Thursday, December 31
There's only one Ginger Pele!
It's great news that James Collins has signed a new contract, as I'm sure Big Sam would have loved to lure him to Sunderland and lots of other clubs would have been interested in him too. Ginge has been magnificent in recent games, holding the defence together at Swansea and Villa and having a storming game against Southampton. For all the technical ability of today's young stars a lot of them seem to be lacking in character; Ginge has that in abundance and through sheer effort and leadership he's inspired the men around him. On this form he has to stay in the team, even if it means dropping £10 million Ogbonna. And that ginger beard must intimidate most strikers before a ball is kicked...
Tuesday, December 29
Christmas Carroll boosts Hammers
West Ham 2 Southampton 1
Strange happenings on the way to the East Stand. Matt,
Michael and Nigel report spotting a fan taking a dump under a Southampton fans' coach — in the very same spot where Michael the Whovian dropped my Christmas
card against Stoke. You’re shit, aaaaargh… Matt is so put off by the sight that
he forgets to recycle his papers in the nearby container. So Upton Park will be
seeing some new faeces in the transfer window.
Southampton should be out of sight by half-time. The Saints
take the lead after a lovely backheel from Mane starts the move that sees Long
cross low and Tadic bundle the ball in off Jenkinson. Collins then has
to make a magnificent block to deny Davis and then shows some proper leadership
by rollicking Zarate, Jenkinson and most of his team-mates. Jenks is out of
position replacing the injured Cresswell at left back, Song is off the pace,
Noble is misplacing passes and Zarate is having a frustrating game.
When the PA announces that Mr Moon has left the stadium the
Saints fans respond, rather wittily, with “Mr Moon, he left ‘cos you’re shit!”
Davis shoots just wide for Southampton and Adrian makes a couple of fine saves
including a tip-over from Fonte’s header. Boos can be heard as West Ham keep
playing balls into touch.
It’s so bad, Fraser quips at half-time, “Can we have Allardyce
back?” Bilic makes some sensible changes, switching Jenkinson to right back and
putting Tomkins at left back, then bringing on the returning Carroll and
Lanzini for Zarate and Song. We immediately look a lot better and the crowd
respond. Collins has a header cleared off the post and then Andy Carroll takes
the ball off Tomkins’ foot to blaze over when he should score.
It’s hard to know how much longer is left as the scoreboards
are still not working and presumably Karren Brady didn’t get enough Xmas Amazon
vouchers to cover the cost of a replacement. But Hammers keep pressing while
Collins and Tomkins are solid at the back. Ginge plays on after injury and gets a rousing "One Ginger Pele!" chorus. Great news he's signed a new contract. Meanwhile Matt remains strangely positive
after his sojourn in California, even after Valencia is scythed down and the
ref completely ignores it.
We equalise on 69 minutes with a bizarre goal. Antonio runs into
the box, takes a tumble and then a defender’s clearance bounces off his head
into the net. And it’s not even Twelfth
Night. A lucky goal but deserved on our second half performance. Ten
minutes later it gets even better. Valencia crosses, the ball loops of a
defender and Antonio heads on to the underside of the bar. Andy Carroll,
sporting a new braided ponytail, does well to take a step back and head into
the unguarded net before running into out corner of the East Stand. Never in
doubt.
“Oh when the Saints go 2-1 down…” chant the gleeful Bobby
Moore Stand.
Antonio then makes a thrilling run from the edge of his own
area, outpacing the Saints’ defence but firing way wide. Shows his
potential though and on a different night he might have had a hat-trick.
We hold on through four minutes of added time and at the
whistle Bilic hugs every player. Our first win in nine, though we’re now
unbeaten in six. And a much better return of four points from the two
post-Christmas games, whereas last season we lost both of them. And a proper
floodlit atmosphere to prove what makes the Boleyn so special. Irons!
PLAYER RATINGS:
Adrian 7; Jenkinson 6, Collins 8, Ogbonna 6, Tomkins 7; Zarate 5 (Carroll 7), Song
5 (Lanzini 6), Noble 6, Kouyate 6, Antonio 8, Valencia 6 (Obiang 5).
Monday, December 28
WHU half-time verdict in the Observer
Check out yesterday's Observer for my half-time fans verdict on West Ham's season so far. Click on the link to read.
Drawing drawing West Ham
Aston Villa 1 West Ham 1
So Boxing Day ends with WHU's fifth successive draw. The latest injury victim is Jelavic who was replaced in the starting line-up by Valencia. A fine goal from Cresswell gave West Ham the lead in first-half added time. Found by Kouyate, Aaron drilled a great shot into the bottom corner from the edge of the area. Yet we allowed Villa back into it with a fairly soft penalty. Ogbonna should have been stronger, but allowed Gestede to get in front of him and then tumble. Kouyate had headed Valencia's deflected shot on to the bar in the first half and Valencia went close with a late free kick that was tipped round the post by Guzan. Adrian also had to make a couple of fine saves. But we should really be beating a bottom-og-the-table team that hasn't won in 17 games, though there again it's the sort of game we used to lose. Now it's on to Southampton…
So Boxing Day ends with WHU's fifth successive draw. The latest injury victim is Jelavic who was replaced in the starting line-up by Valencia. A fine goal from Cresswell gave West Ham the lead in first-half added time. Found by Kouyate, Aaron drilled a great shot into the bottom corner from the edge of the area. Yet we allowed Villa back into it with a fairly soft penalty. Ogbonna should have been stronger, but allowed Gestede to get in front of him and then tumble. Kouyate had headed Valencia's deflected shot on to the bar in the first half and Valencia went close with a late free kick that was tipped round the post by Guzan. Adrian also had to make a couple of fine saves. But we should really be beating a bottom-og-the-table team that hasn't won in 17 games, though there again it's the sort of game we used to lose. Now it's on to Southampton…
Tuesday, December 22
So here it is Merry Christmas everyone
A Happy Christmas to all blog readers, wishing you lots of Christmas Carrolls and Alan Dickens. Though before you enjoy the festive season too much, think of my pal Nigel's words about the Boxing Day trip to Villa Park: "We next play a team that haven't won in living memory and are bottom of the league. What could possibly go wrong?"
Monday, December 21
Another 0-0 at Swansea…
Swansea City 0 West Ham 0
Managed to see the second half of this in the Auld Triangle while preparing for our neighbours' party. Looked a pretty rubbish game, with Swansea having 73 per cent of possession. But there was still some encouragement in a determined defensive performance, with James Collins outstanding. With no Christmas Carroll (Andy's strained his groin) and also lacking Sakho, Payet, Lanzini, Moses and Reid this was a game for the squad to make up with teamwork what we lacked in class.
Jelavic didn't get much of the ball and looked like he had no pace on the rare occasions he was played through, though Antonio tried hard and sub Enner Valencia produced a powerful shot that was tipped over the bar. A couple of first-half Zarate efforts were our only other efforts. It was so dull that Matt, Michael and Fraser in the pub were reduced to trying to name 1970s bands that had reformed with all their members still alive.
Adrian produced a superb save to deny Ki in the second half and Swansea ha a penalty shout, but otherwise Tomkins, Ogbonna, Collins and Cresswell looked comfortable. That's our third 0-0 in a row, which is some sort of West Ham record, but Bilic will be encouraged by the defensive solidity. West Ham haven't won in seven, but on the other hand we've drawn five of them.
With Carroll and Lanzini hopefully returning on Boxing Day and Payet due back in the New Year we'll surely get that win soon. An away match at a relegation-threatened side was never going to be easy, it might not have been pretty, but it's sell encouraging to be picking up points.
Managed to see the second half of this in the Auld Triangle while preparing for our neighbours' party. Looked a pretty rubbish game, with Swansea having 73 per cent of possession. But there was still some encouragement in a determined defensive performance, with James Collins outstanding. With no Christmas Carroll (Andy's strained his groin) and also lacking Sakho, Payet, Lanzini, Moses and Reid this was a game for the squad to make up with teamwork what we lacked in class.
Jelavic didn't get much of the ball and looked like he had no pace on the rare occasions he was played through, though Antonio tried hard and sub Enner Valencia produced a powerful shot that was tipped over the bar. A couple of first-half Zarate efforts were our only other efforts. It was so dull that Matt, Michael and Fraser in the pub were reduced to trying to name 1970s bands that had reformed with all their members still alive.
Adrian produced a superb save to deny Ki in the second half and Swansea ha a penalty shout, but otherwise Tomkins, Ogbonna, Collins and Cresswell looked comfortable. That's our third 0-0 in a row, which is some sort of West Ham record, but Bilic will be encouraged by the defensive solidity. West Ham haven't won in seven, but on the other hand we've drawn five of them.
With Carroll and Lanzini hopefully returning on Boxing Day and Payet due back in the New Year we'll surely get that win soon. An away match at a relegation-threatened side was never going to be easy, it might not have been pretty, but it's sell encouraging to be picking up points.
Friday, December 18
Brought to book in Newham
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