West Ham ill prepared for a relegation battle?

Another loss last weekend. This one well expected. Not least because West Ham during Zolas tenure still haven´t beaten any of the "top four". They have a new chance to change that this coming weekend when we take on Arsenal. I haven´t seen anything during the last two games that points towards a point or three, more to the contrary actually. I think we´ll get well beaten once more and our confidence will suffer another blow.

It´s not in the games vs. Chelsea and Arsenal (and Bolton since we allways loose against them) we should expect to save our season. It would, however, be nice to get some bonus points once in a while. All the other teams around us seems to do that and that´s what we did last time we were involved in a relegation scrap.

We still have some games left with obvious chances to get some points. Zola has spoken about ten more points to reach 37 and safety. The games vs. Wolves, Stoke, Sunderland and Wigan will be massive. Not only do they represent our best chances of gathering points (together with Fulham away where we usually play well). They´re also teams we fight and can´t afford to drop points against.

I think West Ham have got the most talented team in the relegation battle. Though I also think we´re the worst prepared team to be in this situation. I don´t think the managment team or the players recognised this as a possibility (though I know a lot of the fans did) last summer and aren´t mentally prepared. This ofcourse is a great disadvantage towards the other involved teams.

In the prediction made early January I hoped for another eleven points from now until the end of the season. If we get those eleven points I think we´ll survive. To get them won´t be a walk in the park though.

(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, 0p, 0p, -4p
Total February: 7p, 6p, -1p, -4p

March:
WHU - Bolton: 1p, 0p, -1p, -5p
Chelsea - WHU: 0p, 0p, 0p, -5p
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, -5p, 38p