West Ham 2 - 0 Newcastle: Payet nets double as goal-shy Newcastle continue to struggle

Dimitri Payet scored both goals to for West Ham in their 2-0 home victory over Newcastle

EIGHT years ago at a rain- soaked Wembley Steve McClaren was the “Wally with the Brolly” as Slaven Bilic’s Croatia ended his reign as England manager by knocking him out of Euro 2008.

 

It did not rain last night so the brolly was not needed – but, boy, does McClaren need a paddle, because he and his Newcastle team are right up the creek.

In 2007 at Wembley it was Niko Kranjcar who did for McClaren with a superb display for Croatia. Last night it was a Frenchman, Dimitri Payet, who grabbed two goals for West Ham and completely ran the show against the feeble Magpies.

 

Newcastle and McClaren look to be facing a long season of relegation struggle. But, in £10.7 million Payet, West Ham may well have landed a gem.

Local boy Mark Noble celebrated being named the Hammers’ club captain in exactly the right way, just nine minutes into the action.

The midfielder picked a neat backheel from Diafra Sakho and deftly set up Payet on the edge of the penalty area – and the summer signing from Marseille curled a lovely drive into the top corner for his second goal for the club.

Maybe Newcastle were just getting accustomed to their surroundings. The Magpies team bus was held up by horrendous traffic on the way to Upton Park last night and only arrived an hour before kick-off.

It was not so much an umbrella that the hapless McClaren needed, as much as a flashing blue light to stick on the top of the coach.

 

Andy Carroll returned for West Ham after a lengthy spell out with injury

His team, without a win from four games under the former England coach this season, were shellshocked.

Jack Colback had a shot blocked as they tried to press foran equaliser, but Newcastle almost fell further behind when Sakho superbly held the ball up after a fine run by Victor Moses, and Payet arrived again, but this time scuffed his shot wide.

France midfielder Payet was running the show, and after another piece of clever skill, he set up Manuel Lanzini, who fired his drive over the bar.

McClaren kicked the ground in frustration as his team carelessly gave away possession again. 

But Bilic’s West Ham looked the more eager, hungrier of the two teams. Noble scuffled and scurried and filled in the gaps in midfield, and Payet picked out the passes as Moses threatened down the left.

 

Newcastle continue to struggle as pressure mounts on Steve McClaren

It was Payet again who almost carved Newcastle apart on the stroke of half-time, as he skilfully played in Moses as the Hammers broke out, but a superb last- ditch challenge from Massadio Haidara forced the former Chelsea winger to shoot wide.

Three minutes after half-time, never mind traffic jams, Newcastle were grounded on the hard shoulder with their axle gone.

From a Magpies free kick, Cheikhou Kouyate headed clear, and Moses was on to the ball in a flash. The on-loan winger raced away, leaving Newcastle’s defenders for dead, cut inside Haidara’s challenge, only to see his shot come back off the bar.

No worries, it had to be Payet who was in the right place to slot the rebound into the net and McClaren’s side had a mountain to climb. Even when West Ham contrived to present them with a opportunity, as Winston Reid missed the ball, Papiss Cisse screwed his shot horribly wide.

Then Daryl Janmaat saw his low shot saved by Hammers keeper Darren Randolph. Nothing worked or looked likely to work. It was that kind of night. And it didn’t even rain.

WEST HAM (4-2-3-1): Randolph; Tomkins, Ogbonna (Jenkinson 42), Reid, Cresswell; Noble, Kouyate; Lanzini (Obiang 59), Payet, Moses (Carroll 88); Sakho. Goals: Payet 9, 48. 

NEWCASTLE (4-2-3-1): Krul; Janmaat, Mbemba, Coloccini, Haidara; Anita (De Jong 60), Colback; Sissoko, Wijnaldum (Aarons 79), Thauvin (Perez 60); Cisse. Booked: Colback, Janmaat. 

Referee: A Taylor (Wythenshawe).