Updated Flying So High: West Ham's Cup Finals

Check out the re-formatted Kindle version of Flying So High: West Ham's Cup Finals. It's yours for just £1.99 and now includes the 1976 Cup Winners' Cup Final defeat to Anderlecht in 1976 and the 1981 loss to Liverpool in the League Cup Final. Plus the1923 White Horse Final, the epic European Cup Winners' Cup victory of 1965, the FA Cup wins of 1964, 1975 and 1980, the FA Cup Final loss to Liverpool on penalties in 2006 and the Play-off Final wins of 2005 and 2012. There's a print version available too. Space has of course been left for the inevitable League Cup and FA Cup wins of 2019 under Manuel Pellegrini.

Adrian should be given a chance

So hopefully West Ham won't be in for Liverpool's calamity keeper Loris Karius. Talking of confidence-shattered goalkeepers, now Joe Hart has gone back to Man City I'd like to see Adrian given another chance. He was treated rather unfairly by Slaven Bilic, who dropped him for half a season after an error against Stoke, and again when Joe Hart was signed last summer. But Adrian fought back to displace Hart and ended the season with a couple of fine performances against Man United and Everton (when he made three fantastic saves). 

Yes, there might be a case for replacing Adrian with an absolutely world-class goalkeeper, but he's a solid Premier League custodian and has an air of exuberance and confidence that transmits itself to the defence, whereas Hart seemed to cause panic. To sign Jack Butland would cost £30m and West Ham have more pressing priorities. We should sign a really good number two to challenge Adrian instead. The other factor in Adrian's favour is that he threw his shirt to my pal Jacqui after the Everton game and she assures me it "smelt of sweat and testosterone". As indeed does my shirt after a season of travail in row 44…

If the kits are United

Not too sure about the kits for next season. Call me an old git, but the home shirt should always have light blue sleeves (rather than cuffs) and a light blue trim on the collar. The new home shirt is basically claret and looks too much like a Hearts shirt for my liking. 

While the away kit is dark blue (or to give it the full marketing speak, it's 'dark teal'). Could the dark teal design be preparing us for a blue carpet at the London Stadium — the LLDC has previously insisted on this colour rather than claret? The away kit looks more like an old Wimbledon shirt. While it's compounded by yellow socks — which have no link to any West Ham colours. Is this some kind of popcorn tie-in? We should be playing away in light blue or white. Still, no doubt we'll get used to it. 

The best kit of recent years was the most traditional, that worn for the last season at the Boleyn. Better news is that Trevor Brooking and Billy Bonds have been wheeled out to don the kits and look like they could still do a job for the boys in claret, dark teal, yellow and blue. 

Start Me Up

Manuel Pellegrini spent his first day with the Hammers watching a group of immobile old geezers at the London Stadium, who then tried hard not to get injured as they attempted to recreate their glory days. So that's the first training session with the back four over. After that he watched the Rolling Stones.

Pellegrini turns to drink

Things that are almost West Ham. No contest for the mineral water we'll all be drinking at the London Stadium next season…

It's Manuel!

So West Ham have finally got their Manuel in Pellegrini. For once we haven't ended up with a fourth choice manager, but someone who can genuinely be described as an A-list gaffer, a man who has won the league in four different countries. David Moyes did a decent job with an unbalanced squad, but Manuel Pellegrini is an upgrade. Real Madrid and West Ham are now both on the same CV.

The advantage of having a top boss who plays attacking football is that the fan base will start the season, for once, fully united. Players like Arnautovic, Lanzini and Hernandez are more likely to stay and his reputation will attract top signings. He might even know what to do with Jordan Hugill. 

It was only four years ago that Pellegrini was winning the Premier League at Man City, admittedly after a shedload of money was spent. He also won two League Cups during his spell at the Etihad. Pellegrini cut a dignified figure at City and rarely criticised referees, which is apt for the club of Greenwood and Lyall. 

There are some reservations. With Sullivan having spent £7m on Pellegrini's salary is he now going to give him the big budget he'll demand for new signings? And will Pellegrini's reputation be sufficient to deter Sully from meddling in deals? We also have to remember that winning the league at Man City doesn't necessarily guarantee success at the London Stadium, as Joe Hart can testify.

But it's still a very exciting appointment and at last the board seem to realise that they have to deliver on their promise to take us to the next level in Stratford and provide attractive football with a top class team and boss. 

Pellegrini's (Iron) Maiden appearance at the London Stadium?

Thanks to my pal Fraser for keeping up to date with Chilean daily paper La Cuerta, which has been reporting on the possibility of Manuel Pellegrini joining West Ham as our new gaffer. Apparently unfamiliar with the Hammers, they’ve settled on describing WHU as, "a team fanatically supported by Iron Maiden." 

"Good to know we have some kind of international reputation," comments Fraser, who wonders if we’ll see Manuel (and heavy metal fan Zabaleta?) down the Cart and Horses. where Maiden played one of their first gigs. He also wonders if Pelly will bring his star player from Hebbei China Fortune with him as it would be nice to see Javier Mascherano again.

La Cuerta seems convinced that Pellegrini is coming. However, Fraser does point point out that La Cuerta is "not exactly known as a paper of record, most readers buy it for the large selection of female nudes featured daily. I guess it’s a bit like Sullivan’s Sport (is that still going?)."