West Ham United Blog

Almunia Lands on Loan as Green is out for 6 weeks

Manuel Almunia has signed on loan following the new that Robert Green has a knee cartilage problem which will see him out for 6 weeks.  To be fair to the club, it's a pretty good replacement.  Although Almunia is prone to the odd error, he should be a good pair of hands at this level.  Welcome to the club Manuel we hope you settle in and do well for us.

West Ham 0 Ipswich 1

A humid night at Upton park had Hammers fans sweating for other reasons with an abject display from our lads.  Hopes were high with the much called for Baldock in the starting 11, but West Ham just never got in gear tonight.  I'm not sure what it was - it certainly wasn't a 442 as Cole/Carew were often left alone with Baldock spending much of the time catching up on the play out on the wing.  He looks very quick, but surely would have been better served playing centrally?  Some may laugh but I genuinely think we missed Faubert in that right side role tonight.

It also seems that fans are very keen to get on Kevin Nolan's back.  Certainly, he is not influencing games as we hoped he might, but then again, he was never a direct replacement for Parker, at elast from the footballing point of view.  We are missing Scott for sure, but people need to stop expecting Nolan to be a box to box midfielder, he was never that type of player for Newcastle and won't be for us.  What he does bring is a true captaincy role and another option in attack, indeed, he had a couple of chances tonight.  But booing, really?  Have we turned into Spurs?  We're supporters, not critics, so let's start supporting.

Performances, I'd say only Faye and Cole came out with real credit.  Bentley did alright, as did Noble, but there was just a lack of rhythm throughout the whole team.

I'd hope that Taylor is fit for Saturday and I'd put things back to how they were before this game with the right players in the correct positions.  We're unbeaten away from the pressure of Upton Park this season, so let's hope we pick up ourselves and the points this weekend.

Olympic Stadium to be re-named the Ann Summers?

I'm sure this is absolute nonsense but it did get me thinking about the joy jourmalists will have if a story about re-naming the Olympic Stadium the Ann Summers has any semblance of truth to it...

'The Ann Summers is buzzing'

'Can feel good vibrations all through the Ann Summers'

Hmmm, anyone got any better ones (without being too rude!) ?

Hammers prepare for derby

This week has gone very quickly, apologies for no post match Pompey thoughts, what a strange game that was!  But there were some really good performances, especially from Noble, Lansbury and Cole, though everyone contributed.  It was great to get the home hoodoo off our backs and get a win under our belts, albeit a close one.

Apparently we have some sort of local derby tomorrow, not sure who against.  Hopefully the headlines will be about matters on the pitch and we can keep our excellent away record going, but the atmosphere will be markedly different from the one at Watford.

Team wise, again, it will be hard to mess with a winning formula, although you’ll want some strong heads and bodies tomorrow, so Faye or Diop could possibly get a look in.  If anything, the occasion might get to Winston Reid, who despite starting well can let nerves get the better of him.  I’m sure Sam will be watching his state of mind closely.

Anyway, my eleven to start

Green

Macca  Faye Tomkins O’Brien

Taylor Noble Lansbury  Faubert

Nolan

Cole

Bench: Reid, Boffin, Bentley, Baldock and Diop

These boys can get the result provided the occasion does not get to them, let’s hope they focus on the game and our fans focus on getting behind them.  Come on you Irons!

West Ham v Portsmouth Preview

I hate Internationals when they mean we have to wait two weeks to see our team.  The fact that it came after the transfer window makes it worse, with fans keen to see the new signings in action.  On the flip side, it gives the new boys time to bed in and get to know their new surroundings, before facing Portsmouth on Saturday.

Sam faces an interesting task, with a bevvy full of new players itching to play, but a team who put paid to Forest with such ease surely deserving of another start.  I’d be looking to start with the boys that put four past Forest, the only slight question being whether we move to a 442 with Baldock pairing with Cole up front to try and turn around our wretched home form.  But it would be hard to argue with a starting eleven of

Green

Mccartney – Tomkins – Reid – O’Brien

Taylor – Noble – Collison - Faubert

Nolan

Cole

Bench: Boffin, Faye, Bentley, Baldock, Carew

We start to look like we have real depth when we are leaving the likes of Demel, Piquoinne and Diop off the team sheet and have such strength on the bench.  Not many others in our division could afford to do that.

As for our opponents, their start has been stuttering with just one win under their belts.  We’ll be welcoming back former Hammers Hayden Mullins, who used to drive me up the wall with his sideways passing and Tal Ben Haim who I quite liked as a player.  If the Hammers are on form , they should not give us too many problems.  I’m hoping for a lifting of our home curse under Sam and a right rollocking performance by the Hammers, come on you Irons!

PS A quick shout out to Steve, who asked me to mention his site containing football badges of crossed hammers from all over the world, do pay him a visit