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As we are going through a stage of continually looking back let's have a delve into the WHO archives.
In 2003 Reading were beaten 1-0 at Upton Park with Christian Dailly scoring the only goal.
Here is a WHO report from Alex V
http://web.archive.org/web/20030921100934/http://www.westhamonline.net/feature.php?20248
Every West Ham fan should be absolutely elated tonight - we've breezed past one of the title contenders in this division today with relative ease. Once again I didn't feel we quite clicked as a side, but on this evidence we should be looking to gain maximum points from every fixture in this league.
I was surprised to see the ground wasn't full today - for all of Reading's bragging about what a big club they are these days, obviously at least a proportion of the West Ham faithful didn't think they were worth turning out for. The bad pre-match news was that key player Michael Carrick was absent again - what is wrong with that lad? The good news is old warhorse Rob Lee was back to get his foot in in the midfield. We needed him there, with Trevor Brooking going for what I can only describe as a 5-2-3 formation, with Anton Ferdinand and loan signing Wayne Quinn the wing-backs, and Lee and Horlock expected to get through a lot of work in midfield.
And until the goal we absolutely battered Reading - men against boys really, they just couldn't cope with our three strikers, looked nervous and out of sorts, and just hardly got a touch on the ball coming forward. We should have had three goals in the first 6 minutes, Mellor fluffing a one-on-one, Defoe striking the post with a neat turn and shot, and Mellor getting called for a dubious offside following up a spilled shot.
On 17 minutes we took the lead, and it was long overdue to be honest. A neat bit of interplay between Horlock and Quinn won us a corner, and Defoe curled the kick to the far post for Dailly to force home a great header under challenge that the man on the post could only head up into his own net. Nice to see foul-mouthed Dailly get one, and nice to score from a corner as well - needless to say Defoe only started taking our corners when Brooking took over as caretaker.
The rest of the half was a bit disappointing from our point of view. I think we sat back a bit after the opener, trying to take the sting out of the game a bit when in fact we were rampant and should have been pushing on. But as the half wore on I think Reading started to suss our formation a bit better, and began to look for little threaded balls and one-twos through our central midfield - in the end you'd have to say we were glad for the half-time whistle.
But credit to Brooking - once he realised we were in trouble he quickly took a brave decision. Reading started the second half as they'd ended the first, and Brooking immediately took off Ferdinand and Mellor and went to a 4-4-2, with Alexandersson and Etherington posted on either flank. I think it evened up the game, gave us a more solid shape, and basically helped us look more difficult to break down.
Even with just a one-goal advantage I never felt we were going to concede - the defence looked incredibly strong today. Goater barely got a touch in the whole match, and only on very isolated occasions dd we really look in trouble. Reading fans may claim a very valid penalty when Repka barged Goater off the ball, and in the dying moments of the match Quinn had to come up with an absolutely crucial last-ditch tackle to deny a free shot on goal.
But we had so many chances to score over the course of the match, it's hard to deny that we deserved the three points. Defoe and Connolly continued their peculiar partnership - they only pass to each other out of desperation, plan A is always to beat the whole opposition defence to score, and they almost did a number of times, with just the final shot letting us down on occasion. Praise to Hahnemann too for some great saves, particularly tipping over a bullet from Defoe and also getting a hand to Alexandersson's first touch for the club, a free header which was heading for the top corner!
Actually, looking at the way the game played out you'd almost believe that we have some depth in the current squad. Brooking was able to bring quality players off the bench, and genuine wingers for a 4-4-2 at that - I don't ever remember having that option in the Premiership last season. Credit to Brooking for bringing in two quality loan signings in Alexandersson and particularly Quinn. But Horlock, Lee, Connolly and Etherington look like great signings on the evidence so far - well done Roeder I suppose for those. We look like an outfit good enough now to deserve promotion...
WEST HAM PLAYER RATINGS
David James
No mistakes from England's number one - he spilled a shot or two but was able to pounce on the rebounds. I could criticise him slightly for kicking the ball too long too often in the second half, but really it's up to the team and the bench to make him aware of the alternatives. Good performance.
Rating 7
Ian Pearce
Looked fairly happy coping manfully with the presence of Goater up front for Reading - the Bermudan barely got a hint of a chance, so credit where it's due. What I like about Pearce is that he's such a no-nonsense player these days - get the header in or boot it out, that's what we like to see.
Rating 8
Tomas Repka
Did someone say that he used to play in a back three in Italy - if so then it's no surprise that he put in such an accomplished performance today. He was incredibly positive, pushing up and winning the ball and looking to do something useful with it. Ironically he was even picked on by Reading with a series of rather cynical fouls which ended up with a booking for one of their players. Of course no Repka performance would be complete without a moment or two of idiocy - he grabbed a player around the neck when a simple obstruction would have sufficed, then in the second half was lucky not to concede a penalty. Still, can't help but enjoy watching the man play.
Rating 8
Christian Dailly
Barely a curly hair out of place, Dailly was in control throughout the match - he just barely put a foot wrong all afternoon for me. Winning balls in the air, picking out the passes from the back, looking for the ball - a joy to watch. Maybe he still felt like he was playing the Germans...
Rating 8
Wayne Quinn
An excellent debut I thought - for a guy short of football he slotted in brilliantly on the left side, and put in a very industrious performance for the team. I remember him as a promising younger player at Sheffield United, and I just can't understand how he hasn't made it at Newcastle - he seems to have all the attributes, good engine, great left-foot, hard-working etc. I suspect he might be a big hit here, and hopefully may have a future beyond his loan period at the club.
Rating 8
Anton Ferdinand
Still early days for Anton - I didn't think he did anything wrong, but I was just slightly disappointed he didn't do 'more', if you know what I mean. I think he basically hung back too much for a wing-back - understandably perhaps he's reluctant to get forward too much. But I still get the sense that he's trying not to do anything wrong, rather than trying to really do things right.
Rating 6
Rob Lee
Good to see him back running the rearguard. The man is nothing if not predictable - tackle, cover the runner, distribute the ball, tackle, cover the runner... I might even call it dull. But there's no doubt the value it has for the side, proved by the fact that when he stupidly dives in and misses his tackle we tend to look absolutely wide open for the attacking team.
Rating 7
Kevin Horlock
Probably the pick of the side for me today - I thought he was tireless in closing down the opposition, and genuinely good with the ball at his feet as well. Most of what was good about our play came through him. There was a period of the game where Reading started to press home their extra numbers in midfield, but for the rest of the match I felt Horlock ran the show. I think he's proved a terrific signing so far, and actually reminds me in a way of a more all-round version of John Moncur - he can pick out a pass, use a bit of trickery where needed, but more importantly get the ball off the opposition. And he looks like a fighter under pressure - we need more like him. I think he came to the club as a bit-part player at least in West Ham's eyes - on this form he's undroppable.
Rating 8 MAN OF THE MATCH
Neil Mellor
Frustrating to watch - I can appreciate his physical presence, and he may have all the potential in the world on the training pitch. But in this match, once again, he did not win a single header, and fluffed some fantastic opportunities to either score or set up a team-mate for the shot. Now I'm not suggesting that he should be dropped - clearly something he does is helping us get the results. And from the lack of cover in the striking department the club clearly feel he has enough to do the business for us. But I just wish he'd start delivering.
Rating 5
David Connolly
A very hard-working performance - Connolly got through a huge amount of work, which is great to see from such a hungry striker. He always comes short for the ball, loves to twist and turn his marker, and usually uses the ball extremely well. Add that to his obvious killer instincts near the penalty area and you have one hell of a player at this level.
Rating 8
Jermain Defoe
No need to repeat the praise for Defoe - he's a very special player and proved it once again today. Great corner for Dailly's goal, and all number of clever bits of play that could and maybe should have brought greater rewards. He's also a bit of a greedy bugger in front of goal, but I prefer 'em hungry that way.
Rating 8
Matthew Etherington (on for Mellor)
Ethers can obviously count himself very unlucky to be on the bench - I don't think he was dropped as such, only sacrificed for Brooking's changed formation. But when he came on he was as bright as usual, put in a couple of good balls and one great cross that caught Defoe flat-footed. In the squad as it stands he's one of the few genuine direct attacking midfielders that we have - he's very valuable to us.
Rating 7
Niclas Alexandersson (on for Ferdinand)
I must admit I was slightly concerned at his signing - at his age I perhaps expected an aged-looking, slightly over-the-hill winger of limited use. But already I see promising signs - he looked consistently to be an outlet from James's goal kicks, looked very comfortable and efficient on the ball, and actually was incredibly unlucky not to score from a free header. As a genuine right-winger he's a useful signing, and again I can see him being very useful for us this season. Nice one again Trev.
Rating 6
SUBS NOT USED: Bywater, Noble, Kilgallon.
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Other results from this day
2008 West Bromwich Albion 3 West Ham United 2
1997 Manchester United 2 West Ham United 1
1986 Queens Park Rangers 2 West Ham United 3
1980 West Ham United 3 Shrewsbury Town 0
1975 Leicester City 3 West Ham United 3
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