Everton 2 – 1 West Ham

The Hammers have recorded only their fourth loss of the season in what was the first match that saw Sam Allardyce’s men leave empty handed since September. With the likes of Alex Song, Stewart Downing, Cheikhou Kouyate, Enner Valencia and Diafra Sakho all sidelined with injuries largely brought about during international duty, Saturday’s match up with Everton was always going to be difficult. In that respect the Hammers certainly put in a good shift, but as is the case with all things West Ham related, life is rarely that cut and dry.

The Toffee’s were put 1-0 up through a very fortuitous strike from Romelu Lukaku. West Ham then started to show signs of improvement in the second half, and were justly rewarded with an equally lucky goal from substitute Mauro Zarate. Both goals were the result of cruel deflections. From there the Hammers admirably went all out for the victory, only to be pegged back once more through Leon Osman, whose goal was the result of West Ham over-committing players to an ill-fated corner in the opposition’s half. The last few results have been nothing but frustrating to witness. West Ham seem to have nevertheless impressed the fans across the board with their performance against Everton, but this should not be a notion shared by all.

Adrian – This match saw nothing of much significance involve the former Betis keeper. Adrian was unlucky with the first goal, as was the rest of the defence, and had no real chance of keeping out Leon Osman’s tap-in for the second.

Carl Jenkinson – Arsenal can not consider themselves a big team if they are looking forward to seeing Carl Jenkinson back at the Emirates next year. Whilst he had a good start to his West Ham career and could easily be going through a small patch of questionable form at the minute, it is rare to see Jenkinson make any kind of tackle whatsoever, make use of his weaker left foot, or put in an actually decent cross. Like Matt Jarvis, the England U21 international may well get into good positions, but his final ball often leaves much to be desired. If it wasn’t for Jenkinson’s pace and all-round admirable work rate, he would be surely kept out by the more defensively sound Guy Demel.

Winston Reid – As always, Winston Reid done himself proud against Everton and should have really been part of a winning team. Thoughts of signing a new CB seem to now be on the horizon with everyone involved with the club however, as Reid’s reluctance to sign a new contract has halted his once inevitable hero status at West Ham. To make matters worse, the New Zealand captain will be out of next week’s fixture against Newcastle due to suspension.

James Collins – Ginge has continued his turn around of form since the opening day of the season with a solid performance against Everton. He perhaps should have been sent off however for his ridiculous last man lunge on Lukaku on the lead up to their winning goal. Leaving our slowest CB back from corners to deal with rapid counter attacks is just never going to end well.

James Tomkins – Although he embarrassed himself by nearly going down after being pushed in the chest by Kevin Miralles, Tomkins still performed admirably and should prove good cover during Winston Reid’s suspension.

Aaron Cresswell – Cresswell was largely bypassed on Saturday, seeing very little of the ball and not getting as involved as we have come to expect in the team’s attacks. All of West Ham’s crosses, that were supposed to find Big Andy in the box, managed to only fall tamely and calmly into the hands of Everton keeper, Tim Howard.

Mark Noble – Once again, Mark Noble was another West Ham player who got completely bypassed against Everton. A midfield three of Noble – Amalfitano – Nolan was never going to dominate an opposition who are known for their strong passing plays in the middle of the park. More worryingly however, Noble was taken off early in the second half after failing to deal with a heel injury picked up after Steven Naismith cynically brought him down from behind. The man from Canning Town was replaced by Matt Jarvis, who simply failed contribute to the match in any form whatsoever.

Morgan Amalfitano – Our newest Frenchman played very well against the Toffees and deserved to get more out of the match with his performance. He was by no means outstanding, but he nevertheless provided West Ham with a good attacking outlet who was prepared to defend when the time came. Amalfitano, who was so much more noticeable than the ever-anonymous Kevin Nolan, was replaced by Ricardo Vaz Te late on. His one attempt to send in a cross in the dying minutes was absolutely hopeless.

Kevin Nolan – West Ham fans like Kevin Nolan. As a captain and a character around the team, his contribution is nothing but positive. However, his time as a player was over a long time ago. Nolan has barely had a single great 90 minutes in the entire three and a half years he’s been a the club. Time after time he makes literally no contribution to the match. He can’t defend, he can’t pass and he can no longer attack. He is slow, ineffectual and a pointless addition to any Premier League starting XI. Sam Allardyce’s obsession with Nolan is the number one reason why the West Ham boss has never been truly excepted down at Upton Park. This all may seem very harsh, but I’m afraid it is simply the tough reality of our captain’s below par performances.

Andy Carroll – Whilst it was great to see the big man back in the fold once more, against Everton Carroll certainly looked like a player who hadn’t been out on the pitch for a while. That said, the service he received was so non-existent that most forwards would have looked out of place in such circumstances. Some truly hard work now awaits Carroll on the training pitch as he looks to become the player we all know he can be.

Carlton Cole – When West Ham start with Carlton Cole up front it’s hard to see us scoring, let alone winning. He will always be a hero in the East end, but his contribution on the pitch is almost as non existent as Kevin Nolan’s. Carlton was replaced early in the second half by Mauro Zarate. It was simply a crime that the Argentinean didn’t start the match as his inclusion began to turn the tide for West Ham. The whole team started to perform when he came on and his (albeit lucky) goal was proof that he should have started. Never again should Kevin Nolan or Carlton Cole play ahead of Mauro Zarate.

Sam Allardyce – Whilst injuries certainly plagued his squad in the lead up to the Everton game, Big Sam’s tactics on Saturday were pretty rubbish. Who goes into a game with Andy Carroll, Kevin Nolan and Carlton Cole all in the starting XI? No pace, no movement and no goals is what you get when you simply throw in all your so called ‘big men’. I admire Allardyce for not playing one up front, but this was a move that was always going to backfire. When West Ham fans saw the starting line-up, and then saw Mauro Zarate left on the bench, we all knew that Allardyce had returned to the problems of last season. We didn’t necessarily expect to beat Everton and were definitely given a decent offering from the players, but Big Sam’s line up was unfortunately doomed to fail from kick off. All is not lost however as West Ham currently still sit 6th in the Premier League,

Stewart Downing’s England Bow

As all West Ham fans would have been made aware of by now, Stewart Downing was last week recalled to the England national side. Since the the unwanted consequences of joining Liverpool on the back of an extremely inflated big money move saw the West Ham man drift into international obscurity in 2012, Stewart Downing has since revitalized his career at Upton Park with his consistently good league performances this season. Such form seemingly didn’t go unnoticed by Roy Hodgson, who felt fit to recall Downing into the national set-up.

Hodgson can’t have fancied him wholeheartedly however, as the Hammers’ midfielder played no part in Saturday’s Euro 2016 qualifier against Slovenia, and only lasted 45 minutes against Scotland in Tuesday night’s international friendly. It has since come to light that Downing picked up a knock and was subsequently taken off as a result, but that doesn’t ease complaints as to why he wasn’t played at the tip of a midfield diamond, as he has done so successfully this season, and left isolated on the wing. West Ham fans learnt from last season’s misfortunes as to how a more central, creative role for Downing is what suits him best.

Regardless of what really goes on behind close doors in the England set up, and what really goes through the selector’s heads, seeing a West Ham player represent the Three Lions was certainly a moment to behold. It hasn’t happened too often in recent years, so let’s hope the recognition of Downing’s good form has helped the club turn the corner in that respect.

Carlos Comes Home

Carlos Tevez returned to Upton Park with the rest of the Argentinean national side in last night’s international friendly against Croatia. The South Americans, who boasted the likes of Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero and Angel Di Maria within their star-studded ranks, eventually won the match 2-1 thanks to a deflected Aguero finish and a converted spot-kick from Messi. Niko Kovac’s Croatia notched a consolation goal through Anas Sharbini, but it was ultimately not enough to stop the 2014 World Cup finalists. The crowd of 19,000 went home happy after witnessing the world’s best player grace the East end and the Boleyn Ground.

For West Ham fans however, this match was about one man and one man only. Carlos Tevez’ return to his first club in Europe was always going to mean more to the locals than seeing the four time ballon d’or winner Lionel Messi, the leading Premier League goal scorer Sergio Aguero or fellow former Hammer Javier Mascherano, who indecently spoke kindly of the West Ham fans despite his indifferent stint at the club.

Speaking to West Ham TV prior to the match, Carlos Tevez, the 2007 Hammer of the Year, had this to say:

“Looking forward, I know I’m going to be playing a home game. I care very much about all the West Ham people and I always miss them. It was my first time in Europe and they made me who I am today. I am a number one West Ham fan forever.”

West Ham 0 – 0 Aston Villa

The draws continue for West Ham as Sam Allardyce’s side were held 0-0 at home to Aston Villa this Saturday. It was simply the most frustrating result of the season for several reasons. Whilst the Hammers completely dominated the match, largely through the efforts of Alex Song, Big Sam’s team created chances galore and Aston Villa were just hopeless. Nevertheless, Villa defended resolutely as Sakho and co. ultimately failed to put the ball in the back of the net for a change. Perhaps a philosophical approach is best applied on this occasion however, as the club have certainly played worse than on Saturday and still won this season. Progress must be being made if a side like Villa come to Upton Park defending the whole match, time wasting with half an hour to go and celebrating the 0-0 point as if they’d just won a cup match.

Adrian – The Spaniard had so little to do the whole match it was almost embarrassing. Adrian was barely involved at all which makes the fact that West Ham didn’t win the match all the harder to take.

Carl Jenkinson – The jury is still out on Carl Jenkinson. Although he offers pace going forward, against Villa he looked short of ideas and his positional sense wasn’t at it’s best. Whether or not Guy Demel may sometimes be a better option is a matter still up for debate.

James Collins – The Welshman had a solid match and made sure his side never looked like conceding. There was simply so little going on with our back four that it’s hard to remember which members of the defence were actually playing.

Winston Reid – The same applies for Winston Reid. With the Kiwi international and Collins at the back, the clean sheet was almost guaranteed before the match had even begun.

Aaron Cresswell – West Ham’s latest left back put in a few good crosses but nothing that compared with his attacking offerings in previous matches. Cresswell was a direct force for the whole ninety minutes as he was barely needed at the back.

Alex Song – The former Arsenal man was by far and wide West Ham’s man of the match. In the first half in  particular, nearly every aspect of our play came through Alex Song. It’s a shame a performance such as this one didn’t warrant the three points it deserved.

Mark Noble – On Saturday West Ham’s longest serving player was nothing short of indifferent. Noble was part of some good moves, but also continued his slightly annoying habit of not playing the ball forward, instead opting to pass it around in our own half. It meant that some of the Hammer’s counter attacks became way too slow and ineffective. As well as this, Mark Noble should simply leave set pieces to someone else. He may be a great combative midfielder with an eye for a good pass, but his time for taking under-hit corners should be well and truly over now. Noble was replaced by Andy Carroll late on, and what a sight it was to see the big man finally return. He almost scored despite only being on for 2 minutes, which raised questions as to why he wasn’t brought on earlier. Carroll would have won this match for West Ham if Allardyce didn’t leave it till injury time to bring him on.

Chiekhou Kouyate – Against Villa Kouyate just didn’t get involved. West Ham should therefore only play a Kouyate – Song – Noble combination against the Premier League’s tougher opposition. When a side comes to Upton Park happy not to score and go home with a draw as Villa did, someone in the mold of Amalfitano or Zarate would have been a much more efficient option. Kouyate was replace by Kevin Nolan however, which really didn’t end well as the club captain barely got a touch of the ball in 25 minutes.

Stewart Downing – Downing of course didn’t let his side down against his former team. He had a few chances, one of which he maybe should have buried, and looked like a threat throughout the whole match. Not much more could have been asked of the recently recalled England international on this occasion.

Enner Valencia – This was by no means Enner’s best performance, yet the Ecuadorian star nevertheless continued his promising form of recent weeks. No goals this time, but Valencia is starting to look more and more like a successful summer signing despite his steep price tag. The £12 million man was replaced by Carlton Cole in the second half, who certainly done OK, but many Hammers fans were hoping to see the much more technically gifted Mauro Zarate get a run out instead.

Diafra Sakho – In failing to score against Villa, Sakho unfortunately didn’t beat Micky Quinn’s record of 8 goals in 8 league matches. It was strange to see the new Senegal international not celebrating an obligatory goal for the first time this season, which really shows how far he has come. The in-form striker still could have got on the score sheet however, with a few of his headers only just missing Brad Guzan’s net.

Sam Allardyce – It is important to remember that Big Sam has made a great deal of changes this season to create a more attacking brand of football whilst scoring more goals in the process. The starting XI he put out on Saturday created countless chances and really should have picked up all three points. In light of all this, some of Allardyce’s substitutions against Villa were still a bit iffy. Why Carlton Cole was brought on before Carroll none of us will understand, especially as the big man looked so in-shape and dangerous when he came on. The Irons also didn’t really require Kouyate in Saturday’s line up, as Amalfitano would have been a much more suitable option to break down Paul Lambert’s defensive wall. Understandably it seems Big Sam isn’t used to having that many options at West Ham, but he nevertheless needs to make sure he picks the right line up for the right opposition. Lastly, it is becoming increasingly concerning to see Mauro Zarate left out of the match day squad. No matter how well we do this year, it will be a great shame and waste on Allardyce’s part if the South American isn’t allowed to get involved for his new club.

Stoke City 2 – 2 West Ham

The Hammers have recorded only their second draw of the season away at the Britannia Stadium. In what would have been an almost certain capitulation if the game was played within the context of last season, West Ham have managed to claw back a well deserved draw after going 2-0 down. Whilst many optimistic Hammers fans were eyeing a win in this fixture, most of us would have taken a draw seeing as Diafra Sakho was out injured with a shoulder problem.

Sam Alladyce’s side suffered a seriously slow start to Saturday’s match and were subsequently punished for their approach. Goals either side of half time, from Victor Moses and Mame Biram Diouf respectively, gave the Potters a promising lead. The Hammers looked a different side after the break however, with Stewart Downing proving instrumental in orchestrating the come-back. The in-form midfielder scored West Ham’s second after providing an assist for Enner Valencia in the second half. This was a game made up of bad tactics and poor performances, but ultimately West Ham done themselves proud in the end.

Adrian – West Ham’s Spanish shot-stopper was pretty much the only Hammers player to come away from this match with his reputation intact. Adrian proved his worth as a keeper with good reactions after keeping out several Stoke attempts. His save against Diouf just before the half time interval acts as his finest moment, whilst also keeping his side in the game.

Carl Jenkinson – Unfortunately Saturday’s performance from Jenkinson really showed that he was an Arsenal player, but not in a good way. It was a rare occasion to see him make a successful tackle and he often shied away from some 50/50 challenges. Carl Jenkinson looks like a very useful player at Upton Park, but his vulnerabilities may continue to be exposed in these northern away fixtures. As the 22 year old is still adjusting to his new club however, West Ham fans are willing to give Jenkinson the benefit of the doubt at the moment.

James Collins – As was the case with Adrian, James Collins gave a good offering away at Stoke. He continued to display his blocking prowess, as triumphantly shown against Manchester City, with numerous last ditch tackles and defensive headers. Collins may not have been at full concentration for the whole 90 minutes however, but he nevertheless became an important factor in making sure West Ham didn’t lose in the second half.

Winston Reid – The Kiwi centre-back was taken off very early on Saturday with a dead leg. Thankfully it was not a serious injury with Reid being back in contention for West Ham’s next match against Villa. James Tomkins replaced Reid in the first half, and whilst we conceded two poor goals whilst he was on the pitch, the English defender wasn’t directly to blame for either of them.

Aaron Cresswell – Whilst the 25 year old left back has made a flying start to his West Ham career, unfortunately against Stoke we saw Cresswell’s worst performance of the season so far. Jonathan Walters seemed to have him on lock the whole match, and as he will certainly face better players than the Irish international during his time in the Premier League, perhaps some work needs to be done on Cresswell’s defensive game. This performance aside however, the former Ipswich Town man has undoubtedly been one of the club’s stand-out players this season.

Mark Noble – As has been said before, when Mark Noble has a bad game, West Ham usually have a bad game. The man from Canning Town simply took too many touches in the wrong direction whilst providing no purposeful threat whatsoever. Big Sam was right to substitute him for Kevin Nolan in the second half, who provided a bit more of an attacking outlet for the Hammers.

Cheikhou Kouyate – Like with the rest of Allardyce’s starting XI, Kouyate only found his momentum in the second half when the Hammers were 2-0 down. The big man from Senegal did show glimpses of his usual offering, but unfortunately they were scarce at best.

Alex Song – In similar fashion with Kouyate, Song only really got into the game after the interval. Once West Ham found their feet however, Song was somewhat instrumental in overseeing his side’s impressive come-back. It was nevertheless disappointing to see a midfield three of – Noble, Kouyate and Song – not take control of the proceedings earlier on.

Morgan Amalfitano – Whilst the flairy Frenchman has popped up with some good goals, and even better performances recently, Stoke away was just not the fixture for him. Amalfitano was replaced as the second half begun by Carlton Cole, whose presence alone was enough to make a difference even though he didn’t see too much of the ball. Incidentally, this was Carlton’s 200th appearance in the claret & blue of West Ham.

Stewart Downing – In the first half of the match Downing was taken out of his new found central role and placed within the isolation of the wing. We saw from last season that the 30 year old gets a bit lost when not protected, so when he moved back to the top of the diamond in the second half it was nothing but good news. From here Downing simply bossed the match and was the defining factor behind West Ham’s come-back. He was head and shoulders above the rest as West Ham’s man of the match, and it is no surprise that he has been called up to Roy Hodgson’s latest England squad as a result.

Enner Valencia – Like with Downing’s situation, Enner was completely isolated on his own in the first half, playing up top against Stoke’s four man centre -back wall of Geoff Cameron, Ryan Shawcross, Marc Wilson and Eric Pieters. Whilst that says a great deal about the extent of Stoke’s desire to play football, it meant that Valencia barely got a sniff before the second half turn-around. After the interval, and with Carlton Cole taking markers away from him, Enner came into his own and kept up his goal scoring habit with a sweetly taken header.

Sam Allardyce – This  Saturday saw Big Sam go into the match with the wrong tactics. West Ham reverted to their formation of last season and were punished as a result. We now know that the side’s recent form completely dissipates when it is not matched with the correct formation. As Diafra Sakho was missing through injury however, this time Allardyce’s mishaps can be forgiven. He didn’t wait to his usual 60 minute mark to change it up, putting another striker up top in the second half and giving Stewart Downing more creative lisence in the middle. Mark Hughes’ side exploited the wings in the opening moments, but after the interval Sam Allardyce’s changes made all the difference. Normal service should thereofre resume next Saturday with Sakho returning from injury.