SEASON REVIEW & ANALYSIS
Joining the Hammers in the Premiership this year are Reading (their first-ever season in the top tier of English football), Sheffield United (back in the top flight for the first time since 1993-94) and Watford (returning to the Premiership for the first time since 1999-2000), who were all promoted from the Championship at the end of 2005-06.
The new Premiership fixture list has given West Ham two London-derbies in their first two matches, beginning with Iain Dowie's Charlton Athletic at Upton Park on Saturday 19th August and then a short trip to new-boys Watford. A tough third game sees the Hammers visit Liverpool, whilst games against Tottenham are in October and March. The Hammers face Arsenal and Chelsea in November, with the return fixtures in consecutive weeks over Easter. The Irons end their 2006/07 campaign with a trip to Manchester United, with the home game in December.
Just like last season, DJ Wittzy will provide his personal analysis and review of each of West Ham United's games. Part 1 of the season is located below the sunflowers - Enjoy!
FA Premier League
WEST HAM UNITED (0) 3
CHARLTON ATHLETIC (1) 1
Key Incidents:
15th minute: GOAL (West Ham 0 Charlton 1) - After early Hammers pressure the visitors earn themselves a penalty when defender Danny Gabbidon inexplicably handles inside his own area. Darren Bent lashes home the penalty for Charlton's first goal of the season.
26th minute: SENDING OFF - Charlton's Djimi Traore, having picked up a yellow card only 3 minutes before, is shown a second yellow card for stupidly blocking a West Ham free-kick before Lee Bowyer is able to take it.
52nd minute: GOAL (West Ham 1 Charlton 1) - Bobby Zamora nets West Ham's first Premiership goal of 06/07 when Lee Bowyer's dangerous cross causes confusion in the Addicks' defence and Zamora is there at the far post for an easy tap-in from point-blank range.
66th minute: GOAL (West Ham 2 Charlton 1) - Zamora nets his second of the game, again from a Bowyer cross. Zamora manages to swing his boot at the ball, and fortunately it bounces off the inside of the post and just across the line before El Kalkouri can clear the danger.
90th minute: GOAL (West Ham 3 Charlton 1) - Carlton Cole, having just come on as substitute for his Hammers debut, scores a fantastic solo goal with his first touch(es). Lee Bowyer's clever through ball finds Cole in space on the West Ham right and his run and powerful shot seal the game for West Ham.
Hammers’ Position Before Match: n/a
Hammers’ Position After Match: 2nd
Opponent’s Position Before Match: n/a
Opponent’s Position After Match: 18th
Trivia: West Ham's first win against Charlton since early 2002.
Charlton's first Premiership match without ALan Curbishley in charge, as ex-Hammer Iain Dowie takes the reins for his first competitive game.
Coincidentally, last year on the opening day of the Premiership, West Ham trailed at home 0-1 to Blackburn at half-time and turned the game around to win 3-1. The opposition also had a man sent off, on that occasion it was Paul Dickov. Hammers were also second in the table after that opening day win.
The DJ Wittzy view: Wicked! Hammers dominated most of the game and should have scored more, but 3-1 was a fair reflection and it's nice to get up and running with maximum points. Even with Ashton out injured, it's encouraging to see our other strikers in good form. Also nice to beat Charlton for a change, as we've only defeated them twice previously in ten Premiership encounters.
Tuesday 22nd August 2006, KO 7.45pm
FA Premier League
WATFORD (0) 1
WEST HAM UNITED (0) 1
Key Incidents:
63rd minute: GOAL (Watford 1 West Ham 0) - The first goal at Vicarage Road deservedly goes the way of the home side, when Marlon King's stunning first time curling 30-yard effort finds the top corner, beating the outstretched fingertips of Roy Carroll.
65th minute: GOAL (Watford 1 West Ham 1) - An almost immediate response from the Hammers sees them hit Watford on the break, and Paul Konchesky's cross from the left wing finds Bobby Zamora who nets from a few yards out, with a little help from the crossbar.
Hammers’ Position Before Match: 4th
Hammers’ Position After Match: 1st
Opponent’s Position Before Match: 14th
Opponent’s Position After Match: 13th
Trivia: Watford's last home match in the Premiership was a 1-0 win over Coventry City (who failed to win any away matches that year) on the final day of the 1999/2000 season.
Watford have failed to beat West Ham in their last four attempts at Vicarage Road.
Hammers are top of the table! (The first time since 1983).
The DJ Wittzy view: Despite going top of the league, Hammers didn't play particularly well, and Watford deserved to win more than we did despite both sides having decent chances to win the game.
Saturday 26th August 2006, KO 12.45pm
FA Premier League
LIVERPOOL (2) 2
WEST HAM UNITED (1) 1
Key Incidents:
12th minute: GOAL (Liverpool 0 West Ham 1) - Premiership top-scorer Bobby Zamora nets his fourth of the 2006/7 campaign when his attempted cross finds the back of the Liverpool net, although 'keeper Jose Reina did help the ball on its way by pushing the ball into his own net after he was wrong-footed.
42nd minute: GOAL (Liverpool 1 West Ham 1) - Daniel Agger is allowed time and space before firing a spectacular 30-yerd effort past a helpless Roy Carroll. A great debut goal, but why were the Hammers defence so slow in closing him down?
45th minute: GOAL (Liverpool 2 West Ham 1) - The Scousers turn the game on its head when Peter Crouch is put through and manages to round Roy Carroll and squeeze the ball home despite the efforts of two Hammers defenders on the line.
Hammers’ Position Before Match: 3rd
Hammers’ Position After Match: 4th
Opponent’s Position Before Match: 13th
Opponent’s Position After Match: 6th
Trivia: West Ham have still failed to win at Anfield in 12 Premiership attempts, losing nine of those. Hammers haven't won here since 1963.
The DJ Wittzy view: Bloody Scousers, yet again we play well against them, take the lead and end up losing. About bloody time that changed...
Sunday 10th September 2006, KO 4.00pm
FA Premier League
WEST HAM UNITED (0) 1
ASTON VILLA (1) 1
Key Incidents:
4th minute: GOAL (West Ham 0 Aston Villa 1) - Liam Ridgewell puts the visitors infront early after a tap-in from 2 yards out.
52nd minute: GOAL (West Ham 1 Aston Villa 1) - Bobby Zamora nets his fifth Premiership goal in four matches, deflecting Paul Konchesky's header past Thomas Sorensen in the Villa goal.
Hammers’ Position Before Match: 8th
Hammers’ Position After Match: 8th
Opponent’s Position Before Match: 5th
Opponent’s Position After Match: 5th
Trivia: the fourth 1-1 draw between the sides at Upton Park in 12 Premiership matches, and the seventh in total at West Ham. Four out of the last five Premiership games at Upton Park against Villa have finished in a draw.
The DJ Wittzy view: Newboy Carlos Tevez came on for 30 minutes to make his Hammers debut, but it was a very lacklustre performance in the first half from West Ham. Fortunately leading Premiership scorer Zamora stole a point, as we have to settle for yet another draw against the Villans.
Thursday 14th September 2006, KO 8.00pm
UEFA Cup 1st Round 1st Leg
WEST HAM UNITED (0) 0
PALERMO (1) 1
Key Incidents:
45th minute: GOAL (West Ham 0 Palermo 1) - After Carlos Tevez misses a very similar chance to put West Ham ahead just minutes before, it is the Italians who open the scoring when Andrea Caracciolo nets from point-blank range in controversial fashion after the ball appeared to go out of play in the build-up to the goal.
Hammers’ League Position Before Match: 9th
Trivia: West Ham's first UEFA Cup match for 7 years. And the first West Ham match to be televised on ITV4...
The DJ Wittzy view: Disappointing result as it's likely end our UEFA Cup campaign already. However, Palermo, despite their constant fouling, cheating and timewasting, were a decent outfit and defended very stoutly, even if they were playing with pink on their strip. Also, the Swedish referee didn't exactly help - infact he was shit. Harewood was unlucky when he hit the inside of the post late on, but Hammers have now failed to win any of our last four games, that hopefully will change when we meet the Geordies on Sunday, after they had a much easier UEFA Cup tie.
Sunday 17th September 2006, KO 3.00pm
FA Premier League
WEST HAM UNITED (0) 0
NEWCASTLE UNITED (0) 2
Key Incidents:
50th minute: GOAL (West Ham 0 Newcastle 1) - Damien Duff nets his first goal for the Magpies when Obafemi Martins is allowed to run virtually unchallenged deep into the West Ham half, and Duff slots a low angled shot past Roy Carroll, which he maybe should have saved.
75th minute: GOAL (West Ham 0 Newcastle 2) - Having set up Newcastle's opener, it is Obafemi Martins who scores his first Newcastle goal since his Ł10million move from Internazionale, when Danny Gabbidon inexplicably attempts to dummy the ball and Martins races clear and, one-on-one with Carroll, makes no mistake as he puts the ball in the corner of the net.
Hammers’ Position Before Match: 9th
Hammers’ Position After Match: 11th
Opponent’s Position Before Match: 14th
Opponent’s Position After Match: 9th
Trivia: West Ham have failed to beat Newcastle since winning 3-0 against them (in also their 5th league match) in September 2001, and have conceded 15 goals in the six matches played since.
The DJ Wittzy view: A sickening defeat to a team I cannot stand. We played ok in the first half, but after the break it all went downhill. Tevez hit the bar with a free-kick in the 9th minute and Bowyer's audacious 40-yard lob nearly caught Shay Given off his line, but there wasn't much else created by the Hammers. I personally don't think Newcastle are a particularly good side despite all the money they've spent on players, but they are overrated and (like Spurs) are underachievers, which is why losing 2-0 at home to them is a big blow. Only one win in six games this season, and our winless run stretches to five games, and this despite the signing of superstars Macherano and Tevez. Not good, and very frustrating at the moment. We are, however, above Tottenham and Liverpool in the league table...
Saturday 23rd September 2006, KO 3.00pm
FA Premier League
MANCHESTER CITY (0) 2
WEST HAM UNITED (0) 0
Key Incidents:
50th minute: GOAL (Man City 1 West Ham 0) – After going very close with an effort in a quiet first half, Georgios Samaras gives the home side a deserved lead when 19-year old Ishmael Miller is allowed to run almost the entire length of the field, before one of the West Ham defenders finally decides to tackle him. However, the ball loops up in the air, and Samaras controls it nicely on his chest before volleying into the corner of the net.
63rd minute: GOAL (Man City 2 West Ham 0) – The pressure is eased off Stuart Pearce when it is Samaras again who doubles City’s lead. Having been put through, he coolly lobs the ball over the advancing Roy Carroll to put the game beyond doubt.
Hammers’ Position Before Match: 12th
Hammers’ Position After Match: 15th
Opponent’s Position Before Match: 17th
Opponent’s Position After Match: 13th
Trivia: City have a 100% winning record against the Hammers at Eastlands in the Premiership, having won both matches. West Ham’s only victory at City in the Premiership came at Maine Road in April 2003, when the Irons won 1-0.
The DJ Wittzy view: Another shocking result. West Ham were absolutely dreadful today - didn’t have a single shot on target, mind you, they only mustered a dismal 3 efforts on the host’s goal. The knives were really out for Stuart Pearce after City’s 2-1 loss at Chesterfield in the Carling Cup in midweek, but we are now below his side in the league and have not won since the opening day of the season. 2 draws and 4 defeats in our last 6 games, and no goals in the last 3 games – what is going on???
Thursday 28th September 2006, KO 7.45pm
UEFA Cup 1st Round 2nd Leg
PALERMO (1) 3
WEST HAM UNITED (0) 0
(Aggregate: 4-0)
Key Incidents:
36th minute: GOAL (Palermo 1 West Ham 0) – Fabio Simplicio doubles the Italians’ aggregate lead when he shoots low into the West Ham net after a bright opening from the visitors.
63rd minute: GOAL (Palermo 2 West Ham 0) – Simplicio effectively ends the tie when he scores his second of the night from a breakaway which sees the Hammers horribly exposed at the back again.
69th minute: GOAL (Palermo 3 West Ham 0) – West Ham’s miserable night is complete, as David Di Michele adds a third soon after, and the Irons are sadly dumped out of the UEFA Cup at the first hurdle.
Hammers’ League Position Before Match: 15th
Trivia: Romanian side Steaua Bucharest were the last team to knock West Ham out of the UEFA Cup seven years ago.
The DJ Wittzy view: We had our chances, but again the strikers were ultimately useless infront of goal. And the defence didn’t do their job either, and looked vulnerable on numerous occasions. Having said that, it doesn’t help when those bloody Italians start rolling around on the floor and timewasting and cheating. They were a very good and organised side, however, although being thumped 3-0 by a team in pink isn’t very smart.
Sunday 1st October 2006, KO 2.00pm
FA Premier League
WEST HAM UNITED (0) 0
READING (1) 1
Key Incidents:
2nd minute: GOAL (West Ham 0 Reading 1) – After winning an early free-kick midway inside the West Ham half, Seol Ki-Hyeon is allowed far too much time and space by the Hammers defenders as he fires an unstoppable 25-yard effort inside Roy Carroll’s near post.
Hammers’ Position Before Match: 15th
Hammers’ Position After Match: 16th
Opponent’s Position Before Match: 8th
Opponent’s Position After Match: 7th
Trivia: Hammers have now lost 5 games in a row, without scoring a single goal – o dear. West Ham had won the two previous meetings between the sides (when in the Championship) by 1-0 on both occasions.
The DJ Wittzy view: Yet another defeat, yet another game without a goal. We have six top strikers but not one of them is doing their job. Reading only managed two shots on our goal the entire game, only one of which was on target – shame it was a long-range screamer into the top corner. Conditions were difficult but we still didn’t play well enough. This is getting desperate now, we simply have to start winning, and to do that we must put the ball in the back of the opposition’s net! We have a week off due to the internationals but two tough away games at Pompey and Spurs means things aren’t going to get much easier...
Saturday 14th October 2006, KO 3.00pm
FA Premier League
PORTSMOUTH (1) 2
WEST HAM UNITED (0) 0
Key Incidents:
25th minute: GOAL (Portsmouth 1 West Ham 0) – Kanu’s header gives the home side the lead, despite a bright start from the struggling Hammers. If ‘keeper Roy Carroll had bothered to dive instead of watching the ball float past him as he tried to complain about an infringement, the score might have remained 0-0...
82nd minute: GOAL (Portsmouth 2 West Ham 0) – Substitute Andrew Cole compounds West Ham’s misery even further when he manages to turn and fire a low shot into the corner of the West Ham net despite the presence of several defenders around him.
Hammers’ Position Before Match: 16th
Hammers’ Position After Match: 18th
Opponent’s Position Before Match: 4th
Opponent’s Position After Match: 3rd
Trivia: West Ham have yet to beat Pompey in the three Premiership meetings between the sides.
The DJ Wittzy view: What can I say? Oh dear, this really cannot get much worse... infact it will be a lot worse if we lose this time next week at Spurs – that will hurt, having said that, if we were to win there, how sweet that would be! At the moment, however, victory at White-Hart Lane is looking extremely unlikely as we still cannot keep a clean sheet and cannot put the ball in the net...
Sunday 22nd October 2006, KO 3.00pm
FA Premier League
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR (1) 1
WEST HAM UNITED (0) 0
Key Incidents:
45th minute: GOAL (Tottenham 1 West Ham 0) – In the third minute of stoppage time at the end of the first half, Ahmed Mido manages to turn and fire his shot past Robert Green (making his debut in goal for the Hammers), hitting the inside of the post before rebounding into the opposite corner of the net.
Hammers’ Position Before Match: 19th
Hammers’ Position After Match: 19th
Opponent’s Position Before Match: 15th
Opponent’s Position After Match: 13th
Trivia: The fourth time in Premiership history that West Ham have been defeated 1-0 at White-Hart Lane. They also suffered a similar loss in 1996, 1998 and 2000.
The DJ Wittzy view: Bloody Tottenham – just that one moment of concentration lost at the end of the first half and it cost us, not that we played very well; the hosts could have won by more if they were any good up front (but of course they’re not). Same old story for the Hammers: no goal, no defending, no points... The horror run continues...
Tuesday 24th October 2006, KO 7.45pm
Carling Cup 3rd Round
CHESTERFIELD (0) 2
WEST HAM UNITED (1) 1
Key Incidents:
3rd minute: GOAL (Chesterfield 0 West Ham 1) – At long, long last West Ham finally get on the scoresheet when Marlon Harewood scores his first of the season, volleying in after the home side failed to clear.
54th minute: GOAL (Chesterfield 1 West Ham 1) – Having barely threatened the League One side’s goal after Harewood’s early strike, the Hammers are punished when Colin Larkin pulls the Spireites level after he reacts quickest when the ball rebounds off the post.
87th minute: GOAL (Chesterfield 2 West Ham 1) – Things get a whole lot worse for the beleaguered Premiership side when Caleb Folan deservedly sends Chesterfield into the fourth round with an effort which goes through the legs of Robert Green.
Hammers’ Position Before Match: 19th
Opponent’s Position Before Match: 15th (League One) = 59th overall
Trivia: The two sides met at Saltergate in September 2002 in the second round of the Carling Cup. West Ham eventually won 5-4 on penalties, having been held to a 1-1 draw after extra time. And, despite being 40 places below the Hammers at kick-off, Chesterfield also knocked out Premiership Manchester City 2-1 in the previous round after trailing.
The DJ Wittzy view: Absolutely abysmal. Our misery is further compounded by being dumped out of the cup by a side two divisions below us. What was more worrying than that is that Chesterfield absolutely outplayed us from the moment Harewood ended our goal drought (yes it only took 671 minutes to find the net again since Bobby Zamora scored against Aston Villa on 10 September). Eight defeats in a row now...
Sunday 29th October 2006, KO 4.00pm
FA Premier League
WEST HAM UNITED (1) 2
BLACKBURN ROVERS (0) 1
Key Incidents:
21st minute: GOAL (West Ham 1 Blackburn 0) – Teddy Sheringham lifts the gloom around Upton Park with West Ham’s first Premiership goal for 509 minutes with a superb header from Yossi Benayoun’s clever cross.
80th minute: GOAL (West Ham 2 Blackburn 0) – Hayden Mullins lashes home from inside the six-yard box after a near-post flick on from a corner to send West Ham closer to a morale-boosting win.
90th minute: GOAL (West Ham 2 Blackburn 1) – David Bentley is quickest to react when Rob Green can only parry Benni McCarthy’s shot and is on hand to give Rovers a late lifeline, although ultimately it turns out to be too little, too late.
Hammers’ Position Before Match: 19th
Hammers’ Position After Match: 16th
Opponent’s Position Before Match: 11th
Opponent’s Position After Match: 11th
Trivia: Rovers have still only recorded one Premiership victory at Upton Park – 2-1 on their first visit in April 1994. Since then, they have only collected one point from eight league meetings, and their only other draw was a 2-2 in the FA Cup fifth round in 1998. West Ham’s fourth 2-1 victory over Rovers in the Prem. The other 2-1 home triumphs came in October 1996, April 1998 and January 2003.
The DJ Wittzy view: At last! That win was desperately needed. And we played very well, debutant George McCartney in particular was impressive, and despite nearly throwing it away at the end when Francis Jeffers wasted the visitors last chance, heading over deep into stoppage time, West Ham climb out of the relegation places to 16th spot.
Sunday 5th November 2006, KO 1.30pm
FA Premier League
WEST HAM UNITED (0) 1
ARSENAL (0) 0
Key Incidents:
89th minute: GOAL (West Ham 1 Arsenal 0) – After superb build-up play on the West Ham left, Matty Etherington’s pin-point cross finds Marlon Harewood in the penalty area and he makes no mistake in firing past Jens Lehmann to give the Hammers the spoils in a dramatic finale to a feisty London derby.
Hammers’ Position Before Match: 18th
Hammers’ Position After Match: 15th
Opponent’s Position Before Match: 5th
Opponent’s Position After Match: 5th
Trivia: Only West Ham’s second home victory over Arsenal in the Premiership, the other occasion came in September 1999 when Paolo Di Canio scored a brace in a 2-1 win for Hammers, and 3 players were sent off (including Patrick Vieira, who spat in the face of Neil Ruddock). West Ham have now taken 7 points out of a possible 9 off the Gooners in the last three meetings. First clean sheet for West Ham this season, the last club to record one in the Premiership.
The DJ Wittzy view: A brilliant Hammers performance, and the win was deserved, too! It’s just a shame we can’t perform like this on a more consistent basis this season. We defended very well, finally getting a clean sheet, and looked threatening every time we attacked. Just a shame Mr. Wenger has to act so childishly at the end, refusing to shake Pardew’s hand. Oh well, we Hammers were loving it!
Saturday 11th November 2006, KO 3.00pm
FA Premier League
MIDDLESBROUGH (0) 1
WEST HAM UNITED (0) 0
Key Incidents:
75th minute: GOAL (Middlesbrough 1 West Ham 0) – Substitute Massimo Maccarone’s late goal condemns West Ham to yet another away defeat, when the visitors fail to clear a Boro’ corner and the Italian rounds Rob Green before squeezing the ball home from a tight angle.
Hammers’ Position Before Match: 15th
Hammers’ Position After Match: 16th
Opponent’s Position Before Match: 16th
Opponent’s Position After Match: 12th
Trivia: West Ham’s eighth defeat in nine Premiership games at the Riverside Stadium; Hammers are still yet to record a win at Boro’ since they moved to their new stadium in 1995. The Irons’ defence has leaked 20 goals in the nine league meetings at the Riverside, and have never kept a clean sheet.
The DJ Wittzy view: A dreadfully dull game, in which Hammers barely had a shot on the home side’s goal and never looked like scoring. Our brief revival comes to a disappointing end, as Maccarone’s late goal sees his team leapfrog the Irons in the table.
Saturday 18th November 2006, KO 3.00pm
FA Premier League
CHELSEA (1) 1
WEST HAM UNITED (0) 0
Key Incidents:
22nd minute: GOAL (Chelsea 1 West Ham 0) – Geremi’s stunning free-kick somehow manages to find its way through the smallest gap and into the top-left hand corner of Rob Green’s goal.
Hammers’ Position Before Match: 16th
Hammers’ Position After Match: 16th
Opponent’s Position Before Match: 2nd
Opponent’s Position After Match: 2nd
Trivia: Hammers’ sixth away defeat in seven, although we still boast a respectable record at Stamford Bridge in the Premiership, winning 4 of the 12 encounters.
The DJ Wittzy view: Although losing to Chelsea is always painful, there’s no shame in being beaten by a single goal (and a brilliant one at that) by the multi-millionaires of West London. Hammers were resilient, and kept the hosts at bay, whilst not really offering much at the other end despite having 48% of the possession (not too many teams do that at the Bridge). And the most pleasing thing is that my two least favourite players (not including that arsehole, cheat and arrogant twat Christiano Ronaldo) Drogba and Lampard didn’t score! (Well top-scorer Drogba put the ball in the net but was correctly ruled offside – ha!). I must say, though, Carlos Tevez looked overweight and a bit lethargic up front...
Saturday 25th November 2006, KO 3.00pm
FA Premier League
WEST HAM UNITED (1) 1
SHEFFIELD UNITED (0) 0
Key Incidents:
36th minute: GOAL (West Ham 1 Sheffield Utd 0) – Hayden Mullins heads home after an Anton Ferdinand flick-on from a corner to give the home side the lead in a scappy game.
Hammers’ Position Before Match: 16th
Hammers’ Position After Match: 15th
Opponent’s Position Before Match: 18th
Opponent’s Position After Match: 18th
Trivia: Hammers’ first home Premiership win over United. The Only other previous meeting in the Prem was a 0-0 stalemate on 3rd January 1994.
The DJ Wittzy view: A vitally important 3 points for the Hammers, even though we didn’t play particularly well in a tense game. Were a bit fortunate, as in the dying seconds the visitors had a perfectly good goal disallowed. But the new era under Icelandic chairman Eggert Magnusson begins with a win for the Irons, and things will surely start to improve given time.
Sunday 3rd December 2006, KO 4.00pm
FA Premier League
EVERTON (0) 2
WEST HAM UNITED (0) 0
Key Incidents:
51st minute: GOAL (Everton 1 West Ham 0) – After a poor first half, the Toffees take the lead through Leon Osman’s dipping half-volley which gives Rob Green in the Hammers goal no chance.
90th minute: GOAL (Everton 2 West Ham 0) – Substitute James Vaughan condemns the Irons to another scoreless away defeat when his low shot squirms underneath Robert Green.
Hammers’ Position Before Match: 17th
Hammers’ Position After Match: 17th
Opponent’s Position Before Match: 9th
Opponent’s Position After Match: 7th
Trivia: West Ham’s seventh Premiership defeat at Goodison Park, and also the seventh time they’ve failed to find the net.
The DJ Wittzy view: Despite dominating the early stages in the first half, the Hammers came unstuck after the break and were made to pay for wasting a couple of very good opportunities – most notably Carlos Tevez’s inch-perfect cross for Lee Bowyer, who only a few yards out, drove his effort straight at Tim Howard. Had that gone in, the Hammers may have gone on to win convincingly at that stage...
Wednesday 6th December 2006, KO 7.45pm
FA Premier League
WEST HAM UNITED (0) 0
WIGAN ATHLETIC (0) 2
Key Incidents:
51st minute: GOAL (West Ham 0 Wigan 1) – England U21 International David Cotterill’s neat turn and quick finish gives the Latics the lead against a very poor West Ham side.
58th minute: GOAL (West Ham 0 Wigan 2) – Hammers defender Jonathon Spector deflects a long-range effort past Robert Green; the own goal is Wigan’s second goal within the space of 8 disastrous second half minutes for the home side.
Hammers’ Position Before Match: 17th
Hammers’ Position After Match: 18th
Opponent’s Position Before Match: 13th
Opponent’s Position After Match: 11th
Trivia: Wigan’s third consecutive 2-goal win at Upton Park in the league, and second 2-0 victory in two Premiership seasons.
The DJ Wittzy view: A dreadful, lifeless performance from the Hammers sees them slip into the relegation zone after Newcastle’s 3-2 win over Reading the same evening. Yet another shut-out infront of the opposition’s goal, too...
Saturday 9th December 2006, KO 5.15pm
FA Premier League
BOLTON WANDERERS (1) 4
WEST HAM UNITED (0) 0
Key Incidents:
17th minute: GOAL (Bolton 1 West Ham 0) – Kevin Davies, rather fortunately, gives the Trotters the advantage when he capitalises on slack West Ham defending to poke the ball home from 6 yards after ball was crossed back in when the move had seemingly broken down. However, Davies even had a guilty look on his face, as even he realised that he pushed a Hammers defender in trying to get to the ball; shame the referee didn’t see it.
51st minute: GOAL (Bolton 2 West Ham 0) – Kevin Davies notches his brace and effectively the win for Bolton when he is the quickest to react from a corner, and again he simply toe-pokes the ball home from very close range.
77th minute: GOAL (Bolton 3 West Ham 0) – El-Hadji Diouf is allowed to run along the left touchline inside the whole of the Hammers half before easily shrugging off a defender and touching the ball past Green.
78th minute: GOAL (Bolton 4 West Ham 0) – Nicolas Anelka compounds the misery when he is put through, almost immediately from West Ham’s restart, and his delicate flick over Green condemns the Hammers to their heaviest defeat of the season.
Hammers’ Position Before Match: 18th
Hammers’ Position After Match: 18th
Opponent’s Position Before Match: 9th
Opponent’s Position After Match: 5th
Trivia: Bolton blast four goals past the shell-shocked Hammers for the second season in succession at the Reebok. Hammers still yet to record a victory at the stadium since their first game there in February 1998. Three consecutive scoreless games now for the Hammers.
The DJ Wittzy view: We paid Ł8 to see this game on PremPlus – and I was absolutely horrified by what I saw. This was the most one-sided game of football I have ever witnessed, the Hammers were absolutely atrocious! They struggled to pass to one another and found it very difficult to venture into the Bolton half. Only one effort on goal in the entire 90 minutes – that was a long-range Nigel Reo-Coker effort in the second half, which was way off target. Just after the second Bolton goal went in, Hammers had their best opportunity, but Marlon Harewood was agonisingly short from connecting with a dangerous cross from the West Ham right. Other than that, the visitors offered very little, and it was extremely worrying watching Ivan Campo strut through our weak defence and almost add a fifth in stoppage time; with Green beaten, Campo’s clever shot bounced back off a post, but despite the few West Ham fans dancing and singing in the pouring rain, it was yet another horrible day being a Hammers supporter.
It was this result which ultimately led to the sacking of Alan Pardew on Monday 11th December – a ridiculous decision by Eggert Magnusson, who had only been Chairman for four games, even if the past two games were appalling. Ex-Charlton boss Alan Curbishley was very quickly appointed as new boss on the Wednesday, and ironically Pardew was to head to Charlton to become their new manager later that month.
Sunday 17th December 2006, KO 4.00pm
FA Premier League
WEST HAM UNITED (0) 1
MANCHESTER UNITED (0) 0
Key Incidents:
75th minute: GOAL (West Ham 1 Man Utd 0) – Nigel Reo-Coker gives the Hammers something of a surprise lead against the runaway leaders – with only one league defeat to their name (0-1 against Arsenal in September) – but the Hammers deservedly go infront when captain Reo-Coker scores from point-blank range.
Hammers’ Position Before Match: 18th
Hammers’ Position After Match: 18th
Opponent’s Position Before Match: 1st
Opponent’s Position After Match: 1st
Trivia: West Ham’s first-ever home Premiership win over United, and second 1-0 win in total in the 14-year history of the division.
The DJ Wittzy view: Bloody fantastic!! It’s so wonderful to beat the f*cking Mancs, only the third time I’ve experienced it, but what a priceless victory this could turn out to be – totally unexpected as well! But the Irons were so much better than compared to previous weeks, and defended much better as well – Rob Green in goal made some superb saves, one in particular from No.1 hate figure Christiano Ronaldo; a brilliant one-handed save low down to his left which kept the score at 0-0. If we played like this every week, we certainly wouldn’t be where we are now – it was a similar performance to the excellent 1-0 triumph over the Gooners, but whilst we keep losing to the “smaller” clubs we will continue to struggle. Anyway, we have bragging rights over the Manc bastards until May at least!!!
Saturday 23rd December 2006, KO 12.45pm
FA Premier League
FULHAM (0) 0
WEST HAM UNITED (0) 0
Key Incidents:
85th minute: SENDING OFF – Paul Konchesky is wrongly given a straight red card when Fulham hit the visitors on the break, but a perfectly good challenge by Konchesky - which admittedly he got the man as well as the ball, but only after he won the ball and could not move his leg out of the way in time to catch the man – is punished by a straight red.
Hammers’ Position Before Match: 18th
Hammers’ Position After Match: 18th
Opponent’s Position Before Match: 11th
Opponent’s Position After Match: 12th
Trivia: The first time the Hammers have failed to win at Fulham in the Premiership – in the previous 3 meetings West Ham won by a single goal on each occasion.
The DJ Wittzy view: Another improved performance by the rejuvenated Hammers, who were a bit unlucky, having hit the woodwork a couple of times and having an effort cleared off the line. It was also nice of the FA not to overturn Konchesky’s red card, despite him actually WINNING THE BALL. Well done FA – bloody idiots.
Tuesday 26th December 2006, KO 1.00pm
FA Premier League
WEST HAM UNITED (0) 1
PORTSMOUTH (2) 2
Key Incidents:
16th minute: GOAL (West Ham 0 Portsmouth 1) – Linvoy Primus heads Pompey infront when he is given a free header from a corner.
38th minute: GOAL (West Ham 0 Portsmouth 2) – Another Linvoy Primus header, again he is unmarked from a set-piece - this time from a free-kick, and again West Ham’s poor defending is punished.
81st minute: GOAL (West Ham 1 Portsmouth 2) – Teddy Sheringham gives the Hammers a slim hope of salvaging something from the game when he squeezes his shot home from a very tight angle, after ex-Hammers ‘keeper David James failed to gather the ball.
Hammers’ Position Before Match: 18th
Hammers’ Position After Match: 18th
Opponent’s Position Before Match: 6th
Opponent’s Position After Match: 5th
Trivia: Portsmouth’s third consecutive win over the Hammers; indeed West Ham are yet to put one over on former manager Harry Redknapp since he left in 2001.
The DJ Wittzy view: A disappointing result in light of our recent improvement, but it was our lightweight defence that was again exposed; what was most frustrating was that they made the same mistake twice, and at 0-2 down it was never going to be easy to take something from the game.
Saturday 30th December 2006, KO 3.00pm
FA Premier League
WEST HAM UNITED (0) 0
MANCHESTER CITY (0) 1
Key Incidents:
83rd minute: GOAL (West Ham 0 Man City 1) – DaMarcus Beasley finds himself all alone in the West Ham half and, from a tight angle, blasts a superb shot into the roof of the net past Rob Green.
Hammers’ Position Before Match: 18th
Hammers’ Position After Match: 18th
Opponent’s Position Before Match: 13th
Opponent’s Position After Match: 10th
Trivia: This is actually Man City’s first-ever Premiership win at Upton Park. Before today, City had only avoided a convincing defeat on one occasion – that was a dire 0-0 draw in September 2002.
The DJ Wittzy view: Despite having most of the play, West Ham again shoot themselves in the foot, losing a game which really they shouldn’t have but conceding that late goal was really silly and another blow in our battle against relegation. The 1-0 away win (City’s second in succession) also means visitors pull themselves away from the relegation scrap at the bottom.
>>>> THIS WAY >>>>