‘Carpe diem quam minimum credula postero’ (Horace)
The Roman goddess Fortuna was considered to hold sway over the affairs of mankind, bestowing either good or bad luck as she saw fit. Indeed, the Roman Fortuna was essentially fickle and indiscriminate in the way in which she intervened in classic lives, whether for good or for bad.
It is with the advent of the Renaissance that fortuna was placed within the context of personal action or conduct. Renaissance thinkers introduced the concept of virtue, that idea that fortune favours the virtuous individual via their principles and personal conduct. It’s clearest and most stark expression is in Machiavelli’s seminal work on the exercise of political power,The Prince, in which he states that fortune always favours the strong person that takes decisive action.
Why take this little philosophical diversion? Because I feel that it sheds some light on West Ham’s position at the moment. Fortuna has most definitely smiled on West Ham in the last two weeks, with virtually every result going our way. Indeed, last weekend it felt almost as if West Ham’s position was consolidated without us even kicking a ball in anger. If the Roman Fortuna has done us an initial good turn, now it is time for the club to make its own luck, in the Renaissance sense, by ‘seizing the day’ on the pitch against Bolton Wanderers.
No match with Wanderers is easy or unproblematic. Their brand of anti-football, based on aggression and forcing the play, is one that we have struggled to come to terms with. However, the diagnosis is the same as that I advocated against Birmingham City, just magnified! We need to put in the work rate, match their commitment and then bring our greater technique and skill in to play to win the match.
Obviously we must dominate in midfield and (whatever combination is selected from) Parker, Kovac, Behrami and Noble will need to get their foot in, stand strong and impose themselves. However, another area of key importance will be the clash between Upson-Tomkins and Davies-Elmander. You have to grudgingly admire Kevin Davies, he is an aggressive and awkward centre forward that gets in where it hurts. He has done more than any individual Bolton player to take far too many points from us in recent seasons. Upson needs to be sure footed on Saturday and use all his strength and experience to deal with him, whilst Tomkins counters the faster, more mobile Elmander.
Elsewhere, Bolton are likely to be weakened by the absence of Gary Cahill in central defence. That is an important omission and it should give Carlton Cole greater freedom up front. It will certainly be interesting to see who partners Cole, the technically superior Franco, the stronger, imposing Mido or the more mobile Ilan? At the time of writing I am assuming that McCarthy is not fit as yet and, if he is, he will be eased back via the bench.
It is crucial that we build on our recent good fortune and grab the three points, especially with the highly challenging (but not hopeless) away matches with Arsenal and Chelski coming up.
‘Seize the day, trusting as little as possible in the next.’ Well said Horace, be advised Zola!
SJ Chandos.
Nice piece, SJ, well crafted as ever. And if we’re off on a philosophy kick can I just share this … my daughter went to a 'What to do with your philosophy degree' session at Uni last week. A friend asked me how she got on and I said I hadn't found out yet. My friend's comeback … 'I expect they just told her to go away and think about it.'
Boom (as they say) boom!
Well, it made me smile, anyway.
Looking forward to our lads ripping into Notlob, but I see there are rumblings about a rift over the Behrami contract between Zola and 'them upstairs'.
I do hope it's just the usual rubbish paper talk. We really need to hang on to Behrami – and Zola!
p.s.
Did you catch that story about a Sunday League player being jailed yesterday for a foul tackle? Interesting in the wake of the debate about Ryan Shawcross – Aaron Ramsey incident. Click on my username for more.
I don't have great vibes about this one. Lost the last 5 games against them and Davies usually makes a monkey out of Upson. Elmander scored a cracker in midweek and as he can't normally hit a cow's backside with a banjo, we must hope this was his one for the season.
Bolton are playing more football under Coyle and he has vowed to have a go at us as a win leapfrogs them above us. This may help us get a result, but I'm not looking forward to it.
Prediction 1-1 or 2-2.
I've got us to win quite easily here. The fact that Bolton are trying to play football is a positive thing. It is all very well playing good football but when your players are capable then you are in trouble.
They are currently a team that are neither here nor there. They are neither Stoke and nor are they Arsenal.
At least before, every player knew their role and knew they were up to the task. This Bolton team will do well to string 3 passes together in a game.
I have us to win by 3 goals
Has anyone read this piece by Jason Burt in the Telegraph. It is actually quite frightening. If this has any semblance of truth in it, we are in for a bleak time under Sullivan and Gold.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues…
Basic points are:
1.Behrami was going to sign a new five year deal worth £30,000 a week. However, Sullivan has now withdrawn this offer, much to the chagrin of Zola.
2. Nani was sacked against Zola's wishes. They were very close and he is very annoyed about it. Nani's last job was to get a buyer for Behrami and Diamanti. Yes Diamanti !!!!
3. Upson and Green are expected to leave anyway.
4. Most Worrying for me is that Jack Collison has had his contract offer revoked. The lad is the lowest earner at the club on just £4000 a week. Sullivan is not offering his another one.
5. Mido, McCarthy and Ilan are all Sullivan signings. Zola had no say in them.
6. McCarthy is on £40,000 a week.
7. Zola is considering his position as it is becoming untenable.
8. Sullivan wants to pick the team
If this is only half true, it is enough for me, and I suspect thousands of others to say enough is enough, and at the very least consider not renewing our season tickets. Surely mighty mouth cannot be that stupid? Please let this be a slow news day article!
I really hope so but then again who would have thought he would make those press statements a month or so ago….and then claim it was for the good of the team and manager…..and then claim the win was largely down to him!!!!
was just about to post this AH
I think this is Elmer trying to force Zola's hand and make him quit – whether this is the right way of going about it or not is a different matter
It looks like he wants a more experienced man in change i.e. Hughes.
I'm hoping the no new contract offer at the moment for Collison is to keep him on his toes as he has had a bad run of games / form but they did say when they took over that we will be keeping hold of our youngsters so lets hope it doesn't force the lad to look elsewhere – he will be an integral part of the future spine of the team for many years to come along with Tomkins and Nouble
Experienced man in Hughes????? Experienced in doing what exactly?
I'm really concerned about this Frankie. I held my hands up at the beginning and gave them the benefit of doubt but it is one thing after another!
Getting rid of Zola would be a terrible move. The whole squad adore him and want to stay because of him. Carlton Cole will definitely leave is Zola is forced out..which he is right now.
As for Collison, he has had a wonderful couple of seasons for us. This season he has been coming back from a terrible injury and has had to deal with the death of his father. These are real extenuating circumstances. Besides this boy has a great temperament and is a product of the academy. If we sell him or force him out, then what sort of message does this give with regard to the academy?
The academy should be sacrosanct. He won't be an "integral part of the future spine of the team"as you put it, if he is forced out and made to play with £4000 a week wages.
I'm not saying he's experienced son – I was just pointing out that he is the man they reportedly want and that they seem to think he is mate
We need to keep zola in my eyes, he will come good in Zola we trust!!
well said
I just don't see what Mark Hughes has done in management for them to think he will be any good. Quite a dour manager. Not really sure having Ailsa from Home and Away as our manager would be the way to go
Andy, add Dyer into that equation … wage wise he is a massive drain ..
McCarthey on 40k a week oh my god no way he is worth that mich a week. He is going to be injuired half the time, his form has been rubbish for 2years. I only hope he proves me wrong.
Sacking Nani and effectively replacing him with Sullivan is a joke. Sullivan has no background in finding quality players. Nani has deleveried with Behrami and Diamanti.
If Upson and Green go, our back 4 could be all young kids with a rookie keeper behind them. This doesnt make feel good about next season.
Sullivan needs to focus on the admin side of the club, leave the rest to the manager. Give him the transfer budget to spend so Zola can choose what he wants to progress the club. Offcourse there should be constraints on the spendin.
If we Beat bolton then i think we will be safe,I reckon 36 points will be enough.
Its about time we Beat bolton and now coyle is getting them to play the ball on the ground we have a good chance.
Just hope they dont start their long ball aerial bombardment!
We'll beat them on saturday. I totally agree that because the manager is trying to get them to play the right way, it will mean the wrong way and the wrong result for this bunch of plodders.
I would love to see Bolton removed from the top flight – I love to watch good teams playing football and this team is just rank.
To comment on the above.
1. West Ham are reportedly £95M in debt. So if we can get £15M for Behrami it would be good business. However, if a player as talented, young and dynamic as Behrami are as happy at the club as suggested, and prepared to tie themselves down for £30000 a week, then we should re-sign him. Not many players of his quality can be signed on long-term contracts for £30000 a week.
2,3,4. Diamanti is becoming an important member of the team. He is progressing very well. His wages are not as high as many of the other team. He also gives us creativity that we are lacking elsewhere. If Upson and Green are off anyway, surely getting rid of pivotal players in Behrami and Diamanti is absurd.
Jack Collison deserves a new contract. He should not be sold for any money. Also, he is so young that he will improve drastically and his price will go up. If Sullivan wish to strip the club's assets – then selling Collison now is bizarre.
6. If we are cutting costs, which we all agree is positive, then surely there is a way to go about it. Getting rid of players like Behrami who want to commit for £30000 a week, and bringing in McCarthy on £40000 makes no sense. Especially when Behrami is far more important to West Ham.
5 7 and 8. Zola is considering his position as Sullivan gets involved in team affairs. Sullivan wants Zola to start with Mido and not Franco. If fact Franco will be shipped out. This is not about saving money anymore, when Behrami could be signed for £30k and McCarthy is on £40k. When Franco is on small wages and Collison is on a meagre £4000 a week.
It seems that we have, in Sullivan, a Chairman who wants to pick the team and be responsible for who we buy and who we sell. Basically any Manager will be hamstrung. Nani was sold because that is the job Sullivan will be undertaking.
If this article is true, then instead of starting next season with optimism, we could well be starting the new season with
No Matthew Upson(expected and considered reasonable by many West Ham fans)
No Robert Green.
No Valon Behrami
No Diamanti
No Franco
Possibly no Collison
AND no Zola.
Seriously. Why would Zola and Clarke want to stay.
1.They can't pick the team.
2.They can't bring in their own players.
3.They have no say in who they want to retain in the squad.
4. The Chairman publicly criticizes you through the gutter press.
5. The Chairmen talk first to the press about key club matters, even before Zola.
I don't know if anyone here was listening to radio five live on Monday evening? David Gold was live at a football finance debate with other prominent people involved in football.
When questioned, he failed to remember the 3 West Ham World Cup winners. He managed to name Bobby Moore but failed to name Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters. A Manchester United fan had to give him their names.
I don't know about you guys but I'm getting more and more concerned about this duo. They are multi-Millionaires but the debt they paid off was piffling considering how much we are still in debt. We are still in £95Million of debt. David Gold offers to loan Portsmouth £10Million but why not bring down the debt to £85Million?
I'm concerned that soon we will be comparing Terence Brown in a more favourable light if much more of this nonsense continues. I hope that all this is speculation but the fact that it is in the Telegraph and that Burt has written it, concerns me more.
Saturday's game is a home banker for us.
Why?
1. Home form. We are unbeaten at home in 5 games and haven't conceded in 4.
2. Bolton's away form. Bolton have gone four away league games without scoring a goal, a total of seven hours and two minutes without netting
3. Bolton haven't won away since September
4. Owen Coyle is trying to get Bolton to play football. Must be like trying to get Steve Ogrizovic to tap-dance
andy, you are surely having a bubble, right? Any West Ham fan with any memory would never, ever, ever describe any bloody game as a home banker – and most assuredly not one against this mob!!
I am of the thinking today that Sullivan is after survival this season, so he can then sell off all the assets and half the debt. get relegated next season and rebuild in the fizzy pop league with minimum debt and bounce back with the youth that is comming out of the accademy … return to the Premier league and pocket another £30m … get relegated, sell off the assets take the parachute payment and be debt free … force GFZ to resign and there another few bob saved … classic Gollivan policy … change our strip to all blue and do I sound like a brummy fan ? … it does make logical sense tho … to a simple squaddie that is …
Back onto the SJC peice … its like a military historian walking you through a battle field tour that came out of left field … I am mightily impressed …
The Bolton game is a big IOU from the players to all those that travelled to the Reebok back in November … it was a shocking night and simply not good enough. I was so pissed off with certain players that night and by the weekend had no hope for the Chelski game.
We have some balance now and i think the same starting 11 from the last home game will hopefully see us scrape through … no Noble or Collison for me, but maybe Berahmi in behind Parker after an hour and lets see Dyer have a run on the right side of midfield .. or even with Parker sat behind Dyer in the middle … however I just don't see us keeping a clean sheet in this one and hope we go at them from the off with pace and passing football … 2-1 or 3-2 to the irons for me ..
How about we start with Dyer – CC – Ilan up front and go 4-3-3 … that would really piss Sullivan and Chris off …
How would anyone with a football brain let Diamante and Behrami go?told you Zola you are not one of the 2 Dave,s fave,s you are gooooone!but why pay 50 grand a week to Benni fatguts?I know it is your business boys but your not related to Terry Brown or Bg by any chance?
Have not been about much recently, only got back to Ireland this morning and wont be around much this weekend either (mysterious or what?)
I have glanced at the accounts and will comment on them in greater detail next week if people want to hear it but I would like to make reference to a comment that Sullivan made just before the accounts came out, he claimed that they had done a few deals to get the clubs debts down to £95M from the £110M he claim and the £140M he also claimed.
How Dave? We know for certain you didnt put any of your own cash in, did you simply convince people to forget we owed them money or is it the case that you simply lied about the debts all along? Coz thats my guess, it also seems that you can not differentiate between debts and liabilites and simply pile everything that suits your purpose into one big heap (then make more stuff up) and claim we are in a great deal more trouble than we are.
Let me put this in perspective again, Fulham have total liabilities of around £190M, with a capacity 10,000 below ours in a stadium that is literally falling down. Thanks to Hodgsons talent and Curbs being a complete muppet by floggin them half a team for bugger all they are defying the odds but are still in a considerably worse state than us.
Now not content with lying to the fans about the state the club is in you now want to flog our best players because you are too tight to give them the contracts they deserve. Here is a tip Dave, when clubs like Citeh, Arsenal, Juventus and AC Milan want to sign the likes of Behrami, Collison and Diamanti and give them great big fat contracts then its because they are worth it. You on the other hand want to pay a fortune to a fat south african with the hump and no form to sit on an treatment table.
To all of those who wanted him and his crap santa mate to buy the club………..behold your saviours!
I only hope that Zola's team stuff Bolton tomorrow and the crowd get behind him!
Look forward to reading your Finacial analysis Celtic, please make it simple for us non-finacial heads to grasp! It is dfficult to understand why The Daves wont give Behrami a 5 year contract @30k he really is worth it, Upson and Green can walk if they dont want to stay. Hope you'll listen to the game tomorrow with all your mysterious goings on!
TinTack,
I wish I could say that it is a pleasure to hear your comments, but hurling abuse at another supporter, that’s if are a Hammers fan, certainly doesn’t endear u to me or anyone else.
It is also clear you have no football knowledge if you don’t realise how important Behrami is to the team.
Just return to where ever you came from and don’t bother coming back.
PEACE
I think your Seven Sisters road comment gives you away. NO West Ham fan would want to move the club there, so run along to your Spurs blog.
He won't be laughing when Redknapp gets the boot for reasons the club will not divulge, and they miss out on not only the Champions league but also the Uefa cup. They will also get booted out of the FA cup this weekend.
the nosedive starts here!
Nice to hear you're back with us Celtic; I've set a day aside next week to read your thoughts on the accounts!!!!
You need to join up you angry lil man … i'd love watching you squirm amongst real people … you would be such entertainment … a pint of stella and wind you up til you broke down and confessed … its small and you can't satisfy her … so you shout and ball at others … cos you feel small and Insignificant … is mummy poorly … have you no one to gain there attention … scissors please … time to cut the apron strings …
Another great piece SJ.
This is why you are the best West Ham writer on the web. Like a coherent Simon Barnes.
I am worried about the Zola article. I am not happy we've lost Nani and i am worried that Zola will follow.
If Gold and Sullivan let this happen I'd find it very hard to forgive them
Anyway, this is not Bolton of old . This is not Allardyce. We have already played Allardyce Utd this year and grim it was too.
Hope Franco scores i really do,I like this fella alot he's got a great touch but in the last 2 games he hasn't even had a shot,I fell he may lose his place to one of the fatties,hope he's back to full fitness now.
Dyer HAAAAAAAAA dont make me laugh!
SOME PERSPECTIVE IS NEEDED re: the Telegraph article
Part I
• Jason Burt is a friend of ‘sacked’ Scott Duxbury and this could all be scare-mongering by Burt tailored by Duxbury
• Above all else Gollivan want to survive this season would they let this info become general knowledge now and jeopardise what chances we have of staying up by unsettling the squad like this?
• The whole of the team have been under-performing this season that is why we are in the sorry state in the league that we currently are – The Bolton game will be a good test of our teams’ resolve and should provide evidence of this so-called resurgence, should if fact there be one. Bolton are a bit of a jinx side for us, time for our boys to stand up and be counted and turn it around – not too much to ask is it?
• Whether Sullivan has picked a team or not is a little far-fetched to be honest but let’s face it Zola’s team selections and tactics at times do leave a little to be desired don’t they?
Part II
• Behrami still has 3 years left on his deal not good business sense to renew now – at times he tends to run around all over the place “playing football like a twelve year old”, as I once heard someone at the ground say – he offers little going forward most of the time too. And let’s face it NO contract ties any player down these days no matter how long it is
• There has to be a complete change of attitude towards money at the club, a complete about turn
Part III
• Many fans have been calling for a complete clear out in the summer it is inevitable that we won’t like some of the loses but how about the gains?
• Collison may or may not be one for the future that remains to be seen 4k+2k=6k A WEEK that is a lot of money for an unproven 21 year old. Seriously now, 2k a week is 8k a month, 96k a year and that is just insane for any 20 year old unproven player – boys if truth be told we are comparing current salaries to what the Icelanders paid to players that’s why the club is in this ridiculous state – we can’t have it both ways.
• “West Ham will not want to lose Collison, and he is not for sale, although…” and then Burt goes on to talk about Upson & Green leaving in the summer. They have nothing to do with Collison but Burt knows there has been talk of Matty Upsonleaves and Robert grassisGreener going for a while – lumping the two scenarios together like that is typical cheap journalistic scare-monger tactics
All newspaper **llox as far as I’m concerned
Right we shouldn't jump up and down because a press guy writes a non-confirmed article. I think Behrami will go in the summer because his agent said that they were using the World Cup as a window for him to get a move back to Italy. I think the same can be said for both Green and Upson with their excuse being wanting "Champions league football" and also reducing wages at UP. I think if those 3 moved on I don't think I would be too surprised. It would bring in around £25m depending on their performances in South Africa. The important part to all this is that we get Premier League football this season!!! Lets all concentrate on this part first and worry about the summer after the survival has been assured. …
For me the team against Bolton should be the exact same that started against Hull…..get the same tempo going and then get the supporters behind us from the start. WE ARE NOWHERE NEAR SAFE YET – -WE BADLY BADLY BADLY NEED TO WIN TOMORROW – No slip ups!!!!
Green, Faubert, Upson, Tompkins, Spector, Behrami, Kovac, Parker, Diamanti, Cole, Franco.
Subs: Keeper, Da Costa, Noble, Dyer, Collison, Ilan, Mido
If we get rid of Diamanti, Green, Upson, Behrami and others to reduce costs who replaces them and for how much? And who's going to make sure we retain Premier status next season? I can't see how we can reduce costs, get rid of talent AND stay up. Especially with the chairman playing such a hands-on role.
Sack this blog. What a pretentious load of twaddle this thread is. This philosophy lesson is the final reason I will never visit this site ever again. Count the actual posters to this thread. Every comment is just the same 4 or 5 people repeating themselves. This blog is a joke amongst most fans.Especially when it still has the celtic knobhead who everyone hates and ridicules on every other West Ham site, still churning out his crap. Someone please collect his insults about Sullivan from his comment history page, and forward the ones calling him a thief, a thug etc to Sullivan, let's hope that Sullivan takes legal action for slander.
Now please f*** off and top yourself you two bob irish c**t. Over and out.
Get a life and go to some other blog, you couldn't be a Hammers fan.
How do you "sack a blog"?
How many times have you threatened not to return? Do us all a favour and show some integrity by doing as you've promised this time.
Integrity will probably need to be explained to him/her. I'm beginning to think our foulmouthed spud friend might be female with a very bad dose of PMT. Sounds just like 'er indoors when I've had a few!
someone owes you some money Devo.
particularly enjoyed the last 3 words of this post. See ya!
What an orrible lil coment … from a very frustrated lil man … there are more ways to get attention fella, there's no need to get angry … are you a wife beater ? have you been drinking too much stella ? is it a touch small and you can't make her cum ? … there are websites out there that can help … failing that there are the spuds fans down the road … you'd fit in sweet with them …
I am really sorry we all worship Celtic … but he is only a mythical Irish god … didn't you know … don't jump off the bridge tho …yes the river is cold tonight …
did your mumy log you on … go and ask her nicely for a biscuit … good boy .. run along now …
<q>This blog is a joke amongst most fans</q>
More accurately some of its contributors are, particularly those with multiple identities who have staged more hissy fit walk outs than Kevin Keegan.
Nicely worded SJ, but someone put it much better a few weeks ago by declaring "we should attack like animals"… much easier to understand..
4-4-2 all the way, surely…Specs left back (defo not the game for Daprella), Behrami-Parker-Kovac-Diamanti midfield, Cole-Franco up front…
Hammers to win 3-1, break the Bolton hodoo.. cos they're playing crap and can't figure out how they wish to play…Cole, Franco and Scotty Parker to score…
Tomkins to be caught ball watching again for their goal… which they score when we're 2-0 ahead…
As for the press artcle, all nonsense… typical tripe on the eve of a game to create headlines…
That was me mate. More the lion variety than a bunch of otters.
442 is the way to go tomorrow yes. Diamanti should be ok playing left midfield tomorrow – not away, and not to manchester utd after all.
Jesus that guy has serious issues how many times had he tried to have a pop at Celtic?!
Did you sleep with his Nan, mum, wife and daughter at the same time or something son?!
**news flash*** People in having different opinions shocker!!** get over it you sad blatantly insecure, I'm ard' coz I can write swear words mummy's boy… "bitty" will eventually run out then where will you be!??
if you don't agree with Celtic then do one you don't have to read what he posts!!
At the end of the day we all follow the hammers like to have a chat about it and listen to other peoples views end of
[...] Fortuna Favours the Brave! | West Ham Till I DieBecause I feel that it sheds some light on West Ham's position at the moment. Fortuna has most definitely smiled at West Ham in the last two weeks, with virtually every result going our way. Indeed, last weekend it felt almost as if … [...]
There's dreadful rumours about Turds coming back….. please god that can't be true, can it?
I have a horrible feeling that's what is in the pipeline.
Taking the oldest to his second game tomorrow. I'm really hoping to see a much better game than the Blackburn one (Couldn't be much worse). Most likely we will I reckon.
In fairness to Owen Coyle he seems to be trying, at least, to install a more enterprising brand of football at Bolton.
We've got a decent chance of getting a result tomorrow – provided we can play the full 90+ minutes with the same work ethic as we have done in recent games.
COYI!!!!
Dyers in the team HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
Dyer is doubtful with a hamstring injury.Will there be a whole day that goes by without actually getting a quote from the 2 Dave,s?and I so hope Citeh beat Spuds on goal difference for the last Champion,s spot and Hairy Redback gets 2 years at one of the best facilities tax dodgers can get!
I am seriously disheartend to find out that some of you are all the same people … how can so many be so few … and I loved you all … is Chris and devo the same ? or Andy and Goaty ? are the Aussies real … or maybe is Lofty just Scaley … I am so devastated that you never told me and I had to find out on here from some upset lil cookie … do Celtic and OLAS work in the same office and make it up …
I'm a confused soldier … I'm off to talk to myself and sort this out …
Blimey…I've missed a real mind-fest of comments haven't I!! SJC's original blog was excellent. I loved it personally. As it is so late, as far as Bolton is concerned, I always fear in recent years that we are incapable of stopping Kevin Davies from scoring against us. I'm not going to over-indulge. Just hope he doesn't score his normal couple of goals against us and then goes into retirement for the rest of the season and we have a real chance of winning. We really are better than Bolton squad-wise this season. We just need to show it. 3-0 for me. COYI
Hey Tom
Can assure you that I only post under Goatygav.
I've introduced myself to Iain and the blog on the "About" section of the site where many others have done the same.
Gav, I was just poking fun at the muppet above who seems to love Celtic a little less than others and the wrote another piece saying we were all the same four or five people … you've got to laugh at them …
What are your thoughts for today … I think we'll scrape a 2-1 or 3-2 win ..
I do hope that there is no truth in that article in the telegraph. Maybe it was Duxbury getting a dig into the new owners, but if even 50% of it is true, I am very worried about our future. I was never a fan of Messrs. Sullivan & Gold but like most reasoned fans I was prepared to see what they would do for the club. I can’t see that they have brought any stability to West Ham; Sullivan can’t live a day without some inane comment to the media. Most of it is unhelpful and creates the one thing new owners were supposed to remove: uncertainty. I hope that Zola and the team continue to do their talking on the pitch starting with three points today against Bolton.
On a point of housekeeping keeping I see that the cretin with limited vocabulary has been stalking the blog once again under another alias. I am sure once upon a time your very first comment on this blog was subject to scrutiny by the blog author i.e. Ian. Now that we have Ian and SJ could we not return to that system as this guy’s racist rants add nothing to this blog and he is as welcome as a fart in a spacesuit.