Have West Ham’s performances improved?

Just as the appalling performances West Ham gave against Nottingham Forest and Manchester City back in January – an undoubted low point in the clubs history – they were the springboard for a notable and vital uplift in our fortunes during February.

Winning games became the norm, so the sheer awfulness of the recent Hull City home performance was instrumental in galvanising both team and management as a critical away win followed the (in my opinion) perfectly justifiable and understandable barracking that sections of a hitherto pathologically loyal and committed fan base gave to the side and Sam Allardyce.

For supporters of a team in our position to vent their feelings in such a way, and after a win, says everything we needed to know about current levels of Hammers fan satisfaction and feeling. I said at the time its imperative that fans of all clubs, not just ours, show the players, management and the board exactly how they feel about the way the club is run, about performance levels and player commitment, and about board decisions.

No one should be in any doubt that since 1895 when Thames Ironworks were founded, and in 1900 were later morphed into the club we all know and love, the nature of the Hammers support has been almost unrivalled, and in many cases envied. Whenever the club dropped down a division, and it happened during those grim yo-yo decades, and of course twice recently, attendances were still high and fans were vocal and supportive. Long trips across the country saw away ends packed with claret and blue, and despite those frequent disappointments whenever the team headed north of Watford, Hammers fans stayed loyal and were there the following week as bright and as loud as ever.

No one should EVER question the heart and commitment of us Hammers fans, especially fellow Irons, and those that castigated the relatively few vocal discontents who made their feelings known after the garbage dished up against Hull City missed the point entirely. They had a right BECAUSE they were so loyal and caring, and I genuinely feel they were instrumental in getting such a great response from the team away at Sunderland, and, despite defeat, in Sunday’s match against Liverpool.

Sometimes we all need a good kick up the backside, and the Hull City response gave Allardyce and the team exactly that; tactically it was poorly thought out and executed, and playing wise it was clueless and half-hearted. I actually spent ten minutes looking for Jeremy Beadle, so convinced was I that this was some elaborate spoof being played on an unsuspecting crowd.

Contrast that with the away performance at the Stadium of Light, atleast for the most part, and again, for the first half against a strong Liverpool side where we pretty well held our own with some luck along the way.  There were clear and necessary responses from manager and players with more ground based inter-play, clever movement, and, thank god, signs of an attacking intent when the time was right.

The biggest gripe from me, and many I speak to is the sheer lack of intent, when in possession, to commit players to attack. I’ve written so many times (perhaps in the vain hope that Sam Allardyce might read my critique) that the world’s best strikers would struggle to score in the West Ham system, such is the lack of support play in critical areas.

The defensive midfield player should be holding a line 40/50 yards from the opposition goal and getting the rest pushed in to lock play around the danger zone, forcing mistakes and pressuring defenders. This style was more in evidence during the past two games, and boy, didn’t it make for better watching and more hope that we were capable of scoring?

Despite the predictable whinges and moans emanating from Allardyce and Brady after the Hull game about fans booing, they both know full well that West Ham have a support to die for: loyal, determined and fiercely proud of their East End roots and heritage. They also know full well that these fans KNOW their football inside out and wont be force-fed mindless, tedious, negative, defensive garbage. I think the message hit home after Hull, so Sam and the boys, thanks for listening and, oh, more of the same please!