The first of the last! This Saturday marks the beginning of the end for watching matches at the Boleyn Ground, or Upton Park as most pundits incorrectly call it. For many leaving the Boleyn, with all it's associated memories, will be a bitter pill to swallow, but progress inevitably catches up with tradition and so the move to the Olympic Stadium has to be embraced for all the opportunities it can bring to the club. The truth is 'fortress boleyn' is not what it used to be in the days of the chicken run, and even the ICF!

With their efforts to sign a striker failing to materialise, and Enner Valencia being unavailable for at least three months, the West Ham board are believed to have adopted a plan 'b' approach, and are now looking at 'cover' strikers instead of one marquee signing. Mindful of the all your eggs in one basket big risk strategy, it appears that the club have turned their attention to Swansea's unwanted striker Michu.

Hmm, Joey Barton instead of Alex Song? Bit of a strange one, but Hammers boss Slaven Billic has sanctioned a move for Joey Barton, who is a free agent and is undergoing a medical within the next 24 Hrs, apparently after a chat with Julian Dicks about cover for the holding midfield role played so brilliantly against Arsenal by debutant Reece Oxford .

When Mauro Zarate arrived at the Boleyn Ground, he was clearly a David Sullivan signing, and as such the striker was met with a clear degree of negativity by then manager Sam Allardyce. As a result of Allardyce's alacrity, Zarate was given the cold shoulder and eventually farmed out on loan to QPR.

What a result, remember the team, remember the line up!
Arsenal: Cech; Debuchy (Alexis 67), Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal; Coquelin (Walcott 58), Ramsey; Cazorla, Ozil, Oxlade-Chamberlain; Giroud
Subs: Ospina, Gibbs, Gabriel, Arteta, Chambers Booked: Ramsey
West Ham United: Adrian; Tomkins, Reid, Ogbonna, Cresswell; Oxford (Nolan 79), Noble, Kouyate, Payet; Zarate (Jarvis 62), Sakho (Maiga 90)
Subs: Randolph, Collins, Poyet, Lanzini Goals: Kouyate 43, Zarate 57 Booked: Noble, Ogbonna, Tomkins
Ref: Martin Atkinson
Att: 59,996

FC.Astra Giurgiu Lung, Alves, Seto, Enacje, Debescu, Morais Boldrin, Texeira, Gaman, Quieros, Amarin
West Ham United Randolph, Nolan, Jenkinson, Maiga, Poyet, Henry, Lanzini,Lee, Page, Cullen, Noyle. Subs;

Ed and crew currently in Andorra of all places! Team sheets may not appear in time or at all, sorry, but even Orgers need a break once in a while. - Ed

Update 01/08/2015(11:12) - The Team Sheets will appear as soon as they are available! - James (MadHammer)

West Ham United:
Adrian, Tomkins, Kouyate, Zarate, Jenkinson, Sakho, Noble, Ogbonna, Payet, Oxford, Page

West Ham United Subs:
Amalfitano, Collins, Maiga, Poyet, Henry, Lanzini, Spiegel, Lee, Cullen, Howes, Knoyle, Nasha, Pask

West Ham United: Adrian, Cresswell, Kouyate, Zarate, Noble (c), O'Brien, Collins, Ogbonna, Payet, Valencia, Oxford
Subs: Spiegel, Nolan, Jarvis, Maiga, Poyet, Burke, Samuelsen

Astra: Lung, Alves, Seto, Enache, Budescu, Morais, Boldrin, Gaman, Teixeira, Quieros, De Amorim
Subs: Gavrilas, Florea, Oros, Lovin, Dandea, Alves, Stan

Despite losing 1-0 on the night, West Ham United reached the next round of the Europa League qualifiers where they will meet Astra Giurgiu courtesy of a 5-3 penalty shoot out against plucky FC Birkirkara, but they were made to pay. James Tomkins became the latest West Ham player to be red carded as the wheels nearly came of the club's 'European adventure' before it had started properly. Quite what Tomkins thought he was doing only he knows, but it plain to see that Hammer's are totally naive when it comes to European competition.

West Ham have completed the signing of Argentinean attacking midfielder Manuel Lanzini from Al Jazira, he has already undergone a medical at Hammer's private medical facility, and is hoped to be a replacement for Stewart Downing. David Gold confirmed the move today, tweeting that the midfielder – nicknamed ‘the jewel’ – has signed for the club from Al Jazira. The move has been confirmed on the O/S as well.