For a week in which nothing actually happened in the world of West Ham United, a whole lot happened. On Tuesday, vague reports started to filter through Twitter that Sam had been sacked. Within hours, those reports changed from Sam being sacked to Sam definitely not getting a new contract in the summer and replacements being sounded out. The uber reliable @ExWHUEmployee told us that both David Moyes and Slaven Bilic were candidates to take over this summer. This newest episode of Sam based drama apparently centered around our new free agent striker, Nene. As we all know, word around the campfire is that Nene is a Sullivan signing against the wishes of Sam. David Gold said he is fit, Sam said he is a couple of weeks away.
If Sky wanted to make a reality based drama on the inner workings of a football club, we’d be a very solid candidate.
Would all of the off the pitch distractions interfere with the club’s preparation for today’s derby against Spurs? Or would it galvanize the squad to rebound from last weekend’s bitter disappointment against West Brom? While I’d have to say the latter, it doesn’t take the sting off of what we just saw.
The news that Kevin Nolan had been dropped to the bench was greeted with the kind of unfettered joy you’d expect from a Cup victory. Twitter became a contest of who could put up a graphic that could best describe the jubilation. My vote went to @rikkimoore666. Look it up if you’re interested.
The match didn’t start well for West Ham, with Spurs applying all sorts of pressure and denying West Ham any time on the ball. That pressure almost paid early dividends in the 6th minute when Kane chased down a bad pass and saved it from going out for a goal kick. Kane found Townsend, who then found Bentaleb twenty five yards out, and the Algerian fired a cruise missile that forced Adrian to make a fantastic diving save, pushing the ball out for a corner. The ball came back to Bentaleb, but this time his shot was right at Adrian.
West Ham were again lucky not to be down a goal in the 11th minute when Dembele sent a looping pass over the top of Reid and Tomkins to Kane running into the box in between them. Tomkins looked completely beaten by the pass, but Reid kept his eye firmly on the ball and did just enough to deflect Kane’s right footed effort off the post.
While I realize automobile based metaphors are over used, I’m going to use one anyway. West Ham finally got out of first gear in the 18th minute. Downing pushed well down the right before his cross was cleared out by Kane for a corner. The set piece ended up on the foot of Cresswell, but his shot went over the bar. A few minutes later, Song dispossessed Dembele on the edge of the Spurs penalty area. When Dembele tried to retrieve the ball he was muscled off by Valencia who tapped the ball back to Song. A quick pass to Noble, who threaded it to Cresswell. As we’ve seen so many times this season, the value of having full backs that can run the channels and deliver good balls into the area cannot be overstated. Cresswell’s cross found the head of Kouyate, and West Ham were the first on the scoresheet.
Spurs 0, West Ham 1.
Spurs almost leveled four minutes later when Kane sent a pass over Tomkins, something our lanky center back seemingly doesn’t enjoy, and onto Danny Rose, but while his header went over Adrian, luckily it also went over the bar and onto the top of the net.
West Ham came right back with a chance of their own, and again it came off the foot of Cresswell. His cross from the left wing found Valencia in the heart of the Spurs penalty area, but Lloris did well to rush out and stop Valencia’s volley. Spurs countered quickly, and after breaking down the left flank Kane cut inside and passed to Ryan Mason, but his low shot went just wide of the far post.
If West Ham are to make the jump to the next level, we are going to have to do more with the chances we get. Right before halftime, we had a few half chances that didn’t ask Spurs any questions at all. Strong work by Valencia deep in Spurs territory won West Ham a corner. Downing’s attempt was poor and didn’t beat the first man at the near post. Reid won the ball back, however, and got it back to Downing. But again, his low cross was easily cleared but only to Song. Instead of the pinpoint accurate through balls we’ve see quite a few times this season, his pass was to nobody and out for a goal kick.
Right before halftime, Noble was shown a yellow card for getting a handful of Townsend’s shirt. At the time, we all probably worried that he would make a bad challenge somewhere down the line and be sent off. Would Sam make the necessary substitution in the second half to save us from that?
Halftime. Spurs 0, West Ham 1.
Along with Kane, Christian Eriksen has been the focal point in Spurs recent run of form. When he wasn’t in the starting eleven, we all breathed a sigh of relief. That relief turned to fear when he started the second half, with Dembele coming off.
If Enner Valencia has come under criticism for one part of his game, it’s been his first touch. So often he gets the ball in decent areas only to be let down by his initial move with the ball. But it’s getting better, little by little, and in the 54th minute he used a good first touch after running down the left before cutting to his right to fire a shot towards Lloris. It was blocked by Dier, the ball came to Noble and Spurs were able to handle his follow up shot.
Diafra Sakho is a goal scorer. When he has even the slightest sniff of the net, he will go for it no matter what. Generally that’s a great trait to have in a striker. But in the 59th minute, it was far more of a curse than a blessing. Noble sent a ball down the right for Sakho. With Valencia wide open in the box, Sakho chose to shoot. I don’t think he ever even glanced up to see if passing was an option, and a pass would likely have led to an easy tap in for Valencia. Sakho’s shot was saved by Lloris at the near post. Minutes later, however, he made up for that lack of judgment when Spurs failed to pick up Noble. The captain on the day sent a fantastic cross to the far post that Sakho somehow was able to volley past Lloris.
Spurs 0, West Ham 2.
West Ham almost killed off the game a few minutes later when we were awarded a free kick after Dier brought down Sakho. Noble sent the ball to the far post where it found Reid. His header went right into the path of Valencia, but Lloris not only made the save but flicked the ball out for a corner while on his back.
West Ham then made the first of their two controversial substitutions. Noble was lucky not to see a second yellow after he took down Bentaleb with a reckless challenge, and Sam rightly decided to minimize the risk by pulling him off. And if there were ever a time that many, if not most West Ham supporters would have understood the introduction of Kevin Nolan it was then. But Sam chose to insert Carlton Cole. Minutes later, Valencia was removed for Jarvis.
I’m not saying that it was those moves that changed the game, but it certainly seemed like Spurs started to control things from that point on. While West Ham were able to get a foot on many a Spurs pass, the signs of trouble were there. In the 78th minute Spurs won a free kick, and with Eriksen on those set pieces become a far more dangerous affair. His curling effort was bound for the top corner before Adrian got a hand on it. Three minutes later, West Ham’s defense were finally breached when a Lamela cross was weakly punched out by Adrian to a waiting Danny Rose. Nine times out of ten, a mishit shot like Rose’s would amount to nothing. But today was the time it bounced off the ground, over Adrian’s head, and into the net.
Spurs 1, West Ham 2.
That is when my capacity to sit and take notes went away. I put my pen down, and started pacing the room. I’m not a journalist. I’m a supporter that volunteered to do this.
Soldado came inches away from a second Spurs goal in the 85th minute, but Adrian made a superb diving save.
When the screen flashed with five minutes of added time, I felt nauseous. But for the first 4 minutes and 45 seconds, the bad things I expected to happen didn’t happen. Kane had a shot blocked by Tomkins, and then Eriksen sent a shot miles over the bar. I though we would see it out.
There is absolutely no need for me to recount the details here. Was the penalty soft? I just don’t know. But regardless, Song was clumsy. When you make contact in the box from behind, you are not only asking for trouble you are demanding it. Cresswell was right there, and very well might have gotten in Kane’s way. The fact that Adrian made the stop made the day go from bad, to worse, to so depressing I don’t want to do anything the rest of the week. It hurt that much.
Yes, we played well. Yes, Spurs had quite a few chances. And yes, if the game had ended level in a different manner we wouldn’t be gutted. When we were up 2-0, all I could think of was Sam taking an appropriate swipe at Moron Grant when he took over by promising his team would never blow a 2-0 lead. And now that little bit of security has been washed away. I’m not blaming him. I think the substitutions were odd, but its not like we had tons of quality options on the bench. Again, it says something when Nolan might have been a better choice than either Cole or Jarvis.
I’m just very, very upset we didn’t take the three points we deserved. Not a great literary ending. Just an honest one.