Jimmy Greaves has a weekly column in the Sunday People where he sets forth his views on various football issues.  Yesterday his chosen subject was the role and value of captaincy, against the backdrop of the current controversy surrounding John Terry.

Under the title ‘Captain is Moore than an armband’ Greaves plays down the role of the football captain, generally, and was reported as having the following to say about Bobby Moore:

‘Every England captain since Bobby Moore has been compared to the great 1966 World Cup winning captain, and that has not always been helpful.

Bobby was a magnificent defender, a lovely man and a very close friend of mine.  But he is only regarded in such almost sainted esteem because he happened to be captain on that day in 1966.  And that England team could just as easily have been skippered by Jack Charlton, Bobby Charlton or George Cohen, to name but a few.  Had Jimmy Armfield not been injured in the build up to the World Cup, and had George Cohen not been such an outstanding replacement at right-back, then Jim would have been skipper.’

Bobby Moore is held in such high esteem because he was the greatest defender in the world and a totally irreplacable captain for both club and country.  Bobby led the team by personal example and was Sir Alf’s man on the pitch.  He did not  just ‘happen’ to be skipper, he was the choice of the England Manager.  Sir Bobby Charlton has previously said that England would not have won the 1966 Final without Bobby Moore and he is totally right.  If I remember correctly, when he made that comment, Charlton grew emotional talking about Bobby.  Such emotion, respect and loyalty from a team mate is not engendered by just any old captain, but by a very special player, leader and man. 

If you want to see a real captain in action, observe footage of how Bobby pushed England forward, after we went 0-1 down in the 1966 Final, to win and take the quick free kick that led to Sir Geoff Hurst’s headed equaliser.  Watch the closing stages of the match and see the intense pressure that the Germans exerted on our rearguard in an attempt to save the game at 3-2.  While others, by their own admission, screamed at him to put the ball into row Z, Bobby calmly collected the ball, run it out of defence and sent a killer 40 yard pass forward that instantly turns desperate defence into a decisive offensive action, result: Hurst scores to make it 4-2 and the Cup is ours. 

No disrespect to the England players quoted, but I think Jimmy Greaves seriously under-estimates the task of filling Moore’s shoes as England Captain.  Bobby graced the England Captaincy with his greatness as a footballer, his authority on the pitch and his grace and dignity off of it.  In many ways Bobby’s tenure transformed the status of England Captain and gave the position much of the gravitas that it enjoys today.  When a new England Captain is installed he is well aware of the fact that he has to live up to the achievements and high standards set by the great Bobby Moore both on and off the pitch. 

That is why I totally agree with Capello’s decision.  To have not removed the captaincy would have undermined the authority and standing of the position.  As it is, Capello has strengthened it and preserved the legacy of Bobby Moore by showing that high standards are expected of those who hold the Captaincy of the Three Lions.  Rio kindly take note for future reference!

As for Jimmy Greaves, he is rightly regarded as one of the greatest goal scorers of all time.   But I think he is wrong in his comments on the importance of Bobby Moore’s captaincy of the England team. 

SJ. Chandos.

It always seems to happen to West Ham.  They face a team that cannot buy a win or an opposition striker that cannot hit the side of a very large barn and …..  The opposition team turn us over or the misfiring striker scores the winning goal!  This seems to be some sort of perverse, unwritten law where West Ham are concerned!

Burnley are essentially a Championship quality side, who last won a PL match on 31 October 2009.  They have three or four half decent players.  Jensen is a solid keeper, Mears is a decent right-back on his day, Robbie Blake is a good pro and Stephen Fletcher is a centre forward of some promise.  However, the rest of their squad are arguably Championship journeymen.  The Hammers squad is far superior in all respects and that is why we should have won this match at a canter. 

So, why did West Ham start so slowly and allow them to grab the early  initiative that ultimately led to our defeat?  We were on the back foot for the first 20 minutes or so, during which time we went behind to a goal that was, quite frankly, a total embarrassment.  Upson mistimed the bounce, allowing Nugent to nip in front of him and lobbed Green to find the net.  

From about the 30th minute, West Ham began taking control and put mounting pressure on Burnley’s dodgy defence.  As a result, Burnley increasingly demonstrated the fragility that will probably see them relegated come May (other PL teams are not going to be as generous as the Hammers!).

Talking of generosity, what on earth was Collison doing laying hands on Mears to concede the free kick for their second.  It just made no sense whatsoever.  Then enter Danny Fox, to convert a stunning free-kick that Beckham would probably not even have attempted!  I reckon Fox could not repeat that strike in a month of Sky Sports Super Sundays.  This second goal on 55 minutes came totally out of the blue and against the run of play.

On another day, West Ham might have repeated the 5 goals that they scored against Owen Coyle’s Burnley at Upton Park.  McCarthy had one cleared off the line, Parker had a shot turned around the post by Jensen, Stanislas’ excellent free kick came off the cross bar and Mido hit the post in the final minutes.  As it was, our only reward was substitute Ilan’s impressive opportunistic goal in the 80th minute. 

Were we unlucky?  Yes, most definitely.  But how long can we keep putting up with hard luck stories.  We need the side to play with pace and purpose from the kick-off to the final whistle and ruthlessly convert the chances that they are carving out.  If you want positives from the Burnley match, it lies in the match statistics.  We had 53% of the play and made 20 attempts on goal.   We carved Burnley open time and again, in the second half, and there were indicators from this match that McCarthy, Mido and Ilan will combine well with Cole, to give us an improved cutting edge. 

However, the time for hard luck stories and ’should have beens’ are well and truly over.  Birmingham City are a team playing way above themselves this season.  Alex McLeish has moulded them into a competent enough unit, but they are nothing special.   We can and should beat them at Upton Park.

If he is fit, Herita Illunga needs to come in at left-back on Wednesday.  Valon Behrami should play on the right side of midield and provide the  defensive cover to allow Faubert to push forward to deliver telling balls in to the box.  It’s a judgement call I know, but either Diamanti or Stanislas should play on the left in place of Jack Collison, who looks distinctly ‘out of sorts’ at the moment.  And Noble and Parker should continue in the centre of midfield.  Noble to have the holding role, while Parker drives the team forward.  Up front, Cole should partner McCarthy again if the latter is fit.  If not, then we should consider starting the sharp looking Ilan. 

I would also like to see us be a bit more direct in getting the ball in to the box.  I am a devotee of our passing game, but we do tend to over-elaborate at times.  We need to know when to pass and when to go more direct and mix it up a bit more.

Our season will ultimately be decided by our ability to win our home games.  We have winnable home matches against against Brum, Hull, Bolton, Wolves, Stoke City, Sunderland, Wigan and Man City.  That’s 24 points up for grabs.  In addition, we should be looking for realistic away wins against Fulham and Everton (6 points) and anything earnt from the away fixtures against the likes of Man Utd, Chelski and Liverpool would be a much welcome bonus.     

We need 19 points to reach the magic 40 mark and we have to start the process of accruing those points against Birmingham City! So lets get behind Zola and the team and roar them to the three points on Wednesday that will kick start the run of victories will guaratee our PL safety.

SJ. Chandos.

I’ve been appalled at the vitriol thrown at Zola in some of comments reacting to yesterday’s loss. Get a grip. We had about half a dozen chances to equalise. If Mido’s shot hadn’t hit the post and had gone in, would people have reacted in the same way? Yes, we should have looked to have got at least a point yesterday – no question about it. But to react as if we are already dead and buried is just puerile. We are not. Cole is playing his way back from injury and we have three new strikes, one of whom scored yesterday. I am not looking at our position through rose tinted spectacles, but people shouldn’t have such ridiculous knee jerk reactions.

We should show our support for Zola and shy away from any suggestion that the new owners should lose patience with him after just three games. That would be ridiculous. There is no saviour over the water? I’d say to some people that they should be careful who they wish for.

If you’d like to rate the West Ham player performances against Burnley, click HERE.

Please only do so if you were actually at the game or saw the whole match live on TV or the internet.

Please use this thread to discuss the match as it progresses.

I am afraid this will be my last posting on the site for a week. Next Saturday I am in the final selection process to be Tory MP for East Surrey, so I have cleared my diary this week to prepare. So I will leave you in the loving care of S J Chandos.

A lot of us are quite excited by the Burnley match, as it is the first match since our three transfer deadline day signings. Zola has said it is possible all three will feature, although I have my doubts whether any of them are totally match fit. Carlton Cole is scheduled for his first start since we last walloped Burnley 5-3 at home at the end of November. The big question is who will start alongside him. Diamanti has a knee injury and may not start, so the midfield picks itself. The only remaining question is over who plays at left back. Ilunga has travelled with the squad and could replace the improving Jonathan Spector.

The striker lineup rather depends on the formation Zola wants to play. In theory he could play 4-5-1 and start with Cole on his own up front. But if he really wants to see what the new boys can do he will go with 4-4-2. I expect McCarthy to get the nod and start alongside Cole, with a midfield four of Parker, Noble, Behrmai, Collison, with Kovac dropping to the bench.

Green
Tomkins
Upson
Spector
Faubert
Behrami
Parker
Noble
Collison
Cole
McCarthy

I have always been open to the possibility of a future move to the Olympic Stadium.  However, the new regime at the club need to recognise that many fans have genuine concerns about the atmosphere, the running track and security of tenure at the Stadium.  Moving in to a 55,000-60,000 capacity ground could radically transform West Ham’s prospects, guaranteeing the additional revenue to take the club forward.   Also, as David Gold has said, the move to the City of Manchester Stadium worked for Man City, so why cannot a move to the Olympic Stadium work for the Hammers?

However, the fact remains that many supporters are not sold on a potential move across the borough.  I recently took time to speak informally to a few fans, of my acquaintance, to ascertain their views.  Some were uncompromising in their belief that Upton Park was the spiritual home of the club and it should remain there.  Some were nervous at the prospect of selling Upton Park and becoming a tenant at the Olympic Stadium.  Others doubted our ability to fill a 55-60,ooo capacity seater and had reservations about it’s implications for the match day atmosphere. 

If the move materialises, the new owners will need to sell the business case to the fans.  That way, fans can scrutinise their proposals and debate its merits in Hammers sites and forums.  It is important that they take the fans with them by showing how the move will contribute to the creation of a stronger, more successful West Ham Utd FC. 

In the meantime there is a lot of negotiation  to be done before the move becomes a realistic proposition.  But it is possible that hard economic realities and common sense could convince the government that an accommodation with West Ham is not only mutually beneficial, but the only viable option for the long-term use of the stadium. 

The central barriers to be overcome are the Olympic authority’s inflexible interpretation of an ‘atheltics legacy’ and the  collateral issue of the running track.  There is also the issue of the financial contribution that  club will have to make to the post-2012 adaption of the stadium.  Apparently there is an government budget allocated to fund this work.  But how much will the club be required contribute to expensive adaptations such as the possible installation of retractable seating over the running track? 

The fans need to be convinced that this move could open up an exciting new chapter in Hammers history.  At the moment many of them just see it in terms of a loss of the club’s heritage.  Yet, Stratford is actually in the old County Borough of West Ham, unlike Upton Park which is officially in East Ham.  So, it could actually be argued that the club would be moving back to its roots.  Yes, the club has been located there a very long time, but is it really the Upton Park of old?  Atmosphere wise, the current stadium is certainly not the ground that I remember from the 1960s, 70s and 80s.  Nothing like it.  The Taylor Report put paid to that!  Upton Park is pivotal to the club’s history, but perhaps we may have to accept that it will eventually pass in to historical record to facilitate a new chapter opening up in Stratford, post-2012. 

One fan said that he felt that a move would be a ‘betrayal of the legacy of Bobby Moore.’  I can understand that feeling, but we should remember that Bobby’s relationship with the club after 1965 was not always unproblematic.  From what I have read it would appear that after the ECWC win he grew increasingly frustrated at the club’s lack of ambition and failure to mount a serious championship challenge.  Maybe, just maybe, Bobby would have seen this move as evidence of some belated ambition by the club?

We obviously need to know what would happen to the proceeds from the sale/development of Upton Park.  I think that most fans would expect to see those monies reinvested in the infrastructure of the club.  Also, the club have to secure a lease at the Olympic Stadium that guarantees long-term security of tenure.  Realistically, I do not think that this is a problem.  Afterall, there are not likely to be many other options in terms of tenants!

Anyway, that is a potential issue for the future.  More immediately, it will interesting to see if all the discourse about the club’s alleged levels of debt is a prelude to a hike in the price of season ticket/match tickets next season?  If I recall correctly, season ticket holders were told that renewal for 2009-10 would guarantee a freeze and slight reduction over the following two PL seasons.   Assuming that we will retain our PL status (which I think will be the case) will those commitments now be honoured? Or will they be dropped and a price hike justified by the state of the club’s finances, the need to invest in the squad in the summer transfer window, etc?   Time will tell?

SJ. Chandos.

Click HERE to watch David Sullivan being interviewed on Hardtalk with Stephen Sackur.

Julien Faubert has been quick to pay tribute to the fans who have contacted him praising his courage for playing on Saturday, only two days after the death of his mother.

“I am so pleased to have received these messages from our supporters. I can’t tell you what it means to me. It is so nice. It just shows that the fans don’t only get behind the players when we are playing on the pitch. Also when we have difficulties in our own lives, they make an effort to send in a message. This has helped me a lot, especially at this time. This is why I love England and West Ham so much. It is not just the team but everyone else behind the players, it is very special. I definitely wanted to play. There was no question for me. This is what I wanted to do for my mum and for West Ham. She would have been saying, ‘whatever happens, I want you to play’. She would say ‘you have to go on, go forward with your life and with your football – you have a job to do and a son of your own to look after’. I am a professional footballer with a duty to West Ham. It was hard but I didn’t want to let West Ham down either.”

I’m sure I speak for everyone who read this blog when I say that Julien Faubert’s performance on Saturday was an inspiration. His mother would have been very proud of him.

Faubert described his mother as a driving force for him as he grew up and followed his dreams of becoming a footballer.

“My mother was an inspiration. She was the one there for me when I was growing up, I lived with her all the time and she supported me in every way, whether it was buying me boots or driving me to training or games.

“I was born in a poor area of Le Havre, so it was difficult and she made a lot of sacrifices for me. I know she is happy and proud of me and I have good memories.

“It’s a difficult time for me and my family, but I have my wife and son helping me through this as well as the fans and everyone here at West Ham. This will help me to go forward.”