Hammers Help Spread Festive Cheer

Festive cheer arrived today at Whipps Cross Hospital when players from West Ham United paid a visit to patients and staff.

Captain Kevin Nolan led the way along with Andy Carroll, Jussi Jaaskelainen, Winston Reid, James Tomkins, Joey O'Brien, Matt Jarvis and Modibo Maiga in dropping into the Acorn children's ward at the Leytonstone hospital.

The players, all wearing Santa hats, gave out goody bags which contained footballs, scarves and other items and happily chatted with the young patients and their families. They also posed for photographs and signed autographs for the hard-working staff.

Skipper Nolan said he and the players were only too pleased to put some smiles on the faces of those having to spend time in hospital over Christmas.

"It means a lot to see them just smile and that us visiting has given them a boost," said the captain. "I am a dad myself so I can understand what the mums and dads are going through when they are by their children's bedsides and the concerns you have, so if we can give them something positive about by being here, then that is a great thing."

Nolan also had words of praise for the hospital staff: "I think what they do, the doctors and nurses and all the staff, is just fantastic. My wife was a nurse when we lived back in Liverpool, so I understand the work they put in. They were really pleased to see us, which is really nice, but we were only too pleased to be here."

A personal donation from all the players was presented by Nolan to the ward's modern matron Eileen Elms. The money will be used to benefit the patients and staff of the Acorn ward in a variety of ways both now and in the future.

Winger Jarvis said the players were more than happy to help out, adding: "To come here and just spend a moment means a lot to everyone and we were just as glad to be here. To show appreciation for the work the staff put in is important too and if we can help make it a little brighter for those in hospital, then that is a good thing."

The visit is just one of several the players will take part in during the season and the visit to a local hospital at Christmas time is an annual fixture in the team diary.

West Ham 3 Chelsea 1

To tell the truth, I was planning for a month long hiatus for Hammer Time and return after Christmas for the start of the January transfer window. However, after a result like this, I just couldn't miss this opportunity to express my emotions. I am currently feeling more proud than I have ever felt. More than when I received my GCSE results, more than whenever I have received a massive applause from an audience at the end of one of my plays, even more than the Play-Off Final at the end of last season, when Ricardo Vaz Te fired West Ham back into the Premier League with a last minute winner against Blackpool. This tops them all!

Now, I have to admit something to you. During my car journey on the way home yesterday, the result came on the radio. After about 5 minutes of the result being announced, I did something that I haven't done in a very long time. I had a little weep. I'm sure it is very difficult for anybody who isn't a football fan (and most football fans to be honest) to believe that someone can get so emotional over a football team. 'It's only a game?' 'Teams win and lose every week!' 'Why should you care so much?' Maybe that's the special thing about West Ham. We've had our highs and lows, but this club and its fans are special and we will remain loyal and proud, no matter what.

In one of the hottest games of the season so far, the Hammers came from behind to beat Chelsea 3-1 at Upton Park, the first time that West Ham have beaten Chelsea since Paulo Di Canio scored the winning goals back in 2002 (http://domryder.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/matches-of-past-part-2.html). Juan Mata opened the scoring for Chelsea in the 13th minute, after a strong attack found a gap in the West Ham defence and gave Mata the chance to slide the ball into the bottom corner of the net. From then on it was all Chelsea in the first half. However, no matter how many chances they created, the Blues strike force of Moses, Torres, Mata and Hazard couldn't find the back of the net for a second time, helped along the way by some fantastic saves from Jussi Jaaskelainen. The only clear chance for West Ham came late on, when a cross in from Matt Jarvis found the head of James Collins who played it down for Kevin Nolan to bicycle kick it into the bottom corner, only for it to be disallowed after referee Martin Atkinson stated that a slight shove on Ivanovic from Collins was worthy enough of a foul, a decision that commentators and analysts alike disagreed with.

However, in the second half, West Ham turned the game on its head. After two half time substitutions of Mohamed Diame and Matt Taylor, the Hammers completely changed round, becoming much more attacking and creating many more chances. It wasn't long before a deflected Jarvis cross found the head of Carlton Cole who could neatly turn it in for the equaliser. Many said that Cole should have been penalised for climbing on Ivanovic in the build-up to the goal, but in the end it was dividends for the decision that went against Collins in the first half. From this point on, the game became very even, with both sides coming very close to scoring. Most notably a Winston Reid header being cleared off the line by Ashley Cole and a Mata free-kick hitting the post. However, in the 85th minute, Diame struck with a bullet shot on the edge of the box with the assist coming from Cole, and the Boleyn Ground erupted! Into stoppage time, a mistake by Ashley Cole after some fantastic pressure from Diame gave Modibo Maiga the ball who played it through to Taylor, only to have his shot saved by Cech and Maiga to put in the rebound and finish off a crushing defeat of Chelsea. 

In the end, it was our dominance in midfield that secured us the victory. After, Diame came on at half-time, he and Noble completely dominated the midfield not giving the main-man Mata any space to run with the ball or create any chances. Diame's fantastic tackling, passing, pressurising and prowess on the ball when going forward was the key to the win, as well as Matt Taylor's brilliant box-to-box play, strong in defence and incredibly dangerous in attack. This win was also helped by the return to form of Carlton Cole. The big man hardly put a foot wrong in this game, constantly winning aerial challenges, successfully completing headers to team mates and holding the ball up giving his midfielders the chance to press forward. He deserved his first Premier League goal of the season and was made man of the match by the sponsors which was announced just before the end. Our second-half rock solid defence was also vital in this victory, giving Chelsea no chances to run forward and get into the box. Jaaskelainen must also be praised for some outstanding saves.

This is probably the greatest victory I have ever witnessed in my days of watching West Ham, not just because of the result, but of what it symbolises. A team that last year was losing 1-0 to Bristol City is now beating the champions of Europe 3-1. A team that at times last year found it almost impossible to win at home has now made Upton Park a fortress and a rock solid one too that is incredibly difficult for any team to penetrate. A team that last year was worrying about Play-Off places in the Championship is now aiming for a strong top ten finish in the Premiership. And in the end, the praise has to go to Sam Allardyce. He has completely changed around this clubs fortunes and he deserves all the congratulations that he receives. Tonight, I can safely say, that I am one happy Hammer!

West Ham: Jaaskelainen, Demel, Collins, Reid, O'Brien, Tomkins (Diame 45), Noble, O'Neil (Taylor 45), Nolan, Jarvis, Cole (Maiga 85).

West Ham Express Interest in Beckham

I mentioned last week about Sam Allardyce's ability to get older players performing like they did at their peak, and some targets that Big Sam has singled out: Nicolas Anelka, Joe Cole, Rio Ferdinand. Well it seems that West Ham co-owners, David Gold and David Sullivan have found another.

After expressing his desire to leave LA Galaxy and the MLS for one last challenge in his career,   many possible suitors have come forward and shown an interest in signing the 37 year-old England legend, David Beckham. Although he rejected any possibility of signing for a club in Australia, Melbourne Hearts are apparently considering a bid, as well as teams from China, Paris Saint German from France and Queens Park Rangers. Amongst all these, West Ham could also be lining up an offer to the right-winger. 

So where is he most likely to go. 

Despite the fact that Melbourne Hearts have expressed an interest in him and Australian football has a track record of offering good money to over-the-hill superstars (such as Dwight York, Robbie Fowler, Emile Heskey and Alessandro Del Piero), sources close to Beckham have already stated that he has no interest of travelling down-under, although that doesn't necessarily mean that a move can be completely ruled out.

One offer that has been made from China stands to see the ex-Manchester United player earn more than £1 million-a-month, which would be hard for anybody to turn down. However, players such as Anelka and Didier Drogba who have had unpleasant experiences there and express desires to return to the Premier League may persuade Beckham not to go in for the cash.

At PSG, Beckham could have the chance to win league titles, European cups and play with some of the best players on the continent. However, with Beckham's age against him and an already prolific squad, he would definitely find it difficult to get a game, let alone play in the starting XI. Most likely it would mirror Owen Hargreaves' move to Manchester City in which he made little to no appearances and spent a season in the reserves, which I am certain Beckham does not want.

And then there's the Premier League. Beckham does have the opportunity to go to QPR, a team who are on the brink of relegation after making one of the worst starts in Premiership history, under a manager who could be sacked any day now. 

Or he could come back to East London, the place he grew up in and join the Hammers, a newly promoted side who are 7th in the league and in complete contrast to QPR, are making one of the best starts to a Premiership season that the club has ever seen.

I don't care if I'm the only West Ham fan on the planet who has this opinion, but I think it would be a fantastic move for the club. Not only can his connections with the Olympic committee help us in our bid for the Olympic stadium, but his profile as a crowd-pleaser may be enough to fill it as well. As I have mentioned he may be a perfect player for Allardyce's managerial style, and if we look at how we played against Stoke on Monday, a lack of quality on the wing's due to injury was a major problem, an issue that Beckham could put right. I believe he would be a great asset to the club and it would be a perfect way to finish his career, playing in claret-and-blue at Upton Park.

West Ham 1 Stoke City 1

It seems that my good friend Jamie Davies has once again made a perfect prediction ...wait, let me correct that ... has for the first time made a perfect prediction. In a game of two halves, the points were shared at the Boleyn Ground last night as a dangerous West Ham attack were halted by a resilient Stoke City defence. 

A well worked goal by Stoke's Jonathan Walters in the first 13 minutes from a corner (that of which I'm pretty sure made Gary Neville pee himself when he saw it by the way he kept going on and on about it) helped the Potters keep most of the momentum in the first half, and were unlucky not to score again from a fantastic Steven N'Zonzi strike that rattled the bar.

West Ham however came out into the second half a completely different team, and leveled the scores within 3 minutes of the restart through full-back Joey O'Brien. The Hammers threw everything they had at Stoke and had many chances to take the lead, most notably from a Gary O'Neil shot that flew across the face of goal, narrowly missing the post by literally centimetres. But thanks to a solid defence, lead by Shawcross and Huth, and some fantastic goalkeeping by Begovic, Stoke just managed to scrape a point.

So why didn't West Ham take all three points. There are mainly 5 reasons for this.

1) Injuries. In my opinion, we were at a disadvantage before the start of the game, when the line-ups were announced and Matt Jarvis and Yossi Benayoun were unable to play through injury, with Modibo Maiga and Gary O'Neil replacing them on the wing. This probably wasn't the best time for these two players to make their first Premier League starts for the club. Early on, Jarvis' absence became very obvious as neither player could really put in that dangerous cross into the box that he is renowned for. Both players also lacked the pace of Jarvis and Benayoun, and were constantly requiring the full-backs to make their runs and crosses for them or even to let one of the midfielders do it. 

2) The long ball. I am not a West Ham fan that is constantly complaining or moaning about the long ball style of play that Sam Allardyce is constantly being criticised for. In fact I am the exact opposite. I know that this tactic can be effective, and if we get the results then I don't really care how we get them. However, last night the quality of the long ball's into Andy Carroll were very poor, and seemed very easy for Shawcross or Huth to clear. They were constantly on a difficult line and length for our attackers to collect, and all our momentum seemed to simply disappear whenever one was attempted and failed. As well as this, our set plays were totally ineffective. A total of 12 corners led to absolutely nothing and although set plays are usually when we are at our strongest in attack, the Stoke defence didn't seemed troubled by them at all.

3) Substitutions. Throughout the whole of the second half, the name that I was constantly asking Allardyce to bring on was Matt Taylor. Maiga was struggling on the left wing, and a fresh set of legs could have helped put on the pressure to the Stoke full-backs. He did make this substitute eventually, however it was made only three minutes before the end and was therefore completely ineffective. I was also disappointed by his decision to replace Carroll with Carlton Cole at the same time. Big Andy looked determined throughout the whole game to score his first West Ham goal and gave a look of total despair to Allardyce when he was brought off for a player who has no great pace, is constantly pulled up for fouls from aerial duels (unlike Carroll) and is more inconsistent than the size of Katy Price's bra. 

4) Chris Foy. Soon, I'll be writing an article about referee's so make sure you check that out when it's done. But for now, I'd like to complain about referee Chris Foy. In the lead up to the Stoke goal, there was clearly an obstruction on George McCartney by Charlie Adam to make sure he was unable to follow his marker Walters. This was not spotted by the referee and meant that the goal stood, practically ruining are first half mentality. Also, it seems to me that referees do not call fouls for pulling on shirts or grabbing players around the waist in the penalty area. West Ham had three or four free-kick and penalty shouts that according to the laws of the game were legitimate and should have been awarded. However, referees these days are so weak willed that they are too scared to award these for fear of seeming biased for or against one team or many others reasons I'm sure.

5) Lack of clinical finishing. Unfortunately, we do not have a player like Hernandez or Torres or Van Persie, and last night that was clear. We lacked the clinical finish that was needed to secure the victory, and although we do have Kevin Nolan, he is ultimately a midfielder, not a striker. Begovic should be praised for his goalkeeping skills, but if we had been more clinical, we could have won by about three or four. It is vital that we buy a player in January that can help us with this issue and get Vaz Te back in the team as quickly as possible.

Ultimately a disappointing night for us, but credit has to be given to a solid Stoke defence that kept us out very well (it's well worth mentioning that Peter Crouch made more touches in his own penalty area than in ours!). A tough fixture list lies ahead for West Ham: Tottenham (a), Manchester United (a), Chelsea (h), Liverpool (h), West Brom (a), Everton (h). If an aim of five points from those six games is reached then I believe we should be very pleased with ourselves and the start to this Premier League season that we have made.

Transfer Rumours

Throughout his career, Sam Allardyce is known for signing ageing players and turning their careers around, to help them play with the form that they showed at their peak (Jay Jay Okocha,  Ivan Campo, Gary Speed, Fernando Hierro etc.). Well it looks like he may want to do exactly the same with French striker Nicolas Anelka. The veteran attacker, who has played for Arsenal, Liverpool, Real Madrid, Manchester City, Chelsea and Bolton (under Allardyce) in his successful career, is currently very unsettled at Chinese Super League side Shanghai Shenhua despite being paid £250,000 per week. Maybe Big Sam will hope that his previous relationship with Anelka will smooth a deal for the striker in January, despite him obviously having to take a very large wage's cut.

Allardyce may also be giving a lifeline to Liverpool-flop Joe Cole by returning to his boyhood club of which he was captain for a short time. Reds Manager Brendan Rodgers has lost complete faith of the 30 year-old midfielder after publicly criticizing his performance against Swansea in the League Cup. Despite Cole enjoying a season long loan spell at Lille last year, making 42 appearances in all competitions and helping Rudi Garcia’s side to secure a Champions League place, he has failed to deliver for Liverpool, playing only 32 minutes of Premier League football so far this season. A loan deal would probably be the most likely option for Cole in January.

Allardyce has also presented ex-Hammer Rio Ferdinand with the chance to return to his old club after the Manchester United defender announced that he was unsure whether he wanted to renew his contract which expires at the end of the year or retire from professional football. A third option of a return to Upton Park, either as a free agent in the summer or a transfer in January, may be a big possibilty for the 34 year-old. 

In my opinion, I have no doubt that Allardyce could bring any of these talented men to East London and provide them with a renaissance of their previous best in the twilight of their careers. However I do have one pretty large concern. Wages! I strongly doubt West Ham could pay for any of these players wages and I really can't see Anelka taking a huge cut to the deal he currently has in China or Ferdinand, who could play for United and recieve the same amount of money and still most likely play most weeks, to come play for us. Joe Cole may be a possibility, but I sure as hell don't want to see any of our current midfielders like Noble, Nolan, Diame or Jarvis making way for a veteran Hammer who may or may not perform well.

In January, I would most like to see Allardyce concentrating on giving Yossi Benayoun a permanent contract at the club, possibly Andy Carroll too if that is possible. After that I would like to see him bring in another defender and striker. We only narrowly avoided a major defensive crisis against Newcastle, as it was unclear until the very last minute if Tomkins, Demel or Collins would be able to play. If neither of them had been available, we would have had to make do with an inexperienced youth team member such as Jordan Spence or Dan Potts, or play with only three at the back, which I know isn't an option for Big Sam. Also, it would be nice to have another reserve striker waiting in the wings just in case Andy Carroll gets injured or returns to Liverpool. For me, a move for the young Dutch striker Luc Caistagnos or maybe even Irish full-back Seamus Coleman from Everton could be positive signings for us in January to help us progress and try and solidify a top 10 finish.

Newcastle 0 West Ham 1

If his sacking as Newcastle manager still counts as the blackest stain on his CV, then Sam Allardyce has taken a substantial measure of well-chilled revenge. This was his second journey back to Tyneside since the day he made way for the brief and very unmessianic second coming of Kevin Keegan. On both occasions he has left with three points.

Former skipper Kevin Nolan returned to haunt his old club as West Ham United condemned Newcastle United to a first defeat in six games.

Nolan's 39th-minute strike, so typical of the goals he once scored for the Magpies, was enough to edge a tight encounter in which the Hammers enjoyed the better of the first half but had to survive a stern examination after the break.

Newcastle were once again far from their best, but did create more than enough chances to get something out of the game and would have done but for some poor finishing and the resilience of goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen, who produced fine saves from Demba Ba and Hatem Ben Arfa.

Andy Carroll was prevented from opening his West Ham account with the visitors constantly threatening on the counter-attack. After exchanging passes with Nolan, Carroll's side-footed shot was saved one-handed by Magpies keeper Tim Krul.

"Andy Carroll is disappointed he didn't score but it was a really good save," said Allardyce. "He wants to get off the mark with that goal but he's our target man and that partnership with Nolan is outstanding.

"That's five Nolan has in 11 games. He gets the attacks flowing and reads the situation brilliantly in the box - he always seems to be in the right place at the right time."

West Ham's latest victory came in spite of losing three players - Matt Jarvis, Yossi Benayoun and George McCartney - to injury during the match. Allardyce said McCartney's groin problem was the most serious of the three, but expects to have all three fit for their home fixture against Stoke on 19 November.

With this win, West Ham are now 6th in the league, above teams such as Arsenal and Tottenham, and only two points away from the top four and a Champions league spot. Although it is slightly unlikely, for me and everyone else associated with the Hammers, it would be a dream-come-true return to the Premier League if we were able to stay there until the end of the season.

I believe that this victory will be looked on as one of the most important of the campaign for us. Not only is this a win against a side that are currently competing in Europe and had a Champions League spot in the palm of their hands at the end of last year, but this is also only our second win away from home (and arguably a much more difficult meeting than the 2-1 win over QPR). Not only can we be pleased with our rock solid defence and in-form goalkeeper keeping a second clean sheet in a row, but our attack is also constantly causing problems for some of the best teams in the league. 

I believe we have to put this down to the fantastic work that Big Sam has done since coming to the club. It all started when he made his intentions at the club clear by making his first signing for West Ham last year, Kevin Nolan from Newcastle. Ever since, this team has gone from strength to strength under his leadership and I am in no doubt that there is lots more to come.

West Ham: Jaaskelainen, O’Brien, Reid, Tomkins, McCartney (Demel 66), Noble, Diame, Benayoun (O'Neil 52), Nolan, Jarvis (Maiga 34), Carroll.

Newcastle vs West Ham Preview

It’ll be a case of friends reunited at St James’ Park as bosses Alan Pardew and Sam Allardyce both come up against their former employer. Pardew has further fuelled the fire ahead of what is an already fiesty-looking fixture by admitting that he’d love to bring West Ham loanee Andy Carroll back to the North East when his spell in East London is up.

Carroll is one of two players sold by Pardew – the other being former Toon skipper Kevin Nolan – who could return to haunt the London-born Newcastle boss but the Magpies have undoubtedly improved vastly since both have left under the former Hammer's manager. 

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce admits he nearly quit the game when he was sacked by Newcastle owner Mike Ashley, but reckons football is a “drug” he needs in his life.

Both sides are struggling defensively, which could mean plenty of goals at St James' Park. West Ham wait on fitness tests for James Collins and James Tomkins, while Newcastle are without the suspended duo of Fabricio Coloccini and Cheik Tioté, Newcastle's two key defensive players.

Their absence gives a boost to the visitors' physical approach, which has not been particularly successful away from home; a 2-1 victory at QPR is their only away success to date. 

And the fact Newcastle enter the match after a tough fixture on Thursday against Club Brugge, where they drew 2-2, only enhances the visitors' chances.

Also in the team news, Mike Williamson, who was withdrawn early from the 2-2 draw at the Jan Breydel Stadion, will start alongside Steven Taylor, who replaced him, in central defence, while Jonas Gutierrez, Hatem Ben Arfa and Demba Ba are likely to return. Full-back Danny Simpson remains a doubt with a shoulder problem.

If Tomkins and Collins are both deemed unfit to play for the Hammers, Winston Reid will be the only first-team centre-back available, however he could be joined by either of the two young reserve team defenders, Jordan Spence or Dan Potts. Matt Taylor may also be available after recovering from a calf injury. Fullback Guy Demel has returned to training following a hernia problem but Ricardo Vaz Te, Jack Collison and Alou Diarra remain sidelined.

Likely West Ham first 11: Jaaskelainen, O'Brien, Reid, Collins, McCartney, Diame, Noble, Benayoun, Nolan, Jarvis, Carroll.

My Prediction: The return to St. James' Park will more than likely be a boost on the pitch for Carroll and Nolan (and the fact that Carroll still hasn't scored in claret and blue yet), as well as off the pitch for Big Sam. The recent good form of wingers Yossi Benayoun and Matt Jarvis will also prove vital for the West Ham attack, but if Collins and Tomkins do not pull through their tests, there could be some major defensive problems at the back for the Hammers. However, a depleted Newcastle side could struggle against a much more physical and powerful West Ham midfield.

Newcastle 1 West Ham 1

Hammers Target Wanted By Villa

West Ham's hopes of landing Porto defender Abdoulaye Ba in the new year have been hit with the news that Aston Villa also want him.

Hammers boss Sam Allardyce has been strongly linked with a move for the player and he is said to be monitoring the 21-year-old's situation closely, but Villa boss Paul Lambert has now joined the list of interested parties.

Villa scouts reportedly watched the highly-rated centre-back play against Dynamo Kiev on Tuesday night - a game which sealed the Portuguese side's passage into the last 16 of the Champions League.

The Senegal international is thought to be available for a loan move in January and has been attracting attention from a handful of Premier League clubs this season.

The defender, who was sent out to Academica last season on loan, is well thought of by Porto but they would be happy to let him leave if someone comes up with the right money.

The thought that fellow Senegal international Mohamed Diame also plays for West Ham may help to sweeten the deal.

West Ham are set for a boost on the injury front with the news that winger Matt Taylor is set to return to action this weekend.

The winger has been out of the side for the past month with a calf injury, which he picked up against Arsenal, but he has returned to full training and is expected to be in contention for the first team for the trip to Newcastle on Sunday. 

His return will be a timely boost for Big Sam who has injury worries over defenders James Collins, James Tomkins and Guy Demel who are all major doubts for the game as Taylor can also play as a full-back. Jack Collison, Ricardo Vaz Te and Alou Diarra remain on the long-term injured list.

West Ham's ambitious board will tie up Yossi Benayoun to a permanent Upton Park deal if Big Sam gives the nod.

The on-loan Chelsea midfielder was outstanding against Manchester City last weekend and the club have until Christmas to decide what they want to do about extending his deal.

The manager still hasn't indicated whether he wants to retain the Israeli but a source confirmed that the board are ready to talk terms with their former star.

He said: "Decision regarding players are the manager's call but if he wants Yossi then the board will back him - that's the way it works at this club."

Benayoun is in the last year of his Chelsea deal and has taken a cut in wages to return to the club he originally joined when arriving in this country.

Eyebrows were raised when Allardyce signed a player who isn't a midfield powerhouse of the type usually favoured by the former Bolton and Newcastle boss. But he did himself no harm at all with his performance against City where he carved open the champions' defence on two or three occasions.

A big earner at Chelsea he would have to settle for a lot less if he were to sign a permanent deal with the Premier League newcomers.

The source added: "He understands the economics involved at the age of 32 and simply wants to be involved with the club he started out with in England and play regular first team football."

Hammer Time Facebook Page

Hey guys! If you're enjoying my new blog, please like my new page on facebook. It will include links to all my Hammer Time posts, as well as a bit extra. Thanks, it means a lot.

http://www.facebook.com/hammertimepage?ref=hl

West Ham 0 Manchester City 0

For Manchester City, this may look like two points dropped, but for everyone associated with West Ham, it is definitely a point gained. And if it hadn't have been for a non-existent offside to rule out a goal by Kevin Nolan in the first five minutes, it could have been even more. 

While City remain unbeaten in the Premier League, they played with little of the verve or ambition that could have secured the four-goal win they needed to overhaul Manchester United at the summit.

Mario Balotelli, exhibiting none of the lethal finishes that earned him a nomination for this year’s Ballon d’Or, was especially ineffectual. The man who has not scored a league goal all season was substituted after 69 minutes and seemed far from happy, muttering behind the back of Mancini, who did not even look at his misfiring player.

It was a display redolent of their recent outings in Europe: plenty of pretty passing, but a conspicuously absent final ball. The challenge of defending the title is, it transpires, more arduous than earning it in the first place. 

West Ham did not let the early perceived injustice of the imaginary offside deter them, thwarting City with a blend of obdurate defending and great energy in attack. Mohamed Diamé displayed exquisite touch, dropping his shoulder to evade Yaya Touré, before unleashing a gorgeous drive that all but skimmed the paint off Joe Hart’s crossbar. 

Although City did more to set the game’s early tempo, West Ham were rattling their cages, as when Matt Jarvis swung in a superb ball that Yossi Benayoun met with an even better sidefooted volley, but again the ball sailed fractionally over, after a slight touch from Hart.


Frustration was writ large on the frame of Sam Allardyce, who motioned to kick an imaginary water bottle in his agitation. His men were playing demonstrably superior football, with Benayoun and the ever-threatening Andy Carroll exchanging neat passes in the build-up before the centre-forward shot wide.

The finest piece of technique of the evening however was from the big man Carroll himself, executing a perfect overhead kick that unfortunately took a deflection to go for a corner. What a way to score his first goal for the club that would have been?

Carlos Tévez was roundly applauded by West Ham fans, recalling how the Argentine saved the club from relegation in 2007. But there was no doubting his commitment to the City cause, as he delivered a sumptuous free-kick that Balotelli, stretching out his right leg, ought to have lashed into the net.


Gareth Barry, drafted into the City side at late notice after James Milner was injured in the warm-up, was also guilty of a glaring miss. It came after City had broken at speed from a corner but as Tévez squared the cross, Barry merely managed to hit the ball with his hand.

Manchester City threw everything at the West Ham defence, but the back four made up of O'Brien, Reid, Collins and McCartney stood strong against the heavy artillery and were able to steal the point from the champions.

West Ham: Jaaskelainen, O’Brien, Reid, Collins (Spence 84), McCartney, Noble, Diame (O’Neil 71), Benayoun, Nolan, Jarvis, Carroll (Cole 77). 

Top Ten West Ham Players Ever - Part 2

7. Alan Devonshire

Alan Devonshire signed for West Ham in 1976 from non-league side Southall for £5,000. He had a 14 year career at West Ham from 1976 to 1990, during which he played 446 games as a wide midfielder, scoring 32 goals. Devonshire helped the Hammers win the FA Cup in 1980 (then a second division club) in a 1-0 victory over favourites Arsenal. He collected a Second Division title medal the following year as the Hammers won promotion, and was still a very integral part of the side when they finished third in the league in 1986, four points short of what would have been the club's first ever top division title. He retired in 1992, after making only 25 appearances for Watford for whom he had signed two years previously. He has since managed Maidenhead United, Hampton & Richmond Borough and currently manages Conference side Braintree Town. During his playing career, he made 8 caps for England and also had a race horse named after him.

6. Martin Peters

Martin Peters, like many great West Ham players, was a product of the famous Hammer's youth academy. He went on to play more than 300 times for West Ham, scoring over 80 times in the process. Known as the 'complete midfielder', he had pace, industry, creativity and exquisite timing on the run in addition to being a free kick specialist. Peters was described by England manager Sir Alf Ramsey as being “ten years ahead of his time”. His versatility was such that while he was at West Ham he played in every position in the team, including goalkeeper. He stayed at the club for 11 years, helping them to win the European Cup Winner's Cup in 1965 and to reach the final of the League Cup in 1966 along the way. During his time at West Ham, he was also part of England's 1966 World Cup winning side that beat Germany in the final. He left in 1970 to join Tottenham Hotspur, becoming the first British player to be sold for £200,000. After playing for Spurs, he went on to have spells at Norwich and Sheffield United before retiring to become manager of Sheffield United. Peters was inducted, with former manager Ron Greenwood into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2006 in recognition for his achievements as a player.

5. Billy Bonds

Billy Bonds is a legend at Upton Park, and rightly so! In his 21 year playing career at the club, he played a whopping 793 games (a record that has never been close to being broken) and scored 59 times. Bonds was noted for his physical strength and fitness, for his committed, tough tackling, combative style of play while using the ball intelligently and effectively, and making surging runs forward, initially as an overlapping right-back early in his career, then from midfield where he balanced the skills of Trevor Brooking, and later as a centre-back bringing the ball out of defence. His inspiration and leadership qualities, where he led by example and always gave 100% on the football field, saw him appointed as club captain at West Ham from 1974 to 1984. He was the supporters' choice for 'Hammer of the Year' in 1971, 1974, 1975 and 1987 and was awarded an MBE in January 1988. After he retired, he was appointed West Ham manager in 1990 and helped them to two promotions and a top division mid-table finish before he resigned after only 4 years in charge. As a player, he helped West Ham win the FA Cup in 1975 and 1980 and become runners-up in the European Cup Winner's Cup and the League Cup. He is used as the model of the perfect Hammer for today's young squad. His name will live on for as long as the club does.

The rest of this list will be coming soon.

Whatever happened to Guillermo Franco?

Guillermo Franco joined West Ham back in 2009 by then manager Gianfranco Zola for an undisclosed fee, making him the first Mexican to ever play for the club. Although he only stayed for the year, he had a fairly successful season, making 23 appearances and scoring 5 goals. Franco made his debut in October in a 2-1 defeat to Stoke City. He scored his first goal for the team later that month to put them 1-0 up against Sunderland, a game which would finish 2-2. He made a very decent strike partner for Carlton Cole, due to the only other options being injury-ridden Benni McCarthy, Mido (who scored no goals for West Ham at all in his short loan spell), Ilan (who also lacked goals) and the inexperienced Zavon Hines. His most important moment for the club was when he assisted the goal scored by Scott Parker that won us the game against Wigan 3-2 at the end of the season, which meant we were saved from relegation. Despite Franco publicly stating that he wanted to stay at the club, he was released at the end of the year as his one-year contract expired.

He was then signed as a free agent by Argentinian club Velez Sarsfield on another one-year deal. He had a fairly successful year there, scoring 5 goals in 18 appearances, although he did pick up an injury half way through the year keeping him out until the last five games of the season. In those last few matches, he made one starting appearance and scored one goal from a penalty to help his team win the Argentinian league. 

In January 2012, he signed for Pachuca of the Mexican Primera Division, but failed to score after making just 12 appearances. He now plays for Major League Soccer club Chicago Fire. He signed for them in September of this year and has since made three appearances. 

Franco made his debut for the Mexican national side in 2005. He played at the 2006 World Cup and also in all of four games of the 2010 World Cup. He has 25 caps in total, as well as 7 international goals. He retired from international football in September 2010. Throughout his career, the 35-year-old has scored almost 125 goals in just over 300 appearances for club and country. 

Here is a clip of a goal he scored against Wolves for West Ham in 2010. Apologies for the reverse camera and the foreign commentary.

Try it... it's harder than it looks

So earlier today I tried this quiz in which you have to name all the players who have scored a goal for West Ham United since 2002. There are 88 in total and I got 70. I dare you to do better than me. Here is the link to the website where you can take the quiz (I believe you get 16 minutes to complete it) and also my email address, so you can tell me your score afterwards. Give it a go, and try not to cheat. Good Luck!

http://www.sporcle.com/games/JayWillo/west-ham-goalscorers-since-2002#

domryder13@gmail.com

Hey, remember that guy... oh yeah... well he's in prison now

Former West Ham winger Savio Nsereko has been arrested by police in Thailand for claiming to his family that he was abducted, before then demanding a sum of around £2,500.

The 23-year-old had spent £20,000 on his trip before he allegedly thought about taking the  unusual measures to refill his holiday bank account, stated a report by the Bangkok Post.

Having signed with West Ham from Brescia for a sum of £9 million in 2009 (with high expectations), he became an absolute flop at the club, making just one start and failing to score in any of his ten appearances. However, he played an important part in West Ham's win against Manchester City on 1 March 2009 by providing the assist for Jack Collison's 71st minute goal.

After being sold to Fiorentina for an undisclosed fee (with Manuel da Costa going the other way as part of the deal), the Uganda-born attacker has since enjoyed spells at Bologna and 1860 Munich before ending up at German third division side SpVgg Unterhaching, all on loan from Fiorentina after he was unable to break into the first team. 

Here is that goal that he assisted in against Manchester City in 2009, scored by Jack Collison. Apologies for the quality of the video.

 

Where We Went Wrong Against Wigan

Unfortunately, I didn't get to visit the DW Stadium yesterday to see my beloved West Ham eventually lose 2-1 to Wigan. However, after reading an extensive amount of match reports and watching the highlights, it is clear to me where our problems lie.

Going forward, we have looked far better than I've ever seen us in the 9 years that I have followed the Hammers. This can almost certainly be brought down to fantastic signings in attack that Sam Allardyce has made in his year-and-a-bit at the club: Kevin Nolan, Matty Taylor, Matt Jarvis, Yossi Benayoun, Andy Carroll, Ricardo Vaz Te etc. To be in a position where we have scored more goals and have a better goal difference than teams like Liverpool, Newcastle, Stoke City and Aston Villa is an impressive start for any team that has just been promoted (much better than Southampton and Reading).

However, I do strongly believe that it is in our defence where we are slipping up. 

Allarydce has the choice between three centre-backs: James Collins, Winston Reid and James Tomkins. He started off the season with the combination of Collins and Reid, which seemed to be a good choice. Last season, I was very doubtful about the quality of Reid, but he has definitely proved me wrong this season. He has started brilliantly, picking up a couple of man of the match's along the way and I think he's going to be a long term fixture at the club.

James Collins, on the other hand, has started poorly. Big expectations were heaped onto the shoulders of the 29-year-old with the quality that he's shown in the past. But, a costly error against Swansea to let them go 2-0 up and effectively put the game beyond doubt was to be the beginning of a roller-coaster of bad performances from the Welshman. A long ball from him that was deflected off the back of Mohammed Diame led to Sunderland's new signing Stephen Fletcher to open the scoring against us and cost us the win. Another mistake from him let Olivier Giroud equalise against us when we played Arsenal, meaning that we went into half-time on the back-foot (we eventually lost 3-1). If it hadn't been for a fantastic save from Jussi Jaaskelainen, we would have lost 1-0 to Norwich due to an error from Collins to let Simeon Jackson make a long range effort on target. Despite the fact that Collins is 6ft 4in tall, his presence clearly isn't being felt in the box, which is a worry that could cost us more points in the future.

Guy Demel's injury against Arsenal also hasn't helped after he made a very bright start to the year. Although he has been replaced at right-back by Tomkins, who is doing a very good job both in attack and in defence, it is clear that full-back isn't his natural position and that he'd be much happier at centre-back.

George McCartney also seems very promising, especially in attack where he is constantly lending a hand to Matty Taylor and Matt Jarvis on the left. However, it is still unclear whether he will have the pace to defend against some of the fastest wingers in the league, such as Aaron Lennon, Ramires and Nani.

Although Joey O'Brien is currently injured, he has looked very shaky in defence and I would be very unconfident to start him against the big teams like Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea. As he is at the moment, he would get torn apart by strikers like Robin Van Persie, Sergio Aguero and Fernando Torres. 

This defensive issue really needs to be assessed by Allardyce, and with the only reserve defenders being the youngsters Jordan Spence and Daniel Potts, it needs addressed sooner rather than later, especially if a few more injuries occur. 

If I was manager, my defence would consist of: Demel, Tomkins, Reid, McCartney.

We'll soon see what Big Sam chooses when we play Manchester City at home next week.

Top Ten West Ham Players Ever - Part 1

Yes, I've started to do some top 10 lists, don't judge me. To start us off, what could be more appropriate than looking over the greatest players that have ever played for the greatest club in world (slightly over-exaggerated there). 

10. Alvin Martin

After rising through the ranks with the youth team, Alvin Martin went on to gain almost 600 first team appearances (scoring 34 goals) in a 21-year spell for West Ham. It was in the centre of defence alongside Billy Bonds where he played the best football of his career, winning an FA Cup and the Second Division in two consecutive years with the Hammers. Martin always stayed loyal to West Ham even through two relegations and for decades was the clubs longest serving player. He also made 17 appearances for England and was included in the 1986 World Cup squad (he was left out of the 1982 squad due to injury) in which he played in several games including the victory over Paraguay, but was dropped for the quarter-final defeat by Argentina's 'Hand of God'. After leaving West Ham, he had a brief spell with Leyton Orient and after retiring in 1997, went on to manage Southend United for two years. He is one of only two players (the other being Billy Bonds) to have been awarded two testimonial matches for his time at West Ham.

9. Julian Dicks 

Julian Dicks had two spells with West Ham. After helping the Hammers gain promotion in his third season, the following year he picked up an injury that would eventually end his career. However, after recovering well from the injury to finish off the second half of the season, he was given the captain's armband when still only 23. After leaving the Hammers to go to Liverpool, he was re-signed by Harry Redknapp playing a major part to keep West Ham in the Premier League. In the 1995-1996 season, he was the clubs joint top goalscorer in the league with 10 goals as they finished 10th. He then sustained another knee injury meaning that he missed out on the whole 1997-1998 season, but returned the next year helping the Hammers secure fifth place and a UEFA Cup spot. He retired (due to his injury problems) after 11 years in total at West Ham (playing 315 games, scoring 64 goals and picking up the Hammer of the Year award 4 times) during which he was constantly a fan favourite due to his grit, determination and no-nonsense playing style.

8. Scott Parker

Scott Parker remained a constant success throughout his short 4-year stay at Upton Park. After joining in 2007 for £7 million, he received a few injuries meaning he didn't properly start his West Ham playing career until 2008. Throughout the next three seasons, he would play a major part in the side, orchestrating the team from the heart of midfield, making consistent intelligent  passes and tackles, creating many match winning performances and constantly being able to keep his side in the game when all hope seemed lost. He also made a big influence on the players around him. Mark Noble has changed greatly for the better since his midfield partnership with Parker, and his current playing style can  be said to slightly mirror the 32-year-old. His best season for the club came in the 2010-2011 season, where even though West Ham finished bottom that year, he still managed to pick up the PFA Player of the Year award and earn a place in the England starting line-up. He left Upton Park that summer in the most upsetting transfer saga in the club's history. He is one of only two players (the other being Trevor Brooking) to receive the Hammer of the Year award 3 times in a row. Scott Parker deserves his place in this list not because he was the best player in the team, but because he was the best player in the team by far!

The rest of this list will be coming soon.

Matches of the Past - Part 2

28th September 2002 - Chelsea 2 West Ham 3

Glenn Roeder will almost certainly be remembered at West Ham not for guiding his players to 7th in his first season, but for relegating a team blessed with eighteen full internationals (and the seventh best supported club in the Premiership). Granted it was the players who lost the matches, but Roeder's intransigence with his stars and his unpredictable style of management clearly contributed to the club's problems. 

Roeder's main problem was with Paolo Di Canio. Sulky, moody, two-paced ... and Di Canio wasn't much better. The Italian, given a free rein by Redknapp in his glory years, was soon made to understand that Roeder's West Ham was an egalitarian outfit, without room for big heads and egos. The kids who had grown up there with Roeder liked this - the Defoes, Johnsons, Coles and Carricks. The older professionals, including Di Canio, Winterburn and Breen, might have learned something from them. When Roeder named Joe Cole captain in November, it couldn't have pleased those at the club who had felt the honour ought to have been theirs. 

By their seventh game, the Hammers had mustered just two points out of a possible eighteen, their worst ever start in any league. Not a great time to face Claudio Ranieri's Chelsea, who had finished just one place above them the previous season, yet would finish this one in fourth place. A hostile Stamford Bridge saw Hasselbainck put Chelsea ahead from the spot after twenty minutes, but the rout did not materialise. Instead, despite Kanoute hobbling off early on from an injury that would sideline him for most of the season, they came back into the game, inspired by Cole, Carrick and Sinclair's mastery of midfield, and Di Canio's trickery up front. Just before half-time Defoe, who after the next match would not miss another all season, tucked away an equaliser. 

Di Canio might not have seen eye to eye with Roeder (it was said they weren't on speaking terms at the training ground) but he never lost his affection for the reciprocal West Ham crowd. Shortly after half-time, receiving the ball 40 yards out, he hit a stupendous volley beyond countryman Cudicini into the far corner of the net. From the noise, it seemed he had scored at Upton Park. Maybe the players could hear the roars from the 5,000 ticketless fans who had made the journey that day to Upton Park to watch a live beamback of the game on the big screens. 

It was a good day for Italian geniuses; Gianfranco Zola, later to manage West Ham, put away an equalising free-kick and it looked as though the Hammers would have to settle for a point.  Rising to the occasion as only he could, Di Canio had other ideas. Strolling through the Chelsea defence, he pulled wide on the left-hand side, too wide it seemed, until he hit a controlled near post shot that caught out Cudicini. Again the emotional celebrations. Some who were at the game said that the Chelsea fans were cheering, too. That's what fans used to do at football games, or so I'm told. They would cheer even when a player from the opposition scored a superb goal. This is entertainment, after all, and if you've paid money to watch someone entertain, and they entertain you, shouldn't you applaud?

It could have been the Italian connection, but after the game Claudio Ranieri was not sparing in his praise of Di Canio, who he declared had been the difference between the two sides. Di Canio had made his statement on the pitch, and did not make himself available for interview, but Roeder, often impossibly shy and awkward in front of the cameras, went out to say his piece and praise Di Canio's efforts. It was a good time for plaudits, as the Hammers had just won their first game of the season. The home hoodoo continued, but West Ham won two of their next three matches and climbed to fourteenth. It would, sadly, be another fifteen games until their next win, only their fourth all season and their first at home for eight months.

Starting XI: David James, Sebastien Schemmel, Scott Minto, Steve Lomas (capt), Tomas Repka, Gary Breen, Trevor Sinclair, Joe Cole, Fredi Kanoute, Paolo Di Canio, Michael Carrick

Subs: Jermain Defoe

MoM: Paolo Di Canio