West Ham 1 – 3 Crystal Palace

In an all to similar fashion to the humiliating defeat at the hands of West Brom earlier this month, the Hammers have once again put in a shocker of a performance against Alan Pardew’s Crystal Palace – and have deserving lost what was deemed as a ‘must win’ match as a result of such a poor offering.

With this season, which initially proved to be oh so promising, now seemingly feeling like it is over already, Palace stormed to victory through an unexpected Glenn Murray brace, as well as a solitary Scott Dann header. Enner Valencia eventually pulled one back for the Hammers, but his goal came all too late in the proceedings for it to make any meaningful difference in the end. Glenn Murray nevertheless received his marching orders in the second half – but such developments simply came all too late from a West Ham point of view.

Adrian – Could have perhaps dealt better with the second goal, but ultimately this defeat had very little to do with the Spaniard. He did however pump far too many long-balls forward with less than successful results.

Carl Jenkinson – One of the only West Ham players to put in a good shift this weekend. Jenkinson was on fire during the last 20 minutes or so, and almost got on the score-sheet as a result of his efforts.

Winston Reid – Whilst he was perhaps caught napping in the lead up to Palace’s second goal, Winston Reid was the best performer for Big Sam this Saturday – even if he was part of a defence that conceded three goals to a team with an apparent shortage of strikers.

James Tomkins – Tomo simply had a bit of a shocker this weekend, looking uncharacteristically all over the place for the majority of the match and playing far too many aimless long balls. As this has somewhat been the case in the last few outings for the Englishman however, perhaps James Collins deserves a call up in place of Tomkins for the next game against Chelsea.

Aaron Cresswell – Despite being one of Sam Allardyce’s consistently best performers this season, Cresswell didn’t really turn up against Palace, and pretty much handed Glenn Murray his first goal with a grand mistake from out of the blue.

Alex Song – The main man has simply looked out of sorts throughout the last month – giving the ball away far too often, lacking the defensive brilliance that shone so brightly at the start of the campaign, and just looking a bit too nonchalant for long periods of each match. As long balls kept being pumped over the Cameroonian however, it perhaps comes as no surprise that Song hasn’t been able to find much momentum of late. He will however, no doubt turn it around for the rest of the season. The newly acquired Nene came on for Alex Song in the second half, and with his sweet shot from outside the box painfully striking the post, it seems West Ham may have just about sourced themselves a gem in the flairy Brazilian.

Mark Noble – This was an impressive(ish) performance from Nobes as he really allowed West Ham to go on the attack in the second half. His all round game was far too slow for most of the first half however. His free-kick which struck the bar deserves early doors does deserve some credit though.

Cheikhou Kouyate – The big man from Senegal didn’t really get into this weekend’s match. Kouyate was good whenever he got on the ball, but his overall involvement unfortunately remained pretty minimal.

Stewart Downing – The recently recalled England international has simply been a ghost in the last few outings. As is the case with Alex Song however, the Upton Park faithful will likely see a step up from Downing in the next few weeks.

Enner Valencia – Before his goal he was pretty ineffective – but after the impressive strike – Enner Valencia came into his own and looked very dangerous to say the least. The Ecuadorian must therefore build upon this goal and take such confidence into the next few matches.

Diafra Sakho – Unfortunately for every West Ham fan watching the match against Palace, this just wasn’t Diaf’s best performance in a Hammers shirt, with many of us likely forgetting he was even on the pitch. As too many long balls and not enough real service was offered up by the rest of the team however, the likes of Sakho and Valencia can’t really take the blame for such a shocking result.

Sam Allardyce – Although the players themselves must take the majority of the blame for Saturday’s defeat, Big Sam’s tactics really didn’t help matters either. The team played far too many long balls up to a defence that could easily handle them and a strike force that favours playing on the deck – for that alone – the former Bolton and Newcastle manager really doesn’t deserve a great deal of credit.

There’s only one Adrian!

During a little publicised radio interview in November of last year, current manager of the Spanish national team and former World Cup winner, Vicente Del Bosque, was asked about his future squad selections for his nation’s upcoming matches.

Whilst David de Gea and Iker Casillas remain front-runners to hold onto the Spanish no.1 shirt for now, the 64-year-old manager is still seemingly yet to decide on who will fill the last available goalkeeping position in his much talked about set-up.

When pressed on the issue, Del Bosque only had this to say;

“Why does no body ever ask me about Adrian, the West Ham goalkeeper?”

Such remarks have subsequently drawn attention to the Hammers shot-stopper, who has certainly been one of Big Sam’s top performers throughout 2014/15. This is only Adrian’s second season in English football, and since first making his mark in La Liga with Real Betis just a few years ago, the 28-year-old is fast becoming somewhat of a cult hero with his passionate displays down at Upton Park.

Now then, nearly three months on from Vicente Del Bosque’s apparent interest in calling up the current West Ham man, is Adrian San Miguel fast becoming one of the most underrated keepers in the Premier League this season?

Adrian’s biggest asset so far has certainly been his success rate in one-on-one scenarios. Several of the Premier League’s most highly valued attacking hot-shots have been foiled at the hands of the current Hammers man this campaign, and whilst his side’s clean-sheet record has been nothing spectacular throughout 2014/15, Big Sam’s defence would definitely be worse off without their first choice keeper backing them up.

His distribution has also been a joy to behold for the Upton Park faithful throughout his time at the club. With such a weapon on board, it comes as no surprise that the likes of Aaron Cresswell and Carl Jenkinson have been able to bomb forward with great success for Big Sam this season. West Ham’s high tempo and fast counter-attacking play has a lot to do with Adrian’s quick thinking and rapid ability to turn defence straight into attack.

Whilst everything would seem pretty rosy for the West Ham man between the sticks at the moment however, Adrian’s overall game still contains a few clear weaknesses.

For all his confidence in and around the box, the rising star isn’t exactly the best at dealing with corners – especially when certain teams flood the keeper’s area and try to dominate proceedings in an overly physical manner. Last weekend’s mishap in the lead-up to Danny Rose’s goal against West Ham, largely displays Adrian’s potential problems with the lofted ball, even though such a finish was born more out of luck than anything else.

The ever-vocal Spaniard has also been known to let certain situations go to his head this season. Off-ball tussles with the likes of Mario Balotelli have somewhat become characteristic of his usual performances, and as such moments can often lead Adrian to lose his concentration at times, the Upton Park faithful have become accustomed to potentially accepting the odd sending off for their forever passionate keeper.

However, it is just this kind of passion that has so endeared Adrian to his new home in the east end. Excitement, drama and an ever present love for the game are exactly what West Ham fans want to see from their players. Even if goalkeepers are usually supposed to be calm and composed at all times throughout the 90 minutes, Adrian’s somewhat questionable antics have largely been forgiven in favour of his loveable character.

His match winning penalty against Everton in the FA Cup earlier this season, where the confident Spaniard took off his gloves on route to scoring the winner, acts as a great example of just how much of an entertainer Adrian can be.

Therefore, whilst his overall game certainly isn’t perfect in every aspect, most Hammers fans wouldn’t trade him for the world at the moment – and that says a great deal about a player who initially arrived in London on a free transfer with no one really knowing who he was.

To dive or not to dive? – That is the question…

Harry Kane’s last minute spot-kick against West Ham on Sunday may have been the cause of great frustration for the many Hammers fans who made the trip across London, but it has seemingly gone down as just another penalty, in just another exciting Premier League match, for the majority of those within the footballing community.

Tottenham triumphantly fought back against Big Sam’s side after going down 2-0 to the visitors. Danny Rose initially struck home after a somewhat chaotic corner-kick for West Ham’s Spanish shot-stopper Adrian, but Harry Kane once again stole the headlines for firing home the equaliser in the dying embers of the match.

Seemingly ignoring the fact that extra-time had long been up after Kane’s penalty was initially saved, referee Jonathan Moss, allowed the 21-year-old rising English star to shoot home the rebound and record a dramatic draw for Mauricio Pochettino’s determined Spurs side.

While such drama seems to have caused great discussion and even further animosity between the two sets of opposing fans, the likes of Mark Lawrenson, Rio Ferdinand and Michael Owen (for the BBC and BT Sport respectively) responded to the incident on TV by claiming that the ref got it right, and ultimately made the correct call.

So then, was Harry Kane tumbled over in the box unfairly, or did the in-form man and current favourite among many Premier League pundits simply take a dive to win back some valuable points for his team?

Although it would be unfair to single out Harry Kane as a diver and a cheat for this one incident – as West Ham themselves have faced their own simulation accusations with James Tomkins’ theatrical face-holding against Everton earlier this season – the answer on this one is simple, he dived.

Kane is justly made out to be a strong centre-forward who is not easily knocked off the ball. He is meant to be a burley top-man and the proposed future England no. 9, but if he can’t keep on his feet after merely being touched in the box, he really is no different to the rest of them.

There was once a time when English players stood stall against the growing tide of diving and simulation growing in Europe, but with the likes of Wayne Rooney, Raheem Sterling, Ross Barkley and now even Harry Kane, giving in to the temptation of late, those days are now sadly long gone.

However, if you are of the opinion that Kane’s penalty claim was a just and deserved one, then it must be conceded that football is slowly turning into a non-contact sport. If it has in-fact been deemed a correct penalty call, fans of the Premier League may have to turn to the likes of basketball and netball for future indications of how the game will be played. Physicality will soon be ruled out football if such opinions have their way, and as Harry Kane’s weekend tumble clearly highlighted, more and more games will be senselessly decided by overly ambiguous referring decisions.

Pundits use the word ‘contact’ as if it is no longer allowed. Contact this and contact that – if contact happens in the penalty box as it did last weekend for Tottenham, then all a player has to do is go down and plead innocence. Nine times out of ten naive English officials fall for such behaviour, and as such trends continue to take place in the ‘Beautiful Game’, players who display a degree of honesty in the opposition’s penalty box are seemingly left ignored and unrewarded.

This is sadly the way the game is going today, and although many fans may turn their nose up at such theories with their sides seemingly profiting from the trend, the truth really is obvious in the cold light of day – no matter what certain pundits have to say about the topic.

Everyone is for player protection and the abolition of recklessly cynical challenges, but the state of the game today is just getting silly. If you are seemingly not bothered by the new direction that football has taken in the last decade or so however, then good luck to you, but for the apparent minority of us who are simply tired of this current lack of dignity and integrity in the game, it seems the unwanted theme of play-acting looks set to continue, at least for the foreseeable future.

Tottenham 2 – 2 West Ham

This was ultimately a waste of a game. For all the excitement and drama this 2 – 2 draw brought fans of the Premier League across the board, it was decided by a last minute dive from England’s proposed future hero, Harry Kane. Whilst it would be unfair to single out him alone as a cheat, because of the many others that make up the so called sensation of European football, this big, strong unit of a striker simply went down too easily in the box for it to be considered a legitimate penalty.

If people want to watch netball or basketball where absolutely zero contact is allowed then that is fine, but this is meant to be football right? It’s time pundits on the BBC, BT Sport and wherever else took some responsibility and stopped advocating the contact-less nature of today’s modern game.

Other than Kane’s last minute finish, which also should have been cancelled out due to the five minutes of injury time clearly being up, goals came through a well taken Cheikhou Kouyate header, an against all odds of an angle finish from Diafra Sakho (which incidentally perhaps should have been ruled out for offside in the build up), as well as a lucky Danny Rose effort in the final ten minutes.

To the widespread bitterness and frustration of West Ham fans throughout the nation, football is rapidly losing the dignity and fairness that it once had. It’s going to be tough supporting an England team full of such characters without the aforementioned qualities.

Adrian – His behaviour in the lead up to Danny Rose’s goal was simply all over the place, but as the finish was born out of luck more than anything else, the Spaniard can be forgiven. Adrian had a fine match discounting that incident, saving several well struck Tottenham efforts, as well as Harry Kane’s ill-fated penalty in the dying moments.

Carl Jenkinson – A solid if not spectacular display from the Arsenal loanee. Carl Jenkinson has nevertheless proved his worth for West Ham this season and suits this current team down to the ground.

Winston Reid – It really was great to have our best defender back among the action. Reid put in a flawless performance and should have been part of the winning team for his contribution.

James Tomkins – Whilst Tomo was caught napping on a few isolated incidents, he along with Winston Reid ultimately proved a great asset for West Ham at the back.

Aaron Cresswell – A great showing from the former Ipswich Town man. His assist was just perfect for Kouyate to fire the ball in the back of the net, and goes down of one of many already recorded by Cresswell in 2014/15.

Alex Song – The Barcelona loanee may not be in his very best form of late, as dwindling too long on the ball has been a distinct hallmark of his most recent performances in particular, but Song nevertheless done well once again and helped West Ham boss midfield proceedings for large parts of the game.

Mark Noble – Nobes was in contention for a man of the match award before being taken off early in the second half. The booking he picked up for an innocuous shirt pull ultimately cost him the rest of the match, with Big Sam believing that his substitution was the only way to avoid another frustrating sending off. Carlton Cole surprisingly came on to replace Mark Noble, but as he literally had zero impact on the match yet somehow got injured for his efforts, the former Hammers no.9 had to be taken off for James Collins, who done his best to sure up the defence in the dying moments.

Cheikhou Kouyate – Where Mark Noble missed out on the man of the match award, Kouyate justly received it. Whether playing in centre defence or centre midfield, the Senegalese enforcer really has been a joy to behold this season.

Stewart Downing – This was definitely not a vintage Downing performance by any means, but despite being somewhat indifferent this Sunday, the former Aston Villa and Liverpool man nevertheless gave his team a good route in attack against Spurs.

Enner Valencia – Enner, work on your touch mate! From now till next weekend when the Hammers face Alan Pardew’s Crystal Palace, the Ecuadorian striker must work on the major aspect of his game that has been holding back his season so far…his touch. Valencia was replaced in the second half by Matt Jarvis, who once again sadly failed to influence the match in any way.

Diafra Sakho – Whilst his failure to set up Enner Valencia in the second half was somewhat unforgivable, the in-form man from Senegal made up for his mistake with yet another well taken goal. He really has been the surprise hit of Big Sam’s season, and justly deserves all the praise that he has so far received.

Sam Allardyce – Big Sam’s substitutions were baffling to say the least this weekend. Yes – injuries and suspensions have somewhat restricted our squad in recent outings, but putting on the likes of Cole and Jarvis just made no sense, with the team playing worse as a result of the changes. That said, West Ham were ultimately robbed by Harry Kane’s dive and the referee’s belief that football should be a no contact sport, not by Sam Allardyce.

Hammers capture Nene

Whilst mid-February is a bit late to announce your first major winter signing of the season, West Ham have seemingly done just what with the arrival of Nene at Upton Park. The Brazilian winger, who has so far had an impressive career at the likes of Monaco and PSG, brings with him a nice touch of flair, someone for the likes of Stewart Downing and Alex Song to link up nicely with in the middle of the park, as well as a much needed specialty for set-pieces and dangerous free-kicks.

Not since the days of Alessandro Diamanti have the Upton Park faithful been able to enjoy someone willing, and able, to take on a shot with the dead ball and see it fly straight into the back of the net.

Nene’s arrival at West Ham as a free transfer until the end of the season has seemingly split opinion down in the East end however. The Brazilian may have been a great asset in his prime, but at 33-years-old, is this just another Marco Borreillo type signing that the West Ham fans will ultimately never see a great deal of? Nene is supposedly in much better shape than last season’s ill-fated Italian, but the real truth is yet to be discovered…

His signing also raises a series of important and confusing questions. If West Ham are willing to land 33-year-old Nene now, why were the club so willing to let Mauro Zarate, someone who plays in a similarly attacking position, leave on loan for QPR in January?

Such a deal has seemingly come under the guidance of David Sullivan rather than manager Sam Allardyce, which as has been the case with arrivals such as Diafra Sakho in the past, will likely cause more rumours and speculation surrounding Big Sam’s future at the club.

West Brom 4 – 0 West Ham – F.A. Cup

With over 5,000 Hammers fans travelling up North to the Hawthorns this weekend, West Ham have been left embarrassed and disappointed by Saturday’s 4-0 defeat at the hands of Tony Pulis’ West Brom. In unceremonious style, Big Sam’s boys simply failed to assert any kind of dominance in the match, looked uncharacteristically shaky at the back, and ultimately a complete non event up top. The punishing goals came from a well taken James Morrison effort, an almost inevitable Saido Berahino strike, and a brace from the recently in-form Brown Ideye. If things looked like they couldn’t get any worse however, West Ham’s Morgan Amalfitano mindlessly struck out at Chris Brunt, in what was nothing but a silly move, immediately ruling him out of the next three matches through suspension.

The Hammers just didn’t turn up. With Sam Allardyce being quick to blame the amount of matches his side have had to contend with in the last week, the likes of Diafra Sakho and Enner Valencia barely got a touch up front, let alone a shot, and both James Tomkins and Cheikhou Kouyate failed to establish even a glimpse of the defensive chemistry that had served them well in the past two games. As for the midfield, the word ‘pace’ doesn’t exactly come to mind.

This was quite easily the club’s worst performance/result of the season, and to the widespread frustration of the Upton Park faithful, rules out another potentially exciting cup run this season. Because no player in claret and blue shone themselves in a distinctly positive light against West Brom, a match report on each of their performances would seemingly be a pointless task…

Ravel Morrison finally departs Upton Park

As a player who was meant to do the business alongside Paul Pogba in his early career at Old Trafford, Ravel Morrison’s controversial, but albeit brief, Premier League career seems to be over for now. The supposedly promising U21 England international, who could easily be plying his trade for the England senior team should he prove that he deserves the call-up, has now terminated his deal with West Ham United, settling upon a pre-contract move to Italy instead, with Serie A outfit Lazio.

The move across Europe could in-fact benefit the 22-year-old in the same way as it has done for his ex-Manchester United teammate Pogba, but as Ravel Morrison’s career has been anything but smooth sailing so far, all options remain open for now.

The highlight of Morrison’s career in a West Ham shirt undoubtedly came in the 3-0 triumph at White Hart Lane last season. The attacking midfielder effortlessly ghosted past several of Tottenham’s floundering defenders, calmly lobbed the ball over an on-rushing Hugo Lloris in the Spurs net, and then peeled away in celebration after recording a famous victory over his side’s London rivals.

West Ham’s cause was seemingly not of the utmost urgency for Ravel Morrison however, as although the England midfielder proved to be absolutely dazzling on the pitch, his Upton Park career will sadly be defined by a series of unwanted scandals off of it. Big Sam could have initially shown more faith in the player – but because Morrison was reportedly on some pretty hefty wages during his time in London – it remains all the more disappointing that the once promising starlet never reached his full potential with West Ham.

Whatever happens to the former United man in Italy, it remains a shame that his once destined hero status in the East End ultimately never came to anything meaningful. Eyes will be peeled next season however, as Lazio might be in for somewhat of a surprise package with the ever-interesting Morrison on board.

Southampton 0 – 0 West Ham

Whereas last weekend’s draw with Manchester United arrived as nothing but a frustrating disappointment, Wednesday night’s share of the spoils at St. Mary’s had the opposite affect. The Hammers were effectively brought down to nine men for a large portion of the match, with Adrian’s comical sending off and yet another injury to Andy Carroll, who was forced to play on due to a lack of remaining substitutes – yet Big Sam’s boys ultimately held out for the well earned point.

In retrospective news, West Ham fans have had much to be both happy and deflated by. Adrian has subsequently had his one match ban rescinded after Southampton’s Sadio Mane was adjudged to have fouled the Spaniard in the run up to his red card, but alas yet again, Andy Carroll has been struck down by another major injury which will likely keep him out for the rest of the season.

Deja vu or what.

Adrian – The Spanish shot-stopper kept things at bay until his ill-timed sending off for hand-ball outside the box, which by the judgement of even the most bias of West Ham fans, could have easily stood as a justified sending off.

Carl Jenkinson – The Arsenal loanee contributed effectively to West Ham’s mid-week clean sheet at St. Mary’s, but as his side were kept on the back foot for most of the match, Jenkinson’s attacking freedom was greatly restricted.

Cheikhou Kouyate – For the second game in a row, Cheikhou Kouyate has been forced to play at centre-back in the absence of Winston Reid and James Collins, but has thrived as a result of the change, and offered the travelling Hammers support another man of the match worthy display. The big man from Senegal might even be better in this defensive position, which could free up a very valuable space in the heart of West Ham’s midfield for future games.

James Tomkins – The same praise can be given to James Tomkins, who has just signed a well earned contract extension with his boyhood club. Although he was shaky in parts, overall Tomo done a great job at ultimately keeping Southampton quiet.

Aaron Cresswell – As was the case with Carl Jenkinson, West Ham’s other flying full-back was forced to tone down his attacking desires with his side needing to defend out the match.

Alex Song – Whilst this wasn’t the Barcelona man’s most vintage performance in a West Ham shirt, Song nevertheless proved useful at breaking down everything just in front of his back four, even if he did spread the ball about a bit too nonchalantly. As it is Song of all players however, the West Ham faithful will likely not cause a fuss over his potential mishaps.

Morgan Amalfitano – As is perhaps sometimes the situation when the Frenchman plays away from home, Wednesday night was simply not Amalfitano’s match. He got involved with some good moves on a few occasions, but ultimately nothing much came from his efforts. The former Marseille man deserves full credit for being one of West Ham’s most surprisingly good moves over the summer nonetheless.

Stewart Downing – If West Ham were ever going to score against Southampton, it would likely have been through this man. As defending turned out to be the ultimate goal of this match however, Stewart Downing’s attacking qualities had to be somewhat tamed.

Enner Valencia – As we have already payed witness to, Enner Valencia is just not that effective when deployed out wide. He looked lively in part but seemed largely indifferent overall. The Ecuadorian was replaced late on by Matt Jarvis, who for all his energy and commitment down the wing, never really made an impact either.

Diafra Sakho – In a similar sense to Enner, Diafra Sakho is not best utilized as a out wide on the wing either. This was one of his most quietest games in a West Ham shirt, which was ultimately brought to an early end by the returning Andy Carroll, who replaced the Senegalese hitman in the second half. As we all know by now however, Carroll was seemingly rushed back too early for this match, and is now receiving surgery on a season ending injury as a result. The best of luck is wished to the big man, but as this isn’t the first time West Ham fans have been in this situation, the Upton Park faithful may be left asking whether or not they will ever see Andy Carroll finish one whole season in a Hammers shirt.

Carlton Cole – In what was a rare start for West Ham’s cult-hero, who nearly packed his bags for the Hawthorns on deadline day, Carlton Cole was reintroduced into a team that wasn’t really accustomed to playing with ‘three’, or more like one, up top. That said, Carlton performed alright until he was forcibly substituted for the oncoming Jussi Jaaskelainen. The Finish veteran done well in the absence of Adrian, and proved his worth as a back up keeper in the process.

Sam Allardyce – As this game played out largely under circumstances that Big Sam could not control, the former Bolton and Newcastle boss did a decent job a steadying the ship and earning the clean sheet. Both Kevin Nolan and Mark Noble could now be back in contention for their boss as the Hammers take on West Brom in the FA Cup this Saturday.

Do West Ham still need to rely on their big money man?

Whilst Big Sam’s boys were denied all three points due to an injury time Manchester United equaliser last time out, their performance nevertheless proved that West Ham don’t necessarily need Andy Carroll to be successful in the Premier League.

On the contrary, because of the impressive form of both Diafra Sakho and Enner Valencia, a strike partnership that has struck up a seemingly immediate chemistry since their summer arrival at Upton Park, big Andy no longer carries the burden of being solely responsible for everything the Hammers have to offer coming forward. Wins against Liverpool and Manchester City earlier on in the season, as well as Sunday’s near victory against Louis van Gaal’s expensive outfit, prove that West Ham are no longer a one trick pony in the striking department.

In light of such a positive transition from last season, can Andy Carroll still provide his team with an important outlet, or does the former Newcastle and Liverpool man now have to revaluate his style in order to compete for his place in the starting XI?

When the 26-year-old made his signing permanent at Upton Park in 2013, great things were expected of the striker, who still remains the most expensive English player ever. The powerful centre forward, whose previous £35million price tag will seemingly never leave him alone, may not be the quickest or the most mobile in the box, but his aerial ability is arguably second to none in the entire Premier League.

Andy Carroll can be simply unplayable in the air. His burley nature often makes defences quiver at the thought of facing the England striker, and with a vast array of aerial knock-ons and target bound headers already coming off for the West Ham no. 9 this season, the big man really has been playing for the shirt he worked so hard to get back in after his lengthy spell on the side-lines. With five goals already recorded for Carroll in a campaign restricted by injury, the England striker is certainly on course to having a successful season.

That said, although Andy Carroll provides the Hammers with an undeniably strong force in the air, does his overall game really warrant a guaranteed place in Allardyce’s first team? West Ham play with more fluidity when the former St. James’ favourite is not present, the likes of Alex Song and Mark Noble don’t constantly see long balls fly over their heads in the middle of the park, and with the Sakho/Valencia partnership in full flow, defenders get constantly harassed and chased down by a West Ham strike-force that has that bit more energy about them.

Carroll’s lack of movement often leaves his striker partner isolated and without many options. Big Sam also favours playing the lofty striker on his own when he is available, leaving the likes of Enner Valencia and Stewart Downing without much assistance out wide, and often with little involvement in the game as a result.

However, to discount what Andy Carroll does bring to West Ham would simply be unwise, just ask Swansea City. In both fixtures between the Hammers and the Welsh club this season, the big man yet again proved a frustrating thorn in the side of Garry Monk’s team. At Upton Park, Carroll scored two headers with another formidable aerial showing, but perhaps more surprisingly in the reverse fixture, the England striker took several touches in the final third, before smashing the ball in the top right corner of the net in true Zlatan-esque style with his feet.

It therefore must be remembered that Andy Carroll will always have a role to play in this West Ham side, for the fact that he offers something very different to Sakho and Valencia, and something very tough to deal with at that. However, because the Hammers play better as a unit with their new found heroes up front, perhaps now is not the time for Allardyce to rely so heavily upon Carroll. A place in the starting XI will have to be well fought by the former Liverpool man if he is further solidify his place within West Ham folklore.

West Ham 1 – 1 Manchester United

Pushing aside last weekend’s disappointing loss to the Reds at Anfield, this Sunday marked and all round improvement in a match that West Ham could have easily won. It was simply an enthralling game for all those involved, and whilst Manchester United’s last minute equalizer certainly broke a few Hammers hearts inside Upton Park this weekend, the West Ham faithful nonetheless left the ground with a great deal of pride in their team, and optimism for our upcoming matches.

Big Sam’s boys broke the deadlock early in the second half through Chiekhou Kouyate, whose neat skill in the opposition’s half was enough to see the Senegalese enforcer strike home his second goal in the claret and blue. Despite the likes of Matt Jarvis and Mark Noble then coming close for the Hammers, as well as Radamel Falcao spurring a golden opportunity in the latter stages, Daley Blind managed to sweep one home in the last minute, rescuing a well fought point for his side.

It says a great deal that a side as big as Manchester United, with their vast array of high profile names and expensive players, were forced into playing the long ball, and clawing onto a measly draw away from home. Marouane Fellaini proved the difference for the Red Devils, whilst the rest of their stars were kept relatively quiet.

Also, our new ‘Betway’ sponsor simply looked awful and has somewhat killed one of our nicest shirts in a long time, It’s not nice to have another betting company as our sponsor, and even worse to be on the end of another collapse from Alpari, after experiencing a similar situation with XL Holidays.

Adrian – The Spaniard simply had very little to do the whole game, despite doing well to save a couple of shots from Angel di Maria and Robin van Persie respectively.

Carl Jenkinson – It was great to have the Arsenal loanee return to first team action again, and despite the fact that his clearing header seemingly set up Daley Blind for his last minute finish, Jenkinson’s overall performance deserves praise yet again. He is now reaching a level of consistency that is starting to prove any potential doubters wrong.

James Tomkins – As he had to face a barrage of elbows from the likes of Van Persie and Fellaini, one of which reportedly breaking his nose, Tomkins done exceptionally well at keeping this make-shift defence solid and tight for the majority of the match.

Cheikhou Kouyate – With his well taken goal aside, Kouyate still deserved to take home the man of the match award with a really great display. His performance was in tune with the whole team, strong at the back and powerful coming forward. Kouyate’s ability to hold the ball up and break up play was simply second to none against United.

Aaron Cresswell – Another strong performance from Aaron Cresswell, even if the former Ipswich Town man was at his absolute best this weekend.

Alex Song – Skillful, strong and hard to knock off the ball. Whilst a few of Alex’s balls were a bit too nonchalant on Sunday, the Cameroonian nevertheless provided yet another great showing in the claret and blue.

Mark Noble – Nobes certainly showed a return to form this match, as he was absolutely everywhere when needed and ran his socks off for the entire 90 minutes. He seemed in tune with the rest of the team, and on song himself, which has been something that we haven’t quite seen from Mark Noble in recent outings. The man from Canning Town could have, and maybe should have, finished the game late on, but his shot was unfortunately straight at David de Gea.

Kevin Nolan – Believe it or not, Kevin Nolan’s second half showing against the Red Devils really was a joy to behold. The skipper put in many fine balls to start attacks, as well as breaking up many of the opposition’s near attempts. This deeper position suits Nolan a lot more than his usual CAM role, and whilst one good showing doesn’t make up for a whole host of bad ones, if Kevin Nolan is to remain in the starting XI, lets hope he pulls out a few more performances such as this one.

Stewart Downing – Another great showing from Downing, who has proved what a great player he can be in his more free flowing role down the middle.

Enner Valencia – We saw an impressive return to form from Enner this weekend, who when playing alongside Diafra Sakho, really comes into his own. He chased down the Manchester United back four all game never giving them a moments rest. As good as Andy Carroll has been in recent weeks, this is the kind of showing the Upton Park faithful want to see from their forwards. Valencia was replaced late on by Matt Jarvis, who gave West Ham a bit of energy coming forward, if not much else.

Diafra Sakho – Another strong performance form Sakho, who has well and truly become a solid fan favourite this season.

Sam Allardyce – As Big Sam had his hands tied regarding the likes of James Collins and Winston Reid being ruled out through injury, the West Ham boss done well with his team selection and nearly saw his side take all three points as a result. Some would have liked to have seen the inclusion of Morgan Amalfitano however, who has definitely impressed so far this campaign.