There was a revealing interview with Sir Geoff Hurst in the Guardian recently to mark his 80th birthday and his new book Eighty at Eighty. I didn't know that he'd lost a child to cancer or that his brother took his own life at Chelmsford station in 1974. As well as tragedy Sir Geoff has some good stories about claiming unemployment benefit and for a time trying to sell insurance as a door-to-door salesman, despite having scored a hat-trick in a World Cup Final. Different times — a bit like finding Ronaldo or Messi selling double glazing on your doorstep today. Click on the link to read.
Tuesday, December 14
Sir Geoff at 80
Monday, December 13
Irons fail to make dominance pay at Turf Moor
Burnley 0 West Ham 0
Was away in Edinburgh for this one, and while it's welcome to get a point at a ground where WHU usually struggle, there's a sense of two points lost here. The Irons had nearly all the chances looking at the TV highlights. Masuaku volleyed narrowly wide, headers from Diop and Benrahma tested Nick Pope and Dawson had a very good claim for a penalty turned down by VAR.
Rice looked most likely to make the breakthrough. shooting just over and then forcing a fine save from Pope after a barnstorming run. Yet at the end Burnley could have nicked it had Rodriguez connected with Taylor's inviting cross. At least Vlasic did better as a sub and set up a great late chance for Soucek to win it.
It's worrying that Antonio is still struggling to score and the side is looking a little jaded in terms of creating chances. Soucek, Benrahma, Lanzini and Fornals need to get among the goals again. But at least the resilience is still there, though we'll have to be more effective creatively against Arsenal on Wednesday.
Friday, December 10
Young Hammers lose out to Zagreb
It's down to the diehards for this dead rubber, with just Matt, Lisa, Nigel and Fraser representing our contingent in the Billy Bonds Stand. The Irons were always likely to lose after naming a side of kids and veterans. The new back line of Ashby, Baptiste, Alese and Longelo actually did pretty well in the circumstances, though 17-year old Sonny Perkins was isolated in the lone striker role. Ashby showed aggression and fired onto the roof of the net while Alese had a good game at centre back.
Zagreb took an early lead with a tremendous shot from Orsic, firing into the top corner from almost the same position that Arthur Masuaku scored against Chelsea. Dinamo missed a few more chances and Areola made some good saves but at least the Hammers kept in the game.
It was disappointing from the senior players though. Noble and Benrahma took a series of poor corners, Vlasic worked hard but didn't produce any real moments of flair, Kral was solid but didn't get forward in the way Rice can and too often opted for the safe ball, while Yarmolenko looked anything but a top international. Late on Moyes brought on even more debutants, Freddie Potts, son of Steve, and Keenan Forsan. West Ham's only real efforts were a Benrahma free kick fired at the keeper and a late half-chance for Alese.
A great night for the kids, but not too much else to be learned from this beyond the fact that our squad lacks depth. At least the first team should now be rested for Burnley and this was a credible effort by the youngsters.
PLAYER RATINGS: Areola 7; Ashby 6, Alese 7, Baptiste 6, Longelo 6; Kral 6, Noble 5, Fornals 5 (Benrahma 6), Vlasic 5, Yarmolenko 4; Perkins 5.
Tuesday, December 7
Zouma out for three months
The bad news is that Kurt Zouma is out for three months with a hamstring injury and Ben Johnson is out for a month. As with Ogbonna, Zouma tried to play on and West Ham's medical team really have to be more proactive in taking injured players off at the first sign of trouble. Somehow we have to keep Craig Dawson and Issa Diop fit and make an emergency signing in January.
In the event of either getting injured Ben Johnson is out for a month and when he's fit could probably do a job at centre back with his physique and strength. While another option would be to bring in Kral and play Declan Rice at centre back where he performed really well in the latter stages against Chelsea — though that would deprive WHU of an immense force in midfield. The obvious signing would be Burnley's James Tarkowski who is out of contract at the end of the season — but can Burnley be persuaded to part with their centre back when they are in a relegation battle? WHU will have to throw quite a bit of Daniel Kretinsky's money at them.
While the injuries to Ogbonna, Zouma and Johnson prove we can't rely on Antonio staying fit, and with Benrahma away in Africa for a month the Irons must also sign Jesse Lingard and a back-up striker in January. If West Ham are going to make the top four we're going to have to do it the hard way.
Monday, December 6
Headlines you never thought you'd see...
Saturday, December 4
Arthur Masuaku, he's better than Lukaku!
It's another early BT Sport start at 12.30pm for this one. Nigel has gone to the wrong Stratford for his birthday, rather than showing CQ a good time at the Best Cafe with our own resident Bard Michael the Whovian. Matt's wearing his possibly lucky sapphire third choice away strip, and we're joined by Lisa, Fraser and returning Clacton duo Scott and Alison, who just might be a jinx. Scott predicts a 3-2 home win, as if that will happen.
For half an hour the game is fairly even with Fabianski saving from James but fairly few chances and lot of chants telling Chelsea where to stick their blue flag. That's until 28 minutes when Thiago heads home unopposed from a corner, having lost Antonio. That's unlike West Ham, but soon the Irons are back in it. Coufal has a shot cleared off the line, then Jorghino plays a dodgy back pass, Mendy dawdles and Bowen is alert enough to nick the ball before being being brought down by the keeper. Despite a lot of verbals from the Chelsea players Manuel Lanzini wallops an excellent penalty into the top corner.
Then the injury curse of Mystic Morris strikes again. Zouma has already been down and now Johnson appears to pull a muscle just as he's tracking Mason Mount. The Chelsea man volleys a spectacular goal into the bottom corner and then unwisely celebrates in front of the West Ham Fans. Luckily Fraser doesn't order a pitch invasion. Johnson is replaced by Arthur Masuaku. Matt promises to be positive and reminisces about Arthur's only goal for the Hammers.
JARROD BOWEN'S ON FIRE
At the break it looks like Chelsea will go on to show their Champions League-winning credentials and pass us into submission. But Moyes has clearly put something in Antonio's tea and Michail is looking a lot more lively and starting to bully Chelsea's defenders, while Bowen is threatening on the break and the side is much more on the front foot. Suddenly we're level as Coufal flicks on to Jarrod Bowen who fires a brilliant finish into the bottom corner and runs to the Bobby Moore End foe a knee-slide celebration. Clearly he's on fire. And never underestimate the resilience of this Hammers side.
Can we hold on for a 2-2 draw? Zouma has to go off having injured himself tackling Ziyech and we really are down to Harry's bare bones as Chelsea bring on the £90m Lukaku. Antonio wins possession to put in a great cross for Bowen to poke just wide when he should probably score. Chelsea lob endless balls into our box and Jorginho's shot is deflected wide off Diop.
KING ARTHUR
We seem to be holding out in the 87th minute when Arthur Masuaku receives the ball on the left. He stops and gets in a brilliant cross that sails over the flailing Mendy and into the corner to spark mayhem. IT'S ARRTHUUUUUR!! Masuaku holds his arms up in a Cantona-esque gesture of aloof brilliance. None of us have ever doubted King Arthur, especially the Vicar's Son who has always viewed Arthur as a maverick genius and has now seen his idol score his first goal in the Premier League.
"West Ham are Massive everywhere we go!" rings round the stadium for the four minutes of added time. The part0-timers in the Chelsea end have left a bank of empty seats. Bowen is set up by Antonio and almost scores a fourth, bending the ball past the post. Finally the whistle blows. We have beaten Man United, Man City, Liverpool and now Chelsea. Alison has been relieved of her jinx label and Nigel is dancing in the streets of Stratford-upon-Avon.
It's all slightly surreal to be heading to Stratford with a crowd of 60,000 fans singing "Whoah Arthur Masuaku, he's better than Lukaku!" We head off to the Theatre Royal bar for some deserved pints of Atlantic IPA and a rendezvous with Dan Dan the Wrestling Man (who strangely hasn't bet on Arthur to score) as Michael contemplates a theatrical trip to Hornchurch. Matt suggests that it might all be like Doctor Who and we will suddenly wake up out of this timestream and find ourselves back in London in 2021. We have seemingly beaten the European Champions and their blue flag has been inserted in a most unusual place. It seems we are Massive. Irons!
PLAYER RATINGS: Fabianski 8; Coufal 8, Dawson 7, Zouma 7 (Fornals 7), Diop 8, Johnson 7 (Masuaku 9); Rice 9, Soucek 8, Lanzini 8 (Benrahma n/a), Bowen 8; Antonio 8.
Thursday, December 2
Tired Hammers denied by Brighton
It's off to the London Stadium at the inconvenient time of 7.30pm for this Amazon Prime match against our bogey side from East Sussex. Brighton haven't lost to the Irons in eight Premier League meetings, winning three and drawing five.
The big news is that Nigel is only at the match because the Alcatrazz and Girlschool concert has been postponed because Girlschool's drummer has Covid. We're joined by a rainbow laced Michael who is writing his weekly play on farcical goings on at Number Ten, plus Matt and Fraser. The Clacton contingent have opted to stay at home in Essex.
The big discussion is whether Nigel has jinxed us by saying that "it's lucky we don't have any injuries" at the start of the Liverpool match, resulting in Ogbonna and now Cresswell getting crocked. Tonight Mystic Morris just says that he can see a 1-1 draw after an 89th minute equaliser.
NO DOUBTING TOMAS
Brighton start briskly with Matt's least favourite striker Maupay firing just wide after some sloppy play in defence by Benrahma. But it's West Ham who take the lead after five minutes. Fornals' corner is glanced home off Soucek's head with Sanchez immobile on his line.
It's the perfect start for the Hammers, but the side is still looking jaded with our passing game never really getting going. Brighton have more possession but it's West Ham who almost make it two after a brilliant move. Rice finds Coufal out wide, the full-back crosses, Antonio heads across the box and Fornals smacks a fine volley against the bar.
Brighton dominate the midfield play for much of the latter stages of the half with Maupay playing in Moder, who is foiled by an excellent stop from the onrushing Fabianski. We also note that Brighton's hirsute left-back Cucurella looks like a cross between Mario Kempes of Argentina and one of Nigel's prog rock guitarists.
ONE-NIL TO THE VAR
The second half begins with Brighton going close again. Then West Ham come to life as Fornals' corner causes confusion, the ball bounces off Dawson and in either off a defender or Antonio. Is it 2-0? Our celebrations are curtailed by VAR. After a massive wait it's not disallowed for a foul, but is then ruled out for offside. The decision is that it touched Antonio on the line in an offside position. It's hard to say who the ball touched last and if it takes so long to decide surely it's not a clear and obvious error? A victory for the pedants at Stockley Park.
Bowen has a great run from deep only to fire at Sanchez, but the side looks very leggy and Moyes takes an age to act before bringing on Lanzini and Masuaku. Surely we should have given our fresher players like Vlasic and Kral some game time. Benrahma's passing is awry and Antonio looks exhausted.
Manuel at least injects a bit more urgency into WHU's play. It's almost two as Brighton mess up a short goal kick and Antonio sets up Rice for a thumping shot that is excellently parried by Sanchez.
Brighton are now down to ten men after another injury. "What is the point of Masuaku?" cries the exasperated Vicar's Son as Arthur loses possession again. Lallana shoots wide and then Antonio's long-range header is fielded by Sanchez.
MADE TO MAUPAY FOR MISSED CHANCES
Can the Hammers show enough resilience to grind out a 1-0 win? Erm, no. Lamptey gets around Masuaku and crosses for Maupay to score with a great overhead kick and run to the away fans as a blue flare goes off. Not even VAR can save us. Nigel curses the Girlschool drummer with Covid for making him attend the game.
The Irons do respond well in the six minutes of added time. Rice makes a storming run from deep and sets up Bowen who hits the keeper yet again. In the dying moments WHU force a corner and Zouma's header is cleared off the line by Cucurella. But it's not to be and the Hammers have to be content with a point.
We retreat to the Refreshment Rooms where we meet The Gav. "At least we'll always have Parris," quips Matt, in reference to pre-match appearance of George. We then discuss our worst ever West Ham defeats and cover the 6-0 League Cup debacle at Oldham, the 3-2 defeat at Wigan that sent us down, a 2-2 draw at Rotherham, the 7-1 loss to Blackburn, the Play-Off Final loss to Palace and a host of other disasters. Not that we're pessimists.
Tonight we got a point at least, but didn't look anything like top four contenders and Moyes needs to freshen things up for Chelsea.
PLAYER RATINGS: Fabianski 7; Coufal 6, Zouma 6, Dawson 6, Johnson 6; Rice 8, Soucek 7, Benrahma 5 (Lanzini 7), Fornals 6 (Masuaku 5), Bowen 7, Antonio 5.
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