West Ham United Blog

Hammers Festive Cheer

Older fans of West Ham (not like myself of course, ahem) will tell you that West Ham went down with Christmas decorations - we'd always start off well but then the festive period would see the start of the demise.  Well, things are looking like they may be working in reverse, with 6 points from our 2 festive games and some more winnable games coming up.

The Stoke was one one which a few of us thought could trip us up and when we went 1-0 down after 4 minutes, I feared the worst.  However, we appear to be made of sterner stuff these days and dominated the game from there  on, apart from a 5 minute spell of Stoke pressure, we were truly in control.  Don't let the sending off fool you, this is a game we were likely to win either way.

Performance wise, Cole was strong as an ox and his goal was a peach, hope he stops the sulky celebrations soon though, he is starting to get a bit Reo-Coker about it all.  Faubert was slated on some forums but I don't think he had a bad game at all, he certainly did his job defensively and a couple of wayward balls does not mean he had a terrible game, the best of players do them.  Anyway, on to the ratings...

Green - 6 - contrary to MOTD, I don't really blame him for the goal, I think Collins was more suspect for the game.  Apart from that he had little to do.

Illunga -6 - Good game, was a thret going forward and did his job at the back

Upson - 7 - Solid as ever, another good performance

Collins - 6 - slightly at fault for their goal i felt but apart from that, solid

Faubert  - 6 - did a more than adequate covering jon for Neill

Collison - 6 - certainly faded in the 2nd half but occasional bright contributions

Boa-Morte - 6 - very close to getting a goal and made a menace of himself, decent game

Parker - 6 - not his best game but some good passing

Behrami - 7 - lively and creative as ever, a real favourite of mine at the moment and instrumental in all our victories

Di Michele - 6 - another who came into the side and did a very good job, loved the volleyed cross from the wing!

Cole - 7 - a goal and good all round performance

Zola/Clarke - 7 - managed to ensure we weren't bullied out of this one and made timely subsitutions, good work gents

Next up the FA CUP, please let us not undo all this good work but getting knocked out by Barnsley!

Boxing Day joy at Pompey...Hammers must do it again against Stoke

I've felt for a couple of weeks that we were due to give someone a tonking and I was saving that premonition for the Stoke game but it appears it came early yesterday at Pompey.  A great result for the Hammers with Collison, Parker and Bellamy the stars of the show but who would have thought they'd be backed up by a supporting cast of Faubert, Boa-Morte and Cole?   It's interesting that the former two in particular showed what they can do away from home, away from the pressure and jeers they receive at Upton Park.  If they are called upon again tomorrow, let's home we can give them some Christmas cheer and a bit of appreciation for their contribution towards a great 3 points on the south coast.

As for Stoke tomorrow, it's by no means going to be an easy game.  We have to provve we are cleverer than teams who come down, park a bus and get physical, a test we failed against Bolton a few weeks ago.  They are not a skill ful side and will try and draw us into their long ball/physical game, which is not the way we should be playing.  The big question is who should replace the suspended Bellamy.  In my view it should be Sears playing alongside Cole or possibly Tristan.  I have a feeling Zola will go for Di Michele or Tristan, seeing as Sears in not even on the bench these days.  The other change may be at right back with Neill not recovering from his knock.  In which case I would put Behrami as the full back and move Faubert on the right wing.  So line up would be;

Grenn
Illunga - Upson - Davenport - Behrami
Collison - Parker - Noble - Faubert
Cole - Sears

But I think Frankie Z will be thinking slightly differently.  In some ways, this is a more improtant match than the Pompey game was, where most of us would have been happy with a draw.  3 points has got to be on the agenda here, especially with other bottom half teams playing each other.  Come on you Irons!

Spurs in for Bellamy

Spurs have apparently opened negotiations for West Ham's Craig Bellamy.  We're apparently looking to double the £7.5m we shelled out for him.  Frankly, if we got that and that was the only sale we had to make, and we got someone else in on loan or on a permanent, I can live with it.  But if this is the start of the fire sale, this could be the beginning of the end....more at Skysports

Hammer of the Half Year

I quite look forward to this post as it gives me time to think about players and their contributions of the season so far.  It’s certainly been a tricky season with a decent start followed by the loss of a manager and the diminutive Italian settling into his role.  Performances have been predictably inconsistent, with maulings of Blackburn and Newcastle and strong displays against Chelsea and Liverpool, followed inevitably by lacklustre displays against Bolton and Man City.

Player wise, we’ve not exactly had a consistent starting 11 playing, although only 3 players who started in our first game were absent from the 11 who played against Villa.  Anyway, without any further delay, here are my 3 Hammers of the half year, remember it’s based on performances since the start of the season…

In third place…..Valon Behrami…..We didn’t know much about this Kosovan born Swiss International playing in Italy, but after a slightly shaky start, Behrami has impressed me with his fitness, willingness and skill.  His adaptability in terms of playing on either wing has also been crucial for us, especially with Faubert’s loss of form.  Anyway, keep it up Valon, you’re a very important part of the team.

In second place….Robert Green…..For me, this lad is simply the best English keeper in the league, certainly better than Robinson and Carson and can give James a run for his money.  A great shot stopper and decision maker, only a couple of errors against Bolton stick in the mind in an otherwise flawless season so far….

And in first place, West Ham Blog’s Hammer of the Half Year is…..Matthew Upson.  I was worried that a couple of England appearances would go to this lad’s head, but instead he has shown incredible maturity and has been a pivotal player for us this season.  He’s not the biggest but his jumping is excellent as is his man-marking.  A great start to the season and I hope it continues, more importantly, I hope that Upson is still a Hammer in February!

Commendations – players who came close were Illunga and Parker…..Welsh wizards Bellamy and Collins would have probably been in there ahd they got a few more games under their belts.  Be interesting to see who is given the commendation at the end of the year…Happy Christmas!

Portsmouth v West Ham Preview

Doesn’t seem like too long ago we were drawing 0-0 with Tony Adams’s Pompey side.  Although his tenure started off fairly brightly, they have not won their last 3 league games.  Like I’ve said a number of times this season, this is a winnable game, but in order to win games you need to score goals.  I think Zola must start the game with two decent finishers up-front, which is why I would advocate Cole on the bench and a start for Diego Tristan for this game.  We’ve not exactly seen much of Tristan so far and his fitness and pace are still questions but one thing he can do is finish and it is our lack of finishing that is letting us down right now.

The middle of the park is also an interesting one right now, especially since Noble has found his form and Collison is shining brightly.  I’m also curious what would happen if we had natural balance on the left and right, Boa-Morte is no ones favourite, but he is at least a natural winger who would give us balance.  With these questions in mind, my starting 11 would be;

Green

Illunga  - Upson – Davenport – Neill

Collison – Parker – Noble – Behrami

Tristan – Bellamy

Bench: Lastuvka, Cole, Faubert, Mullins, Sears, Spector, Boa-Morte

I’d stick with the one change for kick off but definitely think LBM on the left should be looked into at some point.  And Sears is definitely ahead of Di Michele for me as a sub.

It’s a game we could win but this is West Ham so a 1-1 draw is inevitable.  We’ll be expecting a lot more from the lads on Sunday against Stoke.

So, all that leaves me to do is wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New year.  Thank you for continuing to read the blog, this is a labour of love for me, so your continued comments and feedback are always welcome.  Let’s hope 2009 is a great one for you and the Hammers!

Villans commit robbery at Upton Park

If West Ham were scoring goals, we'd be very dangerous indeed.  I was also intrigued by the stat when I watched it back on Setanta that if our games this season finished after 45 minutes, we'd be top of the league.  Either way, we've got to stop looking like we're too good to get relegated and start getting the results that ensure we don't.

The simple problem is goal-scoring, or our complete lack of it.  A friend of mine said that if Carlton Cole was a top finisher, he wouldn't be at West Ham.  Obviously he was doing his big club/little club trick on me, but actually, there is a good point there.  Cole does a nubmer of things very well, he holds up the ball, has bit of a pace and great strength.  However, he is simply not a clinical finisher, which is why his career has been one of journeyman rather than top Premier League striker.  No doubt a number of managers have seen what he can do and have wondered to themselves that if they can add finishing to his game, he'd be awesome.  It appears they have failed in that respect.  What I can tell, however, is that Cole is a confidence player and if he feels the crowd on his back, he carries that burden heavily.  While he is wearing a West Ham shirt, let's get behind him and get him on a run.

As for the game on Saturday evening, Villa were very much there for taking, I did not think they were anything special, certainly not like the side that bulldozed their way past Spurs earlier in the season for example.  Their goal was fortuitous and to me it was undeserved, if we weren't going to score, they certainly did not deserve to.  The substitutions somewhat surprised me - I would have taken Noble off for Mullins and pushed Parker into a more attacking role, despite Noble playing well.  And although he is not my favourite player at the moment, I wouyld have had Faubert on for Behrami.  Anyway, player ratings...

Green - 7 - no chacne with the deflection, otherwise flawless as ever

Illunga - 7 - good game from Herita, getting back into form

Upson - 8 - strong and kept Villa at bay

Davenport - 7 - likewise

Neill - 8 - one of his best game for some time, real Captain's performance

Collison -7 - creative, keen and skillful, hope to see more of this promising youngster

Noble - 7 - another good performance from our homegrown boy

Parker - 6 - some wayward passing saw him off at half time

Behrami - 6 - started brightly but injury put paid to his contribution

Cole - 6 - find your shooting boots and you'll be a legend!

Bellamy - 7 - full of running and gave the Villa lads a torrid time

Zola/Clarke - 6 - strange substitutions but overall the display put on by the lads was good

Away to Pompey next followed by home to Stoke, minimum of 4 points please Hammers!

Should they stay or should they go?

The papers are full of speculation about the alleged fire sale which will occur at Upton park in January.  Although the news that there are 5 buyers interested in the club may mean we won't necessarily sell of our best assets.  So looking at the first team regulars, it made me wonder who could stay and who could go in what is likely to be a busy January for us....

Definitely must stay, no question:  Green, Upson, Collins, Parker, Behrami, Sears

Really don't want them to go, but if we got a good offer for them, can just about live with it:  Noble, Bellamy, Mullins, Ashton

Not fussed either way and if we get some cash then fine:  Cole, Etherington, Spector, Neill

Bite their hands off if we get an offer:  Boa-Morte, Faubert, Gabbidon, Dyer

Ashton was the tricky one, on form he is an international quality player but I just wonder how often we will get to see that form over the next couple of years.  Of course, we all know what will happen, he will go somewhere else and be an injury free goalscoring machine for the next 5 years, but hey, that's West Ham!  I don't really want Bellamy or Mullins to go either but Bellamy in particular could attract an offer we just can't turn down.  Noble may need to go to a new club in order to refresh himself and get back into the player he once threatened to be though past couple of performances have been decent.  Whatever happens, January will be interesting....

West Ham v Aston Villa Preview

We're at an interesting stage of the season, where we have taken just one one more point at home than we have away.  Clearly increasing the players confidence in front of the fans at Upton Park is important and we all have a part to play in that as well, particularly by not booing players when their names are called out, or even if they make one or two mistakes.  It's a real fine line between confidence and putting your head down and if the players feel they can at least try things without the crowd getting on their back, it will make a world of difference.

The lads will need all the support we can give them this Saturday as we face a flying Aston Villa team at Upton Park.  I like Martin O'Neill and have wished him to be our manager on many an occasion.  He goes about his job astutely, hands difficult player situations well and is tactically ahead of the game.  I've also got time for a Villa team made up of young English lads boding well for the future of the national team, but on Saturday of course, there is only one team in Claret and Blue to be backing.

Team wise, no reason to change the starting line up, I even think Davenport is slightly quicker than Collins so it maybe a good plan to keep him in whether or not the Ginger Maldini has returned.  So, to line up;

Green
Illunga - Upson - Davenport - Neill
Collison - Parker - Noble - Behrami
Cole - Bellamy

Bench - Lastuvka, LBM, Mullins, Collins (if fit), Sears, Tristan and Faubert

If Ehterington is back it may be interesting to to push Collison inside and Noble to the bench.  Villa are going to hit us on the wings so having a bit of pace to push them back as well could be important.  Make no mistake, this will be a tough game for the Hammers, the last time we met at Upton Park was for a 2-2 draw and i can see something fairly similar happening this time round.  Come on you Irons!

Hammers restore pride but it could have been even more...

I didn't expect to be coming away from the Bridge with the feeling that we should have taken all 3 points, but that is how it felt today.  I had a feeling that Chelsea were not as invincible as they once were but that it would still be a struggle.  Instead, a solid defence and slickly oiled midfield engine battled away for us to get a great point and were only let down by a mis-firing front line.

We have gathered by now that Cole is not a natural striker but we also know that some top quality strikers are like that, such as Heskey.  However, what you would expect is that if they do find themselves in a great goal-scoring position, they can put the ball in the back of the net.  Cole certainly needs to find his shooting boots and get back into the swing of things quickly, as if he can add that to his game, he can be a real asset.

Apart from that, no complaints about any of the players today, they were all immense and put in top performances. here's the breakdown...

Green - 7- Some fine saves and decision making, think thwere was only one slight error

Illunga - 7 - much better today from Herita, loved the hands behind the back, don't have to go that far mate, just keep them by your side!

Upson - 7 - strong and decisive, an excellent performance

Davenport - 7- was worried when I didn't see Collins name in the line up but Callum did an excellent job deputising, top man

Neill  - 7  - another good performance from Skippy

Collison - 8 - tireless running married to some nice creativity, he had an excellent game

Parker - 8 - worked his socks off here and showed how wide his range of gameplay is, I really think he deserves a regular place in the England squad

Noble - 7 - possibly the best I've seen him play in quite some time, nice to have you back mate!

Behrami - 8 - outstanding game, hard working and creative, some great passing

Cole - 6 - did his hold up job well, jsut let down by poor finishing

Bellamy - 7 - a goal and generally made a nuisance of himself, really hope we don't lsoe him in Jan...

Man of the Match - Very tough between all the midfielders for me, they all deserved it, Behrami proably just about shaded it

Zola/Clarke - 8 - back on track guys and the defence had some belief back, let's sort out the goals now

Still grinning from this one, and things are well set up for a thriller with Villa next....

Great Christmas Gift idea for a West Ham fan

So some of you may venturing out to the shops tomorrow, with no Hammers match to worry about until Sunday.  Well, it's cold and wet out there so why not stay at home and do some Xmas shopping with West Ham Blog?  We've already set up a West Ham Gift Shop for you and now got something a little extra, some great gifts from fans who wants to spend a little extra.

Icons.com are top people in the football memorabilia game, unlike some dodgy geezers on ebay, their stuff is the real deal.  They even have a concession shop in Harrods, that's how pucker they are.   Their West Ham selection isn't huge but some nice items, notably the signed Billy Bonds and Trevor Brooking shirts...

These genuine signed shirts come with a certificate of authenticity.  Price wise they are a shade under £120, but as a Christmas gift or an investment, it's a lovely purchase.  Click here to visit the icons shop