Back-to-basics approach by new manager may have found traces of West Ham’s missing spark in the 1-1 draw with Leicester CityWell, there’s something new. With 55 minutes gone and West Ham’s players showing vim and fight on the pitch the home crowd at the London stadium could be seen up on its feet, waving its arms and sending a sustained chorus of “David Moyes’ claret and blue army” rolling around this vast, chilly, cantilevered bowl.As moments of ignition go, a messy 1-1 home draw against a meandering Leicester City is hardly a thunderclap. But whatever happens from here in the temp-to-perm mini-reign of Moyes as West Ham manager, he will always have Leicester, Friday night and the feeling of a...
The sacking of five managers already is in part because Brighton, Huddersfield and Newcastle do not look like relegation fodder – and because Sunderland’s woes show what the drop could meanFive Premier League managers have lost their jobs so far this season before we are a third of the way in, and looking at the bottom three in particular the figure could still rise again before Christmas.To put that into context, this time last season only one manager had been sacked, Francesco Guidolin almost inevitably failing to live up to expectations at Swansea, and it would take until late February and the tear-jerking removal of Claudio Ranieri at Leicester to take the tally to five. Continue reading...
Back after a six-week absence, Andy Carroll contributed little to the game other than fouls and was told he was not fit to wear West Ham’s shirt by fansWith seven seconds on the clock Andy Carroll rose to challenge Marvin Zeegelaar for a high ball and left the Watford debutant on the floor, his nose bleeding. It had not taken long for the forward to make an impression on his opponents.In the starting lineup for the first time in six weeks, handed a new chance by a new manager, there could be no better time for Carroll to prove his worth. Perhaps with this performance he could make himself the toast of his team, acclaimed by his new coach. As...
Hugo Lloris’s top-four focus for Spurs is telling, Callum Wilson is making up for lost time and can Paul Pogba yet be compared with Steven Gerrard?After challenging for the title for the past couple of seasons, it was significant to hear Hugo Lloris contemplate looking over Tottenham Hotspur’s shoulder more than in front of them at the end of a derby defeat. “Oh, before we think about [the leaders] Man City it’s important to stay in the top four. This is the main target for our team,” he said. “We heard from outside that Tottenham play for the title, blah, blah, blah. The most important thing is to stay consistent in the league.” The difficulty imposing themselves on the most...
The table doesn’t lie but teams such as Burnley and Brighton are exceeding all expectations while Swansea and Everton have disappointed badly. Here’s how the 20 sides rank based on early-season health and vigourThey say the league table never lies, and this is of course true. What they don’t tell you is that during the dog days of an international break, when nothing falls or rises and hopes and fears are put on temporary hold, the narrative becomes a bit less compelling.You get sick of looking at the same thing, in other words, although Burnley, Brighton, Watford and Huddersfield will probably never tire of waiting for winter and the real meat of the season from a position in the top...