Mauro Formica, West Ham's Rumoured January Signing And Team Jesus Revisited

Sport.co.uk reports that West Ham will sign Mauro Formica from Newell’s Old Boys for an undisclosed fee (but likely about £3.2m) during the January transfer window. The 22-year-old is highly regarded in his homeland and has been tipped for a future in the national team.

The Argentine plays as an advanced playmaker, the classic Argentine no. 10. With a nickname like "El Gato" or "The Cat", his stealthy skills will be just what the Hammers fans enjoy watching, but will he help West Ham's relegation troubles though?

Mauro Formica represented Argentina at the U-17 level. The video suggests that El Gato is a cross between Kaka and Ronaldinho. If he can play like any of these Brazilian maestros, then Boleyn Park will be rocking with excitement. The video footage do portray the young Argentine as a Ronaldinho-type player, busy, skilled, influential and ever ready to try the spectacular. West Ham fans will lap it all up, for sure.

Avram Grant's absence from today's crunch match against Stoke have been well-documented in the newspapers and media. This is yet another example of how fortune continue to hide from West Ham, but perhaps there will be a divine intervention in the end.

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Error-Strewn Hammers Start To New Premier League Season

A solid pre-season, a string of "astute" signings and an experienced manager in Avram Grant would have filled most Hammers fans with renewed optimism. I was also pleased from reading reports about victories at Monchengladbach and thought that last season's poor showing will be forgotten.

Unfortunately, the same West Ham (bar Winston Reid) lined up against a managerless Villans and were made to look pretty much like what they were last season, utterly hapless. Watching the first-half performance could have made a grown man cry and the Hammers clearly could not settle into any sort of rhythm. Passes were terrible and the one West Ham threat, Carlton Cole was forced to come deep to collect the ball. The big Hammers striker did have one good run towards the Villa goal, outpacing Dunne but forced wide, Cole dragged the shot wide of goal.

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Winston Reid A Budding Hammers Legend?

News have filtered through that Winston Reid is the fifth player to sign for West Ham in time for the 2010/2011 season. He completed his medical on Thursday and will begin life to become a Hammers legend. New manager, Avram Grant has gained my respect by making the right moves in the transfer market.

Firstly, the lack of width has been addressed through the signing of Pablo Barrera who excelled in Mexico's World Cup campaign. Then, stone-faced Grant convinced Frederic Piquionne to sign on the dotted line, providing cover and competition for Carlton Cole. Thirdly, the lack of a quality playmaker was alleviated when Thomas "Der Hammer" Hitzlsperger joined the Hammers. And now, that final piece of jigsaw is complete once Kiwi Reid steps through Boleyn Park. He is the right type of versatile defender West Ham need, able to play in that problematic right back slot as well as provide cover for Da Costa and Upson at centreback.

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Who Should West Ham Pick Up From Hull, Burnley or Portsmouth?

Hull, Burnley and Portsmouth faces the prospect of having to sell their best players now that relegation is upon them. Pompey and Hull, in particular, are facing financial problems and therefore will need to sell players to survive.

There are some pretty interesting players worth picking up, notably from Portsmouth. Newspaper reports are linking Kevin Prince Boateng with West Ham after his outstanding performances in the FA Cup especially. I have put together a Best XI from clubs in the bottom three.

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West Ham Topped The Basement Four Mini League

West Ham's troubled season started out very promisingly back in August last year. An emphatic 2-0 win against Wolves remained the Hammers' only away win. That away form eluded us all season but it will be back against Fulham this Sunday now that relegation has been avoided.

One key advantage West Ham had in the relegation fight was the superb results against our fellow relegation strugglers. West Ham only lost once and won three home games against Hull, Portsmouth and Burnley scoring lots of goals in the process.

The Basement Four Mini League has West Ham at the top of the table.

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Thank God For Scott Parker!

As if scripted, when West Ham was looking for a leader to haul them back into Premiership survival, Scott Parker duly obliged. In every sense, Parker was the the only West Ham player you would not wished to suffer the agony of relegation. So immense were his heart and commitment to stave off relegation.

So it was fitting that he should score a 25-yard screamer that guaranteed West Ham Premiership safety and allow Gold and Sullivan to rebuild the entire squad. If it was scored by Steven Gerrard or Frank Lampard, it would have been billed as the goal of the season but since it's the unfashionable, no frills midfielder Scott Parker, it hasn't garnered as much publicity as it should.

There are many parties to thank for Scotty Parker's goal,

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Luis Boa Morte To Lead West Ham To Relegation Safety?

Luis Boa Morte joined West Ham in January 2007. He was signed by Alan Curbishley to help West Ham ward off relegation that season. I don't know if it is a coincidence but the return from injury of a "ready" Boa Morte at a crucial juncture for West Ham this season has a ring of deja vu about it.

I am sure that all West Ham fans know by now that Luis Boa Morte will be on the bench for this Saturday's home match against Wigan. To spice up tomorrow's big match further, Boa Morte's first goal for West Ham came against Wigan in a 3-0 win on 28 April 2007, almost three years ago!

The pre-injury Luis Boa Morte was a passionate, streaky, aggressive and pacy forward that could ruffle an opposing defender.

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Deco Declared War For Premiership Title, West Ham Must Do The Same!

Wisely, as if on cue to rouse up the troops, Deco decided that it is time to go to war. He urged Chelsea players that to start fighting if they want to become champions. It has been a strange season in 2009/2010 with the top teams seemingly conspiring to gift Manchester United their record 19th title and fourth in successive seasons.

This is what Deco said as published in the official Chelsea website.

"First thing we need, we need to know that we are first,' he says. 'The last three games will be difficult and of course there is pressure in our minds because we need to win our games if Man U win theirs.

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West Ham Must Take Note Of Wigan's Dangerous Trio

Like everyone else, I watched the Wigan-Arsenal match and thought that this was the perfect game for the Gunners to capitalise and moved back to within three points of Chelsea. In the first half and three minutes of the second half, everything was going according to script for Arsene Wenger's team.

Perhaps it was confidence, perhaps arrogance, perhaps inexperience and indisciplined but what transpired was Arsenal allowed Wigan to take over and dominate the match at two goals down. Wigan duly obliged and smashed Arsenal's title hopes to pieces. The outstanding performers in the Wigan side were Ben Watson, Victor Moses and Charles N'Zogbia. It has to be THE comeback story of the 2009/2010 Barclays Premier League season!

All three will need extra attention this Saturday from the West Ham defence.

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Putting The West Ham Anfield Loss Into Perspective

Thinking up excuses to explain West Ham's performances this season has become tiring and plainly annoying. Every time there were signs of a positive turnaround, West Ham's "resurgence" come crashing down again. This Anfield loss was again one of many examples throughout the season that just when there were some belief (among fans) in the players, the confidence come crashing down. Worse yet, the performance of the whole team did not look at all like a team fighting for survival.

There is no longer any doubt in my mind that Zola and Clarke will walk at the end of this season regardless of the outcome of this season. If West Ham were relegated, the owners will want a swift return to the Premiership and Zola-Clarke does not instill confidence at all. Should West Ham stay up, the feeling is that this horrible season should be banished into distant memory, hence Zola-Clarke must be replaced.

Liverpool totally thumped West Ham last night.

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West Ham Out Of The Woods? Carlos Tevez Coming Back?

The star of the first "Great Escape", Carlos Tevez have declared that he wants to play for West Ham once again as he claimed there were unfinished business. That's just fantastic, his brand of all-action football is something that we have missed this season especially. He is playing well also, seeing that he has now scored six goals in his last three starts.

He has already showed his dissatisfaction with the management and coaching style of Roberto Mancini. Further to this, he has, like Craig Bellamy, questioned the rationale of the owners for sacking Mark Hughes. Funny, we have seen this before while Carlitos was at Manchester United. Hope this means he is angling for a move back to West Ham because he would be greatly welcomed by all Hammers fans. As long as he does not score against us in the final game of this season.

Also in the news are reports that Zola is confident of landing one of the most sought after striker in Jermaine Beckford.

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West Ham v Sunderland Injury Report and Head to Head Stats

West Ham must look to win this match at home against Sunderland. Harry Harris of ESPN Soccernet opined that that performance against Everton suggest that West Ham have the fight to survive relegation. We shall see this Saturday if Harry is right about this one.

First up, the injury situation,

West Ham
Valon Behrami -- Calf Muscle Strain -- no return date

Kieron Dyer -- Hamstring Injury -- no return date

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West Ham's Point Against Everton Was Full Of Relief!

After some heavy knocks to the West Ham confidence, gaining one point in the draw against Everton must really felt like a big weight lifted off Zola's shoulders. The jubilant leap after Ilan's superb diving header says it all actually. The fact that West Ham were much better organized and had urgency in their play meant that this draw was well-deserved. There was a time after Da Costa had scored the equalizer, I felt that three points could be possible. Never mind that Everton had not lost for six successive games at Goodison, I felt at that moment West Ham had the momentum. Until the sucker punch by Yakubu that is and yet the West Ham players refuse to let that late goal affect them and promptly was rewarded 60 seconds later.

It felt great to have come from behind and forced the draw. It was extremely wonderful to finally see West Ham play consistently throughout the match. Throughout this testing season, West Ham have played very well in the first half only to falter and fade badly in the second half. Against Everton, the intensity and concentration stayed high all through the match. If the Hammers can keep this up in their next five matches, we should have more than an even chance to stay up.

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Reactions On West Ham's Losing Streak

Here are some quotes after the Stoke City defeat...

LIONEL MESSI IMPERSONATION 

Ricardo Fuller had a mesmeric moment for Stoke against West Ham.

OWNERS FROM HELL

David Sullivan and David Gold.

Ever since they bought half of West Ham, the porn kings have had it in for Gianfranco Zola. But they have stopped short of sacking him. Could it be that they were trying to get him to resign to avoid paying him his dues? As his famous novelist namesake Emile put it over another frame-up: J’accuse (I accuse).

PROVING A POINT?

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