There Are No Easy Games?
Observers like to say that there are no easy games in the Premier League and, in fact, Slaven Bilic said exactly the same in the build up to the visit of Chelsea on Monday night. Yet from Chelsea’s point of view this was much of a stroll in the Olympic Park. Sit back and absorb the expected early pressure, do what you’re good at and hit on the break, once in front take the foot off the gas, give your best players a rest and coast to a comfortable victory. In the record books the result will have the look of a closely contested game but in reality it was far from that; there was only going to be one winner the minute Eden Hazard tucked away the opener. Of course, money plays a big part and Chelsea’s squad strength bears no relation to our ramshackle collection once you get past a competent dozen or so. But what Chelsea have under Conte this season is remorseless organisation that allows flair players opportunity to flourish; something that had been lost under Mourinho. Organisation, preparation and motivation are as important managerial attributes as are tactics and selection, and remain part of the reason that I continue to have reservations about our own manager.
Oh So Predictable!
It is true that the absence of Michail Antonio left few viable attacking options and it was a case of a return for a rusty Andy Carroll whether he was ready or not. In the more recent games where Carroll has played with Antonio just behind we have been able to mix play up a little but on this occasion, particularly in the first half, we were back to the agricultural tactic of lumping long hopeful high balls into the area. If we felt that this ploy would come as a surprise to Chelsea then we were sadly mistaken. Space on the flanks was effectively kept to a minimum and wide players rarely got behind the defence into those areas where crosses are more difficult to defend. As it was Chelsea’s central defenders were able to deal with the threat with ease and probably had enough time to send the odd tweet in the meantime if they really wanted to. The game was effectively all over early in the second half and although, to the player’s credit, no-one gave up Chelsea rarely needed to get out of low gear.
Square Pegs and Round Holes Again.
Once again team selection has the look of choose the favourite available eleven players and then decide how to fit them in to some semblance of a formation. The need for specialist full-backs has long been a West Ham blind spot and the current management appear to have the same blinkers. It is a scenario that you might expect in Sunday morning park football but this is supposed to be the world’s elite league competition. Is there any evidence to suggest that either Kouyate (or Antonio before him) were effective in this position? I know some supporters don’t rate Byram but I would think, injuries permitting, he should be given a run in the side to prove himself or otherwise, there is not now much to lose. He looks as capable a defender as Cresswell to me even if he hasn’t demonstrated too much going forward yet. I can view the selection as putting off the difficult decision in central midfield now that Pedro Obiang has cemented his starting position. One of Noble and Kouyate has to be benched (Noble in my opinion) although Slav may have a ‘get out of jail card’ with the injury to Winston Reid.
Ambre Solaire Time
I have already sensed an end of season unwinding feel in recent matches and my fear is that it will only go one way from here. We do not look the fittest or most motivated of teams at the best of times and it would come as a surprise to me now if we ended the season in the top half. Despite West Brom’s defeat at the weekend they are still some way clear and I reckon that both Stoke and Southampton will finish ahead of us. A 7th or 8th place finish is a reasonable benchmark for a club of our size and so anything less looks like underachievement. There have been some positives for the season but overall it has been disappointing and if the club wants fewer white seats to turn up to games next year they need to address the disjointed team issues as a matter of urgency.
Squad Renewal
In an after match interview David Sullivan was quoted as saying that ‘we are a few players short of a very, very good side’ or words to that effect. I can only hope that he was either misquoted and purposelessly putting out misinformation. You could argue that, in the unlikely circumstances of everyone being fit, we could field a decent starting eleven but after that it the squad has the familiar bare-bones look to it. After the failings of the summer transfer window (and the gap-filling nature of the January one) the squad needs a major overhaul rather than a few tweaks if we are serious about challenging for greater things. The squad lacks quality, depth and pace. It would be comforting to think that we had a style of play in mind and recruited players to fit that style but I don’t see that. Our approach appears to be an opportunist one that recruits players in isolation rather than considering how they are going to fit into a system. Not everything is the fault of the manager and the lack of a longer term vision is worrying. The reported new one year rolling contract for Bilic feels like a hedge play. He is either the right man (not just a good enough one) for the job or he isn’t.
Ratings: Randolph (6), Kouyate (5), Reid (6), Fonte (5), Cresswell (5), Noble (5), Obiang (6), Feghouli (5), Lanzini (7), Snodgrass (6), Carroll (5) Subs: Byram (6), Ayew (6), Fernandes (5)
When compiling reasons to dislike the top teams it doesn’t take long to come up with a long list for tonight’s visitors. They have few redeeming features and represent much of what is wrong with the uneven playing field that the modern game has become. An average mid-table team that were transformed to greatness by winning the Russian lottery. It does make you wonder though what might have happened had Roman Abramovic landed his helicopter at Upton Park rather than Stamford Bridge all those years ago. Would we now be pining for the days of academy players, dodgy loan deals and a bare-bones squad or would we be happy to bask smugly in the reflection of a roomful of domestic and European silverware of more recent vintage than 1980. Perhaps one day West Ham will themselves win the Arab-millions raising the dilemma of whether success trumps working class east-end traditions after all.
The European Cup Winners Cup is at the forefront of the action in this week’s Hammer’s History. Having won the competition at the first attempt in 1965 the Hammers were in the following year’s competition as holders. In the 3rd round (Quarter Final) stage in 1966 the opponents were FC Magdeburg from East Germany, a country not recognised by the UK at the time. In a closely fought game in the first leg at Upton Park Magdeburg came close to causing an upset but the tie was settled in the first minute of the second half when Geoff Hurst nodded down a Martin Peters cross for Johnny Byrne to score from close range.
If reports are to be believed we are promised a team packed with renewed energy and vigour as a consequence of the warm weather training break in Dubai since our last competitive match. Most of the pictures that I saw from Dubai involved the players eating and dancing but we are assured that they also worked had and with great intensity to work particularly on defensive frailties. Today we will be able to judge for ourselves the effectiveness of this expensive bonding and possibly be wowed by how well those batteries have been recharged. One can only hope that the late kick off doesn’t further interfere with adjustment from the Dubai time-zone – wouldn’t want Mark Noble’s tackles being any later than usual.
West Ham prides itself as the ‘Academy of Football’ in deference to the success it has achieved over the years in bringing through talented young players from the youth system. Most fans have a special place in their heart for home grown players but so often talented youngsters burst onto the scene only to fail to fulfil their promise. In this series we look at some of those players who despite high hopes never quite made the grade at their boyhood club. Today we look at the career of Zavon Hines; the only West Ham player ever to have a first name starting with the letter ‘Z’.
Hines had spent a brief spell out on loan at Coventry City before being given his West Ham debut, as a substitute for Valon Behrami, in a League Cup tie against Macclesfield in August 2008. Hines was one of three goal scoring substitutes that day in a 4-1 victory. A knee injury hindered progress during the remainder of the 2008/09 season but despite this he received a call-up from Jamaica for an international friendly in early 2009 although ultimately he did not play. Hines later went on to represent England at U21 level, scoring two goals in two appearances.
Enforced international breaks and early cup exits serve to create a fragmented season and leave a massive thumb-twiddling void on a winter weekend. Desperate times call for desperate measures and taking refuge in the shed on the pretext of rearranging your tools is perhaps the only chance of dodging an afternoon at the shops.
Under The Hammers 