June 2010
6 posts
New Season, New Blog!
We’re trying out wordpress at the moment. All new posts can be found at
http://westhamfootball.wordpress.com/
Really tough start to the upcoming season. Come on you Irons!
The Real Reason Benni Was Axed!
From KUMB.
http://kumb.com/story.php?id=124776
Or was it just his weight? From the Independent today:
‘The best new chant of the World Cup concerns West Ham’s Benni McCarthy, South Africa’s star player who has been controversially left out the squad because he is – to put it bluntly – just too fat.
A sometime musician, McCarthy had a hit with Shibobo (which translates as the football term for...
'Der Hammer' Recruited!
West ham have today confirmed the signing of Thomas ‘der hammer’ Hitzlsperger on a three year deal. The former Aston Villa man has become Avram Grant’s first signing as manager and returns to the Premier League after spells with Stuttgart and Lazio. During his time at Stuttgart he played an important role in their 06/07 season, contributing seven goals as the side won the...
Grant confirmed as next West Ham manager
Earlier today the former Portsmouth boss, Avram Grant was officially appointed as the new West Ham manager on a four year contract. Grant was the clear favourite to succeed Zola after the Italian’s departure last month. Difficult to know how to react to this as the distasteful sacking of Zola for breach of contract still rankles. Even mild mannered Sir Trevor pleaded for greater clarity from...
May 2010
9 posts
“Grant is expected to make the Everton striker Yakubu Ayegbeni his first signing...”
– Guardian today.
Looks like we’ll be maintaining the fat and injury prone profile of our last attacking signings. So much for the ten commandments. This signing would break a handful of them. Number 7 for instance, ‘Make it enjoyable to come and watch’.
Goodbye Gianfranco
After just short of two years in charge of our club, Gianfranco Zola was today dismissed as West Ham United manager. His sacking was expected but was no less disappointing and regrettable for that. The club statement was extremely concise, thanking him for his efforts and stressing that every effort would now be made to find a new appointment. Zola was the most amiable of football managers and...
The Guardian is reporting Zola has been sacked
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/may/11/gianfranco-zola-west-ham-manager
I wanted him to have a bit of cash to spend his way and another season. Gutted. Who on earth will take this job?
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LUIS BOA MORTE hates Sullivan as much as I do!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/west_ham_utd/8671098.stm
This afternoon
Man City have nothing to play for. With the last game of the season being the potential last game for the management, for a fair few players and the last chance for our England hopefuls to impress, I’m predicting a win. Barry’s injury has had a lot of people talking about a call-up for Scott Parker. He was quiet against Fulham last weekend, but I expect him to own the midfield today....
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What wage cap?
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Let's not flatter ourselves
The Hammers weren’t able to capitalise on Fulham resting seven, that’s right Sullivan, seven of their European heroes in a game that did nothing much to suggest West Ham deserve any better than a seventeenth place league finish.
After a very slow start to the game, West Ham began to control possession and had a couple of cracking efforts through Noble and Da Costa. With a sublime...
WatchGoal of the season?
Back to Square One
What a week its been in terms of transfer gossip and internal wranglings at West Ham United. After the dramatic win at home to Wigan last Saturday and Gold’s suggestion that Zola deserved another chance next season there was a new feeling of optimism. However as it had been a while since we had heard from David Sullivan, this image of harmony was not to last long.
The PFA Fans’...
April 2010
8 posts
Gold wants Zola to stay on →
Great Scott! West Ham United 3 - 2 Wigan Athletic
How apt it was that in this most tumultuous of seasons, it was our talismanic midfielder, Scott Parker who scored a cracking late goal that will keep West Ham in the PL. The club can save themselves the time of organising the Hammer of the Year poll because Parker has already won it by a country mile. As the scoreline indicates this was a hard fought and often scrappy game in which we showed...
Half Time
As it stands (pending an improbable set of results plus an unprecendented amount of goals) we’ll be in the PL next season. 45 mins to go!
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Zola hails the impact of Araujo Ilan →
Ilan's The Man!
Our boy from Brazil made a priceless contribution in last week’s game at Everton, coming off the bench to grab a late equalizer with a powerful diving header. The impact of that goal on the morale of the squad was arguably immeasurable and so it was almost inevitable that he would be handed a starting role alongside Cole today. Mido had a virus, yeah right! Said Brazilian was on the...
Here's a Stat
Probably best to ignore these stats from the BBC website prior to the game at Goodison.
• West Ham have suffered a Premier League club record six straight defeats. Another loss on Sunday will equal their club record seven-match losing streak set in May 1967.
• Their tally of 27 points from 32 matches is the club’s lowest at this stage of a Premier League season.
• The Hammers are without...
March 2010
17 posts
Zola Fights Back! →
On a Lighter Note, Footballers' Lives: Diamanti →
Chin Up Zola
The home defeat to Stoke yesterday was our six successive defeat marking our worst run of league games in over forty years and our third successive home defeat against so-called winnable opposition. Whilst the overall team performance was superior to that of the ‘shambolic’ display on Tuesday night, Zola seemed utterly dejected and devoid of fight when talking after the match. Indeed...
Upson: 'We'll sort it out on the training ground,... →
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Dear David
I am writing this on Thursday afternoon. I had a great night’s sleep last night, having come to the conclusion that after such a painful home defeat (not to mention suffering a torrent of abuse from the fans), the team can do no worse on Saturday and hell, maybe they’ll even try a little harder to get a result!
I am, however, as angry and upset as every supporter in the world at your...
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No one was expecting that
I feel compelled to try to find some positives, but unfortunately I left soon after their 3rd goal went in and missed Franco’s consolation (just seen it on footytube - cracking finish). If Zola keeps his job until the weekend, I fear anything but a win against Stoke will signal the end of his tenure and perhaps quite rightly. I hope that he and the players are given a chance to atone for...
Tonight I'll feel better...
Seems Scott Parker will be back and Carlton will start. Based on that I’m going to plump for a home win. I’d like to see Noble start instead of Kovac and the first choice centre forwards play from the get go. There’s no room for the ‘we didn’t turn up until 25 mins in’ scenario this evening. Come on you Irons. Oh and dear WHUFC.com, if you’re going to run...
Gianfranco Zola: Nobel Man of Peace →
Arsenal FC 2 - 0 West Ham United FC. Home form it...
It was a result that many would have predicted at the final whistle but this was far from a routine win for Arsenal and the game had its fair share of drama. Despite having been awarded a penalty and playing the entire second half with a one man advantage we failed to benefit and seemed intent on making things hard for ourselves.
We once again paid for a poor start to a match when Denilson robbed...
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I was tempted to buy the home strip, but now....
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1258415/Shameless-West-Ham-owner-David-Sullivan-calls-fans-spend-money-club.html#ixzz0iN4TFw6d
I wouldn’t be suprised if there are WHU chuggers lining Green Street before the Wolves game.
Relegation Round-Up
West Ham are keeping fine company these days. All eyes this weekend will, aside from the Emirates, be on Hull, Burnley, Wolves and Wigan. What better treat for a football fan?
Initially I thought Hull had made the wrong decision getting rid of Phil Brown. Their main premiership aspiration, at least for the forseeable future, is not to finish in the top ten. It’s to hopefully stay in the...
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Look at the tits on... him?
Oh Ilan! Three times I’ve watched you spoon that effort over the bar!
From Saturday, pending unfortunate injuries, we should be able to witness the birth of our first choice attacking relationship - Benni ‘man boobs’ McCarthy and Carlton ‘don’t steal my chicken’ Cole. I’m quite excited about them pairing up at the weekend. Cole can more than match...
Carlton talks to Football Focus →
Chelsea FC 4 - 1 West Ham United. Have we got...
Upon seeing the teamsheets for this game I’m sure many were quite surprised as it gave starts to Mido, Ilan, Dyer, Daprela and ‘the real’ Danny Gabbidon. There were some concerns over Cole’s fitness but with so many changes we had to eagerly await the final whistle to see if this was inspired genius from Zola or not. It wasn’t.
Or could it have been when early on...
Don't Panic!
After a marked improvement in recent weeks we came crashing back down to earth after last Saturday’s match against Bolton. It has been widely acknowledged as one of our poorest performances of the season and that’s saying something. Bolton pressed hard, were well organised and managed to capitalise on our defensive mistakes which proved to be our downfall. A lot has been written about...
Olympic Bronze Medallist Hits Out at West Ham's... →
Another Big Game at the Boleyn
After a disapointing, if not unsurprising, loss at Old Trafford the other week we have a huge chance to reprise our recently excellent home form against Bolton on Saturday. After a reasonable first half against Man United, with some good spells of possession we were undone by the deadly combination of Valencia and Rooney. Those two have been in imperious form and so often against the top sides...
February 2010
30 posts
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Blue Steel
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Play a 4-4-2 tonight Zola!
So pre-match rumours suggest Zola will change the starting line-up, Rio & Vidic to start for Man U and Rooney potentially rested. I can’t see Ferguson leaving Rooney out. They are undoubtedly under pressure this evening and Rooney has fast become the only player capable of performing at the level Manchester United expect. Still, we’ve England’s 3rd choice centre back, so...
Match Highlights →
Zola's Reaction to Important Victory →
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West Ham United 3 - 0 Hull City. Too good to go...
Another excellent performance from the Irons today signalling our true class and hopefully setting us on an upward trajectory for the rest of the season. If our match against Burnley the other week was a crucial lesson in how not to start a game, then this was the complete opposite. It was high tempo from the off with an early free kick from Diamanti, cleverly taken and nearly beating Myhill at...
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Smart old bird eh?
‘David Sullivan is a smart old bird. Today, he announces that next season there will be pay cuts of 25 per cent all round, thereby uniting our dressing room by setting himself up as a stool pigeon.’ Karen Brady in her Football Diary. So would we have beaten Birmingham without the indisputable genius of Mr Sullivan? I think most fans would say yes. There was no doubting it was a must...
Oh Dear! →
David Sullivan reveals his tactical genius to... →