Stressige Woche
„Das wird eine stressige Woche“, schrieb am Sonntag Abend mein Freund Robert, den ich am Donnerstag im Allianz Stadion bei Rapids Europacup-“second leg” gegen Banja Luka treffen werde.
Robert bezog sich dabei auf die beiden kommenden Matches unserer grün-weißen Truppe, die leider einen Stolperstart in den Frühling hinlegte, der den Optimismus vor dem Wiederbeginn der Meisterschaft im Februar Lügen straft.
Die drei ersten Meisterschaftsspiele im Frühling gingen allesamt verloren (was dem SK Rapid angeblich noch nie in seiner langen Geschichte passiert ist!). Dann dachten wir, der Knoten wäre geplatzt, denn Rapid besiegte Altach am vorletzten Wochenende mit 5:0.
Aber jetzt kam auch Pech und wahrscheinlich Nervosität dazu, denn gegen Borac Banja Luka hätte man auswärts in der Conference League nach 1:0-Führung deutlich gewinnen müssen, stattdessen kassierte Rapid in der 92. Minute aus einem Elfmeter noch das 1:1.
Und am Sonntag auswärts gegen Hartberg gab es nicht nur Probleme des Rapid-Anhanges mit der steirischen Polizei, sondern nach verspätetem Anpfiff eine sich auf dem Rasen höchst schwach präsentierende Rapid-Elf. In der zweiten Hälfte musste man zwei Gegentreffer hinnehmen, worauf man durch meinen Lieblings-Schweden Isak Jansson 🇸🇪 nur mehr den Anschlusstreffer hinbekam. Der vermeintliche Ausgleich durch USA-Rückkehrer Ercan Kara war leider abseits!
Jetzt kommen am Donnerstag die Kämpfer von Borac aus Bosnien in der Conference League. Und am Sonntag kommt dann in jener Bundesliga-Runde, die über Meistergruppe oder Abstiegsgruppe entscheidet, Aufsteiger GAK ins West- bzw. Allianz Stadion. Das sind zwei Pflichtsiege, wenn es nicht nach dem „Knipping-Aus“ auch noch ein ein Europa Cup-Aus und Meistergruppen-Aus 😓 und vielleicht gar ein Klauß-Aus geben soll.
Das wird also eine „Stresswoche“. Robert hat recht. Und in der Kronenzeitung fragt man schon: Hat Klauß seine Mannschaft „verloren“. Zwei Siege müssen her, um das Gegenteil zu beweisen …
Was Robert nicht am Radar hatte: meine Woche könnte noch stressiger werden, denn schon am Montag Abend spielt West Ham im London Stadium gegen das – heute in grün-weiß antretende – Newcastle und am Samstag “away” gegen Everton.
Weiterer Stressfaktor am Samstag ist das Heimspiel der abstiegsgefährdeten „Unioner“ gegen Bayern München. Gestern zwar ein unerwarteter Auswärtssieg gegen Eintracht Frankfurt mit einer Ex-Rapidler-Doppelproduktion (siehe unten), aber Steffen Baumgarts Männer sind nur zwei Niederlagen von einem Abstiegsplatz entfernt.
Da stehen die Londoner „Eisernen“ nach zwei Siegen hintereinander (Arsenal, Leicester) mit 16 Punkten Abstand auf Platz 17 schon viel besser da…
West Ham – Women’s Day
West Ham United is proud to mark International Women’s Day 2025 by celebrating the incredible women who shape the Club. Under the theme ‘Representing and Represented’, this year the Club shines the spotlight on the power of representation and the vital role it plays in fostering a sense of belonging within the West Ham community.
While International Women’s Day is just one day a year, West Ham have made a commitment to ensure that at this Club, we’re recognising the contributions of women across our staff, players, fans and community 365 days of the year.
In the second edition of ‘Rooted In’, led by an all-female crew of talented photographers, videographers and podcasters connected with the Club and from the community, West Ham brought together a collective of female fans, spanning generations, backgrounds and supporter groups, including Any Old Irons, Inclusive Irons and the Disabled Supporters Board (DSB). Each fan has shared their unique West Ham journey, from their first connection with the Club to the importance of female representation in football, and here’s what they had to say…
Arsenal 0 West Ham 1
I wrote in a comment on a website before the game: “Expecting a defeat, but who knows? Stranger things have happened than kick-starting a so far below-par season at Arsenal! Don’t forget, West Ham have been the first team to beat the Gunners at their new home back in 2006 (and they‘ve been the last team to beat them at Highbury, too)…”
And really – it did happen! Arsenal was beaten again by West Ham at the Emirates. The Gunners lost the second home game against the Hammers in a row (December 2023 and now February 2025).
The defeat ended a run of 15 unbeaten matches in the Premier League for the Gunners. “Days after the title race had flickered back to life (with leaders Liverpool drawing at Everton and Aston Villa), West Ham United arrived at the Emirates Stadium and poured a bucket of cold water over the whole thing”, Sam Dean wrote in The Telegraph. Arsenal had ambitions of closing the gap at the top to five points but they failed to grasp the opportunity in their hands.
West Ham looked more comfortable throughout the game and took the lead after 44 minutes when Wan-Bissaka galloped down the right wing before producing the perfect cross for Jarrod Bowen. Declan Rice could not get to the ball in the box and Bowen headed it into the back of the net.
Especially impressive for West Ham was young Ollie Scarles, playing at left wing-back at the age of 19. Scarles went head-to-head with Arsenal’s Ethan Nwaneri in the battle of promising teenagers and mostly came out on top. “Some performance,” said manager Graham Potter of Scarles. “There is a lot to look forward to.”
For the West Ham supporters, this was unquestionably one of the most enjoyable days of their campaign. Not only did they see a victory for Graham Potter’s side and young Ollie Scarles put in a flawless performance, but they also watched Declan Rice – their former hero – be removed from the action before even an hour had passed. “You should have signed for a big club,” they sneered.
West Ham: Areola; Cresswell, Kilman, Todibo (Mavropanos), Scarles, Wan-Bissaka; Álvarez (Soler), Ward-Prowse, Soucek, Kudus; Bowen (Ferguson)
Goal: Jarrod Bowen (44′) – his 5o th top flight goal!
Conference League ausgelost
Der SK Rapid kennt nach der Auslosung am Freitag in Nyon seine Gegner in der K.O.-Phase der Europa Conference League. Und zwar nicht nur den Gegner im Achtelfinale am 6. und 13. März, Borac Banja Luka – sondern alle möglichen Kontrahenten auf dem Weg zum Finale in Breslau. Das ist der Turnierbaum, wie er am Freitag ausgelost wurde:
Der Zufall wollte es, dass Rapid auf die grüne Seite des Turnierbaumes gelost wurde. Dieser definiert nun wie zB bei Tennis-Turnieren, EM oder WM den weiteren Verlauf des Wettbewerbs.
Wenn Rapid das Achtelfinale übersteht, ist der nächste Gegner im Viertelfinale (10./17. April) der Sieger aus FC Pafos (Zypern) gegen Djurgarden. Im Semifinale (1. und 8. Mai) würde der Sieger warten, der aus den Paarungen Kopenhagen/Chelsea und Molde/Legia Warschau hervorgeht.
Gegen den FC Kopenhagen, der nun gegen den FC Chelsea spielt, hat Rapid in der letzten Begegnung der Gruppenphase 3:0 gewonnen.
Das Finale der Conference League wird am 28. Mai 2025 im Stadion Wrocław in Breslau/Polen ausgetragen.
Primrose Hill
Some typical examples of English self-deprecation and self-mockery, a widespread form of irony, especially among West Ham supporters 
A disappointing afternoon
Graham Potter had got two weeks of preparations ahead of West Ham’s match against Brentford as the Hammers didn’t have to play last weekend when the fourth round of the FA Cup had taken place.
But one could only wonder what the manager and his squad had done within this time. West Ham were shockingly weak in the first half of their game against Brentford.
They were lucky to go into the interval only 1-0 down as two more goals scored by the “Bees” were disallowed for offside. The Hammers’ display in defence as well as offence was dire and pathetic, and the halftime whistle was greeted with boos from some parts of the West Ham supporters.
The Hammers started into the game much better in the second half; with three changes made by Graham Potter who brought on James Ward-Prowse, Evan Ferguson and young Oliver Scarles in the 46th minute. And immediately there was much more energy and attacking spirit – at least within the first ten or 15 minutes after the break. But unfortunately Mohamed Kudus missed the Hammers‘ best chance almost immediately after the break when new loan signing Evan Ferguson had played him free at the edge of the box. And albeit the crowd were getting behind the team and there was a sense that the Hammers could at least take a point from this encounter, there weren’t many more clear-cut opportunities to get an equaliser, and Brentford was able to see the game out.
That was a very disappointing afternoon for the West Ham faithful and me at Stratford. We all were „SADDENED BY: West Ham’s inability to score a goal“, as Iain Dale put it in his Sunday newsletter a day after the game.
And also the way back to the hotel was tedious. It was raining and an east London Saturday evening traffic jam made the trip agonisingly slow. Bloody London! In the end I got off the bus and took a black cab for the last few miles paying over the odds for this ride back from West Ham’s defeat.
Some ham, bread, olives, red wine and Dubai chocolate as well as worship music helped to get into a better mood at last… but still “bloody football” somehow had ruined the day.
Tomorrow Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at Cadogan Hall as well as a Sunday service at HTB hopefully are going to raise the spirit!
Fehlstart
Update: auch das Auswärtsderby gegen die Wiener Austria ging 1:2 (1:1) verloren.
Update 2: LASK – SK Rapid 2:1 (1:0)
EXTRA TIME 
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