Saturday 7 May 2011

West Ham 1 Blackburn 1 Going Down With A Whimper

Eliot said it. This is the way the world ends, not with a bang but a whimper, and our team of hollow men are proving him right. Blackburn arrived with a terrible away record, but our dead men, head pieces filled with straw, made them look half decent for four fifths of the game. It was only in the last ten minutes that we came alive.

Grant trained them and picked the side. But between the conception and the creation, between the emotion and the response, fell Avram's shadow. Between the desire and the spasm, between the potency and the existence, between the essence and the now inevitable descent, fell Avram's shadow.

The crowd, gathered on this beach of the tumid Thames, in this hollow valley, this broken jaw of lost kingdoms, groped together and avoided speech. They whispered together, their dry voices quiet and meaningless in this dead land as they watched a team without form, a paralysed force, the empty men.

Hitz gave us hope, a momentary shaft of  sunlight on the broken column but we got no nearer in death's dream kingdom. Those who have crossed with direct eyes, to Death's other kingdom - Lyall, Greenwood, Moore - will remember us not as lost, violent souls, but as the hollow men, the stuffed men, as a fading star.

And so now we are in the twilight kingdom forming prayers to a broken stone. For Blackpool, for Wigan and for Wolves to muster no more than a point apiece and for our hollow men to find heart and courage and conviction and ability and so win two final agonising games. But that aint going to happen. In our hearts, as we lean together, we know that this is the hope only of empty men. For truly,

This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
Not with a bang but a whimper.

Hollow Men ratings:

Green 6; Jacobsen 4, da Costa 5, Gabbidon 5, Bridge 4; Hitz 7, Spector 4, Boa 5, Sears 5, Ba 5, Cole 6 Subs: Collison 6, Piquionne 6, Keane Minus 10!

11 comments:

John said...

When you really looked at Blackburn they were a rubbish team and our inability to beat them clearly indicates how bad we are playing. Its a team game but we play as eleven individuals eleven useless individuals.
Keane was signed, no doubt on very high wages to put away 'the sitters'most people thought this was going to be a good deal for us. My only doubt was why such a good player couldn't even get on the Spurs bench!Probably he has got a drink problem, possibly he has piled up his cash on a bet for us to be relegated, whatever, there is definitely no way I can believe under normal circumstances a player of his calibre could miss the goal he did today.Whatever the reason is, that miss today, has put us down.
There are a large number of players at West Ham who should be ashamed to take their money.
I hope the board clears them all out and starts again, similar to what Alan Pardew did when he first arrived a few seasons ago.

masty said...

Is Hitz rating of 7 just because he grabbed the goal? I thought he was pretty poor except for the goal.

Hammersfan said...

Difficult Masti. he scored one, forced a savee with another shot and picked out a few good passes. The team lacked shape and cohesion full stop. I may have rated him too highly but that goal at least gives a glow worm glimmer of hope in the deep darkness that has engulfed us.

liam.kettley said...

More to the point HF how could you rate Cole 6/10? Or is it a percentage?
He was dire today,I don't know what people see in him. He reaches our no hope long balls but just flicks them on to the defender.
Either Ba or Piquionne can do what he is supposed to but better.So where does Grant play them On the wing!I give up

John V P

John said...

Didn't Keane want an extra million paid to him if he kept us up? Perhaps the whole squad wanted an extra bonus to keep us up, and the 'D's' refused. Something like that happening would make the present attitude of the board and players a bit easier to understand.
I really am totally pissed off, completely depressed and feel cheated by Grant and the players, they were more than capable of avoiding our existing scenario.

Hammersfan said...

Liam, I thought Cole did ok when he pulled wide. Put in three very good crosses. But generally, I agree, he was ordinary. 6 may be too high.

fred149 said...

I dont get it tomkins has to play the last 2 games and cole must not play it has to be BA and Piq up front or sears in behind Ba and play Hitz, Noble, parker,collison maybe

the headmaster said...

I share your pain, HF. It is the pain of all Hammers fans. Beautifully written piece, if I may say so, sir.

Hammersfan said...

Eliot was a gifted guy mate. But thanks on his behalf!

Stani Army said...

I can just imagine Dale writing something like this...

Hammersfan said...

; }