West Ham United FC v Norwich

Chris Hughton's team travel to London having surrendered a previous 10-game run without losing and have in contrast suffered three successive defeats.

A latest setback in the rollercoaster defeat against Manchester City at the weekend has seen Norwich fall to 11th position in the table and they need to address the slide.

But West Ham have suffered their own problems over recent weeks and Sam Allardyce's team have picked up just five points from their last eight games.

Three defeats in their last four outings, including the painful weekend loss to relegation-threatened Reading, are undermining an otherwise promising return to the Premier League.

And Allardyce will consequently be demanding last season's Championship play-off winners, West Ham, pick up a win against Norwich to start 2013 on the right note.
West Ham United FC
West Ham will be without suspended captain Kevin Nolan for their Premier League clash with Norwich on New Year's Day.

The Hammers have won just one of their last eight league games and top goalscorer Nolan will miss out after picking up a fifth booking of the season at Reading on Saturday.

Defender James Collins is also missing through suspension with injured duo Andy Carroll (knee) and Mohamed Diame (hamstring) also not in contention.

Norwich
Norwich midfielder Bradley Johnson will serve a one-match ban for the trip to Upton Park after collecting a fifth yellow card.

Striker Steve Morison (thigh) is doubtful after limping off in the 4-3 home defeat by Manchester City, as is captain Grant Holt (hamstring), so on-loan Tottenham forward Harry Kane could lead the attack.

Defender Steven Whittaker (hip) and winger Andrew Surman (hip) continue their rehabilitation, while England goalkeeper John Ruddy (thigh) also remains sidelined.


Head-to-head
Six of the last seven league meetings have been drawn, including the last four.
West Ham's last league victory over Norwich was at Upton Park in April 1992, although they have since won home and away in FA Cup ties in 2005 and 2006 respectively.

West Ham
The Hammers have lost six of their eight Premier League matches on New Year's Day.
They have been beaten in five of their last eight league games, managing only one win and five points in that time.
West Ham are winless in their last 11 Premier League matches on a Tuesday since a 5-0 home win over Charlton Athletic on Boxing Day in 2000.

Norwich
Norwich have suffered three successive league defeats, having previously been unbeaten in 10.
They have not lost four Premier League games in a row since promotion in 2011.
The Canaries have failed to win a top-flight match on a Tuesday in 14 attempts since beating West Ham in December 1988.

Another loss I fear.

With Collins & Nolan suspended, Cole reverting to form (tree like), & no one else capable of scoring in a brothel, it could easily be a cricket score.

We have to make sure Snodgrass doesn't have a sympathetic referee if we are to stand a chance of getting anything from this game.

I can see no positives at all.

We seem to be doing netter at home this season than we do away so I,m gonna stay positive for this one , Collins needs to sit this one out and work out why he keeps making stupid decisions , Nolan was missing last season due to too many yellows and if I remember rightly we did ok but who was it that filled his position ? , could do with Mo back for this one as well .

Collins suspended too Geeze, dunno if that's a good or bad thing

Positive or negative? I might just keep an open mind, but I'll be there this time to cheer them on! COYI

Seems Norwich have their own problems

Norwich midfielder Bradley Johnson will serve a one-match ban for the Barclays Premier League trip to West Ham on New Year’s Day after collecting a fifth yellow card.


Striker Steve Morison (thigh) is doubtful after limping off in the 4-3 home defeat by Manchester City, as is captain Grant Holt (hamstring), so on-loan Tottenham forward Harry Kane could lead the attack.

Defender Steven Whittaker (hip) and winger Andrew Surman (hip) continue their rehabilitation, while England goalkeeper John Ruddy (thigh) also remains sidelined.

Provisional Squad: Bunn, Garrido, Turner, Bassong, Martin, Tettey, Howson, Snodgrass, Pilkington, Hoolahan, Kane, Rudd, E Bennett, R Bennett, Barnett, Jackson, Fox, Holt, Morison.

Tend to agree with Blakey.
Too many bad players in the team at the moment.

FFS Irons please win this one! Otherwise I will have a fcukin miserable time for the rest of the week as the locals will have a field day, with me ending up in the wickerman!

Just Off..........COYI, for me, Motty and billions of our other fans

Leaving about 1pm but not expecting a lot from today.
Will settle for winning 3 points any way we can.

Hope we get a decent Ref today and not the usual DICK HEADS.

Living in Hope.

West Ham United: Jaaskelainen, Demel, Reid, Tomkins, O'Brien, Noble, Collison, Taylor, Jarvis, Vaz Te, Cole
Subs: Spiegel, Spence, Diarra, O'Neil, Lletget, Lee, Maiga

Norwich City: Bunn, Martin, Bassong, Turner, R.Bennett, Snodgrass, Howson, Tettey, Pilkington, Hoolahan, Kane
Subs: Rudd, Barnett, E.Bennett, Tierney, Fox, Smith, Jackson

Well that's a good start, now let's build on it! COYI

2-0 sounds like a peach of a team goal from O'Brien!

Good first half from WH , closing them down well and not giving them too much time on the ball , def a penalty and well put away from our captain today , should be 4-0 but I,m happy with that , more of the same in the second please

Reading the thread on mobiscore, not televised here, and sounds like the lads are doing well.Judging by the swing in percentage though from 60 to 55 we are not controling as much in the 2nd half?

Loverly score so far though

Too much stress. Well done though lads, 3 was highly needed.

Well that was a funny game, we went from strolling it to being under pressure at the end. I suppose one could say Norwich eventually turned up and made a match of it in the second half and we should have been 4 up by then. Still three points and up the table...

Certainly happy with the result but should of killed the game off in the first half .......Not impressed with Vaz Te today , he seems to slow the game down once he gets the ball , squeaky bum time towards the end there but held out , 3 points to the Cockney Boys

Blakey wrote:Another loss I fear.

With Collins & Nolan suspended, Cole reverting to form (tree like), & no one else capable of scoring in a brothel, it could easily be a cricket score.

We have to make sure Snodgrass doesn't have a sympathetic referee if we are to stand a chance of getting anything from this game.

I can see no positives at all.

you ever get tired of being wrong?

get in 3 points to the cockney boys

I have just got back from the most amazing game of football i think i have ever seen

Basingstoke FC V Farnborough (local rivals and real hate between the clubs)

Basingstoke were utter shit in the first half, second to everything and looked like they were on beer last night

Farnborough went 1 up and dominating the game from back to front, then a few minutes before half time Basingstoke scored, it was called offside but a challenge in the area in the build up gave us a pen, in truth it should also been a red
the Pen was blasted high wide and hansom with some velocity knocking out a local who was on his way to Corals bookies at the time

in the bar at half time we were sitting thinking we are fucked, this is going to turn out to be a really bad day.
But West Ham were 2 up so that was reason to cheer a half time beverage

then the second half started
the 'stoke came out with some venom,
the first went in, then the second
I watched as Basingstoke scored 6 goals in 16 mental minutes

final score Basingstoke 6 - 2 Scumborough

all in all a fecking good start to the year

good result today and it shouldve been a lot more convincing score as well happy new year

We needed those 3 pints today by hook or by crook so a fabulous result!

Admin wrote:Not impressed with Vaz Te today , he seems to slow the game down once he gets the ball

Vaz Te was clearly not fit today and said himself yesterday that he wasn't ready to start. With O'Neil unfit but playing the majority of the game on Saturday, Nolan suspended and Diame injured, Vaz was forced into starting today and, in my opinion, put in a fantastic shift to help the team out. He tracked back when he had to but couldn't burst at players due to a lack of general fitness, let alone match fitness. Also came close with a header that hit the post. Amazing he lasted 80 minutes. Fair play to the fella.

In general today, I thought we played some fantastic, one-touch football at times and could/should have been 4 up at the interval. A great squad effort considering injuries, suspensions and the lack of fitness of those who were returning. Very heartening.

Dan C wrote:

Admin wrote:Not impressed with Vaz Te today , he seems to slow the game down once he gets the ball

Vaz Te was clearly not fit today and said himself yesterday that he wasn't ready to start. With O'Neil unfit but playing the majority of the game on Saturday, Nolan suspended and Diame injured, Vaz was forced into starting today and, in my opinion, put in a fantastic shift to help the team out. He tracked back when he had to but couldn't burst at players due to a lack of general fitness, let alone match fitness. Also came close with a header that hit the post. Amazing he lasted 80 minutes. Fair play to the fella.

In general today, I thought we played some fantastic, one-touch football at times and could/should have been 4 up at the interval. A great squad effort considering injuries, suspensions and the lack of fitness of those who were returning. Very heartening.

well said dan, couldnt agree more

Dan C wrote:

Admin wrote:Not impressed with Vaz Te today , he seems to slow the game down once he gets the ball

Vaz Te was clearly not fit today and said himself yesterday that he wasn't ready to start. With O'Neil unfit but playing the majority of the game on Saturday, Nolan suspended and Diame injured, Vaz was forced into starting today and, in my opinion, put in a fantastic shift to help the team out. He tracked back when he had to but couldn't burst at players due to a lack of general fitness, let alone match fitness. Also came close with a header that hit the post. Amazing he lasted 80 minutes. Fair play to the fella.

In general today, I thought we played some fantastic, one-touch football at times and could/should have been 4 up at the interval. A great squad effort considering injuries, suspensions and the lack of fitness of those who were returning. Very heartening.

Also impressed that Jack Collison got through 90 minutes too

watched it on football first, apart from that dickhead Bradley Allen doing the commentary it was good to watch. Jussi had little to do, Demel looked good going forward, not so sure defencewise, Reid looked superb, a real tower of strength, Tomkins, not so sure about how he is going thought he was going to be a real star, but dosen't look so hot now. O'Brien not a left back and struggled at times with Snodgrass. Collison did a great stint in the middle, and Vaz te looked a good way from his best but they both worked hard. Think we need to get Jarvis on the ball more, Taylor's not up to the premiership now, but did well. Noble looked good and the Tree, still flatters to deceive! played well enough at times, lacks the killer instinct that would make him a real goalscorer.

Ref was right with our pen, the hand ball buy Reid was because that crap wnaker Bassong was trying to throttle him! but he did get the one in the second half wrong, defo pen for them, as the TV showed Tomkins nudged him over.

Good three pints and something to build on if we get players back and bring in some decent signings. Don't now why but I think Darren Bent will be wearing our C&B for the rest of the season.

And I can take the piss out of the locals for the next week or so