West Ham United - Season Overview 2019-2020
★ = Dublin Hammers Meeting (Shown Live on television).
✈ = Dublin Hammers Trip.
LP = League Position.
PRE-SEASON NEWS 2019
VAR technology will be used for the first time for the coming season.
Strikers Andy Carroll and Toni Martinez, midfielder Samir Nasri and goalkeeper Adrian leave the club.
Spanish goalkeeper Roberto arrives on a free transfer from La Liga club Espanyol.
Goalkeeper David Martin, son of Alvin Martin will joins the Hammers on a 2 year deal.
Lucas Perez has completed his return to Spain in a deal said to be worth in the region of €2.3million.
Edimilson Fernandes leaves to join German Bundesliga club 1. FSV Mainz for an undisclosed fee.
Midfielder Pablo Fornals arrives from Villarreal for £24m.
Marko Arnautovic hands in transfer request and is sold to chinese club Shanghai SIPG promptly!
Defender Sam Byram leaves for Norwich City in a £750,000 deal.
Striker Sebastian Haller joins from Eitracht Frankfurt for a club record fee of £45 million.
Pedro Obiang leaves to join Italian side US Sassuolo for an undisclosed fee.
Youngster Marcus Browne sold to Championship side Middlesbrough for an undisclosed fee.
QPR have signed West Ham striker Jordan Hugill on a season-long loan.
Reece Oxford has joined German Bundesliga side Augsburg on a permanent basis.
West Ham United sign Portuguese defender Gonçalo Cardoso.
Josh Cullen returns to Charlton for another season long loan.
West Ham United announce the signing of Switzerland international striker Albian Ajeti from FC Basel.
Grady Diangana joins Slavan Bilic & Julian Dicks at West Brom on a season long loan deal.
PRE-SEASON FRIENDLIES 2019
JULY 2019
11th SCR Altach (a). 3-2. Sanchez, Antonio, Diop.
17th Manchester City (Asia Trophy - Shanghai, China). 1-4. Noble (p).
20th Newcastle Utd (Asia Trophy - Shanghai, China). 0-1.
27th Fulham (a). 1-0. Lanzini.
31st Hertha Berlin (a). 5-3. Lanzini, Fornals, Haller, Antonio, Diangana.
AUGUST 2019
3rd Ath. Bilbao (h). 2-2. Lanzini, Wilshere.
PREMIER LEAGUE, FA CUP & CARABAO CUP 2019 - 2020
AUGUST 2019
★ 10th Manchester City (h). 0-5.
Best to forget this one, the season starts next week!
★ 17th Brighton Hove Albion (a). 1-1. Hernandez.
Haller and Anderson out injured! Lucky to have come away with a draw.
★ 24th Watford (a). 3-1. Noble(p), Haller x2.
Under the kosh in the first half, but we ride our luck as Noble returns and Haller opens his account!
★ 27th Newport County (a). Carabao Cup 2nd Rd. 2-0. Wilshere, Fornals.
Comfortable win in the end after surviving a few scares. Antonio injured and out for 3 months.
★ 31st Norwich City (h). 2-0. Haller, Yarmolenko.
Super performance with the Norwich keeper making some great saves to keep it at 2-0. LP:5th.
West Ham United can confirm that striker Chicharito has joined Spanish Primera Division club Sevilla on a permanent basis for an undisclosed fee.
SEPTEMBER 2019
★ 14th Aston Villa (a). 0-0.
Masuaku sent off in a tight game, we looked better with 10 men.
★ 21st Manchester Utd (h). 2-0. Yarmolenko, Cresswell.
Another solid performance, Cresswell's screamer of a free-kick the pick of 2 good goals, Man Utd very poor. LP:5th.
25th Oxford United (a). Carabao Cup 3rd Rd. 0-4.
A second string side produce a performance reminiscent of our exit to Wimbledon last season!
★ 28th Bournemouth (a). 2-2. Yarmolenko, Cresswell.
Played some good football, Yarmo and Cresswell on the scoresheet again. Fabianski out for 3 months.
OCTOBER 2019
★ 05th Crystal Palace (h). 1-2. Haller. LP:8th.
Missed 4 great chances to score in the first half, they scored the winner well into injury time!
★ 19th Everton (a). 0-2.
Gutless, toothless, pathetic... a performance on par with Oxford in the cup... worrying!
✈ 26th Sheffield Utd (h). 1-1. Snodgrass.
As against Palace, we failed to make the most of our chances. 2pts from last 4!
NOVEMBER 2019
★ 02nd Newcastle Utd (h). 2-3. Balbuena, Snodgrass
Another inept performance, 2 late goals put some respect to the scoreline, but the truth is we could have been 5 down by half-time. Poor team selection and subs from the manager. The support is starting to turn on Pellegrini!
★ 09th Burnley (a). 0-3. LP:16th.
Seriously missing Fabianski. Roberto scores an own goal punching the ball into his own net from a cross. Lanzini and Noble off injured. No fight, second best all game, struggling to make a forward pass... awful, awful, awful! Dropping fast.
★ 23rd Tottenham (h). 2-3. Antonio, Ogbonna. LP:17th.
Antonio returns! Slightly better performance, but poor goal-keeping again from Roberto. 3-0 down before we respond. The pressure mounts on Pellegrini.
★ 30th Chelsea (a). 1-0. Cresswell.
Against all odds we get a much needed win! Haller dropped, Antonio starts up front, Roberto dropped in place of David Martin (son of Alvin). Whole team puts in a performance with fight and determination, even Pelligrini looks animated on the sideline and is saved from the axe... for now!
DECEMBER 2019
★ 04th Wolves (a). 0-2.
No Antonio, normal service is resumed with a mediocure performance. Routine win for Wolves. LP:14th.
★ 09th Arsenal (h). 1-3. Ogbonna.
One up against a poor Arsenal team only to concede 3 goals in 9 minutes in the second half. Levels of effort are good, but clueless going forward, they got one and we fell apart! Antonio doesn't look fully fit. We look relegation material! Pellegrini looks broken, but clings to his job as the board undermine him at every opportunity.
⚒ This is exactly where we were 2 years ago under Bilic... the same... no progress... no "next level"... no Upton Park... Unrest continues to grow against the owners over the poor running of the club. An independant supporters group called 'Hammers United' is formed.
★ 14th Southampton (a). 1-0. Haller.
A win! Pellegrini plays 2 up top, Antonio is man of the match!
★ 26th Crystal Palace (a). 1-2. Snodgrass.
We tried... went 1-0 up... they equalised... then scored a wonder goal in the last minutes... disappointing!
★ 28th Leicester City (h). 1-2. Fornals.
Leicester only need to play a second string side, and they play us off the park... poor performance...
Pellegrini is sacked after the press conference.
David Moyes is appointed (and returns to the club) on a 18 month deal.
JANUARY 2020
★ 01st Bournemouth (h). 4-0. Noble x2 (1x p), Haller, Anderson. LP:16th.
David Moyes starts his second spell as manager with a resounding win! Unrecognisable performance.
★ 05th Gillingham (a) FA Cup 3rd Rd. 2-0. Zabaleta, Fornals.
Moyes starts with a strong team. Poor first half, but second was much improved! Fredericks injured.
★ 10th Sheffield Utd (a). 0-1.
Anderson and Fabianski injured! We gift them a goal after a mix up between Martin and Balbuena. Last minute equaliser ruled out for hand-ball. Frustrating night, didn't deserve to lose!
Goalkeeper Darren Randolph returns from Middlesborough.
★ 18th Everton (h). 1-1. Diop
Scappy affair, took the lead, only to concede minutes later.
⚒ Hammers United organise first protest against the board before the game, attended by est. 1,500 fans.
★ 22nd Leicester City (a). 1-4. Noble (p). LP:17th.
It's like Pellegrini never went away, poor team selection and tactics.
★ 25th WBA (h) FA Cup 4th Rd. 0-1.
Pathetic! Second best to a WBA second team. Out of the cup with barely a whimper.
★ 29th Liverpool (h). 0-2.
Routine away win for Liverpool who didn't need to get out of 2nd gear.
West Ham sign Slavia Prague midfielder Tomas Soucek on loan until end of season.
Forward Jarrod Bowen joins from Hull City in €20million plus deal.
FEBRUARY 2020
★ 01st Brighton Hove Albion (h). 3-3. Diop, Snodgrass x2.
2-0 up and comfortable at half time in a must win game, they score 30 seconds into second half, we restore a 2 goal lead, Moyes subs Antonio for Masuaku and we fall apart. We drop into the bottom 3 and relegation looms on the horizon!
★ 19th Manchester City (a). 0-2.
Speechless after this... poor team selection, poor tactics, poor attitude, just as you thought it couldn't get any worse... it does!
★ 22nd Liverpool (a). 2-3. Diop, Fornals. LP:18th.
A slim glimmer of hope appears on the relegation horizon! A performance with heart and grit and an attacking line-up as we give the run away league leaders a game.
⚒ Black balloon and banner protest against the owners by away fans before kick-off.
★ 29th Southampton (h). 3-1. Bowen, Haller, Antonio. LP:16th.
Another attacking line-up pays off with a much needed win with Bowen scoring on his home debut!
⚒ Hammers United organise 'A Stroll along the Greenway' protest against GSB before game attended by est. 8,500 fans.
MARCH 2020
★ 07th Arsenal (a). 0-1.
Played them off the park, made plenty of chances, failed to take them, they took one of their 2 chances!
⚒ Black balloon and banner protest against the owners by away fans before kick-off.
SEASON SUSPENDED DUE TO CORONA VIRUS PANDEMIC.
⚒ All forms of protest against GSB are suspended.
'PROJECT RESTART'
Football resumes after the lockdown with games being played 'behind closed doors.
JUNE 2020
20th Wolves (h). 0-2.
Disappointing display, Moyes tactics questionable?
Pablo Zabaleta and youngster Jeremy Ngakia leave the club.
23rd Tottenham (a). 0-2.
A slightly better performance, but disappointing we didn't take it to them more. Bowen hitting post our best chance.
Amazingly after two defeats West Ham remain outside the bottom 3 as Watford, Bournemouth Norwich and Villa all fail to pick up points after football resumes.
JULY 2020
★ 01st Chelsea (h). 3-2. Soucek, Antonio, Yarmolenko.
A battling performance and a last minute winner in a cracking london derby, puts us 3 points clear of the relegation places.
Dublin Hammers meetings resume.
★ 04th Newcastle Utd (a). 2-2. Antonio, Soucek.
Another point towards safety could have been 3 when we took to lead twice, only to concede shorty after... twice!
★ 08th Burnley (h). 0-1.
Failure to convert any of the 3 great chances we created cost us dearly.
★ 11th Norwich City (a). 4-0. Antonio x4!
A rip-roaring performance against a poor Norwich side sees them relegated, Antonio scoring all 4 goals! Six points between us and the relegation places now.
★ 17th Watford (h). 3-1. Antonio, Souchek, Rice.
Three goals in the first half including a stunner from Rice, see off Watford and keep us 6 points off the relegation places with 2 games to go. Ben Johnson comes into the team.
Club captain Mark Noble plays his 500th game for West Ham.
★ 22nd Manchester Utd (a). 1-1. Antonio.
Great performance to ensure premier league safety, the point at makes us mathematically safe from relegation. A constant threat, rumour has it that Matic is still running around old Trafford looking for a West Ham player to kick.
★ 26th Aston Villa (h). 1-1. Yarmolenko.
Dull draw with both goals coming within minutes of each other. Villa stay up with a point.
Declan Rice wins Hammer of the Year.
Tomas Soucek transfer is made permanent after successful loan spell.
⚒ Hammers United membership stands at 13,500.
SEASON SUMMARY
What started out as a season full of promise quickly turned into a nightmare of unheard of proportions. The promise came with the signings of Haller and Fornals, Haller especially igniting the support. But, yes, this is West Ham United and it all had to go wrong somewhere along the way.
The season started brightly enough until Fabianski's injury put him out for three months. In came new signing Roberto, comfortably the worst goal-keeper ever to stand between the posts for West Ham. As he made blunder after blunder the confidence of the team nose-dived and we spiralled down the table. Pellegrini's team selections became more and more bizarre until the dithering board finally sacked him. Somebody hit the rewind button and in came David Moyes... again!
After 10 years of mis-management the support finally turned on the board and the GSB OUT protests began. On the pitch things were slowly starting to improve when along came the COVID virus, which proceeded to shut the world down and we all sat indoors for 3 months.
Come June, football, but not as we know it, started up again. With relegation staring us in the face we managed put a run of results together, aided by the signings of Bowen and Soucek we reached safety with one game to spare, Antonio being the hero scoring the goals that kept us up.
Haller's season overall was disappointing, Anderson's a catastrophy. Rice played in every game earning his Hammer of the Year award, can't see him being around for long. Board says it has no funds for transfers? Football without fans to continue indefinitely? A strange new world beckons, still one thing WE CAN BE SURE OF is that we are a really badly run club!
WEST HAM GOALSCORERS - 2019-2020
| Name | PL | CC | FA | TL |
| Felipe Anderson | 1 | - | - | 1 |
| Michail Antonio | 10 | - | - | 10 |
| Jarrod Bowen | 1 | - | - | 1 |
| Fabian Balbuena | 1 | - | - | 1 |
| Aaron Cresswell | 3 | - | - | 3 |
| Issa Diop | 3 | - | - | 3 |
| Pablo Fornals | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Sebastien Haller | 7 | - | - | 7 |
| Javier Hernández | 1 | - | - | 1 |
| Mark Noble | 4 | - | - | 4 |
| Angelo Ogbonna | 2 | - | - | 2 |
| Declan Rice | 1 | - | - | 1 |
| Tomas Soucek | 3 | - | - | 3 |
| Robert Snodgrass | 5 | - | - | 5 |
| Jack Wilshere | - | 1 | - | 1 |
| Andriy Yarmolenko | 5 | - | - | 5 |
| Pablo Zabaleta | - | - | 1 | 1 |
| Totals | 49 | 2 | 2 | 53 |