West Ham News: C&H

There’s no getting away from it — West Ham are right in the thick of a relegation scrap. But in a week where confidence took a hit following a dismal 2-0 defeat away to Aston Villa, a surprising voice has offered a glimmer of encouragement.

Award-winning journalist Henry Winter has taken aim not at the Hammers — but at Tottenham Hotspur.

And in doing so, he may just have highlighted why West Ham still have a fighting chance.

Both clubs had poor weekends, there’s no denying that. West Ham’s performance at Villa Park was flat, lacking intensity and invention, while Spurs somehow managed to sink even lower — losing 3-0 at home to fellow strugglers Nottingham Forest in what many are calling one of their worst displays of the season.

But while criticism has been aimed at both sides, Winter has drawn a very clear line in the sand.

He believes Tottenham are the ones sleepwalking towards the drop.

Spurs Accused Of Lacking Fight As West Ham Showed Signs

Winter’s verdict was brutal. “Tottenham Hotspur are going down unless they show some fight,” he said, pointing to a lack of hunger, desire and basic commitment from Spurs players.

He highlighted how Nottingham Forest — led by Morgan Gibbs-White — simply wanted it more. The kind of fight needed in a relegation battle was there for all to see. Tracking runners, blocking crosses, competing for every loose ball — the simple basics that decide who survives and who doesn’t.

And according to Winter, Spurs just aren’t doing it.

Now here’s where it becomes interesting from a West Ham perspective.

Because while the Hammers were undeniably poor against Villa, that performance was something of an anomaly compared to recent weeks. Prior to that defeat, Nuno Espírito Santo’s boys had shown far more resilience, spirit and — crucially — fight than our North London rivals.

Even in defeat against Liverpool, there were positives. Effort, goals, tactical positives and a willingness to compete.

That simply wasn’t evident from Tottenham against Forest and if we’re honest, it’s been like that for Spurs for most of the season.

Winter even questioned the very fabric of Tottenham as a club — citing poor recruitment, a lack of leadership and issues stemming from the very top. It’s a damning assessment but also will sound very familiar to West Ham fans.

However, by contrast, West Ham have made improvements recently and weekend aside, seem to be in better shape than Spurs.

That’s not to say West Ham are safe. Far from it.

Conspiracy theories began circulating rapidly last night after Tottenham Hotspur manager Igor Tudor failed to appear for post-match press duties following their 3-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest.

Many had assumed the caretaker Spurs boss had been relieved of his duties, with the club sitting just a single point above West Ham and the relegation places. So when Tottenham’s assistant was put forward to face the media after a crucial relegation six-pointer, there was understandable scepticism when “family business” was cited as the reason for Tudor’s absence.

However, it has since emerged that Tudor tragically lost his father yesterday, which fully explains why he did not attend the press conference.

Spurs Face Uncertainty Amid Difficult Circumstances

Whether Tottenham had any intention of dismissing Tudor prior to the match remains unclear. However, news of his family bereavement would almost certainly have forced the club to reconsider, had that been under discussion.

With the international break now upon us, both Spurs and Tudor have a brief window to regroup and assess the situation during what is clearly an incredibly difficult time on a personal level.

Hammers Chat my first game was West Ham 10-0 Bury . . . seriously!

We than went and bought Bury's central defender 😬⚒️ Irons

Started Hammers Chat alongside my partner in crime Geo back in 2014 and brough in to Claret & Hugh by my old mate Hughie to produce videos a couple of years later.

Give West Ham opinions on Sky Sports News and even did a bit of moonlighting on BBC Football Focus.

Sometimes feature on BBC Radio 5 Live and once ate a biscuit in Tony Gales shed.

Connoisseur of salted caramel doughnuts and I love a Sloppy Giuseppe pizza although I'm slightly suspicious where the name came from.

When I'm not moaning about West Ham I can be found walking a dog that looks like a sheep and tinkering with pinball machines.

More West Ham moaning is done on a daily basis here 👇👇

https://www.youtube.com/@HammersChatForum

As the song goes, goes, ‘two out of three ain’t bad’ — and that’s exactly what West Ham United got today.

Now the Sunday Premier League fixtures have played out, because if you’d asked me at the start of the day which results I wanted, it would have been defeats for Nottingham Forest, Tottenham Hotspur, and Crystal Palace.

As I discussed in my earlier blog, Palace perhaps got a little lucky, scraping through against a 10-man Wolverhampton Wanderers side, whilst Forest were beaten at home by Liverpool.

Then all attention turned to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where new Spurs boss Igor Tudor took charge of his first match against North London rivals Arsenal.

In the end, the Gunners ran out 4–1 winners, although the game was probably tighter than the scoreline suggests. Quite how Gabriel Magalhães got away with what looked like a blatant dive to chalk off a Spurs equaliser is beyond me — but I’m not complaining. As a West Ham fan, we needed Tottenham to lose this one.

There was also a bit of over indulgence from former hammer Decan Rice who handed Spurs an equaliser to make it 1-1 immediately after Eze had put Arsenal ahead.

Pressure Mounts as West Ham Stay in Touch

After 27 games played, the Hammers remain in the relegation zone — but now only two points behind Forest and four behind Spurs.

As we enter the business end of the Premier League season, Tottenham never truly convinced in the North London derby. The truth is Arsenal barely had to get out of second gear to win, yet it was clear both managers were under pressure — albeit for very different reasons.

Looking at Spurs’ remaining fixtures, I suspect they’ll probably be okay. But pressure can do funny things to managers, and they’re currently battling something of an injury crisis, as the Sky Sports commentators were keen to remind us throughout.

It’s tight at the bottom. There were points this season when I genuinely didn’t believe West Ham would still be in touch with a pack that looked as though it had broken away. So for that alone, we can be grateful.

That said, it’s hard not to reflect on yesterday’s draw with AFC Bournemouth and wonder what might have been — particularly as many, myself included, felt West Ham were the better side.

But we move on.

There are still plenty of twists and turns left in this Premier League season — and West Ham remain right in the mix.

West Ham United’s transfer deadline day move for Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Antonín Kinský now looks set to fail, with Spurs unwilling to sanction a loan deal.

Quite why it has taken so long for this to become clear is anyone’s guess, especially given the transfer window has been open for more than a month.

That said, in the grand scheme of things, it is debatable how much this actually matters. There cannot be many who would argue that signing a backup goalkeeper should be anywhere near the top of West Ham’s list of priorities.

Spurs’ decision now means that summer signing Mads Hermansen is unlikely to return to his former club Leicester City during this window.

Loan Slots Better Used Elsewhere

With any luck, this development will allow West Ham to refocus their efforts and use that all-important domestic loan spot on an outfield player instead.

Axel Disasi is still expected to occupy one of the two allocated loan slots, but the way Nuno Espírito Santo’s side have visibly tired in second halves suggests that another attacking option would not be a bad idea.

With the clock ticking down, West Ham can ill afford any more wasted time — or misdirected priorities.

Hammers Chat my first game was West Ham 10-0 Bury . . . seriously!

We than went and bought Bury's central defender 😬⚒️ Irons

Started Hammers Chat alongside my partner in crime Geo back in 2014 and brough in to Claret & Hugh by my old mate Hughie to produce videos a couple of years later.

Give West Ham opinions on Sky Sports News and even did a bit of moonlighting on BBC Football Focus.

Sometimes feature on BBC Radio 5 Live and once ate a biscuit in Tony Gales shed.

Connoisseur of salted caramel doughnuts and I love a Sloppy Giuseppe pizza although I'm slightly suspicious where the name came from.

When I'm not moaning about West Ham I can be found walking a dog that looks like a sheep and tinkering with pinball machines.

More West Ham moaning is done on a daily basis here 👇👇

https://www.youtube.com/@HammersChatForum

Tottenham Hotspur 1-2 West Ham

Areola:7 Incredible double save was so important. Had a stinging shot from Bissouma to deal with at the opening of the second period and repeated the trick against the same player 10 mins later. Proper save from Simons on 88 mins.

Wan Bissaka:4 Good cross following a a decent dribble past Davis who was later substituted with a suspected broken leg following a challenge on Bowen. Had a mixed game but a lot of attacks came down his flank. Should have done better for Spurs equaliser. Seemed to get worse as the game went on and should have been replaced.

Mavropanos:8 Good recovery tackle on Simons early in the game. Almost scored following a neat knockdown from Soucek.

Todibo:7 Excellent tackle and recovery on 34 mins. Decent enough with his covering.

Scarles:6 Very solid but him taking corners from the opposite side of the pitch throws the team out of balance. Times his tackles beautifully but too often caught out for pace.

Soucek:7 Pops up far too much on the right flank for my liking but always committed and made a wonderful tackle in the first half to break a Spurs attack. For the second game running made some telling first time passes.

Fernandes:8 Missed a tackle during Spurs first attack but really West Ham were seriously outnumbered in midfield. Earned an assist when he played in Summerville. Some really lovely stuff but I think we’re just going to have to accept that he’ll get caught dribbling out of defence in every game. Overall an impressive contribution and got fouled a lot.

Bowen:5 Should have been more switched off when his goal was ruled out for offside. Took a yellow for the team and worked hard but nowhere near his best.

Summerville:7 Cut in well from the left flank and saw his deflected shot hit the back of the net. At the heart of everything the Hammers did well. Cleverly managed to get Gray and Romero on early cards. Like everyone else, faded in the second half.

Pablo:5 Won a header against Gallagher in the first minute and got a bump to the head in the process. Played his part in the opener with good hold-up play. Fully committed but at times has the first touch of an oil tanker. Attempted an overhead kick which wasn’t too far off. Worked hard but was exhausted after an hour.

Castellanos:6 Carded after 50 seconds for arguing with the referee. Had a half chance following a knock known from Summerville. Heavy and poor touch saw him waste excellent work from the same player. Should have scored from a decent corner routine. Played an excellent flicked ball to Summerville in the second half.

Substitutes

Rodriguez: Replaced Pablo cleared off the line at the end.

West Ham midfielder Lucas Paquetá is being strongly linked with a move to Tottenham Hotspur this evening, with multiple outlets reporting a £26m offer from Spurs.

As a result, Claret & Hugh have spoken directly to somebody very close to Paquetá within the past hour to clarify the situation.

We have been told with absolute, cast-iron certainty that “Paquetá will not be leaving West Ham to join Tottenham in this transfer window.”

I understand the wording of that statement may lead to further speculation that the Brazilian could leave for Spurs in the summer, but that is not the intention. That said, Paquetá will leave the club before next season starts, and we have been informed that this is 100%.

No Talks, No Deal

West Ham manager Nuno Espírito Santo considers Paquetá to be his best player and will not sanction a move away.

Without putting too fine a point on it, someone very close to the player has asked Claret & Hugh to make it clear that there are no negotiations for a move to Tottenham.

Hopefully that clears it up, although I’d still expect the story to continue.

Hammers Chat my first game was West Ham 10-0 Bury . . . seriously!

We than went and bought Bury's central defender 😬⚒️ Irons

Started Hammers Chat alongside my partner in crime Geo back in 2014 and brough in to Claret & Hugh by my old mate Hughie to produce videos a couple of years later.

Give West Ham opinions on Sky Sports News and even did a bit of moonlighting on BBC Football Focus.

Sometimes feature on BBC Radio 5 Live and once ate a biscuit in Tony Gales shed.

Connoisseur of salted caramel doughnuts and I love a Sloppy Giuseppe pizza although I'm slightly suspicious where the name came from.

When I'm not moaning about West Ham I can be found walking a dog that looks like a sheep and tinkering with pinball machines.

More West Ham moaning is done on a daily basis here 👇👇

https://www.youtube.com/@HammersChatForum

Tottenham Hotspur have once again been linked with a move for West Ham captain Jarrod Bowen… nothing new there then. Only this time, Spurs are said to be “leading the race to sign Bowen”, which of course is complete nonsense.

Why? Because at present there is no race to sign the Hammers’ second top scorer of the Premier League era.

Pretty much every West Ham fan is fully aware that relegation would mean Bowen leaves to continue playing at the top level. Personally, I’d be amazed if manager Nuno Espírito Santo is still in the Hammers’ hot seat at the end of this season.

Why West Ham Won’t Sell Bowen in January

The only reason he’s currently still in the job is because the club still hope he can pull us out of the relegation zone. And it is entirely that same hope which will stop West Ham selling Jarrod Bowen in the January transfer window.

Whilst the West Ham board seem to be mismanaging the club into oblivion, they know they’ll not get away will selling the clubs prized asset now.

As for selling Bowen in the event of relegation… I doubt we’ll have much say in the matter, because the club’s debt will dictate that he is sold to the highest bidder.

Hammers Chat my first game was West Ham 10-0 Bury . . . seriously!

We than went and bought Bury's central defender 😬⚒️ Irons

Started Hammers Chat alongside my partner in crime Geo back in 2014 and brough in to Claret & Hugh by my old mate Hughie to produce videos a couple of years later.

Give West Ham opinions on Sky Sports News and even did a bit of moonlighting on BBC Football Focus.

Sometimes feature on BBC Radio 5 Live and once ate a biscuit in Tony Gales shed.

Connoisseur of salted caramel doughnuts and I love a Sloppy Giuseppe pizza although I'm slightly suspicious where the name came from.

When I'm not moaning about West Ham I can be found walking a dog that looks like a sheep and tinkering with pinball machines.

More West Ham moaning is done on a daily basis here 👇👇

https://www.youtube.com/@HammersChatForum

West Ham have held secretive and informal (whatever that means) talks in an effort to beat Tottenham Hotspur to a signing.

That’s the latest claim from football journalist Graham Bailey and Football Fancast, who seem adamant there is genuine interest in Ivan Toney. Their reports suggest that Spurs are further along in negotiations to bring the striker—who has something of a bad-boy reputation—back to London. However, there have apparently also been discussions with the Hammers.

As Claret & Hugh reported on Thursday, we were told by a trusted transfer source that there have indeed been conversations among the West Ham hierarchy about the former Brentford striker. Speaking earlier this week, our source said: “Of course there is interest, but he is earning nearly £250k per week net in Saudi.”

West Ham Missed the Bargain, Now Face Premium Price

More importantly, Toney is scoring goals in the Saudi Pro League—which is no surprise, as the forward guarantees goals wherever he plays. For that reason, he’d have been an ideal signing for West Ham, who could have landed him for just £3m back when he was at Peterborough.

It’s understood that Toney is keen to return to the Premier League on loan in a bid to boost his chances of making Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad. It appears to be a classic “out of sight, out of mind” scenario as far as the England manager is concerned, and the striker wants to remind Tuchel he’s still a viable option.

That said, last week’s alleged arrest for reportedly assaulting a fan outside a nightclub won’t have helped his case—either with Tuchel or his current Saudi employers, Al-Ahli—despite scoring 42 goals in 62 appearances.

As for West Ham, if the reports are to be believed, we’re currently in talks with anyone capable of kicking a football. That said, in this particular case, there does appear to be genuine interest in Toney. As for what exactly informal talks mean—well, your guess is as good as mine.

Hammers Chat my first game was West Ham 10-0 Bury . . . seriously!

We than went and bought Bury's central defender 😬⚒️ Irons

Started Hammers Chat alongside my partner in crime Geo back in 2014 and brough in to Claret & Hugh by my old mate Hughie to produce videos a couple of years later.

Give West Ham opinions on Sky Sports News and even did a bit of moonlighting on BBC Football Focus.

Sometimes feature on BBC Radio 5 Live and once ate a biscuit in Tony Gales shed.

Connoisseur of salted caramel doughnuts and I love a Sloppy Giuseppe pizza although I'm slightly suspicious where the name came from.

When I'm not moaning about West Ham I can be found walking a dog that looks like a sheep and tinkering with pinball machines.

More West Ham moaning is done on a daily basis here 👇👇

https://www.youtube.com/@HammersChatForum

West Ham are set to raid Tottenham Hotspur for one of their top academy stars, according to Hammers ITK ExWHUEmployee. It’s also understood that Spurs are far from happy about the prospect of losing one of their brightest young players.

The youngster in question is England youth international Frankie Day, a highly rated forward emerging from Spurs’ academy. The move is viewed as a big feather in the cap for West Ham, with Mark Noble playing a key role in securing the deal for the 16-year-old.

“West Ham are set to sign England youth international Frankie Day from rivals Spurs,” said Ex, on his West Ham Way patreon. “The deal is currently going through the Premier League five-step process before it can be completed.

“Frankie is a prolific forward who has scored many goals at his age group and while playing above his years. This is considered a bit of a coup for the club, with Mark Noble being very much behind the deal.”

This isn’t the first time Noble has been instrumental in bringing young talent to the academy. Last season, the former West Ham captain risked the wrath of Celtic and Brendan Rodgers when he persuaded another prolific striker, Daniel Cummings, to reject a new deal with The Bhoys and join the Hammers instead.

Noble’s Influence and Nuno’s Youth Pathway

Recruiting top young prospects may be becoming increasingly easier for West Ham, particularly under manager Nuno Espírito Santo. Since arriving at the club, Nuno has shown a clear willingness to give academy players meaningful opportunities, a factor that undoubtedly makes the London Stadium an attractive destination for rising talent.

Hammers Chat my first game was West Ham 10-0 Bury . . . seriously!

We than went and bought Bury's central defender 😬⚒️ Irons

Started Hammers Chat alongside my partner in crime Geo back in 2014 and brough in to Claret & Hugh by my old mate Hughie to produce videos a couple of years later.

Give West Ham opinions on Sky Sports News and even did a bit of moonlighting on BBC Football Focus.

Sometimes feature on BBC Radio 5 Live and once ate a biscuit in Tony Gales shed.

Connoisseur of salted caramel doughnuts and I love a Sloppy Giuseppe pizza although I'm slightly suspicious where the name came from.

When I'm not moaning about West Ham I can be found walking a dog that looks like a sheep and tinkering with pinball machines.

More West Ham moaning is done on a daily basis here 👇👇

https://www.youtube.com/@HammersChatForum

West Ham 0-3 Tottenham

Hermansen:5 Managed to get his hand of one of Tottenham’s numerous corners as Spurs started the first half slowly and finished with a flourish. Will have been pleased to get to half time at 0-0. Poor positioning for Spurs second. Made an excellent double save against Kudus and Johnson to stop it being 4-0.

Walker Peters:5 Nice run forward against his former club opened up a good Hammers attack. Looked to get on the front-foot when possible. Equally responsible for Tottenham’s second with Mavropanos.

Mavropanos:5 Promising sign early on as Dinos beat Xavi Simons for pace then won his first three headers. Called into action more and more as the first half went on and was a brick wall in the first half. Went to sleep as he lost Bergvall from open play.

Kilman:4 Sloppy mid and long range passing but made an important block at the beginning of the game. Not happy with his role in the zonal marking at corners which seem to be easily unpicked by the opposition. Very bad for Van de Ven’s goal and Tottenham’s third after 65 mins.

Diouf:5 Dangerous early cross almost found Bowen in the box and looked to have the start of a partnership with Summerville. Easily manhandled by Bergvall from marking Sarr as Spurs predictable went ahead from corner after 47 mins.

Ward Prowse:3 Worked hard as usually but his consistent inability to win loose balls continues to be a problem. Did produce a good delivery from a set-piece which Kilman should have done better with.

Soucek:4 Forced into an early block within the first minute and won a number of 50/50 balls early in the game. So important when defending from corners and crosses where he often became a third central defender. Sent off for a lunge with studs showing, no complaints but killed the game as a contest and Spurs scored their second two minutes later.

Fernandes:5 Created an excellent chance for Paqueta early in the game. No doubt Fernandes will become a crowd favourite with his skill and willingness to scrap.

Bowen:4 Not involved at all in the first half. Had an early shot from range at the start of the second period. Created West Ham’s first corner of the game forcing Vicario into a save.

Summerville:4 Impressed with how he was willing to graft and help out Diouf deal with Kudus.

Paqueta:4 Should have scored after 13 minutes and his influence on the game lessened from that point.

Substitutes

Guilherme: On for Summerville in the 60th minute

Magassa: Replaced Fernandes as part of a joint substitution. Probably unfair to rate or assess the substitutes considering they were introduced with the team losing and down to 10 men.

Wilson: Brought on for Paqueta at 3-0 down after 65 mins.