The rapid fire of fixtures for West Ham has been such that it has been three games since my last article. It seems an eternity! A last gasp winner against West Brom followed by an all hands to the pumps effort at Spurs and a very “toothless” display against Shrewsbury sees us unbeaten in 2018 but that stat is papering over some cracks isn’t it? We are churning out some results but we are hardly a well-oiled machine.
By the time we have played Huddersfield this weekend our home and away fixtures played will have quite a lopsided view to it (10 home and 13 away) due to the unavailability of the OS at the start of the season. We have still not caught up with our home game equilibrium and won’t until we play what will be the reversed fixture against Southampton in late March. Sandwiching that game we have a sequence of five matches where four of them will be at home. So far our away form has been disappointing with just the solitary victory at Stoke although we have had near misses at Palace, Bournemouth and Burnley where late goals have cost us six points and another late goal at Southampton saw us drop another point. This leads me on to a stat which I came across during the week. We have conceded 25 goals away from home in the Premier League this season. Only eight of those have been first half goals but ten, that is 40% of them, have come in the last fifteen minutes of matches. This is an area that David Moyes will be working on I am sure?
One topic I have been meaning to bring up for a while now is Javier “Chico” Hernandez. Some months ago it was pretty lonely being of the opinion when we signed him that he would not work for us whilst so many pundits were saying he would be the signing of the summer window. I did manage to have a bet with one blogger on here that he would not score fifteen PL goals for us this season and at present it looks like a pint of Stella (which will be reciprocated anyway – he is a lovely fella) is going to be ready and waiting for me on my next visit back to East London? To be honest though, these are the types of bets I don’t mind losing. For me, at the highest level Hernadez has only ever been a super sub at best. That’s how Fergie used him and he knew a thing or two? He is not the type of player that can be moved out wide and expected to help track back when needed. He is not the type of player that can play a lone role up front and hold the ball up effectively. And in fairness to him that is where and how he has been expected to play most times he has donned a West Ham shirt. Realistically, he needs to be playing for a team that plays someone up with him and preferably dominates possession thus creating more chances in the box than we currently do – seems a bit of a one dimensional luxury we can’t afford? When we have played Chico and Andy Carroll in the same side it hasn’t worked and in recent times any good chances that have come his way he has bombed. But alarmingly there are even more deficiencies. Put clear at Spurs the other night he had a three yard start on the defenders around 40 yards out but before we could even hold breath in anticipation he was rounded up in next to no time.
When Arnie plays up top under Moyes he has chased lost causes with determination – leading to his goal at Bournemouth and then more recently his closing down set up a great chance for Masuaku against West Brom. When Chico is called upon for the same effort it is just not there with any conviction and any half-hearted closing down normally ends up in shrugs and flailing arms directed at his team mates. I don’t like to be negative about our players but this situation is a problem for West Ham. He is the biggest earner at the club on a permanent deal. Am I being harsh? What do you think should happen? I can only see a complete shift away from how we currently set up if we are to get the best out of him and I just don’t see Moyes entertaining that scenario? Of course we have been down that path before with “building a team” around Andy Carroll. Not only did that not work out too well but I just don’t think Hernandez is good enough to warrant any similar consideration. Personally, I think he is nowhere near as sharp as he used to be but at the price we paid we should still be able to recover our losses should the club or the player himself wish to pull the plug. Your thoughts?
The transfer window has been open for over a week now and things had been very quiet for us until the Coutinho transfer from Liverpool to Barcelona which has triggered a surge of money for Manuel Lanzini to be a targeted as a possible replacement? Over the past two days Lanzini has been backed from 4/1 (20%) to 11/8 ((42%) for a move to a cashed up Liverpool. This is obviously not good news and it will be interesting to see how things pan out on this one.There is still three weeks of the window to go but I am sure David Moyes would like to get any transfers done and sorted sooner rather than later. Here are some updates on other potential transfers.
Alfie Mawson Things have cooled somewhat and it appears more likely that he will either stay at Swansea or a move to Watford is on the cards. Even money (50%) to 5/1 (16%) this deal is looking less likely than last week despite the injury problems of Fonte, Collins and now possibly Winston Reid again.
Jonjo Shelvey Good backing from 5/2 (28%) to 1-2 (66%) for Shelvey to become a Hammer last week but a slight cooling over the past few days to 8/13 (62%). Apparently he is a West Ham fan but if he does become a Moyes signing which Shelvey will we get? Horribly inconsistent with discipline problems or the one that almost single handedly dismantled us not so long ago? Moyes is currently getting the best out of Arnie – perhaps he could with Shelvey?
Daniel Sturridge plagued by injuries the Liverpool striker’s problem now is he can’t get into the team. He has slipped down the pecking order at both club and for country in a World Cup year. A move to Southampton is a possibility while we are rated a 8/1 (12%) chance of signing him.
Danny Ings another Liverpool striker who has had injury problems but once fit also can’t get into the side. Rated a 6/1 (14%) chance to join West Ham. Newcastle seem to be a more realistic proposition for him at this stage if he leaves Merseyside.
Joe Allen It will be interesting to see what transpires at Stoke after Hughes got the sack. The Hammers are 9/2 (18%) for the midfielders services though it may seem more likely a new manager will persuade Allen to stay at the Potters.
Marouane Fellaini lots of speculation about a possible deal on the forums but despite backing last week from 18/1 (5%) to 12/1 (7.6%) if this deal was likely I think the odds would be much shorter than they currently are.
Steven N’Zonzi ditto as above – currently 18/1 (5%).
Andy Carroll is 1-8 (88%) and Joe Hart is 1-6 (85%) to remain Hammers for the foreseeable future and elsewhere Manchester City are 1-4 (80%) to sign Alexis Sanchez during this window.