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.

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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

Mourinho's return is a mistake

‘Never go back’ they say. But Jose Mourinho has done just that and is once again at the helm of Stamford Bridge as manager of Chelsea.

Mourinho’s time at Real Madrid has been stressful for the mere spectator. The political circus and civil feuds which have surrounded recent times at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium have taken their toll on him.

His hair is shorter and greyed, his skin sags slightly from his tired face. The Mourinho at his inaugural Chelsea press conference this time around will be a little less vibrant than the ‘special one’ who memorably entered the English game back in 2004.

Back then he was hungry to gain the reputation as the greatest manager in the world. He was on the breadth of the wave of having taken a Portuguese club team to Champions League victory – an achievement none had predicted.

The young, charismatic Mourinho had a clean history with nothing on his record but victory. Now he re-enters after, perhaps, his CV’s only blotch; his failure at one of the biggest clubs in the entire world.

Mourinho was tasked with toppling the Spanish domestic dominance of Barcelona, somewhat of his arch-nemesis, and also putting Madrid back in the reckoning for European honours, a competition with which they have such great history but have struggled with in modern times.

But Mourinho could not handle the pressure in Madrid. He could not survive under the watchful eye of President Florentino Pérez who loomed over him like the burden of a mountain of debt. And for the first time in his career his man-management failed to control the dressing room. In the likes of Iker Casillas and Sergio Ramos he encountered players with egos as big as his own who revolted against his regime.

Mourinho’s return is almost an attempt to pick up where he left off and forget the time in between his reigns. By returning to Chelsea, Mourinho is trying to return to 2007, or at least 2010 before he joined Madrid, when he was a young man who had never failed.

Admittedly Chelsea have not challenged for the title in the last two seasons, but they have won the Champions League, a trophy with which they have had such an intimate relationship yet which was so elusive to them. If Mourinho could swoop in and snatch this holy-grail for Chelsea then I would suggest his appointment would be justified.

But Roberto Di Matteo has already won the Champions League with Chelsea leaving them with an identity crisis. Chelsea no longer need to prove they can win the major trophies. They are seeking longevity, style and purity – Mourinho has many effective qualities but he does not possess any of these.

Roman Abramovich and his advisory board ditched Mourinho back in 2007 and after several heirs failed to emulate Mourinho’s success, the Russian tycoon finally tried to reinvent Chelsea under Andre Villas-Boas. Young players were signed under a young manager who wanted to win with style.

But unsurprisingly Abramovich became impatient waiting for the long-term project to come to fruition and the stop-gap coaches ever since Villas-Boas was dismissed have merely built a long, winding road back to Mourinho.

Mourinho’s return to Chelsea has the feel of an old, successful TV show returning to air years later. The cast all look a little older and have all experienced highs, lows and misdemeanours since the original production, making the purity of what was originally created somewhat tainted. Additionally, the expectation created by the popularity of the original will be suffocating.

It was key that Mourinho signed up to the second coming, he’ll probably bring Michael Essien back with him. The likes of John Terry and Frank Lampard were always willing to be involved. The absence of stars like Didier Drogba just means it won’t be the same.

‘He’s coming, he’s coming!’ Brace yourself for the fanfare and a love-in between Mourinho and the media. Mourinho has spent the last year alienating himself from the Spanish press whilst cleverly convincing the British media that they adore him.

I hope Mourinho is successful for the sake of English football. The Premiership is certainly in need of a boost. But I wonder if it would’ve been better to hold on to the nostalgic memories of Mourinho’s story at Chelsea rather than to add a new chapter which has the potential to ruin the ending.

Mourinho is an effective manager for specific situations and is a fascinating man. But whether he is tailored for Chelsea in 2013 is certainly questionable.

Follow me on Twitter @RichMaher93

A Rivalry Steeped In History

The ship which sits proudly above the red devil on Manchester United’s crest often goes unnoticed, such is our familiarity with the global brand that the logo has become.

The ship represents the Manchester Ship Canal; it was completed in 1894 and meant goods were able to bypass Liverpool’s ports and be transported straight to Manchester, resulting in substantial job losses on Merseyside and great resentment from the Liverpudlian population.

This is popularly cited as the root of a bitter rivalry which exists between the two industrial cities; a rivalry which is always evident when Liverpool F.C. meet Manchester United F.C. and has led many experts to label it the biggest game of football in the world.

Liverpool dominated English football for the 20 years between 1970 and 1990, a period in which they won eleven league championships and four European cups. However, from that moment up until the current day, Manchester United have responded under the guidance of Sir Alex Ferguson.

They have now overtaken Liverpool’s famed 18 league titles and, although they are still two trophies behind them in terms of the Champions League, they remain England’s biggest football club despite surges of success from Arsenal, Chelsea and, most recently, another vicious rival in the form of Manchester City.

Manchester also retaliated culturally. Liverpool’s famous music scene, led by ‘The Beatles’ who took the world by storm in the 1960s, was replicated in Manchester with the emergence of ‘The Stone Roses’, ‘The Smiths’ and ‘Oasis’ to solidify their position as the leading city of the pair.

The rivalry has become so bitter that when the sides met last Sunday, there was a fear that Manchester United fans would disrupt Liverpool’s tributes to the 96 supporters who died in the infamous 1989 ‘Hillsborough disaster’.

The case relating to the scandal was finally closed this month when an independent panel concluded that multiple failures by emergency services should be held responsible for the deaths. Sunday’s game was the first time Liverpool had played at their home, Anfield, since the ‘justice for the 96’ campaign was granted its wish, allowing those who suffered to rest in peace.

It seems extraordinary that football would lead any fellow human beings to dishonour the practices which would take place in Liverpool on Sunday, but United boss Ferguson still felt the need to distribute letters to the travelling fans, encouraging them to respect the remembrance service.

Of course there were still an idiotic few who jeered as ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ was emotionally bellowed out by 40,000 sympathisers; the minds of some fans are so polluted by rivalry that their loyalty clouds their judgement of what is simply right and wrong.

Similarly in the past, a few Liverpool supporters have crudely taunted Mancunians about the Munich air disaster which killed 23 people, including much of the team nicknamed ‘The Busby Babes’ alongside journalists and supporters.

However, crucially, a memorial bouquet of flowers was placed outside the stadium, signed ‘The silent majority at M.U.F.C.’; it was certainly a humbling and truthful image which reflected the many who were able to lay their bitterness to one side in favour of humanity.

Liverpool striker Luis Suarez rightfully accepted the hand of United captain Patrice Evra before the game, despite allegations of racism between the pair.

The match didn’t continue as smoothly, it maintained the rivalry between the clubs by featuring a sending off and a late goal from Robin Van Persie which gave the visitors the victory and epitomised their ability to go one better than their rivals in recent years.

However, the rivalry on the pitch is something that no football fan wants to lose. The united front between the majority of both sets of fans as well as staff and players of the clubs was a truly proud moment for English football and both cities.

The feud will remain, but Sunday showed that, in the face of adversity, thousands are able to put the most intense of differences aside in order to respect justice.

Hammers make ambitious bid for Kalou

With rumours circulating that West Ham’s move for Nikica Jelavic may have fizzled out, Sam Allardyce has been quick to turn his attentions to yet another high-profile forward; this time in the form of Chelsea’s Salomon Kalou.

It has emerged that Allardyce has proposed a loan deal for the Ivory Coast international, currently at the African Cup of Nations, in order to help boost his attacking options for the remainder of the promotion campaign.

With offers for lesser-known strikers such as Jordan Rhodes already apparently rejected, it seems a rather ambitious attempt, however it delivers a clear statement of intent to the rest of the league, similarly to how the purchase of Kevin Nolan did in the summer.

Allardyce has not baulked at the prospect of bringing high-profile names to less glamorous clubs in the past, managing to lure Youri Djorkaeff, Jay-Jay Okocha and Nicholas Anelka to the Reebok Arena to play for Bolton. Despite West Ham arguably being a bigger club, the lack of Premier League football to offer is likely to repel players of Kalou’s status.

Although it is an admirable effort, which apparently also featured a cheeky enquiry with regards to Florent Malouda, it is highly unlikely to be completed. Although Chelsea would perhaps not be averse to seeing the pair leave, with the arrival of Juan Mata and return of a more mature Daniel Sturridge dramatically reducing the roles of the duo at Stamford Bridge, they are unlikely to accept.

Kalou has rejected a slightly more seductive offer from Olympiakos in the past in comparison to plying his trade in the unforgiving second tier of English football, and with Arsene Wenger a known admirer, he is likely to hold out for a transfer to a team playing at a similar level to his current employers.

A player of Kalou’s mould is certainly needed and would provide a great option to either pair with one of our larger strikers, or to deploy down the wing to add some much need flair, pace and width to our game.

It won’t come as a surprise that Kalou is not likely to join but ‘Big Sam’ must be commended for his efforts and ambition. But with less than a week remaining of the transfer window, it may be time to identify some more realistic targets in order to bolster our front-line.

Follow me on Twitter @RichMaher93

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.

West Ham vs. Chelsea Preview

At this moment in time it’s very difficult to be a happy West Ham United supporter. It’s difficult to determine whether the recent transfer window can be deemed a stable success or an uninspiring, gutless failure. And it’s difficult to be optimistic with regards to gaining anything at all from today’s game against our frighteningly powerful and convincing champion neighbours, Chelsea.
Whether the transfer window slamming shut on that fateful evening proves to be an upward path for the better, or a slippery slope to the championship, one thing remains certain; it will be an evening of great significance for the future of the club. Whilst we held onto the talismanic figure of Scott Parker, much to the delight of David Sullivan’s ego, along with our, once, vibrant English core of Robert Green, Matthew Upson and Carlton Cole, we have received nothing in terms of the ‘David Beckham’s, ‘Thierry Henry’s or ‘Ronaldinho’s whose monstrous reputations were conveniently linked to our club at peak season ticket selling periods. Perhaps David Sullivan and his partner in crime, David Gold, should realise that, like themselves, West Ham fans are not idiots. Our persistent season ticket purchases are not in the wake of outlandish, fabricated rumours but unquestionable loyalty and the desire to see our commitment matched on the pitch.
Perhaps in the days of FA Cup finals, Carlos Tevez and Eggert Magnusson, we may have lost touch with reality and been drawn in by the exaggerated claims of Champions League dreams, but after recent seasons, our expectations have been sent crashing down to earth with such imbalanced periods of mediocrity or turbulence. Our support has become so cynical that even in the honourable situation of our player being called up for international duty, we’d bet good money on an injury being sustained. Or even if we destroyed Chelsea by six goals today, a loss at Stoke the following week would be a distinct possibility. The one thing we ask for is commitment. Even if we lose today by a comfortable amount of goals, if I see some display of passion I will the leave the stadium a much happier Hammer than when I entered. If I see, even one hard, meaningful challenge on Frank Lampard by anyone but Scott Parker or Mark Noble, or even something as little as Carlton Cole viciously shrug off John Terry as he advances in on goal, I will take some salvation and attempt to accept we have the foundations to remain in this incredibly competitive division, but at the moment I am struggling to see the passion we need to survive. There is an absolute lack of fight which was evident in our last great escape or even the eventual relegation in 2003.
David Sullivan has even conceded that some want-away foreign employees ‘couldn’t be bothered’ to play for us during the trading season in the expectancy of a move, but as these haven’t materialised, I hope he is right in saying they have no choice but to now pull up their socks and battle for the team, I don’t care whether that is to keep West Ham in the Premiership or to cement their place in the shop window, but it is in the best interests of the likes of Valon Behrami, who have flirted with brilliance but never quite achieved it, to make a name for themselves. Whether Avram Grant has the physical drive to fire these players up to do so, is debatable.
I was disappointed with the appointment of the dour Grant. His uninspiring nature and, in my opinion; inexperience did not make him the standout contender for the role of the Mr. Fresh the owners wished for. Although he has seemingly achieved some success in England, this was all handed to him on a plate and he has, effectively, created nothing of his own. But now we are stuck with him. We mustn’t take the lead of the ridiculously predictable, lazy ‘News Of The World’ story that he has ‘3 games to save his job’, as they attempt to destabilise us and foreseeably jump on the bandwagon of our failure. This is Grant’s chance to create his own dynasty and we must get behind him.
We could all see that this would be a difficult start to the season and although it’s disappointing; being pointless at this stage was always a possibility. It seems ridiculous that three games in to the campaign you are all subject to a worried, relegation-threatened article, but it is likelihood we’ve all accepted many a time, only to be proved wrong and reminded why we love football so much. This is a long season, and now we’ve selected a 25 man-squad, we are without the playing staff uncertainty previously suffered and are given the stability needed to mount some kind of form. So let’s enjoy today, there is no pressure for us to get anything from the game, it’s a London derby and who knows? We can be a funny old team.

Why England's first game in South Africa must be considered a success

England’s first game in South Africa against local side, Platinum Stars will probably be deemed unconvincing by the British media, but, when you put the situation into perspective, the game was nothing more than a training session to the England squad and we’ve escaped with a reasonable, 3-0 win and, vitally, no injuries.
You could generously describe Platinum Stars as the equivalent of a lower league side in England, so imagine their delight and excitement at the task of facing an international side filled with stars of the calibre and stature of John Terry, Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney, especially as the nation is currently overwhelmed with the buzz of soccer pandemonium. With those men playing the game of their lives, England would’ve been happy to take a back-seat and gain a morale boosting winning whilst not loosing any more players to the curse of injury, which so cruelly stole Rio Ferdinand’s chance to lift the trophy.
Jermain Defoe’s early goal would’ve quietened moans fighting Darren Bent’s case for a space in the 23-man squad and reassured the public that despite his rather reserved end to the season, Defoe is a natural goal scorer and should disaster strike in the form of an injury to the talismanic Wayne Rooney, he is a suitable replacement. The game was encouraging for Rooney who ended a, for his standards, moderate goal-scoring drought for his country. Emile Heskey, on the other hand, knocked an opportunity, with his head, wide of the mark. No surprise there. As top-level international matches tend to be extremely tight, tense occasions, you must be efficient in the manner of taking your chances if you’re going to succeed. If England’s golden chance falls to Heskey, it’s unlikely they’ll be advancing to the next round and the Aston Villa target man’s low popularity in this country will decrease even further. However; it would be great for Heskey if he could defy the critics in his reserved, unselfish manner by allowing Rooney more freedom to play his game and finally gaining some recognition of his own.
An attacking, solo-run from Glen Johnson was promising in terms of his offensive ability but this has never really been in doubt for the pacey full-back. His defensive credibility, however, was again a dilemma for England as a misjudged header forced him to into conceding a penalty, which the local side, fortunately, failed to convert. You can be sure a player of the stature of Didier Drogba, Kaka or Fernando Torres would not have been so forgiving and Johnson’s unreliable performances in the defensive sector will be an increasing worry for Fabio Capello, enhancing the chances of Jamie Carragher adopting the right side of the back four for himself.
The expeditious break from England in aid of Joe Cole’s goal was hopefully an advert for the expansive play we will look to employ during the tournament and was the real highlight of an otherwise, dull and modest game. The fact Cole was the only player to complete the whole game means his fitness must now be unquestionable to Capello and that can only be good news for England who, with Cole, have a genuine footballer made for the big stage. His undeniable skill, technique and ability to produce a moment of unthinkable magic makes him one of our squad’s most naturally gifted players and his disappointing domestic season at Chelsea will be quickly forgotten if he proves to be the major asset to England he has the potential to be.
Whether the vacancy of David James meant he has nothing to prove to Capello or that he’s a non-starter will certainly be up for debate, but, the lack of Gareth Barry will be a genuine worry for England and the question as to why their seems to have been a lack of recognition towards Scott Parker in the 30-man squad will yet again be raised. The enthusiastic midfielder was said to have been the outstanding trainer in the Austrian camp and would certainly have installed his passion, determination and typically English spirit into the rest of the team, not to mention his conclusive talent and decisive, defensive ability. Capello will also be labelled a hypocrite after he began his reign as the national manager stressing the importance of fitness and form, a comment he may live to regret as he continually ignores it.
The reason for Rio Ferdinand and David Beckham’s presence is ambiguous to the outsider but seeing them sign shirts and converse with the natives during this warm-up game suggests they will be able to remove some of the untenable pressure provided by the obsessive media from the players and perhaps allow the playing squad to be fully focused on winning football matches alone. The fact Capello now feel they require this particular role reflects badly on our national media as they continue to convince us our world cup dreams will finally come true, only to send our hopes crashing back down to earth in a whirlpool of cynical stories and scandal. As the most powerful voice in our country, we must take it upon ourselves to support our team patriotically in the sincere belief that this really can be our year.

Could Liverpool be relegated? And West Ham finally announce their man

So that’s it then; the conventional managerial swap-shop has well and truly begun and whilst our primary focus is held within the grasp of the monstrous world cup, a tournament which continues to dominate the globe with it’s repetitive advertising campaigns and tyrannize our media, there is never a dull moment in terms of the premier league. Half an eye of each football supporter will still be placed firmly on their club’s prestigious competition in hope of some encouraging, exciting transfer action prior to the upcoming campaign.
Gianfranco Zola was the first victim of the endless sacking spree that the premiership now experiences. It seems like many weeks ago we considered the charming Italian a top-flight manager and witnessed him admirably handing coffee to snarling journalists outside his home. Even then it appeared inevitable that Mr. Avram Grant would be his successor and, following weeks of little action at Upton Park, the official announcement was finally made this week, with the deal still subject to a work permit. Nothing’s ever easy at West Ham United.
As a West Ham fan, I’m content but uninspired by this appointment. In reality I believe Grant will be a ‘hit or miss’ employment despite the West Ham co-owners, David Gold and David Sullivan, craving ‘stability‘. He changed little or nothing when taking over a Chelsea side which was practically complete following the expert tuition of Jose Mourinho. Although this could suggest the man doesn’t suffer from an ego issue, which could not be said about his world-class predecessor, it also displays a lack of tactical knowledge, and although taking the side to a champions league final and having a chance to win the premiership on the final day of the season is a decent achievement, I feel it would be deceitful to judge him on this. Senior players including Frank Lampard and John Terry could’ve managed that group of players alone and therefore Grant’s presence could merely have been to supervise the squad.
Taking the Portsmouth job under those financial conditions shows how desperate Grant was for a premier league job. If he really was a top manager, why didn’t he wait for a more secure opportunity? Allowing Portsmouth to slip into the realms of relegation would’ve been deemed acceptable by anyone’s standards considering the untenable circumstances, and taking the side to an FA Cup final was a real eye-catcher on Grant’s CV, but being a constant underdog placed little pressure on the manager or his players. They were able to play every game with a care-free attitude of admirable passion, if they lost, then it was to be expected, if they won, it was a shocker and an outstanding achievement. Grant had nothing to lose and his reputation could only increase during his time at Pompey, so if you did feel sorry for him in that ridiculous job, you shouldn’t, it was a blessing in disguise, and maybe Grant knew this when he took the job. It was the perfect stepping stone to a solid premiership club.
And now we infernally refer to the man as ‘experienced’ - quite incredible for someone with two premiership seasons to his name. I hope he proves me wrong and has been the mastermind he’s perceived as by the outsider, but I certainly don’t consider this a perfect appointment. Another manager to have parted company with his club is Senor Rafa Benitez. After accepting a pay-off from the infamous Hicks and Gillette duo the scousers are now looking for a new man with Martin O’Neill and Roy Hodgson top of the list after Guus Hiddink effectively ruled himself out.
Benietez name is still thrown around with that of genuine quality and top European clubs including Juventus are perpetually chasing his signature, personally I don’t understand why. Yes he won the champions league in his first year which was a fantastic achievement but if he had done poorly that year it would’ve been blamed on the fact it was still Gerard Houllier’s team so to be totally sure on Benietez’s quality, perhaps we should assess it on the following years. Rafa was 3rd in the net spending list over the years, “this is a fact” (his words, not mine) and he still manages to have an unbalanced squad incapable of fulfilling their potential at this point. Liverpool should certainly have taken part in a title race competition last season and yet they scraped into the Europa League. An unthinkable plight for a club who has spent that much on transfers, with such great heritage and a supposedly ’world-class’ manager.
The sickly exit of Benietez was dignified and the supportive nature of the Anfield fans mean they will reminisce his reign fondly. The sentimental inclusion of, "Thank you so much once more and always remember: You'll never walk alone" was extremely cheesy but then the eternal love affairs involved in this club and it’s fans always tend to be.
Worrying signs of Kenny Dalglish returning to the club on a permanent basis loom. The club will continue to drop if it takes the Newcastle United approach of forcing decisions themselves and making sure it’s a manager who “knows the club”, honourable actions with the club at heart which saw them, oh; relegated. It’s unthinkable right now but so was a 7th place finish in the previous year - the prospect of trophies with Mourinho and Real Madrid must be a tempting offer for Steven Gerrard and I’m sure Fernando Torres has one eye on linking up with his national strike partner, David Villa at Barcelona.
So my advice to Liverpool fans would be; don’t be tempted to take the decisions of the club upon yourself, this worrying period for a great club with immense history and heritage means that all decisions need to be made firmly with the head and not with the heart. A theory which will probably, and must be taken on by all clubs in this financial climate and one that threatens to ruin the romance of the game, but for now, it’s for the best.