When West Ham moved to their new home in 2016, the supporters were devastated. Upton Park was unique, and much more intimate than the London Stadium. Whereas previously they walked through the streets of East London to get to the game, past the pubs and vendors and other punters, now they go through a soulless shopping centre. Whereas previously they were seated so close to the pitch that they could grab the ball when an opposition player was taking a throw-in, now they could almost do with binoculars to see beyond that ugly running track. So the supporters weren’t enthralled by the big move but to make sure it went ahead with an open mind, the owners made big promises. Namely they said this would take them to the next level - Champions League football being the ultimate dream.
That’s what’s riding on this Europa League tie with Eintracht Frankfurt. West Ham’s owners want to finally fulfil their promise of world-class football and the club are only going to make it into Europe’s elite competition by winning this tournament. Frankfurt did well to hush the crowd by scoring so early at the London Stadium and the visitors frustrated the hosts over those 90 minutes. Manager David Moyes was gutted about that game, as were the West Ham players. They saved one of their worst performances of the season for that night and know they need to do better this time around. A lot better. But from listening to the manager in the build-up, he’s confident that West Ham can go to Germany and get the win they need. He’ll want to do what Frankfurt did - strike early in a bid to silence the support.
Frankfurt did well to hush the crowd by scoring so early at the London Stadium and the visitors frustrated the hosts over those 90 minutes.
Kieran Gill
The player that Eintracht Frankfurt should fear the most is Jarrod Bowen. Those who watched last week’s match will remember him as the man whose overhead kick crashed back off the crossbar late on. Bowen is a handful in attack and will be playing off the right wing, supporting the lone striker Michail Antonio. Bowen used to play non-League football so his is a nice story - how he’s gone from the bottom of the game to the top. He’s not yet been capped by England but he will be - Gareth Southgate will call him up when he announces his next squad. Bowen scored against Arsenal in a 2-1 loss for West Ham on Sunday - his 10th Premier League goal this season - and will fancy his chances of doing what Trevor Brooking did in 1976. If anyone can do it, then it’s this tricky 25-year-old.
I don’t need to remind Eintracht Frankfurt’s fans of the history of this match. We all know what happened in 1976 in the European Cup Winners’ Cup. A few days before last week’s first leg at the London Stadium, I was invited to West Ham’s training ground in Romford to interview Mervyn Day, Pat Holland and Keith Robson - three players who featured in that famous tie 46 years ago. They watched back the highlights and reminisced, namely about how wet it was. The fact that Frankfurt went on to win the first leg 2-1 meant the references to 1976 would only continue to be made. Manager David Moyes is probably sick of being asked about ‘76, to tell the truth. He doesn’t care what happened back then. He only cares about what’s happening now.
I don’t think it’s too much to say West Ham have been something of a sleeping giant - to the brink of a European final.
Kieran Gill
Moyes is a nice man; very easy to get along with. You don’t get many Premier League managers inviting football writers out for Christmas drinks but Moyes did just that prior to the Covid-19 pandemic. It didn’t work out for him at Manchester United but he’s over that disappointment now. His time in charge of West Ham has felt like a real redemption story. He’s taken a club that wasn’t fulfilling its potential - I don’t think it’s too much to say West Ham have been something of a sleeping giant - to the brink of a European final. After failing to take his chance as manager of United, probably the world’s biggest club, Moyes has won a lot of admirers for how he’s improved West Ham. His 4-2-3-1 system, with a very talented midfield duo in Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek, is built on hard work. You don’t play for Moyes if you don’t run. That’s a non-negotiable.
I’m also very sorry for what happened to the two commentators who were attacked from behind at the London Stadium. It’s good that West Ham have identified the culprits and have promised to issue indefinite bans once their investigation into what happened to Tim Brockmeier and Philipp Hofmeister is complete. English football is unfortunately still tainted by a few morons.
