We're not needed anymore?

A worrying theory has emerged from Lisa and Matt, suggesting that West Ham's best winning run in years and the absence of us fans might be connected. Were some fans' less positive perspectives affecting the team's performances back in the days of crowds? On another level I'm also worried that all our match-day rituals might have been in vain. Could it be that Nigel's 'lucky' half-time banana counted for nothing as did his lucky Status Quo tour bag? Was Matt wearing his lucky Dukla Prague away shirt in vain? And what about Fraser's post-match cigars for every goal scored? Even the lucky pub might have been an illusion. Nothing we did made any difference. The truth is the lads don't need us at all, which is enough to give us all an existentialist crisis.

Lingard signs

Well, Jesse Lingard has signed on loan for the rest of the season which seems a risk-free proposition for both sides, and the Hammers have now signed Benrahma permanently for £26m to free up a loan space. 

WHU still need another striker, but what will appeal to Moyes about Lingard is his versatility. He can play on either flank or as a number 10 and Moyes even thinks he could do a job as a false nine — he did once score four goals on his loan debut for Birmingham City against Sheffield Wednesday. Bringing on Lingard for Bowen, Fornals or Benrahma at the end of games would certainly be an upgrade on Yarmolenko. 

There's always a risk signing players from Man United who are on the way down, but Lingard seems to be a solid character and has done well during loan periods for Derby, Leicester, Birmingham, Brighton and Derby. Moyes also has a good record of reviving payers from Old Trafford like Tim Howard, Phil Neville and Louis Saha. 

The big incentive for Lingard is that if he does well he might become part of Ole Gunnar Solksjaer's plans again, though having only played three games this season it's going to take him time to reach full match fitness.

But having scored  45 goals in 260 games - including FA Cup Final and Europa League Final strikes– he should provide more goals than our other midfielders. Lets hope this one comes off. 

Is Lingard what the Hammers need?

There's a lot of paper talk about West Ham signing Jesse Lingard. He'd be a strange signing when what the squad needs is a second striker, but presumably he'd take the place of Lanzini and be a decent player to bring off the bench. If he's a loan deal then it's relatively risk-free although West Ham would have to buy outright one of Benrahma and Dawson to free up a loan deal — and that would be no bad thing. 

Moyes knows Lingard from his time at Old Trafford, but the fear is that when players leave United they are usually on the way down. There seem to have been mitigating circumstances for Lingard's collapse in form, his mother was suffering from depression and he was left to look after his two younger siblings. He's also become a dad having had a child with a fitness model, as footballers are wont to do. So quite a lot has been going on with his private life. 

Perhaps Moyes can help get his career back on track. Lingard has scored in an FA Cup Final and Europa League Final and has 23 England caps, so the potential is still there at 28.

Meanwhile the sacking of Frank Lampard at Chelsea is good news for West Ham. The Athletic claims that Frank was starting to annoy his bosses by requesting a move for Rice. They were reluctant to sanction an £80m move for a player they gave away from their academy. New boss Thomas Tuchel is unlikely to be so obsessed with getting one payer. 

It's been quite a week. Big Fat Frank has gone, West Ham have gone up to fourth and Jack Wilshere has scored for Bournemouth. Strange days indeed.

Champions League? We're having a laugh!

Crystal Palace 2 West Ham 3

It looks like the usual WHU return to earth after a good run when Zaha puts Palace ahead after three minutes. The Hammers' midfield has stood off and Benteke has flicked the ball to Zaha who scores from the edge of the area.

But the Irons' response is excellent. In the ninth minute Fornals plays a clever ball in to the byline, Antonio flicks it across the goal and Soucek powers home a header. It gets better: Antonio is fouled by ex-Iron Kouyate and Cresswell's free-kick is controlled on his thigh and then shot into the net by Soucek again. Potato salad all round! 

West Ham nearly score a third from the kick-off as Kouyate miscues and Antonio hits the inside of the post. Rice and Soucek are dominating the midfield and Fornals is working tremendously hard. Soucek shoots from distance to force a save from Gaita and then after great work from Benrahma Cresswell's mishit shot is re-directed on to the post by Antonio again. A bonus in the first half is hearing Cresswell call the ref a "bellend" on live TV as a throw-in is moved.

SMELLS LIKE TEAM SPIRIT

It's worrying that WHU haven't killed the game off in the first half and Palace nearly equalise at the start of the second half when Fabianski has to make a fine one-on-one stop against Zaha. 

Benrahma is having his best game yet for the Hammers, gliding past players and always looking to create something. A great dribble sets up Antonio whose shot is brilliantly parried by Gaita. Another great Said run and pass finds Coufal whose shot is blocked.

Thankfully the game is put to bed when Dawson, who is proving a really useful addition in both  boxes, heads home Bowen's corner. Next Coufal's shot is redirected past the post by Antonio who beats the ground in frustration. Michail could and probably should have had four goals — he's having one of those games where he couldn't hit a palatial door. 

With the game won Moyes brings on Fredericks, Yarmolenko and Noble to play out time. Somehow the ref adds on six minutes of extra time and it's a shame that sub Batshuayi gets ahead of Cresswell to score a consolation with the last kick. It should have been 5-1 rather than 3-2.

This has been a very impressive attacking away performance and the sense grows that Moyes is building something special. Even better is the fact that the Hammers go up to fourth place having won six games in a row. Michael the Whovian takes to Whats App to write that we are five points from safety. Next up is crisis club Liverpool. Irons!

Great moment for Afolayan as Hammers demolish Donny

West Ham 4 Doncaster 0 (FA Cup)

It's on to BBC iPlayer for this one as Fornals sweeps home in the second minute after a cross from Fredericks. News filters through on WhatsApp that a tardy Matt has missed the goal as he was fetching his and Lisa's jalapeno cheese toasties. Middle-class fans eh?

Lanzini misses a great chance after fine interplay with Benrahma and then it's the false nine's Yarmolenko's turn to fire wide when well-placed. A cavalier Moyes is playing three number tens in Benrahma, Fornals and Lanzini and the Hammers' midfield play is too much for Darren Moore's League One side. Number two arrives after a great through ball from Benrahma finds Yarmolenko, who scores with a lovely dink over the keeper.

Thankfully the result is never in doubt during the second half. The third is a Butler own goal after Mark Noble's corner causes confusion in the Doncaster defence. Soucek forces two good saves  from Balcombe with a great volley and then a header. Doncaster hit the bar through Matt Smith but before the Time Lord can find any more time and space he's subbed.

Moyes is able to bring on young striker Oladapo Afolayan for Soucek after 70 minutes. This results in the game's best moment as Fredericks bursts down the right and fires a cross-shot at Balcombe. Afolayan shows good instincts to tap home the rebound and produces a lovely smile after scoring on his debut. That's the way to celebrate Sebastien.

Benrahma tests the keeper with a free kick but it's a shame he can't get a tap-in to boost his confidence. But we get to see another two debuts in goalkeeper Trott and the promising Baptiste on the right. All in all a professional performance and rather enjoyable viewing. The Cup Final breakfast at Nigel's gaff in Kew Gardens remains on.

PLAYER RATINGS: Fabianski 6 (Trott n/a); Fredericks 7 (Baptiste 6), Diop 6, Balbuena 6, Johnson 6; Fornals 7, Soucek 6 (Afolayan 7), Noble 6, Benrahma 7, Lanzini 6; Yarmolenko 7.  

Antonio takes Hammers up to seventh

West Ham 2 West Brom 1

The Moyes versus Allardyce derby (El Tactico?) is on BT Sport this time, with my pal Fraser presumably watching from behind the sofa. Dawson puts a free header wide from a West Ham corner early on and for most of the first half Big Sam's men defend with six back. There's very little space for Lanzini or Benrahma to create, though Coufal does fire just wide and Lanzini places a free kick on to the roof of the net. 

Big Sam has clearly told his men to fire every free kick straight into the West Ham box, but the defence stands up well to these rare threats. Just when it's starting to resemble trying to break down our bogey side FC Astra, the breakthrough comes in added time. Benrahma does a lot of twisting and turning to finally find space to play in a deep cross. Coufal fires it back hard across the goalmouth and Bowen chests it home. A good poacher's finish.

The second half sees the Hammers rapidly lose their hard-won lead as the midfield stands off, Dawson backs away and Pereira runs unchallenged to fire home from the edge of the area. The Irons up their game and exert some pressure. Antonio sets up Lanzini, whose shot is cleared off the line by O'Shea, before Rice fires just past the post. A well-worked quick free kick then sees Declan Rice shoot across the face of the goal.

Moyes makes what seems to be a negative double substitution taking off Benrahma and Lanzini. But it's actually quite a shrewd tactical move as Fornals gives the Hammers some extra zip in midfield and playing Bowen on the left and Yarmolenko wide on the right stretches the Albion defence.

RESPECTING THE POINTS

The winner arrives on 66 minutes when Cresswell fires in another cross from the left and Yarmolenko heads it back. Antonio has to move backwards to athletically spin and fire home a great finish. Matt, who has just spent most of his wages on a £25 BT pass, never doubted that Yarmy would come on and assist the winner.

It's a nervous end to the game as WBA show good team spirit to chase an equaliser. A tired Antonio has to be subbed for Noble and the Hammers play the final ten minutes without a striker. Albion very nearly snatch an equaliser late on when Furlong fires a cross just past Fabianski's post. BFS looks exasperated, not that we're gloating.

So another win without playing brilliantly. But this side is certainly resilient and we move up to seventh, above poor old Chelsea. Though this being West Ham, despair is never far behind elation. The post-match interviews reveal that the PL are investigating the non-selection of Robert Snodgrass after Big Sam claimed there was an agreement between the clubs not to play him. 

My immediate thought is of the Tevez affair, and that West Ham will qualify for Europe but then be punished by the PL with relegation. Though hopefully this is West Brom's problem not West Ham's. A similar non-selection controversy after Everton signed Tim Howard from Man United in 2007 (also under Moyes) ended with no sanctions.

But let's forget about Snodgate for the moment. This was another productive evening and we're grinding out results. West Ham are half-way through the season and three points off third place. At this rate we might even stay up. Irons!

PLAYER RATINGS: Fabianski 6; Coufal 7, Dawson 6, Ogbonna 6, Cresswell 7; Benrahma 6 (Fornals 6), Rice 6, Soucek 5, Lanzini 6 (Yarmolenko 6); Bowen 7, Antonio 8 (Noble 5).

Striker light

Interesting to watch Sebastien Haller playing in his first two games for Ajax. His body language certainly looked very different. When he made a goal he wheeled away with his arm in the air and when he scored he looked delighted. None of which happened at West Ham, where he always looked disgruntled even when scoring, suggesting he regretted his move to the Irons. There's no doubt he has talent and he'll be good for a team dominating possession and challenging at the top of the league. But Haller really didn't suit playing for a team like WHU that plays on the break.

Without Haller we're down to one fit striker in Antonio. We really shouldn't be asking Michail and his dodgy hamstrings to complete three games in eight days tonight. The only alternative is 18-year-old Mipo Odubeko who came on for four minutes at Stockport. He might be promising but is he ready for a run in the Premier League?

It was bad planning to start the season with only two strikers in Antonio and Haller. Now Haller has gone it's essential to get another striker in as Antonio surely won't be fit for all the remaining 20 games. Bids for Sevilla striker En-Nesri and Montpellier's Laborde have already reportedly failed. Moyes can claim that he will work with what he's got if nothing comes off, but it would be unprofessional to try to get through half a season with just one striker. Even if it's a loan we have to get another body in the box.