West Ham United Blog

Bow Bells silence the Pompey Chimes

It was nerve wracking right until Kovac slammed in the second, but this was a great result today against one of our relegation rivals.  Finally the lads seem to have warmed up after a very slow start and the performances are vastly improved.

Portsmouth had their spells but the better chances fell to us.  There was much more discipline at the back to give us first clean sheet in a long time.  Despite rumours to the contrary, Franco started but he looked 90% fit to me.  Despite this, he still worked like a horse, ploughing a lone furrow up front.  In the middle of the park, Scott Parker was once again immense.  He must be a late consideration for the world Cup finals, England don’t have a player like him as his role is crucial and he attacks with commitment.  All the boys done well, but big shout outs to a much improved Kovac and the unflappable Faubert.  Let’s do the ratings;

Green  - 6 – clean sheet but still not quite there I don’t think, something is troubling him...

Illunga – 7 – better performance from Herita today, much better defensively

Upson – 7 – solid and dependable, back to the old Upson

Tomkins – 7 – did very well today as well

Faubert  - 8 – full of running and defended well, making the right back spot truly his own

Collison – 6 – decent shift from Jack, getting better with each game

Noble – 6 (subbed) – Jiminez – 6 – quiet for periods but involved in both our goals

Parker  - 8 – just huge for us again, he CANNOT be sold in Jan

Kovac – 7 – much better game from Kov, covering the back four well

Diamanti – 7 – full of invention and running, becoming a real Upton Park favourite

Franco – 6.5 – ran his socks off but was very isolated for long periods

Zola/Clarke – 7 – kept us on a knife edge but got the boys working for a hard fought victory

Next up we head to the Lane for a tough game against North London big shots Spurs.  Although we can go into the game with confidence, we’re going to have to be at our best to take anything from this one.  However, if the lads work like they have the last two games and Behrami continues his comeback, we could do well.

Hammers start the revival?

It’s been a while since I’ve felt good about writing a match report about the Hammers, but yesterday’s performance means I’m writing with a smile on my face.  We played like we knew we could against Chelsea.  I never thought the players were not good enough, it was simply the mental attitude and concentration that was wrong.  There were still some chinks of that showing through, namely in Rob Green and Illunga, but for the most part we were a solid unit yesterday.

Scott Parker was rightly man of the match, the man is a machine, pulling strings from the midfield, we certainly cannot afford to lose Scott in the transfer window, we’d be signing our own death warrant.  Other notable performances were Faubert whose improvement has been immense this season.  Upson was excellent, Kovac improved though still a bit questionable.  It was great to have Noble back to his old self too, he looked a different player to the one we saw earlier in the season.  Might as well just do the ratings

Green – 6 – there’s something troubling England’s number one, he carries the look of an unhappy bunny, hope he gets more settled soon

Illunga – 5 – just not the same as last season at all, occasionally careless, needs to sort his head out

Upson – 7 – came back into the side and gave us some much needed solidity at the back

Gabbidon – 6 – pulled off after 20 – Tomkins – 7 – seemed to enjoy working with Upson

Faubert – 7 – our very own TGV train did very well, getting forward and back

Collison – 7 – dynamic performance from Jack, back to his old self as well

Parker – 9 – just immense, tackling, passing, breaking forward, the guy has got it all, case for inclusion in the England squad?

Kovac – 6 – got into the pace of the game much better than in his previous matches

Noble – 8 – really happy to see him battling and enjoying himself again, more of the same please mate

Diamanti – 7 – I love this guy, is frustrating at times but buzzing with energy and creativity

Franco – 8 – worked his socks off and lead the line well

Zola/Clarke – 8 – got the team working in the right way, keep it going guys

Overall, a really good performance.  Importantly, although we won against Burnley, you felt that the mental attitude of the team had not changed, which was proven at Birmingham and Bolton.  But yesterday, there was a real change in the air, we must continue that against Portsmouth on Saturday, a win against them and we  can start to look upwards, come on you Irons!

The fight starts here...

Well, that was pretty woeful wasn’t it?  And it does not get any easier, we’ve got Bolton away tomorrow and then Chelsea at home.  We’ve really got to start getting points on the board if we are not going to get dragged into a proper dogfight.  Right now, it’s still the case that 2 or 3 good results will keep us out of it for a while, but we need to start looking like we are getting those results.
Yes, we’ve had bad luck with injuries, but I think there are 3 key players we failed to replace that has led us to where we are now.

Craig Bellamy – love him or hate him, Bellamy has pace, fight and finishing to his game, no matter what we paid for Savio, he was not a proper replacement for Bellamy.  I like Hines as an impact sub, but again he is not an experienced Premiership player.

Lucas Neill – the skipper was tops for us last season, we should have either shelled out what he wanted or got ourselves a proper right back replacement.  Specs does a job when required, but lacks the leadership  and fight that Neill brought to the team

James Collins – although the ginger Maldini was injury prone, his last ditch defending is something we clearly miss.  Da Costa looked like he might be settling in, then fell asleep during the Burnley game

Had the club bought suitable replacements for these boys, then I think things would be under control, but Hines and Da Costa are too raw and Spector only just about does a job.  But there is not much point moaning about it this, we have to get on with it.  The players have to play like they did in the last 10 against Birmingham for the whole 90 against Bolton.  We need to want it more, we need to attack, keep the discipline in the defence and I want the midfield to come off knackered.  If we don’t get a result, it might be worth remembering Pardew’s last stand was a 4-0 surrender at the Reebok.  Zola still has my faith but I suggest this may run out by the New Year.  The turnaround needs to start soon.  Here’s how we do it;

Green

Illunga – Tomkins – Gabbidon – Spector

Stanislas – Parker – Collison – Faubert

Franco – Diamanti

If Noble had not got himself sent off, I’d have him in the middle and Stan on the bench, where he would be joined by Kovac who is not endearing himself very much at the moment.

Come on Hammers, and come on Zola and Clarke, you are managers, manage the team, make them believe they are world beaters, make them confident, that’s what you are paid to do, so start doing it!  Come on you Irons!

Dean Ashton forced to retire

Sad news via the official site is what most of us have known for some time, that our very own Dean Ashton is officially retiring.  It's really sad news, I think Deano making a contribution to the team has long gone out of people's minds, the sadness is in such a talent going to waste at such a young age after his injury from a Shaun Wright-Phillips tackle.  I saw Deano play a number of times and his goals against the likes of Man City away in the cup and even the couple he got a Wigan at home on the first game of last season, showed what a natural finisher he was.  Add in his strength and his pace and Deano was very close to an all round striker and if fit would have certainly been knocking on Capello's door for the England squad.

As for suing clubs or individuals, frankly after the league sat back and watched the Blades get their pound of flesh, it's open season on suing whoever you want and I hope Deano gets a satisfactory settlement.

Good luck for the future Mr Ashton, we hope to see you still in the game some time in the future.

Birmingham City v West Ham Preview

Sorry I did not post after the Man United game, I was so angry at the result and the way we went about it.  I’m not one of those clamouring for Zola’s head after he didn’t take off Hines, it’s very common to wait on a substitution if there’s only a couple of minutes of the half left.  But the paucity of the team as a whole was there for all to see. 

I’m not one to jump on a player for the sake of it, but Kovac is meant to have some decent pedigree behind him, there was nothing to suggest that on Saturday.  And I still think Zola is playing Stanislas too much ahead of the more experienced Faubert.  Stan is a prospect, but his head goes down too easily when he gets found it.  Additionally, he is not yet a good deliverer of the ball when the opponent has not been beaten.  Faubert can it least deliver a good cross in that situation, even if it is occasionally wayward.

We really could do with a result against Birmingham City on Saturday, a team in good form.  City have won three on the trot and not lost in six, a run we really could do with.  They are not the most glamorous of teams, but they are clearly well drilled and working for each other.  Something we must be on Saturday.

As for the team, our injury list is as long as my arm at the moment, it remains to be seen if Green, Upson and Noble can make a return.  Behrami, Jiminez, Cole and Hines are all certainly out.  Kovac must go on the bench for this one, he does not seem to be offering us anything at the moment.  I think it was harsh that Da Costa was dropped and it interrupted our rhythm.  I’d hope we can line up along the lines of;

Green

Illunga – Upson – Da Costa – Spector

Collison – Parker – Dyer/Noble – Faubert

Franco – Diamanti

Bench: Kurucz, Tomkins, Kovac, Stanislas, Nouble, Gabbidon and one of Dyer/Noble

As a starting eleven, it could be worse, though the bench shows how badly we need to strengthen things in the Summer.

Prediction:  Tough one to call, this is such an important game.  A beating at this lot and we start to look like a club in trouble.  I’m going for an early Christmas Miracle and Diamanti to shine in a 2-1 win for the Hammers.  Please Santa, I’ve been a good boy, make it happen!  Up the ‘ammers....

West Ham v Manchester United Preview

Possibly the last team we want to face right now is a top four club hitting some form, but that’s the price of Premier League football.  Had we been going into this on the back of a 5-0 win, confidence would rightly be high, but I fear that the three goals we let slip have let in doubts into our belief and any lead will be tinged with the fear of conceding.

Our opponents this Saturday are Manchester United.  Traditionally, we’ve given them a run for their money at Upton Park, but we’re going to have be at 100% if we are going to give them any problems this weekend.  Although I think there is less to fear from Man United, without the likes of Tevez and Ronaldo, they are still an excellent side and Wayne Rooney is a top player.  He could be the difference between the two sides in the same way Torres was when the scousers came to Upton Park.

As for the Hammers, well we know that Cole, Upson, Behrami and Diamanti are all out for this one.  Despite my criticism of him earlier in the season, this is the game I would like to see Mark Noble returning in.  It’s going to need some real spirit and fight and I just think Noble is bursting at the seams ready to prove himself once again.  So, my line up...

Green

Illunga – Da Costa – Gabbidon – Spector

Collison – Parker – Noble – Faubert

Franco – Hines

Bench: Kurucz, Stanislas, Tomkins, Nouble, Kovac, Jiminez and Dyer

Either way, Kovac certainly on the bench please and I’d like to see Faubert on the right, I think his experience could be important in this game

Key Opponent – if we nullify WAYNE ROONEY then we could keep United at bay

Key player – could a return for MARK NOBLE herald a new era for him?

Prediction – tough one to call, we will score but so will they, a 2-3 defeat for the Hammers is on the cards

I hope the lads can surprise me and keep it tight at the back and get a couple at the top, it’s going to be tough.  Come on you Irons!!!!!