Same Old West Ham

On December 1^st, Mohamed Diame inspired an incredible second half West Ham fightback against Chelsea at Upton Park. This moved the Hammers up to 8^th place in the Premier League and an impressive tally of 22 points from just 15 games.

 

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Following the defeat of Chelsea many fans, myself included, were dreaming of an almost unheard of end to a season free from a relegation battle and perhaps even an assault on the top half. However 11 games on, just two wins have followed and after defeat to Aston Villa on Sunday, we now find ourselves just seven points clear of the relegation zone and sinking fast. With 12 games to go we are well and truly embroiled in a relegation scrap. But it’s hardly surprising is it, this is West Ham United, we never do things the easy way.

 

Perhaps the most worrying issue of late are the performances away from home. At Upton Park, we have continued to impress and have made ourselves tough to beat. This is a completely different story on our travels, where we have been conceding goals for fun and the lack of creativity and adventure going forward is a real concern. I felt the performance at Villa Park was much more solid than in recent away displays but again, the lack of chances created against a struggling Villa side was hugely disappointing.

 

The run of games coming up is another thing that will not fill many Hammers fans with the greatest of confidence. The next four games see us entertain Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United, and travel to both Stoke and Chelsea. It makes the game at the Britannia Stadium huge as you feel anything out of the other three fixtures will be seen as somewhat of a bonus.

 

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It’s important however not to get carried away with the recent dip in form, things could certainly be worse, we could be QPR. There are still nine teams worse off in the table and we do still have that seven point cushion between us and Reading who occupy 18^th spot. Home encounters against West Brom, Wigan, Newcastle and Reading are games where we should target the points we need to stay above the dreaded drop zone. In my opinion with the way the League has panned out this season, I would be very surprised if 38 points would not be enough to ensure safety, possibly even less. This means 3 wins from the remaining 12 games and we should be okay, hopefully.

 

With the return to full fitness of the likes of Momo Diame and Andy Carroll, I personally feel that we have more than enough in our squad to get the points required in the run in. Carroll’s influence cannot be underestimated and with more game time I expect him to flourish up top. On top of that with the ever improving James Tomkins and Mr consistency Winston Reid at the back, we have a strong, solid base to build on.

 

There are of course still concerns in the side, most notably in the full back areas and the lack of pace in midfield. Against Villa, we were far too predictable and one-paced with the five Big Sam opted for in midfield, and for me, the likes of Matt Jarvis and Ricardo Vaz Te must start to offer us that little bit more going forward. I would also like to see Wellington Paulista get a run out off the bench after an impressive three goals in three games for the development squad. In Carroll, Carlton Cole and Marouane Chamakh, we have three players of a similar model, all of which are not proven goalscorers. In Paulista, we have an unknown quantity and someone who clearly knows where the back of the net is, something the side is crying out for at the moment.

 

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So it’s certainly not panic stations yet but if we fail to win in this up and coming tough run, concerns will continue to grow as we creep ever closer to the bottom three. Hopefully the players and crowed alike will be buoyed by the visit of Tottenham and the Hammers produce a classy, vintage performance under the Upton Park lights.

 

It would be lovely come mid-April to be well clear of the drop zone but knowing this club, we will be head in hands until the final kick of the season.

 

Keep the faith.