West Ham United have picked up 6 points out of 9 in their return to the Premier League after two home wins either side of the forgettable away day in Wales.
I will look at the surprises that the Hammers have provided so far this season, from summer arrivals to how we have started and to tactics and style of play. Here are my 5.
5: No Tomkins: Last seasons Play-off final man of the match and most reliable centre half James Tomkins has found himself watching West Ham’s two home wins from the bench as Sam Allardyce looks for consistency at the heart of the West Ham defence.
If you had asked any West Ham fan as they left Wembley who would be the starting centre back next year Winston Reid or Tomkins next season I can guarantee the majority would have gone with the Basildon born Tomkins. But that’s not taking anything away from the brilliant Reid who has come on leaps and bounds from the man who lined up against Aston Villa two years ago. Having already bagged a goal and got two Premier League clean sheets under his belt the partnership with Collins looks promising and Tomkins will have to
work hard to force his way back into the team.
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4: Two can sheets in three: Backing up the last point, the defence has been a different class in two of the three games, let’s forget that game against Swansea for now and focus on the two home clean sheets.
For people who regularly read my posts you will know how worried I was about the back four before the season. But after two impressive displays against Fulham who had smashed Norwich for five a couple of weeks prior to their East end visit and on their opening day win against Aston Villa my worries are being slowly eased. The two full backs look confident and strong, Guy Demel looks fitter and sharper than last year, bombing forward when required teaming up with Ricardo Vaz Te to cause terror down the wings. Whilst Collins, barring his error against Swansea, has looked a revelation at the back, throwing his body on the line like the good old days. So I for one am surprised how the defence has performed in the first few games.
3: Two home wins: Last season we smashed are away day win record winning 13 games away from the Boleyn. But the Hammers struggled at home last year and in the end it’s those home draws against the like of Doncaster Rovers, Watford and Middlesbrough that cost us dear. I remember Allardyce using the old line “afraid of playing at home” winding me up how can you be frightened of playing in front of 30 thousand West Ham mad people. But when you think about it expectation was highand the way teams set up in the Championship made things hard. This season at home we’ve have outclassed two Premier League regulars. Maybe we shouldn’t be surprised by this, it’s a different league and a different year, expectation is a lot less and the atmosphere is a lot better and more excitable. I now travel to West Ham a lot more confident this season and it is refreshing feeling.
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2: Our style of play: When we were promoted I feared this season I would have to bring my neck brace to West Ham every week as we hoped to secure our Premier League status this year. But this season the style of play has been exciting and a joy to watch, maybe this is due to a different class of
players like Mohamed Diame, Matt Jarvis, and Andy Carroll etc. Yes at times we punt the ball long but what club doesn’t?
You have to utilise your talents and a club with Carroll and Cole in their artillery would be daft not to use this style of play. But to be tagged as “long ball” is an insult and totally inaccurate, and those who have seen us this season (and frankly who hasn’t we’ve been on TV twice already) will know we mix it up. We play it short when possible pulling defenders away and teasing the opposition before playing a precise and pinpoint ball up top allowing the like of Carroll and Cole to flick it onto the supporting cast. Over lapping runs from the full backs allow us to mix it up and it’s great to see Demel and O’Brien helping out when we attack.
I must admit when I heard we appointed Allardyce I was worried we’d lose our flair, but he is slowly bringing it back into our play and it is a pleasant surprise.
1: Our fantastic summer window: We are blessed to have David Gold and Sullivan and their tag of cheapskates when they were at Birmingham seems completely uncalled for.
Last season they backed Allardyce with the signings of Matty Taylor and Kevin Nolan and it was great to see us attracting two top class Premier League players to the Championship. But this year they have outdone themselves, securing no less than 10 signings all of which have improved the team or will do in the future.
The signings of Jarvis, Benayoun, Carroll and Diame are inspired. Diame on a free looks like one of the signings of the season, he is fierce compact and a stunning passer of the ball and to get him in for less than a penny is superb business. Our record breaking signing Jarvis will prove to be a great signing, his crossing and assist record speaks for his self and with Britain’s most expensive striker next to him goals are sure to come when both are fit and ready to go.
The signing of Carroll was the surprise of the summer when it eventually went through. After Carroll continually rejected us all summer, and Allardyce stating the Hammers were on the verge of giving up. The next day news of the Hammers pressing forward with their attempt to complete the coup of the summer when my mate showed me the official site on his iPhone down the pub that the signing had gone through I must admit I was like a kid a Christmas surprised and excited. Then to top it all off a deadline day deal for former Hammer Benayoun concluded which is widely thought of as the greatest window in West Ham’s history.
Come on you Irons!
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