Saints and Sinners

Morgan Schneiderlin and Joey O'Brien were both lucky to still be on the pitch on Sunday, and sadly both of their tackles were the highlight of a somewhat boring yet productive game of football for the Hammers. The referee and his assistants did not see Schneiderlin's poor and aggressive tackle, and this has caused controversy with several journalists, about the inconsistency of the refereeing in the Premier League.  O'Brien's tackle however was easily noticed, yet was given only a yellow card, a somewhat lucky escape as the Irishman went through the back of Lallana.

With the highlights of the game over, the rest of the match was made up of an excellent performance by Jussi Jaaskalainen, and several missed opportunities from both sides. Southampton had the best of the play, and missed several chances, and were frustrated by the Hammers' well planned tactics of high pressing. Noble, Nolan, Morrison and Diame were excellent in front of the back four who were solid as always.

The Hammers may not be pretty, but the effectiveness is key when away from home. Allardyce's boys only made a few chances, and are openly criticised for playing for a point. My question is why should they be criticised? The Hammers have a lack of attacking options, and their strength is their defence, so West Ham should be sitting back and stopping the home team from creating too many chances. Southampton fans have slated the Hammers' play, but why should West Ham play open football with no creative players, and a lack of a target man. West Ham are playing to their strengths, and their strengths are pace and power, and that is exactly what they used when counter attacking yesterday.

There still is one big worry for the Hammers, which is that they have not scored a goal for 300 minutes. The return of Andy Carroll is reportedly 6-8 weeks away, so the availability of Petric cannot come any sooner for West Ham and Allardyce. Maiga sadly may have scored a few fluky goals during pre-season but now the Malian is being found out, and is not good enough for the Premier League. Likelihood is that he will be sold in January to make way for a new forward in to the club.

Moving on to Everton, Petric is close to fitness, and depending on how he trains this week he could be in the squad for Saturday's match. Stewart Downing is doubtful for Saturday's game, as he was said to make his return against Everton, but Allardyce has been quiet on Downing's return date. During the Saints' match, the Hammers suffered some niggles, as Winston Reid and Guy Demel both pulled up during the game. However, both McDonald and Allardyce have not mentioned any serious injuries which will keep either player out for the visit of Everton.

Everton won their first match of the season on Saturday in a 1-0 win against Chelsea through a Steven Naismith goal. The Toffees may be looking to make that back to back wins, as they have been successful at Upton Park in their last five visits with four wins and one draw. The last time the Hammers won against Everton at the Boleyn was in 2007, where Bobby Zamora kept West Ham on the road to the great escape.

If West Ham play their own game, they are successful but if they start to match teams, that's when tactically it all falls apart. When at home on Saturday, they need to attack the Toffees back four with pace and skill, which Jarvis, Diame and Morrison have an abundance of in their lockers. Petric would be a good addition to the starting line up if he is available, something to help the ball stick in the forward areas. Martinez is known for his passing teams, and letting them have the ball and countering is the way forward for Allardyce's men.

Come On You Irons!

Carlton Come Home

West Ham's lack of business was very much like an episode of Only Fools and Horses, going for the golden carat stars like Fabio Quagliarella and Demba Ba, and end up with the broken lawnmower of Carlton Cole. For three months, the objective for the Hammers directors has been to find a back up for injured Carroll after releasing Carlton Cole. Messrs Gold and Sullivan were 'working' hard trying to find a player for peanuts to keep in accordance with the FFP guidelines. Now, after buying nothing, the Hammers are left with the embarrassment of trying to re-sign Cole.

Starting with Carlton, is he needed? He is needed, after an abysmal display against Stoke, Cole is needed to keep possession, as the Hammers failed to penetrate the Stoke defence at all on Saturday. Sadly, re-signing Carlton is a positive thing, West Ham need a back-up striker, no one wants to man, and Carroll will be back so he can sit on the bench.

Moving on to Sullivan and Gold, they and Allardyce have illustrated their want for a new striker all summer long, but nothing panned out the way they were expecting it to. The guidelines of the FFP may not start until 2015, but the joint-Chairmen have tried to implement them into the club early. The Hammers have to be debt free before going into the stadium in 2016, so cutting costs are needed. West Ham may not want to be so restricted but they have to be for the long term future of the club. It may be frustrating, and they be left short in forward areas, but again survival is the key for the Hammers. As soon as West Ham are at 40 points, they can look towards top ten. If the Hammers can get away with just two forwards until January, it may look to be inspiring by the joint-Chairmen.

Looking onwards, the good news is Carroll is fit again, and should be in the squad to face Southampton. So Cole may not have to play at all this season, which would be nice. Carroll has been given a injury prone title after last season. He has not had many injuries in his career and last season was hopefully a freak season, although if he is rushed back, he may end up doing more damage. Allardyce has said it has been all healed for weeks, its only inflammation, which is a good sign. Hopefully West Ham will get to see Carroll taking on the Saints.

If the fans look at what Gold and Sullivan are trying to do long term, then it may not look so bad. Re-signing Cole may look terrible, but the Hammers do not want a repeat of 2003 on their hands, when Roeder failed to sign enough strikers, so Ian Pearce had to play up front and they were dreadful until January. Then Les Ferdinand was brought in, and the Hammers started to win. At least West Ham are bringing Cole in now, rather than leaving it to January.

Simple Yet Effective

The Hammers got off to a winning start to the season, after they defeated Cardiff 2-0, their fourth consecutive win over the Welsh side. West Ham were not brilliant on the day, but they were effective enough to get the job done. The Allardyce way of playing may not be easy on the eye, but it does get results and all West Ham fans want to see is three points and that is what the former Bolton boss delivered on Saturday.

Now, Allardyce makes his way back to St James Park next time around, in the hope the Hammers can get the same result they did last season. West Ham won 1-0 last time they faced the Magpies at St James Park, but without Carroll at the head of the attack, it will be hard to see three points making its way back to Upton Park. Carroll was at the pinnacle of his form against Newcastle, and the brilliance of his hold up play and defensive ability was one of the reasons, the Hammers won last season.

Saturday's game showed the width will not be an issue this year, as Matt Jarvis made his first assist of the season, twelve minutes into the game. Joe Cole was man of the match, and a goalscorer, showing he was back to fine form, and the cameo from Stewart Downing was good enough for fans to get overexcited about their new arrival. The only weakness was the forward line without Carroll, Maiga tried his best, but was not the greatest. Maiga looks more of a second striker than a man to hold up the line, a player who would rather be part of the build up than the finisher at the end. Luckily for the Hammers, the game was sealed through the finishing techniques of Kevin Nolan, who was more like the forward on Saturday.

Looking on to the game on Saturday, Newcastle will be looking to bounce back from a humiliating night against Man City. The Geordies were beaten comfortably 4-0, and there was no sign of any threat from the Magpies on the night. The situation got worse for Newcastle, as they lost Steven Taylor to a red card, and Jonas Gutierrez to an injury. They will join Loic Remy on the sidelines, and will miss the game against West Ham. The Hammers should be looking to attack the Geordies, as they are missing a key defender, and having to play an inexperienced left back in Paul Dummett. Gutierrez is a big loss, as he works hard up and down the flanks. Newcastle could also be without Yohan Cabaye after a transfer bid from Arsenal was rejected for the Frenchman.

It is very hard to judge a side against Man City, so the judgement on whether Newcastle are a threat depends on last season. They finished the season well, and worked hard in a 0-0 draw at Upton Park in May, a game where they could have taken the spoils. Newcastle will be using their key player Hatem Ben Arfa, as his electrifying pace will frighten the Hammers fairly slow defence. That is Newcastle's main threat, and will probably work the middle of the pitch to try and defeat the midfield trio of Noble, Diame and Nolan.

After a effective performance on Saturday, the Hammers are likely to drop Joe Cole and start Stewart Downing. The pace will be the key asset for West Ham, as Newcastle's defence can be opened up, especially with the clumsy Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa and youngster Dummett. Again like on Saturday, Jarvis and Downing will be key, as will Diame, who will have a battle on his hands with Tiote, a battle to keep your eye on. The Hammers will obviously be relying on Nolan to score, as Maiga looks to be dropping deep to allow Nolan to hold the line. Pace and clinical finishing are key, as the Hammers will be on the counter attack most of the match, and will not get many chances. If the Hammers play as effectively as they did against Cardiff, a positive result is obtainable against Newcastle.

 

Come On You Irons!

This is a Feeling of Deja Vu

The season commences, another nine months of pure nervousness for thirty-eight games. The first of these thirty-eight games comes on Saturday where the season opener is against Cardiff at Upton Park. The second time in three years Cardiff will play the Hammers in the season opener at the Boleyn Ground. West Ham will be hoping it is not deja vu, as the last time these two met in the season opener of the 2011/2012 season, Cardiff took all three points with a late Kenny Miller goal. Allardyce's men will be hoping they can avoid defeat this time around.

Throughout the 2011/2012 season, West Ham demolished Cardiff on three occasions, in two 2-0 away wins, and a 3-0 win at Upton Park. So the Hammers will have the upper edge coming into this match after beating the Welsh side in the Playoff semi-final 5-0 which is the biggest one-sided aggregate score in Play-Off history. The omens are on the Hammers side, but Cardiff will be looking to prove themselves in their first ever Premier League game. If anyone is expecting an easy win, they are very much mistaken, Mackay's men will graft for a positive result on Saturday.

Cardiff have spent a bit in the summer window, bringing in some very decent acquisitions, some proven and some inexperienced. Starting with Steven Caulker from Tottenham. Caulker impressed last season, even earning himself an England call-up. They broke their transfer record several times throughout the window, finally breaking it for the final time was the signing of Gary Medel from Sevilla for £9.5 million. The Chilean international impressed during the Rio Ferdinand testimonial last week. They last main signing is Danish international Andreas Cornelius, the 20 year old is tall and stocky, but may not feature against the Hammers as he is still recovering from an injury. Cardiff's spending has been in the right areas, with needed improvement in defence and attacking areas, which looked to be their weaker areas last season.

The Welsh side won the Championship last year with 87 points, two more points than the Hammers the year before. Cardiff had a considerably weaker Championship title winning season last year, and may be seen as weaker than the Hammers and Southampton. The Red dragons however do have a strong squad from last season including former Hammers Craig Bellamy and Nicky Maynard. Cardiff are the favourites out of the promoted sides to stay up, and by my predictions they will avoid the drop. They are an organised side, but the question is, will they adapt to the step up from Championship football to Premier League football? Only time will tell with that one, at the start Cardiff will be working off of the momentum they gained from promotion, when that fades it will show whether Cardiff are good enough to avoid relegation this season.

The Hammers exceeded expectations last season, and will be hoping to do the same again, as Allardyce's men have been predicted to come 12th this season, two places lower than they did last year. Cardiff will be hoping to re-create the same exceeding expectations that West Ham and Southampton achieved. West Ham should not be threatened by Cardiff on Saturday, as they have improved, albeit marginally, with the signing of Razvan Rat, a steady and confident full back. Fans will be hoping that Andy Carroll will be fit, as well as new signing Stewart Downing to start the game on Saturday. Other players of interest will be Alou Diarra and Ravel Morrison, as both will be like new signings for the side, and the latter has shown signs of brilliance during pre-season with many fans expecting Morrison to break into the first team in the coming weeks. The Hammers have a strong side, and finished the season well, and should not sit back on their morals. A good start to the season will give the Hammers the incentive to carry that onto the next six fixtures which are winnable games.

The game will not be tense, West Ham are likely to take the game to Cardiff, and the same of the Welsh side. As a newly promoted team, they will be hoping to get points on the board as quickly as possible. However, the away side may look to be a bit more defensive against a team who only lost four times at home out of a possible nineteen. An incredible feat for a newly promoted side, and if the Hammers take this home form into the game on Saturday, they should have no worries for a positive result.

West Ham need to show they have a plan B, if Andy Carroll is not available for Saturday's fixture. This means signs of flair may be needed to defeat Cardiff, Jarvis and Downing will be vital in getting the three points this weekend. Cardiff will not be an easy ride, but the Hammers need to show their Premier League experience right from the off.

Come On You Irons!

There's Nothing Happening

This is the quietest time during the whole window for West Ham, and Messrs Gold and Sullivan both insist that things are happening at Upton Park in the background contrary to fans belief. David Gold told a worried fan on Twitter 'we are working hard to sign a striker.' Hard work from the board is what you want to hear but the worrying thing is when there are only limited amount of players available for the Hammers.

David Sullivan said West Ham are looking to sign a winger and a forward as back-up for Carroll, this is definitely the priority at the moment. However, the amount of players available is decreasing as the days go on. There are several players who West Ham have been linked with but the stand out one who is looking most likely is Salomon Kalou. The former Chelsea winger fits the bill for the Hammers with many of his main attributes matching that of Ricardo Vaz-Te.

Today, the Hammers were linked with Udinese striker Matej Vydra, whose agent told the press that his client would welcome a bid from West Ham as he would love to live in London. This means that Swansea, Sunderland and West Brom are looking increasingly unlikely to pull off a move for him. Vydra's want to live in London, does show the Hammers do still have an advantage of signing players this summer.

Being located in London does help attract certain players who are looking to bring up their children in an area which is built up rather than going to places like Stoke or  Hull. West Ham may not be close to signing anyone at the moment, but the attraction is there as many players may want to sign for the Hammers as it is only three years until the move to the Olympic Stadium.

The bright future ahead for West Ham does give players the incentive to join the club, the only drawback for the Hammers with enticing potential stars is the wage bill. David Sullivan has said the transfer fees are not the problem but the wages are, this is due to the newly introduced Financial Fair Play. West Ham may have the attraction of a top ten finish, being located in London and the Olympic Stadium but there is not much attraction with the lack of a wage bill.

Today's game is about wages, the money does make the world go round. Footballers are attracted to the money, so many players may be staying away from the club due to the lack of wages available to Gold and Sullivan. Albeit, the Davids are working hard apparently, so hopefully we will not rush into a purchase like usual and bring in some good players who will improve the team. Hammers fans be patient and wait, if we do not sign anyone by the 3rd of August then maybe you have the right to worry.

Come On You Irons!

Season Preview 2013/2014 - One to Watch

This years one to watch is a player who may not get many chances in Sam Allardyce's side during the upcoming season but the former Manchester United man has already hit the ground running with some impressive performances in pre-season. In games against Cork City and Boreham Wood, Ravel Morrison was very good, it may have been games against weak opposition but he showed glimpses of talent that Sir Alex was reluctant to let go at Old Trafford.

Last year, Hammers fans thought it may have been the time to put Morrison in to the fray and see what he can give to the team. Big Sam thought otherwise and felt that what the midfielder needed was some time away from Upton Park to gain some first team experience.

So off Morrison went to Championship side Birmingham. After 13 man of the match awards, in a mid table team, the youngster is worth a punt to play this season. The Championship may not be the best league but it is still very competitive, meaning his man of the match awards are not worthless. He showed great promise at Birmingham with manager Lee Clark declaring his want to keep the trickster at St Andrews, showing how much of an effect he had on the Blues.

The issues for West Ham and Allardyce is whether Morrison is mature enough to hold down a first team place in the Premier League. He certainly showed consistency during his time at Birmingham but playing in the top flight is much harder which means the midfielder will have to work harder and knuckle down to impress.

Manchester United knew what sort of player they had with Morrison, but it was the off the field problems that were too much for the Red Devils to keep the talented youngster. Reports had suggested that last season there was a rift between Allardyce and Morrison, but it seems that Allardyce is looking beyond that and giving him a chance in the first team. Morrison looks to have grown out of causing havoc that got him in trouble before and during his move to Upton Park.

For a player who only cost £300,000, we all hope he will be the bargain of the 21st century and if he goes on to become the player we hope it may help us financially or lead us to greatness. Morrison has the potential if he is able to demonstrate by Allardyce, to become a Hammers great. He needs games, and personally Ravel is ready. Watching him play for Birmingham in a few games over the course of last season, he showed he grew as a player.

Hopefully, if Allardyce decides to keep the former United player around, he will torment defenders and give the Hammers a creative spark which they were lacking at times last season. Morrison is one to watch, and a perfect player to have away from home when West Ham counter attack teams.

 Come On You Irons!

Season Preview 2013/2014 - Season Expectations

What do we need to achieve? Is it realistically possible? How much will it cost to achieve it? These are three questions that will be asked as pre-season starts. After last year's impressive tenth place in their first season back in the Premier League, West Ham will be looking to improve on their performance last year. In his Bolton days, Allardyce improved in or earned the same number of points every season, never having a worse tally from the previous season. This gives the Hammers, the confidence to believe that he will be the man to lead West Ham to greater things as he did during his time at the Reebok Stadium.

What do we need to achieve? West Ham fans are passionate albeit unrealistic when it comes to what West Ham actually need compared to what they want. Of course, West Ham fans would love a cup run, or a European place but in reality, Premier League football for another season would be suffice. Improving on last season, may be quite hard to achieve, but not impossible as last year's away form cannot get any worse can it? Tenth place and 46 points, is what the Hammers achieved last year, personally they are on the up and not looking back. What the Hammers need to achieve is about the same as last season, maybe a few more points on the table to be more secure of not being sucked into a relegation battle. With the addition of Carroll long term and hopefully with fewer injuries, this looks achievable.

This moves on to the second question is it realistically possible? For West Ham to gain around the same number of points is rather realistic. The Hammers are in a process of going forward, not chasing European football, so fans need to stay realistic unlike last season because of the great start the side had. This lifted many people's expectations, and many fans were unhappy whenever West Ham lost, which is very unrealistic. Achievable ambitions are tenth or ninth place, which would be another solid season. One way to improve on last year was the poor away form, which saw Allardyce's men pick up only three wins on their travels against QPR. Newcastle and Stoke. It was dreadful last season, but playing counter attacking football with only two players with pace is always going to be hard, as Jarvis and Diame are the only outlets away from home. Also last season West Ham had sixteen losses and only ten draws, which means that some of the losses need to turn into draws. Games where West Ham lost from a winning position such as Everton and games where golden opportunities were missed such as Reading both need to eradicated. The Hammers need to keep hold of leads and learn how to score more. The same position is achievable this season, as arguably the teams coming up are weaker the ones going down. As if West Ham were to play last season in the Championship with their tally from the promotion year in 2012, the Hammers would have promoted automatically in second place behind Cardiff. West Ham are looking forward, and achieving a bit better than last season is attainable.

How much will it cost the Hammers? Well it has already cost Sullivan and Gold about £15.5 million already with the signing of Andy Carroll. Technically this is not an improvement as he was playing for the club last season. The Hammers need to strengthen some key areas, such as centre-back as they are light with only Tomkins, Reid and Collins, with all of them suffering injuries last year. Two strikers are needed to make sure their enough competition and cover for Carroll. Also creativity is lacking in the side, as sometimes if Carroll was not getting the ball, we looked hopeless. We need an attacking midfielder with flair, and good perception to pick a pass. With already spending just over £15 million, there probably is not going to much more spent but whatever is brought in has to be an improvement to the squad now rather than thinking for the future as West ham are not stable enough yet for that sort of planning.

Come On You Irons!

Season Review 2012/13 - Player of the Season

There are several options for this award, as not one player played exceptionally well throughout the whole season. Of course Winston Reid is one of the candidates, the others are Momo Diame, Andy Carroll, James Collins, Jussi Jaaskelainen who make up the contenders for Player of the Season.

Winston Reid, now the Hammers third choice captain, and new captain of the New Zealand national side. Reid had a terrible start to his West Ham career in 2010, and his first season was not a memorable one. He started to show great promise during the 2011/2012 promotion season in the championship and was probably over shone by James Tomkins. Last season, Reid went on leaps and bounds to show why Avram Grant did pay £4 million for his services. Reid has show great potential, and now needs to keep up his great performances last season, and display them on a regular basis next season. He is a contender for player of the season, due to his last ditch tackling, tenacity and overall influence on the side when the Hammers needed stability. He did peak off in some games, but not everyone is perfect. The only learning point for the defender is his ability to keep focus, as sometimes in games his concentration is poor and makes amends through last ditch tackling.

Momo Diame, he must have had a good season when teams like Arsenal and Manchester United come knocking six months into his West Ham career. Luckily for the Hammers, the Senegalese midfielder looks likely to stay at Upton Park and is looking to sign a new contract to up his minimum fee release clause. Diame was exceptional, and a breath of fresh air in most games with his endless running and dribbling. He is exactly what West Ham need in a slow central midfielder, as Noble and Nolan have good abilities but are not the most agile players in the world. Diame will be most remembered for his great performance against Chelsea in the 3-1 win at Upton Park. Diame only just beats Andy Carroll for signing of the season, and for a free transfer, he was what Harry Redknapp would call a 'bargain.' Diame does have something to work on in the summer, passing, he does not know how to, he runs off into blind alleys, losing the ball too often sometimes. However, his dribbling does help the Hammers ease the pressure defensively and gives West Ham the ability to break quickly. He did rarely contribute during the second half of the season due to the speculation of him leaving, but his amazing performances before January earn him his candidacy for Player of the Season.

Andy Carroll, for a player who only played 23 times last season, he made a big contribution. Carroll scored seven times, with most of his goals coming in the last few months of the season. He became a fans favourite rather quickly, and showed his partnership with Kevin Nolan still works as it did at Newcastle. Two injuries hindered the big man's season last year, and if he had been fit all season, no one knows where the Hammers might have ended up in the table. Sadly, as a contender for Player of the season goes, he was the best player but did not play the whole season missing large chunks of it. West Ham fans got their wish, as Carroll was signed permanently for a club record fee of £15.5 million. Hopefully Carroll will not have such a injury prone season and lead the club to stability.

Another new signing who impressed was James Collins. Many fans before the season were pleased with the signing of 'Ginge' even though many Villa supporters were happy to see the back of him. Hammers fans changed their opinion, three months into the season as Collins was making too many mistakes such as in games against Swansea and Sunderland. Collins got injured during the season, and then West Ham started to show weakness in defence during the Welshman's absence showing how maybe he not Reid was the reason for the good start to the season. Collins came back and showed why the Hammers had missed him especially in his man of the match performance in the 0-0 draw against Liverpool, where the defender kept Suarez in his pocket. Collins showed in that game Reid was not needed and the partnership between Ginge and Tomkins was sufficient enough to deal with the Reds. Collins was very under-rated last season, he was probably the main reason for why Reid looked so good, as Collins did the dirty work and Reid picked up the pieces. However, for Collins' poor start, he is not the strongest candidate.

Lastly, Jussi Jaaskelainen signed on a free transfer from Bolton, and was not seen as an inspired signing by Hammers fans. Many people suggested the Finnish goalkeeper was finished, and could not perform at a Premier League standard. For the first few months, it appeared so, as Jussi looked uncomfortable, nervous and shaky. However, he settled in and grew with confidence to guide the Hammers to a comfortable tenth place. Many times, West Ham had Jaaskelainen to thank for his impressive performances which kept them in the game, including his man of the match performance against Tottenham which was over shadowed by Gareth Bale' wonder strike. Jussi saved 78% of shots he faced, and faced the most shots in the division with 215. The former Finland international was ever-present last year, and he may not be this season with new arrival Adrian looking to steal the goalkeeper spot.

Overall, a comfortable yet sometimes nervy season meant there were many candidates to stand out for player of the season. However, one player did stand out more, and it was a tough decision but Winston Reid just wins with Andy Carroll behind. Carroll may have played on 23 times but his impressive performances most of the times he played deserved second place. Diame finished in third, only because of his poor second half to the season, as Jussi and Ginge finish on joint fourth. Winston Reid has improved rapidly in the last two seasons, and deserves his success he had in the 2012/2013 season.

Come On You Irons!

Season Review 2012/2013 - Game of the Season

Where's the blue flag? Chelsea have been looking for it since December 1st 2012, when they visited Upton Park to face the Hammers. Pre-match expectations were rife with Rafa Benitez likely to pick up his first win as Chelsea boss. Instead, it was quite the opposite as a superlative second half display from West Ham got them the three points.

Leading up to the match, West Ham were on a three match winless run, with a 1-1 draw with Stoke, and two back to back losses against Tottenham and Manchester United. Whereas Chelsea came into the game with two consecutive 0-0 home draws against Man City and Fulham. With Rafa looking for his first elusive win as Blues boss, and the Hammers looking to stop the rot, it was always going to an explosive action-packed game.

The pre-match line ups shocked many Hammers fans, as Gary O'Neil found his way back into the Hammers side in place of in-form Momo Diame, who was on the bench. O'Neil was coming in from the bench cold to replace a man who had been arguably West Ham's best player up to this point of the season. It was a tactic that Allardyce was hoping would work.

The decision to start O'Neil looked to have backfired at the start of the game, as Chelsea dominated the first half through their pace and quick passing, which West Ham could not live with. The Hammers were missing their Senegalese powerhouse, but they had to play the half without him. Chelsea took an early lead, as Victor Moses sent Fernando Torres down the line, who pulled the ball back to Spaniard Juan Mata. Where Mata from inside the box, side-footed the ball into the corner of the Hammers net. Chelsea had several other chances which they wasted including a great chance for Victor Moses but Joey O'Brien had quick reactions to clear.

The second half was a completely different story, as Allardyce knew a change was needed in the weak, slow and fragile midfield. O'Neil was taken off and replaced by Diame, a straight swap. Diame brought a new lease of life to the side. The Hammers were battering the Chelsea side all over the park, there was a role reversal of Men vs Boys. Chelsea were looking like boys, and West Ham's second-half dominance finally paid off, as Matt Jarvis' cross took a huge deflection off Gary Cahill, looping up into the air. As the ball rolled down, Carlton Cole 'outmuscled' Ivanovic to head the ball past Petr Cech. It was Cole's first goal against Chelsea, and first of the season. Cole had been second best to Andy Carroll, who picked up an injury in the midweek game against Man Utd, allowing Cole to start the game.

The Hammers rode their luck after the equaliser, as Juan Mata hit the post from a free-kick, which had Finnish goalie Jaaskelainen beaten. The free-kick struck the post and was cleared. There was only a few minutes of the ninety remaining, when West Ham earned a throw in. O'Brien saw Cole gained a bit of room from his marker, he threw it to the big man, who turned the defender and laid it off to man of the match Diame. The Senegalese was unmarked outside the box, and slotted the ball with the outside of his foot under Cech. The Hammers were leading with six minutes to go, and they completed the rout when Ashley Cole's pass was intercepted by Maiga, who put Taylor through one on one. Taylor's left foot shot was parried straight to Maiga inside the box who barried the ball into the back of the net. The game ended 3-1.

It was the first time West Ham fans had a chance to get one over their west London rivals. It was the first win against Chelsea since 2003, when Paolo Di Canio's only goal in his last game at Upton Park kept the Hammers in with a shout to stay in the Premier League. This was the game of the season, due to the work rate, determination of the team and brilliant turnaround against a team who dominated the first half with great ease. Diame's influence on the side changed the game, and whether Allardyce intended to use Diame for an effective 45 minutes, only he knows.

 

Come On You Irons!

Review of the Team: Part IV - Forwards

The forward line for the next seasons will be lead by Andy Carroll. Carroll signed a six year deal to make his move to West Ham a permanent one after a rather successful loan spell last season. The big man is the Hammers most expensive signing and which has divided people not just Hammers fans but the footballing world. Carroll did have a successful season even though it was hit with injuries leading to him missing three months of the season. Even with these injuries, Carroll still scored seven goals and became a fans favourite. The cries at the end of the season from the fans to sign Carroll showed how influential he became at Upton Park. Carroll signed a six year deal, which is hopefully a sign of good things to come.

Apart from Carroll, the Hammers' successes were few and far between with strikers. Hammers' fans will have seen the last of Carlton Cole in a Claret and Blue shirt with his last goal against Everton. Cole when played, did not set the world alight last season apart from one game against his former club Chelsea. Cole has not turned out to be the striker many thought he would be at the age of 22 when Alan Pardew signed the former number 9 for £2 million. Cole was always hit and miss, only playing his best football under Zola and maybe it was time for him to leave.

Lastly, the final striker Modibo Maiga is likely to be sold, after not really been given a chance at Upton Park. He has shown a few glimpses of what he can do, with goals against Southampton and Wigan as well as his performance in the last game of the season coming on as a substitute. Maiga, though is likely to be sold back to France making way for new forwards to complement Carroll.

Hopefully, last year's loans signings of Chamakh and Paulista are not replicated this year and the Hammers can bring players in who will actually benefit the side. Two more forwards are needed to support Carroll, one to compete and one to be a back-up. Although, Allardyce may see Vaz-Te as the back-up striker or Kevin Nolan, but signings are definitely needed in the forward areas.

 

Come On You Irons!

Review of the Team: Part III - Midfield

With Noble, and Nolan in the midfield was the Hammers signing of the season Momo Diame. The free transfer to Wigan was one of the best purchases Allardyce has made in his two years at the club. Diame was so impressive the first half of the season, talks of a move to Arsenal in January were circulating due to a release clause in his contract. However nothing went through and he was very hit and miss during the second half of the season. Of course his display against Chelsea will never be forgotten, one of the best forty five minutes of the season, but Diame does lack one thing. Diame lacks the power to know when he needs to pass, as he will run into three players rather than give and go. Diame is power house, but his second half of the season inconsistency and mental attributes need tweaking. The inconsistency may be overcome with a new contract which will put the rumours to bed, allowing the Senegalese to play his game.

Welcome back to injury, is something we've heard far too often about Jack Collison. Before his serious injury in 2010, Collison was probably becoming one of the Hammers' best players but the injury setback his career and he has not been the same since. Collison is still a good player to have on the bench or in the squad but is he ever going to live up to his potential or stay fit for a full season? The Welshman needs to keep fit to be able to ever fight for a place in the first team, as his role in the lead-up and first leg of play-offs was key, something we need to see more of from Collison.

Another player who suffers with his injury problems is Joe Cole. When the little winger signed from Liverpool, after a decade away, many thought it was a dream come true. Losing Cole in 2003 was probably the most hardest thing of being relegated as well as losing Carrick the year after. Cole, however is a different player to the one we all remember, firstly the hair, secondly the injuries. If Cole stays fit next year, he will be an extremely useful player but it will be only if due to his track record.

The last two are probably on the need to leave list for very different reasons. Firsty, Matt Taylor has had his day in the Premier League and when he came on last year, he did not seem like he could actually keep up by the end. Taylor is very erratic, something we do not need at this time of stability. Secondly, Alou Diarra needs to leave due to his lack of respect for the club. If he does not want to be at the club then let him leave. He may have seemed a bargain buy but has just caused headaches by running off to the French press and moaning about the club, its bad press that the club does not need.

Lastly, Gary O'Neil is on the released list, and although he played well at the end, we need to step up in class and that means letting the fringe players go. Without letting anyone go, West Ham need a winger and an attacking midfielder. Zaha or Redmond would be nice for the Hammers, the latter especially as a long-term addition to the club.

 

Come On You Irons!

Review of the Team: Part II - Midfield

The midfield for the Hammers last season was very solid and had some individual and team performances that even the champions would have been proud of. The wings were very debated over the season on social networking sites and the press. Starting with the former transfer fee record holder Matt Jarvis, who was effective without actually assisting any goal in the Barclays Premier League last season. Jarvis placed the most accurate crosses into the box, sadly this does mean that for him to not have an assist this season, the Hammers positioning or fight for the ball was poor. However this can be worked on over pre-season, we need to anticipate where Jarvis will place the cross and make a run to that area of the box. Jarvis had a good ending to the season, he looked more vibrant but sadly we still are not getting the ball to the tricky winger quick enough, something which needs to be looked at during the pre-season.

Vaz-Te is probably the most marmite-like player at Upton Park, where either you love him or hate him. There is no denying the fact that Vaz-Te can be seen sometimes as lazy, but he did track back well with Demel most of the time. Although it seems that Vaz-Te was not useful player last season and his final ball was something which lacked quality, he did have four assists and three goals. The ironic concept is that Vaz-Te made more assists than the most accurate crosser in the Premier League, and has the worst final ball. He is a good player, when he wants to be but this inconsistency needs to be eradicated otherwise he will be leaving when he's contract runs out in June 2014. The Hammers will still need a winger to complement Jarvis, many names have been blasted about such as Zaha, but we will have to wait and see.

Moving onto the second most-hated captain in Kevin Nolan, maybe joined second with Lucas Neill. However how hated he may be with some sections of the fans for his lack of creativity and lack of distribution, the 'Funky Chicken' was brought out many times this year to make him the top goal scorer with ten goals. He may not please many people with what he does on the pitch, but you cannot knock his work-rate, for a player who has lost a lot of stamina over the last few years, he still moves about the pitch. He has a calming effect on the players, and is probably one of the best captains at the club for a little while. Hopefully his partnership with Andy Carroll can continue and the Funky Chicken will be seen many times next season.

Lastly, for this part of the review, The Hammers will soon have to give Mark Noble a testimonial. Noble made his debut for West Ham in the league against Wolves in January 2005. The 2014/15 will be Mark Noble's tenth year playing for the first team. When West Ham went down in 2011, Noble was deservedly slated for his poor performances, but a steady promotion campaign and a very good first half to a season hit with an injury has brought Noble's love affair with the Hammers back where it belongs. The midfielder had a good start to the campaign last season but the second half was hit with an injury which kept him out for a considerable amount of time. West Ham hope Noble can have another solid few years to help them increase in stature until the move to the Olympic Stadium. Noble will be in the team next year there's no doubt about it.

 

Come On You Irons!

Review of the Team: Part I - Goalkeeper and Defence

Starting with the Goalkeeper,  Jussi Jaaskelainen had a mixed start with many fans having doubts whether the Finland international was good enough for the Premier League. It was not until the home game against Tottenham when the Hammers finally appreciated the work that Jaaskelainen had done, as his man of the match performance kept the Hammers in with a shout of a point until Bale popped up. Jaaskelainen won save of the season thankfully, with his save against Tottenham when he made a finger tip save from a curling Gareth Bale shot which was making its way to the top corner. He also made an equally impressive reaction save against West Brom from a deflected Romelu Lukaku free-kick. Jussi's solid season has been rewarded by Allardyce signing Real Betis keeper Adrian to give the Finnish goalie some competition throughout the season with the Spaniard likely to be the long-term keeper. Adrian impressed many with his man of the match performance against Real Madrid, and Hammers fans will be hoping his can replicate these performances at Upton Park. Stephen Henderson looked very nervous against Wigan last year in the Capital One Cup, and is likely to be sold.

Right back is a position very much up for grabs, with Guy Demel and Joey O'Brien looking to impress Allardyce during pre-season. Demel had a solid season work the wing well with whoever he played with. O'Brien also had a good season playing most of it at left-back. Long-term West Ham will be looking for a right-back but this is not essential next season, and likely Demel will start the season at full-back. Left back is a position filled after much of the season with O'Brien filling in, but Allardyce has secured the services of Romanian international Razvan Rat. A experienced international who has played in the Champions League for Shakhtar. George McCartney injured for the most of last season, and only has one year left on his contract is likely to be a back-up. One man who is unlikely to be anywhere near the starting line-up is Jordan Spence, but unlike many Hammers fans I can understand why. Although he is a graduate from the academy he has not excelled apart from the Man Utd cup game. Spence's performance against Wigan in the League cup and his lack of appearances on-loan for Bristol City indicate a player not living up to his potential. For a full back he looks very uncomfortable when defending, and for someone who was in my long term team a few years ago has not improved enough.

Last year this was probably the Hammers' best position with the partnership of New Zealand captain and player of the year Winston Reid and James 'Ginger Pele' Collins. Sadly this partnership came at a cost as future England international James Tomkins has been on the bench. Tomkins did play his part especially in the game against Liverpool at Anfield were helped Collins keep Suarez quiet. Reid was indispensable at the beginning of the season, and was exceptional apart from a few mistakes. Collins had a poor start with some fans thinking why Allardyce had brought the Welshman back to Upton Park. However his form after the New Year was exceptional and was a late contender for player of the season. When Collins was injured it showed how the Hammers missed the Welshman as their form declined until he came back into the team. Tomkins will be thinking he wished had not have played in the Olympics but with a good pre-season we may see the return of Tomkins but at whose expense? With that question, there is also the problem of injuries as it seems all three will have some time on the sidelines with either injuries or suspensions meaning a fourth centre-half is needed as cover or competition. After the abysmal Pogatetz showed why Middlesbrough went down in 2009, we need good cover not a quick loan decision like the Austrian was in January. His poor performances luckily were not a hindrance in good season for the Hammers.

With one new keeper and a left back in already, I expect the Hammers to make one more acquisition with the move for a new centre back. However if an experienced and quality right back becomes available then I can see Allardyce becoming interested looking to the long-term future of the club.

Come On You Irons!

There's Only Two Months to Go

The fixtures were finally announced today to bring a lot of excitement to football fans across the country. Sadly, the season does not start for another two months, all fans can do at the minute is pencil in what games they would like to go or go on the editor of Football Manager and change the teams in each division.

On a Hammers note, Cardiff at home does not seem too bad on August 17th. However it was only two years ago when we were thinking that it was not such a bad fixture in the Championship only to go down 1-0 to a late Kenny Miller goal. Things have changed since that game two years ago, West Ham's home form is very good and sloppiness defensively has been eradicated. This is a game where the Hammers will be hoping to spoil the newly promoted side's party with a win.

Carroll and Nolan return to St James Park again on the 24 August, hopefully by then Joe Kinnear has disrupted so much at Newcastle that the team morale will have decreased and we can replicate the great win we had last season. A point from that match will be suffice enough.

The Hammers end the month of August with a home match with Stoke. Stoke will be starting to find their rhythm with new manager Mark Hughes at the helm. A hard game to call, hopefully a win for Allardyce's men but it will be hard to know the type of team Hughes will set up at the Britannia Stadium. Will Hughes keep the gritty play which his predecessor Pulis set up?

The month of death in my opinion is October, the Hammers start the month with an away trip to rivals Tottenham. White Hart Lane is not a ground where West Ham have excelled in recent years, as the last win against Tottenham away from home was in 1999 where Ian Wright and Marc Keller scored in a 2-1 win. Then the Hammers are at home to face Man City, where they played quite well last season in a 0-0 draw and were hurt by a wrongly disallowed Kevin Nolan goal. A tough game but if the Hammers play as well as they did last season we should be equipped enough. This depends on the line-up City put out, as they look to be more of a title-challenge to Man Utd which means City are bound to spend big with their new manager Pellegrini at the helm. Lastly, in October is a visit to the always difficult Liberty Stadium to face Michael Laudrup's Swansea City. Swansea humiliated West Ham last year, and were gifted two goals from mistakes by Jussi Jaaskelainen and James Collins. Ironically, Collins and Jaaskelainen were probably the two most improved players during the season. A tough game against Swansea, a result all comes down to tactics, sitting back and letting Swansea pass is the way to play then counter-attack them with pace from the wings.

That is the only month to be feared apart from the last one, where the Hammers will be hoping that they are safe or anything they are chasing is wrapped up as Tottenham at Home and City away are the last two games of the season. Allardyce will be wanting his boys to be getting all their business done early like the transfer window, as a relegation battle with those two games left will be hard. However, I feel West Ham will not be in that predicament this season and will look towards to another top-half finish without the worry of second-season syndrome. Winning early is the key, as from the first six games the Hammers can pick up maybe three or four wins.

Come On You Irons!