So much for my prediction of an away point at Stoke City last weekend! Even with a dream start, we just didn’t have enough to really worry a depleted Stoke side missing four of their best players, and the worry for me was seeing so many of our players performing below standard.
Stewart Downing, Mohamed Diame, Guy Demel, George McCartney, Winston Reid, James Tomkins and even Adrian all looked so average, and as ever, it was left to the dynamo that is Mark Noble to try and hold it all together. Just why James Collins was left out after doing the business so well recently was a mystery, and the lacklustre and jittery performance by Reid didn’t help us defensively. Very disappointing, even allowing for an appalling refereeing clanger involving the nailed on handball penalty claim.
So it’s the ‘struggling’ Manchester United who come to Upton Park and it’s a question of whether we can do our usual and put another claret and blue spanner in their creaking and rusty works! Whilst Nemanja Vidic will be missing, a situation that we must look to exploit by giving Andy Carroll plenty of aerial service, any team that contains Robin Van Persie and Wayne Rooney worries me. Provided, and its a big ask, we can keep them shackled effectively, then I can see a decent draw or even us nicking a win if things go our way, but a single point would be a welcome and vital addition to our required season end total.
With Hull City (I REFUSE to call them Tigers) travelling to East London on Wednesday, I can say without hesitation that we MUST end the night three points better off as this is one of the bankers that just can’t be messed up. I realise that they have had a very decent season under Steve Bruce, but with a number of the big guns for us still to play, its these lesser sides that need to be plundered, and both Hull and Crystal Palace are the two teams that demand home maximums. I predict that a full house of six points from these two games will see us safe, so the importance cant be overstated.
As I said in earlier articles, the fixtures are throwing up dog-eat-dog games every week, and it’s a fact that us Hammers will be spending as much time checking our relegation rivals results as we will worrying about our own form. Conceivably, survival this year will be possible with a record low points tally, a figure that currently stands at 35 points (Hull 2008/9 and….West Ham 2009/10), and I can see that record being broken looking at some of the current awful tallies.
As ever, getting points in the bag instead of relying on others is the answer, so starting from today, we need to make hay and grab those precious points as quickly as we can. I can’t stand yet another nail biting last day!
This time last year, and after 29 games, West Ham had won 33 pts and went on to finish the season on 46 pts, as opposed to our current tally of 31 points after 29 games. After 30 games West Ham had 36 points, so at the same stage this season, and if we can win our next game, being game 30, then we will be just 2 points worse off than last season (or 3 – 5 points worse off). West Ham did enjoy their best run of form since 2007 between games 22 -27, and we can never forget that West Ham got relegated on 42 pts back in 2003.
Worst case scenario for West Ham, if West Ham lose against Man Utd; Cardiff beat Liverpool on 22/03 & move to 28 pts, Swansea win at Everton on 22/03 & move 1 pt above onto 32 pts, West Brom win at Hull on 22/03 & move onto 31 & maybe below West Ham on goal difference only, Fulham win at Man City on 22/03 & move onto 27 pts, Crystal Palace win at Newcastle on 22/03 & go below West Ham on Goal difference only, Sunderland win at Norwich on 22/03 & move onto 28 pts, If Norwich beat Sunderland then Norwich will go above West Ham by 1 point on 32 pts. Aston Villa & Stoke both draw on 23/03 keeping them both 1 point above West Ham, even if West Ham beat Man Utd. If Stoke lose at Aston Villa, then West Ham can regain Stoke’s 11th spot on goal difference by beating Man Utd.
Worst case scenario would put Villa 10th on 37 pts, Stoke 11th on 34 pts, Swansea 12th on 32 pts, Norwich 13th on 32 pts, West Ham drop to 14th, West Brom go 15th on 31 pts & below West Ham on Goal difference only, Crystal Palace go 16th & below West Ham on goal difference only; OR the relegation gap lessens with Sunderland winning at Norwich and taking the gap to just 3 pts below West Ham at 28 pts with Sunderland having 2 games in hand on West Ham, OR if Hull, Swansea & Norwich all win & West Ham lose on 22/03, then West Ham drop to 15th BUT the relegation gap stays at 25 points, but not if Cardiff win, if Cardiff win at home to Liverpool the gap will still go to 28 points. West Ham & others need Fulham, Cardiff & Sunderland to all lose.
In fact Sunderland could go to 31 points & 16th on Wed 26/03 if they win at Liverpool & could be just below West Ham on goal difference only. Then Palace & West Brom could both go above West Ham on Sat 29th before West ham play Sunderland on 31st Mar, so theoretically Spencer, West Ham could be in 18th spot by 31st Mar if they don’t improve during these next 2 games. It is in our team’s hands. Now, in a potential time of crisis, is when they need our united support the most. COME ON YOU IRONS. LIFT YOUR GAME, PLEASE!!!
Sorry, I meant to say West Ham need to improve during these next 3 games v Man Utd today, V Hull on Wednesday & at Sunderland on Mon 31st Mar
F**k me are you a jumped up know it all commentator. You should get a life pal. Pr*k. Bet you think fat Sam is good enough to manage Madrid.