Blowing bubbles %2363 october 2016 by terry jonas

INSIDE: Curbishley, Zaza, Antonio, Fletcher, Arbeloa, Lanzini, Fernandes & Defoe

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OCTOBER 2016 #63 £3

Fighting in the stands & a team who can’t defend

PERFECT STORM

What next for West Ham and Slaven Bilic?

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Even us optimists are downing our half-full glasses right now A sk anyone I know and they’ll tell you I’m an optimist and that my glass is always half full. Even after watching us labour against Bournemouth, be swept aside by Man City and endure an embarrassing Europa League exit, I was still confident last month would have been Super September. How wrong could I have been? If the Watford and West Brom defeats weren’t bad enough, the confidence-sapping loss against Southampton tempted me to reach for the glass and down the rest of my optimism.

But in Slaven Bilic I trust. I really do. Every month in a Premier League season is important but if we’ve got any ambition to avoid being involved in a relegation battle this campaign, we must pick up a sackful of points in October. At the magazine we always try to be upbeat and positive about the club we love but it’s tough at the moment. My thanks to former manager Alan Curbishley for providing a bit of a distraction. His interview with Julian Shea is absolutely fascinating. He covers Icelandic owners, Carlos Tevez

and why he could have done something really special before it all went wrong for him. It’s a real page-turner, as is our chat with the voice of Formula One, David Croft, on his passion for West Ham. I know it’s tough right now but keep the faith. If you’re looking for any positives after Second-best September, you needn’t look much further than Mark Noble. ‘I don’t think it can get any worse’, he told the media after the game. He knows he plays for West Ham right?

David

The big interview: Alan Curbishley

‘It should never have ended like it did for me at West Ham’ Alan Curbishley on Icelandic owners, Carlos Tevez and why he could have done something really special before it all went wrong for him

JULIAN SHEA @juliansheasport

ot many football fans are lucky enough to grow up to play for the club they love. Even fewer to manage that club. But to do both? Well that takes something and someone special – someone like Alan Curbishley. Despite having clinched both these dream jobs, however, the 58-year-old told Blowing Bubbles that both his stints at Upton Park were tinged with regret. They were both too short. ‘West Ham’s always been a huge part of my life,’ said Curbishley, who has just written a book ‘Game Changers’ with journalist Kevin Brennan, about how football has changed over the course of the last four decades, ‘I joined as a kid in the early 70s and in those

Young: Alan Curbishley in his playing days days, before academies, every team had a core of home-grown players. ‘As a youngster, I was playing in the South East Counties League against the likes of David O’Leary and Frank Stapleton at Arsenal, John Wark, George Burley and Alan Brazil at Ipswich, Ray Wilkins and Tommy Langley at Chelsea – all of whom were given a chance

in the first team and went on to become club stalwarts. ‘At West Ham, my contemporaries were Paul Brush, Alvin Martin and Geoff Pike. We all came up together and made it to the top. ‘Maybe in those days, managers felt they had more of a duty to the club to give youngsters a chance, which is something you don’t see

so much these days. But I think my problem was that I got into the first team too early.’ When John Lyall handed Curbishley his debut in March 1975, aged just 17, standing in for captain Billy Bonds, he was, at the time, the club’s youngest ever player. But despite such a promising start, things did not work out as well as hoped. ‘I wasn’t sure John had that much faith in me as a player, though, and eventually it got to the stage where if he’d said two and two made four, I’d say it made five – we just didn’t get on. ‘Once freedom of contract came along, that was it – at the age of 21, I was off to Birmingham, where I then proceeded to play the best football of my career, but I really regret leaving. ‘If I hadn’t done, and I’d produced that form for West Ham instead of Birmingham, I don’t think I’d ever have left. ‘It’s a lesson I’ve always remembered, and whenever I’ve had any young players who have felt unhappy about the fact

Outspoken: Alan Curbishley has plenty to say about his time at West Ham

I’ve not picked them, it’s a story I’ve told them. I know how it feels, I’ve been there – and I made the wrong decision.’ Having been given his debut shortly before the 1975 FA Cup final, Curbishley left the Boleyn in April 1979, a year before West Ham reached the Cup final again – a game where his former youth team colleagues Brush, Martin and Pike all picked up winners’ medals. And the FA Cup cropped up again when he returned to his spiritual home in December 2006 as manager, inheriting the squad predecessor Alan Pardew had taken so close to winning the trophy just seven months earlier, in an epic final against Liverpool. To many neutrals, Curbishley will always be synonymous with Charlton, the club he managed for 15 years. But with mentions of West Ham on its first and last pages, and including as it does interviews with Mark Noble, David Sullivan, Rio Ferdinand, Ray Winstone, Harry Redknapp

Early days: Curbishley with Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger in his Charlton days

and Bobby Barnes, Game Changers proves he has always been an Iron at heart, so maybe a return to his old stomping ground was destined to happen. ‘When Harry [Redknapp] left West Ham [in May 2001], that was an opportunity to go there but I never saw

Big spender: Freddie Ljungberg was signed under Eggert Magnusson

that coming and I’d just signed a long-term contract with Charlton a week before - it never materialised and Glenn Roeder got the job instead,’ he explained. ‘But when I left Charlton [in 2006] and had six months off, I was in a position that if anything happened I’d be available. ‘West Ham got rid of Pardew [ironically his last game was a loss to Bolton, managed by future Irons boss Sam Allardyce] and when they approached me, I thought this was perfect. I wasn’t coming back as a revered old player, I was coming back as a proven quantity as a manager.

I was ready and experienced enough – this was the job for me.’ Alas, once again, fate had a hand in bringing a premature end to Curbishley’s time at West Ham as he walked into one of the most turbulent periods in the club’s history. ‘The team had had a great season the year before, so I couldn’t really work out what the problem was and why they were playing so badly,’ he said. ‘I spoke to the people running the club [new Icelandic owners Björgólfur Guðmundsson and Eggert Magnusson] and they were very gung-ho

and enthusiastic, and my first game was a 1-0 win over Manchester United, followed by a draw at Fulham. I wondered what all the fuss was about – but then we went eight games without a win again!’ One of the main issues Curbishley had to deal with when he took over at West Ham was what to do with two players whose stay at the club was less than a season, but whose names have gone done in club folklore; Argentine loan duo Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano. ‘As they were only loan signings, my initial thought was that if they were going to go into the side, then two players from the team who had done so well the previous season would have to be shunted to the bench, and that would mean moving on two players from there who would be pushed even further out, so my priority was to speak to them and find out how they felt about things,’ he explained. ‘Mascherano spoke a little bit of English, and although he’d been playing more than Tevez, he’d picked up an injury and also suffered food poisoning, so it was clear straight away that he wanted to leave. ‘Tevez, on the other hand, didn’t speak any English and hadn’t been playing, but seemed happy to stay and give it a go. That helped clear things up a bit; I’d

Irons’ key moments under Curbs

Hero: Carlos Tevez played a key role in West Ham’s great escape walked into a relegation battle, and as manager, I wanted to focus on players who actually wanted to play.’ For all the high hopes that accompanied Tevez in his time at the club, however, the supposedly inspirational playmaker had only had a limited impact as the team slid deeper and deeper into trouble until he finally found the net in a 4-3 home loss to Tottenham. And despite the result,

that was when, finally, things began to click. ‘I was never put under any pressure by anyone to pick Tevez, but until that game, he hadn’t scored for 20 games – how is that possible for a player like him? ‘Beforehand, we had a talk – he was a great hard-working player, who would run all over the place and even put in tackles in defence, but he wasn’t getting in the box enough to do what

Former Charlton Athletic manager Alan Curbishley replaced Alan Pardew as West Ham boss in December 2006 with the club battling relegation. He started his reign with a 1-0 win over Manchester United at Upton Park, but a run of 11 games without a victory left the club requiring a miracle. However, Carlos Tevez inspired the Hammers to seven wins out of their last nine games, including wins over Arsenal and United on the last day of the season which kept West Ham up. The 2007–08 season was relatively successful, as Curbs led the club to a top-10 finish despite long-term injuries to many key players including Scott Parker, Craig Bellamy, Kieron Dyer and Julien Faubert. Curbishley was unhappy with the club’s transfer policy the following summer though and, after key players Anton Ferdinand and George McCartney were sold against his will he resigned on 2 September 2008.

we really wanted him to do, so I told him to ease up on the other stuff and frankly be a bit more selfish. I knew the 11 I wanted to play, and even though we lost that game against Spurs, finally seeing him do what we’d signed him to do clarified things in my mind. He’d found a situation he was happy with, and everyone else around him responded.’ Although it is the Argentine’s name which will forever be associated with the Great Escape, as his scoring and assisting run fired up the team, Curbishley is keen to point out the contribution of others – ‘we had a lot of clean sheets in that run-in, so Robert Green had a lot to do with it too’ – and says consistent team selection was vital in keeping survival hopes alive heading into the last game. Manchester United. Away. ‘We’d caused United a few headaches over the years, so I knew their fans really wanted to put one over on us. One of my strongest memories is of coming out for the second half and hearing the Stretford End singing “Send them down”,’ he explained. ‘Tevez scored the goal that kept us up, and my overriding memory of the day is getting on the coach afterwards and thinking “I can’t go through that again – and as long as I’m at this club, I don’t expect the team will have to, either.” We’d had some remarka-

Loss: Alan Curbishley wanted to build his team around Dean Ashton

WIN A COPY OF AL’S BOOK

We have two copies of Alan Curbishley’s book ‘Game Changers’ to give away. To have a chance of winning Tweet ‘#CURBS’ to @WestHamMagazine or email editor@blowing-bubbles.co.uk ble results in that run-in to get out of trouble, and I was just relieved that I could now start to think about other things.’ What happened that day should have been the start of great things

for Curbishley at Upton Park, but once again, before he would have chosen, a little over a season later, he was on his way out of West Ham. ‘Having stayed up, we

then finished tenth next season – my recruitment brief for the summer after that was to bring in players, ideally around 25, with Champions League experience who would attract other players to the club, so that’s what I did bringing in the likes of Craig Bellamy, Scott Parker and Julien Faubert, people who I hoped would be around for a while and help build something,’ he said. ‘At the start of that following season, though, we had lots of injuries, and there were

things going on to do with transfers [George McCartney and Anton Ferdinand were both sold against Curbishley’s wishes], so I realised I had to either make a stand or hand over my power as manager,’ he said. ‘I was so disappointed - I’d waited so long to get a club like West Ham and everything that goes with it, but for that to happen, I couldn’t see a way out of it. I pleaded with the club’s owners not to do it but when it happened, I didn’t have any option but to leave. ‘When I meet West Ham fans, they thank me about staying up but I don’t think they realise that when I left, I was on the verge of building a big side, with players like Bellamy, Parker, Dean Ashton and Matthew Upson. We all thought we had a chance of attacking the top six. It should never have ended that way, it was so avoidable.’ Exit stage left once again. But there was one shining positive that emerged from Curbishley’s time as manager who plays a key role in Game Changers and at the club to this day: Mark Noble. ‘During the great escape, I put him in the team for the game against Spurs, where we lost 4-3 to a last-gasp goal, and it was only when I saw the highlights after the game that I noticed he was down on his haunches, almost

Same background: Curbishley says Mark Noble had a similar childhood to his own

in tears – that’s how much it meant to him,’ said Curbishley. ‘When we won at Old Trafford on the last day to stay up, he was the first one sprinting across the pitch to jump on the coaching staff. There aren’t many players left these days like that, so that’s why, when I wanted to get the players’ view for the book, I spoke to him. ‘Mark’s the ideal person to talk to. He’s come up through a big club, been sent out on loan, thought his chance had gone, then really grabbed it when it’s

finally come along. Fans love players like that, and talking to him, his gratitude to be a footballer comes through.’ Curbishley also admits to there being a bit of similarity between the pair of them. ‘At one time the site for the new stadium was possibly going to be near West Ham station, so I drove down there with my assistant Glynn Snodin, and on the way I pointed out my old house, and Mark’s, and my school, and they were all so close – it’s a local thing.’ The local factor in

terms of West Ham is clearly something that means a lot to Curbishley, born as he was just down the road from Upton Park in Canning Town, and also explains why, for Game Changers’ section about club owners, he spoke to current club co-owner David Sullivan. ‘The idea behind Game Changers is to look at all the different roles of people in the game – from young apprentice players up to club owners, via psychologists, agents and pundits – so they can explain to

Lucky: Alan Curbishley says West Ham are very fortunate to have David Gold and David Sullivan in charge

fans what part they play and give an insight into what they do and how they operate,’ Curbishley explained. ‘Club ownership is something that has changed massively in my time in the game, and David Sullivan is one of a dying breed. ‘It’s so rare to find a chairman these days who’s a fan who’s done good and come back to buy the club he loves – so many owners now just look upon a club as part of a franchise; in many cases, they don’t even bother going to games, let alone that you would have any chance to talk to them. ‘When I was interviewing David for the book last summer, he was

telling me how he had a big deal in the offing and was really excited, but he couldn’t tell me who it was. It turned out to be Dimitri Payet. ‘You don’t see that kind of genuine enthusiasm from many owners these days. ‘West Ham fans are so lucky in that in Sullivan and David Gold, they’ve got two people who really have the club close to their heart. ‘I think I could have worked with them – maybe if they’d been in charge when I was at the club, I would never have left.’ Sadly, however, Curbishley did leave West Ham, and he admits the unhappy circumstances

of his departure have taken their toll. Despite being one of the first names linked with pretty much every managerial vacancy that has come up since, citing some of the reasons and developments that Game Changers addresses, Curbishley hints that a return to the hot seat looks increasingly unlikely. ‘I think I’ve been out a bit long now. The whole West Ham business was something that should never have happened, and it took me a year to sort out,’ he said. ‘I was always warned not to be out of the game for too long as your record is forgotten. Since then the opportunities

that came along haven’t been right. I’ve been offered Championship stuff but I’ve done that I wanted Premier League jobs. ‘There was one job where I spoke to a chairman three times and I thought I had it but someone else got it, so I lost my enthusiasm a bit after that. If anything Premier League came along, I’d go for it but with new owners in charge maybe I’m forgotten. My record’s not too bad, not many can match me in terms of the number of matches managed. Few managers would be given the chance to accumulate those numbers these days.’ BBM

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Your shout

Email: editor@blowing-bubbles.co.uk

‘We stewards are not to blame for all the new stadium issues’ I know very little about football, and I have never attended a football match in my life. But I have learnt quite a lot in the last few weeks about the mindset of a football fan and how it differs vastly from that of a rugby fan, which is a game I am passionate about. I have been working as a steward at the London Stadium, more often than not at the West Ham home games. I have listened to many of the fans’ gripes as they enter and leave the stadium and I read with interest Alex Shilling’s comments about the crowd control issues that the fans are not happy about. Alex is right on one point about the crowd control – ‘if you get a couple of idiots pushing and shoving, chaos ensues’. But he’s wrong on many levels about the crowd control being ‘a nonsense’. In terms of the actual problem of trying to safely ensure that 50,000 to 60,000 people can arrive and leave the football match without too much bloodshed, crowd control is not a nonsense. So far it has been

@easycartoons relatively successful. Yes there are the few idiots who refuse to wait 30 seconds to let a backlog of a couple of thousand people entering the Stratford tube station entrance to safely step on to the next tube/train ‘I need to catch my train’. Really? This is quite a ridiculous excuse to use to start giving people abuse. What do they want to do? Push a few hundred people onto the railway track so they can catch the earlier train.

LETTER OF THE MONTH Most of the stewards and the security guards are football fans and all they want to do is ensure that fans get home safely after the match. As they would want to do if it was their own team playing. If anyone can come up with a better solution to the red and green stop/ go signs I am sure the independent security firms working outside the London Stadium would welcome their suggestions. Lena Walton

Slaven Bilic is still right for us West Ham’s start to the season has been nothing short of a disaster. The recent performances have simply not been good enough and if we don’t up our game soon we will be drawn into a long relegation battle. But one thing I’m sure about is that sacking Slaven Bilic is not the answer. The Croatian did a fantastic job last season and is clearly hugely knowledgeable about the game. At this stage he needs support and time – and certainly not his P45. Mark Townsend

Zaza could be a massive flop As a general rule I don’t like judging players after one or two games but in Simone Zaza’s case I’ll make an exception. The lump was signed from Juventus with a big reputation but in my book he is no better than Carlton Cole. In fact he is worse than CFC as at least Carlton made an effort. As far as I’m concerned the sooner Andy Carroll is fit the better, then we can send the donkey back to Italy. I’d even pay the airfare myself. If only we had got Alexandre Lacazette! Steve Collins

GEORGE

PARRIS

THE HAMMERS’ HERO PULLS NO PUNCHES IN HIS EXCLUSIVE COLUMN

Quick! Call the police

Injured: The Hammers have really missed the injured Aaron Cresswell

Cresswell’s reputation has soared while away W

est Ham’s defence has beeen very open and it’s been a real worry. To score twice against Watford and West Brom but lose both has been hard to take, and Slaven Bilic must be scratching his head wondering what has gone wrong. I suppose only time will tell if this has been down to us not having Aaron Cresswell and - to an extent - Carl Jenkinson or a permanment, experienced right back. There are some players who you don’t know

how good they are until they are injured and out of the side. Cresswell is incredibly steady and his absense could be key to explaining why we’ve been so poor. At the moment it feels like every little mistake being made is being punished but players are making poor decisions at the wrong time. You’d have hoped after the defeats to Chelsea and Manchester City - games we probably weren’t realistically expecting to win with the amount of money

they have spent over the summer - that we would have kicked on. When you looked at the fixture list for September you’d have hoped for between four and six points from the Watford and West Brom games but now is the time for the boys to show character. One thing is certain, however, with the quality we have in the squad we should be doing a lot, lot better. Hopefully September won’t have dented our confidence too much.

There were always going to be teething issues with the new stadium but the most alarming problem for me is the lack of police presence. It really is quite a worry. I’m not sure if them not being in the ground, means they are still in the area and have a team on standby to kick into action if anything does happen, but without being in the stadium, incidents could flare up and esclate before they are anywhere near the scene. This has to be sorted out soon. The trouble is the onus is on the stadium owners and not the club but I hope the chairmen and Karren Brady are pushing for this to happen sooner rather than later. There have already been a few worrying incidents and with respect to Bournemouth, Watford and Southampton, we’ve not had a major game there yet.

Pub talk

Blowing Bubbles’ top writers settle down to put the world to rights... West Ham’s League Cup campaign kicked off with a late win over Accrington Stanley last month but the competition was characterised by Premier League teams playing their B teams to half-empty stadiums. Is it time the competition was scrapped? Emily Pulham: No, absolutely not. It gives lower-league teams a tremendous opportunity to get gate receipts and make money from televised games. For some clubs, this can be a financial lifeline, plus they have the chance to go as far in the competition as their legs will take them. That’s exciting! Kiran Moodley: I don’t think it should be scrapped just because larger clubs have started to give priority to

Target: West Ham should aim to win the League Cup this year other tournaments and competitions. Something needs to be done to enhance the status of the cup, although I am not sure what that is. But still, this is a trophy that is more attainable than the FA Cup and gives smaller clubs a chance of European football. Julian Shea: If the snobs think it’s below them, then fine, we’ll

have a go at winning it thanks. Although it’s a chance to give some of the kids a go too, fielding a seriously weakened team is asking for trouble. It’s a trip to Wembley and a chance to win something up for grabs. If we want to start building a new era, then cups and success matter as they make a winning mentality.

Danny Rust: No. The League Cup is a good opportunity for lower-league sides to test themselves against top-flight opposition. Although many Premier League sides play their second string side, it gives some of the sides that don’t win trophies very often a good chance to contest for a leading trophy. So sides outside of the ‘Big Five’, teams should perhaps take the competition more seriously. The Hammers face Chelsea in the next round. Is this just the sort of game West Ham needed to make the Olympic Stadium feel like home? EP: Depends on the scoreline but yes! The atmosphere has the potential to be electric, gritty and passionate and

it could be exactly what we need. Just please let’s make sure the barriers are sorted out in time! They looked better for Accrington Stanley, but we can’t take chances. KM: I’m not sure this is the game the operators wanted so early in the season. So it’s less about making the OS feel like home as it is about ensuring the game goes off without any trouble. The fans will surely be up for it, but will the players? They were tepid and uninspiring at Stamford Bridge earlier in the season. JS: From every point of view, both on and off the pitch, this will be the stadium’s biggest game so far. A win over Chelsea would produce an atmosphere in the ground greater than any seen so far, give the whole season a huge feeling of lift-off, and would definitely make people feel a bit more at home there. DR: A London derby under the lights is exactly what we need to feel at home. Poor performances, being knocked out of the Europa League and a capitulation against Watford have contributed to the moans and groans around the stadium. A night game against Chelsea is a fantastic opportunity to put it right. Are fans standing at games within their rights or are they being unfair to their fellow supporters? EP: I’m pleased that our

Blues’ boss: Antonio Conte will be bringing his Chelsea team to London Stadium this month

co-chairman is actively campaigning for safe standing and that the club is already pro-actively moving people around to ensure that the standers are in the unofficial standing sections and the sitters are in the sitting sections. KM: It’s a tough one. I understand the argument that they just need to sit for a couple of games before things can change, but the questions is - how long will that be? Will you ever be

able to safely stand in the ground? The key thing is the planning: the owners have talked about this move for years, it’s been planned, we had to choose our seats over a year ago so why was none of this foreseen? JS: They may have got away with it at Upton Park because people weren’t so fussed, but it was actually against the rules there too, and has been for years. You might want to stand all game, but you might also

want to scream abuse at the top of your lungs for 90 minutes – you don’t have a right to, though. There’s plenty that can be improved about the new stadium, this silly distraction doesn’t help. DR: It’s a bit of both. It was tradition to stand in the Bobby Moore Stand lower tier at the Boleyn Ground and I think it should have been the same at London Stadium. Then, when supporters were buying their season tickets, fans

should have been told that the Bobby Moore Stand lower tier would remain an area where supporters are allowed to stand, while all other supporters must sit. West Ham’s defence has looked all over the place at times, what can be done to sort it out? EP: Pray. Also, possibly, some team building exercises. There’s something definitely wrong with the communication and the cover for each other. They aren’t supporting each other or even aware of each other and it’s just all collapsing. KM: I’m not sure. I’ve been worried about the defence not just this year but last year. Although everyone was on such a high last season, they didn’t want to contemplate the thought that Slav and Julian are slightly clueless when it comes to organising a defence. I mean we let in four goals against Norwich and Swansea City. JS: Aaron Cresswell can get fit again and restore a sense of normality! It’s not helped that others along side him have lost form, but he was one of the absolute rocks on which the last two seasons have been built, and when he returns, the whole will be much more than the sum of its parts. Hopefully Arbeloa will finally sort out right back, and the centre backs will finally realise the season’s begun. DR: Slaven Bilic was a

Gone? James Collins’ days in the West Ham team could be numbered

fantastic defender during his playing career, so he is the right man to turn this around. A big problem has been the absence of Aaron Cresswell. The left back has been a regular for West Ham in each of the last two seasons and is not only a good defender, but also fantastic going forward. Cresswell will improve us at the back. Sam Byram, at right back, will improve over time. James Collins has struggled so far this season. Are the ‘Ginger Pele’s days numbered? EP: To be fair, everyone has struggled this season. Get him playing

regularly with Angelo Ogbonna again and he’ll come good. If he doesn’t, Nordvelt put in a really good show at CB against Accrington Stanley, so who knows! KM: Collins was always on his last legs. Last season he had some very, very good games, but at his age, he will never be consistent and it is unfair to rely on him at the back. I don’t think James Tomkins had a good season and can understand why he went, but to not have anyone in to replace him is shocking. Again, these problems were there last season. The manager has

had time to sort this out. JS: Yes. He looked past it early last season when he had a shocker against Watford, but maybe motivated by playing for Wales at Euro 2016, he turned things round and had a great second half of the campaign. DR: James Collins has had a few difficult games in recent weeks. He was particularly poor in the defeats to Watford and West Brom, but then again so was the whole of the defence and not just Collins. He looked good at Chelsea. Perhaps recent displays show that we were wrong to sell James Tomkins. BBM

This is Mark. Mark is great. He captains West Ham United and reads Blowing Bubbles. Subscribe today and you can be a little bit more like Mark.

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It is time West Ham honoured this true working class hero

e’s 70 years old and still going strong but, boy, don’t we need a Billy Bonds in our team right now? Bonzo made headlines last month for saying the London Stadium was not ‘a football stadium’, lacked atmosphere and that it would take time to adapt but he certainly didn’t write it off completely. His plea for fans to embrace our new home says a lot about the man and the kind of player he was. He was a force and someone who would pull everyone up by their boot straps. My earliest memories of him are of a commanding figure, a private man but very classy. He was very focused on the job he had and you speak to anyone he played with and they’ll say he was the best trainer and everyone looked up to him. He was old school, he never ducked out of a

Iconic: Billy Bonds would always play through the pain challenge but he could play as well. He had natural talent, could score goals and was comfortable with the ball at his feet. “Six foot two and eyes of blue” Bonds once had a persistent toe injury and was faced with an agonising decision. He could either end his

West Ham playing career or have the toe amputated, and get back into the team. The toe got the chop. Now that’s what you call a Hammers hero. He gave everything. in claret and blue and was the kind of captain that everyone would want in their team. He had

dignity and integrity and is the type of player that is sometimes lacking in today’s game. Don’t get me wrong, Bonzo did play for West Ham and we certainly didn’t win every game with him as captain. He had to endure some bad times but we had some of our best moments in our history with him at the club. As well as our players did last season, they seem to be missing a bit of direction and real leadership at the moment. We look a bit lost and I’d love to see a player like Bonzo playing in the claret and blue today. I know we are getting used to and settling into the new place but it hasn’t been the start that everyone would have wanted. Maybe Slaven Bilic is suffering a bit from the dreaded Second Season Syndrome. I’m hoping it’s just a tiny blip.

Yes, we got the first win at the stadium early on but it didn’t light any fires. Bonzo would have given them all a bit of a shake up. You don’t see anyone shouting on the pitch and getting their team mates as motivated as Bonzo did - maybe everyone is lacking a bit of confidence? He was a natural leader who was with us for 27 years as a player and manager and I can’t see that happening again at West Ham unless Mark Noble keeps going. What he did as captain was incredible and in my family he was our idol - my little brother was even named after him. I know there is a giant ‘Bonds’ number 4 shirt hanging up in our new

home and a stone has been laid in Champions Place but I feel there is more we can do to honour the great servant Billy Bonds that was to our club. I’m sure most fans would agree that he deserves the best. To me, he is up there with Bobby Moore and Sir Trevor Brooking with what he did for West Ham in terms of silverware, loyalty and giving everything. He was Hammer of the Year four times but the lifetime achievement award he was given in 2013 is not enough. I would urge the club to make sure they give Bonzo the recognition he deserves...one of the last, true working-class heroes. BBM

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Chelsea in the cup

Forget infighting, it is time to remember the real enemy...

Chelsea in the cup is exactly what West Ham fans need at Stratford Rivals: How can you hate your fellow Hammers when you are faced with this?

BRIAN WILLIAMS @BrainWill26

ou’re not happy, I can tell. You’ve not been happy all season, have you? You thought the move to the new stadium was going to herald a bright new dawn for our beloved Irons, but it just hasn’t turned out that way so far. If it’s any consolation, you’re not alone. It’s no secret that some of your fellow supporters are angry that they can’t stand up. Equally, others are upset because there are people directly in front of them defying the club’s instruction to remain seated and obstructing their view of the game. In some parts of the ground the atmosphere is toxic. West Ham United? We’re West Ham Divided right now. There are problems all over the place. A lot of season-ticket holders don’t like their new seats. Many

people feel the stewards are heavy-handed. Traditional match day rituals have had to be abandoned. Ben & Jerry’s doesn’t feel right in a football stadium. Popcorn is unthinkable. The kids that the new merchandise is aimed at appear to be bored out of their minds. Hardcore supporters sitting next to the little ’uns are having to mind their language while Havard Nordtveit

misdirects yet another pass. The only thing we seem able to agree on is that our early-season form is woeful. For many diehards the low point came when, for the first time in the club’s history, we started a game without a single Englishman in claret and blue as the Academy hopefuls – the lifeblood of the club – were overlooked in favour of a bunch of very ordinary

imports in a League Cup fixture. Happiness was certainly in very short supply in London E20 when Dimitri Payet stood over a 96th minute free kick against League Two small fry Accrington Stanley with the game still goalless. But his moment of brilliance has given us all a chance to forget the grumbles and shelve our differences by setting up a fourth-

round match that should unite us all. Cup ties – even League Cup ties – against one of our Billy Big Potatoes London rivals should be enough to remind any red-blooded Hammer why we watch football in the first place. Especially when the oversized vegetables in question belong to a Russian billionaire who has done more than anyone to convince supporters of all clubs that success can be bought at the expense of a club’s heart and soul. Chelsea. The very name ought to fill any West Ham supporter with revulsion. There may be much we don’t like about what is happening with our own club at the moment, but we really don’t like Chelsea. Not one bit. And now we have a chance to help them stick that blue flag of theirs where the sun don’t shine. I have my own reasons for disliking the Stamford Bridge club – I grew up in an area with a large Chelsea support and occasionally found myself in playground scraps for having the temerity to wear my West Ham colours. However, my childhood problems pale into insignificance when you look at what has happened in the Abramovich era. In the 13 years since the unholy Roman empire was established in West London, Chelsea have won a lorry-load of silverware – yet the way they have achieved that

success has made them one of the most despised clubs in the country. It’s hard to put your finger on what, precisely, constitutes “class” at a football club. I see it as a combination of style and the ability to handle success. Liverpool certainly had it in their heyday. Leeds didn’t. Man Utd, under Busby, had class; under Ferguson, not so much. Arsenal, for all their annoying ways, have always been a classy set up. Chelsea never have been and never will be. Here at West Ham, the argument in favour of moving to the new ground was that it will eventually provide the funds for better players and more success. We all want to see that, but we must make sure our identity isn’t buried in the rubble of Upton Park. There are problems at the new stadium, but they can be sorted out over time. Safe standing; a re-allocation of season tickets so like-minded supporters can be grouped together; a family enclosure – it is all do-able. I can even put up with the popcorn if that’s what it takes. Of course, nothing will help more than stringing a few results together, and none would be sweeter than a victory over the club we must vow never to emulate. Win that game and the London Stadium may finally start to feel like home. BBM

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Michail Antonio & Cheikhou Kouyate

‘We are still ambitious and want to challenge at the top’ Antonio says the club can still enjoy a fantastic season this year

uring a torrid month for West Ham, only a few players could look back on September and say they’d had an impact in a positive way. With goals against Watford and West Brom, as well as a call up to the England senior squad, Michail Antonio’s confidence will surely have grown – despite our heavy defeats to both the Hornets and the Baggies. But in an interview for Blowing Bubbles, the 26-year-old still believes the Hammers can match the finish of last season and has set himself a personal goal for this campaign. ‘The aim is always to keep on improving as a team,’ the former Nottingham Forest star said. ‘It’s a really strong league this year but we hope to finish around the same place if not higher. Personally, I want to beat my goal tally from last year and also I want to get onto the pitch for England.’ As for our new home, the midfielder, who started life playing for Tooting and Mitcham, has been impressed by the stadium as well as

Ambitious: Michail Antonio says West Ham can still have a fabulous season

the noise made by the fans. ‘It’s a great feeling to have 60,000 fans backing us, it’s a great atmosphere to play in,’ said Antonio, who has scored 13 goals in 31 appearances for West Ham. ‘It’s also huge for the club to have a stadium like this, it’s really impressive, we’re ambitious and want to compete

at the highest level and hopefully over the next few years we’ll be challenging the big boys at the top.’ As for the game he is looking forward to the most, the former Reading player continued: ‘West Ham v Tottenham Hotspur. That is going to be an amazing day with a great atmosphere and fans are going to be all

over it. Also it is going to be a great game as both teams will want and think they can win it - it will be end-to-end stuff.’ During this game, the Wandsworth-born winger will also be squaring up against a player he considers the toughest he has ever played against. ‘I remember playing against Kyle Walker when I was younger and at Reading, he was really quick and really strong,’ he said. No interview with Antonio would be complete without asking him about being the first ever player to score a Premier League goal in the London Stadium. ‘It was a great feeling and something I will be able to tell my kids. No one can take that from me and I am now in the history books, it is a great feeling.’ Another player to have etched his name in the West Ham history books this season was Cheikhou Kouyate after being the first player to score a competitive goal in the London Stadium. In his second interview for Blowing Bubbles, the 26-year-old didn’t want

The month from hell...

Upbeat: Cheikhou Kouyate says West Ham must take it one game at a time to set a target for the team this season. ‘We just have to take one game at a time and wait and see,’ the Senegalese international said. ‘It is important for us to work hard and play as a team and then who knows what can happen.’ The former Anderlecht star agreed with Antonio that he cannot wait for the derby against Spurs,

describing these games as ‘special’. As for the toughest team we played against last season, he continued: ‘Leicester were a very difficult team to play against last season because they played together very well and they were strong. They were amazing last year and it was not normal to see a team like this win the league.’ BBM

* Michail Antonio and Cheikhou Kouyaté were speaking at the official announcement of the London Stadium being introduced into EA SPORTS FIFA 17 powered by Frostbite. For more information on the authentic, true-to-life action Frostbite delivers in FIFA 17 head to https:// www.easports.com/uk/ fifa/frostbite

August 25: West Ham are dumped out of the Europa League by Astra Giurgiu for the second consecutive season after losing the second leg 1-0 at London Stadium. August 28: The Hammers are beaten 3-1 at Manchester City. Slaven Bilic’s side go 2-0 down after just 18 minutes and, while a second-half rally restores pride, they can have no complaints. September 10: West Ham lose 4-2 at home to Watford despite having been 2-0 up just five minutes before half-time. September 17: Bilic’s boys are hit for four again at West Brom as the problems in the club’s defence are becoming more apparent with every game. Manuel Lanzini and Michail Antionio grab a couple of consolation goals but the Irons were awful at the back. September 25: West Ham are beaten 3-0 at home by Southampton. The Hammers look to be in the game but go behind just before the break and lose their way again.

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Simone Zaza

Can West Ham and Zaza make their unlikely alliance work? Neither club nor player can claim this was what they really wanted

LUCY WOOLFORD @lucy_whufc

e hasn’t set the Premier League alight just yet but if Slaven Bilic is willing to be patient with Simone Zaza, we have to respect and trust this decision. The 25-year-old became West Ham’s eleventh signing of the summer transfer window on August 28 but Bilic admitted early on that it might take him a while to settle into life in England. Was Zaza West Ham’s first choice? It’d be tempting to say no given the list of names that the club seemed to tick off before securing his signature. But we can also reasonably agree that West Ham wasn’t Zaza’s first choice either. His father even indicated that he was waiting to hear from Napoli and there had been plenty of talk of a move to the

Big name: Is Simone Zaza the big-money striker we need? Italian side, but they failed to complete talks, so the striker turned his attentions elsewhere. So it might not appear to be a match made in heaven, but it looks as though the 25-year-old could have something to offer in East London. His is also a name that we’ve often heard spoken, but how much does his career to date

tell us about what he has to offer in East London? Zaza hails from the south of Italy, and he earned his full international call-up two years ago after a good season at Sassuolo – a season that saw his highest goal tally in his short career to that point. We’ve heard from the man himself that he aims to mirror the

successes of fan favourite and fellow Italian Paolo Di Canio, indicating his desire to have a significant impact on the club and the fans. West Ham is Zaza’s eighth club since he began to play professional football in 2008, at the age of just 17. It’s fair to say his early years were slow in terms of game time. After impressing in the Alalanta youth setup, he earned himself three brief league appearances followed by just two appearances for Sampdoria totaling twelve minutes. With the desire to play more football, Zaza remained in Italy and went on loan for two consecutive seasons to Juve Stabia (Serie B), Viareggio (Lega Pro Prima Divisione) and Ascoli (Serie B). Almost six months, and just four appearances into his Juve Stabia loan, Zaza expressed desire to return to Sampdoria in order to seek more playing minutes. His club took action and loaned him to Viareggio, which worked out well for the eager striker. The Italian clocked up 18 appearances, of

which 17 were starts, in the league and netted 11 times – this was his opportunity to shine and he took it. A further loan move to Ascoli the following season was equally fruitful for the striker even as the club suffered relegation. Eighteen goals in 35 games was an impressive tally. It was at this stage in his career that he was worth money, and in fact, two clubs paid for him in a co-ownership deal between Juventus and Sassuolo. The then 22-year-old was worth an initial €3.5million and €2.5million to the Italian clubs respectively. This increased to €7.5million for Sassuolo as they chose to sign him the season after the co-ownership agreement. He turned out first for Sassuolo and scored 21 goals in all competitions in two seasons and earned his international call up from Antonio Conte in that time. This was enough to spur Juventus on to re-sign the forward for an impressive €18million at the beginning of last season (15/16). The Serie A side

Favourite: Zaza played with Carlos Tevez at Juventus

Miss: Zaza made a name for himself for the wrong reasons at Euro 2016

brought him in with the view of replacing Carlos Tevez following an ultimatum over his undecided future. Some boots to fill! Zaza netted on his debut from outside the box in that striking, bright pink jersey. Albeit thanks to a slight deflection, it was a good

start to his career at such a prolific club. In that season, he also earned valuable Champions League playing time, scoring once in the competition – a goal that showed his pace and composure in a one-onone with the goalkeeper. So, to date, the Italian has scored 59 goals in all competitions. For those of you who like a good stat, that works out at around one goal every three and a half games, which given his very little playing time in many of those early games, is decent. Are the early indications and his potted

history good enough to make Zaza Bilic’s ‘marquee signing’, though? Forever the optimist, I see the good side in new signings until proved wrong. He clearly made the right impressions on Bilic by scoring against the Hammers in the London Stadium opener, a game that Zaza says showed him the draws of the impressive stadium and ‘warm’ fans. Slaven sees the positives on paper, and despite the club being linked with several names before Zaza signed on the dotted line, the Hammers boss

has high hopes for his striker. During Euro 2016, Zaza stepped out for the Italian side with new league teammate Angelo Ogbonna. The West Ham defender has opened up about his conversations with the striker and convinced him that the ‘great atmosphere’ was worth the move along with the ambitions of the club. The European competition didn’t prove a huge success for Zaza. His only goal came in the preceding qualifiers and he set up one goal in the group stages. Then, of course, came the subject countless memes – THAT penalty miss in the quarter-finals against Germany, which saw the Italians knocked out of the competition. He led with what can only be described as an on-the-spot duck waddle and blasted high and wide, much to his embarrassment.

It was a display of showing off that just didn’t go well. Is that something in his locker that is to be expected? Well, let’s just say he could put together a showreel, but to be fair to him, it’s not all style and no substance. He’s got the ability to show some flair and score some cracking goals. He brings with him pace, a good left foot and the capacity to think one step ahead. He also possesses a characteristic proving useful for the Hammers these days; he’s over six foot tall. A key indicator as to how well he will settle into life at West Ham could be his partnership with Dimitri Payet. Both have clear ability and if they can learn to read one another, there is potential for a strong route to goal and some consistency. Oh, and for the record, Bilic has confirmed that Zaza won’t be on spotkick duty. BBM

Challenge: Can Slaven Bilic get the best out of the Italian?

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FROZEN IN TIME Wednesday, September 21: Dimitri Payet saves West Hamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s blushes with his last-gasp winner against Accrington Stanley. The game had looked set for extra-time before the midfielderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 96th minute free-kick.

Manuel Lanzini

Why Lanzini has what it takes to become our most vital star The Argentinian has the potential to take the Premier League by storm Potential: Manuel Lanzini has what it takes to be one of the very best players in the Premier League

JAMES JONES

@JJ2388

sk any neutral who they think West Ham’s best player is and there’s only name you should expect to hear. The answer is so glaringly obvious that I’m not even going to say who it is. You know it, I know it, the neutral knows it. But while a certain Frenchman was stealing most of the headlines last season, there was another player who arguably deserved just as much praise, if not more. That man is, of course, Manuel Lanzini. The way in which the Argentine adapted to life in the Premier League was extremely impressive and it’s strange how very few people gave him the credit he actually deserved. We all recognised how important he was to our cause very quickly, but very few people outside

of our bubble will have truly understood the impact he was having. For a 23-year-old to make the step up from plying his trade at a poor standard in the UAE to the most popular and most competitive league in world football isn’t easy, but Lanzini took it all in his stride from the off. Alongside Dimitri Payet, Lanzini developed into a classy little player and one who was just

as effective as his just as classy teammate. His contribution to our attacking play was the most impressive we’ve seen it for at least a decade. The way in which he and Payet connected was a joy to watch and gave us the kind of spark and creativity that had most Premier League defences fearing each week. And that is why there’s an argument for him being much more

important to our cause than Payet is now. In his debut season in English football, Lanzini contributed seven goals and five assists in 31 first team outings. That’s a goal or an assist every 2.58 games, or every 166.8 minutes. To put that into perspective, Dimitri Payet contributed a goal or an assist every 138 minutes. Not bad, eh? If you factor in his young age and lack of

experience at such a level, it’s extremely hard not to be impressed by Lanzini’s impact and importance to Slaven Bilic’s cause. The club did extremely well to secure his permanent signature before the end of last season and the £10.2m fee we paid Al-Jazira is already looking like an even bigger bargain than the £10.7m we paid Marseille for Payet. That’s because of Lanzini’s age and the fact he will have already learned a great deal whilst playing alongside Payet at West Ham. We all know Payet won’t be at the club much longer and, if he is, his contribution and impact may begin to decline as he reaches his thirties and beyond. Of course, that may not happen, but it’s far more likely than Lanzini losing his spark at the age of just 23. What Lanzini brings to the team is a combination of skill, flair and creativity and with him in the team, you always feel as if we can score at any moment. The way in which

Skills: Lanzini shows his talent on the ball against Tottenham he can bring our wide players into play, or drive through the middle and create something for whoever is leading the line up front, is priceless. It’s little wonder Slaven Bilic claimed he tried to bring him to Besiktas a few years ago. There aren’t many players of Lanzini’s ability, or at least any who are as

Partnership: Lanzini links up very well with Dimitri Payet

consistently effective. So far this season we haven’t had too many chances to see him at his best, though that’s only because an injury picked up while on Olympic duty with Argentina ruled him out for the start of the season. But he is already beginning to show how valuable he is to the team. His first half performance against Watford in particular, when he and Payet ran the show again, gave us all a glimpse of what to expect from him this season. The best thing about Lanzini, however, is his potential. If his contribution to West Ham’s cause is as important as

it is at the age of just 23, what will it be when he’s at his peak at, say, 27 or 28-years-old? This is why Lanzini should be considered West Ham’s most important player. Dimitri Payet might be our best, but Lanzini is our most important because when Payet does leave the club it will be down to Lanzini to fill his boots, and what better way to prepare yourself for such a role than to learn off the master first. When that time comes, Lanzini will be more than ready to take on the role as our best player. And only then will the neutral begin to take notice of ‘The Jewel.’ BBM

Alvaro Arbeloa Proud: Alvaro Arbeloa poses with his new shirt after signing on transfer deadline day

Arbeloa can help turn Byram into a top-quality right-back

The former Real Madrid defender has a wealth of top level experience

EMILY PULHAM

@makingthemarrow

eptember was a frustrating time to be a Hammer but one thing that gave me hope for

the future has been the thought of right-back loan-signing Alvaro Arbeloa getting a run in the side. Having the experienced Spanish defender available will be a massive boost to a West Ham defence that cannot stop leaking goals, but it’s not the only reason that his presence will be a present for the club. It’s been suggested

that the loan signing of Arbeloa was made not just for the benefit for having the player on the pitch, but also for the guidance and experience that he can bring to the development of West Ham’s young right back, Sam Byram. Arbeloa certainly has a wealth of experience to pull from. The 33-year-old defender began his career

at Real Madrid, moved to Deportivo and then joined Liverpool from January 2007 until July 2009, appearing in 98 games. He then returned to Real Madrid where he won eight major titles over seven years - including two Champions League trophies. His international career has been equally as impressive. Arbeloa has

been capped 56 times for Spain and was part of the squad that won Euro 2008, the 2010 World Cup, and Euro 2012. It’s a tremendous CV, and one that will be greatly appreciated by West Ham fans. Byram, on the other hand, is just beginning what Hammers fans hope will be a long and illustrious career. He made his start playing for Leeds United in 2012 and moved to West Ham United in January of 2016. He had to make his debut for West Ham just three days after he signed for the Hammers when Carl Jenkinson limped off with a season-ending injury - yet hasn’t retained the starting position at right back with any regularity, with manager Slaven Billic often choosing to start midfielder Michail Antonio over him in the defensive position. Byram is a talented and clever player with a bright future ahead of him, but he’s had a challenging start to this season. A lack of options at right back has led to the young player needing to take on a very senior role in a very short amount of time. He’s worked hard, and done his best, but a disappointing amount of goals have come down through his side of the pitch. Having a senior player who has the trophy cabinet that Arbeloa boasts

Peak: Alvaro Arbeloa was at Real Madrid for several seasons

will be an incredible opportunity for Byram to observe an exceptional talent and learn from him. After all, Byram has big things ahead of him. The English-born 23-year-old has yet to receive an England cap, but if he can benefit from an international player with a World Cup and two European

The life and times of Arbeloa

Championships under his belt, he could be the next big thing in English right backs. Until then, West Ham need the experience and talent of Arbeloa on the pitch - and hopefully, with the two of them working together, the goals conceded will dry right up and West Ham can get back to winning ways. BBM

Arbeloa was born in Salamanca but his family relocated to Zaragoza when he was four. He started playing football at Real Zaragoza before joining Real Madrid’s youth system at the age of 18. However he was unable to establish himself in the Madrid starting line-up and in July 2006 the defender signed for Deportivo de La Coruña. Just six months later Arbeloa was on the move again as he signed for Liverpool, and replaced Steve Finnan in the Champions League final defeat to A.C. Milan. In July 2009 Real Madrid bought him back from for a fee of £5million. He played the vast majority of his first season in his second stint as a left-back but was relocated to the right-hand side for the 2011/12 season due to Ricardo Carvalho’s injury. However, in his final season at the Bernabau, Arbeloa became a fringe player and appeared in just nine matches last term.

Edimilson Fernandes

Everything you need to know about new-signing Fernandes The Swiss midfielder is settling in after his late summer transfer New boy: Edimilson Fernandes joined West Ham last month

KATIE SHERGOLD

@fl ump9

e was our ninth summer signing but without having made many first team appearances, you may not know much about Edimilson Fernandes. So let me bring you up to speed about this exciting, young attacking midfielder, who signed for £5.5m from Swiss side FC Sion. Edimilson Fernandes Ribeiro was born in Sion, Switzerland on 15 April 1996 and is of Portuguese and Cape Verdean descent. The 20-year-old is 6ft 3in and wears the number 31 shirt for West Ham, last worn by striker Enner Valencia during the 2014/15 season. Football is certainly in the blood with Fernandes’ three cousins all playing in the Premier League at some point in their careers. Firstly, there is former

Everton and Portsmouth midfielder Manuel Fernandes, then there was former Manchester City midfielder Gelson Fernandes and finally another midfielder, former Sunderland player Cabral. Edimilson joined his hometown club of FC Sion at the age of 11 and made his first team debut just six years later at the age of 17. He went on to play

over 60 times for the first team and he lost just one of the nine Swiss Cup ties he played in and also scored in the 2015 final victory over FC Basel. And after notching two assists on his European debut, it’s not hard to see why FC Sion’s president once claimed he was ‘unsellable’. Fernandes played every minute of FC Sion’s Europa League campaign last season.

They finished second in the table, one point behind group winners Liverpool. Sadly for Fernandes and his teammates, FC Sion were knocked out by Portuguese side Sporting Braga in the last 32, but this was most certainly worthwhile experience for the youngster. Edimilson made his international debut earlier this year in a 1-1 draw against England. Just a few weeks ago he made his second start, which earnt him a pretty impressive goal against Kazakhstan, in a 3-0 win. His next appearance could be away to Norway on 7 October, in the final European Under-21 Championship qualifier. Although Fernandes is still young, he definitely has a lot of valuable experience that West Ham could certainly call upon. Depending on how our season goes with injuries etc, will determine how often we get to see him, but he is undoubtedly an exciting prospect and I look forward to seeing him play for the first team in the near future. BBM

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Enner Valencia

Why did ‘Superman’ find only kryptonite lurking in London?

Enner Valencia flattered to deceive during his time with West Ham Flying start: Enner Valencia scored a stunner against Hull

JAMES GAVIN

@WestHamMagazine

uperman! Enner Valencia; The player who brought so much excitement, but never strung more than a few good performances together. I often think back to our 2014/15 season opener against Spurs when Enner made a late substitute appearance and the cheers for him coming on were deafening. There was such a buzz around this player who seemed to have great attributes with pace, strength, heading ability and a powerful shot. He had it all but only showed glimpses of his talent. I was even lucky enough to witness the ‘supernatural’ strike against Hull City, and believe me, it was magical. Moments like that still make me believe he could develop into his

modest nickname. Going back to the start of Enner’s career, he’d started out at the same academy as the unrelated Antonio Valencia. In Ecuador, he also won the player of the year in 2013, which although not a top league, a very prestigious award nonetheless. Having impressed in Ecuador he earned a move to Mexico and to Pachuca, and his scoring record there was very

prolific with 18 goals in 23 appearances. Then it was the World Cup, where for Ecuador, he really impressed and this was when he joined the greatest team in Europe for £12 million, which in today’s money is nothing. From there, we have witnessed only a few glimpses of ‘superman’. There was a lot of hope when we think back to the start of the Valencia-Sakho partnership.

Allardyce was given his instruction for attacking football and these two were at the forefront of it. At the start of that season, they ran defences ragged. One running to the wings, while the other caused mayhem in the box. There was a real sense of excitement around these two. Then it stopped. But why? Carroll coming back from injury casted

Valencia in numbers

Rare: The striker scored twice against Manchester City last season

Million transfer fee in pounds paid by West Ham for his services in 2014.

Goals in all competitions for the Hammers.

Appearances in all competitions for West Ham.

His current age.

doubt on both of them starting. Was fitness an issue? Enner’s injury troubles certainly caused problems. Every club complains about injuries but in the forward department, we really are unlucky. We have so many, yet normally, only one striker is fully fit at any one time. Enner was normally in the unfit category. With his troubles, it was virtually impossible

to pick up enough form to score a decent number of goals. He is so injury prone he can’t be planned for. You cannot build a team with him in, because, the chances are he won’t be in it. This means that he never got the opportunity he needed. So when he was fit, he wasn’t the man. He was filling in for a team that aren’t used to having him there, how was he meant

to find form? I think this is the main reason for where it went wrong. Overall it hasn’t ended to badly. Everton have given him a chance and if he takes it we will recoup what we paid for him and a bit of change for his wasted wages. I wish him all the best and am very sorry it didn’t work out, because it really could have. He may not be ‘superman’, but certainly had talent. BBM

Matches without a goal for West Ham before he made his loan move to Everton.

Years left on his West Ham deal, including this season

33k

Pounds per week his rumoured salary

Jermain Defoe

The fox in the box who should have become a Irons legend

Defoe has had a good career but does he regret leaving West Ham? How it all began: Jermain Defoe in his West Ham days

DAVID BOWDEN

@bowdenwhu

magine over the years that West Ham United had a decent fox in the box-esque striker who could gobble up all those chances we have created over the seasons for the likes of Ilan, Carlton Cole, Mido and Benny McCarthy to miss. Well we had one once, and he has since gone onto to have a decent time of things even if his career wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t full of all the glitz and glamour like the others that he followed out the door. He may not have won titles like Frank Lampard and Michael Carrick and Joe Cole, but his departure was perhaps the most controversial of all, and the one the Hammers faithful all wish never happened. He is like the break-up you wish you never had, the one that got away if you like, the one you still pine for at the darkest of times and wish you

had never let go. Yes they were a nightmare, and yes they got on your nerves at times, but they were the best you ever had. Now I am not saying this player is the best player West Ham have ever produced but of his ilk we have seldom often produced a player of his talent and the fact we let him go to Tottenham of all places still leaves a

sour taste in the mouth.I am of course talking about Jermain Defoe, the former Hammers forward that was so desperate to escape the East End that he flew into reckless tackles on a regular basis just so he didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to ply his trade in the Championship for West Ham. Legend has since said that the youngster was poorly advised by his

agent so what would have become of Defoe had his agent not got into his head? Would he still be a Hammer? Would the Hammers be a more successful outfit? Would Defoe find himself at a struggling Sunderland side or would he be the ultimate Irons hero banging in the goals at the Hammers shiny new home? Of course, these are all ifs, buts and maybes. But as I watched on at the Hawthorns it was painfully obvious we were missing that fox in the box figure, and Defoe would be the perfect foil for the likes of Simone Zaza and Jonathon Calleri. Defoe alongside Andy Carroll is a partnership that just screams goals with balls from Manuel Lanzini, Dimitri Payet and Sofaine Feghouli whipping balls in from the wing for Carroll to knock down to his diminutive striking partner. The now 33-year-old has always been a prolific forward wherever he has been, starting his career in the Charlton

academy before joining the Hammers in the late nineties. The youngster went on to make 93 appearances in claret and blue before turning into quite a controversial figure in E13, he immediately alienated the Hammers faithful by slapping in a transfer request just 24 hours after the Hammers endured the heartbreak of relegation in Birmingham. He later released another statement admitting he handled the move ‘poorly and would give West Ham 100 per cent’, but his actions on the pitch spoke louder than those that came out of his mouth. He saw red three times in the Hammers maiden voyage into the Championship under Alan Pardew, indeed he would only make 22 appearances out of a possible 34 second division games for Pardew’s men before completing a move to the Hammers arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur. Upon handing in his transfer request he insisted that any move would be firmly for his career and further his personal ambitions. Now it would be foolish for me to suggest he has had a poor career since leaving the Hammers, he enjoyed Champions League football with Tottenham and European football with Portsmouth and has had a successful England career. But since those heady days his career has stag-

Back: Jermain Defoe still has some friends at West Ham United nated somewhat and he even moved to Canada to play for Toronto FC briefly. Not many players stick with one club, but had Defoe stayed in E13, you can bet that he would have found hero status and would have entered the London Stadium as a Hammers great. Having him in the side would not only have helped us avoid relegation under Grant but you can bet the Hammers would be playing in the Champions League right now with Defoe in the attack. West Ham have been so often the nearly men, and with the 33-year-old

in tow, the Hammers would have achieved so much more than they have thus far, I would have expected us to have won a trophy had we had a player like Defoe in our side. Indeed, in an interview in 2013 on ITV4’s Sports Life Stories, Defoe revealed his regret in leaving the Hammers, admitting it was a ‘massive, massive mistake’. I actually feel sorry for JD, it appears the advice from his agent wasn’t great and now he has received hate his entire career from the Hammers faithful. He has enjoyed a successful career, but every

boy dreams of taking the club you start your career with to glory, and I am sure he has a nagging doubt and thoughts of what if? But that’s sport, and whilst he may look back in frustration, I can tell you now not as much as the West Ham faithful look back and wish he had stayed. Make no bones about it, Defoe has had a terrific career, and I am sure West Ham needed him over the years more than he needed us. But I firmly believe that Jermain will retire thinking he has unfinished business with the Hammers. BBM

Ashley Fletcher Joy: Ashley Fletcher has had a decent start to life at West Ham

Fletcher has been one of the few bright spots this season

The former Manchester United striker has shown bags of potential

GEOFF HILLYER

@geoffhillyer

t’s been a sticky start to life at the London Stadium. Out of Europe, languishing towards the

bottom of the Premier League, and fan unrest - reasons for optimism have, frankly, been few and far between. Look more closely, though, and you’ll find some brighter spots which have the potential to turn around our fortunes. One such spark is Ashley Fletcher, signed on a four-year deal back in July from Manchester

United. He could be the bargain of the summer, joining us after his Reds deal expired. Slaven Bilic has been waxing lyrical about Fletcher. He has compared him to Marcus Rashford, who, ironically, stormed ahead of Fletcher in the pecking order at Manchester United leading to his move. A successful loan spell

at Barnsley, including a double winner at Wembley, has convinced Bilic of his potential. So what can Fletcher offer? Well, he’s an England under-20 international who has worked his way up through the ranks at Manchester United. Scoring regularly at the under-16 and under-18 levels, he subsequently netted in each of the

Great moment: Fletcher scored against Millwall in the play-off final for Barnsley last season final three games of the under-21 team to clinch the Premier League title in 2014/15. Fletcher is tall - very tall. At over six feet he’s a ball-winner in the air. He’s also strong but with a decent touch, as demonstrated in his recent appearances. He is not a lightweight and doesn’t appear to be as fragile as Andy Carroll, which has got to be a good thing. Perhaps even more importantly, though, he works hard. For example, his finishing has improved after taking private lessons with Allan Russell, a Superior Striker coach

Ashley Fletcher

Full name: Ashley Michael Fletcher Squad number: 24 Date of birth: 2 October 1995 (age 20)

who has worked with the likes of Saido Berahino. He clearly wants to improve and be better, and views West Ham as the perfect place to do that. ‘I am very excited to be here. West Ham are a massive club and I am just happy that I can come and further my development here at West Ham. ‘I think it is a club with

Place of birth: Keighley, England Playing position: Striker Youth career: Bolton, Man United a lot of ambition…West Ham are a club built on traditions of giving youngsters a run and hopefully I can get my chance as well.’ The most exciting thing for West Ham supporters is his potential. Rashford comparisons aside, his contributions to the side’s efforts have already been widely appreciated by the support.

In an otherwise distinctly average performance in the win against Bournemouth, Fletcher shone, and perhaps most importantly, he has his feet firmly planted on the ground, unlike some other prospects in the recent past. One thing’s for sure. When our strikers are fully fit, Fletcher will add some really interesting competition to the frontline. And if Fletcher can make anywhere near the same impact as Rashford has for Manchester United, perhaps he might play a bigger part in our debut season at the London Stadium than we thought. BBM

The big debate

Did West Ham miss a trick not signing Christian Benteke?

Two Blowing Bubbles writers consider the former Liverpool striker

Yes!

SAYS GREG RICHARDSON

Flop: Christian Benteke endured a difficult time at Liverpool

e should have signed Christian Benteke from Liverpool this summer. This is not an opinion born from frustration or panic. This is an opinion held at the start of the transfer window and one that is still held now that the window has slammed shut with Benteke stood on the other side of the glass, waving at us in his new Crystal Palace kit. Yes, £32.5million is a lot of money, but for that, we would have got a striker who can do what all our current strike force can do between them. Subsequently it would probably have saved us a few quid so we could have strengthened our evidently leaky defence. Benteke is a big, strong forward who, given the right service, is a handful for any defender. He is, in many ways, the striker we brought Andy Carroll to be, but with less of the glass-like-fragility that

the pony-tailed one possesses. His heading acumen is up there with Carroll’s, and he is, like Carroll, better with his feet than he is given credit for. To put it another way, signing Benteke would have meant we could carry on playing the way we do with Carroll, then

once he’d battered and bruised his centre back beyond recognition, send Andy on to finish the job. What a frightening proposition for the opposition that would be. He is also much more mobile than he is perceived to be. Cast your mind back, not just to

his time at Villa, but also to the FA Cup replay between West Ham and Liverpool last season. Benteke often occupied the channels and was willing to run at defenders. Had it not been for Randolph’s brilliance, and a lack of confidence on Benteke’s behalf, he

Investment: West Ham hhhjgjhgjhg moved for Swansea City’s Andre Ayew instead

No!

SAYS KIRAN MOODLEY

would have won the game for Liverpool. In short, he can play the role that we have bought Ayew and subsequently loaned Zaza to do, and offer us a variety in our approach play that Carroll alone does not. At Palace he will be living off of crosses from Townsend and Zaha and

many fantasy football managers up and down the country decided this will be enough to bag him,and them, lots of points. We could be confident that Payet, Lanzini, Antonio and Feghouli could have given all parties a similarly profitable return. BBM

Last season was about Leicester, and this season is about managers. There’s a plethora of big names and Slaven Bilic, the surprise of last year, may not enjoy the same coverage he received last year - especially given our disastrous start. But if he is to have a star manager who shares his philosophies, I would consider it Jurgen Klopp. The long-term outlook, the drive for trophies, the close relationship with his players. And Klopp was also not keen on Christian Benteke and did not give him a look in his exciting plans for the reformation of Liverpool post Brendan Rodgers. That should give one a clue into whether Benteke is worth a long-term risk. And it would have been one given that he went to Crystal Palace for £32.5million. That’s not just a ‘have one good season’ price tag. That’s continued goal scoring over a number of years. And it’s weird that Benteke is seen as a key striker for many. Yes, he was a success

at Aston Villa, scoring 42 goals in 89 league games, but that dropped to nine in 29 for Liverpool. Admittedly, his confidence would have been at a low once Rodgers left and Klopp came in. But Benteke’s reputation rests on his time at Villa, a period beginning to fade into the distance. That Benteke went for so much given his poor form recently is representative of a distorted transfer market and a striker whose stature relies on one particularly good 2012-2013 season when he bagged 19 goals in 34 league matches. Of course, Andre Ayew is injured, Andy Carroll is injured and Simeone Zaza has hardly impressed so maybe Benteke would have been useful? Well, firstly, it’s early days, and secondly, Benteke is a much more expensive chance to take compared to a loan deal for Zaza and a £13m pound difference with Ayew. Furthermore, Benteke is yet another version of Carroll, there for headers and to muscle himself around in the box. He is not a creator, a dribbler or an added striking dimension compared to what Ayew and Zaza can offer.

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David Croft

‘I’ve absolutely no idea how I ended up as a Hammers’ fan’ Julian Shea talks to the voice of F1 about his passion for West Ham

is job as Sky Sports’ voice of Formula One means David Croft is a man with a working life and globe-trotting schedule that makes him the envy of millions of motorsport fans. But for all his engagements at some of the most prestigious and glamorous venues in world sport, there is one place where his heart always remains – or rather two, since West Ham’s move from Upton Park to the London Stadium. Quite how the 46-yearold’s lifelong love affair with West Ham began, however, is something of a mystery, as Croft revealed to Blowing Bubbles in an exclusive interview. ‘I’ve often thought about this – why would a boy growing up in Stevenage in the 1970s, with a Sheffield United-supporting dad, start supporting a second division team from East London – and I’ve absolutely no idea,’ he said. ‘It wasn’t even as if I had any West Ham-supporting friends, so I used to take a lot of stick about it, but once we won the FA Cup in 1980, it became clear that I

Big fan: David Croft is a very passionate West Ham supporter had backed the winning horse. Although of course football is like the Grand National, there are always plenty more fences to fall at, and this is West Ham we’re talking about, so I’ve seen plenty of that over the years!’. The full impact of how far Croft’s love of the club has taken him was underlined at the end of season awards dinner. ‘I

was working there, and at the end of it Ray Stewart, one of my absolute heroes from childhood, came up to me and said how much he wanted to talk to me because he’s a huge F1 fan,’ Croft said. ‘I said to him “you’re Ray Stewart – I’ve wanted to talk to you for the whole of my life!”.’ Before becoming part of Sky’s F1 coverage team, Croft was a fre-

quently heard voice on BBC Five Live, covering a wide variety of sports, including football – and sometimes, West Ham. But whilst to many fans, being paid to watch the side you love sounds like just about the perfect way to earn a living, Croft says it is a path fraught with danger. ‘It’s not good to report on your own team because you get too involved,’ he explained. ‘There was one game against Sunderland where I was reporting for Five Live and I compounded my stupidity by having a tenner on Joe Cole for the first goal. ‘When he stuck it in the net, I was doubly delighted so I got straight on the line to report it to the studio and gave my goal description on air, only to then look up and see that the flag had gone up and they’d kicked off again - it was only after I came off air that it was pointed out to me. ‘Commentating on a home match against Fulham was another shocker. Trevor Brooking was my co-commentator, so it should have been a perfect night but they turned in one of the

most inept performances of the season, it was spectacularly awful. ‘I said to Trevor at half time that he could go if he wanted - it was the worst commentary ever as neither of us could focus on Fulham being quite good, as we were terrible. Even the Hammerettes – a propaganda stroke worthy of the Soviet Union to distract fans – didn’t work that night. ‘Another time, I remember getting up at 3.30am one Saturday to do a Five Live shift before going up to Tranmere to see us lose 1-0 in the FA Cup, and I was there on “that night” at Stockport too – I really should stop going to away games in the north!’. Having joined Sky in 2012, Croft has a busy schedule of global travel covering races, which means getting to games is not quite as simple as it used to be, but whenever he can, he is looking out for corners of foreign fields which are claret and blue. ‘Martin Brundle is a big West Ham fan, which I didn’t realise until we started working together, so we’ve had some great nights at games together,

Home: Croft has bought his children season tickets

Hero: Croft’s favourite player is Dimitri Payet

and one of best F1 photographers, Darren Heath is an Iron too,’ he said. ‘Wherever you go in the world, stick your shirt on and you’ll soon find the others. There are pockets of West Ham support everywhere. I’ll always wear a badge somewhere and I never shy away of my allegiance when talking on air. I’m proud of it –

they’re not the most successful team but they’ve given me huge fun, excitement, misery and heartache. Relationships come and go - but West Ham is for life.’ And on the subject of enduring love, Croft is a huge fan of West Ham manager Slaven Bilic – and has been for a very long time. ‘I met Sam Allardyce several times, and he was a really nice guy so I won’t have a bad word said about him, but it was obvious, particularly towards the end, that he was a bad fit for West Ham. When Bilic was appointed, my first thought was “about time too”,’ said Croft. ‘He was a great player

who left the club far too early - I felt privileged he was a defender in our team. ‘It was obvious he would do things different to Sam. We needed something different, so I was prepared for anything, but I didn’t think he’d be quite so good so soon. ‘When we won at Liverpool last season, I was away with my wife in New York for the weekend, and she asked if I wanted to find somewhere to watch the match, but I thought “it’s Anfield, we know what’ll happen” so I didn’t – we went to Tiffany’s instead. I couldn’t believe it as I got the score updates,

West Ham’s celebrity supporters Barack Obama: On a trip to London, Obama sat down and watched a West Ham match on TV and was hooked. Keira Knightley: The actress is a big West Ham fan and used to be a season ticket holder in the East Stand. Russell Brand: Brand’s love of West Ham was immortalised when then fiancee Katy Perry donned a Hammers outfit at the MTV Awards. Also a fan: Martin Brundle is another Hammer and I’m not sure their staff were ready for my goal celebrations - three times – but they even let me sing Bubbles, quietly! ‘The best thing he’s done is restore belief to the team, we always believe we can come back. It wasn’t perfect last year, but now we’ve got a squad who believe in themselves and in him. He’s a quiet character but who speaks with passion, and the players listen.’ And of that squad, there are no surprises for guessing who is Croft’s current favourite. ‘If Dimitri Payet was on the opposition, you’d

applaud him – but he’s not, he’s playing for us, and he’s exactly the sort of player we love at West Ham,’ he said. ‘He plays with his heart on his sleeve, and he loves being part of what’s happening at the club. There’s more hope for the future now than I’ve ever known at the club.’ Work commitments permitting, Croft will be part of that future, and so will his sons. ‘I’ve got season tickets for me and my boys for the new stadium, so it’s a great time to be a West Ham fan – of course it’ll never be the same as the Boleyn, which was part

of my growing up, but we’ve said our goodbyes. The final game couldn’t possibly have been any better, and I left the ground for the last time with no regrets. Now it’s time to look forward to the future with the best squad we’ve had in years,’ he said. ‘There’s been 30-odd years of hard graft at West Ham for the likes of me, and now we’ve got the manager, the squad and the resolve to face up to the future. For years, we’ve been singing about how fortune’s always hiding – not any more it isn’t. We deserve this.’ BBM

Ray Winstone: Ray is a well-known Hammers fan and lived in East London till he was seven. James Corden: The actor watches the Hammers when he is not working in LA. Lennox Lewis: The three-time heavyweight champion was born in the east end of London and is a big West Ham fan. Dave Grohl: American rock musician watches us while on tour with the Foo Fighters,

Danny Williamson

Whatever happened to West Ham star Danny Williamson? The Hammers midfielder vanished after his big move to Everton Home grown: Danny Williamson came through the West Ham youth team

HOLLY WORTHINGTON @hollseey

ith the trip to Everton coming up later this month, I had a look at a few players who had played for both clubs and one name stood out for me - and I had to find out more. Not Tony Cottee, Don Hutchinson or Thomas Hitzlsperger but that of Danny Williamson. A player with so much promise but who never fulfilled his potential, or so I’m told. His professional career lasted just four and half years having been cut short by injury and, even now, you still have to feel for Newham-born Williamson who was one of the most exciting youngsters to make the step up from our famed academy in the early 1990s. He became a professional for West Ham in July 1992 but he was shipped out to nonleague side, Farnbor-

ough Town on loan soon after signing his first professional contract. The right-footed attacking midfielder made a total of six appearances between February and March 1993 for Boro before the then 19-yearold moved to Doncaster Rovers on loan. After scoring three goals in 16 league and cup appearances for the then Third Division side, Williamson ended the 1993/94 season by playing the final three games

for West Ham. On his debut for the Hammers, Williamson celebrated a 2-0 win away against Arsenal and he didn’t have to wait long for his first goal for West Ham after he found the back of the net in our 3-3 draw against Southampton in May 1994. An ankle injury and fierce competition with the likes of John Moncur and Don Hutchison making a name for themselves, Williamson struggled to make the

starting XI , managing only four appearances in the 1994/95 season. The following season, however, saw the midfielder find his form again. He played a vital role in West Ham’s success, where we finished in the top half of the table for the first time in 10 years. Having made 37 appearances throughout the 1995/1996 season and scoring four goals, he was praised by fans, teammates and even his manager at the time, Harry Redknapp. Redknapp said: ‘He was an outstanding passer of the ball and I always thought he was going to be a very good player. He had a terrific shot on him.’ Ongoing ankle injuries continued to cause Williamson difficulty until he had surgery in March 1997. During his time at the club, Williamson made a total of 58 league and cup appearances for the Hammers, scoring five goals. In August 1997, Williamson moved to Everton in an exchange for David Unsworth, who was commonly referred

to as ‘Rhino’. This deal was expected to be beneficial for both clubs, as Howard Kendall looked to strengthen Everton’s midfield and Redknapp was on the lookout for cover for Julian Dicks who has out with a longterm injury. While Unsworth struggled to settle in London and soon moved to Aston Villa before returning to Everton, the Toffees were equally let down. Ironically, after beating West Ham 2-1 on his Everton debut, a talented but injury-ridden Williamson made only 17 appearances before picking up a foot injury against Wimbledon, requiring immediate surgery. The signing

of Williamson proved to be a costly one for Everton after on-going complications following the operation led him to miss a full two seasons. After returning to training in September 1999, despite being adamant that his injury problems were behind him, Williamson was clearly struggling and broke down again. Williamson never played another game for Everton’s first-team and his contract was ended in September 2000, marking the end of his playing career. A quick Google search reveals that the 42-yearold now invests in property in Portugal but still keeps an eye on his beloved West Ham. BBM

Unusual picture: Williamson hardly featured for Everton

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Supportersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; club of the month

#18: Sauerland Hammers

his month Blowing Bubbles caught up with Thomas Tigges to tell us all about the Sauerland Hammers When, how and why was group founded? Our group was founded in December 2003 in Stratford at Park Tavern. It was our first trip to London and Upton Park. On this day the Hammers played in the Championship at home against Sunderland. At halftime we were two goals down. Alan Pardew changed the game with Brian Deane coming on and goals from Jermain Defoe and Ian Pearce gave us a victory. At this moment the Sauerland Hammers were born. How many members in your group today? How quickly has that membership risen since you founded? Where do

Big flag: The German fans pose for a pre-game snap you watch games? Today we are seven members, as we have been from the very start, and we watch games at home with livestreams. How many times do members travel to games? Do you travel just to Upton Park or

Loyal: The group go to home and away games

do you travel to away games? What have been your most memorable days as a supportersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; club? About three or four times a season we watched games at Upton Park or went to away games, and our most memorable days were from the great escape season. At this time we watched three games and it was fantastic at Upton Park. These trips to London together with the Belgian Irons we will never forget. It was a superb time. Other highlights over the years have

been victories against Millwall, Tottenham, Man Utd, Liverpool and Arsenal. What are the benefits of being part of your group? How can people get in touch with your club? We stand together over a long time. We met a lot of beautiful people in London. They have helped us over the years to make it easy to be a Hammer. We are on Facebook so please look us up. Anyone interested to learn more about us can email tomtigges@sauerlandhammers.de BBM

West Ham Ladies

Nightmare start continues as Ladies lurk in relegation zone The club are enduring another difficult period under new boss Marrs

he West Ham Ladies have endured another difficult start to their season and ended September one place above bottom side Queen’s Park Rangers. The only positive that the side could take from last month was the hardfought scoreless draw against C&K Basildon on Wednesday 14 September. But they came back down to earth with a bump the following Sunday when Crystal Palace Ladies comfortably beat them at Ship Lane 4-0. Manager James Marrs was left disappointed after the defeat following the midweek draw with C&K Basildon. He said: ‘On reflection, we were not good enough and didn’t match their work rate or intensity. We were tired and were probably feeling

Always fun: Amy Waters gets past a Tottenham player

sorry for ourselves. ‘We have had a tough week regarding games and training. It’s very disappointing on the back of two better performances defensively to put on a show like that, so there are no excuses from us.

Thoughtful: Molly Peters contemplates the situation

‘We simply weren’t good enough, but we will continue to improve and I am learning a lot about the players each week.’ A 7-2 defeat away at Lewes had not been the start to the season Marrs would have been looking for. This was, however, followed the week after by a 3-1 defeat away at Portsmouth with their only other league game ending in a defeat away at Coventry United Ladies. The less said about their 10-0 hammering in the FA Women’s Premier

League Cup at home to Tottenham Hotspur Ladies the better. But the Ladies might see themselves in a similar position come the end of October with a tricky run of games coming up. They will face high-flying Charlton Athletic Womens home and away as well as a home game against Coventry United Ladies who currently sit in fourth. Away trips to C & K Basildon Ladies and Cardiff City Ladies offer Marrs’ side an opportunity to get some points on the board but both

In next month’s

Star: Amy Cooper could have a big role to play this season

will prove tough tests. A scheduled cup game against Crystal Palace Ladies will offer some escape from League action but after conceding four goals without reply in the league last month, it’s not going to be plain sailing for the Hammers. The Ladies will, however, be hoping to end a torrid run of no win in league since their

1-0 victory over Spurs at Upton Park. To date, that has been their only league win in 2016 and you need to go back to just before Christmas 2015 to see another league win - a 4-2 victory over Plymouth Argyle.Ladies who went onto finish bottom. In last month’s Blowing Bubbles, James Marrs highlighted there will

be challenges ahead and admitted it would be a ‘tough job’ to get the Ladies up near the top of the table. He knows this league isn’t a forgiving one and mistakes are punished quickly but having guided Brighton and Hove Albion Ladies to the title last season, he knows what it takes to get to the top. BBM

Former West Ham captain Nigel Re0-Coker tells us where it all went wrong for him at Upton Park

Out on Nov 5 53

The last word

What will Brexit mean for the future of the Premier League? The next few months could have a huge effect on the English game

here has been plenty of talk over the past month about the amount of money sloshing about in the coffers of Premier League clubs following a summer transfer window that saw sides collectively smash through the £1billion glass ceiling. But looking at the bigger picture, can the Premier League remain the richest in world football following the summer’s EU referendum? It could be argued that last season’s fairytale championship for Leicester City may be the first and last of its kind in the Premier League. Why? Because post-Brexit rules could dramatically change the look of the world’s richest league. Although we don’t know yet what restrictions there will be on the inflow of workers from Europe, our decision to part ways with the continent will mean fewer bargain players like Riyad Mahrez, a key player in Leicester’s seemingly impossible success story. And once Britain’s demarcation from the EU is finally drawn,

Responsible: Boris Johnson has plenty to answer for footballers looking to ply their trade in the UK are likely to be subject to a similar set of rules that govern transfers from outside the region. Those rules were tightened last year by the FA to limit player inflow and give more first-team chances to homegrown footballers. Currently, players from outside the EU must meet a minimum number of international appearances for a top-50 country over the previous two years. Or a club must appeal

by demonstrating that a player is special enough to warrant a visa by paying him annual wages far above the league average, which stands near £1.7 million. In all, an estimated 135 first-team Premier League players from Europe would have a tough time qualifying if broader rules were previously in place. Notable examples are two of Manchester United’s key players, Anthony Martial and David de Gea, who were signed before becoming

established members of the senior France and Spain squads. With 17 of the top 30 richest football clubs in the world being in the Premier League, you get the feeling, however, that the stakes are so high that changes can’t possibly be enforced without some concessions by the Football Association. But money aside, some will also feel the pinch with the likely removal of a loophole that currently allows youth academy players to transfer within the bloc before they turn 18. That’s how Arsenal were able to sign current and former stars Hector Bellerin and Cesc Fabregas from the Barcelona youth academy at 16. Ultimately, all these potential restrictions have the ability to inflate costs and compromise the Premier League’s global competitiveness. It appears inevitable that British players will see more action. That is why certain Brexiters, like Sol Campbell, wanted Britain out of the EU. There are no guarantees, however, that the talent pool will remain as high. BBM

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