Opinion Pieces
Match Reports
vs Manchester City
- Wednesday, 16th January 2008
Alan Curbishley and the FA Cup have never exactly seen eye to eye. The West Ham manager has rarely tended to progress too far in the competition, either with Charlton or his current club, and Manchester City ended ambitions this year thanks to Elano's headed winner.
vs Manchester City
- Saturday, 5th January 2008
This wasn't exactly the rip-roaring classic the FA Cup might have required from two Premier League teams, but despite the lack of goals, it was by no means drab. West Ham and Manchester City could probably do without the replay in ten days time back on City's patch, but stout defensive displays from each team rendered their hopes valueless.
vs Manchester United
- Saturday, 29th December 2007
Funny game, football. West Ham, injury ravaged and without a home win since 21st October against struggling Sunderland. Manchester United, League Champions and current leaders. You'd have thought there could only be one result, but sometimes these matches don't play out as expected. Cristiano Ronaldo miss a penalty? One for the collector's book, as were two late headed goals from Anton Ferdinand and Matthew Upson which proved decisive.
vs Reading
- Wednesday, 26th December 2007
Christmas is a time to surround yourself with familiar surroundings and friendly faces, not an occasion to travel away from home. Just try telling that to West Ham though. Perched in ninth place now, which is a far cry from last year's relegation struggle, they are fluent on their travels yet invariably stutter at Upton Park, to the increasing agitation of their supporters.
vs Everton
- Saturday, 15th December 2007
Everton may well be looking into arrangements to stay holed up in East London for good. They certainly find these parts inspiring enough it seems. Just three days ago, the West Ham defence were combining to gift Yakubu a last minute winner in the Carling Cup, and the Hammers backline were just as accomodating to the Nigerian in the league too.
vs Reading
- Saturday, 1st September 2007
Reading were never in more danger of conceding in this game than when they were in West Ham’s half. Foolish as that may sound, they consistently left themselves open to the swift counter attacks of the away side- and the acres of space were eagerly capitalised upon by Matthew Etherington and Craig Bellamy.
vs Wigan Athletic
- Saturday, 25th August 2007
Wigan usually win at Upton Park, comfortably triumphing here in their last three visits. Of course West Ham return the compliment at Wigan, but it had begun to appear that the pair had agreed an ongoing pact as overly welcoming hosts. It remains to be seen whether yesterday's draw will send the universe into a state of flux however.
vs Manchester City
- Saturday, 11th August 2007
New season, same old story for West Ham. After the bluster, the promises and the Five-Year-Plans, it's taken just one game for a worrying reality to step in. Sven Goran Eriksson's new look Manchester City administered the dosage, providing a telling reminder of last season's woes.
vs Wigan Athletic
- Saturday, 28th April 2007
Relegation battles are meant to be nervy affairs, littered with sloppiness and errors. Someone should have told West Ham. Alan Curbishley will surely rue his side's inability to play like this over the rest of the season, so comfortable were they in dispatching a woeful Wigan outfit.
vs Middlesbrough
- Saturday, 31st March 2007
So, a modicum of hope has been installed for West Ham's fight against relegation. Is it worse this way?
vs Fulham
- Saturday, 13th January 2007
Six goals, a red card and Graham Poll- exciting stuff. Yet still West Ham fans left Upton Park utterly deflated, after Phillipe Christanval's first goal for Fulham deep into injury time denied them what would have been an invaluable win in their battle to beat the drop.
vs Portsmouth
- Tuesday, 26th December 2006
So that's it then - the honeymoon period lasted just two games for Alan Curbishley, who will now be under no illusions about the difficulty of reversing West Ham's stuttering fortunes. Make no mistake, this is a relegation dogfight, and Curbishley requries hardier souls than the team currently possesses.
vs Everton
- Sunday, 3rd December 2006
First half good, second half not so good for West Ham at injury-hit Everton. Goals from Leon Osman and James Vaughan were enough to see off the East Londoners, who left Goodison Park wondering how they managed to lose a game they mostly dominated for long periods.
vs Chelsea
- Saturday, 18th November 2006
If the Premiership is truly the best league in the world then Sky Sports may wish to destroy all evidence that this match ever took place, perhaps in a Soviet Union Big Brother-esque restyling of history. They could probably ask Russian Roman Abramovich for tips on how to accomplish it.
vs Manchester City
- Saturday, 23rd September 2006
On Thursday West Ham travel to Sicily for their UEFA Cup game against Palermo, where they will attempt to overcome a one goal defecit. Based on their woeful showing today against Manchester City, they needn't bother.
vs Newcastle United
- Sunday, 17th September 2006
One day Glenn Roeder may explain to the world why he presumed the Upton Park crowd would find it funny when he decided to wind them up at the end of Newcastle’s comfortable 2-0 win. The Newcastle manager was in charge of the West Ham side relegated three years ago, and the support has found it hard to forget.