2015/16 in review: January & February

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 January and February in part six of our review...


17 January

West Ham came crashing back down to earth at St James' Park on Saturday afternoon with a disappointing defeat at the hands of relegation-threatened Newcastle United, as Steve McLaren finally got the better of his opposite number.

Not for the first time this season, Slaven Bilic's side - who have generally excelled against teams in the top half of the Premier League - found themselves reflecting on a defeat against a team who, on current form, should perhaps not have enjoyed the dominance they did.

In truth, the game was all but lost inside the opening 15 minutes after a disastrous start left the Hammers facing a veritable mountain to climb.

Goals from Ayoze Perez (six minutes) and Georginio Wijnaldum (15) gave the home side and their manager - dubbed 'the wally with the brolly' following England's defeat by Bilic's Croatia in the 2008 European Championship qualifiers - a dream opening that simply left the visitors with too much to do.




For West Ham, who remain fifth in the table despite the reversal, it continued a worrying trend of poor starts that has potentially cost the team several points this season. The team endured a similarly dismal beginning at Sunderland back in October but managed to claw their way back into that and rescue a point - as was the case at home to Norwich the week before.

More recently, conceding the opening goal against both Southampton and Bournemouth was glossed over by brilliant second half performances - whilst draws at relegation candidates Swansea and Aston Villa over Christmas were slightly fortuitous, given the hosts' general superiority on those particular occasions.

All of which points to a predilection for complacency on West Ham's part, which Bilic will no doubt be keen to eradicate. But as any long-suffering supporter will tell you, this is all part of 'the West Ham way' - as any brief glance at the club's catalogue of embarrassing Cup defeats against lower league opposition will attest!

Earlier in the week West Ham started just as poorly against Bournemouth, going a goal behind early on, but were saved by brilliant individual efforts from Dimitri Payet and Enner Valencia who scored a brace for the first time since moving to England in the summer of 2014.

It was the kind of performance that even had some pundits suggesting that the Hammers might be an outside bet for a Champions' League spot. Whilst that sort of talk may be premature the signs remain positive, despite the odd poor performance and concern regarding motivation.


24 January

That he and thousands of Irons supporters were left hugely frustrated by West Ham's 2-2 draw with title-chasing Manchester City at the Boleyn on Saturday afternoon was a mark of the steady progression the club has made under Slaven Bilic since he succeeded Sam Allardyce last summer.

Despite having taken the lead twice, and initially within the opening 60 seconds, West Ham were pegged back on both occasions and ultimately forced to settle for a point against the Premier League title favourites. And although most Hammers fans will be happy at having taken four points from City this season, it could quite easily have been six out of six.

Illustrating that the 2-1 win at the City of Manchester Stadium last September was no fluke, Bilic's side were more than a match for one of the world's most expensively-assembled football teams as the Boleyn Ground, whose time is nigh, was treated to at least one more fantastic game of football.

Enner Valencia, criticised in months gone by but answering his critics - myself included - in the perfect way was West Ham's hero, scoring either side of the interval. Unfortunately the in-form and ever-dangerous Sergio Aguero matched the Ecuador international every step of the way, grabbing a brace for the visitors, hitting the post and virtually saving them a point single-handedly.




But it wasn't just Valencia's goals that gave Hammers fans cause for further hope and optimism. Dimitri Payet - probably playing at his creative zenith at the age of 28 - dished up a stunning performance for his adoring public, who lapped up his repertoire of tricks with which he bamboozled City's superstars.

Meanwhile Alex Song - the choice of many for Man of the Match - was back to his very best, whilst 22-year-old Sam Byram produced a thoroughly impressive debut for a youngster who was facing former Hammer Freddie Sears - rather than the likes of Aguero and David SIlva - in his last competitive outing (for Leeds at Ipswich in the Championship).

Whereas a win against the Citizens would have kept West Ham hot on the heels of fourth-placed Tottenham, a Champions League place is looking less likely now as a result of the two points dropped - although Europa League qualification is still an achievable target, with Manchester United floundering in fifth place (one place and one point above the Hammers).

However it's to the FA Cup that eyes turn next, as West Ham attempt to beat Liverpool for a third time this season when the two sides meet this coming Saturday. Even though West Ham's 3-0 win on Merseyside back in August was their first at Anfield since 1963, it'll take a brave man to bet against one of the most exciting United teams produced in the last 30 years.


7 February

Back in 1993 Bill Murray was the star of a film entitled Groundhog Day (based upon an annual American festival of the same name that takes place every February in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania) in which the protagonist, a weatherman tasked with covering the event found himself living the same day over and over again.

Over in London E6, Slaven Bilic could be forgiven for thinking he too has been cursed by a similar affliction in the same week as Murray's fictional Phil Connors after his West Ham team fell to defeat at Southampton, having conceding yet another early goal.

A thorn in the side of an otherwise excellent season, West Ham's propensity for meekly handing over the initiative has been a constant and frustrating feature of their campaign so far.

From a total of 28 league and cup fixtures the Hammers have conceded the opening goal, within the opening third of the game, on TEN occasions. Of those ten games, only two have ended in victory - whilst six have resulted in defeat, including Saturday's clash at St Mary's.




Despite suffering another early blow, West Ham went on to dominate Saturday afternoon's late kick-off - especially once Victor Wanyama had been dismissed for a wild lunge at Dimitri Payet, who has already missed a large chunk of the season having been the victim of a similar challenge from Everton's James McCarthy.

Although Bilic's side managed to triumph under similar circumstances against Aston VIlla earlier in the week, Southampton proved to be a rather more difficult proposition and despite enjoying around 80 per cent of possession for much of the second half, West Ham failed to seriously test Saints 'keeper Fraser Forster.

And whilst Mark Clattenburg's decision not to award a first half spot kick to West Ham when Enner Valencia was clearly tripped by Southampton goalscorer Maya Yoshida was the subject of much consternation on the KUMB.com Forums both during and after the game, the Hammers just didn't quite do enough to deserve something from it.

The five-point cushion West Ham had previously enjoyed over Southampton following the Villa win has consequently been reduced to just two, although Bilic's side remain sixth in the Premier League.

Meanwhile the games continue to come thick and fast as we look forward to welcoming Liverpool in the FA Cup fourth round replay on Tuesday night - possibly the last ever big FA Cup night under the lights at the Boleyn Ground - with a trip to relegation-threatened Norwich CIty this coming weekend to follow.


14 February

It's often said that in order to enjoy a productive season, a team should aspire to win its home games and try not to lose too many away. In that sense, it's been a pretty perfect week for West Ham United.

Slaven Bilic's side began it in superb fashion last Tuesday evening in front of a full house at the Boleyn, enticed to this FA Cup fourth round replay by cheaper tickets. Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool team were put to the sword for the third time this season - although it took extra time plus a very late and wildly-celebrated Angelo Ogbonna goal to separate the two on this occasion.

That left West Ham with a record against the Reds this season of played four, won three and drawn one - with a goal tally of 7-1. That's unprecedented in modern history and indicative of the positive progress West Ham are making this season, their last before moving to Stratford's Olympic Stadium.

The reward for that success was a fifth round trip to Blackburn, who are currently struggling in the Championship having recently sold their key player, striker Jordan Rhodes to rivals Middlesbrough. Which, as all long-suffering Hammers fans know only too well, probably points to a Rovers win next weekend!

Prior to that it was back to the Premier League with the Hammers facing a trip to Norwich on Saturday, a team against whom the Irons had managed to snatch a point against at the Boleyn earlier in the season having come from behind twice to grab a 2-2 draw.




And it was a similar story in the return leg at Carrow Road, where an out-of-form Canaries team that had suffered five defeats in its last six games swept into a 2-0 lead having scored twice within nine minute at the beginning of the second half. At least the Hammers kept a clean sheet in the opening 45 minutes this week!

In years gone by that may have been the catalyst for a claret and blue capitulation. However Bilic's side are made of stronger stuff and can always count on the brilliant Dimitri Payet, who signed a new, improved contract this week in order to stave off interest from elsewhere in England and abroad.

With little more than quarter-of-an-hour remaining, Payet was well-placed to convert a Vic Moses shot that had been spilled by John Ruddy to halve the deficit - and within two minutes of that, Mark Noble fired home a superb equaliser after being teed-up by a sublime pass from Payet.

Bilic admitted in a post-match interview that he had hoped to win the game, but was happy with a point given the circumstances that led to it. Even though his team have won just four of their last 16 Premier League outings, it was enough to keep the Hammers seventh in the Premier League having finally reached the magic 40-point mark - and with 12 more league games still to play this season.

Next week Bilic will be accompanied on his travels by more than 7,500 travelling fans as the Hammers attempt to book a place in this year's FA Cup quarter finals at Ewood Park. Should his team manage to win that, a home tie at the Boleyn Ground in the last eight might just be the perfect send-off to the club's spiritual home.

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