Welcome to my first Hammers blog. In actual fact it’s my first blog full stop! Initially I had big plans to delve into the history of my life long love affair with all things West Ham United. That’ll keep. Because with all the excitement and chaos at Sky Sports HQ over the last few days (and weeks!) I couldn’t really ignore the drama of the latest transfer window. So for what it’s worth here’s my take…
I’ve been pleasantly surprised by what’s been happening at Upton Park. OFF the pitch anyway. You can’t argue with some of the quality that’s been brought in. I watched Ipswich several times the last couple of seasons and Aaron Cresswell was more often than not the best player on the park. He’s tricky and pacey, loves to get forward and when he does he can deliver. He’s a good old fashioned attacking full back, the likes of which we haven’t seen in a few years. Getting from box to box quickly and whipping those deadly balls in should not be a problem and of course he can defend which helps.
Morgan Amalfitano is another solid signing. My friends at West Bromwich Albion were sorry to see him return to Marseille at the end of last season but I’m sure they won’t be too thrilled to see him back at the Hawthorns on 2 December! He was used mainly on the right wing for the Baggies and who can forget his stunning solo goal at Old Trafford last September? Then again one wonder goal does not a superstar make (Modibo Maiga anyone?). The Frenchman has said he prefers to play behind the striker. I’m not 100% certain that’s where Big Sam sees his role so I think he’ll learn to get versatile in this team. Everyone else has to!
I didn’t know anything about Enner Valencia until he scored for Equador during the World Cup. Next time I saw him he’d rocked up at Chadwell Heath pre-season. I was gobsmacked. £12m is by no means a snip but he was in admirable form for Mexican side Pachuca last season and of course in Brazil he looked an explosive young talent. He’s quick, looks hungry and is eager to impress. Hopefully knows where the goal is too. He has said he has desires of bringing European football to East London (bless him) so he may have to rethink his ambitions slightly but hey the boy can dream!
Talking of dreams I did have to rub my eyes when I saw Alex Song being paraded at the Boleyn ground. I’m looking forward to seeing him in the claret and blue. I’m just glad they got his signature before the Southampton game. Otherwise he might have hijacked DG’s chopper at full time & zipped off back to sunny Spain.
As for Sakho, Zarate & Kouyate I have to admit I wouldn’t have recognised them if I’d walked past them on Green Street before the season started but from what I’ve seen and heard so far I’m satisfied they’ll do the business for us. Zarate’s strike at Palace was different class, Sakho is also off the mark already, albeit in a cup defeat, but getting a good start can only be a positive thing. As far as Kouyate is concerned, well I haven’t seen him play in the flesh yet but everyone is raving about him. When I interviewed Stuart Downing for Soccer Saturday last week he was waxing lyrical about the lad. He was really impressed with how quickly he had settled in. He’s strong, aggressive, wins tackles, breaks the game up and shoulders the burden of the defensive play, giving his attacking team mates the luxury of getting forward. He’s a terrific find! Downing also said that there are no excuses now. There’s nowhere to hide. He’s absolutely spot on.
At times last season with Andy Carroll out we looked lost and half the time appeared defeated before a ball was kicked. We had nowhere to go. We barely had a fit eleven and players were played way out of position. Again we flirted with the drop. For far too long. It CANNOT be the case for Sam Allardyce and the boys this time. The board has backed him, he’s been given good money to spend and this time he’s not put all his eggs in one 6ft 3in Geordie-sized basket. But it does mean Big Sam has to deliver. He has the squad now they just have to show up.
As I work on a Saturday I didn’t get to see the Southampton game. Lucky me I’m told. It seems we were woeful. With so many new players arriving they will need time to gel so I think we can pull them a squeeze for that defeat. But the gaffer must show what he can do with this team and quickly.
A lot has been said about Sam and his style but look at it this way. When he walked into our club after the Avram Grant debacle the club was a shambles. He took the team by the scruff of the neck and dragged us back into the Premier League. He kept us up by hook or by crook. No it wasn’t pretty but we survived and 10th and 13th place respectively is not to be sniffed at in this division. Plus, the players respect the manager. There is a great togetherness and the lads genuinely like him and each other. There’s a lot to be said for that and Sam’s ability to foster a cohesive unit shouldn’t be underestimated. Whether or not the board have really demanded attractive football is another story but over the coming weeks and months I think we’ll find out. Downing dodged that question extremely well. I asked him in a plethora of ways whether there had been a conscious effort to adopt a more expansive method of play but he was artful in his deflection. He did say that winning games breeds confidence and that THAT will have a positive effect on the way we play. We proved that against Palace. In spells the football was just like the West Ham we fell in love with. But let’s not fool ourselves here, at the time the Eagles were in crisis.
We can’t get too comfortable. Beating Tottenham three times in a season is a hell of a lot of fun but it’s not enough. We’ve already screwed that one up now anyway. I’m prepared to give Allardyce a chance. Easy for me to say when I’m not paying the big bucks for a season ticket to watch some of the dross that was served up on occasion last season, or yet another relegation dogfight. I know this. However, I’m eager to see what the gaffer can do with this calibre of squad at his disposal. Questions have been asked about his ability to evolve but he deserves the chance to try. Sam Allardyce has never been relegated…but can he bestow upon us the flowing, attack-minded, possession-heavy, footballing exuberance that us misty-eyed Hammers fans still fantasise about? Can Sam give us sexy football?
Well, with the international break it’s the perfect opportunity to do the graft, get it right and give Messrs Neville and Carragher the chance to analyse our beloved team for all the RIGHT reasons when we visit the KC on Monday week. Oh and here’s hoping that Mo Diame has a VERY quiet game.
B