Randolph saves goals - and puppies

Thanks to my pal Lisa for sending in this picture of Darren Randolph found on the Peta (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) website. Darren is pictured with cute puppy Tia, a rescue dog that needs a home, and he is encouraging people to adopt a dog. 

West Ham seem to be a very dog-friendly club these days as Slaven Bilic told the Daily Telegraph that choosing West Ham was a bit like choosing a dog: “When you are buying a dog you find like this – 10 reasons not to buy it. Because you can’t go out more, if you are travelling it’s a problem, he’s going to pee there and there until he learns. He’s going to bite your cat, he’s going to leave your place smelly. But there is one reason that’s good – he loves you. Every time you come home it’s like it’s the first time he’s seen you." 

And of course West Ham gave a home to a stray canine called Martin 'Mad Dog' Allen back in the 1990s…

Randolph makes the Euros

We've got a 'keeper at Euro 2016. Congratulations to Darren Randolph on playing in Ireland's 2-0 win over Bosnia-Herzegovina last night, the game that saw the Irish qualify. Certainly looked an emotional night. I thought Randolph did really well in the three games he played when Adrian was suspended, against Bournemouth, Liverpool and Newcastle. He'll benefit from international football too and it's encouraging West Ham now have two top class goalkeepers. And there's now a good chance Randolph might replace Shay Given and David Forde (a former Hammer) as Ireland's number one goalkeeper.

Well played Darren Randolph

It's been a good couple of weeks for Darren Randolph and it seems we now have a quality reserve goalkeeper. I'm assuming Adrian will return in goal at Man City, but credit Randolph for a couple of fine saves against Newcastle, despite being out of the game for long spells. He also kept a clean sheet at Anfield and couldn't be faulted for any of Bournemouth's goals — in fact he kept the score down in the first half.  It will do Randolph good to have had three games on the spin in the first team. As in every other position, it seems we now have competition for the number one spot.