Tonight will tell. For some time now, West Ham fans have been telling me that Wigan are a key to our survival. According to this reasoning, Wigan have the toughest run in of all the teams at the bottom because they have a couple of unwinable games. Great. But what these calculations fail to take into account are home games against Pompey and Hull.
To be honest, I think these arguments were born of desperation. Everybody saw Hull's game at home to Burnley as an easy three points for the injured Tigers and expected this to kick start their Great Escape. If Hull weren't going to drop, then who was? Let's pretend Wigan have a terrible run in to make ourselves feel better!
Tonight the Wigan theory is put to the test. If they beat Portsmouth, they are all but safe. A home win against Hull would then almost certainly take them out of our reach and, if they beat Pompey, I'd imagine we would be desperate for Wigan to defeat the Tigers.
Unfortunately, Portsmouth go into tonight's game already relegated and with weary legs after Sunday's epic. Why should the Pompey players put their places in an FA Cup Final on the line by risking injury in 50:50 challenges? They now have the perfect showcase for their talents at the end of the season and have no reason to "Play up" in the remaining league fixtures as a result. I was cheering Pompey on against Spurs because it was such a romantic story, but looked at coldly, that victory was bad news for West Ham. Our desperation to see Spurs turned over may, in the long run, return to bite us.
13 comments:
LOL Pompey only got the ball in the Wigan half five times in the second half and still came away with a 0-0 draw! Big missed opportunity for Wigan this, Pompry couldn't even find six subs. Half a reserve team out, the rest exhausted from Wembley and Wigan still couldn't find a way through. Mind you, they now have one more point than us from the same number of games. Just shows how crap we are doesn't it?
Still a positive result for us HF considering we still have to play them (Wigan). But that has become a bigger game now.
A wonderfully positive result. I was anticipating 3 Wigan points tonight. Now IF we can beat them, it will vitually gauantee our safety as a Hull win would leave us above Wigan, a Wigan win would hurt Hull and a draw would would be just about perfect, unless results along the way dictate that we need either one to beat the other. It is still a tangle! I'm supporting Sunderland, Birmingham and Arsenal at the weekend!
I'm sure the Sunderland, Birmingham and Arsenal fans will welcome you with open arms HF :)
What you think of Boa's return? I know you don't like him but I can't help feeling that had we had him fit we would have not been in so much trouble. I do believe he would have gone some way in solving that balance issue you have spoken of in the past. His tenacity and energy would also have been useful throughout that period in which 9 of our 11 on the pitch were showing no fight and desire.
Stick him in quickly I say.
He only completed 45 minutes for the reserves mate. Of course, Zola was messing around playing him on the right last season so I'm not sure how he would have helped with balance. Playing Boa on the wrong flank so he can come inside onto his strongest foot and shoot? Mind your head in the Bobby Moore Upper!
O stop it. He can't shoot so he's not gonna play on the right. He has been training fully for two weeks though. I wouldn't be surprised if he made the bench for Liverpool (no, not for Liverpool, for us against Liverpool! Don't try it). Seriously, I think we can do with him for the last 2-3 games at least.
When he's fit, say we go like this:
Green
Behrami, Da Costa, Gabbidon, Dap
Faubert, Kovac, Parker, Boa
Cole, Ilan/SliMcCarthy
What do you mean he's not got to play on the right because he can't shoot? Zola played him on the right last season with Collison, naturally right footed, on the left. I was asking questions back then!
Should have read "going" above.
He is one player I wouldn't play on the right! How long was it for? I don't remember in all honesty.
So you wont want him in anywhere then?
I would need to check the records. Collison was injured at Wigan I think, then Boa came into the team and when Collison returned Boa was moved to the right if my memory serves correctly. I'll check.
Yep v Stoke, Everton, Liverpool and Boro.
LOL me and my shadow!!!!
Walking down the virtual avenue...
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