One musketeer to go...

G&S are well known for their "hands on", cost cutting way of running a football club, so them getting rid of a member of the staff that picks up a decent check every month, and who is intimately associated with, and hired by, the sacked Duckers can't surprise anybody.

Zola came to the club lured here by Duckers and Nani and the "Football Project".
In the first interviews all Zola went on about was how important and interesting it was to develop young players and turn them into PL material. During that first year the most common theme in Zola interviews was the close cooperation between himself, Dux and Nani. That he was managing the team but that the three of them were working very closely together for West Hams future. This was also emphasized by Duckers and Nani, as in this Q&A with Dux on the OS. It was evident that this way of running things appealed to Zola and that he believed it could be successful.

After thrashing the results so far this season G&S were recently forced to either sack or back their manager. They decided to back Zola. For owners to go public with sharp criticism of the under achievement of the team tells me way more than any official backing following such a criticism. The manager is doubtless in jeopardy in that situation.

From the other angle Zola has lost 2 of his three mates in the management. Zola and Clarke are left to administer what is handed to them by the owners. This was obviously always the case, Zola had hoped for less Kovacoid players and more of the kind that Savio represented - at least until we saw him play... but at least he was involved.
Looking at some comments during the dying days of the transfer windows it is clear that Zola was not or didn't feel involved in the process. I talked about that in THIS post and the Zola quote I used was the pretty obvious "The Club are looking for some reinforcement but we didn't speak about a budget. They are trying to strengthen the team and that is enough for me".

Not involved and two of the three corner stones of the "football project" are gone. I think it is reasonable to extrapolate.

To lose and be lost

So we played pretty neat and confident football in 37 minutes. Not bad at all against the Champions. And we kept the ball. Then Rooney scored a beauty and all of a sudden the East end boys understood that goin to Old Trafford is not a holiday trip. They understood that success depended on themselves but they could not make it. They were not close. A game against Hull was a children's party, a summer bicycle trip compared to this ultimate fighting, to this F1-race. Even if we started well, we were never ever close to take a point from this game. Because we could not make those passes that United could, we could play slow, but you seldom win games that way.

Where was the speed? I saw one good counter-attack from us during all game. I saw a number of slow attacks where we lost the ball down in midfield when most of our players already was up there, close or into their box. "Faster, faster, faster" I shouted to the telly. I did not help. I did not help with a midfield with Kovac, Noble, Behrami. It did not help to see our main forces Diamanti and Cole weakened by nervousness. It did not help to see ManU play beautiful on their fast counterattacks.

This is not a game that we expected anything from, but in the end it didn't help our cause. As we - in the end and despite some good football - looked like boys againt men. I counted to three (Diamantis with Foster's clumpsy save, Cole's "non header" and Upson's "look-I'm-not-a-natural-goal-scorer-miss) good chances for us in 90 minutes...

ManU have Valencia and Rooney. That's enough, that is efficiency!

Green 6,5 - Some good saves, some unsecure handling of the ball out in his box. Still one of our best performers.

Faubert 6 - Another decent display from our Frenchman. Fought hard, but all those crosses he tried and succeded with against Hull were not addressed well tonight, mainly just "cracks".

Tomkins 7 - Lost Rooney at their second, otherwise a reliable hardworked effort. Our MOTM.

Upson 5 - Left Rooney at their first which I didn't like even if the goal in itself were close to unstopable. The third (Owen) was not Upson's fault either, but he could still have delt with it much better. A bit pointless today.

Spector 5,5 - Few FB's has easy games against Valencia. Spector certainly did not. Still he tried and made some good moves and even had some crosses today. I mean, I do not like to see the rightfooted Spector as our best alternative at LB. But it's not his fault that he has to play there when Ilunga is out. And even if Valencia did what he wanted, Spector needs more help. Decent game after his premisses.

Behrami 5 - Not a game to remember for the Swiss. Fought, but after a good start at the right where he and Faubert had some decent passing down the corner flag he later on made no difference as he hardly delivered in attack at all.

Kovac 6,5 - Reading on some other sites, many of them can't see the use of Kovac. Me myself thought he was our best man in midfield. He seems finally - together with Zola - to have found how to play in this holding defensive midfield role. Slow yes, but also pretty composure. Stopped pretty much of ManU's play in the middle.

Noble 5,5 - In for Parker (not because of risking a tenth yellow, according to reports, but as he had tight muscles) and tried. Works like a captain on the field as he pushes on. But lacked confidence and was not as his best. Do I need to spell the word "slow"?

Diamanti 4,5 - Nope, not today. At all. When he plays that free spiritual play, he must have some help by the rest of the team playing much more disciplined. Today, when the team had few ideas, and the rest of the guys hardly moved, and he came up against much better opposition, he did not seem to have a clue how to do it. I can understand him.

Franco 4,5 - Wanted to do much, wanted to take responsibility and play like the experienced pro he is. But he did not succeed, and mainly had some bickering with opponents and the referee.

Cole 5 - Looked nervous. I remember last year when he won everything against Ferdinand/Vidic. Today Vidic alone had no problems to stop him. Or Wes Brown. Wanted so much to impress, againt he Champs, against Rooney's team, but had one of his least impressive games this season.

Sub:

Mido 4 - On for Franco. Hardly showed anything.

Dyer 4,5 - Happy to see him back, but had his happiest moment when the referee blew his whistle for the final time as he looked to have escaped any injury!

Collison 5 - Sorry to say; Looks weak! Far away form his earlier form.

Hm, reading my own text, I seem a lot whinier than I want to, as we hardly played a nightmare. Just not good enough. So count that in, please.

At least we started well, but as soon as we conceded we did not look like we were able to fight back like we did when Ferdinand/Upson turned the game in Dec. 2007. Why do we seem to play worse against the best nowadays? What's the difference?

Anyway: Some rest and then Bolton next....

Three points vs. Hull

It was a crucial win vs. Hull on Saturday. Three points in the bag and on the course for 39 according to the prediction. All of a sudden lots of web sites has picked up on the fact that it´ll be home form that saves us this season. If we´re to be saved that is.

It was a fantastic team performance. Addmittedly vs. a struggling team but it was a long time ago since I watched us play in such a controlled way. We were really on top of this game from the start to the finish.

A great weekend for West Ham but a really bad one personally. A broken arm makes it a lot harder to write.´Maybe it´s for the better for you readers? This way I´m not writing to long and boring... :-)

(Game: Prediction, Outcome, +/- from the game, +/- overall)

January:
Aston Villa - WHU: 0p, 1p, 1p, 1p
Portsmouth - WHU: 3p, 1p, -2p, -1p
WHU - Blackburn: 3p, 1p, -2p, -3p
Total January: 6p, 3p, -3p, -3p

February:
Burnley - WHU: 3p, 0p, -3p, -6p
WHU - Birmingham: 1p, 3p, 2p, -4p
WHU - Hull: 3p, 3p, 0p, -4p
Manchester United - WHU: 0p
Total February: 7p

March:
WHU - Bolton: 1p
Chelsea - WHU: 0p
Arsenal - WHU: 0p
WHU - Wolverhampton: 3p
WHU - Stoke: 3p
Total March: 7p

April:
Everton - WHU: 0p
WHU - Sunderland: 1p
Liverpool - WHU: 0p
WHU - Wigan: 3p
Total April: 4p

May:
Fulham - WHU: 1p
WHU - Manchester City: 0p
Total May: 1p

(Prediction, +/- according to prediction, pointing towards x amount of points)

Total 2009: 18p
Total 2010: 25p, -4p, 21p
Total 09/10: 43p, -4p, 39p

Up to 13th!

I am so happy that we have players like Carlton Cole and Alessandro Diamanti! Players who can make something different and also the difference! 3-0 against a weak Hull (without Bullard) makes our first back to back win this season!

Diamanti today was as entertaining as a West Ham player ever can be. Lovely energy, lovely uncoventional moves (the shot from own half!), good defensively (yes, he took Fagan off!) and involved all the time. Carlton Cole scored his ninth but also - without having a blinder – contributed a lot to the team. But maybe we should be most happy today for Faubert! He did not only score his first, his brilliant pass to Cole at his goal was a masterpiece!

Over all we may not have done one of our best games, but Hull was so much worse, and as soon as we put some pressure on Hull it looked like men against boys, Superheroes against weak crooks.

Zola let the youngsters; Noble, Collison, Stanislas start on the bench today and let the experience do the duty. And surely they did. West Ham seemed so much stronger today. I do wonder what Noble feel. But I still want more pressure from us. We plays considerable better when on the opponent's half.

Green 7 - Two important saves (one great and so important one - just before the break - after a shot from Boateng), the rest was a walk on the beach....

Faubert 8,5 - Lovely game, A few overhit crosses, but the rest was magnificent, and the pass to Cole was one of the best in PL:s history. (Or close to.) He really wanted to score himself and he did it! Good taken shot! Great game!

Tomkins 6,5 - A bit weak today, but he did enough.

Upson 7 - Good game! No problems. No nonsense!

Spector 6 - Played well defensivley. But do not give us much attack-wise, even if he dribbled two players at one time (which must have been the first time ever) one time.

Behrami 7,5 - Good game again after some less inspiring stuff! His first fifteen minutes was amazing stuff as he won every ball he fought for, he scored after 2 minutes and 10 seconds and should have had another when Myhill did an totally impossible save. During the rest of the game he looked confident, but later on a bit tired as he stopped going forward in the same manner as earlier on. (Understandable)

Parker 7- Mr Circle. His circular play with the ball at his feet in the midcircle was good today. It always is, but suits best when noone really attacks him with speed. Fought and tried to push the team on. Even with speed!

Kovac 7 - Good display. Involved in our first goal which was I think was important for him as he took an unusual offensive part.

Diamanti 8 - Our big entertainer. His work today also made the difference. Lovely energy, lovely skills. Thanks! Continue like this and you'll be a Hammers legend.

Franco 6,5 - Back in the team after injury and ready for a start. And as we saw again, not a fast, but a very intelligent player, and took some rubbish from the Hull back four (read McShane) as well, which only helped West Ham to go on.

Carlton Cole 7,5 - Two wide shots at least showed how much he wanted to do. And then... he did it (even if he was not on top). And it was not an easy tap in for him when Myhill quickly came out. Strong and determined, very very hard - once more - for anyone to take the ball from him.

Subs:

Ilan 4,5 - A bit of a disappoinment as he had some time to show what he can do. But even if he did not have any good balls from his teammates he did not look to work hard either. I've been impressed by his earlier entries. But this was a set-back. It looked like he will need some time to settle. But still early times...

Mido 5,5 - Not much time but moved well and pushed the team on.

Collison - no time.

Man U next! Could Everton may we!

Am I talking bullard?

How much can a player with - next after Crouch - Premier League's thinnest legs affect a team? Enormously! If our former trainee Bullard (one of these I never understood why we let go, as he was as talented as we've seen later on. One year more and he could have been a PL player) will play for Hull tomorrow I am not as certain anymore. Will we really grab those three points then? So, can I really be scared for Bullard? That PL's funniest (?) player can give Hull a boost enough to give the guests a point? Yes I can.

We've seen it before. Looking at wins, draws and losses recently we have exactly the same amount of points as our guests, but that was "long ago" as we now have Cole back. And Franco, Ilan, and Mido. For instance. But looking at it Bullard may be back for Hull now, a player that can with fortune, class and energy give boost to a team.

Latest five PL games shows us (just) one win. The one against Birmingham. Hull's win is a good one: Against Man City! Our draws are against Tottenham, Villa and Blackburn. Hull's are Wolves and Chelsea! So do not count'em out. Remember Bullard may be back.

The biggest problem is that we really HAVE to win this one.

Hopefully we do it with style - but Parker may be right, the team may have to do it dirty!

My team:

Green

Faubert - Tomkins - Upson - Daprela

Stanislas - Behrami - Diamanti

Parker

Cole - Mido

Bench: Stech, Spector, Kovac, Noble, Collison, Ilan, Franco

Diamanti showed what he can do from the left against Birmingham, Stanislas who is rightfooted will give us width at right. I'm not totally convinced by Mido yet, but I think he might be a better starter than coming from the bench. Ilan will be really good - as I said earlier - for us, but I do not expect Zola to start him yet, as he probably not will do with Franco, just back from his injury. Happy for the Mexican! Hopefully we do show that attack is best defence!

Joppe schtum over Bubbleview future!

The fateful words "Not really" echoes and dies in the corridors of the Bubbleview building as Joppe answers the inevitable question - "have you considered your B-view future?

It's a well known factoid that Joppe has quite some time to go on his contract and still does not find a good reason to plead for his Bubbelview future.
"I want Bubbleview to do well and I'm focusing on my next post" is another statements he's given lately and the hidden message in that is plain to everyone.

It’s been a busy week in the West Ham-related world indeed!
An ex-(?) player get money according to his contract, another makes the headlines for all the wrong reason and an ex-manager gets some money, and an all but dead project turns out to be an all but dead project. And then the final one - the cherry on the cake - an England international has not yet decided whether he's going to extend his stay with our relegation threatened team beyond the summer of 2011 but for less money...
Yep, there is the major content of the West Ham-related posts and articles on blogs and sites.
I guess one should be happy that we don’t have to post about Sullivan having another tantrum or another player getting injured in training, but still.
I do find one topic of some real footballing interest and that is the Dixon for Ireland U-21s stuff. Good for him!

All this in a week coming up to a game that may decide our PL fate.
The Hull game is of greater than great importance. In the next four games we’ll face all the top three teams away, mixed with another season deciding bout with Bolton at the Boleyn. So if we can’t win the game tomorrow we’ll have 3 or 4 out of 15 points available before the Wolves game March 23:rd. And Bolton will certainly be fired up, as that game is as important to them as it is to us.
So even if I do hope and believe that we can get the additional odd point against the top teams, tomorrow’s game may well play a big part in deciding in what league we will be playing next year.
Curbs? Still want to go on about Curbs?

At last a win

What a difference a win makes. West Ham have struggled to get them and they´ve been few and far between. Now we need to get them on a more regular basis starting with the game vs. Hull next Saturday.

For you who regularly visits this blog you allready know that in January I tried to predict the rest of the season results to see what chances we had to survive in the Premier League. I tried to look at the games rather objective and see which ones we realistically could get the wins and which ones were we shouldn´t expect the results (but ofcourse hope for them and see them as bonus points). So far the team hasn´t lived up to the expactations since we´ve dropped points vs Portsmouth and Burnley to only mention some of them. The win vs. Birmingham was 2 bonus points since the prediction was a draw (based on Birminghams great season so far).

Here´s the prediction. Feel free to make your own. Will we survive? Am I to negative or to positive?

(Game: Prediction, Outcome, +/- from the game, +/- overall)

January:
Aston Villa - WHU: 0p, 1p, 1p, 1p
Portsmouth - WHU: 3p, 1p, -2p, -1p
WHU - Blackburn: 3p, 1p, -2p, -3p
Total January: 6p, 3p, -3p, -3p

February:
Burnley - WHU: 3p, 0p, -3p, -6p
WHU - Birmingham: 1p, 3p, 2p, -4p
WHU - Hull: 3p
Manchester United - WHU: 0p
Total February: 7p

March:
WHU - Bolton: 1p
Chelsea - WHU: 0p
Arsenal - WHU: 0p
WHU - Wolverhampton: 3p
WHU - Stoke: 3p
Total March: 7p

April:
Everton - WHU: 0p
WHU - Sunderland: 1p
Liverpool - WHU: 0p
WHU - Wigan: 3p
Total April: 4p

May:
Fulham - WHU: 1p
WHU - Manchester City: 0p
Total May: 1p

(Prediction, +/- according to prediction, pointing towards x amount of points)

Total 2009: 18p
Total 2010: 25p, -4p, 21p
Total 09/10: 43p, -4p, 39p

10 wonderful minutes of highlights

If you - unfortunately like me - was unable to see the game last night this 10 min clip will cheer you up.
I guess that goes for those of you that watched it too.



West Ham United v Birmingham City
by distromatch

Zola safe as Sully can't afford to sack

So Sullivan says Zola is 100% safe?
Of course he is, anything else is unthinkable. Sullivan is desperate to cut costs and sacking a manager is expensive.

Zola confirmed the other day that that he is on £1.6m a year (and that he is not here for the money, which I do not doubt!). As Clarke is also in the package an additional cost of £1m is attached to the Zola management. £2.6m a year – £50k a week until 2013. With that kind of money involved, can you see G&S spending what it would take to buy out Z&C?

No, but B&G does not seem to be interested in backing Zola for the rest of the contract either which leaves but one possibility - putting Zola in a situation he can’t stand. No money to keep pivotal players, no money to strengthen the squad and no influence over the replacements that comes in should probably do it.

In a way G&S and Z&C share a basic insight. For Zola’s game plan to work he needs players that are technically well equipped at a level that allows them to use their technique in a PL setting. But as that kind of players are highly regarded and sought after they are expensive, whether they come from our academy or not.
And herein lies maybe their common understanding - Zola may not be the manager to handle a squad supplied by G&S.

Will Zola leave by free will then?
Yes he will, I think, but certainly not until the summer.

Please, shut your mouth!

As we've said before it would be best for all parts if Sullivan kept his mouth shut for a while. Till the season is over os so. Can't understand why he has to babble in public.

The latest is that the new owner have told the whole world that we are facing Armagedeon if (we drop to CC) and if the players don't take a big cut in wages.

For God's sake: This the day before we are to meet his old club in a (another) really, really important battle. So this verbal attack to his own players is his answer to that??

Demoralising and stupid I would say.... Whining around in public is not the way to act as the Boss taking care of his employees in any case. And certainly not in a football club, with all their fans. As fans we always want to know, we want to have the facts in a more transparent way, but not this! It seems that any paper just have to call Mr Sullivan and out comes the blunders....

I do not even think he can negotiate on-going-contracts. But in any case how wouldn't you react as a senior player? And Zola? After month's of difficulties outside the pitch, I thought that the time now was for the players and manager where they could concentrate on things on the pitch. But no, thanks to Sullivan.

If talk at all: Why doesn't he talk about the possibilities, the great future, the good atmosphere, the young players coming through, how overwhelmed he has been being here, the shirt who we all fight for? Togetherness?

I think Mr Sullivan ought to invest more instead: In a new PR manager.

And a zip for his mouth....

Are the Davids losing the plot already?

Edit: Maybe Mr Sullivan now has understood that he has said to much as he in SSN today (Wed.) actually proclaimed:

"The books are horrendous. There's 100-odd million of debt. This might be the last interview I do this season. We've made the public aware of the situation. We're not going to go over and over it again. It's an enormous challenge. We think we're up for it. It's something that we have to put all our energy into."

Happy if so. And if we can get some points now!

Three points dropped

I´m starting to get fed up with writing about lost points but once again I´ve got to do it. This time we´re loosing away against a team that hasn´t one in 12 games before this one. If we can´t win this one, how can we expect to win any away game during the run in? And at a time when we´re not winning the home games either these are really testing times. We´re starting to eating in to the "winnable" games and are loosing more and more points towards the ones we´ll need to stay clear of relegation.

In January I made a prediction trying to look at "winnable" games during the second half of the season. According to my prediction we´d be safe with 43 points but since we´ve dropped six points until now my predictions see us on 37 points which probably are going to be a really close call in the relegation battle. Now we really need to get some bonus points here and there to climb up the table.

This is the prediction. And you tell me where we´re going to find the bonus points?

(Game: Prediction, Outcome, +/- from the game, +/- overall)

January:
Aston Villa - WHU: 0p, 1p, 1p, 1p
Portsmouth - WHU: 3p, 1p, -2p, -1p
WHU - Blackburn: 3p, 1p, -2p, -3p
Total January: 6p, 3p, -3p, -3p

February:
Burnley - WHU: 3p, 0p, -3p, -6p
WHU - Birmingham: 1p
WHU - Hull: 3p
Manchester United - WHU: 0p
Total February: 7p

March:
WHU - Bolton: 1p
Chelsea - WHU: 0p
Arsenal - WHU: 0p
WHU - Wolverhampton: 3p
WHU - Stoke: 3p
Total March: 7p

April:
Everton - WHU: 0p
WHU - Sunderland: 1p
Liverpool - WHU: 0p
WHU - Wigan: 3p
Total April: 4p

May:
Fulham - WHU: 1p
WHU - Manchester City: 0p
Total May: 1p

(Prediction, +/- according to prediction, pointing towards x amount of points)

Total 2009: 18p
Total 2010: 25p, -6p, 19p
Total 09/10: 43p, -6p, 37p

Bad coaching - hard times ahead!

I'm the hardest Zola fan in history. Like a retarded believer from a small Free church I still think Zola and Clarke will be a good solution for West Ham. But lately a small irritation has set in in my belief, and yesterday - against Burnley - I would say that even if Upson has a role to play here - it was Zola's fault that we did not stand up to fight the way we should be in an important game like this. Few but Cole fought the way they should do in a "war" like this. They were not prepared enough!

And even if we went 442 Cole was once more isolated up front, even if McCarthy was with him. There was an ocean between our two attackers and the midfield, who brimed with caution and fear. Yesterday's game showed that few of our players thought that offensive was the best defence. They waited for Burnley to play their game and they certainly did. I think it's the manager who has to take the blame when the team do not show that they are ready for the fight. When there was a gulf between the midfield and the strikers. When we had an unbalanced midfield (once more) and no width at all (until Stanislas came on).

We can not wait to play until we've conceded a couple of goals. We can not let the opponents decide how the game should develop.

In the end, if you see how the play shaped up, we were not worse than Burnley, and we should at least have had one point with us. But that is not enough, as we now have a huge fight to stay up. We should want to win this game, and it should be seen on the pitch from minute one. The result will, I guess, give us the hard task to win some points from the top four as well. As we need it. Funilly we seem better to do that than take them from lower opponents.

So nothing good yesterday? Well, yes there was. Cole was terrific and the newcomers Mido and Ilan impressed and looked like they will be important contributors to our team. McCarthy and the other two had great chances to score. one of them did while McCarthy went out with an injury. I guess he will be ready for the game on Wednesday though.

Green 6 - You can ask if Green was misplaced at the free-kick which gave Burnley a 2-0-lead but it was a perfect kick. I do not consider it Green's fault and beyond that Q there was no mistakes.

Faubert 5,5 - As opposed to other's he started fighting well and during the game he gave us some relly nice crosses but blinders as well. Fought hard defensivly, lost some won some. Needs to ber more consistent.

Tomkins 6,5 - Another solid game. One dangerous mistake, but covered well and took responsibility look like the senior in the middle of defense nowaydays.

Upson 4,5 - Seemed extremely naive (and foolish) when he lost the ball to Nugent to score. From there there was a high mountain to climb, not only our captain himself but for the whole team. Must do better.

Spector 5,5 - The first half was dreadful and he and Collison gave Burnley a motorway to work on at their flank. In the second half he did much better, helped out and raced a bit forward (Guess he was told to). I still see the American as a good player to have on the bench, hardly anywhere in the starting lineup. Ilunga time on Wednesday?

Noble 5 - Fights for the team and tries to be involved. Tries to find solutions, but: Slow! (have we written it before?). Some bad shots.

Behrami 4,5 - Invisible.

Scott Parker 6 - A unusual uninspiring first half. Stood up much better in the second and was more of his usual self. Which did not help this time.

Collison 5 - Really weak defensively, some good efforts going forward. But he does not give us the width that Stanislas do when he came on. Sorry to say: I would sacrifice him in the silent shape he is right now.

Cole 7 - Our best performer of the day. Still never close to a goal. Too isolated once more so there were few opportunities for him, but - as he had to step down and collect the ball - he did what he could and wanted further down in the field.

McCarthy 6 - They can't do it all from the start. But could - like Cole - hardly impress when he so seldom got the ball. I guess he couldn't believe that his great effort was blocked on the line by Cort. Taken off at halftime, with a slight (?) injury.

Subs:

Mido 7 - This guy did what we hoped for in advance: wanted to show what he can do. And even to selfish (not so strange during the circumstanses) sometimes in his fist game he really made an impression. Was very close to give us a point with a post-shot. When he finds out how this team work he can do a lot more.

Stanislas 6,5 - A moment of fresh air when he came on. The width is there, the speed is there. Should have been given much more time.

Ilan 6,5 - Came on late and scored on his debut. Great. I liked his moves into the box where he was all the time... and with better passes he could have scored even more. Impressed during these few minutes. I would like to see him start soon.

While we were lucky last round, as the other bottom teams lost, there was not the fortune this time. Hull beat Man City for instance. We got to show a strong carachter during the fortcoming games. Birmingham next!

Sullivan - defender of sanity?

Sullivan has been very active ever since the takeover and have, as I see it, so far done a tremendous job presenting the fans with a palatable mix of good and bad news, playing on the fans feelings for the Club in a way that was not possible for the Icelanders or Duckers.
As has been commented on everywhere, Gold&Sullivan has not missed an opportunity to say how bad the Club has was run and how irresponsible money was spent. This does not end with the usual Eggy extravaganza charges, that everyone has been pointing finger at for at least a year and a half. We also get to hear about the huge “wine and dine” account of a board member as well as the rather peculiar example of club telephones. The target group he is aiming at with these statements is clear, he presents all these figures in a “down to earth, common sense, kit shirt” kind of a way, choosing examples we can relate to, giving the fans exactly what we need to get upset with big spending.
Sullivan knows that a crusade on greed and overspending is likely to find support among football fans, many of whom already suffer the consequences of the financial meltdown.
When listening to the BBC interview HERE there are not many things that one can object to, on the contrary, most of it makes perfect sense.

So it’s not really what Sullivan says that I have a problem with. What I do object to is why he says it and the timing of it - his agenda.

After creating this “everything was outrageous” context he gets to talk about getting rid of players we have previously been regarding as instrumental to success, without being immediately branded as a traitor.
So Sullivan finds the support for cuts by presenting them to the fans as threats to our survival, and in a way that’s perfectly fine. During Duckers the fans were lost in the dark and jumped at every little detail made public. What I thoroughly dislike, however, is when he starts a discussion on individual player contracts in public. I’m sure that he would find it quite OK with contracts and transfer figures being “undisclosed” when it serves his purposes so it’s not a new open policy we are witnessing. He feels he needs support for the thought of selling key players in the summer, and also wants to be able to use this acceptance in player contract talks. So he brands some of our most important players as greedy (hardly a way to build team spirit btw) but what gets really revolting is when he goes after players unfortunate to be hurt while playing or training. Signing Dyer was always going to be a gamble and offering him a contract not based on appearances was obviously stupid. But that is not Dyers doing and trying to turn us fans against individual players to put pressure on them in economic matters is just not OK.

Now I feel the need to point out that I am not against G&S as owners, I am certainly not against lowering the wage bill, as most readers of my previous posts can testify. On the contrary, I am really upset about how some teams are being run with the aid of “financial doping” as the “All Party Parliamentary Football Group” called it already a couple of years ago.

All I am saying is that we as fans of West Ham united are an instrument and we are played by a virtuoso.

We need to listen carefully, not only for each note but for what song it turns out to be so we can be upset when we find a good reason to, and not only when Sullivan wants us to be.

Two points dropped at home

In an attempt to look at our survival hopes I tried to make some "until end of season prediction" early in January. To read that post click here. I tried to make the prediction as realistic as possible which means that I have us down to wins at home vs teams on the second half of the table and losses vs teams on the first half of the table away. We´ve dropped some points that should´ve been in the bag but if we manage to follow the prediction I think it´ll be enough for staying clear of the relegation zone.

Things have changed since I made the predictions in January but I won´t change anything. At least our chances to make it now should be slightly better. Unfortunately we lost some points the last two games and I believe it was down to failing to have our strikers fit (and no new strikers) and raring to go. Don´t get me wrong, Nouble did as well as anyone could expect from a 18 year old youngster but we shouldn´t have been in a situation where we have to depend on him during these circumstances. I do think he´s a great prospect and I´m sure his time will come. Sooner rather than later!

We lost another two points during the weekend. Blackburn at home is a game where we should expect to get all of them. The last few years this has been a team we usually beat and knowing their "not to good" away form this was a three pointer. I wasn´t able to watch the game but according to what I´ve read about it we weren´t particularly close to the three points. A weak game from our boys. That won´t do during the coming months.

Thouhg one should have in mind that Blackburn these days are managed by one of our real bogey managers. If I´m not mistaken he´s played us 15 times since becoming manager and only lost three times. One of those were a FA-cup replay which ended up in extra time during our run in to the final vs Liverpool. The goal difference in these games adds up to 10 - 19. His teams really plays a way that doesn´t suit West Ham even though it´s become a bit better since joined Blackburn were he hasn´t managed a win yet. Three straight draws is what he´s managed.

Now, could we afford this drop of points? Well, we´ll still manage but the line we´re walking is getting thinner and thinner. We couldn´t afford to drop many more now...

(Game: Prediction, Outcome, +/- from the game, +/- overall)

January:
WHU - Wolves: 3p (postponed)
Aston Villa - WHU: 0p, 1p, 1p, 1p
Portsmouth - WHU: 3p, 1p, -2p, -1p
WHU - Blackburn: 3p, 1p, -2p, -3p
Total January: 9p (6p), 3p, -3p, -3p (one game postponed)

February:
Burnley - WHU: 3p
WHU - Birmingham: 1p
WHU - Hull: 3p
Manchester United - WHU: 0p
Total February: 7p

March:
WHU - Bolton: 1p
Chelsea - WHU: 0p
Arsenal - WHU: 0p
WHU - Stoke: 3p
Total March: 4p

April:
Everton - WHU: 0p
WHU - Sunderland: 1p
Liverpool - WHU: 0p
WHU - Wigan: 3p
Total April: 4p

May:
Fulham - WHU: 1p
WHU - Manchester City: 0p
Total May: 1p

(Prediction, +/- according to prediction, pointing towards x amount of points)

Total 2009: 18p
Total 2010: 25p, -3p, 22p
Total 09/10: 43p, -3p, 40p

Video proof that Ilan can score

I know next to nothing about our new Brazilian so I did some "youtubing" and sticked my favourits on here if you don't care to go looking yourself.

Many goals but disgraceful soundtrack:


Cream of the crop:


A more realistic view when in claret and blue.
At the right place in the box:

Brilliant transfer window!

This transfer window was all I hoped for (I know stuff can still be anounced, but I nurture a hope for yet another signing rather than fear an important loss..).

Can you believe - with all the talk about firesale and all - that no one seem to be leaving but Quashie!
Not Parker, not Green, not Cole, not Behrami but Quashie!
How about that, quality stays and surplus leaves! This is the first time in 3 windows we actually can say that the squad looks better after the window closes than when it opened.

I had a bit of a dejavue the other day when Zola said that Coles return was "like a massive new signing for us". It had my adrenaline pumping, thinking the McCarthy transfer fell through. Those are the kind of statements we have had "up to here" after the Icelandic banking crash, so I think I'm forgiven for that kneejerk reaction.

We wanted strikers for cover and for Cole to play with. Signing great strikers in January is next to impossible and if you succeed you have more than likely been paying through the nose. We get 2, or even 3 strikers of some quality in (read my doubts about Mido here) out of whom at least one have the potential to be a first team regular. Still the moaners go on about Benni getting too long a contract!
True, we would have been better of if we could have signed a competent right back but this is happy days as far as I am concerned and signals the beginning of the end of our times in the deepest part of the mire.

If we can just get these footballers to perform as a team…

Midon't like it at all!

Beggars can’t be choosers but there are certainly players that we are better off without even if they don’t represent an economic gamble.
If we are to forge a team together, which I see as the most important factor for avoiding the drop, filling the team with players past their best ”desperate to show their worth” is hardly the way.
To have Midoid players, regardless of wage demands, running around frustrated for a chance, is not the kind of thing that usually is good for a team.
What Mido has shown, beyond reasonable doubt, is that even though he has been handed several chances he has not been able to show his worth at the highest level for a long time.

If we are to recruit a player, not automatically being one for the starting XI, make sure he is capable of handling that situation. What we can't affort is a Zola having to spend his energy on solving ego-related squad-problems.

OK Prince H, I couldnt wait with my comment on the Mido rumour :)

But I do like the fact that McCarthy is finally officially ours

A 100 strikers?

Ilan and McCarthy (NOW CONFIRMED!) seems to be the two strikers that are bound for Upton Park, still there is a couple of hours left of this transfer window and still there are plenty of rumours regarding West Ham. Why shouldn't it be? According to reports we are after Keane, Mido (CONFIRMED) , McDonald, Maoulida and the Italian striker Cacia. Maybe even more.... How many strikers do we need alongside Cole???

Less talk's regarding the right back many asked for. Tottenham's Alan Hutton seems to be going to Sunderland and I guess noone will hurt Julien Faubert in his hard times (his mother passed away a few days ago, still he opted to play the game against Blackburn) so I guess we will tay what we have in that position. I can see Spence as a backup. (according to Daily mail we've made a late loanmove for Onuoha)

Then we have not of course mentioned the winger Bentley. But I guess there will be no business with Tottenham at all. And I do not mind.

But if we will not be the first to give you the news, we will sure give our comments as soon as we know what G&S:s money have brought us this time..... A few hours left.