[Father Christmas]
A Christmas message from West Ham United
A Christmas message from West Ham United Academy Chaplain Rev Philip Wright…
To all the players, staff and fans of West Ham United.
December days that include Christmas are called Advent, a time for family, joy, laughter, good food and drink, celebrations, and a time to rest.
However, for many this festive period won’t be like this. It may be full of fear, worry and anxiety. Some people will be worrying about paying bills, keeping warm, trying to stay debt free or perhaps feeling lonely and isolated.
I would like to remind you all that over 2,000 years ago, at the very first Christmas, the worries were perhaps not so different!
Staying warm would have been an issue, especially in a stable, and no doubt Mary and Joseph may have argued over how they were going to cope!
They did not have luxury or lavishness. It was modest yet magnificent!
Over the years, we have built Christmas up to be a theatrical event, a massive commercial enterprise that we feel pressured to work hard to live up to.
[Rev Philip Wright]
There is nothing wrong with enjoying Christmas, taking time out to celebrate and unwind.
If Christmas is big in your household and family, that’s great and I hope you have a fabulous time, but it’s also OK to remember Christmas can be humble and simple.
To just enjoy a nice meal, to just remember friends and loved ones, maybe talk to family and friends over the telephone if you are on your own, or simply rest and watch television, all this is fine as well.
Remember, Mary and Joseph weren’t worrying about if their online order would arrive in time!
The one thing that was the same then and I hope is the same now is a very simple word that we all know, and that word is LOVE!
God’s Love is faithful and dependable and doesn’t change with fortune or circumstance.
So, on behalf of myself, other Club chaplains Alan and Jane, we wish you a very loving and peaceful Christmas and may 2023 be blessed for all of you.
COYI.
Rev Phil Wright
Academy Chaplain
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Moyes: Arsenal, Premier League reset and World Cup benefits
David Moyes believes the six-week pause of the Premier League season for the FIFA World Cup finals in Qatar will benefit his West Ham United team as they tackle the second part of the 2022/23 campaign. The Hammers headed into the break below halfway in the table – an unfamiliar feeling after battling at the business end over the past two years – but Moyes is convinced they can soon work their way back into contention. Arsenal are the Hammers’ first opponents after the restart on Boxing Day and although Moyes is well aware they will pose a formidable test – the Gunners sit five points clear at the top of the table – he is looking forward to the contest…
We’ve looked to see where we can improve, what we should be doing better and there is lots of room for improvement.
We’ve tried to work towards it, I’ve got to say the players have shown a really good attitude since coming back. They recognise that we have to play better and certainly be more clinical when we’re trying to score, and be that little bit more ruthless defensively when we need to be as well. I think we’ve got a really good team. I don’t think we’ve shown it as well as we can at the moment and we do have to play better. We have to score more goals and we probably have to create more as well. Those are the things that are standing out for us, so hopefully we can do that. I’ve got a lot of belief in the boys that we’ve brought in, we’ve got a strong squad. We have a European competition to come in March which we’re getting towards as well, but the big thing at the moment is to get on a good run in the Premier League and hopefully in the FA Cup as well.
The players at the World Cup have been back for a few days training [except Nayef Aguerd, who is due to return on Christmas Eve], so we’re hoping they’ll be fine.
Obviously they’ve had no friendlies, but they don’t need it because just two weeks ago they’ve had games for their countries. [Declan Rice and Lucas Páqueta] played really well for their countries, both are disappointed that they didn’t go further, but the focus now is on West Ham, getting them back in good condition and playing at their best levels.
I think the break has been beneficial.
I think we needed a break, we played so many games quickly, so we gave the players some time off. We didn’t go away, we’ve been here at Rush Green through the snow and everything else in recent weeks, but we’ve also had a couple of friendly games and they’ve all gone quite well for us. The biggest thing is to find a little bit of momentum which we had plenty of in the last couple of seasons and get back to the levels we had before.
I’ve had great conversations with David Sullivan and as you get older you don’t feel the pressure so much.
It’s not quite the same as at different times and you understand as you get older that you go through difficult times as well as good times. We’ve had two-and-a-half, three years of great times here and sometimes there are dips. Those are the times you need strong board members, supporters to get behind the team and everybody to pull together.
I think the best time to face Arsenal was about three years ago!
Since Mikel Arteta has come in he has done a brilliant job, got them going, won a couple of trophies and gone against the grain a bit where people might have thought it wouldn’t happen. As a manager, to have players who then go into management and do well is a great thrill. Mikel was always someone who has had a really good career, he’s worked under Arsène Wenger as well who would have given him a great idea of how things work at Arsenal Football Club. He’s worked under Pep Guardiola, who arguably could be the best managers certainly in this period. So, he’s certainly picked up great advice from those managers, but look he was a clever boy as well and he’s stuck at it when things were a bit difficult and people might have been on his back. They’ve ended up coming through it, and quite often managers need that time to come through it.
Arsenal have had great teams, so it would be wrong to compare [this one] to the teams of the past.
But if you’re talking about recent times, Arsenal were getting criticised so much I found it hard to believe. I thought they were building a good team, I could see [Emile] Smith Rowe, [Bukayo] Saka and [Gabriel] Martinelli coming through and I’m starting to think ‘My goodness, people aren’t seeing this right here’. They looked a really good team in the making and I think that’s what they are now.
It was really sad news about [1966 World Cup winner] George Cohen passing away on Friday.
I didn’t know George myself, but you always remember the great players and those who were influential. It was really sad to hear and my thoughts go to his family.
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Team News: Moyes gives Antonio, Scamacca, Aguerd updates
West Ham United manager David Moyes says strikers Gianluca Scamacca and Michail Antonio are facing a race to be fit for the Boxing Day Premier League trip to Arsenal. Scamacca was forced off during the Hammers’ final preparatory game at Fulham a week ago after taking a knock to his ankle, while Antonio sat out of the trip to Craven Cottage with a calf strain. With the Premier League resumption just days away, Moyes told his pre-match press conference he will continue to monitor the pair’s fitness but admitted they may miss out. Should the striking duo not make it, the boss believes he has the options within his squad to cover for the absence. “Gianluca has an ankle injury and Mick had a calf strain,” the boss confirmed. “They’re improving – we’re hoping that they both have a chance, but I’ve got to say they’re doubtful. “For all the clubs at this moment in time in the Premier League, you never know who’s fit and available and also who’s returned yet from the games in the World Cup. “Jarrod Bowen is more than capable [of playing down the middle] if we need to do so. Over the last few years we changed Marko Arnautović from a wide player to a centre forward, we’ve done a little bit the same with Micky Antonio, so who’s to say it won’t be Jarrod who’s next?”
Moyes will welcome back his quintet of World Cup players to the fold too, with Declan Rice, Lucas Paquetá, Alphonse Areola, Thilo Kehrer and Nayef Aguerd having all featured in Qatar. While Aguerd was forced to miss Morocco’s quarter-final victory over Portugal and narrow semi-final loss to France with first an injury and then illness, the boss will assess his availability in the coming days too. “Nayef had a virus and an injury as well, which didn’t help him and were part of the reasons he didn’t play [against France],” Moyes added. “He’s not back in yet, but he’ll be back in tomorrow and we’ll see how he is.”
Kick-off at Arsenal on Boxing Day is at 8pm GMT, with the game being broadcast live in the UK by Amazon Prime and across the world by the Premier League’s international broadcast partners.
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Sophie Hillyerd spreads Christmas cheer for children at Newham Hospital
This week, West Ham United visited Newham Hospital to spread some Christmas cheer to those on the Rainbow Ward at Newham Hospital. Women’s goalkeeper, Sophie Hillyerd joined Hammers mascots, Bubbles and Hammerhead at the Children’s Christmas party. The 19-year-old joined around 25 other families that attended the party, helping the children compete in games and dance competitions, whilst Bubbles and Hammerhead showed off their moves on the dancefloor, alongside other mascots from the hospital. Then, after a quick break for lunch, the children were then visited by Santa Claus, who handed our gifts from his grotto. The visit from Hillyerd forms part of the Club’s Players’ Project, whereby men’s, women’s and academy squads support key areas of community work.
And she was emphasised the importance of heading out into the community and giving back at this time of year. “It’s been really nice to see the kids with a smile on their face despite what they may be going through. All of them have been dancing around and just being happy. “I think it’s really important to be here because obviously they’re going through something hard – it’s different for all of the children here – but as much as we can, we want to do visits like these, show support and help our community,” she said.
Hamera Elahi, play specialist at Newham Hospital’s Rainbow ward and the organiser of the children’s Christmas event said: “Celebrating Christmas with the children, their families and colleagues with this event has been amazing. “We haven’t been able to hold this event in the past few years due to the pandemic, so to see everyone dancing, playing and having fun together, and to top that off, to have Sophie from West Ham United Women and the mascots come along to celebrate with us, really made us all feel the Christmas cheer.”
Seven-year-old Emily, who attended the party said: “I really like going to the Christmas party on Rainbow Ward. “There were lots of fun games and dancing, we had nice food, and I got a lovely present from Santa Claus. I really liked all the mascots that were there too – I loved dancing with them.”
Players from both the men’s first team, women’s first team and men’s academy have been visiting other schools, hospitals and helping out within the community in the lead-up to Christmas.
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Antonio: We’ve worked on finding consistency during the break
Michail Antonio says the hiatus for the 2022 FIFA World Cup has given the West Ham United squad a chance to focus on finding consistency. The Irons return to Premier League action on Boxing Day with a trip to north London to face leaders Arsenal, and Antonio admitted the Hammers’ form prior to the break starting in November was erratic. The mini-break and return to training, however, have allowed David Moyes’ side to work on rediscovering the levels that saw the team qualify for European football in two consecutive campaigns. “We were a bit up and down,” Antonio told the Evening Standard. “[The break] has given us an opportunity to work on our consistency, get back into the season and do what we know we can do: play like we have over the last couple of years and try to get our philosophy back.
Every team that has brought in lots of players has tended to struggle in the beginning, but once things started to gel and the chemistry starts to build, things started working out.
Michail Antonio
“We are a team that believes we should always finish around the European places, so it’s just about getting it to gel again. I think we hit a slump from the massive season we had last year and, after this nice little break, hopefully we can turn things around.”
Goals have not been easy to come by in the league this campaign for Antonio and his teammates so far but, with the summer signings continuing to build chemistry with the rest of the squad in the last few weeks, the No9 is confident more finishes are on their way. “We’ve been working on why things have been breaking down going forward, because we’ve not been conceding much, but we’ve also not been scoring as much as in the past. “Every team that has brought in lots of players has tended to struggle in the beginning, but once things started to gel and the chemistry starts to build, things started working out.”
One of those summer signings, Gianluca Scamacca, is Antonio’s direct competition for a starting place up front in the West Ham side. The 32-year-old is relishing the ongoing duel with the Italian international for a place in the team. “Through my whole career, there’s always been competition, someone that wants to take your shirt,” he added. “Right now, [Scamacca’s] got the shirt. It’s my turn to try to improve and work on what I need to work on to get my shirt back. “That’s something that’s driven me to where I am now. I’m not really about the rotation type of thing — if I’m fit, I want to play. It’s the gaffer’s decision on what he wants to do, but I’m always going to let him know that I want to play.”
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Over Land and Sea to… Arsenal
West Ham United return to action after a 44-day break when they make the short trip to Emirates Stadium to face Arsenal in the Premier League. The Hammers take on the Gunners seeking to end a run of three defeats in all competitions, but will have to be at their best against an Arsenal team who top the table on the resumption. Arsenal themselves have won 12 of their 14 Premier League fixtures, losing just once, at Manchester United in early September. Supporters will also have a challenge getting to Emirates Stadium, with engineering works and the suspension of Boxing Day services making catching a train difficult.
How to get there…
For supporters living within the London Underground network, take the Tube. For those living outside, the best bet is to drive to an Underground station, as Greater Anglia, c2c, Southeastern, Great Northern and Elizabeth line services will not be running on Boxing Day. Emirates Stadium is usually well connected on the TfL network, but less so on Boxing Day, as National Rail services on the Great Northern line and London Overground services will be suspended. However, a replacement bus service will be in operation on the Overground routes from Stratford, Camden Road and Willesden Junction
Arsenal (Piccadilly Line) is the nearest Tube station, around three minutes’ walk from the ground. Finsbury Park (Victoria and Piccadilly lines) and Highbury & Islington (Victoria line) stations are around a ten-minute walk and should be slightly less crowded. Supporters should note that Holloway Road station will be exit-only before and after matches with pre-match eastbound trains non-stopping. Drayton Park is also closed on match days.
Where to stay…
At home, most likely, seeing as Emirates Stadium is situated just five miles west of London Stadium! Of course, if you’re travelling to London from outside the capital, there are literally thousands of hotels, guest houses, apartments and more to choose from if you need overnight accommodation. Again, though, it’s Boxing Day, so options may be limited and/or expensive.
What to do…
London, of course, has attractions for all the family and to suit all budgets and tastes. While the capital’s top tourist spots are well-known, let’s concentrate instead on things to do in and around north London. You could have a walk up to Alexandra Palace and take in the superb view southwards across the London skyline. If you’d rather do something nearer the centre of the city before jumping on the train or Tube to Emirates Stadium, why not have a stroll around Regent’s Park and visit London Zoo, which is open from 10am-4pm on Boxing Day! Directly north of Regent’s Park is Primrose Hill, which also offers fantastic views across central London to the south. Between Regent’s Park and the Emirates is the trendy Borough of Camden, which is home to a wide variety of eateries, pubs, bars and independent shops. Speaking of places to eat, drink and be merry, Upper Street, which runs directly north from Angel Underground station to Highbury & Islington station, is also full of bars, pubs and restaurants.
What’s happened there before…
West Ham United were the first visiting team to win at Emirates Stadium after Arsenal opened their new home in the summer of 2006. The Irons were struggling in the Premier League when Bobby Zamora struck a long-range winner and Robert Green’s unbeatable performance in goal secured a shock 1-0 victory over the Gunners in April 2007. Since then, however, it would be fair to say we’ve not enjoyed too many of our trips to N5. We’ve lost on our last seven visits to the Emirates – six in the Premier League and one in the EFL Cup early in David Moyes’ first spell in charge – and have tasted defeat on 13 of our 16 games there overall, winning twice and drawing once. Our most-recent win at Emirates Stadium was under Slaven Bilić in August 2015, when Cheikhou Kouyaté and Mauro Zárate found the net on Dimitri Payet’s Premier League debut for the Club.
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Moyes not feeling the pressure
By Staff Writer
KUMB.com
Friday, 23rd December 2022
David Moyes has dismissed suggestions that he was feeling any kind of additional burden or tension as a result of West Ham’s current league position. Domestic activities resume on Boxing Day with a London derby against top-of-the-table Arsenal at The Emirates – a game in which the Hammers were already expected to struggle even before losing the likes of Nayef Aguerd and Gianluca Scamacca to injury. Yet the boss insists he is taking everything in his stride and does not feel under any extra pressure going into the game, or the Christmnas period which includes tests against Brentford (30 December and 7 January) and Leeds United (4 January).
“I’ve had great conversations with David Sullivan and as you get older, you don’t feel the pressure so much,” he sid during his pre-match press conference. “We’ve had two or three years of great times and sometimes you have dips. At times like that, you need the board and everyone to stick together.”
Asked whether or not he felt the World Cup break came at a good time for his struggling team, Moyes agreed that it did have benefits for certain members of his squad. “When I look back, it has been beneficial as I think the players needed a break,” he concluded. “We’d played more games than anyone else. “We didn’t go away, so we were training at Rush Green through the snow. We’ve had some friendly games and they’ve gone quite well for us. We want to find the momentum we had in the last couple of seasons and get back to the levels we were at before. “We’ve looked to see what we can do better and how we can improve. The players have shown a great attitude, but it’s not like we’ve always not played well. We just need to be a little more clinical when we’re triyng to score and more ruthless defensively as well. “We put the first 15 games in perspective, but 55 of the 60 we played in the year before we played really well, so we have to put things in the right place. We need to be positive, score more goals than we did in the first half of the season, play well and hopefully we will win more games.”
And as for those Hammers who participated in Qatar, Moyes was pleased by their performances – even though he expects one or two will be secretly disappointed that their respective campaigns didn’t last a little longer. “I think both Dec [Rice]and Lucas [Paqueta] played well in their matches at the World Cup and they’ll both have been disappointed they didn’t go further,” he said. “They are both back and are in training and although they’ve not had friendlies, they don’t need them as they played regularly in Qatar.”
As for the challenge posed by the current league leaders on Sunday, Moyes believes Arsenal will provide a formidable opponent give their form thus far this season. “Arsenal have had great teams, so you can’t compare them to great Arsenal teams of the past, but recently they were getting criticised so much,” he suggested. “They were building a good team with Saka, Smith-Rowe and Martinelli and I think they are a really good team now. “They’ve gone against the grain a bit and they’ve built a very good team. Mikel [Arteta] is a very smart boy and has had that little bit of time to get through that difficult period.”
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Aguerd out, strike duo doubtful confirms Moyes
By Staff Writer
KUMB.com
Friday, 23rd December 2022
David Moyes has confirmed that Nayef Aguerd will definitely miss out on the Boxing Day trip to Arsenal. The Moroccan international injured himself during his nation’s momentous World Cup campaign and is yet to be fully assessed by the club since returning to Rush Green earlier this week.
However the manager, speaking in his pre-match press conference on Friday lunchtime confirmed that he will not be available for the short trip to north London on Sunday. “Nayef had a virus and an injury, they were the reasons why he came off and didn’t start,” said Moyes. “He’ll be back in tomorrow [Saturday], so we’ll see how he is. “We wanted him a year before and waited a long time to get him. He’s a really good footballer so hopefully he’ll improve us in the second half of the season.”
Meanwhile Moyes has also confirmed that Gianluca Scamacca, who was injured in last weekend’s mid-season friendly at Fulham and Michail Antonio are also doubtful for the game. “Gianluca has got an ankle injury and Mick had a calf strain,” the boss added. “We’re hoping they both have a chance, but they are doubtful.”
All of which means Jarrod Bowen may well be called upon to plough a lone furrow in attack on Boxing Day against the current Premier League leaders – which, says Moyes, is not a great concern. Jarrod is more than capable of playing down the middle,” he insisted. “We’ve done the same with Marko Arnautovic and Michail Antonio, so who says we can’t do it with Jarrod?”
And when asked if this weekend is a good time to play the Gunners, who were flying before the imposed World Cup break, the manager responded: “I think the best time to play Arsenal was about three years ago! They’ve gone against the grain a bit and they’ve built a very good team. “Mikel [Arteta] is someone who always had his own mind, had a really good career, worked under Arsene Wenger and Pep Guardiola – arguably the best managers of this period – so he’ll have picked up advice from them. “He’s a very smart boy and has had that little bit of time to get through that difficult period.”
We’ll have more for you from Moyes’ pre-match presser later this afternoon.
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David Gold: I find money accusations ‘irksome’
By Staff Writer
KUMB.com
Friday, 23rd December 2022
West Ham United co-chairman David Gold has hit out at supporters who have criticised the club’s board for failing to invest historically in the club and playing squad. Writing in the recently-updated version of his free book, which he describes as the “ultimate rags to riches tale”, the octegenarian referred to the 2018 home clash with Burnley as the point at which frustration with the board “exploded” into life. “For me, personally, one of the biggest frustrations and disappointments is the criticism and abuse I’ve been subjected to over the years,” he wrote. “The majority [of fans] are friendly, warm and decent people. However, there are a minority of fans who are far less reasonable and much more abusive.
“The situation exploded at the Burnley game when a number of people invaded the pitch. It was around that time that I’d started to see “Gold, Sullivan & Brady Out” banners appearing. “There was an undertone of discontent which was started by a few but began to gather momentum by the time the Burnley game came around. Burnley scored two goals in quick succession and from that moment on, the atmosphere went from toxic to frightening. It was the first time in my life that I felt unsafe at a football match. “As a lifelong supporter of the club, I found it all very upsetting and I take it very personally.”
And Gold backed his record at the club since he and David Sullivan took over 12 years ago next month, despite having faced some fierce criticism at times. “I enjoy interacting with our supporters and being as open and transparent with them as I can both in person and on social media,” he continued. “But I have to be careful about what I say, especially online, as it can so easily get taken out of context and become a news item. “Without a doubt, the biggest criticism aimed at both David and myself is in regard to money. I have to say, I find it the most irksome of all the accusations levelled at us. I’ve seen banners saying that we’re greedy, or worse still that we’re thieves. I’d like to dispel some of the myths and set the record straight by laying out the facts.
“On the day we acquired the club in 2010, David and I each had to invest £50m into the club – £50m to purchase the shares to acquire the club and £50m to reduce the £100m caustic debt. “What is important to realise is that £25m I loaned came from my personal funds, which I employ two people to manage for me. On average, they would generate approximately 10% interest a year on my capital, through various investments. Now I am only receiving 4% interest on the £25m so that the Club can save 6%. “I have tried to explain this in interviews and at fans forums over the years and the response always is: ‘Why are you taking any interest at all, why aren’t you putting the money into the club free of charge?’ “The simple answer is, I’m not Roman Abramovich or Sheikh Mansour, with near limitless wealth. It must be said though, that David Sullivan and I also pumped £30m to the Club via the pandemic.”
What Gold fails to address however is one of the key criticisms levelled by the board’s critics, that being they have received interest payments to the tune of some £20million during their tenure – funds which many supporters feel could have been better invested in the club and its infrastructure. He also neglects to point out that the 4% interest rate charged on the loans provided by himself and partner Sullivan’s were only reduced from 7% following hefty criticism from supporters in 2017 – a change which, according to estimates at the time could have benefitted the club to the tune of some £1.5million per annum.
Gold, who celebrated his 86th birthday back in September previously referred to critics of his tenure at the club as “belligerents” and “morons”.
And despite the continuing calls for the current board’s replacement from sections of the fanbase, he remains steadfastly opposed to those who disapprove of his record at West Ham – claiming that he and Sullivan have adhered to every single pledge they made in May 2010. “Beyond our initial £100m investment, we have done everything we can to live up to the pledge we made when taking over the club,” he insists. “I feel we have made good on all of those points [made in our original 10-point pledge]. “Some may have taken us longer than others, but we have delivered on all ten.”
Gold on… Daniel Kretinsky
“We felt the time was right to bring in a new investor in Daniel Kretinsky. From my point of view the decision to bring in Daniel was with a look to the future. We felt the time was right to introduce some younger blood onto the board. “I have been hugely impressed with Daniel in all of my dealings with him. He is not only an extremely successful and driven businessman but he is also a true football fan, with a longstanding connection to Sparta Prague. Ultimately, Daniel, David Sullivan and myself all want the same thing, to build on the success we’ve had as a club over the last two years, and I believe that with the three of us now working together, we are in a better position to do that. “The resources that he has at his disposal will no doubt be of benefit to the club but more than that I think we have a highly intelligent and ambitious new director. Times certainly are changing and I am excited as to where the next stage of the adventure will lead us.”
Gold on… Manuel Pellegrini
“Bringing in Manuel Pellegrini and his team was a hugely ambitious move, one that ultimately didn’t pay off – but that was not through lack of financial support on our part. “I had reservations about bringing in Manuel Pellegrini. Not because I didn’t like him but because I was a big fan of David Moyes and felt he deserved the chance to take us forward. But everyone was very excited about the opportunity to bring in Pellegrini and fulfilling our promise to bring in a world class manager. “We gave him everything he asked for and backed him to the tune of £100m in the transfer market. It should have seen us make great st rides forward. And while I’m certainly not looking to cast blame or analyse mistakes, I don’t think the failure to progress was down to a lack of ambition or investment on our part. “We backed our manager’s judgement. Pellegrini and Husillos identified a list of targets and we went after them. And whilst there were undoubtedly some good signings, unfortunately far too many of them failed to live up to expectation or promise. “Ultimately Pellegrini’s time at the club, unfortunately, was not the success we had hoped it might be. A catastrophic run of results, which were in no small part down to the manager’s perseverance with Roberto in goal, saw us sitting in the relegation zone a position that did not befit our investment and backing. We felt a change was necessary, before our position became irretrievable. So we acted decisively and turned once again to David Moyes to rescue us.”
Gold on… David Moyes
“Prior to David Moyes’ first full season in charge the club had only finished in the top six of the top flight twice in the last 35 years! The 202021 season was also the first time we genuinely challenged for a Champions League place, and with the revenue that finishing in the top four now generates, it is harder than ever before to break into. That’s why, in my opinion, that season was such a triumph.
“The fantastic job David Moyes has done since he was reappointed in December 2019 is nothing short of magnificent. To take the squad to Europa League semi finals within two years, says as much about his ability as a manager as it does about his character. He h as built an incredible team spirit and has managed to get the very best out of the players.
“David’s dedication and attention to detail are beyond comparison. Every day, he walks into the training ground, obsessed with how he can improve the club in any way possible. There have been some fantastic moments for Hammers fans to enjoy over the last two years. The excitement comes from the fact that we are now going into games against big clubs with a different mentality. As a team, we now have the belief that we can compete with anyone.”
David Gold’s autobiography may be acquired, free of charge, from his personal website.
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Moyes expecting a quiet January
By Staff Writer
KUMB.com
Thursday, 22nd December 2022
David Moyes says he isn’t expecting to do much business this January. Having introduced players worth in the region of £150million during the last transfer window, that the manager isn’t planning on another spending spree should come as no surprise – especially as the club have been hinting that there will be little to nothing to spend in recent weeks. Yet he admitted that should injuries continue to pile up – the likes of Nayef Aguerd, Kurt Zouma and Maxwel Cornet are all unavailable at present – the club may act to fill any glaring shortages.
“I don’t really expect this January to be busy,” he told whufc.com. “But you ever can tell? “What I do think is that the club did really well with its business in the summer. We brought in nine players, and it’s more than you would normally want to bring in. “But having lost a few players and knowing a couple were probably going on loan, if we didn’t replace them we would have been short. We were really short on numbers last year so bringing in nine is more than you’d really want to bring in. Then, getting them settled in is not easy. “I don’t expect there to be a great deal of business in January – maybe injuries, maybe something else comes into it, which changes our thinking as we go along. But I just wouldn’t see us doing an awful lot.”
West Ham and Moyes’ first game back is as tough as they come, with an away trip to current Premier League leaders Arsenal awaiting. And the boss is under no illusion that it will be a difficult task for his injury-affected squad. “It’s a really tough game to come back to,” he warned. “With them being in the form they were in, they’ll be desperate to try and get off to the same start. “We need to try and show that we are improved and we need to get our international players back and ready to play, because we’ve got a really important second half of the season coming up. “We want to play well for the fans, but we have to remember the level we’re going to play. Arsenal at the moment are doing so well. “We played well there last year and were a bit unlucky. There has been some really interesting games [between the teams] so hopefully we can give them a really good game.”
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Arsenal v West Ham United
BBC.co.uk
[Arsenal’s Oleksandr Zinchenko]
Oleksandr Zinchenko is hopeful of recovering from a muscle injury to feature against West Ham
TEAM NEWS
Arsenal hope to have both Oleksandr Zinchenko and Takehiro Tomiyasu fit following minor injuries. Emile Smith Rowe is close to a return but Gabriel Jesus recently had knee surgery and Reiss Nelson is injured.
West Ham strikers Gianluca Scamacca and Michail Antonio could miss out because of respective ankle and calf problems. Moroccan central defender Nayef Aguerd, who suffered both illness and injury during the World Cup, will also be assessed.
[Arsenal are looking to win four consecutive league matches without conceding for the first time since 2014.]
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
* Arsenal have lost just two of their past 28 Premier League games against West Ham (W21, D5).
* The Hammers have lost 11 of their last 12 league away matches against the Gunners, the exception being a 2-0 victory on the opening weekend of the 2015-16 season.
* This will be a third meeting between the two sides on Boxing Day. Arsenal won the previous two: 1-0 at home in 1998 and 3-1 away in 2013.
Arsenal
* Arsenal could equal a club record by winning their first seven Premier League home games in a season. They are on a run of nine straight home league victories dating back to last season.
* The Gunners have won 10 Boxing Day home fixtures in a row and are unbeaten in 13 since losing to Nottingham Forest in 1987.
* They are top of the table at Christmas for the first time since 2007. However, they failed to win the title on each of the last five occasions that happened.
* The only team to have a lead of at least five points on Christmas Day and not go on to win the Premier League title was Newcastle United in 1995-96.
* Arsenal are the only side to have scored in every Premier League match this season, while they also have the joint-best defensive record.
* This match is three years to the day since Mikel Arteta’s first game as manager of Arsenal, a 1-1 Premier League draw at Bournemouth.
* Eddie Nketiah has 10 goals in his last 10 starts at home in all competitions.
West Ham United
* West Ham are in danger of losing four consecutive Premier League games in a season for the first time since the start of the 2018-19 campaign.
* Eleven away league defeats in 2022 is their most in a calendar year since losing 12 in 2013.
* The Hammers have just one win and three goals from their seven away league fixtures this season.
* Defeat would leave them with 10 defeats from their first 16 Premier League games for the first time since the 2006-07 campaign.
* West Ham’s solitary victory in their past eight Boxing Day matches was 4-1 at Swansea City in 2016.
* David Moyes has lost 17 away games in all competitions against Arsenal, more than against any other opponent.
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Moyes was the only one I listened to
By Staff Writer
KUMB.com
Saturday, 24th December 2022
Marko Arnautovic has revealed how current West Ham manager David Moyes was the only coach able to command his respect. The former Austrian international built a reputation as something of a troublemaker during his early career and arrived at West Ham in 2017 after handing in a transfer request at Stoke City. And speaking in a fresh interview, the 33-year-old admitted that he was unable to be tamed – until he arrived at West Ham and began working with the Scot. “In my youth I messed up,” he told Gazzetta dello Sport. “I did shit, I did everything what was going through my head. I had talent but nobody wanted me. Austria [Wien] and Rapid [Wien] sent me back to sender. “When I was very young I thought that only my father and my mother could tame me. ‘Who the fuck are you? What do you want? You’re not my father,’ I used to reply to the coach on duty when he admonished me for something. Now I regret the discipline I didn’t have. “David Moyes at West Ham was the only one who changed my mind. I really don’t know how he did it. Jose Mourinho had me at Milan but together with [Mario] Balotelli we made trouble, jokes and teased our teammates.”
Yet the former bad boy of Austrian football claims he has finally settled down – having become a father himself. “Now I’m always at home, you’ll never see me out at night,” he insisted. “My daughters have changed me, I have big responsibilities. On Friday evenings, if I’m not away with the team we play cards or Monopoly.”
And since having moved to Bologna, where he has spent the last two years ‘Arnie’ – as he was known by the West Ham faithful during his two seasons in Stratford – claims he is now setting an example to the youngsters. “[Former Bologna star Marco] Di Vaio says I’m an example on and off the pitch,” he added. “Though I let the leaders do the talking. I don’t talk in the locker room, I speak on the pitch .”
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