2015/16 in review: September & October

Join us as we take a look back at the 2015/16 season through the eyes of KUMB Editor Graeme Howlett, who penned a weekly column for the Echo newspaper throughout the campaign.

Today we look back at September and October 2015 in the second part of our review...


20 September

Only at West Ham could you best Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City in successive away games - and yet still fail to record the biggest sporting headline of the weekend.

Thanks to a group of plucky Japanese rugby players, West Ham's mighty achievement at the City of Manchester Stadium was demoted to second spot come Sunday morning's sporting news headlines.

And whilst history was being made down at the Brighton Community Centre by the eggchasers from the Far East, Slaven Bilic's new-look West Ham team were making history of their own by winning away to all three of the aforementioned for the first time ever in the same season.




It was no surprise when pundits and the media alike declared West Ham's 2-0 win at The Emirates on the opening day of the season to be an anomaly. After all it's virtually unheard of for the Irons to win away to Arsenal, right?

However having followed that achievement with a 3-0 win at Anfield - West Ham's first on the red side of Stanley Park since 1963 - and subsequently ending Manchester City's unbeaten league record with a stunning 2-1 success at the City of Manchester Stadium, those same pundits are finally beginning to give Bilic's boys the credit they deserve.

Make no mistake, not one of those three wins was in any way lucky. West Ham outplayed both Arsenal and Liverpool and having gained a two-goal advantage at Man City on Saturday (through Victor Moses and Diafra Sakho), fought like lions to preserve their advantage despite being predictably battered after the break.

Once again, Dimitri Payet was instrumental in a win that lifted West Ham into second spot in the Premier League. The French international played a key role in Moses' opening goal, whilst his all-round vision and awareness could have led to even more.

But even Payet's performance was eclipsed by that of centre half Winston Reid, who was absolutely immense at the heart of West Ham's defence.

The Kiwi's 21 clearances during the game was a new Premier League record and his appearance left Match of the Day commentator Steve Wilson drooling over what he described as "one of the best individual defensive displays I have ever seen".

Even more encouraging for Hammers fans is that Bilic had to make do without Angelo Ogbonna and Cheikhou Kouyate on Saturday, both of whom were ruled out through injury. Not to mention that Alex Song is yet to kick a ball this season - Enner Valencia neither - whilst Andy Carroll has managed just five minutes of action thus far.

"All we need is Slav", sang happy Hammers fans on Saturday night after the incredible win at Man City. That might not be strictly true, but the new manager's positivity is certainly paying off right now.

Long may it continue.


4 October

To those of us who have been watching West Ham for some considerable time, it was perhaps no surprise to see Dick Advocaat's Sunderland - a team without a Premier League win all season - surge into a two-goal lead after just 22 minutes at the Stadium of Light on Saturday.

Having already beaten Arsenal, Liverpool and Man City on their own patch it was typical of West Ham to fall behind to a team that most pundits - with the exception of the irksome Mark Lawrenson - expected them to beat. Less emblematic was the fashion in which Slaven Bilic's side responded - by scoring twice thereafter to rescue a point.

Those goals - from Carl Jenkinson on the stroke of half time and Dimitri Payet, two minutes after Jeremain Lens had been dismissed by fussy referee Neil Swarbrick for a second bookable offence - ensured the Hammers remain unbeaten away from home in the Premier League this season.

And they also signalled a fresh, new resolve amongst Bilic's squad - an attitude typified by goalscorer Payet's obvious disappointment at the final whistle, after West Ham had battered the ten-man Black Cats for the duration of the second half without managing to find a winning goal.




On the pitch, whilst Bilic has no immediate concerns going forward the defensive lapses are beginning to mount up. The previous weekend against Norwich, Mark Noble's first half hospital pass that led to Robbie Brady's opening goal effectively cost the Hammers two points.

And at Sunderland on Saturday, West Ham only had themselves to blame for dropping points again after Jenkinson conceded a needless free kick that led to Sunderland's opener and Payet's loose pass to Winston Reid gave Lens the opportunity to score the second. At least both atoned for their errors by responding at the opposite end.

But if West Ham wish to be a real force in the Premier League this season (and beyond), they'll need to cut out these avoidable errors than have cost the team four points in the last fortnight.

Elsewhere in the Premier League this weekend Sergio Aguero scored five goals in 20 minutes (the 42nd, 49th, 50th, 60th and 62nd) as Manchester City thrashed Newcastle 6-1 at the Etihad Stadium. It was touted as the fastest five-goal haul in Premier League history.

And whilst that may be true, Aguero's achievement only equalled the top flight record set 50 years ago by West Ham United's Brian Dear, who also scored five in 20 minutes against West Brom in a 6-1 Division One win at the Boleyn Ground in April 1965 (the 44th, 53rd, 56th, 59th and 64th minute).

Further, I believe Dear's record remains unbroken as Man City and Newcastle played three minutes added-on time at the end of the first half - whereas there was hardly any added-on time played in the mid-1960s!


11 October

Darren Randolph was the unlikely hero for Ireland in Dublin last weekend as the substitute goalkeeper's assist kept his nation's hopes of qualifying for next summer's European Championships alive.

Rather closer to home, Roy Hodgson's England were playing out a dead-rubber against Estonia at Wembley on Friday night. But if you were hoping to see any of West Ham United's exciting young English players feature, you'd be in for a major disappointment.

Despite being third in the Premier League at the time the squad was announced, once again Hodgson completely overlooked West Ham's home grown contingent in favour of players featuring for the usual suspects.

Aaron Cresswell was named as West Ham's Player of the Year for 2014/15 and linked with a £25million summer move to Chelsea, but he is yet to receive a single international call-up. His place was taken by Ryan Bertrand - who had made just two Premier League starts this season - and Kieron Gibbs (Arsenal), also with only two league starts to his name.




Meanwhile Mark Noble may have captained the Under 21s in a European Championship final during his younger years, but the combative midfielder has never been named in a senior squad - despite having more than 250 top flight appearances under his belt.

On this occasion Hodgson chose instead to go with Spurs' Dele Alli, who has the grand total of 12 Premier League appearances to his name, and the workmanlike (former Liverpool midfielder) Jonjo Shelvey instead of giving West Ham' captain the chance he craves.

Elsewhere the likes of James Tomkins and Carl Jenkinson may have been part of a strong Hammers defence but they too were overlooked in favour of players such as Kyle Walker (Spurs), Nat Clyne (Liverpool) and Phil Jones (Man Utd) - the latter of whom can't get in his club side on a regular basis, but is still deemed good enough to represent his country.

And even though West Ham destroyed Liverpool 3-0 at Anfield a few weeks ago, three of the players featuring for the losing team that day started in Hodgson's latest England team - the aforementioned Clyne plus Adam Lallana and James Milner.

Unfortunately the current manager has fallen into the same trap as his predecessors, favouring the selection of players from the league's wealthiest clubs. Of England's starting XI on Friday night, only two players came from clubs outside the established top five or six - Ross Barkley of Everton and Ryan Bertrand of Southampton (who moved from Chelsea in the summer).

That said, many Hammers fans are only too happy to see Slaven Bilic's players ignored once again.

For it wasn't so long ago that Dean Ashton's career was prematurely ended by a Shaun Wright-Phillips tackle during an England training session - and the reliable Rob Green dubbed as a dodgy 'keeper for making one (admittedly glaring) mistake against the USA in the 2010 World Cup Finals.


18 October

In Italy, contrary to the rest of Western civilisation, the number 13 is widely considered to be lucky. The expression 'fare tredici' - which loosely translates as 'to 13' - also means 'to hit the jackpot', which many West Ham fans could be excused for thinking they had after Slaven Bilic's side secured a fourth away win of the season at Selhurst Park on Saturday.

Those four wins at Crystal Palace, Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City - added to the draw secured at Sunderland the week before - mean that Bilic's side have collected 13 points from a possible 15 away from home so far this season, scoring 12 goals and conceding just four.

So it's fair to say that few Hammers will be suffering from triskaidekaphobia right now!

Key to this stunning start to the campaign is the pace and power West Ham employ on the counter. With players such as Dimitri Payet and "our itsy-bitsy teeny-weeny little Argentine Lanzini" (that particular gem courtesy of the KUMB Forum's 'thejackhammer'), the Irons have the firepower to threaten any defence in the country - as has been illustrated to devastating effect already.

Importantly, all areas of the team are chipping in with goals too. Right-back Carl Jenkinson scored his second in successive matches yesterday, whilst the two aforementioned midfielders both scored late on to secure all three points against Palace's ten men - Payet's being an exquisite finish, drawing the 'keeper in before coolly lifting the ball over him into an empty net.




It's fair to say that Slaven and his squad have got the hang of playing away from home; the key now is to translate those performances to the Boleyn Ground, where West Ham's form has been patchy at best. Just four points from four games, including defeats to Leicester City and Bournemouth is almost relegation form - which must be incredibly frustrating for the manager and his staff.

The next chance to resolve that particular shortcoming is next weekend, when Chelsea are the visitors. Much has been made of their poor start to the season, yet Jose Mourinho's team are still a formidable opponent and it should prove to be a thoroughly engaging London derby.

Until then, Hammers fans can enjoy looking down at the rest of the Premier League from a lofty fourth place - which, interestingly perhaps, is exactly where they were at this same stage last season (albeit with one point less).

Post-Christmas the wheels fell off for Sam Allardyce – now embroiled in a relegation battle at Sunderland - and whilst the same could yet happen to Bilic, there seems to be considerably more confidence amongst the fanbase that that particular slump will not be repeated.

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