West Ham Midweek: Claret Ribbons, Going For A Burton, Lucas-Aid and the Saturday El-Sackio

She Wore A Claret Ribbon Round The Ole Oak Tree

Things that just won’t go away usually elicit negative connotations. Think bad pennies, cockroaches, unpleasant smells, nasty rashes and David Sullivan. The FA Cup is the polar opposite to this. Despite the best efforts of the money men to diminish its importance, the magic of the cup continues to resonate and conjure up memories for all true football fans. Banana skins, underdogs, the Leatherhead Lip, the sloping pitch at Yeovil, Ronnie Radford and Bob Stokoe all come to mind. Even better (at least in the early rounds) it is free from the spontaneity destroying abomination of VAR.

This season, the FA Cup is our safe space. An oasis of unburdened calm and hope that frees us from the anxieties of impending relegation. Season 2 of Avram Grant’s Unlikely Cup Runs. While the fat lady might still be preparing to sing, this time it’s an upbeat number about wearing claret ribbons in the merry month of May.

Needing extra time to see off QPR in rather unconvincing manner on Sunday, the ping pong balls bounced kindly for West Ham with a 4th Round away tie at League 1 strugglers, Burton Albion. A first ever meeting with the Staffordshire club. A terrific draw, on the face of it, provided you take the stance that past West Ham cup upsets are not indicative of future results. Sub-editors up and down the country will already have the Gone For A Burton headlines ready and waiting.   

We Beat a Mush from Shepherds Bush

I watched a video on Youtube last week explaining the tactical changes deployed by Daniel Farke to turn around Leeds United’s season. It involved switching to a back five, playing two strikers and freeing up one of his midfielders to be always available as the out-ball. I couldn’t help but wonder if Nuno had seen the same video once the Santo Wheel of Fortune dropped it’s latest team selection prior to kick-off. The returning Aaron Wan-Bissaka came in at right wing-back with Ezra Mayers preferred to Oliver Scarles on the left. The out-ball roll was assigned to Soungoutou Magassa who was either ill-equipped or ill-prepared to deal with the more advanced role, the assist for the opening goal apart. Up-front, it all got quite confusing. Rather than a Farke 3-5-2, it played out as a Nuno 3-4-3 with Jarrod Bowen and Crysencio Summerville preferring to stay wide instead of getting closer to Taty Castellanos up front. Having both wingers and wing-backs on the pitch was a very unusual tactical interpretation.

Unfortunately, fate intervened to prevent Nuno’s master plan from unfolding completely after Dinos Mavropanos was forced off with a neck injury late in the opening half. This saw the introduction of Pablo Felipe and a tactical reshuffle to a traditional back four. It was pioneer territory to see two West Ham strikers on the field at the same time, but their frequently overlapping orbits caused more confusion than it did threat. Hopefully, this is an issue that time spent working together can overcome.  

A Gun Without Bullets is Just a Hammer

With an attack minded quartet of Taty, Pablo, Bowen and Summerville on the pitch, the Hammers should have been peppering the QPR goal from all angles. That it didn’t happen was down to glacial pace of build-up play and the absence of any creative spark behind them – someone to provide the ammunition. Passes back and forth between centre-backs might look good on the possession stats but all it does is allow the opposition to recover their defensive shape.

When Declan Rice left, three things went with him – and have yet to be replaced. Leadership, athletic defensive cover in the centre of midfield, and someone capable of powering past opponents with the ball at his feet. The last point is key to my mind. As much as attacking and defensive reinforcements were sorely needed, a massive creative gap remains in the West Ham midfield. Short passing triangles are ineffective against well organised defences and can easily be countered. More often than not, passes eventually go astray, possession is conceded and an opposition counterattack launched.

Following a positive start to his West Ham career, Freddie Potts is in danger of becoming the latest to follow in the footsteps of late career Mark Noble and JWP in the society of pointless sideways passers. Stay strong and resist, Freddie.

There were, however, a couple of bright spots in the game; notably the committed performance of Summerville and Taty’s powerfully headed goal. Yet, these are caveated by the quality of the opposition – a solid but largely unspectacular mid-table Championship outfit. A glimpse of seasons yet to come perhaps.

Lucas-aid. Not Aiding Recovery

Brazilian footballers continue to have a special aura about them. Animpression that historic success and the roll call of legendary players somehow guarantees success, flair and sublime ball control to all who follow. The reality can be disappointingly different. And nowhere more so than in the West Ham career of Lucas Paqueta whose reputation largely hinges on one through ball in Prague. Sadly, as the occasional flashes of inspiration have diminished, the play-acting, inconsistency, moods, rash challenges and wayward passes have escalated. Even at his best, his contribution has been fleeting rather than as the all-round playmaker we needed and had been hoping for.

There is no sound reason not to let him leave in the January window if another club is willing to stump up the cash. Fighting to retain a Paqueta who does not want to be here and who apparently asked to be left out on Sunday is a desperate and misguided hill to die on.

Let’s just raise some funds and re-invest it on a half-proficient attacking midfielder. Someone able to provide the bullets for the strikers to fire.  

Back to Earth, Back to Reality

It’s a return to league action on Saturday with this season’s version of the El Sackio at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Both managers living under the now routine threat of n games to save their job.

Transfer window gossip moves on apace and there’s always an outside chance that new arrivals will in place for the weekend. But is it all too late? The optimistic view is that there are still 51 points to play for. The pessimistic view is the league table – 21 games played and 14 points.

A character in Ernest Hemingway’s novel The Sun Also Rises is asked how he went bankrupt. “Two ways. Gradually, then suddenly” was the reply. This is the West Ham story, and I doubt there is any way back this time. As supporters, we have seen and predicted the steady decline for many months. But the owners chose not to see it. No strategy, no way forward and nothing being built for the future. The sole objective of survival ruined by the promoted clubs refusing to be useless. The luck has run out. COYI!