West Ham 3-1 Newcastle

By: Ted | September 22nd, 2008

What were we expecting from this new beginning with Zola at the helm. I think we all wanted West Ham to score a bunch of goals, and get the win as well of course. Well, we got it. We got entertaining football, two goals from the new guy and three points to take us to fourth in the table at this early stage of the season. As usual at Upton Park this season, we got the early goal that made life so much easier. Di Michele showed some nice skill to dribble past two players, and hit a shot that took a wicked deflection off a Newcastle defender and looped over the keeper’s head. Zola jumped higher than anyone else in the ground when the goal went to kick off the new era. Di Michele’s next goal had a touch of Di Canio to it. Put through by Noble’s pass, he hit a shot at Given that he reacted to first, letting the ball drop, he then juggled it round a defender with his right foot, and shot with his left foot into the bottom corner, not a bad Upton Park debut for the Italian. Unlike the previous two home games, where we conceded a goal after the first two and made life very nervous for ourselves, we consolidated our lead early in the second half, Di Michele again instrumental, either scuffing his shot or playing a beautifully disguised pass into the feet of Etherington who put it into the back of the net. I’ll give Di Michele the benefit of the doubt and say it was the latter. Despite Michael Owen pulling a nice goal back for the visitors, West Ham still looked comfortable, and had the better of the chances after that. All in all, a perfect day at the office. The whole side played some great stuff, but in my book, the stand out performers were:

Cole: Again commanding up front, and he looked more prepared to shoot today, something he needs to do more before he can add the goals he needs to complete his game.

Clarke: Might have been Zola in charge, but Clarke must have had a big part to play in setting us up in a 4-3-2-1 formation much like Chelsea’s, which made us less predictable and more dynamic.

Di Michele: Man of the Match in my book, two goals and an assist will do that. Will never forget the time we played Palermo in the Uefa Cup a few years ago, Di Michele made everybody else on the pitch look like an amateur in both legs. Delighted to see him in a claret and blue shirt now, and hope he keeps it up.