The hectic Christmas fixtures have come and gone. And although West Ham ended the year 2009 dejected with that 2-0 loss to a very good Spurs side, we have every reason to rejoice. Why do I say that?

Well for starters, in the last three matches, West Ham have collected five out of a possible nine points while the rest of their relegation rivals only muster three points maximum. This has helped West Ham to move out of the bottom three.

Secondly, there is no question that West Ham has been notoriously anonymous in the second half of every game but interestingly, the last three matches have shown a reverse of that trend. We are now defending more in numbers, the midfielders (Collison, Diamanti) are tracking back to help with the weakest part of our defence i.e. the fullbacks. This has helped immensely in keeping the team’s shape. The searing pace of the in-form Aaron Lennon was just too much to handle for any team in the Premiership so that’s nothing to be ashamed about.

Thirdly, the return of Carlton Cole will boost the attacking third of our game. West Ham’s next six fixtures are mainly against clubs in the relegation zone and lower half of the Premiership table therefore there is every chance that we can pick up valuable points from these matches. Maximum points even is not out of the question. The Cole-Franco partnership looked to be a lethal combination in the short time that they played together. Franco also did the business against Spurs, picking up a second yellow, making him miss the Arsenal FA Cup tie but will return for Premiership action after that. Smart thinking from this intelligent player.

Fourthly, talks of ownership interest are making its round intensely and there is every chance that the ownership issue can be settled before the January transfer market allowing the club to make player investment and strengthen the squad a bit more.

Let’s take a look at the next six fixtures as the relegation battle heats up.

And the next six matches for the Hammers’ relegation battlers are:

All five rivals have much tougher fixtures than West Ham, which should feature well for the Irons. Portsmouth in particular will be decimated by players competing in the African Nations Cup. All five clubs face at least one of the “Big Four” as well as Champions League aspirants.

Zola and Clarke should be extremely aware that this is the best chance to get points on the board and massively improve West Ham’s position in the league. To add more positivity into the mix, Jack “the new Gazza” Wilshere expressed his preference to come to West Ham on loan. If this is followed up by Gianluca Nani intently, then the Hammers midfield will have added the much needed class and creativity.

Confidence will be high after a successful Christmas period. A two-week rest and time to regroup allowing the West Ham players to recover from injuries (Parker, Noble and Ilunga) and their physical exertions together with a relatively easy fixture list surely represent a productive time ahead.

News have filtered through that Guillermo Franco was hurt in a freak training ground injury. This leaves West Ham and Gianfranco Zola short of striking options. So far goals have been hard to come by since the loss of Carlton Cole and now with Franco also out for two games, the situation is now extremely dire for the Hammers.

This makes the must-win match against Portsmouth an extremely hard proposition. So what should Zola and Clarke do to prepare and put a team out to face a determined and fired-up Portsmouth? Carlton Cole, Zavon Hines and Kieron Dyer are all on the injury list and thus there are no recognised strikers apart from youth teamers, Frank Nouble, Terry Dixon and Freddie Sears.

Looking through the player roster, one option is to play Alessandro Diamanti up front with Luis Jimenez as the second striker. With Junior Stanislas playing in the left midfield position vacated by Diamanti, there is every possibility that West Ham can get something out of this crunch match.

Alternatively, if Luis Jimenez is deemed too “soft” to face up to Tal Ben-Haim and Marc Wilson, then perhaps Zola can consider Jack Collison up front. The Welsh lad has notched two goals and three assists in 14 games this season. On evidence of his performance against Chelsea, he is regaining his form and confidence. With Diamanti feeding the balls through, this could be a winning combination. Julien Faubert, despite his inability to deliver crosses, can do the hard work on the right side of midfield.

Because the Hammers need to win this match, I would abandon the safety first tactic (we ARE playing at home!). Zola should drop the defensive-minded Kovac and play a more attacking midfield of Parker, Noble, Stanislas and Faubert.

Here are my two suggested possible lineups.

The Flat Back Four’s Alternative #1 lineup (4-4-1-1):
——————————— Green

Faubert ————— Tomkins —— Upson ———— Ilunga

—————- Parker————————— Kovac

Collison ————– ———– —- ——————- Noble

———————— Jimenez

————————– —— Diamanti

The Flat Back Four’s Alternative #2 lineup (4-1-3-1-1):
——————————— Green

Spector ————— Tomkins —— Upson ———— Ilunga

—————- Parker————————— Noble

Faubert ————– ———– —- ——————- Stanislas

———————— Diamanti

——————————– Collison

Heck, if Arsenal can win playing without an out-and-out striker, then so can West Ham! Though Zola and Clarke have to contend with a crippling injury list, if the Hammers play with passion, determination and an attacking mentality, we can get three points from this game.

Come on you Irons!

Stuff that I found amusing while reading this week’s Premiership football news. Bob Holmes in the Malaysia Sun gives some great takes on the Premier League. And I have added other links that will add weight to what Bob talks about.

IT COULD ONLY HAPPEN TO CITY
(1) We thought we’d seen the last of this one, but no. Only City could spend £243m on players to slide down the table. Two years ago they were fourth at Christmas; today they are eighth.

(2) What makes City think an unemployed Italian, who needs Brian Kidd and David Platt to hold his hand, and correct his English, can do better than Mark Hughes?

RIO FERDINAND CHRISTMAS PARTY ORGANISER AWARD
Robbie Keane.
The Spurs skipper informed ‘Arry Redknapp, who thought he had banned his players from having a Christmas party, they were going on a golf trip to Dublin. Instead of that, they were several strokes ahead of ‘Arry and duly had their own booze-fuelled knees-up. It was, by all accounts, pretty wild. Just as ‘Arry was when he found out about it.
Find out more about Christmas footballer parties gone wrong here and here and here (dated 2007).

POLITICALLY INCORRECT
Arsene Wenger.
For saying: “Whoever organises the Premier League fixtures must have come from a Special School.”

ALBERTO AQUILANI ANONYMITY AWARD
Michael Owen against Fulham.

FOOTBALL DICTIONARY
Director of Football.
Title given to either fading managers the chairman cannot bring himself to sack or lurking predators positioning themselves to take the incumbent’s job. Nice work if you can get it. Examples: Kenny Dalglish at Blackburn who just played golf all day; Avram Grant who slinks under the surface like a crocodile waiting to pounce on his prey. Victims include Jose Mourinho, Paul Hart; Sven-Goran Eriksson who is being paid £2m a year by Notts County and doesn’t even take training when the manager quits.

ANOTHER BURGLARY ON MERSEYSIDE
Birmingham’s equaliser against Everton. Pure Larssony!

DODGY DEFENDER AWARD
Man City.
With that outlay, they really should have Dunne better.

DESCRIPTIONS OF THE WEEK
(1) Man City
“More draws than IKEA.” Various.

(2) Anderson.
“In fact, he has a face on him like a bag of tripe when I don’t play him.” Alex Ferguson.

FAREWELL TO THE MYSTERY MEN
It was nice not knowing you! So the former Notts County owners were not in it for the long haul after all. One minute promising Premiership football within five years, the next selling the club for £1. And still we don’t know who these “fit and proper” people are. Various names have been mentioned including the Dear Leader, Thaksin Shinawatra, Bernie Madoff, Alberto Aquilani and Tiger Woods.

QUOTES OF THE WEEK
(1)“I had a lovely letter from Tiger Woods thanking me for taking the pressure off him.” Mick McCarthy.

(2) “When you go to a World Cup, it’s like going to war. When you go to war, you don’t take your
wife.” South Africa coach Carlos Alberto Parreira questions the old English WAG culture.

(3) “I am sitting here like a man waiting in the emergency room for his wife to give birth.” Hull manager Phil Brown describes waiting for news on Jimmy Bullard’s scan.

QUOTE OF THE YEAR
Sven.
“I don’t know where the money comes from? I am not interested. The important thing is that the money comes.” Should be turned into Latin and used as the motto of the Premier League.

NICKNAME OF THE WEEK
Pilot Light – Gary Megson.
Explains Chris Waddle, “because he never went out.”

PEARL OF COMMENTARY WISDOM
David Platt co-commentating for Sky during the Liverpool-Fiorentina Champions League game: “Of course Fiorentina will want to win this group, as it gives you a huge advantage. For a start, you get your away legs at home.”

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
Frank Lampard thanked referee Mike Dean for giving him two practice kicks to score the penalty against West Ham. Wisely, he resisted the temptation to grab the match ball and claim a hattrick.

TRAVEL SICKNESS
Burnley.
At home they’re 5-3-1, away 0-1-8.

ALTERNATIVE CAREER
Tour guide – John Terry (see here).

NOT THE MIDAS TOUCH
Rio Ferdinand.
Last year the sometime restaurateur, Xmas party organiser, movie director, drugs test forgetter and occasional MU defender signed up to promote a luxury development in the Turks and Caicos Islands as a sound longterm bet for British investors. “It “ticks all the boxes,” he claimed. This year Turks and Caicos Islands government was dissolved amid claims of “gross corruption”; the islands placed under direct UK rule resulting in “unprecedented economic crisis”; islanders stage “anti-UK” rallies, telling local press: “Brits must get out now.”

SARCASTIC COMMENT OF THE WEEK
(1) Rafa Benitez.
“The referee was perfect.” Rafa didn’t add that it was a fact so we can only draw our own conclusions about a ref who sent off Javier Mascherano and didn’t give Fernando Torres the protection Rafa thought he deserved.

(2) Ryan Giggs.
“Cristiano is one of the best players in the world but I have to be honest and say I haven’t noticed much of a difference since he left.” Well, we THINK he was being sarcastic.

WELL WISHER OF THE WEEK
Kenny Dalglish.
“Hope it all goes well – people will be surprised to know you have a heart!” Sam Allardyce reveals the text sent to him by old mate Kenny Dalglish before the Blackburn boss underwent minor heart surgery.

PENNY FOR THE THOUGHTS OF…
Alex Ferguson.
As he struggles to cobble together a patchwork defence, a certain Gerard Pique will soon have to buy a bigger mansion – just to house his trophy cabinet. Sold off by Fergie as surplus to requirements for a paltry £4m,Pique is one of the pillars of the Barcelona defence that has now won six titles this year. Oh, and he’s Spain’s centre-back too – and they are European champions and favourites for the World Cup.

IS IT A PLANE? IS IT AN F1 CAR?
No, it’s Iker Muniain, the “Bilbao Rooney”.
He’s Athletic Bilbao’s youngest- ever player and youngest-ever scorer. Just turned 17, he is terrorising defenceslike no teenager has done since Rooney burst on to the scene in 2002. “He is a footballer with eight gears and in-built satellite navigation system,” said coach Joaquin Caparros.
More of Iker Munian here.

FIT AND PROPER?
Daniel Azougy, Portsmouth’s financial chief.
As Sol Campbell sues Pompey for non-payment of bonuses, it has emerged that their money man is a convicted fraudster. Club sources last night admitted they had no idea Israeli lawyer Azougy had a string of convictions for fraud and embezzlement. The Premier League didn’t either.

POT CALLING KETTLE BLACK
(1) Arsene Wenger who whinged about McCarthy’s team selection. But he had done exactly the same a week earlier in the Champions League. Tony Pulis said Wenger “moaned like a drain”. Make it a storm drain.

(2) England players who say they don’t dive. Step forward – or, rather fall over, Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard.

WAG OF THE WEEK
Sylvie van der Vaart.
WAG of Holland and Real Madrid midfielder Rafael, she was voted top WAG of the last World Cup. No wonder recent rumours of interest in hubby by Premiership clubs have caused such a stir. After all, if she went to England, the Poshes and Coleens wouldn’t get a look in.

Look for Sylvie’s picture here and here and here.

Chelsea’s Didier Drogba took some time out from football to organize a fund-raising event intended to build a children’s hospital in Abidjan (don’t ask me where!) and Footy Factor captured all the events on video.

And finally, the piece de resistance (though a bit dated) is a video where the England football players came out in support of Comic Relief. Really funny spoof!

Listed below are the men who have managed over 1,000 competitive matches in English League and Cup football in the modern era, and in what is arguably, the most competitive football environment in the world:

After almost three injury-ravaged years, Dean Ashton, as the back pages suggest, will finally hang up his boots and retire. The player who was once seen as a unique cross between the playing styles of Alan Shearer and Teddy Sheringham, will never fully fulfill his potential as a top-class footballer. Many football observers including myself would have picked Ashton as the perfect foil for Wayne Rooney in England colours.

Dean Ashton was a modern-day striker who had the complete package. Strong and accurate in the air as well as comfortable holding up the ball, he also had skills like a support striker. Superb game awareness and excellent first touch are all attributes of Ashton’s. He was prolific and single minded as a goalscorer. The English version of Didier Drogba but without the theatrics.

A broken ankle sustained during England training in 2006 never completely healed and although Ashton had his best season in 2007-08, that suspect ankle was always vulnerable to more injuries. Who would have thought that a call-up to an England training camp could end a promising player’s career?!

Enjoy this video highlights as a sort of tribute to Dean Ashton. Video was created by EliasWhufc14.

West Ham are expected to issue a statement about Ashton’s retirement in the coming weeks. The Dean Ashton ankle saga finally comes to an extremely sad halt. Ummm….maybe not as West Ham and Dean Ashton are expected to file suits against the English FA, Chelsea and even Shaun Wright-Phillips to seek financial compensation.

On the recommendation of Stephen Coutts, lead writer for Man On Platform 13, I took a look at the Inter Milan’s 20-year Austrian, Marko Arnautovic. This was after Arnautovic finally scored for Inter against Vaduz in a friendly match recently.

Thus far, Marko Arnautovic has been warming the bench at the Nerazurri, trying hard to convince Jose Mourinho that his talent is worthy of the Serie A stage. A product of the Eredivisie and FC Twente in particular, this young Austrian was reportedly the brightest young talent in the Dutch League of 2008. Here is the video highlight of this very talented young winger/striker.

Shades of a certain Ronaldo? The youthful impudence, lightning pace, deceptive strength, excellent heading ability, shoot on sight policy and confident/arrogant playing style bears resemblance to the ex-Man Utd man. The media is comparing Young Marko to Zlatan Ibrahimovich, the Dutch footballing education, Eastern European parentage and size of the two players being the similarities. I instead prefer to liken him to Cristiano Ronaldo. From the video, I got the feeling that Marko Arnautovic has that spark that Ronaldo had at the same age.

With transfer window looming, if West Ham and Gianfranco Zola were to look to strengthen the attack then I would recommend taking a gamble on Arnautovic who might be available on loan. The Premier League has definitely missed the flair and star quality of Cristiano Ronaldo….perhaps Marko Arnautovic can bring that fantasy back into the English Premiership. He will definitely bring pace and directness to the West Ham attack, it could be what the Hammers need. So bring him, Mr. Nani, we need to get out of the relegation zone.

What do you think? Does Marko Arnautovic have something to offer Premiership clubs? Your opinions are welcome as Arsenal, Livorno, Fulham and Lazio think so.

Rio the clairvoyant, Tevez’ wallpaper and a Torres attraction from theSun
A humourous look at last weekend’s football by Bob Holmes.

Fowler a star in late-career switch to Australia in SI.com
Still one of the most natural goalscorer in football. He has bagged eight goals and one assist in 14 matches for the North Queensland Fury.

A Day in the Life of Raymond Domenech in Dirty Tackle
It’s just too easy to ridicule the man….but he does have a song devoted to him.

Phil Gartside: English football needs to change in Soccernet.com
No Old Firm After All in The Sun
I had voiced my opinion on the benefits of this proposal already early this year. Apart from the conditions for acceptance into the elite Premier League 2, I feel that this will distribute the riches a bit better than the current top heavy club wealth.

Frank Lampard flies home after injury in England training
The latest England star to suffer an injury but it doesn’t matter anyway. The friendly against Brazil should be played just before the 2010 World Cup and not now.

Lastly, the infamous Liz Lambert video…

I came across a site last week which captured my attention. It’s a site not dissimilar to most news aggregator websites like Footballblips, NewsNow and Soccerblogs. However, the nicest thing about CleverFootball.com is that the football news from blogs and/or broadsheets are segregated by teams. So one can read every news available on his/her team at CleverFootball.com.

If you are looking for a more offbeat football blog, Stefan Coutts from Man On Platform 13 gives a very refreshing outlook on football. Predominantly focussed on Scottish football with a touch of Premiership, it covers major news items as well as surprises readers with exclusive interviews. If you’d like to find out what Tony Meola thinks about David Beckham and US Soccer, then read it here.

West Ham finally got their second win of the season with a last minute Zavon Hines’ equaliser. It was a match that Villa lost rather than West Ham winning it. Nevertheless, the spirit and determination of Zola’s men cannot be faulted and definitely this must spur the Hammers to climb up the Premiership table.

In truth, West Ham have not played significantly badly and if there was any case for being unlucky then the story of this season is West Ham. But now, the Hammers have had two draws and one win in the last three and playing very well. So what’s changed?

Firstly, the return of Jack Collison. West Ham have missed the big man’s dynamism and enthusiasm.

Secondly, Zola have been able to start Guillermo Franco in the last three matches. Franco have been unavailable until after Mexico qualified for South Africa…presumably a deal made between West Ham and Mexico. He has played a big part in the last two matches against Sunderland and Aston Villa, causing problems with his intelligent passing and movement.

And thirdly, the return from the Zola preferred 4-3-3 to the more conventional 4-4-2. Though this means, dropping Luis Jiminez and Alessandro Diamanti to the bench, the 4-4-2 has transformed West Ham. Everything about 4-4-2 is good, there is support for Cole in attack and four midfielders mean that there are extra bodies to help out in both defence and attack.

This weekend’s home match pits an out-of-sorts Everton against the Hammers. Cole and Ilunga are fighting to be fit for this Sunday. Zavon Hines looked to be more than capable alongside Franco in attack. The midfield with Scott Parker leading it, should dominate the Everton midfield. Defence is still worrying, especially on setpieces which is why Manuel Da Costa’s excellent leap and aerial ability should get him the nod over Tomkins. Finally, I like the look of the bench with Diamanti, Jiminez, Junior Stanislas, Robert Kovac and James Tomkins. There are creative options if we need an attacking spark and defensive alternatives if we need to defend a one goal advantage.

Lucas Neill makes a return to Upton Park in Everton blue. The Hammer fans should be as hostile to the man as possible. Let him feel the wrath of Upton Park.

Will the Hammers make these celebrity fans happy bunnies this Sunday?

I hope so…come on you Irons!! The boys can’t possibly let the delectable Keira Knightley and Katy Perry down, can they?