Hammers play out frustrating draw at home against London rivals Spurs
I hope everyone is safe and well and managed to enjoy the Bank Holiday weekend.
We spent Bank Holiday Monday at Fairlop Waters, which is not too far from us, with the boys enjoying climbing over the sculpted boulders there and we took a four wheel bike for a spin, under a rather cloudy sky.
On that Sunday though, the boys both had cricket matches, but with different fortunes. Our youngest was involved in a match where they only managed to score 89 runs in 20 overs. But my word, they made up for it with their bowling by taking all their opponents wickets for just 55 runs in 11 overs! Our youngest was involved and got a wicket and managed to score a few runs himself.
But his brother didn’t do so well, losing their match but quite a margin, but our eldest boy held a battling partnership with his friend in the middle order to at least keep them in the match for a while. It was this battling partnership that fired up the team and made their opponents work harder for their win.
You need this in a team, whether it’s a couple of players or someone who takes a leading role to drive the rest of the team forward, sometimes it takes something special from someone to really put some fire in the bellies of their teammates.
Sadly, we do not see much of that in the Hammers first team at the moment. Most of the players really are packing their bags ready to go on holiday after what has been a very difficult season. It’s hard to even think of many players for Hammer of the Year this season, with perhaps Bowen and Wan Bissaka the best I can do from a team that lacks quality and desire.
The rest of the season is very important, albeit with only a couple of games left. We can’t go down but the players need to show the crowd they are committed, show potential players what they are buying in to, show the manager they are worth being in the team or on the bench, show their team mates they are part of the team and someone that can be relied on. It’s about more than just 2 games left it’s about what it is to be West Ham Utd, it’ll what it means to wear the shirt and what respect the players have for those of us who devote so much of our time supporting them and the team.
Wan Bissaka was a rare light in and otherwise drab derby at this home match, but I saw some sparks of life in Kudus at times setting up both Bowen and Fullkrug, although neither were able to make enough of these chances to secure all three points for us. I would love to see the Hammers finish the season above both Man Utd and Spurs. The away win at Old Trafford, not a classic by any means, was something that gives us hope this team can finish the season with a few good results to send us off happier for the summer recess. A win that showed how poor Utd have been this season, but how good we can be when everyone is pulling in the right direction.
I was late to this game with our eldest boy due to the morning cricket matches, and it was a case of rushing back home, grabbing a quick bite to eat and then off to the stadium.
I managed to grab a few quick shots as we approached the stadium – the usual police presence for this match against Spurs, but it was quick to get past security and into the stadium as fans were already in the ground and security just hurried us through.
Approaching the stairs into the stands it was actually quiet, which is never a good sign, and we took our seats for the game and immediately noticed that the atmosphere was not what we’d expect for a game against Spurs.
Fans were intently watching the match, hoping for a spark or anything to get excited about.
My player watch for this match was Wan-Bissaka again, and despite the disappointing performance from most of the team, he was the stand out member of the team for me. He really puts himself about and battles for the ball, is confident going forward and not afraid to put in a tackle to let the opposition know they’re going to have to work for every ball.
Wan-Bissake combines here with Todibo and Fullkrug to put in a great tackle to break down a developing move by Spurs.
Quite early on we had a series of poor refereeing decisions from Michael Oliver, who seemed to struggle to keep on top of the game at times. Time again we seem to be on the rough end of a decision, although I accept my own bias in wanting everything to go our way, but the Spurs players pulled Oliver’s pants down time and again and he fell for it. You would have said before that Oliver is a top referee, but not on this showing and he seems to have lost much of what made him deserve that title.
I enjoy capturing the crowd’s reaction to these decisions. The passion comes to the fore and there is always some wonderfully animated expressions.
Areola doesn’t do himself any favours here and his dithering on the ball gives Richarlison an opportunity to steal the ball. Shocking stuff.
I cannot see Areola staying next season, the pressure he puts the team under with his poor distribution. So often he will pass out from the back, instead of putting his foot through the ball to send it up field.
Paqueta did well to recover from this under hit pass, earning applause, when Areola had plenty of time to distribute the ball better.
After Spurs went ahead on 15mins thanks to Max Kidman gifting the ball to Mathys Tel who simply passed it to the unmarked Odobert, we had to wait until 28th minute before Bowen gets on the end of a Wan-Bissaka ball to equalise with a wonderful ball through Spurs keeper Guglielmo Vicario’s legs.
Half time couldn’t have come any sooner. It was a tough watch but we had the Bowen equaliser to hold on to.
The world’s stage waiting to be lit up with something exciting on the pitch.
The teams return to the pitch, seats still empty around the stadium and we hoped for a better performance from the home side for the next 45mins as the noise rises from the crowd.
Kudus was another stand out player, if you can say that of anyone in this game, with his probing forward on the left wing and whipping some balls into the Spurs area. I’m impressed with how Fullkrug is able to get up for crosses and he manages to get his head on this forcing a save out of Vicario, and the attacking move deserves applause from the crowd.
Ward-Prowse whips in a free kick and Bowen manages to get on it enough to challenge the visitors keeper into a fine save. We had our moments to take the game, but we lacked that edge to put the ball into the net. It was the later stages of the game and a goal now could have sealed all three points for us.
Bowen turns provider as normal time comes to a close, but Kudus is unable to finish and another attacking move breaks down. We came alive a little as the game crawls into added time.
A final chance with a free kick just outside the visitors penalty area but what was to prove our final chance lacks any threat and the final whistle brings the drab affair to an end.
Not enough composure in front of goal, failure to sink our chances and an overall lack of passion and purpose from the team. We are where we are in the league because of how we have played across the season. Spurs are no better, but we failed to take a game from a much changed team as the visitors keep their eye on the Europa League semifinal.
The teams leave the pitch and the empty seats show how unimpressed fans were at another poor performance.
It felt like being punched in the face, and I can sympathise with this fans expression …. ‘Why do we put ourselves through this?’ A lovely shot of this dad with his daughter on his shoulders, but their expressions. It tells a story for sure.
Coufal, one of my favourite players for his passion and commitment and professionalism, greets some fans and he has often done this after a match. He has a great rapport with the fans, especially those from his home country. One of the players that the club has announced will be leaving at the end of the season, I’ll be sad to see him go and I hope to get the chance to photograph them all one more time in claret and blue.
I walk around the ground after the match, feeling quite deflated and looking for anything to catch my eye. This young fan had some skills with the ball and I remember seeing her with her family in the stands being quite animated during the game.
Another group of young g fans, joined by some guys who try to show off their skills with the ball. I tried to get the group framed in front of the logo on the stadium wall behind.
I decided to make my way to see if any of the players will stop for the waiting fans. I turn and look up at the stadium and capture fans making their way down the steps.
I walk around to the car park exit and wait with a small group of fans for any of the players to stop as they leave the stadium. It seems quite a few players are driven to and from the ground as we see the cars drive off without stopping.
I was there for what seemed like forever and the Carlos Soler, who came on for Soucek on 80mins, stops to sign shirts and programmes and have a few photos taken with young fans. My camera battery died on me and instead of grabbing a replacement I just open my phone camera and hope for the best. A bit of improvisation but I’m quite happy with this shot. These shots are a little tricky as I don’t want to stop fans getting their autographs and photos, but I do try and get a decent shot and often have to hold my camera or phone up and hope I’ve got the right angle.
The season is winding down and I’m looking forward to the final home game before the summer break. The weather is usually good with a nice atmosphere and it will be great to say goodbye to those players leaving as well. It will be interesting to see what team Potter decides to play, but hopefully giving all those players leaving a chance to say their farewells on the pitch before the final whistle blows to round off the season.
A quick cricket update from me. My two boys have been playing quite a few games of cricket for their team this season. We seem to be out every other day to a match in the other side of town, with mixed fortunes to be honest. Our youngest is in the under 12 A and B team and his older brother in the under 14 A and B team. Both had mixed fortunes in this week’s matches.
Our eldest boy’s team recovered from losing two early wickets and only managing 4 runs in the first two overs, to thrashing the opposition by 51 runs! Our youngest boy’s team set only 81 runs in their innings as a target for the opposition but ended up taking it to the final over after some excellent bowling and fielding – our youngest’s bowling was on point conceding only 4 runs in two overs, and his fielding was excellent preventing the other team from getting a few boundaries. We are very proud of them both.
Enjoy the nice weather everyone.
Dawud
From the Stands 