You can tell it is approaching the end of the domestic football season as al sorts of rumours, some scurrilous others plain ridiculous, begin to 'emerge' from under the rocks that they usually dwell in. If this sounds like an attack on the press then so be it, having done or actively doing the 'Dec to the Gooners' and a whole list of other clubs whose manager might have mentioned that they would 'like' Rice at their club, most have moved on and their latest 'offering' is the 'fake sheik', or to be more accurate the financial wolf in sheik's clothing!

The Stratford Arena, The Queen Elizabeth Stadium or whatever you want to call the unnamed ground where West Ham United now play their football didn't do a bad impression of being a 'happy home'. Today's (Sunday) visitors under the managerial guidance of ex-Irons boss Sam Allardyce obviously hadn't read the 'end of term' script as they proceeded to go a goal ahead courtesy of one of Allardyce's favourite weapons, the long throw!

West Ham: Fabianski, Coufal, Emerson, Ogbonna, Zouma, Rice, Soucek, Paqueta, Fornals, Bowen, Ings.
Subs: Areola, Johnson, Cresswell, Antonio, Lanzini, Cornet, Benrahma, Kehrer, Mubama
Leeds: Robles, Ayling, Forshaw, Koch, Wober, Harrison, Rodrigo, Struijk, Kristensen, McKennie, Bamford.
Subs: Meslier, Cooper, Aaronson, Roca, Summerville, Rutter, Gnonto, Greenwood, Chilokoa-Mullen.

There are bad losers and then there are bad 'tooled up' losers wearing masks intent on inflicting fear and mayhem on women and children! UEFA SHOULD hold AZ to task for not controlling their 'Ultra's', instead they will most likely receive a financial slap on the wrists with no further action being taken.

AZ Alkmaar: Ryan, Sugawara, Beukema, Hatzidiakis, Kerkez, Reijnders, Mijnans, Clasie ©, van Brederode, Karlsson, Pavlidis Subs: Verhulst (GK), Deen (GK), D.De Wit, Mihailovic, Lahdo, Bazoer, Vanheusden, Buurmeester, M.De Wit, Meerdink, Goes
West Ham: Areola, Kehrer, Zouma, Aguerd, Cresswell, Rice ©, Souček, Paquetá, Benrahma, Antonio, Bowen Subs: Fabiański (GK), Anang (GK), Coufal, Johnson, Ogbonna, Lanzini, Downes, Emerson, Fornals, Cornet, Ings, Mubama

Sunday's surrender to Brentford was a sanguine experience in several ways, firstly the '2nd' team selected contained nine changes from midweek and it showed! Secondly and perhaps more importantly, rumblings about David Moyes being retained beyond this season might be heard less now his 'new trick' abysmally failed when called upon.

Brentfrod: Raya (c); Hickey, Pinnock, Mee, Henry; Janelt, Jensen, Damsgaard; Mbeumo, Wissa, Schade. Subs: Cox, Zanka, Ajer, Roerslev, Baptiste, Onyeka, Ghoddos, Dasilva, Stevens.
West Ham: Fabianksi; Johnson, Aguerd, Ogbonna (c), Emerson; Soucek, Downes; Cornet, Lanzini, Fornals; Ings. Subs: Areola, Creswell, Zouma, Kehrer, Rice, Paqueta, Benrahma, Mubama, Bowen.

Football is still played on a pitch as far as we can make out and yet there are certain clubs who have taken their 'digital philosophy' to a new level whereby everything is looked at in 'AI' detail to determine the best way to get a result, irrespective of what it entails.

West Ham: Areola, Kehrer, Zouma, Aguerd, Cresswell, Soucek, Rice (C), Bowen, Paqueta, Benrahma, Antonio. Subs: Fabianski, Anang, Johnson, Fornals, Lanzini, Downes, Cornet, Ings, Emerson, Potts, Mubama.
AZ Alkmaar: Ryan, Sugawara, Beukema, Hatzidiakos, M De Wit, Clasie, Mijnans, Reijnders, Odgaard, Pavlidis, Van Brederode. Subs: Verhulst, Deen, Mihailovic, Barasi, Lahdo, Bazoer, Vanheusden, Buurmeester, Meerdink, Goes

So much of West Ham's season and David Moyes' tenure at the club depends on the club's showing in the Conference League Cup semi finals, last year the semi finals were as far as the club could get in the far superior Europa League Cup, failing against the eventual winners.