battalion of the Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex Regiment). This infantry
battalion was a 'Pals battalion' – a specially constituted battalion of the
British Army comprising men who had enlisted together in local recruiting
drives, with the promise that they would be able to serve alongside their
friends, neighbours and colleagues ('pals'), rather than being arbitrarily
allocated to battalions. Webster's particular battalion was known as the
'Football Battalion'.
During the First World War there had been an initial push by clubs for
professional football to continue, in order to keep the public's spirits up.
This stance was not widely agreed with and public opinion turned against
professional footballers. One soldier, serving in France, wrote to a British
newspaper to complain that "hundreds of thousands of able-bodied young
roughs were watching hirelings playing football" while others were serving
their country. The suggestion was even made that King George V should cease
being a patron of The Football Association. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, writer
and creator of Sherlock Holmes, publicly objected and appealed for
footballers to volunteer for service, saying "If a footballer has strength
of limb, let them serve and march in the field of battle".
Conservative MP for Brentford and future Home Secretary William
Joynson-Hicks formed the battalion on 12th December 1914 at Fulham Town Hall
after a suggestion by Secretary of State for War Lord Kitchener. England
international Frank Buckley became the first player to join with a further
30 players who signed up at its formation. The formation was announced to
the general public on 1st January 1915 and approximately 150 more enlisted
over the next few months, the battalion's ranks further swelled by numerous
amateur players, officials and fans. Webster's fellow goalkeeper, Tommy
Lonsdale, who had preceded Webster between the posts at Upton Park before
signing for Southend, also signed up. Press complaints continued though, as
there were some 1,800 eligible footballers – I have previously told the
story of how George Hilsdon, formerly of West Ham and Chelsea, hid in a
chicken run to avoid active service. Many footballers deliberately chose to
avoid the battalion by joining other regiments, causing the War Office to
initially have difficulties filling the 'Football Battalion'.
Webster fought as a Private on the Somme, at Vimy Ridge, at Ypres in the
Battle of Passchendaele and at Cambrai. He survived these battles and,
moreover, the Great War itself and re-joined West Ham after the Armistice,
with the Hammers having now been elected to the Football League. He made two
Second Division appearances, both at Upton Park, as deputy for Ted Hufton –
these were against Huddersfield in a 1-1 draw on 27th December 1919 and Port
Vale in a 3-1 Hammers win on 7th February 1920. The win over Port Vale would
be Webster's 19th and last match for the club – he went back to Watford as
the club's trainer at the end of the 1919/20 season and later held a similar
role at Northampton. Joe Webster died following an appendix operation on
15th October 1927 in Northampton – with his exact date of birth unknown, he
passed away at either the age of 40 or 41.
Referee
The referee on Sunday will be Andre Marriner; the 46-year-old's most recent
Hammers appointment was the 2-2 draw at David Moyes' Sunderland in April,
while he also took charge of our 2-1 home defeat to Chelsea in March, Boxing
Day's 4-1 win at Swansea and the 1-1 home draw with Stoke last November.
Prior to that, in last season's trip to Manchester City, he had failed to
send off Sergio Aguero for an elbow on Winston Reid with the Hammers
trailing 2-1 with 14 minutes remaining. The Argentine was retrospectively
charged with violent conduct and suspended for three matches, a decision
which did nothing to benefit West Ham. Marriner did, however, show leniency
that day towards the visitors by failing to issue Arthur Masuaku with a
second yellow card on more than one occasion.
Since we achieved promotion back to the top flight in 2012 the
Birmingham-based official has been far from a good omen for West Ham – he
has refereed 15 of our league matches, officiating in only three wins for
the Hammers, five draws and seven defeats.
Possible line-ups
Tommy Hoban, Craig Cathcart, Younes Kaboul, Nathaniel Chalobah and Isaac
Success are out injured for Watford, while Troy Deeney is suspended.
Goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes, centre-half Christian Kabasele and attacking
midfielder Roberto Pereyra are all expected to be fit but centre-half
Sebastian Prodl and winger Andre Carrillo face late fitness tests.
Richarlison has had 39 attempts on goal in the Premier League this season,
second only to Harry Kane's 59 – the Brazilian has scored with four of his
seven efforts on target.
For West Ham United, Winston Reid and Diafra Sakho should be available after
international duty but Chicharito is out with a hamstring injury. Sam Byram,
Jose Fonte and Michail Antonio are also unavailable. James Collins is back
in training but is not yet ready for selection after seven weeks out. Pablo
Zabaleta returns from suspension. David Moyes will take charge of West Ham
for the first time in his 500th match as a Premier League manager – a tally
only surpassed by Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger and former Irons boss
Harry Redknapp. The Hammers have lost only one of their last 13 league
matches at Watford.
Possible Watford XI: Gomes; Femenia, Kabasele, Britos, Holebas; Doucoure;
Pereyra, Cleverley, Hughes, Richarlison; Gray.
Possible West Ham United XI: Hart; Zabaleta, Reid, Ogbonna, Cresswell;
Noble, Kouyate, Obiang; Lanzini, Carroll, Ayew.
Enjoy the game – Up The Hammers!
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
David Moyes insists West Ham is not his last chance in management
Ed Aarons
Saturday 18 November 2017 22.30 GMT Last modified on Saturday 18 November
2017 23.15 GMT
David Moyes has denied that taking over from Slaven Bilic at West Ham
represents his last chance in football management and the Scot is confident
he can arrest a slump that has left his new side in the relegation zone.
Before Sunday's trip to face Watford at Vicarage Road Moyes pledged to
tackle the indiscipline that has undermined West Ham's dreadful start to the
campaign and led to Bilic becoming the first manager to leave the club
during the course of a season since Alan Curbishley resigned in September
2008.
His replacement returns to the Premier League looking refreshed after
leaving Sunderland in the summer following their relegation and, at 54,
still feels he has plenty to offer despite difficult spells at Manchester
United and Real Sociedad before last season's implosion at the Stadium of
Light.
"I don't think it's my last chance," Moyes said. "If you look at managers in
the Premier League, most have managed 10-12 clubs. Look at Jupp Heynckes,
he's had about 14 clubs and has just gone back to Bayern at 70. It's
possible to manage lots of clubs. Is this my last chance? No."
After 11 largely successful years at Everton when they consistently punched
above their weight, Moyes still has plenty of credit in the bank and, most
importantly, West Ham's co-owners, David Sullivan and David Gold, clearly
trust him to turn things round quickly. But a short-term contract until the
end of the season is an indication that he has, unlike Heynckes, something
to prove once again, having started his management career at Preston in
1998.
Moyes, who will become only the fourth manager after Sir Alex Ferguson,
Arsène Wenger and Harry Redknapp to take charge of 500 Premier League
matches, admitted he will be under more pressure on Sunday than during his
first Everton match in 2002, when the current caretaker, David Unsworth,
scored after 30 seconds in a 2-1 win over Fulham. They went on to avoid
relegation easily and, in an effort to instil some of his methods, Stuart
Pearce – who made 50 appearances for West Ham between 1999 and 2001 – has
been added to the coaching staff in his first post since leaving Nottingham
Forest in February 2015. Moyes expects him to have a major influence on and
off the pitch.
"I think Stuart Pearce will play a big role. He said we need to make sure
everyone is connected with the supporters," said Moyes. "We are not going to
play at another stadium. We are playing at our stadium and we are going to
be winning games over the years at our stadium and the supporters and the
players need to get used to that. Stuart has brought a bit of what was here
before; he knows what it was like. I hope we can pull that together. Will
the supporters make it easy for us? If we win. If we don't, it will be a lot
harder."
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West Ham's London Stadium troubles show why David Moyes faces bigger
problems than just results
ES Sport
David Moyes can park a bus across West Ham's goal at Watford on Sunday if he
likes; two, if necessary. Among the team's many troubles which led to the
downfall of former manager Slaven Bilic, they have the second worst away
record in the Premier League - as well as a desperate one at home. So
steadying the ship is Moyes' first job. A point at Vicarage Road would be a
satisfactory start, even though the Hornets' good early-season form has
evaporated, losing their last three games. After that, it is at the big,
awkward bowl of the London Stadium where Moyes has to make his biggest
impression. That's partly because the Hammers have been so dreadful on their
own patch this season, losing calamitously to Liverpool and Brighton and
being beaten by Spurs. And even more so, it is because of the enduringly
hollow and sterile nature of the place. This is the biggest problem Moyes
could encounter in Stratford, even though he has the bonus of an evening
start in east London against Leicester City next Friday. With just six
months to prove he is worthy of an extended run in the job, it is a fair
assumption that his first move will be to make the Hammers hard to beat. But
it may not be enough in an arena which has sucked much of the spirit out of
the fans and the players since the club left Upton Park last year. That has
nothing to do with a demand from the stands that the side plays in the
so-called 'West Ham way', although it would be welcome. It has more to do
with the urgent need to breathe some life into the new arena - and that may
not happen if the team simply become better organised, more defensively
sound and fitter than they were as the Bilic era unravelled. That will
hardly set the place alight. It's a Catch 22: there are more pressing
priorities than entertainment; but without it, most occasions in the stadium
feel flat and empty - certainly in daylight hours, although there has been
the odd rumbustious London derby at night. And so the problems perpetuate.
Of course, it makes sense for Moyes to set rectifying the basics first
because West Ham have to escape from the threat of relegation. According to
soccerstats.com, their away form ahead of the trip to Watford places them
second from bottom with a record of no wins, three draws and three losses,
with 13 goals conceded. Just as much, though, they have to put an end to the
humiliating fact that they have been taken apart so often on their new
pitch. Liverpool hit four there two weeks ago to seal Bilic's fate, and
Brighton and Spurs scored three apiece. Their home form places them fourth
from bottom – two wins and three defeats from five - with, notably, only six
goals scored in east London and 10 conceded.
Last season, Arsenal, Manchester City (twice) and Liverpool all ran riot
there - even Southampton won 3-0. It has been a joy to watch for all those
rival fans who were incensed by the terms upon which the Hammers secured
their new home, claiming the club had landed a giant tax-payer-funded
windfall. n reality, the stadium breeds a downbeat mood, a tendency towards
disgruntlement and rebellion and a general air of dissatisfaction and
dislocation. It is partly because it isn't Upton Park, of course. But even
more, it is because it isn't a football ground. So it doesn't feel like one.
And unless West Ham start dishing out a few good hidings there - or at least
rack up some consistently significant wins - it never will. Many critics and
pundits insist that the side's failures cannot be blamed upon the ground.
But I genuinely believe it is a large part of the problem - and the owners
have to find some way to get over it. It's OK for visiting teams - they only
have to play there once a season and revel in its space. West Ham have to
deal with the problems and the atmosphere it creates all season long. And
those complaints about supporters leaving early? Well, after an 8pm evening
kick-off, it takes a long, long time for the crowd to get back across the
windswept Olympic Park to join the lengthy queues to get into Stratford
station. Huge numbers of fans live in Essex. It's a long walk if they miss
the last train.
Any serious supporter knows that the 'West Ham Way' was as much about
fragility and disappointment as it was free-flowing football. And it was all
years ago, with the game now drastically changed from the days when
magicians like Trevor Brooking and Alan Devonshire were gliding about at
their best. Moyes doesn't have to live up to that. It would be a grossly
unfair expectation. It took decades for Ted Fenton, Ron Greenwood and John
Lyall to create West Ham's much-vaunted traditions. The new man has just six
months, at first, and his mission is clear - survival. Former boss Sam
Allardyce spelled out recently why even for him, the club was an awkward one
to manage. He included the owners in it. David Moyes, who has a big chance
to refurbish his reputation in east London, may be about to learn just how
much the move to Stratford has added to that peculiar 'West Ham Way.'
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