OK, I'm not always right. I was right about Curbishley, I was right about Ashton, I was right about Dyer, I was right about Davenport, I was right about 4-3-3, I was SOOOOOOO right about Duxbury, I was right about Jimenez, I was right about us facing a struggle against relegation this season (before the season kicked off), I was right about Villa and Tottenham pushing Liverpool and Man City hard for 4th place this season (again said before the season kicked off), I was right about how desperate our financial situation really was, I was right when I said Green lacked the all round quality to be England's World Cup keeper and I was right at half time on Saturday when I predicted somebody would be sent off. But always right? No, I am only human!And in the case of Kovac, I think I may have been wrong. At the end of last season I asked if we really wanted to sign him permanently and admitted to being unconvinced. I didn't have strong feelings either way but felt that we had greater priorities - like another forward and two full backs, one left footed and one right. By October, I was convinced Kovac was an absurd signing. We had lost Collins and had, instead, a player who looked uncomfortable in midfield and who Zola and Clarke did not trust at centre back. Why on earth had we signed him, I asked.
Well with Diamanti bringing creative flair to the team and Parker showing more attacking intent, Kovac has come into his own. He played Bowyer so well at Upton Park that the Birmingham danger man was withdrawn, and on Saturday he anchored the midfield superbly, pressing high up the pitch and winning possession to set up the first goal.
I may yet be proved right of course, if Kovac returns to the dozy sod form he was demonstrating before Christmas but, for now at least, I owe the guy an apology. That goal against Portsmouth seems to have done wonders for his confidence and he has looked quality since. He keeps it simple which is a useful counterpoise to Diamanti and he also seems like a popular figure in the squad too.
So well done Radoslav, and if you are daft enough to look in here, I apologise!
I want to see Zola setting up a bloody offensive team tmoz. We will probably get battered but I think we need to sacrifice these games against the big four and hope to get 2 points from the big four. Man United may be cutting a quarter eye on the Carling Cup and may not want to enter a rough battle, which is exactly what I think we should give them. Go in hard on Rooney, and get in and around their penalty area for Diamanti's free-kicks. I think set-pieces are our only way of getting a goal.
ReplyDeleteWho's talking to their self now dickwad?
ReplyDeletedidn't you used to call Faubert Faux Pas? i seem to recall you claimed to have coined the phrase as well, of course you did, whereas I was always excited by Faubert's youtube footage pre-west ham and always believed we had a great player in the making if he could just settle( and be supported), but his horrendous injury so early on plus the nasty comment from the French team coach was it? saying it was a mistake to join West Ham for his hopes of remaining in the national team dented both his body and his confidence in one big swoop. I remember distinctly telling fans like yourselves to get off his back and support him...methinks it's about time you owe Faubert an apology now, n'est-ce pas? Nice to see you admitting you're human after all this time, I was beginning to wonder, but my god you don't 'alf love bigging yourself up don't ya? Jeez. it 'aint fetching.
ReplyDeleteFanno is a prick
ReplyDeleteYes I did name him Faux Pas and yes I did come up with the name first and yes, it was most certainly appropriate at the time. How long will he remain a hero and how long will he remain a Hammer? My argent is on him leaving in the summer.
ReplyDeleteI didn't get it wrong :)
ReplyDeleteNa, fair play HF.
Thing is that internationals will turn out good 9 times out of 10. Kovac was an experienced international when we signed him and I had faith he'd come good. He is intelligent too, if you watch him closely. He is inclined to make mistakes against players who are fast on their feet but so is Upson; everyone has weak points.
You mentioned the Birmingham game; he and Behrami worked brilliantly as a pair, pressing high up the pitch and forcing mistakes.
Now that he's retired from international commitments, it can only be a good thing for us. I hope he keeps up his good form and keeps doing that unsung hero job.
By the way HF, you couldn't have chosen a more camp photo of Kovac. Just look how he's standing!
ReplyDeleteFanno got this wrong!
ReplyDeleteI had to laugh when I saw this.
Had I really been stupid enough to expect a fulsome and contrite confession? I should know better.
No, sir! You lived up to
expectations. Before you could get to your ‘confession’ you had to list for us 12 instances where you had been “proved right”. Only then could you bring yourself to deal with issue in hand and that with a qualifying “maybe”.
A perfect encapsulation of your character, but it did make me smile.
That was the intention S4W!
ReplyDeletesad, lonely, lonely, sad and pathetic
ReplyDeleteThe last 10 posts on West Ham Till I die received 915 replies which is an average 91.5 replies per post
ReplyDeleteThe last 10 posts in this place received only 119 posts (of which most slagged you off) which is an average of 11.9 replies per post
Which makes their blog is 768% more interesting than yours
It you use the same ratio at your current counter visit of 274349 it means over the same period they've received millions and millions more hits than you.