Why have we started so well?

[scott_d]

No-one expected it, not event the most optimistic hammers. I expected our form to continue as it did from last season in the League as there wasn't much to suggest Moyes was going to do anything different. But somehow we have managed to pick up 3 big results after a lukewarm start at Bournemouth. Is it the signings, the tactics, the sale or Rice? Probably a combination but why are things working for Moyes right now where they failed miserably last season?

[ironsofcanada]

We have scored 5 more goals than the other teams we have faced in the games we have played.

[Stevethehammer]

We have started well there is no doubt about it and Moyes has clearly worked on something where we are far better off the ball than last year and I think that comes from having JWP in the team, he looks quality and a calming presence in the midfield, no playing for the crowd or the TV cameras flirting with other clubs and a price tag. Alverez has hit the ground running as I think he knows his place is always up for grabs especially with Soucek being Moyes's lovechild l Problem I see is that Moyes simply don't and won't rotate the squad enough to keep everyone fit and in form. 5 minutes from the bench won't be enough to sustain a certain level of fitness. We need to keep the team fresh and heavily rotate when we can to give us the best possible chance of pulling up some trees otherwise come about March the team will out of their assets as Moyes would have run them into the ground, having 20% possession and chasing shadows will mean everyone needs to be at full fitness every week.

[daveyg]

Ludo You're disillusioned. 2 points against the 2 best teams in the league playing the way we do, no chance. Bowen will watch on and think bloody hell I would have enjoyed that. You say we need more time with Kudus. Very Moyes speak because that's what he'll do/done.Not good enough that he got a hat trick in his last game. Can you imagine a progressive manager doing that ? Haland waiting a few more games to settle in. It's just so fucking typical. Moyes may get lucky because Antonio is away on a 10 day holiday to the carribean and won't be back until late Wednesday. A progressive manager would have bought when we were on the up and heading for EL glory. But Moyes screwed that up and we said goodbye to Rice. We could have bought JWP to play alongside Rice. Anyone who says Rice is not world class knows diddly squat. He'll improve any team. We have the best youth team in the country and not one minute has been played by any of them. Despite several excellent performances in pre season.

[Fifth Column]

Various reasons: Antonio looks interested again and is going through one of his purple patches. That won't last and anyone who thinks he's a long term solution or will finish in double figures in the league has a very very short memory. Bowen IS on fire Rice leaving has meant the team is more balanced Alvarez and JWP were great buys and fit our structure perfectly Areola playing very well We've had some luck eg Chelsea missing multiple chances, decisions largely going for us All of this means we're back to how we were playing 2 years ago where we were a genuinely counter attacking team that was good on set pieces. For the last 18 months we've not been good at counter attacking or set pieces, or much at all except grinding out necessary wins against shit teams.

[Hammer and Pickle]

As long as we’re still in a position to challenge for the European cups next season, this has been a great start and all credit due to everyone involved

[ludo21]

Next two games will tell all.... personally I reckon we will get 1 point from the games against City and Liverpool though I wouldn't rule out 2. Anymore than that and we are in for exciting times as the team will only improve as the new players are integrated. Arguably these games have come around too soon, would have been better once Kudus has found his feet in the side.

[Vexed]

We've been a bit fortunate, we could easy be sat on 2-3 points and everyone recognising Moyes as the fucking muppet he is. But a few things have gone our way and he's a full blown genius apparently. We have made a couple of terrific signings in JWP and Alvarez which has made us completely forget what Rice supposedly did for us in midfield, we look a lot better without the cringeworthy rice pudding salesman cսnt. Long may it continue, I do not see that it will though.

[greenie1]

Great start to the season, but with various cup games, Europe, the league and no striker brought in, I am a bit worried. So fingers crossed that this good form continues.

[RM10]

Finishing 10th ish is on course, I really hope for a cup run and win if possible as I will miss being in Europe, unless spurs,villa Brighton Brentford flop.

[Lee Trundle]

zico 7:17 Mon Sep 4 Cue Bowen appearing in a Liverpool shirt in 6/12 months time saying "I'm already seeing football in a completely different way" © Rice

[Cor Blimey]

To piss off all those Spurs fans pretending to be Hammers who wank themselves silly over that Irish lad we sold to Arsenal. Maybe.

[Nick QQQ]

main reasons for me:- - JWP and Alvarez have hit the ground running. Like they have been here for a year. Both fit our style of play - We've defended very very well. Coufel looks fit and firing again, Areola is a great shot stopper and our CBs have been solid - Finally we have the streaky Antonio playing well and Bowen has found his best form. Can we maintain it, probably not, will we have a better season than last year in the league, definitely

[southwoodford]

A great start - enjoy it while it lasts. Unless we sign a couple of decent strikers it's a mid table finish.

[zico]

I found it interesting that Bowen said after one of the games that the deep defending counter attack style suited West Ham and their players. Might have just been saying that because as a forward I can imagine it's not much fund having 26% possession but at the same time Bowen is one of the few forwards who is pretty good at and probably relishes working at both ends of the pitch. For "Moyesball" to work you have to have certain players playing well and two of those are Bowen and Antonio and compared to last season early on they have been at it,. Wasn't a surprise really that Antonio wasn't at his best against Luton because it was a different game.

[swindon hammer]

Daveyg, you could argue that instead my rose tinted glasses you are just looking at all the negatives instead of any positives when it comes to the Brighton game. So far other teams aren’t creating 5 or 6 great chances against Brighton and they certainly aren’t scoring 3 against them. We did. Yes they did have 10 shots on target but do we deserve some credit as well for having 7 shots on target away from home against an in form team or doesn’t it work like that? Areola did make some great saves but most of them were when they were already 3-0 and 3-1 down and obviously trying everything to get back into the game in the last 20 minutes. We could easily have gone 4 nil up in that game before that. Obviously speaking hypothetically but if we had lost 3-1 at home and could quite easily have conceded 5 or 6 but dominated possession and had a load of chances ourselves, would you be claiming we deserved to win/unlucky to lose or would you be focusing on the negatives of the fact that the opposition were killing us on the counter attack ? We deserved to beat Brighton.

[daveyg]

Swindon Rose tinted spectacles there mate. 10 shots on target is to many for a team to concede. Areola made some great saves,won't always happen. LG 1 Luton we had 3 shots. Terrible. The Kudus sub was outrageous., again Moyes waiting to long. He did it with Scamacca too. He is lucky. Against Liverpool they'll score 6 if we play that way. Especially with talk of Soucek being missed. Yes I think teams will go to Brighton and have a lot of chances We need to be forward thinking after the break. Moyes sets up cautiously in every game Swindon. City will control the game we need players who can pass the ball to each other not a hoof anywhere.

[Side of Ham]

I felt like we scored for fun in that Payet season….

[Side of Ham]

I felt like we scored for fun in that Payet season….

[Helmut Shown]

I have a feeling Alvarez in front of the defence gives us a much more secure umbrella than Rice did. To be fair to him, Rice was the captain and a lot of the time he was trying to get our lacklustre attack going. With JWP and Paqueta making the decisive passes we actually look dangerous for once. Although I still feel a better less negative manager would get more out of them.

[Any Old Iron]

2left "We will get beaten on occasions" No shit sherlock. Incredible you're not a manager.

[pdbis]

See how we get on against Man City, Liverpool and Aston Villa in upcoming games.

[swindon hammer]

Exeter, tbf I thought there was a 2-3 year period under Redknapp where we always looked like a side that could freely score goals. Hartson, Kitson, Lampard, Di Canio, Kanoute, Sinclair etc.

[WHU(Exeter)]

Aside from when Ashton was hitting peak form before his injury, I think I'd have to go back to McAvennie and Cottee, to having that confidence in us scoring, even if nowadays it is mostly on the counter.

[nychammer]

We've got the right personnel to replace Rice and Paqueta has come good. We've signed some good players and everyone is believing in the system and sticking to their roles and its working. We are hard to break down and have been devastating on the break. Having said all of that we are painfully reliant on Bowen and Antonio Attacking wise. Hopefully Kudus adds to that, we will see. OH and some good luck here and there!

[Norflundon]

We’ve had a fantastic start results wise but unless you’re a complete cսnt nobody can say we are playing well Bournemouth we did play well on the front foot and dominated the game for an hour until we scored then we sat off and got what we deserved Chelsea we were very lucky you can’t knock the fighting spirit and resilience of the team but we were rubbish that day Brighton we put on a brilliant counter attacking display and although they had sone chances at the end with our keeper making two of the best saves I’ve ever seen we should of been well out of site by the time they got their first Luton was a funny game we dominated but I thought we were pretty poor considering the level of the opposition they are a very poor team without a single player of note. And on most other nights we’d probably of drawn the game as although I don’t agree with or understand the handball rule I would of fully expected that to be given with most of the decisions I’ve seen over the last 12 months I’d be very shocked if we get anything out of the next two games Ver supped we’ve got 10 points and very happy we are 3rd in the league long may it continue