Good to see Declan Rice play so sensibly in England's historic win over Germany. After picking up an early booking for a foul on the edge of the box he avoided giving the ref any more decisions to make and really grew into the game in the second half. It was great to see him launching into some inspiring tackles and then geeing up the England crowd. And to round off a good week for Dec there's now a giant poster of him in Finsbury Park station.
So next up it's Andriy Yarmolenko's Ukraine. Yarmy really is one of those players who looks better at international level rather than club football. He made another goal last night with a fine clipped cross and has already scored twice. If only we could see more of this at West Ham. Ukraine cant be underestimated and a semi-final against Denmark or Soucek and Coufal's Czech Republic wouldn't be easy either. But rather like Moyes at West Ham, Gareth Southgate seems to have developed a real bond among his players. If England can remain focused there's surely every chance of getting to the final and ending 55 years of hurt.
Well, that's a relief. After Everton's interest it was getting worrying the longer WHU waited for Moyes's signature. But now he's finally signed that three-year contract. Hopefully the gaffer has used his strong bargaining position to get a decent budget and full control of transfers and scouting policy. Watching the video of all the WHU goals on the club website makes you realise just what an exceptional season it was last time round. West Ham achieved a record number of Premier League points and for a so-called defensive manager, Moyes' men scored a lot of goals, 62, which was four more than Chelsea. When was the last time West Ham won so handsomely away to the likes of Leicester, Leeds, Aston Villa, Burnley, Wolves and Crystal Palace?
Real progress has been made and Moyes deserves an extended run now. It won't be easy as Spurs and Arsenal will surely improve and recruitment has to spot-on again. But if the Moyesiah can do anything like the job he did at Everton then West Ham can become a consistent top six side.
Interesting comment from Declan Rice that he's never drunk a full pint of beer. He's clearly no Jimmy Greaves, Frank McAvennie, Razor Ruddock or Hayden Foxe. And what would Bobby Moore say? Still, should West Ham win the Europa League then I'm sure we might be able to take him to the Refreshment Rooms for some London Stout or Meantime.
Meanwhile old habits die hard. I'm hoping England win the Euros but that Declan is fairly inconspicuous — nothing to draw the attention of Barcelona, Real Madrid or Bayern Munich. Similarly we don't want Soucek and Coufal doing too well for the Czech Republic in case clubs start making big bids. And another caveat is that Moyes shouldn't buy anyone on the basis of a good Euro tournament — the last time we did that in 1996 Harry Redknapp ended up with Florin Raducioiu...
It's not a surprise that Fabian Balbuena has been released as he's in his thirties and was on a good salary. But even so I always quite liked The General. He was an underrated payer and one of Pellegrini's better signings. To get a PL centre back for £3.5 million was good value. Yes, there was always a mistake in him, but he was also a good reader of the game and made many telling interceptions, playing in the side that finished tenth in Pellegrini's first season.
And let's not forget that he played regularly for the first half of last season, up until Dawson's debut at Southampton. Fabian was in the team that beat Wolves 4-0 and then Leicester 3-0, the games that started WHU's charge up the league. And he also scored the first goal at Spurs that started our epic comeback.
Mind you, it was a little strange that when he did score his three goals for the Hammers he never gave us his famed General's salute, which seems to have been appropriated by Pablo Fornals. But Fabian has been a good pro with West Ham and I'd like to wish him good luck wherever he now ends up.
Getting Lingard to sign would be the number one priority should he choose to leave Man United. Obviously we need at least two strikers to cover for Antonio's dodgy hamstrings — I'd settle for Harry Kane as a back-up plus a hungry player from the Championship. Plus we need a long-term successor to Fabianski, another centre-back and a left-back to eventually replace Cresswell. Plus anyone else we can get to bolster the squad for the Europa League.
Mind you, this being West Ham, it's a little worrying that managerless Everton are rumoured to be after David Moyes. Still, he strikes me as a man of principle who has unfinished business at West Ham. Everton finished beneath WHU and have a smaller ground for a start. The three-year contract is ready — let's get him to sign it ASAP.
After 14 months I'm finally back at a football match, having managed to buy a return after failing in the initial ballot. Just like in the olden times Matt and Lisa are dining in the Best Cafe and it's my first isotonic egg chips and beans since March 2020.
We head to the ground the required hour before kick off, buying a programme with a card, showing our tickets on our phones and then passing a rather cursory photo ID test. Lisa and Nigel are watching in the Ball and Bat in Westfield.
At the turnstile disaster almost strikes for Matt. He's accidentally turned the brightness down on his phone and now it's a black screen where his ticket should be and he hasn't printed a back-up. Fail to prepare, prepare to fail. Luckily, through looking at my phone and where the brightness control is, he's able to avert his worst nightmare. Still, good lack of colour for the blog.
The 10,000 fans make more noise than some of our 60,000 crowds and we're soon into choruses of "David Moyes' Claret and Blue Army" and "If you hate Tottenham stand up!" After a moving set of pictures of Hammers fans who have died during the pandemic, including Glenn Roeder, we kick-off.
It's a nervous start from the Irons even if it is great to see Coufal, Lingard and Craig Dawson in action for the first time. Minamino should put Southampton ahead but shoots just wide after Fabianski narrows the angle. Walker-Peters then spurns another inviting chance. Matt hears a cry of, "You're shit Cresswell!" Just like old times.
We need something to get the side going and it's left to Mystic Matt to provide an assist. As soon as he WhatsApps "Fornals having another one" Bowen wriggles past a couple of chances to get a shot away and McCarthy parries into the path of Fornals, who gleefully shoots home and runs to the fans.
Three minutes later Couyfal crosses and Fornals quickly moves his feet to fire home with the aid of a slight deflection. Pablo is turning into a goal machine.
The second half sees Southampton continue to enjoy a lot of possession without doing too much. Fabianski does have to make a great save from Bednarek though. It gets nervous as the chants of "We're all having a party when Tottenham f••ked it up!" prove premature.
"We're all going on a European tour!" rings round the stadium and then Bubbles.The players come on for a lap of honour and Moyes pumps the air in a moment of personal redemption. Blimey. We go above small London clubs Arsenal and Spurs. "We have a 100 per cent record at West Ham games this season," points outs Matt.
With the Stratford bars rammed we think laterally and move to Canonbury where the four of us enjoy some Gamma Ray in the Snooty Fox and Nigel reveals that Brentford is the club that has its centre spot closest to a railway station. We party like it's 1999, when we finished fifth with a negative goal difference. What a season. No-one expected this. Irons!
PLAYER RATINGS: Fabianski 8; Coufal 8, Dawson 7, Ogbonna 7, Cresswell 6; Fornals 8, Rice 8 (diop n/a), Soucek 8, Lingard 7, Bowen 7 (Noble n/a); Antonio 6 (Benrahma 5).
