Official Matchday 21: West Ham United v Nottingham Forest. 6 January 2026. 8pm

[Redofheaven2]

There are a lot of posts saying that the goal difference is worth an extra point - I disagree. If they gain 7 points on us we must have lost 3 and them won 2 and drawn one more that us. Those results will wipe out the 8 goal advantage we currently have.

Basically if they do catch us on points at that stage we won’t have a goal difference advantage.

 

[Listen 'ere young man]

 

[Notcher]

That was bizarre. Is there some obscure rule which says they have to stick with the original decision (GK, wrongly, in this case) if VAR doesn’t award the penalty? If so, why? They have already stopped the game.

No, the referee can change his mind until play restarts again. Even if the confirmation came from VAR the sensible and proper thing to do is to correct the decision and give the corner. To continue with the goal kick knowing your decision was incorrect is an appalling thing to do.

 

[Notcher]

There are a lot of posts saying that the goal difference is worth an extra point - I disagree. If they gain 7 points on us we must have lost 3 and them won 2 and drawn one more that us. Those results will wipe out the 8 goal advantage we currently have.

Basically if they do catch us on points at that stage we won’t have a goal difference advantage.

How? If they win 1-0 or by one goal advantages and we only lose by a goal then we still have a better goal difference.

 

[Aussie Forest]

I don’t buy the narrative we were lucky. Disallowed goal which was clearly offside and an obvious penalty. No luck there. Sure we weren’t at our best but knowing what was on the line for both teams , West Ham weren’t going to make it easy for us.

 

[Tango Man]

View attachment 56219

Des Lyttle a forward?

 

[TrentEndMisty]

No, the referee can change his mind until play restarts again. Even if the confirmation came from VAR the sensible and proper thing to do is to correct the decision and give the corner. To continue with the goal kick knowing your decision was incorrect is an appalling thing to do.

It is. It is also completely bonkers. Attract (valid) criticism for no reason whatsoever.

 

[YouReds43]

I think Dyche may have seen the light after that Everton game. Awoniyi not come on last two games.

 

[YouReds43]

21 goals from 259 goals - Conversion rate up to 8.1%
Under Dyche
16 goals from 158 shots - 10.1% conversion rate.

 

[Steve B]

Just got back after celebrating in Hackney then Kilburn in the pouring rain.
Thought we were the dominant team first half possession wise, they looked pathetic and like a beaten team until they somehow fluked a goal from a corner (pathetic defending yet again - too easy). Suddenly the games changed, they feel emboldened we look lost. We start looking devoid of any plan in attack again, too slow, too hesitant. The obvious pass constantly gets missed or is poorly executed. I went for a pint in the concourse after 32 mins couldn’t watch any more.
Second half I thought we played with more intent, battled a bit harder, players started combining better. I had a bit more hope something might happen. But we still never seemed to find a way through. Then they score, it’s all over, we’re f**ked, but hold on VAR out of nowhere finally goes our way, then suddenly it goes from 2-0 to 1-1, momentum’s changed we look more likely to win. Again VAR decides it hates Nuno more than Forest and gives us the winner.
That’s all it takes to turn a season around.

 

[redodare]

Awful, awful game, delighted we got the 3 points though. Felt good to celebrate that one in the away end.

Dyche will be gone in the summer, no chance Marinakis lets him stay in charge, we are dreadful under him. I’d be reluctant to spend much in Jan to back him, maybe a loan or a cheap buy or two at most to help push us over the line.
It really is tough to watch the long ball, hold up, recycle slowly to the wings, let the opposition defence reset, cross it in and have it cleared play style. It honestly makes me want to pull my hair out.
I find it almost a chore to watch us at the moment.

Was one of the least appreciated victories I can remember....

Personally. I thought it remarkable that our team turned things after half time, around , with one of our least vocally supportive crowds .
Not like Villa or Fulham where we got behind the team

I'm all for a wider group getting to watch games - yet when they don't know the words of MOK or can;t be arsed to sing YLTLF when we equalise , realise there's work to be done

Who are we to suddenly to lord over a team that's been in the PL since , what? ... 2012?

Team even seemed to be nervous to come over and celebrate with the fans, We really can do better together,

So the fans.... Entiltlement or fear?

Fear due to entitlement?

Does it matter? .Who cares?
Three fat points.
Maybe just celebrate.

 

[Steve B]

It was deffo a penalty but it was one that we wouldn't normally be awarded in a million years. Honestly made me wonder what the hell West Ham have done to upset PGMOL for us, of all teams, to be awarded that penalty at that time in the game. Whatever they've done must be way worse than a strongly worded tweet

They forgot their payment into the PGMOL Christmas benevolent fund.

 

[chaospunx]

You realise how poor his distribution is though, Victor is on a different planet, Samba would be too.

Absolutely this im.glad im not the only one not saying he's should be our keeper due to the shortcomings in actually saving things but his ability to find jesus with his outballs constantly gave us a way to play without the ball coming straight back we need to fuse them together sels top half John's legs

 

[floridatricky]

Only saw the 2nd half, by the comments on here I’m glad I did. I thought we looked slightly the better team. Although not exactly sure what Bakwa was doing on the pitch, infuriating. I couldn’t see a way back when that second goal went in. But Var somehow saved us, would have been gutted to have that goal ruled out. What was the tolerance level applied in this game? As for the penalty you cant punch a player in the head, but again would have been gutted if that was given against us, because they never really give that as a penalty. It seems like Nuno is getting his first season with us VAR luck at West Ham. Gibbs-white held his nerve with that penalty thankfully but we all knew he was going down the middle didn’t we.

 

[gurru991]

Their goalie floored MGW.......it was a clear penalty.

Nuno was complaining about it after the game but I don't how anyone could not see that as penalty. He was nowhere near the ball & punches a player in the face.

 

[trentendnz]

Saw nothing tonight to suggest that 17th isn't our ceiling this season. Thankfully slept through 20 mins of first half, bookended by a toothless mire.
Relieved with the 3 points and with West Ham being dreadful, nice to hear the Nuno song back end of 2nd half.
I also saw nothing to suggest that Dyche offers us a way forward, keep us up and then disappear onto the after dinner speaking tour please Sean.

 

[marshal99]

Nuno was complaining about it after the game but I don't how anyone could not see that as penalty. He was nowhere near the ball & punches a player in the face.

We got lucky, nobody from forest was protesting or making a fuss. VAR for once, stepped in.

Can we get morgan off penalty duty ? It's like 50-50 when he takes one. He's not a good penalty taker and in our current position, we can ill afford to miss one.

 

[jdthebrit]

You Reds!!!!!!!

Woke up this morning and thought I was dead when I checked the score. After Bakwa's mistake I angrily went to sleep.
So I slept while Forest actually woke up!!

You Reds!!!!

 

[DB1702]

I see a few comments saying we were lucky to get a penalty well West Ham actually have form for this type of penalty.

Think it was Fabiański did a similar thing against Arsenal a while back and Arsenal got a penalty for the West Ham goal keeper punching an attacker in the face.

Is it unlucky sure but he just got the timing all wrong. Think it’s a penalty anytime a keeper does that to an attacking player.

 

[Cureboy]

Let's face it, the game was a shitfest - as expected.

However there was something strangely compelling about it. Probably helped by the overall importance of the result and the fact I had an excited 9 year old bounding and bouncing around the living room, living every kick of the ball second half. The penalty was way past his bedtime (I'm in Spain so one hour ahead) but the excitement of it and the shared moment of joy as Gibbs-White converted the pen made the crapness of the game all worth it. It's a huge result in the scheme of things.

Hopefully we can kick on from here, put any relegation fears aside by chalking up 3 or 4 more wins sharpish and give it a good go in the Europa. We can still salvage something from this wretched season.

 

[king_congo_red]

Although not exactly sure what Bakwa was doing on the pitch, infuriating.

Probably only came on because Hutchinson was completely useless in the first half and something had to change.

 

[YellowBelly Red]

One of those nights, where the result was much more important than the performance.

 

[Fawazzock]

Painful game, thank god the players got it over the line and drove a small wedge in the table

 

[Dawg]

Awful game, awful watch.

I'm spent on this shit season already. Putting some focus on the europa league games as a nice distraction now.

 

[redtreeant]

If we manage to survive this season we need a major clear out in the summer, I wouldn't be sorry to see most of this lot leave.