When I say sponsoring, we’re basically picking up the bar tab – each of the meetups coincides with a decent game of football, so it will be an afternoon/evening of football, beer and general banter.

There are more details on this post here: Football Blogger Meetups

Bloggers of Birmingham City, Wolverhampton Wanderers, West Brom, Aston Villa, Manchester United, Manchester City, Walsall, Stockport (etc etc) we’ll be in your neck of the woods first so have yourself a butchers are the details page linked above and get yourself over for some beer.

I’ll be at all the events – and most certainly the ones in New York, Washington DC and Madrid – so if you’re based anywhere near any of those then it would be great to catch up for a pint.

Football Blogger Meetups with FootballUnited.com

I feel particularly sorry for the handful of Citeh fans who had me shout in their faces when we scored. They were frustratingly arrogant though, and were apparently suffering from some sort of syndrome reserved for clubs with money; that is one that means you fail to see any blatant fouls by your team, and think that because you have money your team can do no wrong. I’m in reference here to the tackle early on Faubert that ripped a hole in his sock, above his ankle…”not a foul” they maintained.

May I also suggest that with great financial power comes more favourable refereeing decisions. I guess we knew that anyway, but it was again made evident last night.

I wouldn’t want to be accused of being bitter again, but frankly I felt we were dealt a grave injustice last night (although it doesn’t make up for the poor poor first half performance, and it’s not an excuse for a loss)

Firstly, can somebody please explain to me why our second goal was disallowed? I’ve seen it over and over, and there is not justifiable reason for it to be chalked out. That goal would have pulled the scored level at 2-2.

Actually, no it wouldn’t have done…

Because, secondly, neither do I see why they should have got the freekick they did…from which they scored their second. Again, I did not see a foul…please do correct me if I’m wrong. The City player went up for a header and missed it. I suppose that is a foul really….when you’ve got money. It wouldn’t have been 2-2 without that freekick, we would have been 2-1 up. Completely different game from that point on…even if our performance didn’t deserve it.

I do fully understand that the way we played, particularly in the first half, was poor. Very poor. And we could’ve been well beat.

It’s such an obvious thing to say, but goals change games. Had our goal stood we would’ve been on a high, I’ve not doubt about it. Our confidence would surely have rocketted and our gameplay changed. We play our best football when playing with confidence and last night we looked drained of it.

It’s not unheard of for teams to go places like United, City, Arsenal and sneak a result with a smash and grab performance. Or grab a goal that was against the run of play…but it’s those goals and those games that change games and ultimately the course of the season.

Our performance didn’t deserve to win the game last night, but nonetheless I left feeling robbed of a result by two poor decisions by the man in the middle.

Of course though, nothing will be said of it. A fuss won’t be made and a refereeing performance won’t be reviewed.

Sam

Often face-first.

But, personally, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I’m taking no different approach to this evening’s game against Citeh. I see there as being every chance that we can go to Eastlands and get a result, if not a win…but if the players and staff go there with any other opinion, then I could see us being in big trouble. But no need to dwell.

Ok, so City have spent the equivalent on what would keep a developing country from poverty over the last year or so. They’re matching, I assume, their big transfer fees with infalted wages. The thing is if you spoil a child, they only end up wanting more. The richest people in the world will never be satisfied with earning more money – they will grow to need more. And it’s been shown over and over again in football that placing arrogant, egotisitcal players in a squad together, pay them big money (some more than others), you only end up breeding greed and a desire for more.

No Citeh player will ever be happy or content. Their egos will continue to grow, their pockets continue to bulge and all the while, I feel, their undoing will come to pass. Adebayor for example…he wasn’t content with a big money transfer away from Arsenal. He wasn’t happy with just big wages. He had to go one step further to quench his desire to prove something to Arsenal and their fans…he simply had to act like a moron just to get one up on them. Do you think he’s happy with that now? Somehow, I doubt it.

The very fabric of what their plastic club now stands for is indulgence and gluttony. And unless they get over that, the rot will eat away and they will only ever be known as under achievers.

Grounds for optimism

Perhaps I’m being a little harsh on them? But as far as I’m concerned tongiht, what I’ve mentioned could be our grounds for optimism. That the Citeh players, may expect to win tonight. The fans certainly do. They may be taking the winning part as a ‘given’ just how many goals they’ll score will remain to be seen.

I’d hazard a guess that they figured exactly the same when they played Wolves and Portsmouth earlier in the year..yet only winning 1-0 on both occasions. May I be as bold to say that we will put up more than a fight than both of those sides?

Ok, they thumped Arsenal. But for that game, they had to ‘up their game’ and change their mentality.

If we go there this evening and humbly play the quality of football that we know Zola has instilled in our side. Work hard and play our game, then I’m confident that it won’t be the walkover that so many pundits and fans alike (from both sides) are predicting.

Who thought Wigan would beat Chelsea 3-1.

Who thought Burnely would turn over United 1-0?

We need to get behind our side tonight. The results so far this year have been disappointing, and our displays at times a shadow of what we were seeing last year, but I have faith. I trust in the project, and I trust in Zola.

Let’s stop knee jerking and calling for people’s heads. It’s exactly the behaviour you’d expect from clubs like City, Spurs and Chelsea. It’s pathetic, and West Ham aren’t like that; long may that continue.

Come on you IRONS!

Sam

After Manchester City’s loss against Bolton however, I had a quick look at their recent run of form in the league (specifically their last 6 games). It reads as follows: P6 W1 D1 L4, against the following teams respectively, beat Stoke, drew against Newcastle and lost to Wigan, Liverpool, Middlesborough and Bolton.

Incidently, our last 6 games have shown the same return and and we have also played Arsenal and Man Utd.

So with all due respect to anyone who is suggesting that maybe Zola should be sacked/replaced already then have a quick look at City’s recent run of league games, the manager they have in charge and the players they have on the pitch.

I guess all I am trying to say is, if Zola deserves the sack then so does Mark Hughes, yet noone is calling for his head.

Zola will and is slowly showing us that he has immense potential as a coach and I for one am exceptionally excited as to what he can bring to our club.

Sam

Equally, Sunday’s performance against Manchester City was possibly one of the worst ever performances I have seen from a West Ham team…they played like a team who had spent a large percentage of their wages in the pub before the game. It was shambolic and they owe us big time.

It’s easy to be at the game and feel the need to boo. It’s easy to pick out individuals. And it’s sometimes it is easy to want to make a surge for the technical area waving our season tickets in Curbishley’s face demanding a full refund.

It is clear for all to see that there is something funadamentally wrong at our club.

We have every right to express to the board, to Curbishley and to the team how we feel right now…it is important in fact, that we do. Otherwise Curbs in all his blithering blindness to our current situation would probably continue life thinking that he is doing a swell job, “considering our injury situation”.

I just don’t think that it is ever right to boo the team off at half time….no matter what. At full time yes, if the performance and decision making from the ‘management team’ deserves it. We don’t want to be known as a group of people who make claims of being some of the best supporters in the world and back that up by booing the team at any given moment.

I never thought I would wright something like this next bit, but Curbishley is right when he said this:

The fans are brilliant when they are behind us and they have to realise the effect it has when they are not behind us

I know there are people out there who will disagree with this post and I’m not for one minute attempting to excuse the appalling performances that we have put up with in recent years. And obviously more recently. Neither am I attempting to excuse the shambolic injury crisis that is too reccuring to be a coincidence….there is something wrong with the diagnosis and treatment of injured players at West Ham at the minute and it needs to be sorted. Nor am I making allowances for Curbishley feeding us excuse after excuse about the different factors that have affected our performance each week…and most weeks passing the blame onto somebody else.

I just think that it is so important that when those players pull on the Claret and Blue shirts that we support them fully. Curbishley has until the beginning of next week to conclude any pending transfer rumours (and he has asked that we judge him only when the transfer window is shut). So on Saturday when we may very well be losing to Blackburn, get behind the team. Don’t stop singing…encourage the players who are clearly putting in their all and we may just influence the result.

At the end of the day, if Curbs isn’t going to take responsibility for getting the best out of the team, then we should.

If you want to read an article that will really get your back up, read THIS. The guy is a moron and he clearly hasn’t grasped the real reasons why we are pretty disgruntled right now. It really annoyed me anyway!

COME ON YOU IRONS!!

Sam

Make sure to vote as to who you would play against Blackburn based on how the Macclesfield game left you feeling! VOTE HERE

I read in the Daily Mail before the season started that we are the least exciting team to watch in the whole league. I bluntly refuted this rude and unjustified judgment of our underlying quality and entertainment. (Obviously blinded by my pre-season optimism)

My reasoning however, and in all honesty, was born purely out of an innate and mutual understanding that teams like Wigan and Bolton were clearly more boring to watch than the mighty West Ham. Surely that was obvious to everyone.

It seems I was wrong.

The team that Curbishley has masterfully engineered out of a deep and thorough understanding of West Ham United footballing traditions, turns out to be a group of spineless, underperforming individuals who have left me entering a new week (once again) feeling overwhelmingly embarrassed.

People might question why I can feel so strongly about this after just two games of the season. I guess in response I would say that the fact it is only two games in, gives me reason enough to feel so strongly.  The players should be fit. They should be strong. They should be fighting for their places. They should be aspiring for a successful season. They shouldn’t be putting in disgraceful, lackluster performances or looking like a team who haven’t once played together all summer. Who haven’t worked on tactics or indeed, fitness.

Man City looked sharper, looked more innovative, looked faster and generally looked better. And so did Wigan.

There was no difference whatsoever from the team that we willingly endured last season. Not even a new kit.

Contrary to popular belief however, there are some positives we can take away from the game…..the fans. I am standing up and applauding (in between posting) while I write this. Last time I checked, it’s not free to buy a ticket for a football match, and neither is it free to travel to one. Particularly one half way up the country. The fans who traveled were in full voice throughout and were the only people associated with West Ham who could walk away from Eastlands today with their heads held high.

If you didn’t see the game or don’t know the result, we lost 3-0, Mark Noble was sent off in the first half for two (stupid) bookable offences and we didn’t have a single shot until well over and hour of the game was played. (On the sending off note, we had the same amount of players as City until Noble was sent off, and for the last ten minutes of play because they had to take a player off injured)

Not a single shot. Not one. Nada. No shooting at all. No kicking of the ball towards the goal. “That’s it son, kick it as hard as you can…well done! Take a run-up and have another go, you’re doing really well”

We finally have a result that our performance deserves. There is not hiding behind injuries or lady luck after this one Curbs. No more false league positions and no more, “Look, we nearly got relegated last year. 10th is a big improvement on that…so you fans, stop being so fickle”

No passion, not organised, spineless.

It has been said by a guy called Mark Driscoll that in a city, culture is born. Everything ‘downstream’ (ie society) of the city subsequently inherits it’s culture.This is going somewhere I promise.

What I can see happening at Upton Park at the minute is that at the very top, in the boardroom (ie in the City) something is stirring. I don’t think we will ever truly know the root of the waves, but I’m pretty sure it has something to do with the Tevez case. Let’s say 99% sure. Correction: In hindsight, this was me simply getting over enthusiastic. 99% is definitely a bit high and as Joe J points out below, I don’t want to fuel the Sheffield United ego’s!

It is clear that the current flowing out of the city (the Boardroom) is being inherited by everything downstream…and I think it does mean that Curbishley’s hand is being forced. (This is me trying to defend Curb’s here!)

Worst case scenario, we lose the Sheff Utd Mash-Up. We, and BG are out of pocket by a substantial sum of money….it means therefore that not a single penny is available for transfers unless we sell certain individuals to lowly clubs such as Fulham in order to raise funds.

I’m not trying to be a doom merchant here…more of a reality merchant.

The thing is, Zamora has even said it himself. That we need to sell more players:

Football is a business now and selling players is part of it.”

Asked if he expected more players to be sold off, Zamora said: “I don’t really know the ins and outs of what the club need to do but it is a possibility.

“I understand West Ham need some money but how much is anyone’s guess.”

If however the money raised from selling two ‘legends’ is to be used to bring somebody else in, then it would appear that that person is to be Valon Behrami. He is reportedly having a medical at the club this week, and we would be getting him at a fraction of the price. Potentially good business as he is a good player.

As he plays in a similar (if not the same) role as Lucas Neill, this rumour fuels further the possibility of Neill being re-united with Mark Hughes at Manchester City.

I guess the point to this whole post is that although it has been a pretty painfully boring and uneventful transfer window thus far, the reality check is that we may just need the money. BG may just be playing his cards right at the minute just incase Sheff Utd do get their hands on anymore money they don’t deserve.

Onto more exciting things. We are playing an actual game tonight!

I am personally looking forward to watching this. Yes, it is only Hampton and Richmond Borough but we are going to get a chance to see how the side are shaping up. How they look injury and fitness wise.

And, on a positive note, it has been rumoured that David Obua, who has been on trial at West Ham for the last 8 days, is going to get a game tonight. We will see.

So let’s take hope. Next year is a new year. We have ‘new’ players to see even if we haven’t signed anyone in some respects.

I think patience is the key.

Sam

“Premier League experience does count for a lot and he [Hughes] has proved that he can mix it with the best over the last few seasons”

“I will have to wait and see now which way the club is going to go. There is certainly the need for some stability.

He would have been a brilliant addition to the squad in my opinion, but I was concerned that it was being considered to let Anton leave in order to release the funds. Had that happened, I would have been particularly disappointed and would have certainly made me question Curbishly’s desire to hold onto our youngsters.

Sam