West Ham United Blog

West Ham v Stoke Preview

It's pretty simple really, tomorrow we have to win and drag ourselves away from the heap at the bottom.  The teams around us can easily get points, so it's crucial we don't allow daylight to creep between us and our rivals at the bottom.  Bizzarely, I did feel that this was the more winnable game of the Wolves/Stoke duet, Wolves had hit some form and have plenty to play for, whereas Stoke, battlers that they are, can still afford to relax a bit more.

This is the team we need to put out to win it;

Green

Daprela - Upson - Gabbidon - Faubert

Diamanti - Parker - Behrami - Stanislas

Cole  - Franco

Bench: Stetch, Da Costa, Spector, Dyer, Mido, Mccarthy and Noble

There can be no mucking about tomorrow, and after the pressure of Tuesday night, we need to keep the atmosphere loud but relaxed, we can't get on the backs of the lads if we are not 3-0 up after 10 minutes, we need to keep making noise and cheer them on for the 90.  Come on you Irons!

West Ham fans receive apology

So, an email poppped into my inbox this morning from David Sullivan.  I thought he might be praising the blog, but it turns out it's an email sent to all fans apologising for Tuesday night's shambolic performance and asking them to back the team on Saturday.  You can read the full text here

I've read it a couple of times and mulled it over, and I think good on him and the club.  For the past couple of seasons we have had layers of creditors and banks running the club, with no real public face save for the PR of Scott Duxbury.  Now, our owners are supporters and we know they are feeling our pain.  More than that they are being open and honest about our predicament.  They can also see part of the problem at the moment is the atmosphere around Upton Park, it's a kettle of frustration waiting to boil over.  It could be turned into something so much more useful in terms of backing the team.  Yes, they let us down on Tuesday, badly, and it hurt, but Saturday is another day and they need our help to fight. 

West Ham Blog is fully behind the chairmen and the team for Saturday and we've got to give them our full support.

West Ham 1 Wolves 3

I am generally an absolute optimist when it comes to supporting the Hammers.  I try to see the positives in defeat, the near misses in a draw and enjoy the jubilation of a victory.  But that optimisn well and truly faded and died with our bubbles tonight and it saddens me to say that it is time for a change.

Zola as a man and a person is one that it would clearly be a pleasure to know.  An intelligent, affable and positive person.  As a manager however, he has been finally found out and is lacking in judgement, organisation and motivation.  His appointment was an interesting one, but at times last season, memorably in away games against Wigan and Stoke, we seemed to marry good passing football with some real grit and fight.  It turns out they were the exception, not the rule we were looking for.

This season there has all too rarely been that kind of football - arguably against Millwall with an anger fuelled crowd, for short periods at home to Chelsea and Arsenal.  But against most other teams, we have simply folded.  More importantly than that, in a run-in which promised deliverance in the shape of 'winnable' games, we have capitulated against the likes of Bolton and tonight, Wolves.

There is not much point analysing the game, it was broadcast for all to see.  I'll still maintain we have good players, Parker, Behrami, Diamanti, Daprela, but they are simply not being organised or motivated in the right way.  In a game like tonight, it's simply not good enough.  Usually the optimist in me would cite a mistake by Tomkins and Parker's misfortune, but that would hide the multitude of sins we witnessed tonight.  Sins that simply cannot be repeated. 

We need a change and we need it now.  I am sure Mr G and Mr S already have their plans in their heads, now it is time to put them into action.  I'd like to think it is Mark Hughes waiting in the wings, there are not too many alternatives around.  Slaven Billic has been cited, but for me, Hughes would be the right man to take us forward.  But a change is needed, and whether he is pushed or leaves of his own accord, which I'd like to think this affable and honourable man will do, we need to get our grit and style back.  And that is not going to happen at the helm of Gianfranco Zola.  Ciao Gianfranco....you have killed the optimist in me tonight, and when that happens, things must be really bad....

West Ham turn to face the real tests

Well, there was not much surprise about the result yesterday, though it was tinged with some frustration as there were certainly times in the game yesterday when we could have at least have got a point from the game.  Diamanti's missed penalty and Cole's shaving of the post were both missed opportunities and in the end, Arsenal's class gave them the points they probably just about deserved.

In terms of the team, I hope we go out with more strength on Tuesday night against Wolves.  Cole and Mccarthy must be the goal threat to start with and Parker will presumably be re-instated.  For me this would be at the expense of Stanislas.  In spite of having one of his better games, I would put Stan on the bench and keep Diamanti in, it's his creativity that the front two will feed off.

So, Zola has rested and chopped and changed in our two 'no pointers' against Chelsea and Arsenal, now he has to make sure we are settled and ready for the two six pointers on Tuesday and Saturday.  Beating Wolves would put us in a more relaxed mode for Stoke on saturday and give a 6 point gap between us and the bottom.  It's a big one and we have to get right behind the Hammers for it, fingers crossed....

Arsenal v West Ham match preview

There are two schools of thought when it comes to a tough game away followed by two must win games at home.  One is to cut your losses, field a ‘lesser’ team against the big guns and save the other lads for the more important matches.  I’m not buying into that idea this weekend and think it is the other path we should follow, go into this one like we mean it and carry some momentum for the Wolves and Stoke game. 

The only real risk is Scott Parker who is another yellow away from suspension.  But if we drop him for the Arsenal match, I think that is us saying surrender.  I expect to see us giving the Gunners a real game, I think they are the most beatable of the big four, though their current form is pretty hot, and with Fabregas and Rosicky set to return, they could be even hotter.

Noble and Illunga have been back in training this week, but I wouldn’t change things too much from the Chelsea defeat up-front, where I would put Mido and Ilan on the bench and bring in Cole and Mccarthy.  So lining up...

Green

Daprela – Upson – Gabbidon – Spector

Diamanti – Parker – Kovac – Behrami

Cole – Mccarthy

Bench: Stetch, Tomkins, Illunga, Noble, Mido, Dyer and Collison

Zola has not had a good run against the top four but that’s no excuse for us to buckle and hide, imagine the confidence if we got a result here.  I’m not going to predict the score this week, let’s see if that cabn change our fortunes!  Come on you Irons!

Relegation Battle Update

I've not really contemplated us going down this season, I know all about the old phrase about being too good for the drop is a load of cobblers, but I can't see Cole, Parker, Green, Behrami, Diamanti and all heading for the drop.  This theory has been cheered with some news this morning.

Firstly, Portsmouth have had their nine point deduction confirmed by the FA.  That leaves them 17 behind with 27 points left on the table.  If I'm honest, I'm a bit gutted for them, whenver I've seen them play, they've played pretty well and have battled hard.  Would rather they swapped places with Bolton, but hey ho.

Additionally, Hull City have unveiled Iain Dowie as their new manager, as a guy not famed for his good looks, they would have done well to keep the veil on.  Having apparently failed to get Hughes (our next guvnor, I swear) or Grant, the Tigers have gone with a man whose record does not suggest a great escape is on the cards, something I would have been worried about if someone like Curbishley was put in charge.

Less of an impact, but interesting enough, Burnley have issued a statement telling the world that Brian Laws job is safe.  An admittance of an un-steady ship at the very least.

If we pick up the points at home and get a bit tidier on the road, we will at least have a chance to re-build for next season.  It's ours to mess up right now, I really hope we don't wobble....

Chelsea set to rely on third choice keeper for West Ham clash

Well, my preview cited the absence of Petr Cech as a route in for Hammers in the derby clash but some breaking news has reached us that reserve keepr Hilario is also out, leaving Ross Turnbull, Chelsea's third choice keeper to keep between the sticks.  It will be Ross Turnbull's Premier League debut.  This can go either way, the boy can play a blinder and keep the Hammers out, or he could display some debut nerves in front of a derby crowd and his unfamilarity with his back line could play in the Hammers favour.  Either way, the Hammers have even more reason to go for it...

Chelsea v West Ham Match Preview

First up, apologies for not writing my thoughts after the Bolton game, but this is a family blog and the words I would have used to express my thoughts would not have been family friendly.  Needless to say, it was a very poor performance and if we carry on like that, my optimism for survival may prove to be mis-guided.

It’s a bit of a shame then that are opportunity to bounce back sees us at the Bridge this weekend and the Emirates next weekend.  Not the fixtures you’d choose for us right now.  But I see this weekend as more likely match where we can pick up points.  Firstly, Hilario is not fit to shine Cech’s boots as a keeper and if we manage to test him, he could slip up.  Chelsea also had a wobble of their own recently with the City game, their two sendings off that day proving that if you fight and compete, they become petulant and lose discipline.  Mark Clattenburrg is the ref on Saturday and I like him and have faith he won’t be shy in bringing the Blues down a peg or two.  Finally, Chelsea have a huge game on Tuesday against Inter Milan and I imagine they may look at giving one or two players a rest.

But it’s not the weaknesses of others we should look at, but the strength of ours.  We have good players in our team, but some of them need to wake up.  Tomkins has been rated a solid 6/7 so far this season and just because he had a mare against Bolton, does not mean he should be dropped.  His replacement would be Gabbidon , and for his re-introduction to be up against Drogba would be a bit of a mistake.  We are without Faubert, Noble and Da Costa, so the changes could be rung for this one.  I would go for Daprela at left back but I imagine Zola will put in Spector on the left and move Behrami back.

Green

Daprela – Upson – Tomkins – Spector

Diamanti – Parker – Kovac – Behrami

Cole – Franco

Bench:  Stetch, Gabbidon, Dyer, Stanislas, Mido, Collison and Mccarthy

It’s going to be very tough and I’ll be more than happy with a draw here.  0-0 does not seem to happen anymore so let’s go 1-1 with a Diamanti special troubling the scorers.  Come on you Irons!!!

West Ham v Bolton match preview

Although I think the Hull result was the crucial one for the season, tomorrow’s visit of the turgid Bolton Wanderers could cement our Premier League status, should the result fall our way.  However, it’s certainly not a result we can take for granted, with Bolton proving to be something of a thorn in the side of the Hammers, but in footballing terms, their presence at Upton Park being reminiscent to me of a thrash metal guitarist turning up at a classical concert.

However, with decent home form starting to show this game is certainly winnable.  Owen Coyle’s penchant for at least trying to play football could work in our favour, as the game could be played on the deck and we have the players who make a difference there.  Bolton’s recent win against Wolves covers a run of 7 games previous to that without a victory.  On form, the Hammers should be winning this.

As for the line-up, let’s hope Mr Upson changes his glass slippers for football boots, the team has been settled of late and I don’t see much reason to change;

Green

Spector – Upson – Tomkins – Faubert

Diamanti – Parker – Kovac – Behrami

Cole – Franco

Bench:  Stetch, Da Costa, Mido, Stanislas, Noble, Collison and Ilan

The lads have really got to be up for this one, we know that Bolton will be.  A win not only gives us three crucial points but pushes us further away from Bolton in the zone as well.  It’s going to be tough but I’m feeling 2-1 to the Hammers with Cole and Franco troubling the scorers.  Come on you Irons!!!

Three Irons represent Three Lions

Three West Ham players were on the pitch at the final whistle of tonight's England game, the biggest Premiership representation.  England, resplendent in their New England Kit finished fairly convincing winners 3-1 after a confident start by Egypt, a team who have surprisingly not qualified on this performance.

As for the Hammers players, a mixed night.  Carlton Cole was only on for just under 10 minutes, replacing the tireless Rooney.  Upson was at fault for the Egypt goal, slipping at a crucial moment but otherwise did well.  Green had a fairly decent game, but his tendency towards David James like kicking was once again apparent with a couple of heart stopping moments.  But the fact that he stayed in goal for the 90 suggests his place is booked.  I still feel it's a shame Scott Parker has not got into the reckoning, for me he is on a par with Gareth barry, but hey, I'm happy with three Irons going to the World Cup, it can be a good sign!