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Having been initially underwhelmed by the season's transfer activity, West Ham United's board ironically now want incumbent manager David Moyes to 'buy british', their opinion especially that of 27% stakeholder Daniel Kretinsky, is that buying from abroad is more economical but the bedding in process for a raft of incoming non british players is too lengthy and that the club don't want to experience another relegation fight!

There has been a lot of talk relating to West Ham United's potential transfer activity ever since it became blatantly obvious that club captain Declan Rice would be moving on to pursue his Champions League dreams. There has been SO MUCH noise surrounding Rice's potential transfer and destination that the main topic seems to have escaped attention.

Chris Knoll, AKA ‘Knollsy’ also as the ‘Angel of Alkmaar’ in some quarters, hasn't had to buy a drink for himself since he and others battled Alkmaar ultras who tried to invade the hospitality area containing Hammers friends and families at the end of the club's winning semi final against AZ Alkmaar.

You can tell it is approaching the end of the domestic football season as al sorts of rumours, some scurrilous others plain ridiculous, begin to 'emerge' from under the rocks that they usually dwell in. If this sounds like an attack on the press then so be it, having done or actively doing the 'Dec to the Gooners' and a whole list of other clubs whose manager might have mentioned that they would 'like' Rice at their club, most have moved on and their latest 'offering' is the 'fake sheik', or to be more accurate the financial wolf in sheik's clothing!

The Stratford Arena, The Queen Elizabeth Stadium or whatever you want to call the unnamed ground where West Ham United now play their football didn't do a bad impression of being a 'happy home'. Today's (Sunday) visitors under the managerial guidance of ex-Irons boss Sam Allardyce obviously hadn't read the 'end of term' script as they proceeded to go a goal ahead courtesy of one of Allardyce's favourite weapons, the long throw!

West Ham: Fabianski, Coufal, Emerson, Ogbonna, Zouma, Rice, Soucek, Paqueta, Fornals, Bowen, Ings.
Subs: Areola, Johnson, Cresswell, Antonio, Lanzini, Cornet, Benrahma, Kehrer, Mubama
Leeds: Robles, Ayling, Forshaw, Koch, Wober, Harrison, Rodrigo, Struijk, Kristensen, McKennie, Bamford.
Subs: Meslier, Cooper, Aaronson, Roca, Summerville, Rutter, Gnonto, Greenwood, Chilokoa-Mullen.

There are bad losers and then there are bad 'tooled up' losers wearing masks intent on inflicting fear and mayhem on women and children! UEFA SHOULD hold AZ to task for not controlling their 'Ultra's', instead they will most likely receive a financial slap on the wrists with no further action being taken.

AZ Alkmaar: Ryan, Sugawara, Beukema, Hatzidiakis, Kerkez, Reijnders, Mijnans, Clasie ©, van Brederode, Karlsson, Pavlidis Subs: Verhulst (GK), Deen (GK), D.De Wit, Mihailovic, Lahdo, Bazoer, Vanheusden, Buurmeester, M.De Wit, Meerdink, Goes
West Ham: Areola, Kehrer, Zouma, Aguerd, Cresswell, Rice ©, Souček, Paquetá, Benrahma, Antonio, Bowen Subs: Fabiański (GK), Anang (GK), Coufal, Johnson, Ogbonna, Lanzini, Downes, Emerson, Fornals, Cornet, Ings, Mubama

Sunday's surrender to Brentford was a sanguine experience in several ways, firstly the '2nd' team selected contained nine changes from midweek and it showed! Secondly and perhaps more importantly, rumblings about David Moyes being retained beyond this season might be heard less now his 'new trick' abysmally failed when called upon.

Brentfrod: Raya (c); Hickey, Pinnock, Mee, Henry; Janelt, Jensen, Damsgaard; Mbeumo, Wissa, Schade. Subs: Cox, Zanka, Ajer, Roerslev, Baptiste, Onyeka, Ghoddos, Dasilva, Stevens.
West Ham: Fabianksi; Johnson, Aguerd, Ogbonna (c), Emerson; Soucek, Downes; Cornet, Lanzini, Fornals; Ings. Subs: Areola, Creswell, Zouma, Kehrer, Rice, Paqueta, Benrahma, Mubama, Bowen.