Why do West Ham fans put personal ego and prejudice above their love for the club?

Let's get things straight to start off. I expected Parker to be sold before the window closed and believed the decision not to sell him was wrong. I also said it was wrong to pick Green for England and was not in the least bit surprised when he made that error against the USA that set England on the road to ruin. I have always maintained that he is a very good shot stopper but a very average all round keeper. But, on both counts, I would be delighted to be proved wrong!

I do not wear claret and blue goggles and am happy to evaluate players based on their ability and performance, rather than according to club allegience. In my opinion, Hart and Robinson are better keepers than Green. In my opinion, Lampard, Gerrard, Barry, Milner and co are all better options for the England midfield than Parker. Others will dispute that and I am happy to engage in the debate. But I will engage without prejudice and I will put personal ego to one side. So what if I am proved wrong? I want to be! I want West Ham to win!

But look at this cobblers from my old adversary on the Org, davefking, who has a pathological hatred for Carlton Cole - a hatred that saw him post that he was PLEASED when Cole was injured last season. I quote:

"Cole deserved a nought. he didn't run, didn't challenge, didn't try, in fact to me, he looked like he was in one great big sulk at being dropped. You'd have thought he would have run his little cotton socks off after that kick up the backside, because if Cole has one attribute, it is his work rate. Yesterday he didn't even TRY."

Now, I am happy to concede that Piquionne and Obinna looked superb as a pairing, and I am happy to say that both have looked much better than Cole so far this season. But to accuse Cole of not running and of not trying is absurd.

Mr King may not have noticed that we were leading 1-0 in the second half and that the tactics shifted. Noble was pulled deeper and the emphasis shifted from attack to protecting what we had by the time Cole was introduced. Look at Noble's positioning when we took corners in the second half. He was holding, protecting against a Tottenham break. As a result, we became compact defensively but stretched offensively. Unlike in the first half, when we played an expansive 4-4-2 system, with Obinna and Piquionne up front and Dyer playing pretty high too, we reverted to 4-5-1, with Obinna pulling back into midfield and Noble dropping deeper. Cole was isolated, doing the job that two men, and sometimes three, were doing in the first 45.

To claim that Cole didn't run is ridiculous. I remember a shot on the turn from inside the box, over on the left. I also remember Cole holding the ball up waiting for support over on the right. The truth is, he operated right across the width of the pitch and when he received the ball, it was invariably with two Tottenham defenders up his arse because there was nobody else left for them to mark. Cole did his job, and did it pretty well. He was an out ball. He worked the full width of the pitch and ensured that Huddlestone had to sit deeper, filling the gap that appeared between Tottenham's centre halves and the half way line. Why did this gap appear? Because Corluka and Bassong, no slouches, were frightened of Cole's pace. Mr King may also have missed the fact that for the last 5 minutes, Obinna was off the pitch, leaving Cole utterly isolated up front. But where was the game played for the most of that five minutes? In Tottenham's half!

This sort of bitterness is very sad. Why put personal ego, bitterness and prejudice ahead of your love for the club? Yes Mr King, claim that Cole is inferior to Piquionne and Obinna, you can make that case. Yes, say he is unworthy of a place in the England squad, you can make that case too. But suggest that he didn't try yesterday? To claim he didn't run, that he was in a sulk, that he merited ZERO as a rating? That is small minded bitterness speaking, that is an ego desperate to be proved right. It is that sort of attitude that saw fans turn on Frank Lampard Junior and help drive him from the club. I suspect that Mr King would have taken a 1-1 draw rather than see Cole score a late winner!

Supporting West Ham does not mean that we have to pretend every player in the team is the dog's dangly bits, but supporting West Ham should not embrace wishing ill upon players just so we are proved right! I would love Green and Parker to prove me wrong - and yesterday was a good start! Dear God, I am even accepting that Boa can do a job for us! Let's judge things honestly eh? Let's put ego to one side!