I had the great pleasure of going to Upton Park for my first home game of the season – and I really liked what I saw. It has to be said that this was not the brightest or best Newcastle team I have ever seen, they haven’t scored a goal since the opening weekend. Their attacking unit has been described as ‘powder puff’, but I have lost count of the number of times I have trudged back up Green Street having watched West Ham be battered by inferior teams who take advantage of mediocre Hammers’ performances or hit us on the break. Monday night was different.
It was still scrappy in parts. It was clear that we took our eye off the ball occasionally. But when it worked, there was a style on the pitch that would make the most hardened West Ham fan purr – and the style went from front to back.
Slaven Bilic said after the Bournemouth game that ‘he would sort it out’. The Newcastle game was his first opportunity to do so – and he did. Playing Victor Moses from the start was an inspirational choice – and the way that he linked up with Payet and Sakho. Mark Noble celebrated being appointed as the club captain by having another masterful game in midfield and linked up well with the defence and the attack. It was perfect and when it worked, it worked really well. The defence linked together very well and Biulic was absolutely right to put Tomkins back into the centre when Jenkinson came on for Ogbanna. It kept the defence strong and focussed.
I was disappointed that we were only 1-0 up at half-time. It wasn’t for the want of trying, but we didn’t finish the job. The best feature of the second half was how we kept on going, defended very well and made some very sharp counter-attacks on the break. Overall, it was a cracking performance that approached the dizzy heights of our away performances at the Emirates and Anfield.
I thought the crowd’s performance was OK at the Newcastle game – but not brilliant. There seemed to be an acceptance that we were going to win – and not much enthusiasm to spur the team on. Newcastle sang more and got behind their team more – at least until the second goal. Don’t get me wrong, there was nothing negative about our crowd’s behaviour – it just felt a little bit meh! May be I am being a bit harsh, but I don’t think I am. It will be interesting to see what other people think.
I know we should start to relax and enjoy the football, build up some hope and excitement around this season and hope that we can emulate the boys of ’86 who paraded on the pitch at half-time, but I am a West Ham fan, we thrive on pessimism after overdosing on hope too often. I look at the table and, instead of enjoying the fact that we are fifth and Chelsea’s 4th bottom, I see 10 points in the bag and only 30 to go for safety! Instead of saying with relish ‘right, bring on Manchester City next week and we’ll do them to’, I think ‘oh my God, all this is going to come crashing down next week at the Etihad’.
It can be a costly pessimism. One year, our very last game of the season was against Manchester United – away. I went to Old Trafford and, just for fun as they say, had a little bet on the game. I was so confident of our team that I wrote out the bet without even thinking – West Ham to win 1-0 with Carlos Tevez scoring the only goal. This was a brave bet – I think, form memory, for a £10 outlay, I stood to win over £300 or so. This was the bet of the optimistic West Ham fan who had faith in the team; the optimistic West Ham fan who believed that, for once, faith would triumph over hope; the West Ham fan who believed that, for once, the West Ham way would prevail and we could and would win at Old Trafford.
I know that you all know that we won the game 1-0 and, of course, that Carlos Tevez was our goal scorer – so I know you are all dying to know what I spent my winnings on. My hard-earned and well-earned winnings that were the result of having such faith and optimism about the outcome. Did I put it to one side to help pay for my next season ticket? Spend in on a nice meal for myself and my brother who was at Old Trafford with me? Treat myself to something special at the bookie’s expense? Well, no I didn’t. None of the above in fact.
I’m a West Ham fan. I can’t even see the bloody glass, let alone see if it half empty or half full. Just before I handed over my betting slip, I bottled it. My bravery evaporated and my pessimism returned. I took out my pen and changed 1-0 to 1-1 – to my eternal shame. As a result, we won and I lost – but I was very, very happy and had a grin from ear to ear all the way back to London. I have never changed a bet on West Ham ever since – whatever my first instinct is, I stick to it.
My bet at the Newcastle game was West Ham to win 3-0, because my hope and optimism are returning – and that’s all down to Slaven Bilic. He said after the Bournemouth game that ‘he would fix it’. And he clearly did. He wrote in the Newcastle programme that if we ‘cut out the silly mistakes, we will be alright. And the team mostly did. A little bit more ‘oomph’ behind the team from the Boleyn crowd and I think we will have all the elements necessary to fully restore by hope, my faith and my optimism. And give me an ability to see every glass as half-full and not half-empty – although it’s empty now and it’s your round.
Etihad, Schmetihad – three points against City please.