When Sam Allardyce took over as West Ham manager and faced the media during his first press session, one reporter was brave enough to enquire as to how the long ball would be incorporated into the playing repertoire of a club founded on its passing game and ideals of positive football.
What is the West Ham Way? Losing most of the time?
This response from Big Sam had an understandably mixed response from the Hammers faithful. But as he orchestrated a return to the Premier League at the first attempt, many fans began to acknowledge –even grudgingly – the benefits of a stable side organized on the lines of solid defence.
Fast-forward to the present, and Big Sam’s West Ham have fallen on harder times.
The 3-0 destruction of Fulham brought smiles back to the faces of Hammers the world over, but the baffling capitulation of the side two days later at Selhurst Park, followed by the almost comical display at Liverpool, has brought belief crashing back to the Earth.
Having said this, some of West Ham’s most dramatic, even entertaining, moments in recent memory have come in the depths of the bad end of the table.
Under Gianfranco Zola, a long range free-kick from Alessandro Diamanti against Birmingham resulted in the players running half the length of field to crash-tackle their manager in celebration, and began a run of points which ultimately kept the side up.
The passion displayed then is something the current side could surely learn from.
And we all remember the Great Escape season – not a wonderful season on the balance of results, and one which did not come without its own raft of consequences following the Tevez saga, but one which has carved out its own place in West Ham folklore since.
The season is far from over, but it looks it is going to be a white-knuckle affair for us once again. So, ladies and gentlemen, hold on tight. It might be a rough ride ‘til May, but we are a club built on dramatics and passion, and we’ll be blowing bubbles with the downs and as well as the ups.
