Irons

Andriy Yarmolenko's heroic exploits of the last fortnight go some way to show how important the game of football can be through entire countries and communities, his home country Ukraine is still under remorseless assault by Mad Monk Putin's overwhelming but under performing military, football has now become a forgotten pleasure.

Sometimes you have to chuckle at 'transfer coup' articles, whether it is at those who wrote them or those who are stupid enough to believe them. The latest click bait Rashford to West Ham stories are more than stories, much more they are indeed works of fine fiction.

Let us examine the essential elements of a 'good read', bearing in mind most Journo's would sell their Grandmothers at the drop of a hat and are genetically born as compulsive liars who would most definitely NOT let the truth get in the way of a 'good story'.

Fans won't have to wait too long to either be put out of their misery, or breathe a huge sigh of relief regarding Kurt Zouma's availability for tomorrow evening's game against Watford and Sunday's game against Leicester and possibly beyond. The Hammers defensive king pin will undergoing a 'reveal' scan today, with the results and analysis available as early as midday today (Monday 07.02.2022).

Finally it appears as if West Ham have managed to break their self imposed transfer embargo, the frenzied activity of the last few days seem to finally be paying off as the club looks forward to welcoming the off the radar loan signing of Liverpool's Divock Origi to its ranks. It may not be the marquee type of signing fans wanted, more of a one man tent, but at least it is a bit of fresh blood to liven up the squad.

Murmurings about Hammers lack of recruitment during this transfer window have grown increasingly louder as the days tick by, the facts are simple but the reasons multitudinous as to why exactly David Moyes has failed to sanction even ONE transfer so far.

Unless the financial backing available from the board is pure fabrication, which we very much doubt, then the only reasons must be three fold. Either the players available aren't good enough, or they are too expensive or currently unavailable and can only be signed in the next window.

Man U: Henderson, Dalot, Lindelof, Bailly, Telles, Matic, Van de Beek, Sancho, Mata, Lingard, Martial Subs: Heaton, Wan-Bissaka, Jones, McTominay, Fernandes, Elanga, Greenwood
West Ham: Areola, Fredericks, Johnson, Diop, Dawson, Masuaku, Kral, Noble, Lanzini, Yarmolenko, Bowen Subs: Randolph, Coufal, Zouma, Ogbonna, Fornals, Vlasic, Benrahma.

Having trod nearly every Declan Rice to 'name your club' path available and exhausted every aspect of his contract negotiations to the max, the football press and media have changed tack and are now focusing on Jarrod Bowen instead. Suddenly the Hammers left footed forward has become the subject of intense scrutiny, with speculation rife that this organisation and that are 'seriously interested' in bringing the 24 year old to their clubs, Tottingham and Liverpool are among his current suitors according to those 'in the know'.

Today one of the greatest goal scorers of all time passed away, he might have been Tottingham's finest but he also played for AC Milan and of course the mighty Hammers, he can now join up with his old mucker Ian St John for their ethereal Saint & Greavsie show.

Jimmy Greaves 1940-2021 RIP

Hammers manager David Moyes has had to 'juggle' a team on limited resources consistently throughout his career, with the one obvious exception. He now finds himself having to do a balancing act as well, somehow through luck and good judgment he managed to get his team to a lofty sixth place in the Barclays Premier League.

As if being sent off for a 2nd bookable offence in the closing stages of the game against Southampton wasn't bad enough, many fans were extremely concerned to see Michail Antonio in obvious distress following some 'dark arts' defending by the Saints back line prior to his sending off.