Olympic Stadium Reservation Centre Appointment (Includes transfers)

Image sourced from whufc.com

Firstly, welcome to the club Sam Byram! A young, English right-back who hasn't cost us the rumoured £12 million that Carl Jenkinson may cost if we wanted to sign him permanently. I was listening to TalkSport on Saturday morning and Jon Richardson, a Leeds fan I think, was saying that it would be an injustice if Byram joins a Premier League club and is then left on the bench. I for one would really like to see Byram join the bench on Saturday in the place of Jenkinson. Purely because of Jenkinson's form this season compared to last. I would also love for the lad to come into the team when required and really nail the position down just like Cresswell has. Aaron has been a fantastic addition, he also came from a Championship side & left plenty of supporters wondering whether he would be able to make the step up to the Premier League swiftly enough. Well for me, Cresswell is now one of the first names on the teamsheet.

Image sourced from ssportsng.com

David Sullivan has also said on Sky Sports News that there is a slight possibility of a striker joining within the next 7 days who is playing in a "very strange league". Now, the initial rumoured player was Gignac who has previously played for Marseille and is currently playing in Mexico. Initial findings are that since 2005, he has averaged around a goal every three games. This is better than what we've been used to in recent years with the likes of Carlton Cole & injury problems causing long lay-offs for Sakho, Carroll and Valencia.


New rumours today have surfaced that we are now looking at Emmanuel Emenike (above) for a loan deal. Emenike has currently score 4 goals in 7 games so far in the United Arab Emirates but it doesn't seem like he's enjoying his time there too much. Could he be a repeat of Manuel Lanzini? He's only 28 & could even prove to be a bargain if a deal is struck sensibly!

Image sourced from whufc.com

Now, a topic incredibly close to my heart.

When I first heard that the move to the Olympic Stadium was a possibility, it just felt like the move was going so fast & without any consultation with what the supporters wanted. There are some supporters who have backed this move from the start, but personally? I'm in that section of fans who signed the petition opposing the move and I even considered not renewing my season ticket for next season out of spite towards the owners (not that they would care any less than they already seem to). Don't get me wrong, the owners have done fantastic things for the club! Our debt seems to be going down, we're back in the Premier League securely, for now, and we've attracted a talented manager who in turn, is attracting fantastic players! But for me, the move to the Olympic Stadium has been a 100% money-making move by them. 

I was upset, hurt and disappointed. I have grown up and where football was involved, I was never supporting any team other than West Ham. My first season ticket was in the 2002/03 season and growning up, my father has held my hand whilst walking to the ground along Green Street, held me high above the crowd when we've scored and now we're all that much older and now I'm the one looking down on him, the passion and enjoyment of seeing the back of the net ripple or the excitement of walking towards the ground hasn't changed one bit. He's completely unable to hold me above everyone else now, so the celebration has turned into a mutual hug. One that, from me, is silently saying "thank you for showing me the magic that this club, this football stadium has to offer". So naturally I've dreamed of having a son of my own & showing him the same wonders. Watching his excitement as he walks through the turnstiles for the first time, seeing him cheer when his favourite player's name is called out on the teamsheet & holding him high above when we score! Of course I can still do all those things if I'm lucky enough to have a son. What I can't do, is walk him down Green Street and stop at one of the stalls which have been there for years to buy him his first scarf or badge, I can't (eventually) take him into The Boleyn, where I have so many great memories, I can't ever take him around the ground and tell him about those memories and why? Because by the time I have a child, it'll all now be flats. 

All those magical moments I've experienced at Upton Park and many more for those who have been going for many more than my 14 years. Who knows if we'll ever experience another night like the 2nd leg of the Play-Offs against Ipswich? I don't even remember seeing the goals going in. What I do remember, very fondly, is tumbling down the steps in the Dr Marten's lower (my seat is on an aisle) with the hundreds of jubilant grown men, TWICE! I also remember the celebrations after the game and the echoing of "IRONS" as we walked back up Green Street and headed towards the tube station. I still say, even today, almost 12 years on, that night was one of the best in my life so far. 

Image sourced from gettyimages.co.uk

Having these memories which allow you to look back with a smile and that little tingle down the back of your neck, that is something really special. So when the owners just pick up the club and move them from their home of over 100 years is heartbreaking.

I have been avoiding thinking about the move, but surely enough, all the season ticket holders are booking their meetings at the Reservation Centre in Stratford and ordering their tickets for next season. With this has come a lot of rumours, and I really do mean a lot! The rumours that I heard upset me almost as much as the move itself. Season ticket holders around my father and I had attended their appointment and subsequently ordered their new season tickets in our new 'home', after speaking to them, I had been informed that there were only 'decent' seats left in the Upper Tiers. As a season ticket holder in the 'Betway' Lower Tier I was utterly disappointed and immediately came to the conclusion that I would attend next season at the Olympic Stadium and that would be it, I will be able to see the last at Upton Park and the first at the Olympic Stadium and then that's me satisfied.

The reality of the situation is completely the opposite. The club have been relatively smart about the seating plans, even though thousands on the priority list still won't get the chance to see in the new era, but that's only due to too many people signing up. After being so worried about my appointment in Stratford & genuinely not caring about any part of the manager's speech about what the ground will be able to attract or what technology the stadium will have to show off, I also didn't even want to listen to the promo video that they put on offer to sell the stadium even more. I went in there just not caring about where I'm going to be sat because I've been told I'll end up being in the Upper Tier if I want a good seat. Well, I can't write about how they've organised the seating, if anything went back to the club I'm sure I'd be in trouble for it. But if anyone reading is yet to visit the Reservation Centre, please, if you're going to go there believing anything, please believe that the club have thought about us fans, they have tried to cater for everybody's needs and preferences & even though I was completely uninterested before my appointment, I'm not feeling too bad about my new seat. I'd even go as far as stating that I'm actually a little excited. There are still a few tears to be shed between now and the start of next season though, that's for sure!

Midfield Lessons. Newcastle Away.

Image sourced from The Daily Mail

There was one man who stole the show on Saturday afternoon, the good part? He's an English, holding midfield player. The bad? He was on Newcastle's side and not ours.

£12 million when they signed a player who hadn't exactly shone for Swansea when he'd played so far this season was laughable in my opinion, I thought that was such a smart piece of business, but if Shelvey can produce performances like he did on Saturday then Newcastle have seemingly found the man who will kick-start their survival this season. And who knows, the way this season has been so far they may even finish in the top 8 or 9 if they carry on!

We let ourselves down in the first half. It was just like the Bournemouth first half and how many others have started to believe that we may now be a second half side? Early in the season we had scored some important goals in the first half! Maybe that's just a little bit of frustration there, but I really didn't see that spark in the side at any point in the 90 minutes on Saturday! Is Payet still not match fit? He was dragged too deep into our own half far too often for my liking. Antonio looked like he had the drive, but nothing up in front of him, Valencia looked like he kept dodging challenges with the fear of catching another knock, Kouyate was absent for the majority of the game, Noble's passing was poorer than poor & Ogbonna looked nervous from the first minute.

Ogbonna's situation is a funny one, at times, he has looked like the strongest and most comfortable defender on the field & at others, he has seemed like he wouldn't look out of place down the local park on a Sunday morning! I hope his form returns for the visit of Manchester City this weekend as with Aguero and Silva both looking like they are returning to form, I will be worrying if the team play like they did at Newcastle again!

The game at St James' park though was purely a display of which set of players wanted the points more and unfortunately for us supporters, it wasn't the boys in claret and blue. Tactically, I did think that Billic could've selected the team a little better. Jelavic to me seems to be a confidence player, any time he has put a decent scoring run together, he has been playing like he believes he deserves to be on the pitch. Those performances earned him a move to Everton who, at the time, were big contenders for a top 4 or 5 spot in the Premier League. He scored his first goal for the club against Wolves, came on in place of Andy Carroll against Bournemouth and looked hungry to get stuck in! I thought he put in a great shift against Bournemouth. So then Billic, the man who brought him to the club, decides to leave the guy on the bench and play with what was effectively, a front three who didn't push forward enough. Jelavic showed exactly how hungry he was to get stuck in, he scored within 5 minutes of being on the field. I thought Kouyate was a tad unfortunate not to score in either half too, but there we go, some games are just not meant to be and this was one of them. I must also point out a grievance I have from this game. The way Moses fell in the penalty area when it was clear that there was no foul, why did he then continue to roll around on the floor as if he'd just broken his leg? Newcastle went on the counter attack and could've made it 3-1. They didn't, but that's not the point. If he'd stayed on his feet, or at least not been play acting, he could've helped track back and then if and when we win the ball back, he then is there as an outlet to help an attack! Maybe that's the amateur footballer in me thinking that way, anyway, on to the next one!

Image sourced from standard.co.uk

Manchester City at home, I would take a draw in this one. City have found their shooting boots against Crystal Palace & I really hope our performance at Newcastle isn't the start of another poor spell of games and another string of draws! But in this instance, if we're going to perform to a level which is below what we've been used to this season, I think we'll be lucky to snatch a draw!

I did think that we would beat Newcastle on Saturday so I'm not even going to offer my opinion in the build up to the City game this weekend! I'm just hoping that we all have a reason to be walking away from the ground with positive vibes.

Thanks to all reading, COYI!

Well hello 2016!

Welcome back to everyone who has visited my page in the recent months, also welcome to those who are new readers. I hope you all had an enjoyable Christmas & a very Happy New Year to you all!

The Christmas period was as usual, an extremely manic time for us all. Fixtures-wise, I thought the team did extremely well & made every single one of us proud to say "I'm West Ham".

Since my last post we have played 4 Premier League games & 1 game in the 'Emirates' F.A Cup (why they just couldn't leave it alone I have no idea). Of those 5 games, we have won 4 and drawn 1, completed the league double over Liverpool & also turned the game on it's head and managing to win after going behind against Southampton and Bournemouth. I have a major issue in understanding how Aston Villa managed to snatch a point from us, though watching the game, they looked like the team who were going to win in 90 minutes! It was horrific viewing, sloppy mistakes & a depleted squad. It's clear that when we are missing both Lanzini and Payet, we look like a mid-table boring side. Yes, we still show glimpses of playing good football, but that was also seen under Allardyce! We would show little snippets of what the players were actually capable of, but when we need that little creative spark, that little bit of something extra, something out of the ordinary to create attacking chances? It's missing when these two aren't available.

Image sourced from PremierLeague.com

This point was clearly proven to be almost right in our game at home to Southampton. The first half was a dreadful performance. We lacked composure, confidence and any sort of knowledge of how to play football to a level that only 2 months ago had everyone sitting up to take notice of us as a team! I have to mention Shane Long too, what a player. He's never set the world alight, but he is a striker who will run for the cause, put himself about & give defenders a horrendous time during the 90 minutes! I have always rated him as a player & he was always a player I thought could do a job for us instead of the lumbering Carlton Cole. But, what has happened cannot be changed, we have suffered for long enough with the likes of Cole (who I truly believe really cares about the club, but really has never been a striker of Premier League quality) and we have come out the other side and as it stands, we may even be starting our permanent climb towards the top 6 or 7! I know that at the moment we are sitting in 5th spot, but there is a long, long way to go yet! Back to the game and the two substitutions which changed the game were made at half time. Zaraté, who has been very hit and miss recently since his performance against Chelsea, was taken off for Andy Carroll & Lanzini was thrown on in place of Song, who again is showing some very different performances to those that we are used to. These two substitutions changed the game and swung it in our favour, the creativity and flair provided by Lanzini & also now the ability to swing a ball into the box with Carroll waiting eagerly. Our first goal was a credit to Antonio's determination to drive into the box and if the situation was replayed a hundred times, the ball would never end up looping the goalkeeper in the way that it did, but that was the lucky break we really needed! After five consecutive draws, the team needed to push on & attack with purpose, and that they did! The game never looked like ending in a draw in all honesty & with a fantastic delivery into the box from Valencia, a poor attempt to control the ball from Carroll, an unfortunate miss from Antonio, the ball came back off the crossbar and the way Carroll managed to turn the ball home from where he was, well, that's what the big guy is best at! 2-1, turnaround complete, draw specialist label lost. Hopefully anyway!

Image sourced from The Telegraph

Only 5 days after that magnificent turnaround, Liverpool roll into town to play their final ever game at Upton Park. With Carroll scoring on his return, Antonio looking increasingly impressive and Lanzini returning to the squad, we were set for a great game & a fantastic chance to complete the double over a team we hadn't done so in over 50 years. And the double we did, we didn't even sneak in the result! We outclassed Liverpool. Dominated the game and never looked in any danger of losing, let alone conceding! Their forwards were dreadful! Now when was the last time any of us actually walked into the ground and fully expected to win the game? Well, a few times this season actually, but what a lovely feeling to have, right?

The Liverpool game was yet another outstanding performance from Antonio. Grabbing the first goal, yes the tackle at the other end of the pitch was a foul, but for him to run almost 100 yards up the field to follow the attack showed his character perfectly. The finish? Well, absolutely brilliant to leap above Clyne & the ball went in like a bullet! The cross to him from Valencia wasn't half bad either to be honest! The stage was also set for Mr Andy Carroll, the only one time I remember Carroll playing against a former team was the game when he played for Liverpool against Newcastle, he had a shocker and the only real thing that sticks in my mind was the pathetic attempt of a dive to try and win a penalty. But this game was completely different. Lanzini was running the show up until he has to leave the field with yet another injury that could be keeping him out for 2 months! This possibly may not affect us as much as it would've done if Payet hadn't returned so soon and the likes of Antonio and Valencia were not playing as well as they have been! But the former Liverpool man was the guy to make the headlines, he looked like he was really up for staying in a side which are playing well, grinding out a result when needed & creeping up the table without many people making a huge deal of it. What a header it was to score our second of the game! As soon as the ball left the, sometimes, iffy right boot of Mark Noble the words "great ball" actually left my mouth. Only to be greeted milliseconds later by the roar of the crowd! 2-0, game over, league double complete & a lifetime curse against Liverpool has been defeated! Oh, and the return of Dimitri Payet! What a tactical decision from Billic to send him down the touchline to warm up only around 10 minutes into the game. I think that was purely tactical in order to get the crowd going... And didn't it work a treat! I've got you sussed Mr Billic, but I like your style.

Image sourced from bbc.co.uk

The third home game in a row, The F.A. Cup. Wolves at home. Surely a goal fest with players on form, defence looking solid and the whole team gelled and playing as a unit once again. That was the complete opposite to how the afternoon played out & due to my poor timing when coming to buy my tickets for the game, my seat was 4 or 5 rows from the back of the Betway Stand Upper Tier. As I have mentioned previously, my season ticket is in 'chav corner' and I love it there, I have always preferred to be closer to the pitch & more importantly, the ground! But the lack of options remaining when buying my ticket meant that the seat was the first element to put a downer on the afternoon.

I would like to shout out all those who may be reading and actually sit in the upper tiers on a regular basis. I salute you for your continued support because for me, I wouldn't attend even half the games in the season if my ticket was up there! I really did dislike it up there. But, there we go, I managed to see the game and I am grateful for the fact that I have not missed a game this season when there are people who can't even make it to any games!

Anyway, the game? Wow, what a dull & slightly worrying affair! I was genuinely bored by half-time. The introduction of Payet and Carroll changed the game, as anyone could predict that it would! I think the lower league players are more used to 'getting stuck in' than those in the Premier League, which meant that Payet wasn't allowed the usual space that he is able to find himself in. But Carroll's physical attributes were perfect for the game, his assist through to Jelavic was probably more luck than judgement, especially the way he failed to control the ball in the first place! But, we managed to scrape a win & we went into the hat for the next round. Isn't it just typical that we will possibly face Liverpool? The team we have managed to beat twice in the season for the first time in over 50 years have another chance to get one over on us. Having taken 6 points from them & an aggregate scoreline of 5-0 in our favour, you just know that if we need to go back to Anfield, our dreams of a trip to Wembley this year will be as good as over. But that's just my thoughts on it, ever the pessimist! 

Now, our trip to the South Coast. On our current form we should've surely been favourites for a win? Well apparently not. All the bookies had Bournemouth as the favourites for the match with them also being on a relatively decent run, only one defeat in their last 8 Premier League games and that was to the leaders Arsenal! But personally, I did wonder if the bookies knew something that us, as fans, didn't. With the form of Carroll and Antonio, Valencia returning to fitness and the returns of Winston Reid and Dimitri Payet, I had no doubt that we would come away from Dean Court with all three points.

This optimism and belief was mirrored by the team in the first 11 or so minutes. But then yet another injury forced off our newly reformed Andy Carroll. When will this guy catch a break for us? Every time he seems to be returning and playing well & looking like he could even break into the England squad, he is lumbered with more bad luck and this time, another 6 weeks out according to reports! And just how the loss of one player can impact on a team the way it did was simply incredible. I can understand when it's a player like Payet or Lanzini who really do create so many chances and offer so much to the team, but this was Carroll! The guy gives an option and yes, he made a fantastic run with the ball which lead to his injury, but the creative players were all still on the pitch, all of our defenders were still fit and intact. Why was the game turned on it's head as much as it was when we lost Andy? Well, whatever happened to the lads out there, it cost us the first goal and should've been more! But we managed to keep it down to the 1 goal at half time & I really would like to be a fly on the wall in the West Ham dressing room at half time, they seem to come out like a different team every single time! Billic has a great tactical approach to the games, but is it him or Julian Dicks who is the motivator in situations like this? I'd love to see, but I feel we won't ever find out. Whatever was said seemed to work wonders. The second half showed the flair and creativity of the team and what we really are capable of. Antonio is fast becoming a favourite of mine purely down to his dedication to the cause! He still has things to learn in my opinion, but he is still only 25 and in his first season in the Premier League. I did like Valencia from the moment he joined too, he is another unfortunate player who has shown glimpses of what he is capable of but has then suffered injury after injury. Hopefully these injuries will become less common with the move to Rush Green! What an amazing free-kick to set up the turnaround! Payet is, quite simply, MAGIC! 

Image sourced from footballnewshound.com

I've been lucky enough to see Paolo Di Canio and Carlos Tevez play, but for me, Payet has the potential to overtake both of them! Don't get me wrong, I love those guys for what they did for our club, but as a striker, Paolo didn't really do the business on such a regular basis as maybe he should've done? And when Tevez arrived, I actually preferred the look of Mascherano from the way he started his (very short) West Ham career! But he still did the business and scored very important goals to help us stay in the Premier League. Payet has the talent, he seems to have the passion and relationship with the fans that both of these previous two had, and he's only been here since June! Tevez didn't even score his first goal until March! Imagine for a moment, West Ham win the F.A. Cup this year or even qualify for Europa League, maybe even finish 4th (as mad as that seems, but just look at how mad the season has been so far), Payet would've contributed so much more than both of these two previously. Again, this doesn't mean that I still don't idolise the others, I'd still love the opportunity to meet with them and have a chat about West Ham! 

Our second goal against Bournemouth was, again, magic from Dimitri! The manner in how we won the throw was very fortunate, but the way he managed to skip past two defenders and lay the ball on a plate for Valencia to score was amazing. And about time for Valencia to score too, first goal since Febuary 2015 I believe and the second was a bit of a peach too! The 'keeper didn't have a clue where the ball was going, but unfortunately the result doesn't happen often enough. How many times have we seen Valencia rocket the ball into the wall or almost into the upper tier? Too many! I must say, our set piece/corner delivery has improved massively! Coincidence? Not at all, it's because we've had Lanzini & Payet taking them! Oh, and how important has the big man at the back been for us this season? I think his performances this season have gone way under the radar of a lot of the media and for me, that's fine, because we don't have any other club sniffing around him (even though I think our days of selling have passed). Take a bow, James Collins. Such a rock at the back who will put any limb on the line just for West Ham United, he's surely not far off cult hero status? Well, for now I'll just enjoy his massive performances! 

The only thing to annoy me about the game? The fact that Bournemouth scored. I never bet on West Ham, but I did lay a massive stake of a whole £1 on the below. What a shame! Thanks Harry Arter.

Thanks to everyone who has returned to read after the very quiet Chrismas period, I have been just as busy as the Premier League fixtures unfortunately so I'm sorry it's so long!

Newcastle away tomorrow and a chance to break a club record & remain unbeaten for 9 games. I would love a win because I was one of those who made the incredibly long trip in May for Big Sam's last game. What a shambles that was! They did just put 3 past Manchester United too, but I do think that our defence is actually better! Would Sam still use the term 'deluded? Oh well. For those making the trip up north, have fun, but also keep safe in the horrific weather! I'm having to miss this journey this year.

Leave a comment if you enjoyed this entry, YouTube channel to come soon I hope so I will hopefully be able to reach out to more of you. Thanks to you all reading this! Page views have increased massively since my first two posts so I really do appreciate everyone who takes the time out to read! Until next time, COYI!