Dawud Marsh’s end of season review filled with highs and lows and much in-between.
Learning new things as you get older is tricky. I don’t know if my brain is going to over heat and stop working – like an old PC that has spun way to many rams in its long life, or whether I can get to squeeze in another new skill before I unexpectedly restart in the middle of an important task.
The Marsh family are serial cubers – Rubik’s and Gan cubes of every size and shape fill every spare surface in the house! 3 x 3, 4 x 4, 5 x 5, pyramid, hexagon and mirror cubes are everywhere you look. The boys are in speed mode – being able to complete a 3 x 3 in under 7 seconds! Me, I’m old school and take my time as I’m an older model that needs updating so I’m just finishing off learning to do the 4 x 4. My wife is now mastering the 5 x 5. The boys know how to do every different cube you can possibly imagine.
Can us older dudes learn new things? Well Moyes has shown another side to his managerial skills with how he set the team up for our pre-season matches in Australia where the players seem to have more freedom to show their strengths. Maybe a post Rice West Ham team will have more than just a new shirt for the coming season. If I can learn something new, then I’m sure Moyes can too.
The Forest game couldn’t have come at a better time for us as we needed a lift after the Spurs defeat. The sun was out and I was looking forward to the game. Forest’s away record wasn’t too good, but then teams always have a way of changing a poor form when they visit us at the London Stadium.
I try to get to the match as early as I can, depending on what I have to do before I leave home. Lots of shadows to enjoy and people mingling around the stadium. I quite enjoy taking photos of fans taking photos around the stadium. And of course love seeing the diversity of fan base we have. Football has a universal appeal and it’s great to see that on match days.
I so wanted us the thrash Forest at home and so we did and we had the pleasure of seeing Danny Ings first goals in Hammers’ claret and blue since his £15m signing from Aston Villa. This result pulled us out of the relegation zone and was a sure relief to see not just some goals at the London Stadium but a dominant performance by the home side.
Despite being rather subdued for much of the match, we saw what Ings can offer us upfront with two excellent goals that kick started the rout with 4 goals scored in 20 torrid minutes for Forest, who were truly awful and showed why they have only managed 3 goals in the league away from home up to this point in the season.
Forest offered little in attack whilst the lively Hammers saw Lucas Paqueta and Jarrod Bowen both hit the post with speculative shots, but it was both Rice and Antonio – without a goal since October – seal a welcome home victory to send fans home smiling.
A thrashing away to Brighton and a draw at home to Villa brought us to home to the 2nd leg of our Europa Conference League round of 16 match against Cypriot side AEK Larnaca. Cushioned by a 2-0 from the away leg, we saw a comprehensive display that sent us flying into the Europa Conference League Quarter Finals.
Walking up to the stadium is always exciting and I try to get some different views or perspectives along the way. A strong shot here using my iPhone and photo software I have on it. I can sometimes get a better shot with the phone than my camera in low light.
I have a lot of shots of this view, just as I go up the steps and then get a view of the half full stadium before the match. It’s the same as when I used to walk up the steps into the stands at Upton Park, the lights the noise and expectation of the match to come.
The game was a chance for Scamacca to prove his worth, but also for Bowen to regain some form in his bid for a place in the England squad – both provided goals in our dominant display. Scamacca, returning to the starting line up after injury, was gifted his goal and provided the assist for Bowen’s first. There was lots of talk about his mood and whether he was up for the relegation battle ahead, but images of him joking with Benrhama as he sat on the bench after being substituted seemed to show a positive boost to his confidence.
There was late drama for AEK as Gustavo Ledes was sent off just before the break after his foul on Pablo Fornals was upgraded after a VAR review to a red card. There was no coming back for the Cypriots in the second half.
Bowen’s brace in two minutes sealed the match and the result as he became Hammer’s leading goalscorer in our European games. Bowen, left out of Southgate’s squad for the European Qualifiers against Italy and Ukraine, admitted he hasn’t done enough to earn a place.
“It’s not about getting in squads, it’s about playing my ‘A’ game, finishing strongly and going again next season.
“I always want to score and goals have not been coming this season, but I accept that. I will always give my all for the club.”
And the final seal on our victory came from the young striker Divin Mubama, a local lad who has been with the club since he was 8, who scored his first goal after 3 senior appearances and showed us some of the exciting prospects we have coming through our youth squads.
Fans sent hope feeling like we have something special happening this season, despite our relegation worries, we could be on for our first European trophy since 1965 when we won the European Cup Winners Cup. Our first major trophy in 43 years? We got this.
Next up for us was our tight home win against relegation bound Southampton, that showed why the Saints are going down, with their form worse under Ruben Selles, who took over from Ralph Hasenhuttl in November. There was no fight in the Saints team and Fabianski was left with making just a few routine saves.
The battle for safety was extremely congested, and although the result lifted us to 14th in the League, there were only 4 points between ourselves and the Saints propping up the Premier table on 23 points. We had a game in hand on the teams below us, but this victory was all the more important to stay out of the bottom three as the season draw to a close.
There are always some characters around the stadium before and after the matches, and I’m always looking out for an interesting shot. The Pearly King and his Prince and the man sitting with his dog. It’s what makes it so interesting going to games, just seeing the different people who come to watch the team.
Again VAR took the stage with a lengthy delay before Nayef Aquerd’s fine header from Thilo Kehrer’s free-kick was given and was the only goal to separate the teams on the day. Injuries ravaged our defence denying us Aguerd and Zouma together at the back. But their record together has been excellent with 7 points from 3 games and 2 clean sheets. Definitely a contributory factor in our struggling form. We didn’t have many chances though and it was only deep into the second half before Saints keeper Gavin Bazunu palmed Said Benrahma’s free kick away.
There’s not much going on at half time except for the Hammer Time quiz and a chance for me to search the stands for anything interesting. You can often catch natural shots from the crowd.
Back to the match for the second half and the peaks and troughs of emotions are expressed throughout the match. These shots are great to tell a story of what is happening in the match and I often try to pair them with action shots on the pitch.
From thumping the stands to get the crowd chanting, to head in hands and arms in the arm despair at a missed chance or a poor tackle or pass. With fans silhouetted against the stadium they can be a great visual record of a match.
When we have the earlier kick offs there’s a chance to walk around the outside of the stadium to capture some natural shots of fans. Young fans chatting and plenty of people taking photos against the posters and logos around the ground.
I’ve been spending some time waiting for the players to come out from the stadium in their cars. There is a regular crowd of fans who wait to see their favourite players and some are better than others at engaging with them on their way after the match. Areola will usually stop and have photos taken with those waiting, and some have filled up their autograph books with most of the team. I am impressed with how young fans in particular wait in all weathers to see some of the team drive out. I’ve promised my youngest to try and get signatures of the players as well. I’m expecting a few bruises at it can get a bit rough trying to get a photo with the players. Wish me luck on that.
Next up was the Newcastle game, with one step forward against the Saints and 5 steps back against the barcodes. I wasn’t sure about posting this and it was the first match I actually felt like leaving, we were shocking. Defensive errors cost us dearly but we were out fought and out played comprehensively. Surely this game is the worst of the season. We managed to sit 15th in the League purely on goal difference.
‘Humph. Hope, it is the quintessential human delusion, simultaneously the source of your greatest strength, and your greatest weakness.’ The Architect, played by Helmut Bakaitis tells Neo, played by Keano Reeves as they confront each other in The Matrix: Reloaded. Hope indeed we had as we approached this home match but we know how it ended.
This is my brother Ian, as we walk into the stands after grabbing a coffee in the food hall. My brother is a voice of reason when I get carried away thinking we are going to win every match we play. Love how the lights and detail in the background make this photo. These are very tricky to edit but Lightroom has some powerful tools to help.
We always check out the team warming up and have a chance to chat about our predictions for the match. As other fans start to make their way in to the stands we get to catch up with those around us and share thoughts and analysis on the games since we last saw each other.
Pre match light shows and digital screens try to set the scene for the match and can bring up some interesting shots if you keep your eyes open.
But there is nothing like the sound of the home fans chanting and singing before the game, hair raised on the back of your neck as the music plays and the bubbles float and the teams come out.
Capturing the players is a key part of recording the match and I was particularly looking for Rice being as it is his last season with us. We are going to miss seeing Rice running down the midfield with such purpose and he offers us so much to our game.
This was a very frustrating and depressing match and fans were keen to express their frustration towards the team. Capturing this raw emotion helps to give depth to the story of the match, whether is joy from a goal or despair at another missed opportunity.
Zouma managed to pull one back before half time to make it 1-2 after both Callum Wilson and Joelinton put the barcodes ahead within a torrid few minutes. I remember saying at half time ‘At least we are not being thrashed!’ How I regret saying that once the final whistle had blown.
I have noticed a lot of young fans holding up cards or posters with messages for the players, this young guy hoping get Bowen’s attention and there has been a lot of players going up to the fans after the matches to throw them their shirts.
The defeat was hard to stomach, and you could see how it impacted some of the players. I applaud those who come to thank the fans even after such a result and poor performance. It’s important to recognise those who come to see the team and stay until the bitter end.
Hope, I never gave up hope that we would survive, and never gave up dreaming we could win a trophy this season.
Part 4 will show how we finished the season on a high with the final post Part 5 celebrating reaching the Europa Conference League final in our last game at home against Leeds United and the amazing victory parade.
Take care everyone
Dawud
From the Stands 