West Ham Online

Until West Ham find out mojo again,  a game against a David Moyes managed side will always have some kind of extra significance.

Layer on the pressure on Potter who looks like a dead man walking, and this game is under intense scrutiny. 

It looks for all the world like Potter has two games, not to save his job, but to buy a stay if execution, against Everton and Arsenal, made none the easier by these two being amongst the best set piece side in the league....the Hammers clear achilles heel.

The stats this far have backed up the eye test...West Ham ARE terrible at defending the box, none of the keepers help out on crosses, and we give up corners willy nilly.

But if Potter is to cling on, nothing but a win here will do.

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Match Centre: 


 Odds: 
WHU: 9/2
Draw: 29/10
Everton: 3/4

 Pre-Match Press Conference: 
Official Site

 Match Preview: 
Analytics United 

 Watch-along:
Hammers Chat


Streams:

Sport+

 If there above doesn't work go look for a Stream from the sites listed here!

https://champagne.pages.dev/docs/gettin ... ive-sports
 

(With all live streams be mindful they can carry viruses etc.  Don't click on any ads and use a VPN).
 


Predicted LineUp:

With Everton's prowess at set pieces, Soucek's absence, and Potter's love to tinker, I expect him to fuck around with things and go to a back five.Predicted Score:
Everton: 3
West Ham: 1 (Bowen)

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Post Game

Breakdown: 





 

One slight negative so far - Fernandes hasn't started off firing.

Don't get me wrong, he looks like he's going to be a player, I like his clever passing and movement, and he's obviously still young, but at £40mil, I thought we'd see more of an instant impact, he's kind of been on the periphery. Hoping to see him more involved over the next few games.

SurfaceAgentX2Zero wrote: ↑30 Sep 2025, 14:16 Fulkrug did just fine last night. He led the line well, pressed from the front and was always an outlet. A bit more match sharpness and he'll be OK.

Jean-Luc Paul Goddard" wrote: ↑30 Sep 2025, 12:55 Fair enough. I just think of the term Moyesball as meaning low block, counter attacking football, which is exactly what Nuno does. Wasn't meaning to suggest anything other than that. I still expect any long periods of us not having the ball to be as dull as they were under Moyes, but hopefully the attacks will make up for it. 

Fulkrug did just fine last night. He led the line well, pressed from the front and was always an outlet. A bit more match sharpness and he'll be OK.

Rossal wrote: ↑30 Sep 2025, 11:05

threesixty wrote: ↑30 Sep 2025, 10:48 The best teams score a lot from midfield. I think that’s something we are going to need to address. Bowen is the only out and out finisher I’d put my money on at this club. If Wilson was fitter maybe it would be him as well. 

I do think that the struggle with our team under nuno will be that we create chances but finish very few of them if Bowen isn’t on the end of it. 

soucek is probably the next best but he just isn’t mobile enough to be relied on. 

can we coach Summerville, Fernandez, Magassa to score goals as well as assist? All our mids should have at least a shot at goal in a game. 

Summerville is interesting as for Leeds I think he was a 1 in 4 guy, but that is the championship. What does he need to do to get that ratio in the PL? 

Paqueta is a big issue for us in that dept of midfield.   For a number 10 he isn't dangerous enough consistently.  Gives the ball away alot, not enough goals and assists. 

Would love a real dangeous number 10 type, like Elliot or that Josh King at Fulham this season.  A real goal threat aswell as able to create things. 

nerd2 wrote: ↑30 Sep 2025, 12:54 Diouf , magassa , Fenandes and KWP , might Yet turnout be our best window since Rice went time will tell but there are certainly green shoots of hope . Solid centre back please in Jan , shame we wasted 30 on Todibo.

Fair enough. I just think of the term Moyesball as meaning low block, counter attacking football, which is exactly what Nuno does. Wasn't meaning to suggest anything other than that. I still expect any long periods of us not having the ball to be as dull as they were under Moyes, but hopefully the attacks will make up for it. 

Diouf , magassa , Fenandes and KWP , might Yet turnout be our best window since Rice went time will tell but there are certainly green shoots of hope . Solid centre back please in Jan , shame we wasted 30 on Todibo.

Jean-Luc Paul Goddard" wrote: ↑30 Sep 2025, 12:18

Eerie Decent" wrote: ↑30 Sep 2025, 11:42

Jean-Luc Paul Goddard" wrote: ↑30 Sep 2025, 06:05
Early days, but you can see already that we're firmly back in Moyesball territory: long stretches of us sitting back and doing nothing, followed by quick breaks where we try to actually score. The tedium of the low block will become even more apparent when we're playing against a team who actually like having possession themselves. That said, at least our attacks will have some excitement about them and I firmly believe that we'll soon be climbing up the table.

That was for about 6 months of Moyes' reign ffs

We were absolutely moribund under him in the league for over 2 years, pitiful at times. That fast paced counter attacking last night we haven't seen since Lingard was here, and for a few sporadic games in the early part of his last season. It was far from the norm.

My point about Moyesball was more about being passive when not in possession, which I expect we'll see more of against better opposition. I agree about most of Moyes' time here being moribund, but even at our worse we were still trying to make quick breaks a hell of a lot more than under Potter, for example with Kudus running with the ball from deep. We may not have been good at it for a lot of the time, but we were clearly playing counter attacking football, so I'm not sure what you're arguing about.

 

I would rather Paqueta as a 8, particularly at home against bottom half teams. Play a dangerous number 10 in front of him and Fernandes/Magassa/Potts as a enforncer alongside and we should be taking the game to teams much more at home. 

Irving Rodriguez JWP can all be fucked off then.........arguably Soucek aswell. Anyone thinking he should be anywhere near the side from now on needs their head (and eyes) tested! 

Another observation about Nuno: when he said he’d been watching the team and knew the players more than they did him, well he wasn’t fucking about.

I feel like his first team tried to address the problem areas on the pitch we have been concerned about. Whereas when Loppy came in it seemed liked he’d hadn’t watched the team at all! He  spent months tinkering with things that we as fans already knew were issues. Same thing with Potter really, spend ages fiddling when some things are just obvious. 

Eerie Decent" wrote: ↑30 Sep 2025, 11:42

Jean-Luc Paul Goddard" wrote: ↑30 Sep 2025, 06:05
Early days, but you can see already that we're firmly back in Moyesball territory: long stretches of us sitting back and doing nothing, followed by quick breaks where we try to actually score. The tedium of the low block will become even more apparent when we're playing against a team who actually like having possession themselves. That said, at least our attacks will have some excitement about them and I firmly believe that we'll soon be climbing up the table.

That was for about 6 months of Moyes' reign ffs

We were absolutely moribund under him in the league for over 2 years, pitiful at times. That fast paced counter attacking last night we haven't seen since Lingard was here, and for a few sporadic games in the early part of his last season. It was far from the norm.

threesixty wrote: ↑30 Sep 2025, 10:48

Summerville is interesting as for Leeds I think he was a 1 in 4 guy, but that is the championship. What does he need to do to get that ratio in the PL? 

 

Eerie Decent" wrote: ↑30 Sep 2025, 11:40 Without wanting to get too STATTY, Paqueta had the joint most defensive actions between the two teams I think. Are we overlooking that part of his game?

 

Jean-Luc Paul Goddard" wrote: ↑30 Sep 2025, 06:05
Early days, but you can see already that we're firmly back in Moyesball territory: long stretches of us sitting back and doing nothing, followed by quick breaks where we try to actually score. The tedium of the low block will become even more apparent when we're playing against a team who actually like having possession themselves. That said, at least our attacks will have some excitement about them and I firmly believe that we'll soon be climbing up the table.

Without wanting to get too STATTY, Paqueta had the joint most defensive actions between the two teams I think. Are we overlooking that part of his game?
 

Soucek back and wbs and Paqueta

Interesting that, at times last night, Nuno had Fernandes further down the field than Paqueta. They seemed to rotate the "10" role during the game.

I think there's some mileage in that. Paqueta often looks more comfortable playing quite deep and being the guy with the technique to beat the press etc. He's never been a true #10 right behind the striker. Always been a #8 for Brazil.

Rossal wrote: ↑30 Sep 2025, 11:05

threesixty wrote: ↑30 Sep 2025, 10:48 The best teams score a lot from midfield. I think that’s something we are going to need to address. Bowen is the only out and out finisher I’d put my money on at this club. If Wilson was fitter maybe it would be him as well. 

I do think that the struggle with our team under nuno will be that we create chances but finish very few of them if Bowen isn’t on the end of it. 

soucek is probably the next best but he just isn’t mobile enough to be relied on. 

can we coach Summerville, Fernandez, Magassa to score goals as well as assist? All our mids should have at least a shot at goal in a game. 

Summerville is interesting as for Leeds I think he was a 1 in 4 guy, but that is the championship. What does he need to do to get that ratio in the PL? 

Paqueta is a big issue for us in that dept of midfield.   For a number 10 he isn't dangerous enough consistently.  Gives the ball away alot, not enough goals and assists. 

Would love a real dangeous number 10 type, like Elliot or that Josh King at Fulham this season.  A real goal threat aswell as able to create things. 

threesixty wrote: ↑30 Sep 2025, 10:48 The best teams score a lot from midfield. I think that’s something we are going to need to address. Bowen is the only out and out finisher I’d put my money on at this club. If Wilson was fitter maybe it would be him as well. 

I do think that the struggle with our team under nuno will be that we create chances but finish very few of them if Bowen isn’t on the end of it. 

soucek is probably the next best but he just isn’t mobile enough to be relied on. 

can we coach Summerville, Fernandez, Magassa to score goals as well as assist? All our mids should have at least a shot at goal in a game. 

Summerville is interesting as for Leeds I think he was a 1 in 4 guy, but that is the championship. What does he need to do to get that ratio in the PL? 

Have patience 

The best teams score a lot from midfield. I think that’s something we are going to need to address. Bowen is the only out and out finisher I’d put my money on at this club. If Wilson was fitter maybe it would be him as well. 

I do think that the struggle with our team under nuno will be that we create chances but finish very few of them if Bowen isn’t on the end of it. 

soucek is probably the next best but he just isn’t mobile enough to be relied on. 

can we coach Summerville, Fernandez, Magassa to score goals as well as assist? All our mids should have at least a shot at goal in a game. 

Summerville is interesting as for Leeds I think he was a 1 in 4 guy, but that is the championship. What does he need to do to get that ratio in the PL? 

Rossal wrote: ↑30 Sep 2025, 10:44

southbankbornnbred wrote: ↑30 Sep 2025, 10:42

Tomshardware wrote: ↑30 Sep 2025, 08:15

 

 

Agree he looked off the pace, hopefully a run of games will help, I think he will get goals.

Sorry, fella, but it's not a fitness thing. He is as fit as he can be. He just hasn't adjusted to the pace of the English game and he looks isolated upfront on his own. His immobility means he doesn't occupy defenders anywhere near enough to play the lone #9 role. He's also not as strong as he likes to think. He's been outmuscled by big defenders in most games this season: that lump at Sunderland on the opening day, last night etc.

He needs to find a way to be more effective - and quickly. Right now, he's looking like almost as big a waste of money as Kilman.

He is too old and slow for the prem unfortunately. Its rare strikers come to this league for the first time at 30+. How anyone at the club couldnt spot that is a mystery. 

Can see us going for Awoiyni from Forest on loan in Jan 

southbankbornnbred wrote: ↑30 Sep 2025, 10:42

Tomshardware wrote: ↑30 Sep 2025, 08:15

southbankbornnbred wrote: ↑29 Sep 2025, 23:44 Fullkrug just seems half a yard off the pace in England - all of the time. He’s second to everything. Forgot his shooting boots today, too. So I’m really not sure what he gives us.

There must be a player in there somewhere, as he’s been Germany’s #9 at times. But he was awful again today. Wilson seems head and shoulders the better of the two.

Fullkrug needs a goal, and some confidence, quickly.

 

 

Agree he looked off the pace, hopefully a run of games will help, I think he will get goals.

Sorry, fella, but it's not a fitness thing. He is as fit as he can be. He just hasn't adjusted to the pace of the English game and he looks isolated upfront on his own. His immobility means he doesn't occupy defenders anywhere near enough to play the lone #9 role. He's also not as strong as he likes to think. He's been outmuscled by big defenders in most games this season: that lump at Sunderland on the opening day, last night etc.

He needs to find a way to be more effective - and quickly. Right now, he's looking like almost as big a waste of money as Kilman.

Was nice to see our midfield not get run through. Nice to see players run beyond the ball. Nice to see the full backs attack when they could. Nice to see some of the yoof play and be on the bench. 

Was it groundbreaking stuff? no.....but Potter sunk us so low that it feels like it. Brentford at home is the big one for Nuno, but I like his work so far.