Slav: The Unfathomable Situation

So here we are once more, huddled together like penguins, waiting for the news diligently, the news that doesn’t come.

I feel like I have been here before. That’s right, last September, following the 4-2 defeat by Watford. This is not a case of I told you so (as I prepare to say I kind of told you so), but Super Slav, is really not that super.

I mean, he’s lovely and I like the fact that he goes to rock concerts and wears band t-shirts and the players like him and all of that stuff, but when it comes to managing the football club, he’s just not that super. There, I said it.

As stated, there we were. Cold and cross at the London Stadium, wondering why we bothered as Zabaleta gave away a stonewall penalty and we stared down the barrel of a 3 – 0 defeat, to a team just promoted and with the greatest respect, were no great shakes.

Except of course, I was not there. I had already sold my season ticket on the exchange as the thought of watching West Ham again after the Swansea fixture, where we scraped home in the dying embers, by the skin of our teeth, did not fill me with the joy.  

I watched it of course from the comfort of my living room, knowing full well that the forty quid for my ticket sits comfortably in my e-ticketing account. Of course, I mean £27, after the club takes its cut, but I’m assured this money goes on ‘community-based’ projects, whether I like it or not.

What I’m saying is not that, ‘I am so clever, dodged a bullet’ etc. more that it was so clear what could have potentially happened that my head told me to stay away, even if my heart said otherwise.

This really is quite tragic. I have been on the waiting list for a new season ticket after not renewing when we left the Boleyn. I was excited for this season, having fought off my demons regarding the new stadium and the corporate facelessness that seemed to be the direction in which we were going.

I guessed I was ready to forgive all of that, as performances on the pitch were what mattered and given our recruitment over the summer, we had a fighting chance of doing better this season.  How wrong I was!

Despite the excitement of some big name summer signings, the same cracks were there, glaring, from the season before. Carroll and his injury woes are a running theme, the inability to strengthen at the back since the departure of James Tomkins, the gap left by Payet going forward. I mean Mikhail Antonio can only have so much gas in the tank and on Friday night, it appeared all of his endeavour and spark, had been replaced by frustration and malcontent.

Like a battered partner, hurt and upset after the Swansea performance, I knew I had to think carefully about how to move forward. I was wary and kept my distance against Brighton but knew that the disappointment of such a humiliating result will force action, will make the change. Sadly, I was wrong.

It is clear to most, probably to Slav himself, that the game is up. It has since transpired that he said his goodbyes and offered to leave a number of games ago after the same result at Newcastle. I mean, what other message do the board need, when their manager throws in the towel so early on? Is this Slav feeling the heat or is he admitting he does not know what to do?

We face the same situation as we did this time last year. A manager who for whatever reason is not getting the job done and leading the team into a potential struggle, a possible relegation battle, yet the owners deciding to ‘give him two more games.’

Personally, I find nothing more insipid and disappointing than this vapid response. What do they expect? What can anyone gain from this situation? Let’s discuss the options.

Option 1 – West Ham United, by some miraculous intervention from a higher power, get home against a rampant Spurs side and beat Palace away. Bilic stays and another disappointing season follows.

Option 2 – West Ham United beat Spurs somehow and lose to Palace. Although beating Spurs away is a feeling second to none, we will be deep in the relegation zone and will most probably be looking at another big team in the Caribou Cup.

Option 3 – West Ham United lose heavily to Spurs and beat Palace. A mini-reprieve in the league, but how likely are we to get a result at Selhurst if we are battered by a scarily in form Tottenham?

Option 4 – beaten by both, same position, except the players are more delusioned, lacking confidence, we are out of a cup and staring down the barrel in the league.

My fairly laboured point, is that this inertia and fear of change, is almost certainly going to cost us. No-one wants to sack a manager, I would have loved it if Slav worked, but it hasn’t. He could and in my book should have gone this time last year and we are quite clearly going backwards now.

I am grateful to the owners for a number of things, but not for this. The feeling in the camp is too relaxed, there is no real pressure (except for the fans), there is no urgency among players or staff. We have become a mini-Arsenal, the fans forced to accept a fate we do not really deserve.

West Ham 2 - 1 Chelsea : The Truth!

As the sun set majestically in East London, so did Chelsea’s hopes of silverware in this increasingly important competition, as West Ham United ran out comfortable winners at the London Stadium.

                Due to unwarranted media attention, the fixture needed no introduction and there was a palpable buzz around the stadium, as the nigh on capacity crowd descended upon Stratford. There was vociferous singing and some volatile chanting preceding the match and well into the first half. On the whole, despite the typical goading and schadenfreude, little between the vast majority of supporters seemed amiss.

                Chelsea’s continuity most certainly was mind you, as a revitalised West Ham took full advantage of a lacklustre Chelsea display, typified by the woefully off-key Jon Terry.

                West Ham continued with their 3-5-2 formation that has brought them some success over the past few weeks and more importantly, seven points. This time it was the in-form Michail Antonio’s turn to start up front and his pace and aggression caused the Chelsea stalwart a mountain of issues at the back.

                A bright start from the Hammers was rewarded when Mark Noble’s pinpoint cross was met by Cheikhou Kouyate’s head who directed a sharp header, past the outstretched Asmir Begovic, for nothing less than the hosts deserved, an early one-nil lead.

                Chelsea, despite making seven changes, fielded a very strong team and in particular Nathaniel Chalobah looked quick and dangerous on the break. Batshuayi however, was not so clinical in front of goal, as the few attempts the visitors had, landed safely in the welcoming arms of Darren Randolph.

                Mark Noble as usual, summed up the ferocity and desire in the West Ham camp and put in some thumping, yet legal tackles in the middle of the park, which certainly helped to keep the likes of N’Golo Kante and Ola Aina quiet for a large part of the first half.

                As the half drew to a close, West Ham were the ones clinging on a little for dear life, as the legs tired. Chelsea continued to attack but found a stubborn defensive resistance and a competent goal keeping performance from the Irons number 1 in number, if not in name.             

                Anxious West Ham spirits were lifted once more, early in the second half, as Edmilson Fernandes wonder strike from the edge of the area sent the stadium into further rapture. It was the perfect time to score and West Ham seemed home and dry.

                However, Chelsea were not ready to roll over and with half an hour left, Antonio Conte rang the changes. Pedro, Costa and Hazard were all introduced and had an immediate impact as the West Londoners came ever closer to finding the back of the net.

                In one particularly fluent move in the 83^rd minute, Costa seemed to have chipped Randolph to find the back of the net, only to watch the ball dribble agonizingly wide of the upright and out for a goal kick.

                West Ham defended stoutly but fell afoul of the proverbial kitchen sink as in the 94^th minute Gary Cahill bundled in a questionable goal. However, it was too late and the referee’s final whistle blew much to the relief and dare I say it, shock of the Upton Park faithful.

                Let’s face it, West Ham have had a stuttering start to the season, while Chelsea’s display on Sunday against Mourinho’s United was nothing short of sublime. Yet, West Ham looked like they had slipped it into fourth gear and are beginning to get back to the heady heights that were reached last season. There is still no out and out striker of any real quality fully fit, which makes the victory even sweeter.

                With that in mind and players coming back, there is no reason not to feel confident as the mighty Irons travel to Old Trafford in the next round of the EFL Cup. Next up though, is a visit to Everton FC this Sunday in the Premier League. Surely some sort of result here will signal crisis over for Bilic and his happy Hammers?    

                With regards to the ‘trouble,’ let me just say that this has been quite ferociously over-egged by all and sundry in the media. Yes, there was the usual arm-waving and ‘my flymo’s bigger than your flymo’ type of banter, but in the grand scheme of things, this was largely just kids on their half term wanting to relive their wet dreams over Football Factory and being part of the mob. The ICF and Headhunters are most certainly not back, that is for sure. To put it another way, if you saw the Skysports coverage, that was the extent of it. As a spectator, I felt mildly miffed and worried about my train, in the case of being further delayed out of the ground. I wasn’t phoning the Samaritans this morning in need of a friendly voice, like the feeding frenzy might suggest.

                The most unsavoury events that occurred for me were two-fold. Firstly, being handed a piece of paper near entry from a West Ham ‘fan’ encouraging us to sing homophobic chants about Costa and Terry. This is to the tune of Dimitri Payet (the fan spelt his name wrong too). Thankfully, I think most fans threw down the paper in disgust, like I, rather than get involved and the Payet song rang harmoniously around the ground throughout the game, with no amended lyrics.

                Secondly, some of the ‘banter’ for want of a better word around me was quite frankly, vile. I have alluded to this earlier, but much to my disappointment, I feel it needs further mention. We’ve all been there, getting involved one too many bevvies or poison of your choice, yet the personal nature of some of the chanting was just not what I’ve heard before at West Ham.

                Behind us, in block 113 stood a group of wannabe TOWIE twonks, in their cheap Primarni suits, thinking they could do and say what they want. They could be no more than 18 or 19 and when they weren’t telling one portly Chelsea fan, minding his own business that his ‘wife should be ashamed of him,’ they were informing another young away supporter that his girlfriend next to her ‘had chlamydia and was going to suck them off.’

                It was all a bit puerile and not very West Ham for me. We all like giving John Terry the gears, but none of us pay the money to support our team to get goaded by slick-haired oiks, fuelled by warm carling and synthetic cocaine, who would run a mile when faced with the people they choose to chastise.

                Anyway, the new stadium brings a lot of positives but also its negatives. Football-wise West Ham were outstanding and not a million miles from their best tonight. Long may it continue.

               

Bad leadership is better than no leadership - West Ham 0 - 0 Sunderland

The West Ham faithful sat through yet another stalemate at Upton Park, as Sunderland will rue missed opportunities to win the game.
Well, that is the last time I will be making any predictions before a West Ham United game. I was that confident, I put them in my acca, breaking one of my many gambling rules of fun. Don't back West Ham, or any team that is so woeful in front of goal for that matter. 
It all started so well, with the Man City and Arsenal goalfest, followed by some relatively pleasing team news from Big Sam. I think he picked the best team he had at his disposal, with Tomkins passing a late fitness test and Joe Cole coming into the starting line up. Nolan was suspended (a blessing in disguise I thought) so Ravel came back in and lined up with Jarvis, Noble and Diame to make up the midfield. Maiga kept his place up top after a fairly decent performance against Liverpool last week. 
This was touted as a 'must win' for both teams, yet I suppose being brutally honest, Sunderland needed it more than us. This was indeed evident by the way they started and kept up the relentless pace of the game. The Sunderland midfield hurried us off the ball and did not let us create any real chances of note. This was mirrored by Andre Marriner's shockingly poor refereeing decisions, leaving us with little to no chances in the first half with fans and players extremely frustrated. 
An example of Marriner's ineptitude came in the first half when West Ham had a free kick that big Ginger James Collins was lining up to boom into the box. Jozy Altidore, crept forward as a one man wall, causing Marriner to blow up and rightfully usher him back. He promptly ignored the ref's requests only to shuffle ever closer to the dead ball, much to the crowd's disgust. Altidore looked at the ref, the ref shrugged his shoulders before ushering Collins to get on with it, at which point Altidore leapt forward and at the point of contact was literally two yards from the dead ball. To add further insult to injury, the ball cannoned off the striker's right bum cheek and towards the West Ham half. Altidore, waiting for the referee's whistle and ensuing card/free kick, hears the golden sound of silence and finds himself through on goal and bearing down on Jussi. Due to being apoplectic with rage, I didn't see what happened, but he clearly didn't score. This most certainly would have been for the best as I daresay he would have had a few hundred West Ham fans wanting to send the boys 'round if he had.  
Sunderland continued to press hard and Jussi tipped a rifling effort onto the bar at the end of the half and West Ham continued to look, like headless, leaderless chickens.  
The second half started, subs came and went, they were all pretty useless and we continued to get played off the park by bottom of the pile Sunderland. Nerves were a jangle and the crowd remained quiet until the final 25 minutes or so where we tried fruitlessly to inspire this desperately misfiring team. It was to no avail and the game ended in a horrible 0-0 and Sunderland will quite honestly feel very hard done by. They had 59% of the possession and 19 shots on goal. Luckily we had a keeper who had one of his better games.  
My favourite part of the game was when Jack Collison came out for a cheeky little warm up at the start of the second half. He was eating a banana and managed to stretch, applaud the crowd and take a chunk of the fruit simultaneously, without a second thought. It was mightily impressive to say the least and I only wonder if he could transform these multi-tasking skills onto the pitch we might be onto something. Imagine a West Ham player who could run, look up and shoot at the same time, eh?  
I think Noble had his worst game so far this season. Jarvis was equally very poor. Maiga has the ability to jump really, really high. Like he seems to hang in the air for what seems like an age before ultimately missing the ball and bottling out of the subsequent tackle. Ravel ran around and around and around the opposition penalty box, either too frightened or too lazy to pull the trigger. James Collins continues to amaze me how he plays Premier League football, he literally offers nothing. His free-kicks are usually over hit and inaccurate and gone are the day of his aerial threat. At the death, he had a chance to win it with a clear header but the ball glanced off the side of his big ginger bonce and dribbled out for a goal kick, a beautiful and poignant metaphor for West Ham's general attacking threat at present. 
It was the first time I have been bored at West Ham this season, there really was nothing to shout about at all. We keep banging on about the striker situation but it's the least of our worries. The team have no belief and no drive at the moment which is a massive concern in a relegation scrap. I actually missed Nolan for a brief moment in the game, which goes to show what sort of a state we are in. 
I would not have been surprised to see the back of Big Sam this morning after such a feeble display at home. Also, I thought his post-match comments were laughable and embarrassing, praising the point and the clean sheet, bemoaning the fact that we needed 'just 1 goal in eight of the games' etc. etc. I wonder if Pellegrini sets his side up to think 'just one goal, that's all we need today.' It's farcical really, but hey ho this is West Ham United, where anything can happen.
Even before the game, Sullivan came out having a little whinge about Andy Carroll and his injury. Apparently he would not have signed him if he'd have known he would not have played so far this season. In other news, the publishing firms that rejected Harry Potter wished they had have given it another read and people are quite sad that Nelson Mandela died too. I mean really, what is the point? I wish our owners could keep their mouths shut at times and let the football (for better or worse) do the talking. 
Or at least spend some time thinking whether Big Sam is indeed still the man, from where I am looking, the players and fans seem to have lost faith. But these are owners who like to stand by their man, just like they did with Uncle Avram. We can only hope there is not the same result at the end of the season.
This week we go away to manager-less Spurs before a trip up north to the champions, Manchester United. That is followed by the visit of Arsenal on Boxing Day. This fan is a little anxious to say the least.   


Jussi 7*

Man of the match - kept us in the game
Demel 6
A solid game
Tomkins 7
Fights solidly for the cause - came bursting out of defence with some good runs
Collins 5
A bit of a liability for me
McCartney 5
Did northing of note - poor crossing
Noble 4
Looked a bit lost today
Diame 6
We are completely reliant on his bullocking runs
Joe Cole 5 
Without my rose-tinted JC specs on, nothing really of note today
Jarvis 4
Very, very poor
Morrison 5
Doesn't know what to do with the ball when he has it
Maiga 5
Tries hard - fails miserably

West Ham United 0 - 0 Aston Villa

West Ham were left frustrated by a well organised Aston Villa side at the Boleyn Ground this week.

The Irons showed plenty of endeavour for no reward as the now infamous 4-6-0 formation reared its head once more. The instructions clearly were to get the ball down and play and on a number of occasions, West Ham were able to cut through their opponents at will. Sadly, however the final ball was often lacking and as such there were very few clear cut chances for the home side.

In fact, one could argue that the best chances of the first half fell to Aston Villa on the break where Weimann broke dangerously but could only fire the ball at Jaaskelainen, under pressure from James Tomkins. A second time the wily Villa frontman broke, he was chased back by Ravel Morrison, who challenged just outside the box causing Weimann to tumble to the floor. Cue mass gesticulation from the Villa fans but Howard Webb was unmoved. It was a tricky one, there was definite contact but it appeared that it was a 50/50 which Ravel managed to win.

After that the half was dominated by the Hammers and some slick build up play. We passed and moved well, getting the ball out wide to Jarvis and Downing who often managed to get balls in the box that were met by Villa defenders. A seemingly good plan, if we played with a striker. But it did seem quite unbelievable that this was the gameplan, when we once again started with no recognised frontman. Kevin Nolan huffed and puffed, Jack Collison (drafted in after an impressive second half at Burnley) had a shot that hit the side netting, but all in all we looked a little toothless despite dominating possession.

The second half started brighter for the visitors, who also rocked by injury looked the more likely to nick it as the game wore on. West Ham persisted with the passing/crossing style, Aston Villa continued to defend with relative ease.

The best chance of the game came from a Villa break which saw Christian Benteke get on the end of a pinpoint cross, only to head mercifully against the West Ham bar.

A double change came and the two Coles were introduced. Carlton gave us a much needed target to aim at in the middle but again found himself frustrated for opportunities. Joe Cole hustled and bustled and had one of only four West Ham shots on target towards the end of the game. Kevin Nolan continued his barren run and was clear through from a sneaky Downing ball but was unable to find the target.

So, it was one of those days at the Boleyn Ground. It didn’t seem like we would score if we had another 90 minutes to play. On the positive side, it is yet another clean sheet, however there were some bemusing occurrences in selection and style of play. If the 4-6-0 is used for counter attacking, why use it in a game we would dominate at home? If we start with no striker, why persist in banging balls into the box time and time again? I don’t know if Big Sam was hoping for second balls to drop kindly and live off scraps, but either way it did not seem like the way we should be trying to play in a must win home game.

We desperately missed the dominance in midfield of Mo Diame who made a belated substitute appearance in the 88^th minute. Surely he is the ideal candidate up top for the ‘False nine’ system? Kevin Nolan tried hard once again, but in a midfield required to score, as the most advanced player he once again failed. Again, it does beg the question, why not start with Joe Cole in these barren goal scoring times? He is consistently one of our best performers in front of goal and certainly not short of passion for the shirt.

Next week sees an away trip to Norwich City fresh from a 7-0 drubbing at the Etihad and possibly a point to prove. Will Hughton still be at the helm? Difficult to tell, as will the result come the end of the 90 minutes. Then we have the international break followed by Chelsea  and Fulham at home. December 3^rd sees the short trip to Crystal Palace. You get the impression as a West Ham fan these next four games will be pivotal to our season. If we come out of it with 7-9 points, game on. 5 points or less and we will be somewhere near the relegation zone and struggling for confidence.

Still we have an away day at White Hart Lane in December to boost morale come what may. Here’s hoping for a few wins under the belt and the long-awaited return of Big Andy Carroll much before then.

 Jaaskelainen 7

Some fine stops

 Reid 8

Solid and dominant as always

        Rat 6

Tried to link up well with Jarvis – still needs to improve

 Tomkins 7

A good game – dealt with Benteke generally

Demel 6

Some endeavour shown

Nolan 6

Huffed and puffed – nothing to show for it

Jarvis  7

Getting back to form with some good runs

Noble 8*

A masterclass of tackling and passing once again

Collison 6

A good shot and linked up well

Morrison  6

Not his best game despite a goal-saving challenge

Downing 7

Played well – beat players and crossed well

Substitutes

• Carlton Cole 6

No clear cut chances

• Joe Cole 7

Played some good football – needs more game time

• Mo Diame 6

Showed what he can do in the 3 minutes he was given

 

Wherefore art thou Lukaku? Swansea 0 - 0 West Ham United

West Ham United started this game with the Premier League’s worst shot accuracy this season and that statistic will not have been improved by this trip to the Liberty Stadium.

A lively first half, where West Ham dominated and had a number of excellent chances,  ended 0-0 and how West Ham rued not putting at least one opportunity into the onion bag. Starting the game again, with the ‘false number 9,’ the Hammers were energetic and looked certain to open the scoring. One of the best chances fell to Guy Demel who stretched out a toe but couldn’t get any contact and poke the ball home.

But West Ham did not stop there; the ever-present Ravel Morrison had a shot cleared off the line, Demel had another good chance saved and Stewart Downing a shot blocked also. In total, West Ham had eleven attempts in the first half as opposed to Swansea City’s two.

The second half was a different affair with the Swans getting a stronger foothold in the game. West Ham’s stout defence limited the chances and all in all what started as a cracker of a game, petered out into a dour draw. Swansea dominated possession but could not break down Big Sam’s defensive system. Incidentally, West Ham have only conceded one away goal this season and that was Robbie Brady’s controversial penalty at Hull City.

The second half saw the long awaited return of Carlton Cole to the West Ham side. More importantly, it saw us playing with a striker which is more than pleasing to see for the West Ham faithful. However, his impact was minimal making a few important defensive headers but nothing really at the business end of the pitch.

Joe Cole came on and made a late appearance for Ravel Morrison and it was disappointing not to see more of him earlier on. The manager’s continual support of Kevin Nolan despite poor form and a plethora of midfield opportunities at his disposal, is not helping the goal scoring situation. Despite a dominant first half, Nolan was conspicuous by his absence, the only incident of note, where he took the ball off the feet of in-form Ravel Morrison, preventing the young man from pulling the trigger.

So, pleasing to see another clean sheet away from home, yet concern once again at our inability to finish chances. Had you have offered most West Ham fans a draw before the game, they probably would have taken it. But after our completely dominant first half, it was a different story, highlighting in glorious technicolor our need for an effective back up striker. It is important to mention the performance of Mark Noble who was magnificent. West Ham fans have known of his contributions for years now and I only hope tongues start to wag outside of East London, as he continues to impress week in, week out.

We once again mixed it against a very good side and we continue to show great promise. The defensive frailties of yesteryear are long gone  (think Reading’s 6 – 0 demolition in 2007), however the presiding feeling is that Big Sam’s inability to capture a big name striker in the summer has once again come back to haunt us. God only knows where we would be if Lukaku had moved to the Hammers, it doesn’t even bear thinking about.

Next week we entertain Aston Villa at the Boleyn Ground where nothing but 3 points will do for Big Sam’s men.

Jaskeleinen 7

Solid once again

Demel  7

Had a good game

Reid 8

Dominant in defence. Turning into a world class player

Tomkins 7

Could not be faulted

Rat 7

Looking solid at the back and good going forward

Noble 9

A flawless display. Does not get the credit he deserves

Morrison 6

Had one cleared off the line, but not his best game

Downing 6

Looking more effective with more games

Diame 6

Not his best game in claret and blue

Nolan 5

Poor – surely on borrowed time now

Vaz Te 5

Wrist injury forced him off

Carlton Cole 5

Good defensively – not many chances up top 

Matt Jarvis 6

Some good balls into the box

Hull City 1 - 0 West Ham United

Another week, another conversation about the referee. What is it about these guys? Perhaps Big Sam gives them the hump from the off with his hooting and hollering. I don't know but I don't think I have ever seen a softer penalty in my life. 12 minutes gone after a bright West Ham start, Brady goes down like a sack of spuds after the slightest of contact from Joey O Brien, penalty Hull City. O'Brien was looking at the ball yet Mr. Friend deemed it worthy of a spot kick in what would prove to be the decisive goal in the match.
Now there has been a lot of doom mongering amongst the West Ham faithful about terrible starts and easy teams played. Also the fact that we have not scored away from home in seven hours, doesn't make pretty reading. However, if you do your homework it is not all doom and gloom.  We had 60% of possession and had two more shots on target than the Tigers. It was a bad time to play Hull as they are riding the crest of a wave at the minute, which a la Blackpool, I can't see lasting forever. They didn't create anything else really and Bruce's excellent organisation prevented what looked like a certain West Ham goal. Tomkins header was cleared off the line and any other day could have gone in not to mention in the second half Roland Rat fired wide when really he should have scored.
The final saving grace is that dear Mr. Friend twisted the knife slightly more by not awarding the Hammers a second half penalty. Jake Livermmore stuck his arm out, moved towards the ball, the ball hit his arm, no penalty. It was a blatant one, still no dice for the irons.
So plenty of reason to feel aggrieved but after mulling the result and performance over, I am not too concerned. Yes we have a tough run, yes we still haven't scored, but we dominated the game and really deserved to win. We have had some atrocious luck and as has been widely documented the make up of the side is not quite right at present.
It was pleasing to see Tomkins back in the line up who didn't put a foot wrong. He provides a far greater aerial threat than any other of our defenders from set pieces and I think he could form a formidable partnership with Reidy at the back for years to come.
Ravel stills looks like a beautiful little dynamo and is causing a fascinating headache for Big Sam as the big boys like Cole and Downing return from injury. It will be interesting to see if he has the cajones to drop Kevin Nolan as I believe he rightly should on recent performances. Not to mention the fact that he could have very easily been sent off for a two-footed challenge on Leroy Rosenior in the opening ten minutes, his performances have been lacklustre of late.
So I am remaining positive - could actually see the irons getting something over at White Hart Lane next week and spoiling their party for once. Lest we not forget despite the disappointing start, we have had injuries and two weeks now of refereeing howlers. Our squad is stronger and more capable than this time last year. Obviously there are the striking issues, but sooner or later the luck has to turn and we find ourselves on the receiving end of some refereeing generosity. Defoe sent off, Noble penalty,  West Ham 1-0 next week? Dare to dream guys..!

Jussi 6
Went wrong way for penalty. Otherwise solid
Rat 6
Getting better each week. missed a howler
Joey O'Brien 7
Well played. Desperately unlucky for the penalty
Tomkins 7
Solid and an aerial threat
Reid 7
Very good as usual
Noble 7
Typically energetic
Diame 6
Out of position and struggling
Nolan 5
Poor once again. Could have been sent off
Jarvis 6
Not a lot too write home about
Morrison 7 *
Getting better ever game
Maiga 5
Gettting better. Still little goalscoring threat

Vaz Te 6
Could be worth a start soon
Downing 5
Poor. Not one good cross
Petric 6
Not hugely effective today

Southampton 0 – 0 West Ham United

West Ham managed to cling on for a valuable point on a dismal afternoon at St. Mary’s Stadium.

            The Irons started brightly with Mo Diame looking in bullish mood as he powered his way into the box and was denied by the outstretched Boruc early on. Chances though were few and far between for the Hammers as Southampton enjoyed a majority of the possession and shots on target. After a frenetic start, the game became affected by the howling wind and lashing rain, causing the final ball to tend to go missing when it mattered. It didn’t though when Osvaldo had the best chance of the game only to be denied by the diving Jaaskeleinen.

            West Ham did however have a perfectly good goal disallowed for offside. Matt Jarvis made a rare break and blasted the ball into Boruc’s midriff. The ball fell kindly to Nolan who slotted it in from long range, only to see the linesman’s flag raised. Replay’s showed Jarvis was indeed onside.

            In the second half Southampton piled on the pressure and once again it was the outstanding Jussi who kept us in the game.

            The Irons had a golden opportunity to nick it at the end when the ball fell on a plate to James Collins who had all the time in the world to pick his spot and clear off celebrating. True to form however, he blazed the ball miles over the bar, much to the despair of the traveling Claret and Blue Army.

On the whole a poor game which lacked any real quality in the final third. Lots of crosses were over hit and quality chances were few and far between. After a couple of weeks of disappointment for Hammer’s fans, I suppose a point will do. Yet the elephant in the room continues to rear its head, with Maiga once again being ineffective and West Ham lacking any real cutting edge.

            It was pleasing to see Big Sam give Ravel his first premier league start however. The lad played well in a tricky game dominated by the midfield.

 So, 5 points from 4 games, a pleasing defensive performance but deep concerns about our attacking options up front.

            Next week, we entertain Everton who come to the Boleyn fresh from their victory over Mourinho’s Chelsea.

Jussi 10

Outstanding. Kept us in the game

Demel 7

Played well – went off injured

Winston Reid 7

Solid as usual

James Collins 6

Played well. Missed a golden chance to win the game

Joey O’ Brien 6

Ok – could have been sent off for a rash challenge

Mark Noble 6

Solid but uninspiring

Ravel Morrison 6

Fine on his Premier League debut

Mo Diame 6

Started well – quietened down after a bad challenge

Kevin Nolan 5

Moaned and groaned – not a lot of firepower

Matt Jarvis 6

Uncharacteristically quiet

Maiga 4

Not cutting the mustard at all

Razvan 5

Fair performance

Vaz Te 4

Largely ineffective

West Ham United 2 - 0 Cardiff City

Well, it finally arrived. After all the Sky Sports hype and media nonsense, the season started fairly innocuously for West Ham fans. Downing's arrival was welcomed but really all the press was aimed at Cardiff and their rampant return to the Premier league. I for one, was extremely excited about the mighty irons and how they would fare. I was not brought up in a football family you see. My parents came to this country and the football lifestyle was alien to them and my love for it derived from it being a foreign concept. The only football we watched would be what we got on terrestrial tele in the 80's. Going to a football match? That would take time, effort and money and my Dad for one wasn't going to get involved in all that malarkey.

So buying my first ever West Ham season ticket was a huge thing for me. Call it what you want acceptance, understanding whatever but I felt like I was in some elite club when the card arrived on the doorstep. Like a Willy Wonka Golden ticket...as long as we didn't slip up to bloody Cardiff!

I remember watching West Ham lose to Cardiff City in the first game back in the Championship two seasons ago. We had the Real Madrid of the league for that game. Parker, Nolan, Noble all in midfield who absolutely dominated the game. We lost to a late, late goal from that swine Kenny Miller and as I turned the TV off, I still remember the feeling of utter dread - what if we don't come back up?

Thankfully Big Sam sorted us out and we mercilessly dismantled Cardiff in the play-offs on the way to promotion and it was this thought I kept with me as I sat in the queue to get through the Blackwall Tunnel. It seems like every person in the world was trying to get to East London today, but luckily I found a car parking space off Barking Road, much to the disdain of the home owners standing, having a chat outside as I majestically reversed it in. I swear the locals have no idea what is going on. Just once a week, thousands of people come and park outside of their homes, dressed in purple and then bugger off a few hours later.

Anyway, the car was abandoned but Green Street was buzzing.  Fellas taking videos of the hordes with their phones, the whole place a sea of claret and blue. I was sitting in the Trevor Brooking Lower and boy was I rewarded for this decision. The best banter, chants etc. I have ever had at West Ham bar none. The pundits always talk about the ground rocking but today it really was as the teams came out.

Our attention was jolted slightly by a Cardiff fan who elected to set off a flare in the away end. That's right folks, a flare. This caused great amusement amongst the West Ham fans, and the security moved in and quickly ejected the culprits. Thanks for coming.

The game started furiously and West Ham were quite clearly in the ascendency. Lots of chances, threatening from set pieces and the new kit looked bang on! Happy days. Our perseverance was rewarded when the effervescent Matt Jarvis skinned Connolly and powered a low cross into the middle. Joe Cole pirouetted like he was at the ballet and slotted it into the bottom right corner on 13 minutes. 1 - 0. For me, this start could not have been better. I absolutely love Joe Cole and the fact that he looks fit and up for it this year could not make me happier. I remember the year when we went down and he captained the team and played up front, midfield, brought out the oranges, you name it. And he was only a youngster, true West Ham legend in my opinion.

West Ham continued to knock on the door to no avail and in all honesty both teams were a little rusty. Cardiff City looked dangerous on the break, especially through Kim, but Bellamy got booed horrifically every time he got the ball and proceeded to have an absolute shocker. Whats the old adage? If Bellamy plays well, Cardiff play well. Sadly for the travelling support, not today.

The PA system blared out 'Security, Mr. Moon is in the building' a number of times around the halfway mark. God knows what this even means, but my ears were pricked and I was ready for action, whatever was coming my way.

Cardiff started brightly in the second half and for some reason like we always seem to do, we sat back and allowed them to come at us. They had a few good chances but really lacked any firepower in the final third. A bizarre penalty claim for handball, resulted in a chorus of 'handball!' every time a West Ham player passed the ball and when Bellamy was withdrawn for another West Ham old boy Nicky Maynard, Cardiff looked all but beaten. It was nice to see some West Ham fans salute old Bellamy, who did work hard for us when he was here, plus Maynard also got an appreciative welcome to thank him for his efforts in getting us promoted.

'Security, Mr. Moon has left the building.' Thank goodness for that, I can now relax and finish my Bovril in peace. Oh hang on a minute, who is this I see about to come on? None other than Mr. Stewart Downing! He got a warm reception too and it was a shame to see Matty Jarvis come off for him, as the two together could be quite a force when Andy Carroll returns.

Downing started very brightly, had pace and caused a few concerns for the Bluebird's defence. In fact, Downing was at the start of the move that created the second goal, knocking it off to Noble who ran at the Cardiff defenders. He found Nolan in space, who hit it first time into the top left hand corner - game, set and match.

A fantastic goal, well deserved for Nolan who tirelessly works hard for the team. If he is not running at the goalie, he is screaming at Maiga to get in the right position. So all was well, but what ho, yet another PA announcement...'Security, Mr. Moon is back in the building.' Oh Jesus, what are we going to do? And who is this guy some sort of stealth ninja, felling the security team one by one, leaping the pasty stand in a single bound? God only knows, but I for one was keeping a low profile.

So the game was won, Joe Cole was substituted late on, largely to receive a standing ovation from the Boleyn faithful methinks. The only downside was that we really do have concerns upfront. Maiga had one decent chance that went just wide, he did win a few headers but he really is not threatening enough. This does put an awful lot of pressure on Carroll when he returns, so I think Big Sam is going to have to get someone else in.

I was also disappointed not to see Ravel Morrison get a cameo. He has been tearing up trees in pre-season and at 2 - 0 could have been worth a shout. But hey ho, the fans always know best don't they?
Luckily for me, Mr. Moon had left the building once more and I was free to go on my merry way along with 35000 very happy hammers.