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I've been missing off this site for almost as long as the period between City visits to West Ham, given our temporary blip around the grounds of second tier football (quite enjoyed the odd day out in truth; always nice to win more than you lose).

Seems quite odd to be posting a few words about your impending arrival, given that, albeit only 8 games in, we're only 4 points behind your good selves, level with Spuds and Everton and above Arsenal in the table.

Its all down, you might be surprised to learn, to two most un-West Ham-like blokes, namely Big Sam and Cap'n Kev. The place in unrecognisable from when you came to play against us last, when you toyed with us for 30 minutes and then put us to the sword. That's not of course to say that you won't run out winners again - you've certainly got a team into which none of our players would ever get - but you'll get hussled and harried for every 50-50 ball, get shown the odd glimpse of a pair of clean Jarvis heels and watch in stunned disbelief as New Zealand's highest World Cup scorer, that's Winston Reid, for the uninitiated, gobbles up every high ball you play into our box. OK, so you play on the floor, eh? Big whoop!

So, in the spirit of welcome back to good old E13, here's a few other thoughts about your club/team since I last posted regularly.

What a wonderful way to win a championship!

You'll qualify 2nd in this season's CL group stage.

Even though you are in the league unbeaten, it still seems to me that you're just really getting started so far. Maybe the 2 points dropped to Arsenal took the wind out of your sails? You also seem to be less sure at the back generally. We've kept more clean sheets, which almost has me looking at my fingers, unsure whether I can actually type such blasphemy.

As a neutral, I find it odd that Tevez is still in your team. Appreciably, you wanted the title, and his assistance in winning it, more that you wanted to make an example of one player. But I thought that, once the dust had settled, you'd want, as a club, to see the back of Carlitos. His behaviour last season was disgraceful.

Dzeko scores a beauty with the ball at his feet.

Some West Ham pointers
Jussi is a stop-gap signing after we lost a staring competition with Rob Green over the terms of a new contract. He will not shut you out for the whole game.

Part of that is caused, I am afraid to say, by the fact that James Collins is Sam's go-to first choice CB. Not a big fan, personally. Looks good in the last-ditch desperado tackle, until you remind yourself that its probably his mistake he's rectifying. See above re Winston Reid; effortlessly our most improved player to get over relegation and re-invent himself.

Our full-back options are a touch limited, although Guy Demel, from Hamburg is a unit who is surprisingly skillfull.

We have a midfield 3 of Noble, who's had a brilliant start to the season, Diame (a great free signing from Wigan) and Captain Kev Nolan. The latter is hardly most fans' cup of tea, but is surprisingly technically gifted, bosses around his team and the ref for the full 90 and presently has a 2 games per goal ratio. Not something to be sniffed at.

Vaz Te is now out for the foreseeable, so its probably Jarvis and Benayoun as the supprt for the lone (or should I say loan?) striker. Both have the skills to pay the 'beat our peers' bills, but, whether they can step and embarrass the likes of Clichy etc, I somehow doubt.

I'm not massively enthused by the Andy Carroll loan thing, but we did need fortification in that area, given Carlton Cole's habit of scoring few but conceding countless free-kicks. The wild card will be Maiga, who's a nice mix of strength and skill. You'd have seen the latter against Soton yesterday (lovely goal), but whether he's going to cause Kompany et al any sleepless nights, I am not so sure.

Enjoy the game, travellers. As you know, City are generally welcome at our place. Especially if they aren't thrashing us!

Welcome back mate you have been away too long imo.

Welcome back, a pity you didn't keep us posted of your adventures last year.

As i said in the OP, it wasn't all bad, actually, Lev. I went to Palace - just down the road for me - and we got the whole of one side of the ground. Went too to Cardiff's new 'lego' stadium. We'd been forced down in numbers for the allocation and 'bubbled' by having to get our tickets from a service-station pre-match, but I was lucky to have a mate in the home end, so sat there instead. Nice to out-sing them all game, even if I couldn't join in.

And of course a winning day out at Wembley.

As for the time away from here, I had to get a new computer and the site kept saying I'd exceeded my login attempts. Tried it by chance in another browser today, and here I am.

good to have you back

you'd rather have rob green over jussi ?
Did I read that right?

Wooders wrote:good to have you back

you'd rather have rob green over jussi ?
Did I read that right?

Well, you've got to see the context. Green was a great servant for the club, as much as he had his limits and the occasional howler.

Jussi was a brilliant keeper, but, he's a short term fix at best and, as much as we've had a reasonable start, defensively, has let two or maybe three goals in when one might have expected him to do better.

Green is however history now. He made the move and then let in 5 in their first game. We'll survive, hopefully, without him.

walmai wrote:Jussi was a brilliant keeper, but, he's a short term fix at best and, as much as we've had a reasonable start, defensively, has let two or maybe three goals in when one might have expected him to do better.

Unfortunately those will not be the last ones either. In the latter stages of his Bolton career there were IMO too many of those where i also felt he could/should've done better. I reckon you should be in the market for a new keeper next summer if you stay in the league. Hopefully Jussi will have one last great season and keeps you up. Wouldn't mind a howler when we play you though!

Welcome back mate and dont be pissing off again ha ;-0
Great post and wish your team the very best..Keep climbing up that table Hammers.

Green will be begging to leave in the summer, if not January - probably moaning about false pretences.

WELCOME HOME WALMAI, Always a pleasure to read one of your posts, usually thoughtful quality that gives us a chance to view ourselves from that honest but neutral perspective, that we as biased Blues often miss.

Thanks for another excellent post which puts some poor bugger under a lot of pressure later this week when they have to write the match preview. I'd just cut and paste yours, add a bit about City, take the plaudits and hope nobody noticed.

Relegation is always painful when it happens but if you get that immediate return, a season of winning games and cheering goals, coupled with the promotion, sweetens the pill and lifts the gloom again. I am very surprised but quite pleased at your good start. Points in the bag lessens the worries and is great for confidence.

How is Big Fat Sam regarded these days? I know many Hammers were displeased with his appointment and last season there were times on the radio phone ins that he took some heavy flak from fans who felt he would fail to get you up.

Sorry but we need the points to chase Chelsea and overtake the rags so I hope you thoroughly enjoy the game but maybe not quite as much as us,

I wasn't massively pleased we got Sam to begin with, even though Sammy Lee would have been an improvement on Avram tbh.

However, he has really turned around the team, making us much harder to beat. Sure, he went on the offensive last season, questioning whether the 'West Ham Way' purists were 'deluded' in some of their claims and there's a tiny bit of a feeling that he's still an outsider... We still sarcastically sing 'We're West Ham United, who play on the floor', but seem now to be doing so after putting another relegation candidate to the sword (this weekend, Soton, the time before that Sparky's QPR) and not just as an admonishment for Big Sam and his methods.

If he keeps us up - and I am not counting Autumn chicks to soon - any doubt will be dispelled.

Its all about 'respecting the point' against you lot. Suffice it to say, for the first time in ages, although they beat us, Arsenal were given a game.

Good to see you back ... I for one am looking forward to the obligutory Pie, mash and the green licker stuff ... hmmmmm (the Eels can feck off thou)

I like west ham as a team, but I have never felt comfortable when we've played them for some reason.

Honestly, I hope that we come out of the gates quickly in this game and put it to bed, not only do we need a win, but we need more confidence inspiring performances on par with the comeback vs. WBA to get us on a level with Chelsea, who are absolutely flying at the moment.

Nice to see you back here Walmai, and reading an alternative point of view. Also good to see the Hammers safely integrated back into the top flight. Good club with real supporters.

looking for some parking tips, travel etc, I will be driving down to the game and wondered where is the best place to abandon the car and get a tube...or is there parking pretty close to the Boleyn?

Any of you away day regulars have any top tips to share?

Welcome back Walmai - I am looking forward to the trip to the WH game.

Just my luck!! living in Wokingham it is one of my closest journeys - and a lot closer than COMS - and here it goes being a 1730 kick-off on a Saturday - oh well - just have to be in the pub longer

Nice post Walmai; you've been away far too long.

I can only echo John68's sentiments about the honest, unbiased and objective viewpoint you bring to this forum - long may you continue to do so.

Hope West Ham have an outstanding season.

Welcome back Walmai..you've been missed mate

Am I right to understand that all three of the specialist right backs in your squad have an injury going into this weekend's game?

Also, I've had a look at the Prem 25 you have listed; how many of the more attacking wide players are fit/available? My memory of the last game 2 years ago was that Silva was brilliant. If he's unavailable, we'll shed few tears about that!

Its the spine of your team that worries us, though: Hart, Kompany, Yaya, Tevez and Aguero. Sheesh, that's got 'undefeated, reigning champions' running through it like a stick of rock!

walmai wrote:Am I right to understand that all three of the specialist right backs in your squad have an injury going into this weekend's game?

Also, I've had a look at the Prem 25 you have listed; how many of the more attacking wide players are fit/available? My memory of the last game 2 years ago was that Silva was brilliant. If he's unavailable, we'll shed few tears about that!

Its the spine of your team that worries us, though: Hart, Kompany, Yaya, Tevez and Aguero. Sheesh, that's got 'undefeated, reigning champions' running through it like a stick of rock!

Have you got Carroll back yet mate? If you do, you have nothing to worry about. You'll score, no doubt about it. We don't have a bad defence but it's not as super as it was last year or the year before that either. Especially high crosses and free kicks seem to leave our defence confounded, regardless of who's playing.