True West Ham fans should pray for defeat from Tottenham
It is very rare in the life of a football fan that you look at an early March fixture and say to yourself “This game will define the very life of my football club”. But such a fate befalls West Ham’s loyal following going into the game at home to Spurs this Weekend.
Usually a London derby like this is a time for fire and animosity for the Hammers. This time round, though, only the brave and the foolhardy will harbour optimism; Upton Park will be filled with gloom.
Spurs, fresh from drubbing a Bolton side that do not often get drubbed will show no mercy to their neighbours on Sunday, and every West Ham supporter in the land is painfully aware that one more home defeat could mean almost certain relegation for their team.
It is becoming football’s biggest cliché to point out the fact that only a few months ago, they came to within minutes of winning the FA Cup but now they have been brought so low. News reports on reported dressing room rifts and on-the-pitch brawls are becoming tiresome. That something is seriously wrong at West Ham is no longer a deduction, it is a simple fact.
Which is why, if you are really a fan of this football club, you should hope the side loses on Sunday, and that that horror of relegation becomes a reality.
The takeover, the switch of managers, the false dawn of beating Man United, all of this is becoming a collage of errors and pain too much for the usually cheery Hammers fans to bear.
Despite the apparent riches of their new owners, financially, the drop would be crippling. The board took a massive gamble in letting Curbishley spend big in the transfer window, and the inflated wage bill are going to mean that the club will be forced into a massive fire sale at the end of the season, involving not only the prize assets of the club — Ashton, Reo-Coker and Benayoun, but the newer acquisitions too.
But on and off the pitch, the players have been an embarrassment. Never has it been more apparent that a major squad cull is desperately needed at West Ham.
Money is a major issue, too. If the Hammers do not take quick control of their finances now, they could end up following Leeds into the kind of financial quagmire that may see them drop into the abyss in May.
The rot had started long before January, it is clear now, but the transfers of the likes of Lucas Niell and Luis Boa Morte have all but sealed their fate. Something was seriously wrong with these buys. Despite both being competitive, fierce even, both gave up the captaincy at their respective clubs, where they were loved and respected by their fans, to join a club further down the table than them. Niell even rejected the advances of Liverpool, his supposed “dream club”, in favour of a bigger pay day. Is this really the kind of player West Ham fans want to see in the claret and blue?
West Ham need to wipe the slate clean, to get rid of all the negatives and start again.
Curbishley did a great job rebuilding Charlton. If the board and the fans have the kind of patience they will require to unite behind Curbs and give him the time and support he needs, he will bring the Hammers back up from the Championship a happier, stronger unit.
Right now, the message could not be clearer: accept defeat and start planning for the future straight away. Knee-jerk managerial sackings and more of the ugly in-fighting we have seen this season could spell oblivion for West Ham United FC.
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There is something rotten to the core at West Ham. I’m not sure what it is, but everyone says that Pardew shouldn’t have been sacked, but then I ask if Pardew was so damn good for the club – how did he let the complacency and downright arrogance creep in amongst the players at the club?
Saying that, I do think West Ham overachieved last season, as did my own club Spurs. But what Pardew should have done is temper that, and he didn’t. I think even he got caught up in that. I believe the regime change was required, and I believe Pardew has been brought back down to earth with a thump. Good on Charlton for giving him a chance, because I do think he has the potential to become a very good manager. I think they’re mutually good for each other.
I feel sorry for Curbishley – because as you say – he was never going to stamp his influence on the players in the time he had. He needs a mass clearout, to identify those players who just aren’t good for the club, and make the squad his own. As a Spurs fan – I know that Konchesky, Etherington and Zamora are three highly over-rated players. This is why Curbishley froze out Konchesky at Charlton and why he continues to do so at West Ham…
The problem is the players are now very close – and basically a new manager coming and breaking up their click is hurting them, but they will come to realise, maybe when they look back and have moved on about two or three clubs, that it is part of the problem…
March 2nd, 2007 @ 17:05Load of rubbish.
March 2nd, 2007 @ 17:07I want my team to fight for every single point, irrespective of who they are playing and there is never a time when I want my team to lose.
A bigger load of crud, I have never read in my life. Even if we beat Spurs on Sunday, we’d be seriously odds-on to go down. The fact that they are one of our biggest rivals means that a win would allow our supporters a smile for the first time in months!
When we last went down, we did the double of Chelski; something that sustained me over that summer and the following three seasons. We have already beaten Man Yoo and the Arse at Upton Park, and to paraphrase Kevin Keegan, I’d “loove it” if we stuffed the lasagnes again, as I am sure their supporters would, should things go to form.
We’re almost certainly down, so any bit of cheer would be welcome, and I, for one, pray for a win on Sunday, regardless of where we’ll be next season.
Go on you Irons!
March 2nd, 2007 @ 17:07SJ
What are you on about Doom and Gloom!?
March 2nd, 2007 @ 17:16The West Ham Relegation party starts on Sunday, the place will be Rocking!!
Rubbish article. Why would we want to go down in order to re-group? The idea is to stay up then clear the dead wood from the team. Can’t believe this article.
March 2nd, 2007 @ 17:28It certainly will not result in financial meltdown if WH go down to the CCC. Every player at WH has a relegation clause that is either a salary reduction or an escape, so cash is not an issue (source the Board of Directors at Fans Forums at meetings in WH Hotel). Having said that we will need to spend to keep a team that can get straight back up and stay up.
March 2nd, 2007 @ 17:34Ha ha – I can’t beleive you think you can stay up, even if you do beat Spurs.
Your board should never have sacked Pardew and the new signings have been rubbish. Unluck to have some of them injured, I’ll give you that but (along with Harry Redknapp) the Canning Town Social and Bingo club take our old scrap away again. Any old iron!!
March 2nd, 2007 @ 17:47What a load of nonsense. Anyone who knows anything about knows that real professionals will only concentrate on one game at a time. All Curbs and the lads will be concentrating on is getting something out of the game against an in form Spurs. People who write this tosh are just getting their ore in before the fall of a heavy defeat… its so they can say “oh, we didn’t want win” after they get hammered 5-0 but their fierce local rivals. Save themselves some of the embarrassment.
In any case I think Spurs will sneak it here 3-0 !!! it will be another nail in the Iron (hoofs) coffin.. See ya later you bunch of cretins — go hang about with Leeds in the oblivion… have fun !!!!! COYS !!!!
March 2nd, 2007 @ 18:28Yeah mate, coz fans who’ve paid £600+ for a season ticket want another limp performance at home to confirm what most already strongly suspect. By the same token, all Liverpool fans should want their team to lose to Man Utd on saturday just so their tiny hopes of the title are finally extinguished.
Think you’re getting your coat on this particular argument mate…
March 2nd, 2007 @ 18:31this is q question really, but most people seem to be blaming reo-coker for the squad morale and problems. Though you got to take those accusations with a pinch of salt and surely one man cant be responsible for a team’s relegation, no smoke without fire right ? so can someone elaborate on why people seem to be blaming reo-coker for this whole mess ?
March 2nd, 2007 @ 18:51This is one of the most negative, ill crafted articles I have read. Suggest you considered a position as a sports journalist with the Daily Rail er Mail.
March 2nd, 2007 @ 17:31I am a spurs fan and think you are talking absolute crap ! look what happen to portsmouth ! they got out of trouble and are doing well this season. If you go down its very difficult to come back up , look at leeds and Sunderland.
March 2nd, 2007 @ 23:41I am a West Ham fan and although I want us to beat spurs, especially as I have some bets on us winning, they are so confident they even gave me the draw
, but I do know where the author is coming from. Curbishley is a good manager but the team are not playing as a team, a major squad cull will be horrible as it was last time we went down, but Curbishley will get it right if he is given time, a lot of the players he brought in will be good at championship level, although I am not sure Quasie will be that was a horrible signing and please lord let us get rid of Christian Dailly 
anyway heres too a good sunday result so the miracle may remain possible !!
March 3rd, 2007 @ 06:46Although im a spurs fan I often find myself supporting west ham and hoping they do well due to strong family support,,, the only problem you lot have at west ham is that the majority of your players have dropped their heads and are feeling sorry for themselves!! Added with the fact that a couple of new signings are on a considerably larger salery than some of your so called heavyweights there is obviously going to be some unrest or jealousy amongst the lads,,,, if footballers these days played with pride and passion instead of thinking about what to spend their fortunes on then west ham would at least be a team that looked like they were playing to win,,,, having said this, and knowing what spurs are like west ham will probably turn us over on sunday !!! Come on the Spurs !!!
March 3rd, 2007 @ 17:04