There is a famous Christmas song by Wizzard that I can best summarise February as, with a little change in lyrics of course, four wins out of four this month and a meteoric rise up the league has left me wishing it could be February every month.
What has made this run even more impressive is three out of the four wins were without 15 million pound man Andy Carroll. The uproar and anger of ‘that red card’ against Swansea City is now just a distant memory.
Normally when you take a best player out of a side, form dips and deteriorates instead the Hammers find themselves 3rd in the form guide table following a run of four wins, a draw and a defeat in the last six games.
The last three games have shown the togetherness at the club at the minute and has eased the fears surrounding the club that the Hammers are a one man team. West Ham United no longer rely on Andy Carroll, and as lovely as it will be to see him line up in claret and blue on Saturday against Everton. His absence has proved one or two things to Sam Allardyce and to us fans.
1. Kevin Nolan doesn’t need Carroll to score goals; Nolan has scored three goals in the three games Carroll missed including a quite superb brace at Villa Park, which enabled the Hammers to gain a vital three points.
2. We have other strikers that can do just as good a job. Now I am not saying Carlton Cole is anywhere near in the same league as Andy Carroll, but you cannot fault Coley’s work load and passion for West Ham. He is rapidly alongside Mark Noble becoming an honorary member of the “Mr West Ham club.”
Of course I should give a little shout out to Marco Borriello too, who has come into the side and thrown his weight around. I was particularly impressed with Marco’s performance at Aston Villa, to come into a side on debut in the wind and the rain and see his new side score two goals within five minutes of him coming on isn’t a bad introduction.
If you took Luis Suarez out of Liverpool, or Wayne Rooney out of Manchester United, I seldom think they could do as well as the Hammers did without Carroll. The Hammers run of form is testament to the squad and togetherness Allardyce has brought to West Ham United.
Many, including myself, whilst Carroll was out in Amsterdam and Belgium fixing his troublesome heel felt that the Hammers needed the returning Carroll ASAP to turn form around, and in truth his return to the club albeit in just a training ground form has probably helped the club.
West Ham still need Andy Carroll, but should he get injured again it is nice to know that the club can fill the gap left by an Andy Carroll shaped hole missing from the squad.
Yes the Hammers are in general a better team with Carroll in it, but it is refreshing to be able to question whether Carroll will get a start on his return from suspension on Saturday, such is the form of team at the minute.
Welcome back Andy, now it’s time to do a Nolan and come back with a bang from suspension.
Come on you Irons!
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