Greetings you Irons! Since we had a Monday night thriller? Chiller? Spiller? I’m not sure of the publication schedule, so I’m not exactly sure when this you will see this, however, it’s been last updated at approximately 10am in London, 2 Dec, 2020, started aprox 24 hrs before.
I know, you thinking, and I’m saying “who cares!” :-) on top of everything, we are all probably aware that West Ham United F.C. beat Aston Villa in as “old school” (there was blood) a match as you can get, mixed with the kinks and newly implemented laws and technology that all must endure, some are in favor of, most are against, and none can do anything about….. Perhaps THATS the problem… changing “too much,too soon” ask the New York Dolls about “too much, too soon”…. ask me….. ;-))
As earlier pointed out, thoughtfully and thoroughly, West Ham United beat the “as equally revived” from last year’s trials and tribulations of a relegation scrap that I was sure would end with the last match, against Aston Villa, however we know what happened, both played their form well enough that we were safe thanks to a solid draw taken from up Manchester way, west end, it would appear….“the Stretford End” Red, Satan…. THAT side of Manchester…. them… and Villa had to lose, however, also had to have like 3 other clubs all win by 6,7 goals, so, it was pretty much a “beach day” for both, and the score reflected that, imho, 1-1, and, oddly enough, due to the obvious this year….. I was literally at the beach that day!
So, when I say “who cares”, up a few paragraphs is I mostly mean we’ve won a match that in my approaching 21 of actively following this league and most accurately, this club, would most likely have ended by draw or loss, not with West Ham taking all three points, (I “Predicored” a half time 1-1, and full time 2-2, and con sartnit….. Damn You, VAR!!!!!) ;-))
Tbh, I was shocked in a very pleasant way that they didn’t find a way to explain it in Villas favor….right now, letter of law, thats offside…..do I think we should be taking it that far, no, but this falls under the “can’t do anything about” category. Just like the pen, was it weak, sure, letter of law today? A penalty.
Yes, Grealish is ANOTHER player who you’d ask why he has to resort to the “dark arts” as often as he does. He doesn’t need to, he’s really good, the “1st” equalizer that stood, Grealish found space in the center channel, it was in before I could scream at Oggy and Balbuena (in support, of course cos they’ve been outstanding) to, “COLLAPSE THE CENTER!!!” Still, even both match commentators for NBC sport, Conor McNamara ,and West Ham academy product Matt Holland, commented about “the Dark Arts” of the game, of which he seems to not use, but abuse…… a debate, perhaps for another day.
The other exciting thing about this win, is even perhaps in 2015/16, this still ends in a draw or even worse, (we are getting the rub, and making as much out of it in a positive way) is just that, Bankes? (Yeah Hamburg, I had to check make sure I didn’t type what I wanted to) Other than the facts you disclosed about him, I could perhaps see that he was gonna do everything to make it look, or to help Villa get something, if not the win cos this is now 6 matches that he has overseen for Villa that they’ve not won. He also called the law for our 1st Match against Newcastle, needless to say, not an idol of either support, yet he did do everything within his power to make it look like he doesn’t have anything against Villa, definitely favored them in fouls, however I did see him let some tackles go for us by Coufal, Rice, and Soucek, that are usually called now, but we’re perfectly legal I up to 20, 30 years ago, so, small credit for him trying to let “football” come back a bit.
That all being said, I will take the 3pts with a mint, and a monthly Transpass (the golden ticket of riding public transportation in Philadelphia, one of the worst in the country, just being honest, I’ve lived here for 75% of my life, I should know….. :-))
So, as I was in a weird mood Monday morning when this was started, I still am, not the best, a rainy chilly Monday, into a “winters coming” Tuesday, having a very hard time thinking about what to write. It’s mid Wednesday now, but to the talking point, over all.
As I settled in for the match, I kid you not…. right before they announced the fact that they are going ahead this weekend with letting 2000 supporters since any have been let in the 9th of March…. I actually finally thought, after all this time, (almost like I didn’t let myself notice it), how much it sucks that there have been no supporters in the stands, perhaps feeling for the first time since June that I was being a touch “ungrateful” that I had football to watch, and Especially how much…“everything” was missing that no live supporters are enjoying this run, then, the announcement came as if reading my thoughts and not only setting off my overactive superstitions, but also a sort of excitement (that I won’t let get away from me, cos the 2 times I have about this Virus, we’ve had another spike.)The game really is incomplete without the support, and no one feels that more than those who go every week, and follow the club over hill and dale to cheer on the lads every week they can.
Yet, we are dealing with something that scares me more than staring down the barrel of a .44 magnum hand cannon, I don’t know, perhaps experience? Seriously, perhaps an extreme comparison, but if one wants to catch the eye these days…. Maybe it’s the crappy oddsmaker in my head that has ensured I’ve not ever suffered a gambling addiction, thankfully, (a very real and potentially tragic thing) tell me crazy things when adrenaline is coursing through tell me you have a better shot at not getting shot, by using guile, or the good reflexes that it took to be a decent keeper, goalie, 2nd Baseman and Split end,than I do than catching a virus that they (the medical community) has really just began to fight? Still it in those moments of extreme thought when the realities of bad things kinda smack me in the face.
Of course, it’s not like they are letting the hoards back in, they are doing a gradual build up, hopefully not leading to more spikes in cases, cos I’m not sure about Europe, but if this isn’t at least reigned in a bit by the beginning of ’21, I shudder to think.
Which would perhaps bring me to my suggestion of a discussion point, are you o.k. with the partial opening of the gates? or are their different ways to reintroduce supporters back into the grounds?
As my opening paragraph states, I’m pretty in between about it, I’d rather wait until 20,000? 30,000? could be let back in? However, how long could that take??? It just smacked me in the face yesterday whilst I was watching our squad walk down the tunnel and out onto the pitch alone, how much I miss the fans….. and I’m “armchair hardcore”, but the fans are an entertainment in an of themselves, either if you are there, or not.
Yet, how important is that when one has seen how this “bleeping” virus kill in every way possible, figuratively, emotionally, and literally, and should we yet mess with something we should just be grateful is happening to begin with?
Personally, I’m right now the middle, I go back and forth. Unfortunately this won’t be my first column with pictures, (like I said, been a few weird days, I’m a bit off my game), and just the reality of life right now can have a very bipolar effect upon me, as I’d imagine it would most. That all being said, I’m pretty grateful that West Ham United are currently T-5th…… it’s not like we’ve never seen it before, but I’m starting to think this really is a special squad.
Please, don’t let this get you down, the subject has been broached, as I edit, a debate about “Freedom of Choice” is a foot, (a great Devo album and song) but it’s the age old debate, only now, applied to if it (the vaccine) should be “enforced” or one should have their own “choice” in getting the vaccine, so it’s obviously a very a relevant subject.
I thought they might wait until they could let “5 figures” in, but according to NBC sport, there will be 2000 let in to see the “Red Devils” (accurately named) :)) and it’s not like it’s “hot off the press”, but since it’s almost midweek, a short week after 2 very long ones, I figured I’d see where the general consensus is on that, and besides, I’ve sort of hit a block, form is good, fortunes revealed a bit of itself, and long may that continue.
Love ya All!
Jimmy
COYI!!