2015/16 in review: October & November

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 October and November 2015 in the third part of our review...


25 October

The benefits of goal-line technology were clear to see at the Boleyn Ground on Saturday afternooon when Kurt Zouma's effort failed to result in the awarding of a goal - despite at least 95 per cent of the ball having crossed the line.

Let's make no bones about it; prior to its introduction the same scenario would almost certainly have resulted in a goal being awarded to Chelsea, when it was commonplace for the benefit of the doubt to be given to the Premier League's more notable clubs. Not any more, though.

Referee Jonathan Moss had no option but to allow play to continue when his earpiece failed to announce that the entire ball had crossed the line. To his considerable credit, the official got every one of the game's contentious issues right - as West Ham went on to beat neighbours Chelsea 2-1 at the Boleyn.

The visitors, who are rapidly turning into a laughing stock saw Nemanja Matic dismissed in the first half for two bookable offences plus coach Silvino Louro and manager Jose Mourinho sent to the stands. Six further yellow cards were issued too, should anyone question whether the reigning league champions were given a fair crack of the whip.




But is it any doubt that Chelsea's players behave so petulantly when their management team display such a lack of professionalism? Mourinho, who raged at Moss during at half time interval thus earning him a second half touchline ban didn't even have the courtesy to fulfil his media requirements post-match, leaving defender Gary Cahill to face the music instead.

On the contrary, Slaven Bilic continues to impress. That he has managed to unite a fractured fanbase little more than three months after succeeding the divisive Sam Allardyce is a feat in itself - and the team's results continue to be outstanding.

Incredibly, Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City and now Chelsea have been put to the sword inside the opening ten games of the season and the Hammers sit third in the Premier League at time of writing. This weekend it was goals from Mauro Zarate - rejuvenated under the new manager - and Andy Carroll that did for the ten-man Blues.

The real test for West Ham will probably arrive post-Christmas, when fatigue and injuries generally begin to take effect. But when you consider that the likes of Enner Valencia, Alex Song and £7million signing Michail Antonio have barely kicked a ball between them this season it's not hard to see why some Hammers fans believe that this could finally be the season that the much-vaunted 'Boys of '86' are finally usurped.


1 November

West Ham marked Halloween with a horror show of their own at Vicarage Road on Saturday afternoon, going down 2-0 to newly-promoted Watford.

And it was a defeat that raised further questions regarding United's ability to raise their game against the so-called weaker teams in the Premier League.

During his pre-match press conference last Thursday, Slaven Bilic denied that his squad had an issue with motivation when it came to facing teams such as the Hornets.

However the evidence tends to suggest otherwise, with the Hammers having collected just one point this season against the teams promoted from the Championship last season - that's Bournemouth, 4-3 winners at the Boleyn Ground back in August, Norwich with whom West Ham drew 2-2 and now Watford.

That of course is in stark contrast to West Ham's unparalleled form against the league's more successful sides with Chelsea, Manchester City, Liverpool and current leaders Arsenal having already been put to the sword this term.

Particularly disappointing from a claret and blue perspective on Saturday was that Quique Sánchez Flores' side, who went into the game having managed just one win at home this season didn't even have to work exceptionally hard to take all three points.




Both of Watford's goals were handed to them on a plate thanks to a schoolboy error in the first half from Andy Carroll and an uncharacteristic mistake shortly after the interval by the previously-reliable James Tomkins.

My Thundersley Rovers Under Nines players know better than to try and pull off a Cruyff turn in their own penalty box, yet that's exactly what West Ham's number nine attempted to do in the first half - thus gifting Watford the opening goal.

And just three minutes after the restart, Tomkins inexplicably allowed a low cross to slip between his legs from where Odion Ighalo found the net - with some aplomb, to his credit.

Even though Enner Valencia hit the woodwork having intercepted Craig Cathcart's poor back pass after Watford had doubled their advantage, West Ham rarely looked like getting back into the game.

And their misery was compounded when James Collins was issued with a straight red card six minutes from time for a late - yet not particularly dangerous - challenge on Watford's match winner Ighalo.

It was the fourth successive West Ham match in which the game had ended with less than the full quota of 22 players on the field - with Collins becoming the fourth Hammer to see red already this season.

That's quite ironic given that the Hammers qualified for this season's Europa League having topped the Premier League's 'Fair Play table' in 2014/15!


8 November

West Ham's home record against Everton in recent years is little short of appalling, so it was with some trepidation that Irons fans approached Saturday's clash at the Boleyn Ground. The visitors had won on seven of their last ten trips to east London, so to stem the tide with a draw wasn't perhaps the worst result for Slaven Bilic's side.

Manuel Lanzini arrived in London back in July as a virtual unknown on these shores, but it has taken the diminutive 22-year-old no time at all to settle into life in England and the Premier League. His stunning strike opened the scoring at the Boleyn Ground against the Toffees and it was a goal that deserves to be replayed over and over again.

Unfortunately West Ham shot themselves in the foot by conceding possession and allowing the visitors to hit them on the break just a couple of minutes ahead of the interval. The last man you want to see with the ball in such situations is £40million-rated Romelu Lukaku - and the Belgian international rounded goalkeeper Adrian to find the net, thus extending his amazing record of scoring against the Hammers to seven consecutive games.




The inherent ability to self-combust has cost West Ham dearly this season. Although the point took West Ham back above Tottenham into fifth place in the Premier League on Saturday night, it could have been so much better for Bilic's boys.

Against Everton it was Dimitri Payet who gave the ball away to such costly effect, allowing the Blues to counter and score - although the Frenchman can be partly excused as he was still suffering from the effects of a heavy challenge that saw him withdrawn just five minutes into the second half.

Only seven days earlier Andy Carroll and James Tomkins both gaffed to gift Watford a 2-0 win at Vicarage Road - whilst Payet was again guilty of losing possession cheaply at Sunderland last month, leading to Jeremain Lens' excellent goal.

Meanwhile captain Mark Noble was responsible for an almost identical goal conceded against Norwich back in September, whilst Pedro Obiang's fluffed attempt at clearing his lines helped Leicester knock the Hammers out of the Capital One Cup a matter of days prior to that.

And so whilst West Ham are having a good season so far, one can't help but think it could be even better. Eradicate these utterly avoidable mistakes and as unlikely as it may seem, the Hammers could yet challenge for a Champions League or Europa Cup spot come next May.


15 November

The terrorist attacks on Stade de France last Friday night left a handful of football fans dead and many more injured. But for the swift actions of French security forces, those numbers could have reached into the thousands.

Fortunately the sick and misguided individuals who perpetrated this heinous crime - along with the others that briefly paralysed the French capital - failed to breach the outer perimeter of the stadium and departed this mortal coil with the blood of few on their hands, instead of many more.

For many football supporters, this was their worst fears realised. The potential for such an attack has always existed; after all, what better place to ensure maximum carnage than an arena in which thousands upon thousands of people are gathered closely together?

It's a concern that will be felt acutely by West Ham United supporters given the club's impending move to the iconic Olympic Stadium, home of the 2012 summer games. With the exception perhaps of Wembley, no stadium in the capital is as widely recognised across the globe than the 54,000 capacity Stratford-based arena which the Irons will call home from next summer.




If nothing else, Friday's terrible events across the channel are a reminder that we all need to remain vigilant wherever we are - be it on business or pleasure.

* A reckless challenge by Everton's James McCarthy during last weekend's Premier League meeting at the Boleyn Ground means that West Ham will be without their talisman Dimitri Payet until next February, at the earliest.

The attacking midfielder, who moved to east London from Olympique de Marseille for circa £11million during the summer has scored five goals already this season and is regularly cited by pundits as one of the league's most exciting players.

His impending absence represents a huge blow for Slaven Bilic and his squad, for whom the French international has been instrumental thus far this campaign.

Particularly frustrating is that as he was booked by rookie referee Paul Tierney for the challenge, McCarthy will face no further sanction from the Football Association. Yet had he not been cautioned, he would almost certainly be facing sanctions for what appeared to be a deliberate attempt to nullify Payet.

Angry Hammers fans have argued long and hard all week that the governing body's rules should be amended to allow retrospective action in such cases. And given the loss that West Ham have incurred, it's difficult to disagree.

Vive le France.

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