Rush Green Training Ground, Rush Green, Nottingham Forest, Friday 10 November, 9.30am GMT
Good day from Rush Green!
West Ham United awoke this chilly November morning with the warm glow of a European victory.
After losing their 17-match unbeaten run to Olympiacos a fortnight ago, the Hammers avenged themselves with a 1-0 victory at London Stadium on Thursday evening.
West Ham’s matchwinner was Lucas Paquetá, who expertly volleyed in James Ward-Prowse’s through ball 17 minutes from time.
The victory kept the Irons top of Group A, but the group’s fate will now be decided on matchday six, as SC Freiburg defeated FK TSC 5-0 in Germany to keep pace with the Londoners.
Here are the highlights from the UEFA Europa League Group A victory over Olympiacos on Thursday.
As stated in the introduction, Lucas Paquetá’s well-placed volley proved decisive.
On 73 minutes, the Brazilian sweetly struck home from James Ward-Prowse’s lofted pass to net the game’s only goal in a hard-fought and gritty performance at London Stadium.
Prior to Paquetá’s goal, the Hammers had tested the Greek defense, with Nayef Aguerd going close from a corner and Ward-Prowse having a first-time effort saved.
Following Sunday’s Premier League match against Nottingham Forest, we enter the final men’s international break of 2023, and, unsurprisingly, a number of Hammers have already been named to their respective squads.
Jarrod Bowen, Nayef Aguerd, Alphonse Areola, and Callum Marshall have already been called up, while Tomá Souek, Vladimir Coufal, Konstantinos Mavropanos, Mohammed Kudus, Edson lvarez, and Michail Antonio can all expect to be called up.
We’re just waiting for the manager to arrive here at Rush Green’s Media Centre.
I’ve been told he’ll be with us soon.
It’s a quick turnaround from last night’s game, and David Moyes spoke to many of the same journalists about eleven hours ago!
However, such are the broadcast requirements surrounding top-level football these days that press conferences are held before and after almost every single match…
This weekend also sees senior action for West Ham United’s women’s team.
Rehanne Skinner’s team is gearing up for their sixth Barclays Women’s Super League match of the 2023/24 season, which will take place at Manchester United on Sunday at 12noon.
The Hammers have beaten Brighton & Hove Albion, drawn with Liverpool, and lost to Manchester City, Chelsea, and Bristol City so far this season. The most recent of these was last weekend’s defeat to Bristol City, and Skinner will be hoping to see improvements from her team ahead of Sunday’s match at Leigh Sports Village.
The manager has arrived!
I had a good night’s sleep. I always sleep well, and this morning is no exception!
People sometimes believe that winning these games is simple, but there are no easy games in Europe. People can’t imagine what it’s like unless they’re sitting in the dugout. This was the most difficult group we’ve faced, but we prevailed.
Kurt Zouma’s availability for Sunday’s game is unknown, according to the manager.
It’s difficult to play games on a regular basis, but everyone wants to be in Europe. If you’re in the Champions League, you might get Tuesday/Sunday or Tuesday/Saturday, but in these competitions, it’s always Thursday/Sunday.
We’ve given it our best shot.
The manager is asked about the game on Sunday…
Every game is crucial, and you must win them all. We’ll have to perform admirably. Nottingham Forest are a solid team that earned a positive result last week.
We had a couple of disappointing results, but we beat Arsenal in the cup and won last night.
Of course, the Premier League is important, but we’ve also had some excellent results there.
The manager is asked about Nottingham Forest’s second Premier League season performance…
Steve Cooper has done an outstanding job and appears to be expanding on it this year.
Steve, like last season, has brought in a lot of new players and is doing well.
The manager is questioned about James Ward-Prowse’s form and exclusion from England’s squad.
He’s a fantastic young man who has settled in quickly. From my perspective, I hope he continues to play well, setting up goals and scoring.
Gareth Southgate has done an excellent job, and he has a strong squad to choose from, including James.
The manager is questioned about VAR…
When we voice our opinions, they don’t carry much weight on the other end. There have been a few incidents brought to light, but they have mostly involved the top clubs, as if it doesn’t happen at the other clubs.
I believe we’re all disappointed with what we’ve received.
Managers who speak out of turn will be fined. I could be fined.
We’re being quizzed about things that could get us fined or in trouble within 20 minutes of games.
I would request that Sky respect the managers and not place them in those positions.
Managers must be defensive, sit back, and refrain from expressing our true feelings because we are asked questions about which we know we will be fined if we speak up.
If you want honest opinions, you must seek them from others. You’ll have outbursts now and then, which may be what you want…
When asked about Mohammed Kudus and the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations, the manager…
Some of his performances have been outstanding. I expect him to be more inventive. Mo has made an immediate impact and is settling into life in the Premier League. He has a few goals, and I believe the crowd is aware of how well he is doing.
We’ve talked about it, and three or four players may leave, but I’m not sure if it means we’ll sign more players.
We’ll figure out how many games they might miss and proceed from there.
The manager concludes by stating that his team has performed better than recent results would suggest, that they have had a busy schedule, and that they have won games in cup competitions in between.
That concludes the broadcast section. We’ll have a full report for you soon!
