EXTRA TIME

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to all my readers! RapidHammer wishes you a safe, peaceful, successful and sound journey into and through this year 2024! 🤗

December 31, 2023 at 4:26 pm Leave a comment

“Football is about dreaming“

December 29, 2023 at 11:03 am Leave a comment

Verrückter, erfolgreicher Dezember

Acht Spiele haben die Irons in diesem Dezember gespielt: sechs Partien in der Premier League und je ein Spiel in der Europa League und im League Cup. Eines mehr als im Dezember 2018, der als der erfolgreichste Dezember in der Premier League-Historie der Hammers galt. Mit ihrem 2:0-Sieg gegen Arsenal im letzten Spiel im Jahr 2023 schließt West Ham das Jahr nun mit 33 Punkten ab – das ist der höchste Gesamtwert zur Halbzeit einer Premier-League-Saison.

Fünf Siege, ein Remis und zwei hohe Niederlagen stehen in diesem letzten Monat des Jahres 2023 zu Buche. Verrückt, dass “Moyes’s men“ im Dezember zweimal schwere Niederlagen mit je fünf Gegentoren kassierten, und trotzdem in der Premier League 13 Punkte mit vier Siegen, einem Unentschieden und einer Niederlage geholt wurden (Punkteschnitt 2,17). Das sind zwei Punkte weniger als 2018, als es unter Manager Manuel Pellegrini allerdings sieben Dezember – Ligaspiele gab (Punkteschnitt 2,14). Im Europacup war man damals nicht dabei und im Ligacup waren die Hammers schon in Runde 4 im Oktober gegen Tottenham ausgeschieden.

Heuer hatte man dagegen Arsenal im Ligacup-Achtelfinale eliminiert (scheiterte dann aber mit 1:5 an Liverpool im Viertelfinale). Gegen Arsenal gab es im Dezember im letzten Spiel des Jahres einen weiteren Erfolg: im Emirates wurde Declan Rice’s neuer Klub mit 2:0 besiegt, womit man die Gunners von der Tabellenspitze holte. Ganz nach dem Motto:

Dieses Ergebnis war ein Dämpfer für Arsenals Titelambitionen, damit liegt die Mannschaft von Mikel Arteta nun auf dem zweiten Tabellenplatz, zwei Punkte hinter Tabellenführer Liverpool. Und die Hammers stehen auf dem beachtlichen sechsten Rang!

Drei Wochen vor dem Auswärtssieg vom Donnerstag hatte es einen weiteren denkwürdigen Auswärtssieg für West Ham gegeben – 2:1 gegen Tottenham. Das ist das erste Mal seit 1993/94, dass die Hammers Tottenham und Arsenal auswärts in derselben Ligasaison besiegten.

Es setzte aber auch zwei bittere Niederlagen in diesem Monat: es gab ein 0:5 gegen Fulham (noch dazu bei jenem Spiel, das ich in der Premier League live im Stadion gesehen habe!), und mit einem 1:5 gegen Liverpool verabschiedeten sich die Hammers im Viertelfinale aus dem Ligacup.

Mit 2:0 gewann man im London Stadium das letzte Gruppenspiel der Europa League gegen Freiburg und verteidigte damit die Gruppenführung, und auch ein klares 3:0 gegen die Wolves und ein 2:0 gegen Manchester Utd waren erfreuliche Resultate im eigenen Stadium in der Premier League. 1:1 remis trennte man sich dort im ersten Dezember-Spiel mit Crystal Palace.

West Ham liegt nach dem Sieg gegen Arsenal auf Platz 6 in der Premier League und hat zur Meisterschafts-Halbzeit – das heißt nach 19 von 38 Spielen – schon 33 Punkte auf dem Konto. “Seven points from safety”, wie der ironische und immer auch ein bisschen unzufriedene West Ham-Anhang nach dem Sieg gegen Arsenal bemerkte, bei dem man es sich sogar leisten konnte, durch Benrahma einen Elfmeter (nach Foul von Declan Rice) zu verschießen. Die Tore im “Emirates” schossen Soucek nach einem umstrittenen Assist von Bowen (Bild oben) und Mavropanos per Kopf.

Mit Optimismus und einem gesunden Punkte-Polster geht es für West Ham ins Neue Jahr! Come on you Irons!

December 28, 2023 at 11:53 pm Leave a comment

The King‘s Christmas Address 2023

December 25, 2023 at 9:27 pm Leave a comment

Rejoice, Christ is born! 💫

December 25, 2023 at 8:18 pm Leave a comment

🎄 Merry Christmas! 🎄

December 23, 2023 at 9:35 pm Leave a comment

Gegen wen im März?

West Ham hat bekanntlich seine Europa League-Gruppe vor Freiburg gewonnen. Der FC Freiburg (GER) muss im Play-off gegen Champions League-Absteiger Lens (FRA) antreten, die Hammers dagegen spielen erst wieder im März 2024 im Achtelfinale.

Das sind die weiteren sieben Paarungen des Europa League Play-offs, die im Februar (15./22.2.2024) darüber entscheiden werden, auf wen die acht Gruppensieger im März im Achtelfinale des Europacups treffen werden:

Feyenoord (NED) – Roma (ITA)
Milan (ITA) – Rennes (FRA)
Young Boys (SUI) – Sporting CP (POR)
Benfica (POR) – Toulouse (FRA)
Braga (POR) – Qarabağ (AZE)
Galatasaray (TUR) – Sparta Prag (CZE)
Shakhtar (UKR) – Marseille (FRA)

Die Sieger des Play-offs sind bei der Achtelfinal-Auslosung ungesetzt. Nach dieser K.-o.-Runde geht es weiter mit Viertelfinale, Halbfinale und schließlich dem Finale am 22. Mai in Dublin.

Im Achtelfinale stehen folgende Gruppensieger:

Atalanta (ITA)
Brighton (ENG)
Leverkusen (GER)
Liverpool (ENG)
Rangers (SCO)
Slavia Prag (CZE)
Villarreal (ESP)
West Ham (ENG)

Das sind die weiteren Spieltermine bis zum Finale in Dublin:

Achtelfinale: 7. & 14. März
Viertelfinale: 11. & 18. April
Halbfinale: 2. & 9. Mai
Finale: 22. Mai (Dublin)

Vor zwei Jahren spielte West Ham ebenfalls in der Europa League, gewann seine Gruppe, in der man gegen Dynamo Zagreb, Rapid Wien und Genk antreten musste – in Wien gegen Rapid wegen der Pandemie leider in einem „Geisterspiel“ – und eliminierte dann Sevilla (0:1, 2:0 n.V.) und Lyon (1:1, 3:0), bevor im Semifinale gegen den späteren Europacupsieger Eintracht Frankfurt Endstation war (1:2, 0:1).

➡️ West Ham in European football

Letzte Saison triumphierten die Hammers in der Conference League und gewannen ihren zweiten Europacup nach 1965.

Die erfolgreiche Conference League-Saison 2022/23 startete mit einem Play-off gegen Viborg. In der Gruppenphase waren Steaua Bukarest (FCSB), Anderlecht und Silkeborg die Gegner. Als Gruppensieger spielte man dann im Achtelfinale gegen AEK Larnaca (2:0, 4:0). Darauf folgten Spiele gegen KAA Gent (1:1, 4:1) und AZ Alkmaar (2:1, 1:0), bevor man das Finale in Prag mit 2:1 gegen Fiorentina gewann.

December 19, 2023 at 7:29 am Leave a comment

A special connection

In a long interview on West Ham’s official website and in the programme for Sunday’s home game against Wolves, Czech holding midfielder Tomáš Souček speaks about the best thing about being a footballer.

“A lovely question,” Tomáš said. “For me, it’s playing in front of thousands of people who are with you, supporting you and cheering you on. When you score a goal and you get to celebrate with those fans, and build that connection with them, it’s so special.”

He showed that he has a special connection and loves the fans also in the moment of West Ham’s worst defeat for years, a 0-5 trashing at Craven Cottage one week ago. The last time the Hammers lost by this margin was in summer 2019 when they were defeated in their first game of the season 0-5 by Manchester City. It was the beginning of the end of Manuel Pellegrini’s tenure at London Stadium who eventually was sacked and replaced by David Moyes on 29 December 2019 who soon after signed the Czech international player from Slavia Prague in January 2020.

After the final whistle at Craven Cottage which finally sealed the heavy defeat last Sunday, Tomáš Soucek did not immediately walk straight back to the dressing room with his head down, but stopped in front of the away end: for almost a minute he applauded the “claret and blue army” which never had stopped supporting the team despite their bad performance this afternoon in west London.

I had attended this game, meeting up before kick-off with Paul and some of his friends, using Barrie’s away ticket who had stayed at home entertaining his grand children this afternoon. Due to the game kicking off on a Sunday at 2 p.m., I tried to find a church not too far from Fulham’s Craven Cottage and attend a Sunday service before the game. I found out that St Luke’s Church, HTB’s most recent church plant near Earl’s Court, had its family service at 11 a.m. which was a perfect fit for me.

I had the pleasure to watch a special advent celebration there, called “Christingle”. This Christmas tradition, unknown to me so far, originates from Moravia and Germany and has spread across many churches and denominations since the 18th century. Christingle relates to the German word “Christkindl” and is used to celebrate Jesus Christ as the Light of the World and as our saviour. It consists of

• an orange representing the world,
• with a candle pushed into the centre of the orange, then lit, representing Jesus Christ as Light of the World,
• a red ribbon wrapped around the orange, representing the blood of Christ, and
• dried fruits or sweets skewered on cocktail sticks pushed into the orange, representing the fruits of the earth and the four seasons (picture).

I had a nice chat after the service with pastor Dave Matthews and found out that most of the people of this neighbourhood supported Chelsea and not Fulham. Dave asked me if I was a pastor myself when I mentioned that I had attended “Alpha Experience” two months ago at HTB Brompton Road. “No, I’m a lawyer,” I answered, “like Nicky Gumbel was before becoming pastor at HTB.”

Well, that wasn’t the only misconception this afternoon: Erion, one of Paul’s friend standing beside of me on the terrace, thought I lived in Notting Hill and worked in a London law firm. That would have been nice, but I had to explain to him that when I mentioned that we “lived near Notting Hill Gate” this was true for just four days – we stayed at a hotel there this time…

And it also turned out not to be true when at half time with 0-3 down an other guy standing next to me said that it was “difficult, but not impossible” to come back into this game. But no, this WAS impossible for the Hammers players seemingly exhausted, tired and partly even sick. On that “bad day at the office“ they had only played well the first 15 or 20 minutes, but then it showed that this team had played all autumn every three or four days and on this day lacked drive and urgency. David Moyes said after the game that playing two games week in, week out and especially the Hammers‘ 2-1 away win in an other London derby at Tottenham on the previous Thursday seemed to have taken its toll.

When I texted Barrie that it seemed that he had made a wise decision not to attend the Fulham game and entertain the grandchildren at home instead (this was the reason I got his ticket) he wrote back; “Best part of West Ham is the fans. As Paul knows only too well I enjoy myself by meeting up before and after the game with a group of friends. The game itself is usually the worst part of the day. “🤦‍♂️😂 That’s typical West Ham sense of humour, isn’t it?

But half a week later West Ham bounced back and convincingly defeated Freiburg 2-0 in what was their final game of the Europa League group stages. They secured their progress to the round of the last sixteen in Europe for the third season running with this win. So everything’s okay then?

Well, it seems it’s only the travelling fans who do not become bothered when the team is behind, and tirelessly sing and clap also when West Ham are losing. The West Ham followers on social media and some parts of the 60,000 supporters which fill the London Stadium when the Irons play at home (something Fulham obviously is not capable of since they have got their expanded Riverside Stand) are a more fickle lot. The “Moyes out brigade” makes themselves heard quickly every time the results don’t go West Ham’s way.

Following a visit of Wolves at London Stadium on Sunday the Hammers have to travel to Liverpool midweek trying to reach the semifinals of the League Cup for the first time since 2011/12.

“We’re champions of Europe, that’s what we are,” the travelling fans will sing again then, but depending on the Hammers’ performance the opposition supporters will possibly reply with a loud “but you’re still shit!”

Well, let’s be optimistic and expect the claret and blue army has something to cheer about in the coming games. Come on you Irons!

PS: One week after the defeat at Fulham a dominant West Ham looked a different side to the one that suffered a 5-0 thrashing and won 3-0 at London Stadium against Wolves (goals: Kudus 2, Bowen).

December 17, 2023 at 8:16 am Leave a comment

West Ham Win Again!

For one month now, West Ham Utd have not tasted defeat home or away in the Premier League and Europa League. They are “on a purple patch”, BBC wrote in their match report from the Hammers’ latest 2-1 away win over Spurs, but it was not only luck, the Irons put in a resilient, organised display in North London and again came from behind to snatch all the points from the jaws of defeat after having conceded early on in the 11th minute. Two second half goals from Jarrod Bowen and James Ward-Prowse meant that West Ham have won 10 points from losing positions in the Premier League this season. Only Brighton (11) and Liverpool (15) have recovered more.

“I think it is a huge win to come here and win against this side,” Moyes told BBC Radio 5 Live.

“I’m pleased with how we were resilient and diligent in our work, organised, defensively structured and we were always a threat as well.”

West Ham have won five of their past six fixtures across all competitions while Tottenham suffered their fourth defeat in five and have dropped points from a winning position for a fifth consecutive game.

West Ham last defeat was at Brentford away (2-3) on 4 November, but since that game the Hammers have won five times (Olympiakos, Nottingham Forest, Burnley, Backa Topola and Spurs) and drawn one match (against Crystal Palace last weekend).

On the back of these fine run of results – some of them snatched with late winning goals in the process – the east Londoners now will play an other derby and are hosted by Fulham next Sunday.

I am looking much forward to this game because I will be in the away end at Craven Cottage on Sunday!

Then Freiburg come to the London Stadium for the final game of the Europa League group stages next Wednesday, and some days before Christmas the Hammers have to travel to Liverpool for the quarter finals of the League Cup after having eliminated Arsenal in the last round of this competition.

Come on you Ironsssssss!!!

December 8, 2023 at 7:32 am Leave a comment