Jeepers keepers

Really bad news that Lucasz Fabianski is out for at least two months. Roberto will now get his chance and did well to thwart Callum Wilson in a one-on-one situation at Bournemouth. He's experienced so we have to hope he takes his chance. As back-up we have Alvin's lad David Martin, but it still leaves WHU looking very thin on keepers. Pellegrini might need to look at out-of-contract goalkeepers. One forum has already mentioned Michael Vorm and Julian Speroni as being available. Any other ideas? Just a shame we couldn't hold on to Adrian — whatever happened to him?

It's the Yarmy and Cressy show again

Bournemouth 2 West Ham 2

Well, at least the Irons got something out of this after the Oxford debacle and for a night at least go up to third place.The Hammers took the lead with a great goal, Haller showing the skills of a real target man to cushion the ball and find Yarmolenlenko, who spun on to his left foot and find the corner of the net. With three goals in four games Yarmy is starting to look a real force.

The lead didn't last long though, with the unmarked King poking home after a ricochet and VAR allowing the goal to stand despite offside claims. Fabianski straining a though muscle and having to be replaced by Roberto was a blow, but the Hammers almost regained the lead before half time as first Ramsdale saved brilliantly from Anderson's overhead kick and then Ogbonna headed a great chance wide.

Something went wrong with the concentration early in the second half as Bournemouth took the lead after 27 seconds, through Callum Wilson, who absolutely always scores against West Ham. It could have been worse when Ake bundled home, only to be correctly ruled offside. At 2-1 Roberto then had to to make a fine one-on-one stop from Wilson.

But credit to Pellegrini's men for fighting back in a game we would have lost last season. Yarmolenko's cross was headed down by Anderson  — who seems to be improving dramatically in the air and earlier almost scored with his head — and goal machine Aaron Cresswell stroked home his second in two games.

There was still time for Cresswell to survive a shirt-tugging penalty appeal, but the Hammers hung on to take a point against a side we traditionally struggle against. I'm reasonably happy with that.

West Ham need to take the cups seriously

There's a good article by Andy Dunn in today's Daily Mirror on the capitulation at Oxford. As Dunn says, West Ham fans are not going to remember a mid-table finish, but they would recall a trip to Wembley. In a season where we don't look like getting relegated there's no excuse for not giving it a go in the League Cup, our best hope of a trophy. 

Yes, there was a case for making a few changes. Yarmolenko is recovering from a long term injury so doesn't need two games in a week, Noble is now 32 so needs resting now and again, reserve keeper Roberto wants some games and Cresswell has only just come back into the side so could have been replaced by Masuaku. 

But WHU could still have fielded a side such as this: Roberto; Fredericks, Diop, Ogbonna, Masuaku; Anderson, Rice, Fornals, Snodgrass; Ajeti, Haller. As the Mirror piece points out, going into the game knowing it was a reserve side didn't do much good for the players psychologically. When it comes to the FA Cup Pellegrini needs to take it seriously and play a proper side.

More cup humiliation for Hammers

Oxford United 4 (four) West Ham 0 (Carabao Cup)

Well that was very West Ham to beat Man United and then get humiliated at League 1 side Oxford. As sadly predicted on this blog. Clearly Pellegrini is adhering to the West Ham Way a little too closely. Just when it all seemed to be going so well. This ranks right up there with Newport, Wrexham, Wimbledon, Aldershot, Stockport, Hereford, Grimsby, Torquay and every other catastrophic cup defeat.

Pellegrini made too many changes but the team should have been strong enough to get something. Zabaleta, Diop, Balbuena and Masuaku could well have been a first choice back four. While Snodgrass, Wilshere, Sanchez are all internationals and Fornals a £23m big money signing. 

Looking at the lowlights it was terrible defending for the first two goals and an unfortunate slip from Masuaku for the third. The fourth was more standing off while we created nothing up front. 

So a pretty shameful performance. Or are we just concentrating on getting in the Champions League? If this is our squad depth on display then it's not good enough. The players owe the fans a win at Bournemouth now.

Signs of quiet progress under Pellegrini

Match of The Day had an interesting comparison of last season's record with this season's. West Ham currently have 11 points from six games, whereas last season we had four points from six games. It's early days, but in his understated way, Pellegrini seems to be making progress.

Most encouraging has been the improvement in defence after three clean sheets. Fredericks is starting to look like a proper speedy right-back and Ogbonna has come in and looked much improved. Arthur Masuaku has shown more defensive discipline too and his replacement on Sunday, Aaron Cresswell, scored a sensational free kick and didn't get caught for pace on the turn through some shrewd positional play. Anderson, Noble, Rice  and Fornals also provided a much better defensive shield for the back four.

While at 32 Mark Noble looked the best player on the pitch, always doing the simple things well. Now he's surrounded by talent like Rice, Anderson, Lanzini, Yarmolenko and Haller we're starting to see that he's actually a very good player in his own right.

Though it is, of course, only six league games in so far. Now I've been positive about the Hammers, we'll probably get thrashed at Oxford and Bournemouth...

All's well that's Cresswell

West Ham 2 Manchester United 0

It's to the Best Cafe for our pre-match repast, where Lisa and Matt have caused consternation with their hipster north London ways, through ordering ciabatta and a halloumi baguette. After a plea from the overstretched waitress we opt for eggs, chips and beans instead. We're joined by Michael, who denies having the whip removed, and my daughter Nell, who opts for a late toasted cheese and ham sandwich at Greggs. 

We just make the kick-off where we join Fraser, Steve the Cornish postie and Clacton Joe (Alison is away preparing to govern).The first half hour is tepid, with Matic and Yarmolenko both firing shots into the goalkeeper's chest. Fornals, replacing the injured Lanzini, is struggling with the pace of the game. 

Noble has a volley saved by De Gea as the game stutters into life. The biggest talking point has been United's dodgy away kit, a horrible yellow/brown/pink peach colour. When Rashford does show his pace, Rice makes an excellent covering tackle

As the half seems destined to end goalless Mystic Michael lends a hand. "Does Yarmolenko actually have a left foot?" he complains, just as Noble feeds Anderson. Felipe dinks a lovely first-time pass into the path of Yarmolenko, who with one deft touch bamboozles Maguire and then wraps his left boot around the ball to strike it firmly into the corner. Yarmy has proved the boo boy wrong.

United are better at the start of the second half, with Mata poking wide when he should have scored. But West Ham hold out and counter. Yarmolenko cleverly sets up Anderson who fires against De Gea's knees. Fabianski isn't that busy, apart from having to make a fine stop from Maguire's shot after a corner.

TOP CORNER
We all moan when Anderson is replaced by Wilshere, but actually it proves to be a sound substitution. Jack keeps the ball and shows his class as United continually foul him. From one free kick Cresswell fires just over. Then with ten minutes left Wilshere finds Noble who is clogged again. This time Cressy fires a lovely free kick over the wall and into the top corner before running to our corner to celebrate. After his Yarmolenko faux pas Michael points out that he has already said Cresswell looks like he's really playing for his place.

"Dad, you never said that was going to happen," says a puzzled Nell. 

United have fallen a long way, and there is no Fergie-time barrage as the Hammers fans cheer every pass. Still, WHU have to beat these mid-table teams and it's an encouraging result. Nigel texts from Brighton to quip that he's watching another set of struggling Reds.

We head off to the boat bar on the River Lea, pre-booked by Lisa, though Steve the Cornish Postie fails to keep touch tight on his man and loses us in the throng. Fraser announces that he's up for a prize as the Raymond Chandler of E20. A couple of bottles of Doom Bar round off a day when WHU have, incredibly, kept their third league clean sheet in a row, our best defensive run since the great days of David Moyes. We go fifth. Irons!

PLAYER RATINGS: Fabianski 6; Fredericks 7 (Zabaleta 6), Diop 7, Ogbonna 6, Cresswell 8; Rice 7, Fornals 5, Noble 8, Anderson 6 (Wilshere 7); Yarmolenko 8 (Snodgrass n/a), Haller 6.

Haller left looking isolated

With Antonio out until the New Year and Hernandez sold, Sebastien Haller was left looking rather isolated against Aston Villa. Yarmolenko had a fine match against Norwich, both scoring and showing an ability to beat his man either with skill or just power. But against Villa he got very little change from a resolute defence. And is he a winger or striker? No-one seems really sure. 

Perhaps bringing on Ajeti late in games might offer Haller a bit of back-up. Or Yarmolenko could be shifted to a more central role. With Anderson and Lanzini in the side there should be plenty of balls coming in, but the Hammers have to find a way of getting more players into the box. Haller can't do it all on his own.

At least we kept a clean sheet…

Aston Villa 0 West Ham 0

Well, not quite the 11 goals WHU needed to go second but at least it was a solid defensive performance in a disappointing game. Watched the first half in the World's End. The Irons had more of the play in the first half though Villa had the best chances with Wesley heading a great chance over and McGinn drawing a fine low save from Fabianski. For the Hammers there was a Haller header just wide and an Anderson header blocked by a defender after a fine Masuaku cross. 

The best moment is when Mings and El Ghazi clash after conceding a West Ham corner. Heads come together but Mike Dean, for once, eschews a controversial double sending off.

For the second half I had to move to the Faltering Fullback to play for my pub quiz team the Beta Males. So had half an eye on the screen while trying to remember which planet had moons called Phobos and Deimos (Mars), why played Rey in the recent Star Wars movies (Daisy Ridley) and who was the lead singer of Skunk Anansie (Skin). 

Mike Dean distinguished himself again by giving Arthur Masuaku a second yellow for a rather innocuous foul on the halfway line. Haller looked increasingly isolated up front and Yarmolenko, after a fine game against Norwich, disappointed. 

But we did well to hold out with ten men. Diop had a fine game at the back as did Fabianski whose commitment was characterised by his charge from goal to take the ball and El Ghazi out in the first half. 

Grealish just failed to connect with a cross late on and the Irons also had a late but not entirely convincing penalty shout from Fredericks. Not a great game, but to be positive that's four league games unbeaten since the City defeat and Villa defeated Everton in their last home game. And perhaps with 11 men we might have nicked it. 

While as my pal Nigel quipped, David Cameron will certainly be pleased with a draw between his two teams, West Ham and Aston Villa.

All Hammers need is an 11-0 away win...

Doh! Thanks to my pal Nigel for jinxing us by stating that if West Ham win 11-0 at Aston Villa tonight we go second. Creating such a hostage to fortune could easily mean that we only win 10-0... 

Away ticket allocation is not working

In the fourth season of WHU at the London Stadium it's still almost impossible to get to an away game. As a fan who's been going to games for 50 years that doesn't seem very fair. Yes, it's an improvement to have ten per cent of tickets going into a ballot, but the odds are still pretty low of getting one. 

It's a Kafka-esque situation where you can't get away tickets without points and you can't get points without going to away games. Even if the people who go to away matches can't get to the match they probably sell their ticket on to another fan so they still claim their points. It's pretty much a closed shop.

Wouldn't it be fairer if at least a few of the less popular away games were sold on a first come first served basis? That way the rest of us would have a chance of accruing some points.

Hernandez sale leaves Hammers short up front

Arrived back from the Lake District to learn that the Hammers have sold Javier Hernandez to Sevilla for a rumoured £7.2 million. It seems he asked for a transfer and it's difficult to keep an unhappy player, but with Antonio injured it leaves West Ham down to Haller up front with Ajeti (who didn't look that great at Newport) as back-up. Though it's unfair to judge a player on one game and we have to hope Ajeti cuts it in the Premier League. Meanwhile it's interesting to note that the not-much lamented Jordan Hugill has scored four times for QPR this season — might he be recalled if injuries bite?

I'm not sure if Chicharito was ever utilised properly by West Ham. Sixteen PL goals in 55 league appearances for the Hammers doesn't look that great, but we have to remember he only started 31 of those games. Injuries didn't help and he was unfortunate that Arnautovic emerged as a striker when Moyes was only ever going to play one front man. Chicharito could still finish, as he proved at Brighton this season. He never got a run alongside a striker like Haller and it's in that role he might have flourished. Javier leaves some good memories though, most notably a fine poacher's finish against Burnley last season, a double at Newcastle and another brace in the epic comeback against Huddersfield.

Hammers see off Norwich

West Ham 2 Norwich City 0

Welcome news reaches Part-Time Pete on top of Whinlatter that WHU have beaten Norwich and incredibly kept a clean sheet. Good to see Haller score again and Arthur Masuaku make the goal with a great run down the left. Yarmolenko’s goal was deserved after he hit the post a few seconds earlier and a moment of personal redemption celebrated with the medical team.

Cantwell, who looks about 12, went close for Norwich but the encouraging thing for Hammers fans was that Diop, Anderson and Snodgrass could all have added to the score and Haller had a blatant penalty turned down. Where was VAR? The only disturbing note to the afternoon was Nigel’s text claiming that Matt was drinking red wine. And for a moment we were fifth. Irons!