West Ham Stays In

Saturdays match verse Wigan Athletic was one that Scott Parker and the Hammer faithful will remember for some time to come.

West Ham went down by a goal early in the fourth minute when Jonathan Spector accidentally headed a Wigan cross past Robert Green and was charged with the own goal. But the Hammers did not break there only five minutes later Carlton Cole almost scored only to have it barely cleared away.

The equalizer came in the 31st when Ilan connected with a Cole pass to get his fourth goal while on loan with the Hammers.

Then right before the half-time whistle Radoslav Kovac nodded the ball into the net after Wigan keeper Chris Kirkland deflected a Mark Noble free-kick. making the score at the break Hammers two, Wigan one.

The second half proved to be near fatal for West Ham. The attacking ceased and the Hammers only had one run on the goal by Ilan, who was taken off in the 71st as a precaution by Gianfranco Zola for Guillermo Franco.

In the 52nd the Wigan side began to move the ball and scored a goal from Hugo Rodallega, making it two to two.

But reigning Hammer of the Year and team leader Scott Parker wasn't going to let his Hammers fail at the Boelyn Ground. Coming off his two match suspension, Parker was the rallying cry the Hammers needed to win the match.

Parker made a surge from mid-field and struck a zipping ball from 25 yards out, beating Kirklanf and giving West Ham the lead three goals to two.

The play if Zola's side picked up, with Green playing spectacular in the closing minutes to not let up an equalizer. Giving West Ham the victory with the final being West Ham 3, Wigan 2.

The Hammers did what they had to do to secure their spot in the Premier League for the next season. Now it came down to watching the match between Hull City and Sunderland. If Hull City lost then the Hammers would have to lose their last two, and the Tigers would have to win their last two, matches with a goal differential of 24 goals.

The Hammers now have a 99.9% for sure shot of being in the Premier League next season. This seasons final two matches are against Fulham and Manchester City.

West Ham United Forever!

West Ham is Full of Happy Hammers Riding the Waves of Ilan's recent Success

The Hammers got their first win in their last seven matches at home last Saturday at Upton Park beating the Sunderland Black Cats one to nil.

Hammer's loanee Ilan has enjoyed his recent success for Manager Gianfranco Zola and earned his second start as part of the Claret and Blue. He gave Zola a good name and West Ham fans a reason to cheer as he scored the lone goal of the match after a header from Carlton Cole was found by his foot and crashed into the goal.

The match could have gone either way with both clubs having multiple chances to score, and even a goal being called back from Guillermo Franco after his initial touch was ruled a hand ball by the side judge. But none the less the Irons came out victorious.

The Hammers are now in 16th place with 31 points on the table. earning a four point reprieve from the bottom three. With Burnley beating Hull City on the same day it secured West Ham's move away from the other two teams for the first time the last few weeks now.

Next weekends match is going to be crucial for the Hammers and will need the likes of Ilan and his mates to conjuror up some more magic against Liverpool. A win or draw would be crucial for the Hammer's with a key match against Wigan Athletic shortly following. The Wigan match could even possibly decide who drops into the bottom three.

The match is on Monday the 19th at 8:00 p.m. London time.

Forever Blowing Bubbles!

Hammers Hold on to get a Crucial Point

The Hammers fans chorused chants of "Come On You Irons" to rally their side in the second half, and no fan could be angry with the result as the West Ham rallied from being a goal down twice to get a valuable point at Goodison Park with a 2-2 draw against Everton.

The Toffee's went up in the 24th with a header from Diniyar Bilyaletdinov from the 6 yard mark. The resulting goal came after a poor header from Jonathan Spector in the Hammers penalty area was taking advantage of by the the Russian international.

The Hammers held on for the rest of the half, but were never able to put much pressure on Tim Howard and the Everton back four.

Then Gianfranco Zola must have inspired his side at halftime because the Irons came out with passion and fire in the second half playing well on both sides of the ball, pressuring the Toffees with many chances.

West Ham finally got their break when Manuel Da Costa scored with gallant effort in the 59th as he won a corner that fell from a first touch by Carlton Cole and found the foot Da Costa who was able to flick it home while falling forward.

After the Hammer's goal both squads played with intensity and both had multiple chances. Then the hearts of West Ham and their side fell when in the 84th Everton's Yakubu headed in a cross from Leighton Baines. Giving the Toffees their second one goal lead of the match going up 2-1.

Their elation didn't last long. After being subbed in for Mido in the 76th Ilan gave the Irons the equalizer. A perfect cross form Julien Faubert came into a running Ilan who dove and headed it in in between two Toffee defenders in the 86th minute. A perfect cross ended in a perfect goal.

The Hammers got their first point in their last seven matches, and a valuable one. The draw put West Ham over Hull City by a point, giving the Hammers a little bit of space from the bottom three.

West Ham's next match is against Sunderland at the Boelyn on the 10th.

Come On You Irons!!!

West Ham Drop Another Against Stoke

The Hammers fell short at home for the second consecutive time this week. This time around the defeat was less severe and didn't spur a resulting letter from one of the Co-Chairman. Though it has certainly caused much doubt of the future of Gianfranco Zola.

West Ham's side saw the return of Manuel Da Costa to the starting eleven for the first time since his suspension. The Hammers fell just short of a result for the first time in six matches when a goal scored in the 69th by the just on Ricardo Fuller.

Fuller's goal was a devastating end to 68 previous minutes of superb goal keeping by Robert Green.

West Ham's attack saw more chances than stoke, but once again they failed to capitalize. Benni McCarthy had a chance on a cross from Julien Faubert, another on a Carlton Cole shot on goal off of a cross from Jonathan Spector, and a final last ditch attempt from Alessandro Diamanti that went wide.

The Irons had five more attempts than Stoke but couldn't make it happen. Once again losing a match that was easily in reach of a result.

West Ham plays next against Everton, and again Zola and his boys will be eyeing a result. This time everyone of the Hammer's faithful will be hoping for a much needed result to stay afloat in the Premier League.

Stay Alive You Irons!!!

Mr. Gold, You Sir are Being Too Harsh

I normally write this blog as a news article or a sports article. I do this as a healthy form of catharsis for my self. I always try and be fair, and always free of opinion. But today I can no longer hold it in.

David Gold, the savior of West Ham United, (or so I thought when he and David Sullivan first purchased the team) has gone way over the line this time. His open letter to the fans of West Ham is the act which was "shambolic."

While i'll be the first to admit the Hammers play has been far less then what I had hoped for, and is in far less quality then when they won back to back against Birmingham and Hull City. To call out the team for five straight losses is unnecessary. If it was seven, then maybe write a letter. If it was ten, definitely write a letter, even fire the manager.

But to call the sides play "shambolic" after five losses is rude. Especially since three of those losses came to the top three clubs in the league! I'll go as far as to say they are three of the premier clubs in the whole of Europe. Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea are games that as a Hammers supporter I understand a no result. And when the team gets a draw, like they had twice already done, once against Chelsea, and another against Arsenal, I am ecstatic.

The only thing that is "shambolic" to me is the result of this letter. It has done nothing more than anger the players and the manager.

Then I see a report which says West Ham's owners would love to have David Beckham. Why? He is a dying player. Even if he came to the team he is injury prone. The only possible reason it makes any sense whatsoever to sign Beckham to the Hammers would be to sell jerseys. But with the money you would have to pay him you couldnt even cover that cost with jersey sales alone. It is stupidity to field a ten man team in order to have a name like David Beckham on the squad.

Give manager Gianfranco Zola time, especially if he can keep the club in the Premier League. Give the players that are talented and willing to stay a break like Carlton Cole, Matthew Upson, Scott Parker, Valon Behrami, Alessandro Diamanti and Robert Green. Let them be guiding lights to the younger stars like Junior Stanislas, Fabio Daprela and Frank Nouble.

Stay out of the managers and the players way and let them do the playing, until it becomes too poor. Then I am fine with an owner stepping in and asserting change. That day and point has not come yet though! So Mr. Gold you have gone too far. Back Off.

West Ham Till I Die!!!

Wolves Disaster

West Ham fell hard at the Boelyn to Wolverhampton on Tuesday losing 3 to 1 in a discouraging manner.

The Hammers never got going in the match after giving up a first half goal to Wolverhampton's Kevin Doyle in the 28th. Then the Irons were pushed away in the second half with two goals in three minutes shortly following the re-start. One from Ronald Zubar in the 58th and the next by Matthew Jarvis in the 61st.

The Irons only goal came from Guillermo Franco in the 93rd, giving the Hammers some consolation.

This lack luster display from West Ham gave Wolverhampton some breathing room from relegation and pushed the Hammers down farther into the pit of relegation.

No one was angry then new Co-Chairman and Owner David Gold, who wrote an open letter to the fans on the official site, www.whufc.com shortly following the match. In his letter Gold called the Hammers play against Wolves "Shambolic," he also went on the say that the side gave, "Wolves too much space so that they looked more Manchester United."

While the statement about Wolves may be true, one must question the motives of Mr. Gold. Is he trying to force Gianfranco Zola out? Was he trying to inspire the players to be angry at him and rally to win like they did when he first put Zola under the microscope? Only time will tell.

Come On You Irons!

Chelsea's Struggles Make West Ham Hopeful: March 13th Match Preview

The Hammers play the Blues at Stamford Bridge this Saturday, and after the tough defeat to Bolton at Boelyn Ground West Ham will be striving for a result to keep clear of the bottom three.

West Ham has already taken one point away from a game with Chelsea this season. The Hammers forced the Blues into a draw at Upton Park back in December. Though at home, Chelsea has the disadvantage of losing two of their last three Premier League matches, but will have the boost of advancing into semi-final play of the FA Cup by defeating Stoke City.

The Irons may all want to take a result from the second place team, but it will be no easy feat. A victory for the Blues could put them back into the top spot on the League Table. The Hammers have been outspoken on the importance of a victory on Saturday, but none more than Valon Behrami. In an article on the teams official site, www.whufc.com,

Behrami said, "We can do something special, I think, but we all have to be at 100 per cent and be at 100 per cent mentally and physically."

West Ham might also need a little bit of luck to draw or defeat the club that has led the League Table for the majority of the season.

One interesting factor to note is Chelsea is the only team in the Premier League that Zola played for, after being forced out of Italian Serie A side Parma by then coach and now Chelsea coach Carlo Ancelotti. Zola scored 59 goals for the Bluesin almost 230 appearances for the club. It is not the first match Zola has manged against Chelsea with Ancelotti at its head, but it still might hold some bitter memories for Zola.

The match this Saturday is at 3:00 p.m. London time.

GO HAMMERS!

West Ham Falls to the Champs: Man U. 3, Hammers 0

The Hammers fell to the Red Devils in the 38th minute and couldn't pick them selves back up again for the rest of the match. Losing the match at Old Trafford 0-3. The match ended in swirls of snow signifying the cold and bitter end of West Ham's two match win streak.

For the first 38 minutes it was a fairly even match with West Ham and Man. United splitting the possesion and the shot attempts equally. Then England National, Wayne Rooney, opened the match up with a header that beat Robert Green. The Hammers hung on for the rest of the half to keep the Red Devils lead at one goal.

Wayne Rooney wasn't done, he pushed on and in the 54th minute he put in his second header to beat Green and move the Manchester United lead to two goals. West Ham was never able to recover after the score and the match became out of hand for Manager Gianfranco Zola to take away any points from Sir Alex Ferguson's side.

Rooney made way for Michael Owen in the 77th, and was instantly a pest for the Hammers. He scored the matches final goal in the 80th minute to put it at an end.

Carlton Cole and his mates had a handful of chances in the last 15 minutes of the match but they couldn't put anything together to get past Man. Utd. keeper Ben Foster.

It is always tough to play Manchester Utd. at Old Trafford, their home form is 12 wins, one draw and one loss. And after their loss to Everton on Saturday they were looking for blood. Unfortunately for their Hammers back-to-back win streak comes to a halt.

Man. U maintains their 2nd place seat on the league table and brings their point total to 60, just one behind front-runners Chelsea.

The Hammers play next against Bolton in their next game on March 6th, at Boelyn Ground. Hopefully they can beat up on Bolton and return to a winning form to maintain themselves out of the bottom three.

I'm Foever Blowing Bubbles,
Pretty Bubbles in the Air,
They fly so High,
Till they Reach the Sky,
and like my Dreams they Fade and Die,
Fortune's always hiding,
I've looked Everywhere,
I'm forever blowing Bubbles,
Pretty Bubbles in the Air!

West Ham vs. Manchester United: Hammers Looking for Upset of the Season

West Ham travels to Old Trafford this Tuesday to play Man. U in a big match for both teams. For Manchester U. they will need a win to come within a point of front-runners Chelsea, and for West Ham, a win or a draw is needed to solidify the 13th seat on the table.

The Hammer's though are surging. two wins in their last two matches, with Robert Green holding both Birmingham City and Hull City goal-less. He will look to do the same against the likes of Wayne Rooney, the leagues top goal scorer. With the help of captain Matthew Upson holding down the defense.

United will see the return of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic together in their defensive backfield for the first time in 2010. The duo were greatly missed last Saturday which saw the Red Devils fall to Everton in a 3-1 result in favor of the Toffees in all area's including the score. This will bring Manchester U. into full strength for the match.

On the other side, West Ham will again be without Benni McCarthy who is still hampered by the knee injury he received in his first match in the claret and blue against Burnley.

The Hammer's still have the help of Mido and Ilan to anchor the striker position and with Carlton Cole, and his two goals in consecutive matches. All along side the raging Italian stallion that is Alessandro Diamanti, West Ham will pose some threat for the Red Devils.

Gianfranco Zola will be looking to not get beaten Tuesday and take at least a point if not all three from Old Trafford. If the Hammers win it would be the upset of their season, trumping their victory over a surging and solid Aston Villa side on November 4th.

The match is at 8:00 p.m. London time.

West Ham Hopeful here, and that's the way I will forever stay.

Hammers Cage the Tigers at Upton Park

West Ham rode Valon Behrami's 2nd minute goal in the first half to clinch it in the second half with a goal by Carlton Cole in the 58th minute and another by Julien Faubert in the 90th.

Behrami was clearly the man of the match and his versatility proved to be key for West Ham. He played more of an attacking mid position and was a threat to score more than once after his opening goal. He easily could have had a hat-trick if it weren't for some superb saves by Hull keeper Boaz Myhill. It was Behrami's first goal for the Hammers in his 50th match with the club.

Robert Green held a clean score sheet and shut out the visitors with a first half that presented few challenges and a second in which the Hull side didn't do much better.

The Hammers were constantly on attack in the match, showing brilliant passing and swift feet on defense. Though he gave up three goals, Myhill deserves much credit for keeping the Tigers in the contest with the dazzling saves he made throughout the match.

This win was massive and moved the Hammers into 13th on the league table. With a good goal differential in comparison to the other clubs fearing relegation.

West Ham goes on to play Manchester United away at Old Trafford. A win would be an amazing result but I'm sure that Manager Gianfranco Zola would be happy to take only a point away from the Red Devils.

The match is on the 23rd of this month.

I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles!

Burnley Blow! Shocks Hammers

West Ham should have come away with at least a point in the match but just couldn't. According to www.whufc.com Manager Gianfranco Zola said after the match , "To be honest, we deserved something out of the game." And the Hammers did.

Though their play wasnt superb in the first quarter of the match, the last three quarters the play picked up and was very inspired.

Carlton Cole and Benni McCarthy were very close on the chances they had to score. With McCarthy's play beating Burnley Goalkeeper, Brian Jensen, and getting the shot off to an apparently empty net. Only to have it kicked out by a sliding Leon Cort.

Mido and Ilan (pictured), West Ham's last two members of the new trio of strikers they now possess., and played well enough for Zola to be pleased with their work. Ilan scored the Iron's only goal in the 81st minute on shot following a deflection off of the hands of Jensen's stop of Coley's shot, and Mido's second attempt. Sometimes it's just the third time that's the charm.

This all wasn't enough to get any result out of Turf Moor.

After the disappointing loss. West Ham falls into the bottom three and the relegation zone. Standing in 18th now, the home match on Wednesday at Upton Park against Birmingham City holds a crucial need to win.

With new owners David's Sullivan and Gold being the former owners of Birmingham City it will be their first match with their new club against their former club. Creating an interesting new rivalry for the Hammers.

Tune in Wednesday for the match, a story with the result will follow

West Ham till I die!

Coley Excited for Burnley the Second Time Around: West Ham @ Burnley Preview

Burnley was the match that saw Carlton Cole and the Hammers hopes of scoring goals limp of the field. But this time around Cole is ready and hoping to take his place in the starting VI.

The English striker still remains West Ham's top goal scorer, even though a knee injury caused him to miss all of December and most of January. He is looking to keep it this way on Saturday against a floundering Burnley side that has fallen to 19th on the League Table. The Clarets haven't won a Premier League match since October over Hull City, and has more losses than draws in this winless span.

According to the West Ham official site , Cole says he has "Unfinished Business" to conclude with Burnley. Coley speaks the truth when he says that, "we need to get a six pointer up there, which we're fully capable of doing."

West Ham could move up into 13th in the Table with a victory at Turf Moor. With Gianfranco Zola looking to get his first win for the Hammer's new owners it will be exciting to see who he puts on the pitch for the starting VI.

He has the new striking options of Benni McCarthy and Mido. Ilan will probably not be ready to go this match. Definatly he will have a new formation instead of only going with one striker. Hopefully Frank Nouble gets some playing time, seeing that he has played fantastic for West Ham in Cole's absence.

The match is at 3:00 and you don't wanna miss it, if you cant find it on t.v or if you don't have a soccer channel, you might find it in a stream online.

Go Hammers!