Meanwhile West Ham have signed the former Sheffield United goalkeeper Wes Foderingham on a free. It's easy for people to mock getting a player from a side with the worst defensive record in the Premier League, but signing a keeper with Premier League experience as our third choice isn't a bad move. And he wasn't exactly helped by the players in front of him. Foderingham also payed in the promotion-winning Sheffield United side so can't be that bad and also has experience at Swindon and Rangers. He's been signed as a bench-warmer, but could still prove useful and more experienced than Anang should Areola and Fabianski be out.
Thursday, June 27
No doubting Tomas
A very West Ham goal from the Czech Republic last night. The Turkey keeper failed to hold a long throw from Vladimir Coufal and there was Tomas Soucek to fire home the loose ball. The Czechs are still on their way home after losing in the final minute, but that might be a good thing for West Ham in giving our lads a rest. It will be interesting to see what Lopetegui makes of Soucek, a player who runs all day, gets his head and feet on stuff in both boxes, but isn't the most cultured of midfielders. Will he stick or twist? We'll have to wait and see.
Sunday, June 23
A view to a Kilman
West Ham have bid £25 million for Wolves' Max Kilman according to the Guardian. That won't be enough as Wolves want £40 million plus, though their problems with Financial Fair Play regulations might make them keener to sell. He's a very dependable player who didn't miss a game last season, though ominously Newcastle are also looking at him. Hopefully Lopetegui's time managing Kilman at Wolves might count for something. The Irons need to pay whatever it takes as centre back is the number one priority after last season's 74 goals conceded, plus the injuries of Zouma and the release of Ogbonna. Though one bonus of getting Kilman would be that the Hammers could possibly have a centre back partnership of Maximilian and Konstantinos, meaning we really would have two big name defenders.
Thursday, June 20
Irons in the fire
Quite a lot to interest West Ham fans in the Euros so far. Jarrod Bowen made a great cameo for England against Serbia after replacing Saka on the right flank. His best moment was beating his man and playing in a great cross for Kane to hit the bar. Jarrod got involved, had a lot of touches and did some fine defensive blocking too. For the Czech Republic against Portugal Vladimir Coufal put in a couple of great crosses and then made the assist for the Republic's opener, while captain Tomas Soucek did what Tomas Soucek does. A shame that in true West Ham style the Czechs lost in added time. There was also the sight of ex-Iron Marko Arnautovic winding up the French opposition for Austria and Andriy Yarmolenko playing for Ukraine, while some bloke called Declan Rice looked half-decent for England, (at least until the Denmark game).
Monday, June 17
RIP: Fraser Massey
Fraser started attending West Ham games in the late 1960s back in the days of Ron Greenwood and then John Lyall. He joined our group of aficionados in the 1990s. West Ham perhaps made him prematurely grey-haired and one of his best moments was being serenaded with a chant of "There's only one Adam Faith!" by the Hammers' fans after a pitchside walk at Palermo in the Uefa Cup.
He was a great advocate of attacking football and never took to Big Sam or David Moyes, though he did approve of Redknapp, Bilic and Pellegrini. Fraser was as disappointed as anyone after the 2006 FA Cup Final and was at the 1999 Inter-Toto Cup Final in Metz, which he insisted was a proper trophy. Like all fans he had his idiosyncrasies, not least the insistence that converted wingers like Marco Arnautovic and Michail Antonio were not really strikers.
He used to celebrate West Ham goals with cigars, though that didn't happen very often, and had a Fonz-like ability to procure a programme when all around him had failed. He affected a remarkable calm in the face of the anger and despair all around him. During the Great Escape of 2007 he insisted we were already up as we travelled to Old Trafford. We weren't, but Fraser remained cool for a nerve-shredding 90 minutes as West Ham won through Carlos Tevez's goal. Another memory is of Fraser and Michael desperately searching for an open pub after the last game at the Boleyn as the rest of us made for the last helicopter out of Green Street.
Fraser brought a dapper style to our row, eschewing replica shirts for linen jackets, ties, raincoats, Dexys-style berets and neckerchiefs. As a journalist he was noted for his note-taking with a pencil and the fact he once went to a party with Jack Nicholson. More recently he took an MA in creative writing and wrote a crime novel in his guise as the Raymond Chandler of Ilford.
For many years he was a carer to his then-partner Susan, who died in 2021. After much pub-searching in Stratford we started to base our post-match inquests at the Eagle in Leyton, which is where Fraser met his partner Sinead, who stayed with him at the hospice and was an indefatigable support to him in his final months.
Fraser was still able to joke during his stay at the hospice and suggested that it wouldn't matter if Paqueta got a lengthy ban as that would mean we would have him forever. During the Moyes years it was convenient that Fraser had the surname of Massey, as we could inform him that "Fraser is Massey, everywhere he goes!" It's some comfort to know that he was able to watch West Ham win the Europa Conference League at the Eagle in 2023, though he might have insisted that it wasn't as big as the Inter-Toto Cup.
Let's hope that Fraser is now having a word with Ron Greenwood and John Lyall, telling them they should have played more forwards.
Saturday, June 15
Hammers go shopping in Brazil
The Lopetegui/Steidten era has started with the signing of Brazilian teenager Luis Guilherme from Palmeiras. Paying £25 million for an 18-year-old with one senior goal and one assist is undoubtedly risky (remember Savio?) and there's no guarantee he will adapt to England at such a young age, but you have to assume technical director Tim Steidten sees him as a future superstar. It's a bit puzzling that Luis plays on the right wing in Jarrod Bowen's position, though perhaps he is seen as a possible successor to Lucas Paqueta or a striking option. Whatever happens, having another Brazilian should certainly add to the entertainment value next season. Now, with Ogbonna released and Zouma available plus Paqueta in trouble with the FA, the Irons need some new defenders, a left-sided midfielder and a striker. It's going to need a big rebuild.
Tuesday, June 4
Antonio woe
Interesting interview with Michail Antonio in the Sun a few weeks ago. Micky might seem a happy-go-lucky character, but he's been seeing a therapist after his divorce, injury problems and at times falling out of love with football after a tough upbringing in south London. Most revealing is the fact he couldn't celebrate with the rest of the squad after the Europa Conference League win but collapsed exhausted in his hotel room. There are lots of social media managers out there, but we don't always know what is happening behind the scenes. The players are human beings who have the same problems as the rest of us. Michail seems to be getting his mental health issues resolved and good luck to him. He had a great end to last season and can still play a big role in the West Ham squad.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)