A couple of my old pals attended the game on Sunday, Les Strong and Rodney Marsh, and I ended up pretty much being their chauffeur! I showed them around and took them down to the media room where we caught up with a couple of other Fulham old boys in Paul Parker and Rufus Brevett. Les and Rodney were in a corporate box so I took them up there before heading to my commentary box, where the fun begins!
I thought Fulham were outstanding in the early stages, and scored a wonderful goal through Andreas Pereira. I spoke to a lot of ex-West Ham players and they were saying that for the first 20 minutes, Fulham were the best team they’d seen down there, with how quick we were on the break, and how composed we looked. I thought West Ham looked like they had a little bit of a hangover from Anderlecht on the Thursday, and that it was a good time to play them when they're coming back from Europe. When we went one up, I thought if we got another one it would be all over. Then Dan James unfortunately hit the bar, and West Ham slowly crept back into the game.
We can't show you this embedded content because you've only accepted 'essential' cookies. To view it, please accept all cookies
There was a lot of talk about the West Ham goals. I remember saying in the commentary in the lead-up to the penalty that Andreas can’t touch Craig Dawson again, because Dawson is trying to buy a penalty by running into him. It was experienced play by Dawson.
For the second goal, we were listening to the VAR conversation, and at first we thought he was offside when Gianluca Scamacca went through. Lucas Paqueta sent him through between the central defenders, he takes it down and then lobs it so nonchalantly, which made it look like he thought it was going to be disallowed, because he was so calm. We had the slo-mo replays, and Bobby De Cordova-Reid was playing him onside. And then we’re hearing that they’re looking at the handball. It has to be clear and obvious, and I don't think it is. That's where they get a bit of a tangle, because it wasn't just once, it was two occasions – the first one when it’s coming through the air, and then when it bounced up as well.
The last one is handball. Whether you think it’s accidental or not, Michail Antonio has benefitted by the ball hitting his arm and then going through on goal. And then you see instances in the other games, Marcus Rashford for example, where they give the goal. It definitely needs clearing up.

I ain’t sure on the Scamacca one, but the Antonio one I’m 100 per cent sure it’s handball. I think it's confusing to everyone. Whether or not you're deliberately seeking to get an advantage, you're getting an advantage if it hits your hand like that.
This is the first time we’ve lost two Premier League games in a row, so it’s important we don’t let that define us, and I think Saturday’s game against Bournemouth is a good game to bounce back in. It's a really important game, and one can only hope that Mitro is back fit for that one. That said, I believe we can beat them whether he plays or not. Yes they’re in good form and their caretaker manager has given them fresh impetus, but I think we’re a much better side.
We follow that with another match at Craven Cottage a few days later against Aston Villa, which is also a fixture we’ve got to be targeting maximum points from. I’ve seen them and Bournemouth twice each this season and, without doubt, we’re a better team than both of them.

I just wanted to comment on Tom Cairney, who’s come on in every match so far this season, as I think he’s been excellent. He’s probably pushing for a start with how he’s done when coming off the bench. The only issue with that, is that the midfield three has been playing so well. João Palhinha, Harrison Reed and Andreas Pereira, in those early stages on Sunday, and throughout the season really, were in excellent form.
I’d like to finish with a word on Fred Callaghan, a man I knew very well. Fred often told a story of how he got me my move to Blackburn Rovers, which was so Fred. He was a great geezer. I’d left West Ham in the summer, and needed to play some games to get fit. I’d been training but I needed a club to come in, so Fred rang me up and asked if I fancied a game for his team, Wealdstone, against Farnborough. He told me they weren’t very good and he understood I’d just come out the Premier League, but I said I didn’t care because I just needed to play. We got beat 1-0 by Farnborough, who had Dean Coney playing for them, and within six hours of coming off the pitch I’d signed for Blackburn. And Fred said, until the day he died, that he made that move possible because Blackburn were watching the game!

He was such a lovely man. He did all the corporate stuff at Fulham, and he probably took a lot of the punters home afterwards in his cab – and no doubt made a few quid out of them! He was such a character. I came up against him when he was manager of Brentford as well. A really nice bloke, and he leaves behind a lovely family.
Bournemouth tickets
Get your hands on one of the last remaining seats for Fulham's meeting with Bournemouth!