West Ham’s approach for Manchester City’s title decider

So, we come to the final round of matches, of what has been a thrilling Barclays Premier League campaign, with Manchester City firmly in the driving seat in the title race. Liverpool, having looked as though they would comfortably win the league a few weeks ago, are now totally reliant on West Ham to win at the Etihad stadium on Sunday to give them any chance now.

I wonder if a certain Steven Gerrard is now regretting his comments about West Ham after Liverpool played us last month in light of this. He claimed that he and his Liverpool team-mates had had to walk from the team coach parked outside the ground into Upton Park and had to suffer a warm changing room (poor lambs). Also, the surface of the pitch was too hard for Mr Gerrard and his team-mates, hindering the mighty Liverpool’s total football.

Apparently this was all part of a West Ham conspiracy to unsettle the Liverpool players before the game – something which was strongly denied by Hammers co-chairman David Gold on twitter.

Personally, I think it fits into Gerrard’s fantasy world in which the noble Liverpool, who play football in only the purest possible way, have to overcome the uncivilised teams such as West Ham, who will try any underhand trick in the book to get an advantage over the honourable Gerrard and co. And of course, as with all heroes, the glorious Liverpool in the end managed to overcome these impediments and put the beastly Hammers in their place (via a disputed penalty).

So, it is with a certain irony that, Liverpool’s title aspirations lie in the hands of West Ham, although I don’t know how our players will possibly cope with playing on a pristine surface like the Etihad eh Steven?

For West Ham fans, we can at long last finally relax and enjoy watching our team play, without any expectations or pressure on the result. With this in mind, I would like to see this freedom reflected in our play. I don’t want to see us go to Manchester City and park the proverbial bus, like when Aston Villa played them on Wednesday. We should show some attacking intent on Sunday. That’s easier said than done of course, but sooner or later in the game it is likely City would break us down anyway, with the quality of their attacking players, as was the case in the match against Villa.

I do think the West Ham players will be determined to do well in this game, which will please Liverpool. Kevin Nolan was a boyhood Liverpool fan, and I imagine he would like them to win the title. Then there is Mohamed Diame, who will no doubt put on one of his better performances with the eyes of the world watching him, with it being the perfect audition for his top six team move that he believes he has earnt. And if he can help win Liverpool the title on Sunday they would surely sign him?! And of course there would be a poetic irony if Andy Carroll and Stewart Downing, branded as flops by Liverpool, won the game for the Hammers and therefore the title for the men from Merseyside.

So we can try an enjoy ourselves for this drama that could take place in this match, as I have a feeling it may not be as comfortable for Manchester City as many believe, and is an opportunity for the players to express themselves on a huge stage.

And Steven Gerrard may be advised to keep his smug, self important (and almost certainly exaggerated) thoughts to himself next time, as you never know who you might just need a favour off in this league.