Denied at the death but a decent point at Brighton

Brighton 1 West Ham 1

With only one win in 16 games against Brighton this was a nervous watch on Sky. The team selection seems strange with Potts, Magassa and Wilson on the bench. Nuno's thinking is presumably to bring in fresh legs after Thursday's draw at Man United in the form of Rodriguez, Kilman, Summerville and Paqueta, who is back from the naughty step. 

Surprisingly it works really well as the Hammers five-man back line and low block frustrates Brighton. Wieffer misses a good chance but Brighton don't have a shot on target for 90 minutes. The maligned Rodriguez does pretty well in midfield and 'Stan' Welbeck is well-contained by the Greek Bloke and co. West Ham look dangerous on the counter with Paqueta on his best referee-loving behaviour testing Verbruggen from range and trying to feed Summerville whenever he can. One such ball finds Jimmy clear only for the returning winger to curl his shot wide when he should score.

The second half sees West Ham look the likelier side. Released thanks to Paqueta's tenacity, Bowen dribbles through the Seagull's defence to force a great save from Verbruggen, who then leaps up again to deny Summerville's overhead kick. 

Rodriguez comes off for Potts and Wilson replaces Summerville. Within 54 seconds of coming on Wilson does well to capitalise on Van Hecke's poor header and find Bowen, though it looks like the ball is a little overhit. But Jarrod, under close attention from Kadioglu, does brilliantly to fire home from an acute angle. Wow, it looks like a brilliant away win coming up.

Brighton almost equalise when the ball spins off Kilman's foot and Areola does really well to tip it on to the bar. Nuno possibly makes too many subs bringing on on Soucek, Magassa and Ezra Mayers for a league debut at left -back, though Diouf has had a decent contest with Minteh.

With 90 minutes gone Brighton still haven't had a shot on target are putting the Irons under severe pressure. Areola has to make a flying save from Kostoulas. In the 91st minute Rutter has a shot saved by Areola, Van Hecke keeps the ball alive and Rutter fires home in the melee. VAR intervenes as Rutter has handled before his first shot, but rules under some byzantine protocol that the handball hasn't led directly to a goal. Bizarrely VAR also ignores the overhead kick from Kostoulas that has whacked the six foot four Mavropanos on the head. The Greek Bloke was jumping too.

There's still time for West Ham to win a corner in the last minute that the Greek Bloke heads wide when he should hit the target. It's a decent point considering our poor record at Brighton, but we're still in the bottom three after failing to hold on to the win. A good performance though. Nuno has undoubtedly improved the defence, particularly Todibo, and Fernandes has had a really good game in midfield. Two points from Man United and Brighton away is a sign of progress. Irons!

Magassa earns deserved point at Man United

Manchester United 1 West Ham United 1

It's back to lucky-ish pub the Floirin with Lisa for this one. The Guinness is good as we take our table next to several older MUFC fans in Sharp-sponsored United shirts, gathered to watch their side go fifth if they win. Roy Keane and Super Slaven Bilic are in the studio as Sky seems to focus exclusively on the Mancs pre-match. 

West Ham's bench is packed with kids in the absence of Paqueta, Summerville, Guilherme, Scarles and Fullkrug, while poor old James Ward-Prowse is again persona non grata.

Heaven is booked for clattering Wilson and Diallo dives to try and win a penalty early on. It's soon evident that Aaron Wan-Bissaka has a point to prove to his old employers. He makes a couple of brilliant tackles and gets forward to cross for Mateus Fernandes to have a goalbound shot blocked.

United increase the pressure towards the end of the half with Amad causing Diouf problems. Mbuemo's curling shot is tipped over by Areola. United have a double chance as Zirkzee's shot is cleared off the line by AWB and then Bruno Fernandes volleys just wide. 

But Potts and Magassa are getting in tackles, the Greek Bloke is solid and Todibo is having his best game for West Ham. Shortly before the break Bowen jinks inside three defenders to get a shot away, only for it be half-blocked and gathered by Lammens.

Nuno will be the happier gaffer with 0-0 at the break. The second half sees a great West Ham move as Magassa, Bowen and Wilson combine to release Magassa who fires into the side-netting. But it looks like the usual plucky defeat when Casemiro's mishit shot deflects to Dalot who strokes home.

West Ham show character to keep going and Magassa, Bowen and Wan-Bissaka show real intensity to drive the team forward as Potts has a shot blocked. Mbuemo's dive in the box doesn't fool the ref as Todibo hasn't touched him. Nuno brings on Andy Irving and gives a debut to French youngster Mohamadou Kante - he's certainly not scared of using young players.

MAGIC MAGASSA

The Portobello Pirlo's first act is to curl in a great corner. Bowen gets a flick-on and his header is cleared off the line by Mazraoui. But Soungoutou Magassa is on hand to calmly steer it into the corner. He looks ecstatic to score and races to the away fans. We might have a player here.

On 90 minutes we're treated to a late cameo from DC, arriving straight from work and staying long enough to see Bowen get through and cross across the goalmouth and Bruno Fernandes fire over from Areola's parry during the five minutes of added time.

It's a merited draw in the end. It might not take West Ham out of the bottom three but it's a very encouraging performance. The evening is made better by watching Roy Keane doing his Grinch act in the studio, complaining that United fans are too positive cheering off players who get subbed. "No disrespect to West Ham," he says, before disrespecting West Ham.

A big positive is that our midfield is suddenly young and energetic, with Potts, Magassa and Fernandes all in their early twenties. Callum Wilson has lasted 87 minutes too, though we also need a younger striker in the window to take the pressure off him. I'd keep the same side for the Brighton match even with Paqueta returning after suspension, just to prove that it's not all about him. There were some nice choruses of "Billy Bonds' Claret and Blue Army!" picked up on the TV too. Billy would have approved of the attitude shown at Old Trafford. Irons!

Billy Bonds is after you...

"Sort it out Billy!" was the shout you'd always hear from the Chicken Run or North Bank back in the 1970s and 1980s. My mum always thought that the name Billy Bonds sounded like a pirate and the adjective the press often attached to him was "buccaneering" as he rampaged across the pitch with his seventies beard and flowing hair. 

Billy was certainly a hard man and if anyone clattered Pat Holland or Trevor Brooking he would be there having a word or sliding in on the culprit. But Billy was also a very skilful player and underrated passer, as we saw when he made a comeback to play in midfield at 44 during the 1987-88 season.

Having signed from Charlton Bonzo started off as a right back but really shone when switched to defensive midfield. On The Big Match and in matches he always seemed to be shouting and pointing, organising his side. With Brooking and Paddon he formed the quality midfield that won the FA Cup in 1975. Bonds scored with some great long-range shots and volleys and finished the club's top scorer in the 1973-74 season with 13 goals, including a hat-trick against Chelsea. Bonzo netted quite a few headers too with that loping and bouncing spring of his. In the boozy 1970s side of Moore and Greaves and co he remained super-fit and, always a family man, he would the first to head for home after training or a match.

He was brilliant when moved to centre back too and with Alvin Martin formed the impregnable barrier that kept a clean sheet against Arsenal in the 1980 FA Cup win. Other career highlights were winning the old second division championship and reaching the League Cup Final in 1980-81. 

He wrote in his autobiography Bonzo of coming up against Vinny Jones when he was 40-odd and laughing at Jones' crude attempts to annoy him: "Vinny's attempts to wind me up with little shoves, tugs and taps at corners and set-pieces and non-stop verbals literally made me laugh."

Bonzo helped the club by becoming manager after Lou Macari, twice winning promotion and getting relegated once. But with his high standards he never seemed quite suited to the modern management of big-earners and though he never forgave Harry Redknapp for taking over, Harry was clearly the better buyer and seller of players. His spell at Millwall was regrettable from our point of view, but perhaps understandable for a south London lad.

Away from the pitch he was a very different character, a gentle man who was a keen bird-watcher. He was never arrogant and the biggest ire in his Bonzo autobiography was reserved for Ted MacDougall: "I played with and against some really great strikers, far better than he ever was. Yet none of them carried on as if waiters receptionists and the like were just menial workers instead of ordinary decent people doing a job."

I'm proud to have seen Bonzo lift the FA Cup twice at Wembley and it's hard to forget his tears on the pitch before the Newcastle game when the Billy Bonds Stand was officially named after him. His 799 games for the Hammers will surely never be beaten. The term legend is much over-used but he really was one. If only he was here to sort it out now. RIP Bonzo.

Liverpool come good as petulant Paqueta sees red

West Ham 0 Liverpool 2

Everything else is overshadowed by the morning's news that Billy Bonds has died.The club do pretty well at short notice to organise a video tribute, a minute's applause and Jarrod Bowen laying a number four shirt at the side of the pitch. The game starts to choruses of "Billy Bonds' Claret and Blue Army!" and 1970s classic, "Oh Billy Billy, Billy Billy Billy Billy Bonds!" plus another minute's applause in the fourth minute.

Liverpool haven't helped us by dropping Salah to give more support to their defence and recalling Gomez to the troubled right-back spot. Up against a team on their worst run in years and with Isak not having scored a goal — what could possibly go wrong? I'm joined by Matt and Lisa, Nigel, Michael and Big Sam, who has travelled up from Wales next to an annoying Chelsea fan who drank three bottles of wine before Paddington.

Kilman has been dropped with the Greek Bloke coming in while Magassa is in for the still-injured Jimmy Summerville. A few early West Ham corners are followed by Alisson dropping as if felled by the Grealish Sniper. Or was it just one of the black balloons popping? We suspect that Jack might be going down holding his leg somewhere on Merseyside.

West Ham compete reasonably well, without ever troubling Alisson. Magassa gets stuck in, Fernandes is busy and the Greek Bloke starts well. Liverpool are surprisingly physical and ref Darren England lets a lot go. It's Liverpool who create the first-half chances. Isak skies a shot over and then has a goalbound volley blocked by Areola's star-jump. While a long ball from Alisson sees Wan-Bissaka miskick and Wirtz allow Areola to save.

The breakthrough comes in the 60th minute. Clever footwork from Wirtz releases Gakpo whose low cross is cleverly steered home first-time by Isak, who has lost Dinos. Nuno brings on the £20m Guilherme and £27m Fullkrug in an effort to salvage a point, while for the Scousers £125m Isak is replaced by £69m Ekitike. The £116m Wirtz is replaced by Jones. 

SEEING RED

There's still a slight chance West Ham might grab a point until Paqueta gets himself sent off in ridiculous fashion. He waves his arms in the air after a free kick is awarded against Fullkrug and gets booked for dissent. Paqueta then pursues the ref and has to be held back by his Brazilian team-mate Alisson. We can all see what's going to happen from the Billy Bonds Stand. It's terrible captaincy from Bowen too, who should be marching Paqueta away from the referee, or instructing Dinos or Todibo to get him away. Lucas talks himself into an utterly self-indulgent second yellow and departs ironically applauding the referee. 

Paqueta later posts on X that he's received no support from the FA over his two-year purgatory facing those betting changes, but even if that's the case he's got a duty to his team-mates and the club who stood by him. This sending off was, as the BBC puts it, nonsensical.

West Ham do fashion their only decent chance after Paqueta's departure. Guilherme dribbles towards the box, Fullkrug's strength sees the ball fall to Bowen who curls it just wide. Jarrod's had a frustrating afternoon not really running at Kerkez and looks as if he might be carrying a slight knock.

In added time Liverpool score a second against our ten men as Mavropanos misses the ball and Gakpo chests it down to shoot home. Not exactly the way we wanted to pay tribute to Billy Bonds.

We retreat to the Eagle where Nigel reminisces about telling Ian Gillan that Smoke on the Water was the first song played at his wedding. As we watch Chelsea play Arsenal Matt lists his top five most hated PL players, including Joao Pedro, Enzo Fernandez and Villa's Martinez. Lisa thinks he might actually have a list of 365 most hated players. The juke box plays Down Under to mark Matt's brother's imminent visit from Australia for the Villa game — what could possibly go right?

So it's Man United away on Thursday with Paqueta suspended for gross stupidity followed by a difficult away match at Brighton. This wasn't a terrible performance and Liverpool are not as bad as recent form suggests, but we need action in the window to stay up.

PLAYER RATINGS: Areola 7; Wan-Bissaka 5, Mavropanos 5, Todibo 6, Diouf 5; Magassa 6 (Guilherme 5), Potts 6 (Soucek n/a), Fernandes 6, Paqueta 3; Bowen 5, Wilson 5 (Fullkrug 6). 

Wilson and Areola earn away point for the Irons

Bournemouth 2 West Ham 2 

Leaving home in a downpour it's a nervous journey to Stratford Library for my spot at the Newham Festival of Stories, as West Ham are two up at half-time. I'm appearing at a talk with maths guru and West Ham ambassador Bobby Seagull and Hammers historian Tim Crane author of the just-published A History of West Ham United. On arrival it's 2-1 and with seasoned Irons Bobby and Tim we're soon despairing at 2-2 and then relieved we don't actually lose. 

Paqueta is suspended and Summerville injured, with Guilherme coming in on the left and Freddie Potts thankfully fit to play. Igor makes his full debut in a five-man defence. West Ham's first goal is route one as Areola's punt downfield is expertly controlled on his chest by Callum Wilson. His snap shot on a wet pitch takes Petrovic by surprise and the Irons are 1-0 up after 11 minutes. Brooks misses a half-chance for the Cherries but astonishingly it's two after half an hour as a free kick into the box is kept alive by headers from Bowen and Todibo. Wilson controls it on his chest and swivels to hook a brilliant finish past the keeper. He's become the first PL player to score twice without making a pass.

Bournemouth improve after the break as Iraola brings on Christie and Jimenez while Nuno makes a strange substitution taking off Wilson for Soucek seven minutes into the second half.  He thinks Wilson looks tired and with his injury record has to be used judiciously, but even so it's strange to bring off a player on a hat-trick. Soucek has come on and scored in the last two games but he's not fast and not a target man. Surely bringing on Fullkrug, who does appear after 75 minutes, would have given the Hammers more of a focus to relieve the pressure? Guilherme has to go off injured at the break too, which deprives the Hammers of some speed on the left flank.

The Cherries start to bombard the Hammers goal. Areola makes a fine save with his feet to deny Christie. The breakthrough comes in the 69th minute when Kilman slips and his hand brushes the ball as he falls to give away a penalty. Bournemouth argue it's also a red card, though it's hard to see where else he could have put his arm after sliding in the deluge. Tavernier duly scores. 

THE FONZ IS COOL

Areola makes a brilliant save with his feet to deny Kroupi, but it's 2-2 after 81 minutes as sub Unal gets between Kilman and Igor to fire home. From then on it's Bournemouth against the Fonz. He makes a reflex save to deny Tavernier, another fine stop from Adki and then another great foot stop from Unal. 

Did Nuno's conservatism cost us the win or was it simply a case of being forced back by an improved Bournemouth? In the end we're grateful for a point, though as Newham Festival of Stories attendee Matt says, beforehand we'd have settled for seven points from the Newcastle, Burnley and Bournemouth games. Next up we face crisis club Liverpool. 

Meanwhile it's an entertaining session at Stratford Library and good to hear Tim Crane's stories of Vic Watson and co, Bobby Seagull's tale of playing against Jermain Defoe at school plus the audience tales of Clyde Best, Bobby Moore and more. Come on you Irons!

Irons at the Newham Festival of Stories

Looking forward to appearing on a West Ham panel at the Newham Festival of Stories on Saturday Nov 22nd, from 5-6pm. I'll be on stage with maths wizard and Hammers fanatic Bobby Seagull and West Ham historian Tim Crane author of A History of West Ham United talking about the influence of West Ham on the borough. Click on the link above for free tickets.

Fullkrug can only leave on West Ham's terms

It seems likely that Niclas Fullkrug will be on his bike in January, with a number of German clubs interested in signing the injury-prone striker. Fullkrug's agent Thorsten Wirth has said in a podcast: "Looking back, we have to say the transfer didn’t work out. There’s no point in sugar-coating it. This always has to happen in cooperation with the club, but I believe it can make sense to change something there." 

That seems a little simplistic as Fullkrug's problem has been that he's always injured rather than his choice of club. Two of his injuries have occurred while with the Germany squad so perhaps it's time for him to retire from international football and put his body under less strain. It would be a mistake to let Fullkrug go on loan as he's on a reported £100k a week and West Ham would likely have to pay a large slice of his wages. A cash offer might be tempting but it's going to be very difficult to sign a replacement striker in January when clubs are reluctant to sell halfway through the season.

My best option would be to get him fit, hold him to his contract and keep him until the end of the season. Fullkrug, who cost £27 million, was starting to show some form last season with goals at Leicester and Man City, only to do his hamstring at Villa in the FA Cup. He returned to score a fine header against Bournemouth and be "very angry" after the Southampton draw, but once again this season he has succumbed to injury and has only ever started 13 games for the Irons. 

He's the sort of player who needs games but when he has got a run together he's started to look a decent striker. Nuno started him in his first two games and likes a big target man so it makes sense to keep him as an option. West Ham are going to need an alternative to the 33-year-old Callum Wilson at some stage and we need all the strikers we can get. After failing to get the best out of Haller and Scamacca it would be satisfying to finally get some kind of return from another expensive international striker.