Back to the future with Moyes?

So according to the media, David Moyes is being seriously considered as a candidate to replace Manuel Pellegrini should West Ham keep getting beaten. It's not news to please many of our more excitable fans, but in some ways it might make sense.

Personally I thought Moyes deserved a chance to continue after he stopped West Ham going down and steered the club to 13th place. He was replaced by a 'next level' manager who played the West Ham Way, but it isn't working. We're not going to challenge for the top six any time soon and could head into the Championship. Moyes would know the club and what needs changing (the scouting system for a start) and how to deal with David Sullivan. 

Yes, I'd rather have Benitez in terms of stature, or Eddie Howe based on what he's done at Bournemouth, but realistically, particularly after a massive pay-off to Manuel, our owners will go for the cheap option. Moyes would have to be more attack-minded, but if he could deliver a few rollickings (it worked with Marko Arnautovic) and get us anywhere near to his Everton record of several years of top eight (and one fourth-place) finishes it would be progress compared to the current struggles. We have to hope Pellegrini can turn it round, but if he doesn't we need a manager who can sort the team out quickly.

Are West Ham sleepwalking into the drop zone?

Look at any side that is relegated from the Premier League and you can guarantee that at some stage of the season they have had a seven-game winless run. West Ham have already gone seven games without a win and the worry is that it could soon amount to ten games after playing Chelsea, Wolves and Arsenal. 

Alan Shearer was rightly scathing about the side's lack of workrate against Spurs on Match of the Day and the worrying thing is that the team just don't look like they are playing for Pellegrini any more. The other big question is does Pellegrini at 66 still have the hunger to turn this round? The Daily Telegraph reports that the manager has been told results must improve. It also mentions doubts in the boardroom, reporting: "There is a fear that Pellegrini is not accepting the seriousness of the situation."

Meanwhile there are reports of  Rafa Benitez, Chris Hughton, Eddie Howe, Chris Wilder and Sean Dyche all being weighed-up as potential new managers. As Pellegrini is on £8 million a year — and appears to be a decent man with a fine track record — it's obviously better for the stability of the club if he can turn it round; but regardless of the result at Stamford Bridge the players have to look like they are fighting to save his job if Manuel is to survive.

West Ham Legends at Brentwood Live

Best part of the weekend was going to see 'West Ham Legends' Trevor Brooking, Julian Dicks, Frank McAvennie and Tony Gale at Brentwood Live on Friday night — a birthday present from Her Indoors. Brentwood Live is a strange venue, basically a sports hall with seats and not actually in Brentwood but Doddinghurst. But a £6 taxi trip from the station soon delivered Fraser and myself to the venue, where we found a thousand or so geezers in replica shirts and Camden Pale on draft.

Tony Gale was a fine compere for the evening, full of wit, delivering a surprisingly accurate impression of Sir Trevor Brooking and revealing that Trev once said a four-letter word on the golf course. Sir Trev stalked us through his FA Cup winning goal and said that although Ron Greenwood was a great coach John Lyall was a better man manager. Predictably he rather sat on the fence on possible replacements for Pellegrini, but did say that he thought Ajeti wasn't good enough. Dicksy added that the current side just doesn't work hard enough. Mention of Roberto inspired memories of Allen McKnight from Frank McAvennie.

There were lots of tales from the 1980s and 1990s. Frank McAvennie had a story of the players breaking a curfew in Amsterdam and John Lyall asking for £50 to be given to charity from every player who had sneaked out of the fire escape. Lyall was very surprised to find £1200 left on the table when he returned. There was also the story of Mitchell Thomas faking injury so that McAvennie could come on to score a hat-trick in his final West Ham game.

We had plenty of examples of footballers' banter. Tony Gale recalled the time Trevor Morley was in the treatment room after being stabbed by his wife and Julian Dicks had placed a series of knives in the anatomical skeleton on display. 

Dicksy remembered himself and Frank hitching a lift on a milk float during a cross country run under Billy Bonds; and also the time Billy Bonds wanted to fight him at half-time during a game at Coventry. Despite their differences though, Julian considered Bonds to be the best player he played alongside.

Everyone had massive respect for Bonzo and when asked by an audience member "Did Harry Redknapp stab Billy Bonds in the back?" Tony Gale replied that all he could say was that Billy was as honest as they come.

Tony Gale also revealed that the epic 1985-1986 season charge to third place was inspired by a pre-season defeat at Orient when a fan who looked like a member of the ICF broke into the dressing room and lambasted each player in turn. If that fan is still around then perhaps he could break into the dressing room again and deliver a few more ripostes to our underachieving side.

Overall a fine night of nostalgia from four players who still seem to enjoy each other's company. And what wouldn't we give to see these four back in the side today?

West Ham make it easy for Mourinho

West Ham 2 Spurs 3

It's an early trek along the Overground to Hackney Wick, then through security and time to purchase a match programme for the tardy Nigel, who has left home believing it to be a 12.45pm kick-off. He is also definitely going to be voting on December 13. Inside the ground are daughter Lola, Fraser, Matt, Lisa and just making the kick-off Nigel. Meanwhile it seems that the absent Michael, Alison and Scott are all stepping down from loyal supporting duties. Though to be fair Alison seems to have been more effective in goal for Liverpool than Roberto is for us.

Spurs have some new bloke on the touchline and start with renewed intensity. There's an early warning as an offside Kane sneaks behind West Ham's defence to fire home. But at least Rice plays more like his old self and we keep it goalless for half an hour, but only have a blocked header as a chance. Anderson and Yarmolenko pull out of tackles and we're playing with nothing like the intensity you need in a local derby. Roberto is all panic-inducing arms and legs, flying from his goal and punching one of his own defenders at one point.

On 36 minutes Spurs score the goal they have threatened on the break, Son turning past Diop with ease and firing through the hapless Roberto. Two minutes before the interval Dele Alli manages to produce a back heel while prone on the touchline to send Son away behind Fredericks. His low cross finds Moura ahead of Cresswell and the Spurs man bags the second. Only a fine tip over from Roberto prevents a third goal before the break.

HOW S••T MUST WE BE, THEY'RE WINNING AWAY?
At half-time Nigel introduces me to the journalist who tracked down the 1966 World Cup Final match ball to Germany. Pellegrini acts by taking off Anderson for the returning Antonio. Lucas Moura misses a great chance as Spurs break straight from a West Ham free kick, but it's three soon after as Snodgrass doesn't get tight to Aurier, who crosses for Kane to beat Diop too easily and head home.

"How shit must you be, we're we're winning away?" and "West Ham United you'll always be shit!" chant the away fans, which is less a series of jibes and more of a match report. I apologise to Lola for introducing her to West Ham, as her Spurs-supporting boss sends malicious texts. 

At least Antonio runs at players and appears to be one of the few players left with any confidence. Fornals comes on and Pellegrini is booed for bringing off Diop for Sanchez and putting Rice in defence, though actually it's because Diop is suspended at Chelsea and he wants to give Rice some game time at centre back. 

We actually look better with Rice in defence and Sanchez at least performs simple passes well in front of the defence. As against Newcastle the Hammers start to put some effort in when it's too late. Noble does well to find Antonio who shoots instantly to pull one back with a fine finish. Rice has the ball in the net after poking home Haller's header only to be ruled offside. 

With the last kick of the game Ogbonna pulls a second back with a good finish from a Snodgrass corner. But again it's far too late, though Nigel does quip that we win the second half, though in reality we could easily have lost 4-0. The Humble One hugs his players as Spurs celebrate their first away win of the season.

PANIC ON THE STREETS OF STRATFORD
The home crowd seem resigned rather than angry and there's little sense that Pellegrini appreciates the urgency of the situation in his post-match keep calm and carry on comments. We retreat to the Refreshment Rooms to meet Nigel's mate Andy and stare morbidly into our pints of beer and glass of red wine for Matt who is still eschewing beer (but no alcohol) for November. Meanwhile Fraser produces unprintable conspiracy theories and looks forward to Tony Pulis arriving.

The side is in freefall with two points in seven games. What does David Martin have to do to get a game? How can we stop conceding three goals a game? Should the misfiring Haller be dropped? How can we restore the confidence of Anderson and get Yarmolenko to put in a shift? And is Rafa Benitez the answer? With Chelsea to come it's surely going to get worse before it gets better.

PLAYER RATINGS: Roberto 3; Fredericks 4, Diop 4 (Sanchez 5), Ogbonna 6, Cresswell 5; Anderson 4 (Antonio 7), Rice 6, Noble 5, Snodgrass 5; Yarmolenko 3 (Fornals 5), Haller 4.

West Ham Legends hit Essex

Off to see West Ham Legends Trevor Brooking, Julian Dicks, Tony Gale and Frank McAvennie at Brentwood Live tonight and it will be interesting to hear what they have to say about the club's current plight. I'm sure Frank will put it all down to not visiting enough nightclubs and Trevor will (possibly) say something massively controversial. A full report will be forthcoming.

Crisis club Spurs appoint some Portugeezer

So Spurs have sacked Pochettino and appointed Jose Mourinho. This is going to make Saturday's crunch game against Spurs much harder as there will inevitably be a new manager bounce as the underperforming Tottenham stars try to impress their new boss. And you can bet that Jose will ruthlessly target WHU's dodgy keeper and defence. Perhaps our best defence is to get Danny Dyer to take the piss out of Jose, as he did with his "Allright Sunshine?" comment when Mourinho was sent off at the Boleyn Ground in 2015.

On the other hand Mourinho's return will certainly fire up the London Stadium crowd and there should be plenty of chants of "You're not special anymore!" The furore around Mourinho might even take some of the pressure off our own struggling players. No-one expects us to win this now. So let's make it a special atmosphere and ensure Jose gets off to a poor start.

Martin deserves a chance and there's a case for recalling Diangana and Cullen

Looking at the fixtures the worrying thing is that there are eight league fixtures between now and New Year's Day when West Ham play Bournemouth and no guarantee that Fabianski will be fit by then. We really can't keep Roberto in goal for that long and David Martin surely can't be any worse, so let's give him a chance. Roberto's confidence is shot and teams will now put extra pressure on him if he plays.

Meanwhile there's a strong case for recalling Grady Diangana and Josh Cullen when the window opens. Yes, a season at WBA would be better for Diangana's long-term development, but we're desperate. He's had half a season of regular football and scored a few goals in the Championship already and will get games with West Ham now Lanzini is out and Fornals, Anderson and Yarmolenko are struggling. 

Similarly Josh Cullen is the sort of midfield workhorse we need, a player who has picked up experience at Charlton, wants to play for us and would be an option to replace Mark Noble in games. With only Sanchez in reserve we need cover in central midfield. Burnley beat us because they had triers like Bardsley and Westwood. We need more players who put in a shift.