The real owners of Jonathan Calleri

The Argentine striker is not owned by a football club, but a Tevez-esque investment fund.

Argentine striker Jonathan Calleri has joined West Ham with relatively little fanfare - but as word of his talent spreads, so does the mystery of his move deepen.

Sao Paolo, Deportivo Maldonado, Boca Juniors or someone different altogether?

The official West Ham site felt confident enough to release that the club had agreed to ‘sign Argentine striker Jonathan Calleri from Sao Paolo’ back in mid-July, so this move has been firm for some time.

With the Hammers saying they had got their man from Sao Paolo back then, the official announcement of Calleri’s signing now says he plays for Uruguayan second-division club Deportivo Maldonado, and was in fact on loan at Sao Paolo. Now a club insider has told the reliable ClaretAndHugh that ‘Boca wouldn’t go there at all’ on an eventual buyout price. That’s Argentinian side Boca Juniors - who Calleri undoubtedly played for but not since 2015.

So what’s going on here? It’s all very confusing but seems to hark back to an issue West Ham fans will be more familiar with than most - third-party ownership.

On transfer deadline day 2006, West Ham pulled off a major coup by signing Argentina World Cup stars Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano.

Fans around the world were left scratching their heads with regards to how they had pulled it off. Eventually it turned out Kia Joorabchian, an Iranian businessman interested in purchasing West Ham, actually owned the economic rights of the pair through various businesses, namely Media Sports Investment (MSI).

Whilst a familiar practice in South America, it was not so accepted in the Premier League and a protracted legal wrangle ensued, eventually leading to West Ham being fined a record £5.5 million for failing to reveal the full terms of ownership of the players. Whilst Tevez became a club legend after leading a great escape from relegation, the Hammers didn’t get a transfer fee when he moved to Manchester United, nor did they get anything when Mascherano transferred to Liverpool.

Eight years after departing West Ham, Tevez was back at boyhood club Boca playing up front with 22 year-old Jonathan Calleri, who netted 16 times in 41 starts for the Buenos Aires outfit. A decent record for a player his age - but there was more to come.

"the Hammers have him on loan from second-division Uruguayan club [...] who he has never played a game for "

Most recently, in the 2016 Copa Libertadores, Calleri was top scorer for semi-finalists Sao Paulo with nine goals. That’s no small feat. The Copa Libertadores is the South American version of the Champions League, featuring the best teams from Colombia, Argentina and Brazil.

As mentioned above, most outlets now report that the Hammers have him on loan from second-division Uruguayan club Deportivo Maldonado - who he has never played a game for and who would never realistically have had a chance of persuading him to.

"Inter were scared off by this deal"

So how did this happen? Six months ago, when Inter Milan were on the brink of signing Calleri and loaning him out to fellow Italian club Bologna, a mysterious third party club swooped in and bought Calleri. They registered him with Maldonado who are apparently a specialist club in transferring players from the Americas to Europe in a way which reduces how much those involved will have to pay in tax.

It seems Inter were scared off by this deal as they suddenly left the picture when a move was assumed imminent. Word has it that Barcelona were also sniffing around Calleri very recently, but West Ham managed to beat them to the signing too. Even as a West Ham fan, it’s pretty obvious that these clubs are attractive options. So was it just the fact that the deal was so unclear that these giants were frightened to do it in the same way Manchester United apparently turned down Tevez and Mascherano before they moved to East London?

"an investment fund in a transfer is against the FIFA rules"

Calleri’s real owners are said to be Stellar Group. Jonathan Barrett owns the player consultancy company and represents the likes of Gareth Bale, Luke Shaw and Joe Hart. Barrett featured in the Daily Telegraph’s 20 most powerful football agents in European football. With a pedigree like that, you’d imagine he knows what he’s doing, but one thing is for sure, and that’s that the presence of an investment fund in a transfer is against the FIFA rules.

Unlike first thought, this deal is evidently not as straightforward as Manuel Lanzini’s, who signed for West Ham after impressing during a loan spell in one of David Sullivan’s preferred ‘try before you buy’ transactions. If Calleri impresses like Slaven Bilic has indicated he could, there could be a really complex transfer chase for him and who knows where West Ham would feature in that.

With his international clearance still on hold, it’s possible details of his ownership will become a little clearer, but of all clubs, West Ham will know best to tread carefully.

Follow me on Twitter @RichMaher93

Problems for West Ham despite Chelsea win

Dreams fading and dying is literally in the script for West Ham fans, so I can’t help bringing myself back down to earth after our win against Chelsea by pointing out a few concerns.

First things first, our start to the season has been exhilarating and we have a squad with sufficient depth to maintain our form over Christmas and beyond. I don’t want to drag the mood down - I just think there are some potential issues worth noting before they materialise.

Sakho’s Sacrifice

The Senegalese striker will not score as many goals under Slaven Bilic as he did under Sam Allardyce. This doesn’t mean he is giving any less to the team; his work-rate has been incredible since Bilic came in and his relentless running, tracking back and dragging defenders out of position   should not be underestimated.

Diafra Sakho’s willingness to take on this role has been impressive and I don’t think it’s one that his strike partner of last season, Enner Valencia, would have the discipline or the positional intelligence to do. But I don’t think it’s something he, or anyone for that matter, can maintain over the whole season.

"could a hint of envy set in?"

He’ll keep his head down and get on with it whilst we are winning, but he’s in danger of becoming frustrated when we inevitably, like every team does, hit a bad patch. He was a revelation when he came in last season, surpassing everybody’s expectations by winning October’s Premier League Player of the Month and matching a league record of scoring in all six of his first starts.

That was a taste of the high-life for Sakho, and it would be understandable if he were to want that flavour again. At the moment he is putting in all the hard-yards whilst the likes on Manuel Lanzini and Dmitri Payet take the plaudits - could a hint of envy set in?

Payet Reliance

Payet is the best player we’ve had at the club since Carlos Tevez in terms of technical ability, and whilst we have a large and very talented squad, his importance is obvious, widely-documented and is becoming increasingly so.

"the psychological effect could be devastating"

‘Give it to Payet’ is becoming a familiar call on the terraces and, whilst every great team often has a talisman, we need to be wary of over-reliance. I have no doubts that the squad would have enough to get by without Payet if, God forbid, he were to pick up an injury - but I think the psychological effect could be devastating.

The Frenchman was faultless yesterday and, if he keeps this up, Didier Deschamps can’t ignore him for the national team. It seems a little too good to be true that we managed to sign him in the first place and we’ve had such terrible luck with injuries to key men that I can’t help worrying. Let’s pray that he’s an exception.

Slaven Bilic’s ‘philosophy’

The problem being that I can’t see much of one at the moment. It’s great in some ways. A purist like Arsene Wenger or Roberto Martinez might have been too stubborn to turn to an option like Andy Carroll yesterday afternoon, and it was proved how effective that can be.

But we did set up like an away-team, and gave a bit too much respect to Chelsea at times, especially for the first quarter of an hour in the second half when they were already down to ten-men.

"There’s no better feeling than a giant-killing, but we need to maximise points against the lesser teams"

It’s great that Bilic seems to have mastered this counter-attacking style. It’s led to four very memorable wins so far this campaign, but we still need to get our head around how to control the game and take it to the opposition rather than waiting for reactive opportunities to break. That much is clear from our troublesome home form against the lesser teams, particularly Norwich a few weeks ago.

Time will tell on this one. Everton at home will be a very interesting clash to see how we go up against a team of similar stature. There’s no better feeling than a giant-killing, but we need to maximise points against the lesser teams if we are to really stake a claim for Europe.

Man-management

And now the obvious one. Luka Modric and Vedran Corluka have spoken in the past about how Bilic is a top man-manager from their time working with him for the Croatian national team. He will certainly need his players at West Ham to respect him similarly at West Ham.

"the bench was worth around £52m yesterday"

Mauro Zarate has four goals in his last five starts, Michail Antonio had scored four goals in five appearances for Nottingham Forest this season before he joined for £8m. Just a year ago, it would have been inconceivable to think that players with those statistics would not get in the side.

By my estimations, the bench was worth around £52m yesterday. That’s an unprecedented array of talent for a West Ham team. Keeping Sakho happy whilst he is playing might be difficult, let alone some of the big names who won’t get in the team.

Andy Carroll won’t be happy making cameo appearances forever, Mark Noble’s place is at risk with Alex Song on the way back, Enner Valencia will want game time, remember Reece Oxford? The FA Cup can’t come soon enough for us to give us another platform to get these players on the pitch.

Bilic will have to be careful to rotate where appropriate to keep people happy, and that’s easier said than done when those in the first-team have been so impressive that it would be impossible to drop them. The Croat is renowned for treating players with respect, like friends, but as we saw with Morgan Amalfitano, he certainly isn’t a pushover.

" don’t think we’ve sold anybody who we wasn’t comfortable with letting go"

The biggest compliment that I can pay to David Sullivan and David Gold is that every year since we got promoted, I’ve thought “next season, our squad won’t be this good”. But we held onto the likes of Carroll, Winston Reid, now Song and also Mohammed Diame for as long as we wanted to.

I don’t think we’ve sold anybody who we wasn’t comfortable with letting go. That’s great and long may it continue, with other clubs certain to cast an eye towards Payet and Lanzini. But with success comes victims, and Bilic will need to make sure squad members feel valued.

-

Hopefully, none of these things manifest into real problems, but there’s nothing to be gained in avoiding them. If early impressions stand for anything, Bilic has the sense and mettle to tackle them head on, and continue leading us

Follow me on Twitter @RichMaher93

Liverpool could break Hammers' hearts

‘Big Sam Allardyce’ has made a great start to the Premiership era of his reign at West Ham. But he is not the only man who has already made a ‘big’ impact at Upton Park this season. Unfortunately, I have made the mistake of falling in love with Andy Carroll.

If any of you had the misfortune of tuning in to Sky Sports ‘Goals on Sunday’ featuring Allardyce himself, you would’ve heard the regretful confirmation that it is a distinct possibility that Carroll can be recalled by Liverpool in January.

We must applaud David Sullivan and David Gold for their ambition and determination to bring Andy to the club, but it appears that the deal is not as ‘watertight’ as it was first described. Insiders had previously claimed that Carroll could be ours for a figure of around £18 million at any point during the year, and also suggested that the transfer of Carroll was an offer exclusively available to West Ham United; however it has become clear that we could lose the player far quicker than the time it took to bring him to the club.

This clarity on the issue is just one example of what will become a repetitive battle of our owners’ claret and blue tinted eyes and desperation to please the fans, versus Allardyce’s cynical, frank realism.

Whilst Gold and Sullivan would have you believe that Carroll was in awe of West Ham United as soon as he opened the door of his customised Range Rover and looked up at the castle-like exterior of the Boleyn Ground, Allardyce has admitted that Carroll was reluctant to leave Liverpool and is only really here in an effort to get some first-team football and capture Brendan Rodgers’ attention.

As supporters we must not judge Carroll too harshly for this attitude. We’re all huge fans of West Ham and believe all our players should love the club as much as we do, but what we must remember is that he moved from his boyhood team Newcastle to join Liverpool, in a deal which made him the most expensive British footballer in history.

Even the most biased amongst us can accept that Liverpool is a great football club with a massive fan base who are dedicated to their club in a similar way to we are. They may not be experiencing their most successful period at the moment, but Carroll would obviously love to become a part of Liverpool’s illustrious history and, understandably, does not wanted to be judged as a failure.

Liverpool are currently struggling just outside the relegation zone whilst we are enjoying life back in the Premier League in 8th position. Whilst this could be seen as a reason for Carroll to want to stay at West Ham, I think it is vital that Liverpool overtake us soon or the pressure will mount on Rodgers and he, or his replacement, will quickly give in to pressure to call for Carroll to return to Anfield in a blaze of glory.

Rodgers’ football ideology could not be more different from Allardyce’s practicality; his idealistic playing style evidently has no room for what is perceived to be a 6ft 3” powerhouse. And that’s exactly why we need Rodgers’ homage to Barcelona to work and convince everyone, including Liverpool’s owners, that the old-fashioned centre forward is becoming extinct in the modern game, paving the way for Carroll to join permanently.

The appointment of Rodgers suggests that Fenway Sports Group subscribe to his ‘project’ and will give him the time necessary to transform Liverpool into a vibrant, free-flowing, attacking side. However they have far less commitment to Rodgers than they did to Kenny Dalglish in terms of risking alienating the fans, and so the fact that they sacked Dalglish may worry Rodgers.

Carroll could easily be brought back as a stop-gap plan to pick up some points before Rodgers’ next major transfer window. If Rodgers is fired then it is likely a more results-based manager will replace him, such as Harry Redknapp, and they would be certain to bring Carroll back in a heartbeat.

A brilliant forward is something that West Ham have not been particularly blessed with in recent years. Paolo Di Canio and Carlos Tevez are the only two amazing players who spring to mind; for the rest of the time we have had to settle for decent strikers who are confined to rare moments of quality such as Bobby Zamora, Dean Ashton and, in the current day, Carlton Cole.

Although Cole is certainly a likeable figure, undoubtedly committed to West Ham United and is not as useless as some would have you believe, the gulf in class between him and Carroll was shocking against Fulham.

Carroll controlled absolutely everything in the advanced positions of the pitch; he won almost everything in the air with ease, against a strong competitor in the form of Brede Hangeland, and showed an awareness when placing the ball which suggested he had been nurtured in that team for years when, in fact, he had minimal training time and was thrown into his debut in a reckless attempt to reconcile an embarrassing defeat at Swansea.

Anyone who tries to suggest that Carroll is a one-dimensional lump is talking absolute nonsense. I honestly believe he is one of the best players we have had in our squad for many years. Allardyce’s determination to force a deal through must be commended and I’m sure we are all relishing the thought of Matt Jarvis’ much-talked about cross completion statistics coming to fruition with Carroll providing the target.

He may not emit the same exoticism as the likes of Tevez did, and his towering frame and scruffy image complete with greasy pony tail does him absolutely no favours in terms of fitting in with the popular sleek, fashionable footballer stereotype of the moment (Cristiano Ronaldo, Cesc Fabregas, Fernando Torres etc.) but Carroll is a special player.

He may be unavailable today but we are still extremely lucky to have him considering we are in our infancy during this spell as a Premiership club. He completes what is one of the most competitive squads we have had in recent years and we could be in store for a solid campaign back in the top flight, especially if we maintain our 100% home record today against Sunderland.

Let’s hope Liverpool can also kick-start a successful season against Manchester United on Sunday as it could help us to hold on to a 23 year-old who is integral to fulfilling our dreams, as opposed to, predictably, seeing them fade and die.

Follow me on Twitter @RichMaher93

West Ham's Premiership XI

Since the Premier League’s inception in 1993, it’s fair to say that West Ham United have had a rather turbulent time; the era has been packed with relegations, promotions and controversies, but also some of the Premiership’s greatest footballers. This is a Hammers dream-team which has been accumulated over the years and would certainly be a force right at the very top of the table.

GK – 17. Shaka Hislop

There’s more competition than you might think for the goalkeeper’s spot, but I’ve gone for Shaka. Ludek Miklosko was coming towards the end of his career when the Premiership was formed so Hislop has been given the nod to take the gloves from here. He played over 100 times in his first spell at Upton Park but will be most remembered for his first season, 1998-99, when he collected the ‘Hammer of the Year’ award. With the club facing a goalkeeping crisis, Hislop was signed and instantly installed as ‘the number one’. He was eventually replaced by another contender, David James, and moved on. However he returned for a short spell in 2006 to play a vital role and protect the goal in the FA Cup Final against Liverpool and this gives him an excellent shout to be involved in this team.

RB – 23. Glen Johnson

We didn’t see him in the claret and blue for long enough but if he had been able to stay I’m sure he would’ve been remembered as one of our greatest right-backs to date. He proved his maturity when he was thrown into the first-team when the side were on the brink of relegation and was invaluable to our admirable attempt at escaping the fall to the second flight. He has since played for Portsmouth, Chelsea and Liverpool and represented England 35 times. He really adds a modern and attacking edge to the right side of defence.

LB – 3. Julian Dicks

It’s always a bonus to have goals coming from random areas of the field and having Julian Dicks at left-back would certainly offer that. Not only was Dicks an unforgiving, tough defender, he also managed to score 50 goals for the Hammers over his two spells there. His formidable reputation as ‘The Terminator’ made him an intimidating player for any right-winger to come up against but also a threatening enemy for opposing right-backs. He’s one of the first names on the team sheet.

CB – 5. Rio Ferdinand

Rio Ferdinand definitely makes the team, and arguably makes the cut for a dream team of the Premier League’s entire history. Ferdinand has absolutely everything you could want in a defender; he’s comfortable on the ball, can be physical when called upon, extremely quick and has footballing intelligence like few others. Ferdinand won ‘Hammer of The Year’ at just 19 years of age and has gone on to win the Premiership five times and the Champions League with Manchester United, who shelled out £30 million for him from Leeds way back in 2002, a price that is still baulked at, considering it is for a defender, till this day. However there is no question he has been worth it and is a definite starter for this team.

CB – 6. Steve Potts

It was a difficult choice as to who Ferdinand should be paired with but in the end, Steve Pott’s hard-work paid off. It would’ve been nice to have Potts on the bench due to his versatility, but his work ethic, loyalty and dedication to the cause meant he was able to sneak into the starting line-up. Not the biggest of defenders, and certainly no goal-scorer, but Potts was notoriously underrated and one of the most loyal players in West Ham’s history. He made 399 appearances for the Hammers and therefore more than deserves his place in this team. Steve Potts is the most trustworthy of the back four.

CM – 21. Michael Carrick

Carrick is another one of Tony Carr’s graduates who gets a place in the first team. He provides great vision and a superb long-ball from midfield as well as being able to do the simple things with excellence whilst not forgetting his defensive duties. Some people may not rate Carrick but Sir Alex Ferguson doesn’t spend £18 million on a man and put him in his team 167 times if he is not good enough for Manchester United. Perhaps surprisingly, Carrick also played for West Ham 137 times. The fact that he won ‘Young Hammer of the Year’ two years in a row in a side dominated by the famous FA Youth Cup Champions such as Ferdinand, Joe Cole and Jermain Defoe is testament to his ability and how well he played for West Ham whilst he was there.

CM – 8. Scott Parker

Parker partners Carrick in a solid centre-midfield which helps to give the more attacking players the freedom to show their flair. Parker is the one of the more recent entries and certainly deserves his place after his phenomenal individual performances have dragged a terrible West Ham side out of so many desperate situations. Parker is incredibly calm on the ball and utilises his famous swivel to great effect in order to control the pace of the game, but his rugged determination and commitment is what really solidifies his place here. If the team needed someone to lift them during periods of difficulty, Parker is the man. He will soak up pressure from deep and bring the ball forward to either lay it off to the more advanced players or take it upon himself to put the ball in the back of the net.

RM – 7. Trevor Sinclair

Tricky Trevor Sinclair has been able to force his way past the competition to take the right hand side of midfield. On his day, Sinclair was one of the best wingers West Ham has had in the last 30 years and this is something we have often missed in recent times. Sinclair was quick and had an outstanding delivery and is also just one of the many in this team who was capable of producing truly magical goals. Paolo Di Canio’s Wimbledon goal will be remembered as the Hammers’ greatest goal in living memory but a few of Sinclair’s are worth a shout, particularly one against Derby County. Sinclair played more games for West Ham than any other club in his career and therefore certainly deserves his place.

LM – 26. Joe Cole

Cole is on the other side of the field to Sinclair. He may not be such a conventional winger, but his skill really enhances this front four’s fantastic style. It’s a shame as to how Cole’s career has panned out, he promised to be the more special of all those from ‘The Academy of Football’ but it hasn’t quite worked out for him, largely because of the ambiguity of what his position is. The role behind the strikers would be good for him but, in a 4-4-2 formation, it’s been decided he should be given the left side of midfield to make his own. He’ll take on defenders and look to cross, or alternatively cut inside and weave his way into the box; an invaluable asset.

ST – 10. Paolo Di Canio

Of course Di Canio is up front, he’s unlikely to get his head on the end of Sinclair’s crosses but if Cole fails to work his way into the area, Di Canio will succeed. He has unbelievable ability on the ball and is also a great goal-scorer, as well as a scorer of spectacular goals. If he was given a chance at a more successful team I have no doubts that he would’ve won more honours and become a Premier League legend, but Di Canio’s loyalty to West Ham meant he never accepted any offers until he was literally forced out of the club. The fiery Italian had as much skill as he did passion and has become a true West Ham legend.

ST – 32. Carlos Tevez

Admittedly it doesn’t make for the tallest striking partnership, even Sam Allardyce would need to change things around for these two, but the ability of the team means they can handle it. Tevez was fantastic for West Ham in his short time there and has been fantastic ever since, despite his string of controversies. Tevez will run all day long, harrying defenders and forging chances for himself, and when he gets them, he will take them. But Tevez is not just feisty; he is one of the most talented players seen at Upton Park in the Premier League and therefore earns the place as the 11th man in this team.

Subs

GK – 1. Robert Green

Regretfully, Green is the only player out of the lot who we still have with us today. He leaves David James and his error prone ways in the reserves and is often overlooked as one of our best players in recent years. Green has salvaged so many points for us over his time at West Ham and I’m sure that I’m not the only one who prays that he gets a new contract.

DEF – 4. Danny Gabbidon

It’s a random one but Gabbidon gets a place on the bench through the merit of our first season back in the Premier League. It was a very memorable team yet not many players would get into this 11, so it’s probably best to have the ‘Hammer of the Year’ waiting to take over from Potts or Ferdinand at any time.

MID – 12. Matthew Etherington

Etherington was a really good, old-fashioned winger who could really win you a game when he was at West Ham. Etherington could replace Cole if we needed to add width and make a more balanced midfield. He deserves a place on the bench.

MID – 18. Frank Lampard

You might not like him but Lampard has been the most consistent goal-scorer from midfield in Premiership history. Alternatively to the Etherington plan, you could bring him on for Sinclair and push Cole behind the strikers to make a 4-3-1-2 team which Barcelona would be proud of.

ST – 21. Jermain Defoe

It’s coming towards the end of the game, you need a goal and the opposing defenders are looking tired, who do you bring on? Jermain Defoe would be a great option a quick player and lethal finisher. Similarly to Lampard he’s certainly not a Hammers favourite, but you can’t deny his ability.

ST – 9. Dean Ashton

It’s always nice to have a little bit of a different option on the bench in terms of strikers, someone a little bit more physical who will get on the end of a cross and put it away. Pre-injury Dean Ashton shrugs off Demba Ba and Iain Dowie to become this option from the bench.

Manager – Harry Redknapp

Alan Pardew was taken into consideration but who better to appoint than Harry Redknapp. West Ham was Redknapp’s first major job and it was he who drafted many of the academy players in this side into the first-team. He also led us to eighth and fifth place finishes in the Premiership and a European trophy. Some Hammers may feel like Harry has betrayed them in recent times by joining Spurs but we have to accept it was a fantastic career move which has taken him to become number one contender for the England job. I’ll never forgive Terence Brown for this one.

So, overall, this has been a rather depressing exercise and has shown what an unbelievable force we could’ve been in the Premier League throughout its existence. However, we can certainly be proud of the players we have had and the ones we have nurtured into the celebrated names they are today.

West Ham vs. Tottenham Preview

Sunday the fourth of March 2007. If you’re tantalizing over our current predicament, consider the plight we were faced with in the season we fondly recall as; ‘The Great Escape’. On that Sunday, Tottenham travelled to Upton Park for what was to be one of the most memorable matches at the Boleyn Ground in recent history, an amazing feat considering it was ultimately a loss.
On that day, we had less than three months to save our season, today we have eight. On that day we had Nigel Quashie patrolling the centre of our midfield, today we have Scott Parker. And by the end of that day, we remained 10 points from safety, by the end of today; we could be trailing by mere goal difference. The fact is, despite our supporters’ unquestionable loyalty, we can elaborately request too much of our present team. We demand brutal passion, flowing football and obviously; points. All on a diminutive budget in comparison to the monstrous flexibility of rivals, including today’s visitors. Out of our three, admittedly ambitious lusts from those wearing claret and blue, passion is one which can be employed by a budding Lionel Messi or a hung-over, obese father of three on a Sunday morning at Hackney marshes. But it was the one obvious factor lacking in our disappointing performances earlier in the season.
What has changed is unknown to me, but something has. The term ‘battle’ is one which has rarely been used for Hammers teams of late, but we certainly battled for our point at the Britannia Stadium last weekend. Many a team of great quality has faltered at the intimidating home of Stoke City since their rise to prominence, and the fact we were able to gain our first point in such a ruthless fixture has convinced me that the writing is not yet on the wall. And it was with such irony that the poster-boy of this season, Scott Parker, was the man who managed to stab the ball over the line for the moment we will possibly look back on as the turning point.
And then, what can only be described as an outstanding victory at the Stadium of Light was celebrated during the week. The fact our first away win for over a year was against a serious Sunderland side sporting the key duo of Darren Bent and the new, big-money import Asamoah Gyan is certainly something to shout about. Maybe that will provide us with the confidence-booster we required to earn some valuable points today.
It could be argued that in 2007, it was the hiding fortune of our illegal Argentinian superstar, Carlos Tevez, who was the catalyst for our eventual survival. And I wouldn’t disagree. But who is to say that Victor Obinna can’t have a similar effect? Of course he hasn’t arrived in such a dramatic soap-opera of a welcoming, and he perhaps hasn’t got the same loveable dogged approach, or even the magnificent ability of the terrific Tevez, but he has taken a lot less time to open his scoring account, along with partner Frederic Piquionne, and he is unattached to the burden of expectation carried by the Argentinian. Today could be the day that our Nigerian forward cements a position as a fans’ favourite, a status his media appearances suggest he craves.
Tottenham Hotspur at home is one of them games our supporters’ instantly scan for as we receive the fixture list for the coming season because it can potentially hold such a wonderful atmosphere. The boisterous rivalry between the two sides always creates a lively occasion and despite the omission of the injured Jermain Defoe this afternoon, preventing us from our annual Jermain-jeering, it is certain to be a heated affair that could not have arrived at a better time. Whilst we have surfed backwards and forwards on a wave of mediocrity since our last memorable match, Spurs have enviably gate-crashed the top four and challenged for silverware, but, traditionally, these derby matches can launch the most unexpected of results at the fans. A win is certainly not out of the question.
Flowing football provides nothing more than self-indulged pride with occasional recognition from irritating TV pundits like Andy Gray. We must be patient, if today Avram Grant makes us subject to the most mundane of tactical performances we must understand that you have to earn the right to improve ‘the match-day experience’ with pretty football, and the way to earn that is by getting a sufficient amount of points on the board. Yes, today is about passion, but more importantly, it is about points. We have never been dealt a better time to beat Tottenham, so let’s get behind the boys, and who knows, perhaps one day we will be affectionately reminiscing on the twenty-fifth of September 2010. But this time, it was an unforgettable victory.