Showing posts with label West Brom home. Show all posts
Showing posts with label West Brom home. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 20

Antonio takes Hammers up to seventh

West Ham 2 West Brom 1

The Moyes versus Allardyce derby (El Tactico?) is on BT Sport this time, with my pal Fraser presumably watching from behind the sofa. Dawson puts a free header wide from a West Ham corner early on and for most of the first half Big Sam's men defend with six back. There's very little space for Lanzini or Benrahma to create, though Coufal does fire just wide and Lanzini places a free kick on to the roof of the net. 

Big Sam has clearly told his men to fire every free kick straight into the West Ham box, but the defence stands up well to these rare threats. Just when it's starting to resemble trying to break down our bogey side FC Astra, the breakthrough comes in added time. Benrahma does a lot of twisting and turning to finally find space to play in a deep cross. Coufal fires it back hard across the goalmouth and Bowen chests it home. A good poacher's finish.

The second half sees the Hammers rapidly lose their hard-won lead as the midfield stands off, Dawson backs away and Pereira runs unchallenged to fire home from the edge of the area. The Irons up their game and exert some pressure. Antonio sets up Lanzini, whose shot is cleared off the line by O'Shea, before Rice fires just past the post. A well-worked quick free kick then sees Declan Rice shoot across the face of the goal.

Moyes makes what seems to be a negative double substitution taking off Benrahma and Lanzini. But it's actually quite a shrewd tactical move as Fornals gives the Hammers some extra zip in midfield and playing Bowen on the left and Yarmolenko wide on the right stretches the Albion defence.

RESPECTING THE POINTS

The winner arrives on 66 minutes when Cresswell fires in another cross from the left and Yarmolenko heads it back. Antonio has to move backwards to athletically spin and fire home a great finish. Matt, who has just spent most of his wages on a £25 BT pass, never doubted that Yarmy would come on and assist the winner.

It's a nervous end to the game as WBA show good team spirit to chase an equaliser. A tired Antonio has to be subbed for Noble and the Hammers play the final ten minutes without a striker. Albion very nearly snatch an equaliser late on when Furlong fires a cross just past Fabianski's post. BFS looks exasperated, not that we're gloating.

So another win without playing brilliantly. But this side is certainly resilient and we move up to seventh, above poor old Chelsea. Though this being West Ham, despair is never far behind elation. The post-match interviews reveal that the PL are investigating the non-selection of Robert Snodgrass after Big Sam claimed there was an agreement between the clubs not to play him. 

My immediate thought is of the Tevez affair, and that West Ham will qualify for Europe but then be punished by the PL with relegation. Though hopefully this is West Brom's problem not West Ham's. A similar non-selection controversy after Everton signed Tim Howard from Man United in 2007 (also under Moyes) ended with no sanctions.

But let's forget about Snodgate for the moment. This was another productive evening and we're grinding out results. West Ham are half-way through the season and three points off third place. At this rate we might even stay up. Irons!

PLAYER RATINGS: Fabianski 6; Coufal 7, Dawson 6, Ogbonna 6, Cresswell 7; Benrahma 6 (Fornals 6), Rice 6, Soucek 5, Lanzini 6 (Yarmolenko 6); Bowen 7, Antonio 8 (Noble 5).

Sunday, January 26

Hammers make it easy for Super Slav's men

West Ham 0 West Brom 1 (FA Cup)

What could possibly go wrong against a side of West Brom's reserves managed by Slaven Bilic? Matt, Lisa and West Brom fan Kirk have booked late and are in the back of Row Z, so I'm with Fraser and Michael, with Clacton Irons Scott, Joe and super sub Biff (Alison has succumbed to a foul-weather virus) in a bank of three behind us.

West Ham start slowly and get slower. Sanchez looks way too immobile to be a Premier League player and Balbuena gives the ball away with every pass. Even Rice is passing straight to the men in yellow and green and Lanzini is still struggling to find any form. WBA take a deserved lead when Sanchez plays the ball against Diop's legs and the ball rebounds to Townsend, who fires a strong shot into the corner.

Austin misses a great headed chance and Albion should be winning by more at the break. Moyes has seen enough and makes a triple substitution at the break, bringing on Noble, Antonio and Ogbonna. 

Art the start of the second half the woman in front of us throws up. This is the first time I've known West Ham make a fan physically ill. We have to move to escape the smell of vomit.

The Hammers improve marginally. Haller pokes a tame shot wide and Lanzini and Noble are also both just wide with decent attempts. Ajeti shows terrible control to fluff one opportunity but does have a decent back-header fly just wide. 

Even the sending off of Ajayi for a second yellow on Ajeti doesn't make us look like winning. It's not until the 90th minute that Bond has to save an on-target shot from Rice. To sum it all up Antonio's cross rebounds to Noble in added time and skipper blazes a simple chance over the bar.

The crowd have done their best to raise the side in the second half but the Hammers leave the pitch to a chorus of boos. I text Nigel to inform him that the Cup Final breakfast in Kew has been postponed until 2021. We exit to the the Usain Boat bar on the River Lea. Drinking Doom Bar on a chilly boat in the dark is an apt end to the afternoon. I retreat to watch The Personal History of David Copperfield, though even Mr Micawber might struggle to believe that something will turn up for the Irons. Michael leaves with me to attend a Burns night in Archway. Only access to the stadium is now barred and we have to trek through a post-apocalyptic darkened building site to eventually find Hackney Wick.

This awful performance is a clear message to Sullivan and Moyes. The squad isn't good enough and unless we make signings in defence, midfield and attack we're going down.

PLAYER RATINGS: Randolph 6; Zabaleta 5, Diop 5, Balbuena 3 (Ogbonna 5), Cresswell 5; Fornals 5 (Antonio 6), Rice 5, Sanchez 2 (Noble 5), Lanzini 4; Ajeti 5, Haller 4.

Wednesday, January 3

Der der der der der, Andy Carroll!

A late Christmas Carroll. Andy celebrates his winner  Picture: Michael The Whovian
West Ham 2 West Brom 1

It’s early into the London Stadium with daughter Lola, where we find Alison and Scott watching the warm-up and thinking that everything must surely go wrong against a team that hasn’t won in 19 games and played just two days ago. We’re joined by Matt, back from his December sabbatical, Lisa, Fraser and Nigel, who has met Neil Orr’s brother-in-law at the supermarket, as you do. Meanwhile Michael the Whovian is making a thinly-veiled attempt to get in the blog through letting slip that he’s been out drinking with Tom Baker, who was once in a science-fiction show.

It’s a slow start from the Hammers, with West Brom looking the fresher side. Andy Carroll is back in the side and his header from Zabaleta’s cross sets ups Lanzini, whose fierce shot is parried by Foster. But Rondon has already chipped just over and Albion take the lead when McLean drifts inside a tired challenge from Reid. His shot takes a wicked deflection off Obiang and loops up over Adrian. The Baggies fans start boing boinging.

It’s a subdued atmosphere, so quiet that we can hear Adrian hollering at his defence. The leak in the roof drips on to our party seeming to match our leaky defence. West Ham look strangely lethargic for much of the half, with Obiang particularly out of sorts. Masuaku often runs into cul-de-sacs (Lisa suggests his confidence has been affected by the return of Matt). There is time for Foster to make another great save, getting down smartly to palm away Lanzini’s effort after Manuel has done really well to bring the ball down.

Lola says it’s all my fault for making her support West Ham, couldn’t I have been a Man City fan instead? Nigel points out that City used to be worse than us. We assemble downstairs at half-time where Fraser says it will all be fine once we appoint Neil Warnock.

With all the talk of Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un’s nuclear buttons, Nigel produces his own nuclear option, announcing that he’s not renewing his season ticket if we go down, as he can’t face playing at Barnsley and Burton. Matt looks visibly shocked at a man eschewing obscure away grounds.

HANDY ANDY
At the start of the second half Arnautovic gets in a great cross that Carroll prods over the bar when he should score. But Noble is on for Obiang and the Hammers show more urgency in the rain. The equaliser comes when Cresswell at last curls in a great cross. Andy Carroll rises several kilometres above two Albion defenders to power home a trademark header. His first of the season and perhaps he might now go on a goalscoring run…

Lola has been won back to the cause. But Albion still look solid at the back and dangerous on the break. Twice sub Olly Burke gets through, on the second occasion only being robbed by a match-saving tackle from Ogbonna. I start to wonder what the odds are on us losing to West Brom and then beating Spurs.

THEY THINK IT'S ALL OVER
Lanzini plays in Arnie, whose close-range short is stopped by another fine Foster save. It’s going to be another draw, or worse. Mystic Matt and Mystic May remark that West Ham never seem to get winners in the 94th minute.

Albion are even threatening to get a winner themselves with four minutes of added time played. Lanzini makes one final run from his own half. He surges towards the box and plays in Arnautovic on the left. Arnie crosses, Hernandez fails to connect, but there’s Andy Carroll all alone to stroke into the net from a tight angle. Moyes punches the air. Andy lies down in front of the East Stand and in a lovely moment Adrian runs the length of the pitch to join in the celebrations. “Der der der Andy Carroll!!” chant the jubilant Irons fans. It’s tough on Pardew’s men, but some payback for the late goals WHU conceded at Palace and Bournemouth.

We celebrate at the Refreshment Room, where the Blue Moon comes with a slice of orange, by discussing football trivia such as which is the biggest city never to have played Premier League football now Hull have been up. Nigel thinks it’s Plymouth.

An ugly win but a vital one and a game that could change our season. Now it’s just the small matter of Spurs in two days’ time.


PLAYER RATINGS: Adrian 6; Zabaleta 6, Ogbonna 7, Reid 5, Cresswell 6 (Rice 6); Kouyate 5, Obiang 4 (Noble 6), Lanzini 7, Masuaku 5 (Hernandez 5); Arnautovic 7, Carroll 8.

Sunday, February 12

Evans above — Hammers blow it at the death

West Ham 2 West Brom 2

Inside the Best Café Matt and Lisa have been to see the kids play in a blizzard at Little Heath, though they had to leave at half-time. Nigel reports that his mum’s hairdresser in Bournemouth has given up on the Cherries as it was better in League Two and bang go our chances of any tickets for the away match. Meanwhile Michael’s been to Ken’s Cafe and Matt’s mate Carl, an Albion fan, is reminiscing about coming back from 0-3 down at the Boleyn to win 4-3 after Jermain Defoe was sent off. Happy days.

Then it’s a trek past the Belgian Irons’ coach and through the shouty tunnel. We fail to hold our formation and lose Michael and Nigel, eventually to be reunited in the concourse where Michael has purchased a pint of Deucher’s IPA for £3.50 and it’s actually pretty nice and far superior to the bland Carlsberg.

There’s no Andy Carroll and the one thing we don’t want to do is give Albion an early lead. After a promising early atmosphere builds up the crowd are stunned as West Ham claim a foul on Feghouli, Chadli skips through Kouyate and beats Randolph at his near post. A very soft goal and Pulis will love defending a lead.

The Hammers respond with a Snodgrass free kick that Foster has to tip round the post, before Rondon thwacks the bar for the visitors. Antonio has a header cleared off the line and when, from another free kick Feghouli turns the ball home after a bout of pinball, ref Michael Oliver correctly disallows the goal as Antonio is offside and nudging Foster.

At half-time Cresswell is withdrawn and Bilic makes a brave formation change playing three-ish at the back and bringing on Calleri up front.

It’s not going well, but the Hammers show good spirit and the crowd get behind them. Feghouli starts to make things happen and Lanzini looks creative. Calleri has a shot tipped away by Foster.

West Ham deservedly equalise as Lanzini strikes a fine effort against the bar and Feghouli prods home the rebound. We never doubted you, Feggy.

There’s more Hammers pressure and some tardy WBA substitutions, but WBA still threaten to break. Just as Nigel and myself are saying that we could settle for a point and Matt is remonstrating that we need to win this one, Feghouli plays it inside to Lanzini, who appears to settle it with a fine snap shot and very little backlift. Four minutes left.

LATE BANANA SKIN
We appear to have held on as Nigel produces his lucky banana and the game enters the fifth minute of added time. Kouyate sends a throw-in straight to an Albion player, much to Matt's chagrin. Albion win a throw-in and then a corner as Kouyate is caught the wrong side of his man. Collins is on as sub, goalie Foster is up and all we have to do is defend this. The corner goes unerringly to Jonny Evans who climbs higher than our defence to head home off the head of McAuley. This causes Matt to do a passable imitation of Donald Trump making a late-night expletive-laden phone call to Cheikhou Kouyate and the West Ham defence as Nigel peruses the banana skin beneath his feet and Bilic attacks a TV microphone.

We’d have settled for a point after going behind but now it feels like a loss. Still, we are keeping the points ticking over, Carroll has three weeks to get fit and we might even have a right-back one day. This game probably sums up where we are right now; outside the top seven and scrapping to join the best of the rest.

While on a more positive note the crowd seem to be finding their voice and even Tony Pulis noticed, commenting. "People say there's no atmosphere here, I thought the atmosphere here today was absolutely fantastic."

PLAYER RATINGS: Randolph 5; Kouyate 4, Reid 6, Fonte 5, Cresswell 5 (Calleri 5); Feghouli 7 (Collins n/a), Lanzini 7, Obiang 5, Noble 6, Snodgrass 6 (Fernandes n/a); Antonio 6.

Sunday, November 29

Drawing drawing West Ham

West Ham 1 West Brom 1

There’s a big queue outside the Newham Bookshop for Danny Dyer’s book signing before the match. Vivien at the shop says he's been a real charmer. Then it’s on to Ken’s Café, which has been mentioned in an Observer feature, including my comment that Carol is the best manager West Ham never had. Diego Costa wouldn’t dare throw a bib at her.

Matt’s arrived at 1am in his not-very-lucky Dukla Prague away shirt. He’s been working nights and is about to fly to San Francisco for a fortnight. Meanwhile, Michael the Renaissance Man, Playwright and Whovian is arriving back from New York, but is currently marooned at Heathrow. Nigel arrives later, telling us the tragic news that CQ has dropped and broken his favourite Enfield FC mug. I remind Matt about my bet that that Rickie Lambert will score more goals than Modibo Maiga — a wager that will come back to haunt me. Thanks to the 2.05 kick-off time Matt’s food arrives late and he is forced to miss the kick off.

ZARATE STUNNER
Inside the stadium none of the clocks are working. Added to the demolition of the “Don’t kill your wife, let us do it” sexist clockface outside the dry cleaners in Green Street, it’s growing evidence of a time rift in E13 caused by West Ham’s impending move. Carroll and Tomkins have been dropped for Ogbonna and Zarate.

We start off fairly well against a team with four giant centre backs in defence, with Obiang looking solid in front of the defence, having replaced the suspended Noble. Rondon shoots just wide for WBA but that's their only threat. Lanzini sets up Zarate who fires into the side netting when he should hit the target. On 17 minutes the ref does well to spot McAuley holding Sakho and Zarate curls a lovely free kick into the top corner. When he plays he usually scores and it’s the best goal of Zarate’s Hammers’ career, Fraser says we’ve now won it, as in every game under Pulis, only one team has scored.

PERFIDIOUS ALBION 
Kouyate heads a good chance wide and Myhill saves with his legs as Lanzini shoots from distance after picking up a misplaced Albion pass. The rebound could easily have fallen to a WHU striker. Zarate skilfully sets up Lanzini, who produces another good save from Myhill. Can’t Get Enough by Bad Company comes on the PA half-time, which impresses Nigel, and it all seems to be going well.

Albion bring on Rickie Lambert after the break and the big striker’s arrival immediately brings results. The burly striker fires a hopeful shot that deflects off Winston Reid’s arm and veers into the net. It’s a fluke goal, but boosts Albion as West Ham’s confidence falters.

Michael the Transatlantic Whovian arrives like an impending harbinger of dropped points just after WBA equalise. Lambert has a free kick palmed wide by Adrian and the keeper then saves Rondon’s free header with his chest.

NO SAKHO IN THE MORNING
Plan B is resumed with Carroll coming on for Obiang. At least West Ham come back into it as Moses makes a great run from his own half and finds Sakho who looks sure to score. But McAuley makes a great challenge and Sakho goes down with what looks like a hamstring problem, and is replaced by Jelavic.

A week of night shifts, a late lunch, missing seeing Greenland’s top indie band Nanook (unlike CQ) and watching West Ham trying to break down an eight-man defence proves too much for Matt, who memorably tirades at the ref, Jenkinson, Jelavic and me for predicting that Lambert would turn his season round against West Ham. Will a fortnight in the Hotel California with Lisa see him return with a more chillaxed attitude to West Ham’s frailties and the negative karma of no Payet? Probably not if he has to still visit E13.

Near the end Moses flashes a volley wide and it ends at 1-1. We walk to the Black Lion, where Gary O’Neil is on the box playing for Norwich and the Ridley's Old Bob is like nectar compared to the Central’s offerings. We retreat to a windswept back bar covered in tarpaulins as the remains of Hurricane Barney batters the East End.

Fraser wonders if we will we win any games without Payet. A draw against a difficult Tony Pulis side isn’t a disaster, but West Ham should surely have scored more in the first half. Now we just have to win at Old Trafford.

PLAYER RATINGS: Adrian 7; Jenkinson 6 Ogbonna 6, Reid 6, Cresswell 6; Obiang 6 (Carroll 5), Lanzini 7, Kouyate 6, Zarate 7 (Antonio 5), Moses 6; Sakho 5 (Jelavic 5).

Friday, January 2

Hampered Hammers drop New Year points

West Ham 1 West Brom 1

The day begins with “West Scam United” emblazoned on the front page of the Sun. Apparently a representative of Daley & McCann Festive Gifts Plc arrived at Chadwell Heath offering cheap Fortnum & Mason hampers. The lads duly parted with their cash and the iffy hampers never turned up. Meanwhile Big Sam’s told the press that moaning Mauro Zarate wasn’t good enough to make the team more often and that his dropping of Kevin Nolan is evidence of his ‘clinical’ team selection.

Inside Ken’s Café Fraser has made a rare appearance and Nigel has been at the quiz books, asking Michael, Lisa, Matt and myself to name the 12 capital cities in the world with only four letters. We get Lima, Oslo, Doha and a few others before losing the will to live.

HE SCORES WHEN HE WANTS 
West Ham make a bright start to the game, going ahead with a fine ball. Downing chips a good ball through to Amalfitano who does well to find Cresswell on the left. He puts in a good cross and Sakho beats two defenders to glance home. “Diafra Sakho he scores when he wants!” chants the Bobby Moore Stand.

Downing makes another good break down the left but elects to shoot rather than find Sakho and we wonder if this might be costly against a Pulis-inspired Albion. Sessegnon looks dangerous whenever he breaks and slowly WBA edge back into it. We receive a warning when Adrian makes a great save from a Baird volley. Kouyate is having a bit of a ’mare, and Song is off form too, as they fail to shield our defence. Then West Ham commit too many men forward and it’s a two versus two break from Albion. Berahino finds Sessegnon on the left and runs into the middle to get behind Reid and covert with a calm finish.

WHU look really jaded in the second half as Malumbo hits the side netting. Cresswell miscontrols it a couple of times on the flank and Jenkinson’s crosses aren’t finding their man. Three games in a week looks too much for Andy Carroll who has his least effective game since his latest comeback and is easily marshalled by the impressive Lescott.

West Ham’s best chance comes when Sakho is brought down and Cresswell thumps a fine free kick against Foster’s post. There’s also a scramble around the line as Sakho nearly puts it in only to get kicked in the back and leave the field injured. Sub Matt Jarvis makes a difference and does well to beat his men and get in a couple of dangerous crosses, only to play the ball just behind the strikers. It’s a mystery why Big Sam doesn’t bring Noble on to improve the midfield.

But it’s generally poor fare and Albion continue to impress on the break as Collins makes several late interventions. In the end a draw looks a fair result. Teenage Kicks comes on the PA, but there haven’t been many kicks today, teenage or otherwise.

WHEN YOU'RE WEARY, FEELING SMALL… 
We retreat to the Central, with a guest appearance from The Gav and Michael waiting for his mate Godot, who mysteriously fails to show. Matt rages at the PA for playing Bridge over Troubled Water by Simon and Garfunkel who are bloody useless. Quite right, apart from changing the face of 1960s popular music and Paul Simon’s 12 Grammys over a 40-year career what have Simon and Garfunkel ever done for popular music? Nigel quips that Matt thinks the Beatles are overrated too. Rather than discuss the game we then return to trying to name those four letter capital cities.

Being charitable, at least we got something out of the game against a desperate side trying hard to impress Mr Pulis. But that’s one point out of nine now. Sakho, Kouyate and possibly Song might be going to Africa so we need to regroup quickly to aim for that top six finish. Though at least we're unbeaten this year.


PLAYER RATINGS: Adrian 6; Jenkinson 5, Collins 6, Reid 5 Cresswell 6; Amalfitano 5 (Jarvis 6), Kouyate 5, Song 5, Downing 5; Carroll 5 (Cole n/a), Sakho 6, (Valencia 5).

Sunday, December 29

Point gained or two points lost?

West Ham 3 West Brom 3

At Upton Park tube Part-time Percy appears to be on the tannoy, welcoming customers to "West Ham v West Brompton." Must be a local derby then. Inside Ken’s Café the returning Michael the Whovian reveals his lucky Tom Baker scarf to Matt, Nigel, Fraser and myself. Though it might take his sonic screwdriver too to save the Hammers. Steve Rapport from San Francisco is there again, splashing out on a Mars bar and likening our season to the relegation seasons of the Lyall and Grant eras when we were distracted by Cup runs.

Inside Upton Park West Ham have the perfect start, taking the lead after three minutes. Jaaskelainen’s goal kick is nodded on by Carlton Cole to Joe Cole, who plays a one-two with Nolan and fires home a confident finish into the corner.  Jarvis gets in a number of threatening crosses and Demel hits the outside of the post following a Joe Cole cross and Carlton Cole header, but WHU don’t really threaten to extend their lead.

NO DEFENCE 
If it can go wrong it will go wrong, and James Tomkins has to go off with a muscle strain after ten minutes. “What would the odds have been on McCartney and O’Brien as our centre back pairing at the start of the season?” asks Matt.

West Brom haven’t looked that threatening until Brunt plays a simple ball through to Anelka who gets the wrong side of O’Brien, outpaces him and jinks home a simple finish. “How shit must you be? Anelka has scored?” sing the Albion fans. A little disrespectful: as Nigel points out, Anelka has had the best career out of any of the 22 players on the pitch, and he’s certainly out-thought the out-of-position O’Brien there to score his first goal for WBA. Yet again another player breaks his duck against the Irons.

It gets worse. West Ham win a corner but lose the ball, leading to an Albion break, with Morrison winning a disputed corner after a tackle with Joe Cole. From the corner Olsson wins a header that is chested off the line by Carlton Cole. Anelka reacts quicker than Rat and prods home before giving his now famous controversial salute. At half-time the new DJ puts on some loud Arctic Monkeys to disguise the boos. The team might be playing for Allardyce’s job in the second half.

Albion go close after the break as the impressive Berahino fires wide. But Nolan wins a corner with some determined running and raises the crowd as West Ham come back. Maiga is on for Cole and does well to cut inside and curl in a shot, producing a great save from Foster. Joe Cole finds Nolan with a good bit of two-footed skill. Nolan plays it in to Maiga and the maligned striker curls in a shot that Foster should maybe have done better with. Modibo kisses the Upton Park turn after scoring his first league goal in more than a year.

HE SCORED AT WHITE HART LANE HE'S BETTER THAN JERMAIN 
Maiga’s having a great game, winning crucial headers and finally looking like a decent striker. Noble does well to swivel and get in a cross, Modibo climbs brilliantly to nod down and Kevin Nolan acrobatically volleys home for his first goal since the opening match against Cardiff. Michael’s Tom Baker scarf might just have worked. The ground erupts and surely we’re on our way to a morale-boosting comeback victory.

But no, West Ham forget the basic rule of winning the next tackle after scoring a goal. Albion play three passes through midfield, Berhinho twists past Demel and fires in a great shot off the far post. Bugger. It’s almost much worse a few minutes later as Diame gives away a free kick and Berahino hits a screamer against the angle.

There’s still time for the Vicar’s Son to get very angry with Diame and then Maiga for trying a silly backheel in his own half, as both sides press for a winner in the fashion of a Sunday league match. It ends with West Ham drawing a must-win game against managerless Albion.


Not sure what to make of this. The two players we wanted to score to boost their confidence have in Maiga and Nolan. And the injury crisis is now ridiculous. Tomkins, Collins, Reid, Carroll, Downing, Morrison, Vaz Te and Petric are all out. Though it still feels like a defeat having done the hard work and then conceded a sloppy equaliser. On the other hand, we’ve at least drawn while playing four full-backs in defence and eight players out. As Allardyce says, the return of the injured players will surely be the key. And please, Deity of dodgy groins and iffy heels, can we have one or two of them back against Fulham?

PLAYER RATINGS: Jaaskelainen 6, O’Brien 5, Tomkins 5, McCartney 5, Rat 6, Noble 7, J Cole 6, Diame 5, Nolan 7, Jarvis 7, C Cole 6.