It wasn’t the best deadline day was it? I wasn’t expecting monumental things but it ended up being somewhat of a nonevent. I’m just pleased we weren’t subjected to witnessing the prancing and profane fools and their sex toys gurning behind my poor, frozen Sky colleagues. Enough was enough on that score!
As far as West Ham’s transfer activities go it was one big fat failure but it was certainly not for the want of trying. It appears the chairmen and their minions worked their socks off trying to garner some interest and get those all-important signatures on the dotted line but as we all know January is a bit of a bitch and you can’t always get what you want. I’m not going to lose too much sleep over Darren Fletcher or Bafetimbi Gomis if I’m honest. What I explicitly didn’t want was Emmanuel Adebayor and luckily I didn’t get what I didn’t want…if that makes sense. The ex Arsenal & Tottenham striker does talk a good game and definitely makes an impressive initial impact but he has failed to deliver in recent seasons, he’s another big target man that we’d probably end up lumping the ball towards and furthermore did I mention he talks a lot? And not in a good way. He courts far too much controversy for my liking and West Ham have a superb dressing room at the moment. We don’t need anyone messing with that harmony thanks. Veto all you like Mr Levy. You can keep him…and Kaboul. At least it meant that Winston didn’t go the other way. That would have ruffled a few claret and blue feathers. Too many of our finest have left the club for lily white pastures. I say never again! My step dad reminded me recently of the time as a (clearly quite aggressive) little girl, I leaned over the wall above the tunnel at Upton Park and shouted “JUDAS!” at Paul Allen as he left the field. He even looked at me quite apologetically. I obviously wasn’t impressed with treachery then and nothing has changed since! Leave us for WHL at your peril!
Reid remaining with us was the biggest plus for me. In the land of the blind the one-eyed man is king and we’d struggle hard without him with a fully fit squad, let alone with a defensive injury list as long as your arm. He’s a terrific player and has been brilliant for us this season. He’s really come into his own and has developed into a solid, quality defender. It’s a temporary stay of execution I wager but I’d be confident that his departure in the summer will give us a lot more time over the next few months to identify a more adequate replacement.
I felt for Carlton Cole who almost got caught up in a Peter Odemwingie type scenario. He’s been an able and loyal servant for us over the years. Not hugely prolific but like Bobby Zamora before him some of his goals were absolutely instrumental in our limited success. It must be tough for him to be bandied about as he has been lately. Released last season then humiliatingly dragged back to Chadwell Heath in the no striker era, he returned with no complaints and a positive attitude, used sparingly this term (which he no doubt understands), then touted around to all-comers only to have the plug pulled on a decent move to West Brom in the final hour. Sucks to be him! I don’t think Carlton will be quite as smiley and good egg-ish as he was the last time round. Nor should he be. As Alan Curbishley so succinctly put it, sometimes the ‘moral situation’ is forgotten. Will Cole get a contract in the summer as beneficial as the one Pulis was offering? I doubt it. This period of his working life is crucial. He’s in the twilight of his career and might struggle to get a Premier League deal at all. Who owes what to whom here? Yes he’s gotten as much as he’s given at West Ham, both financially and professionally so there’s an argument to say that we don’t owe him anything. Yet it’s a shame that he now has to see out his time with us almost certainly on the bench and undoubtedly at a club where he knows he’s no longer wanted. He’s a superb professional and will probably conduct himself in the right way and with minimal fuss but it still stinks. Am I wrong here? I know it may be ‘just business’. I love this club with every fibre of my being. I support our team, our manager and our board to the hilt, and I’m the first one who would prioritise our interests, but a modicum of decency towards one of our most devoted employees would have been nice. Stay classy West Ham!
Now we face a tumultuous few weeks with some tough fixtures and some bare bones at the back. At least the FIFA rap was relatively lenient. Expulsion from the FA cup would have been a categorical disaster. After the Tevez legal saga we didn’t need that kind of negativity hanging over us again. I’m sensing that the dip in league form will continue for the foreseeable so I’m pinning my meagre hopes to the Challenge Cup mast. I still have the glint of silverware in my eye! I’m certainly not as buoyant as I was a few weeks ago but as we all know only too well, the life of a Hammers fan is defined by polarities. We lurch from pleasure to pain, despair to euphoria, devastation to success…all in the blink of an eye. We’ve just got to roll with it.
Come on you Irons!!
B x