Thursday 3 May 2012

Strange Sense of Unreality As Cardiff Game Approaches

Is it just me, or is there something missing at the moment? Today sees our biggest game since...well since that victory at Old Trafford that kept us up or that home victory over Wigan that all but did so...but my guts haven't started churning yet for some reason. It's as if I am in a bubble, somehow protected from all the stress and anxiety.

On the way into work today I witnessed a motor cyclist killed in a collision with a lorry, and perhaps that has put things into perspective. Think about the chances graph that brought the motor cycle and the lorry together at the exact same point in the road at exactly the same time this morning. Had either driver started his journey a second or two earlier or a second or two later, the accident would not have happened. Perhaps one of them couldn't find his keys this morning causing a seemingly irrelevant delay which actually made the collision inevitable. Fate is so fickle, life is so fragile, planning carries no guarantees.

The entire season now comes down to 180 minutes of football and our happiness and misery hang, stupidly, on the outcome. At the end of the day, what does it really matter? Bolton lost 4-1 last night and slipped closer to relegation, but Fabrice Muamba is alive and smiling. What is more important when all is said and done?

I have signed a truce with regard to Allardyce and I've found it has left me with very little to say. We know how we will set up - 4-5-1 - and after our performance at Leicester nobody can gripe about that. We pretty much know the team too. Maybe Collison, maybe Lansbury is what it boils down to doesn't it? We know the threat - Whittingham and we know how important it is not to concede free kicks in our final third. But the two drivers this morning knew the dangers of colliding and that didn't stop it happening.

Jack Collison would, of course, understand what I am driving at if he read this article. There are bigger things in life. It's a game of football played over two legs, and may the better team win given we finished above Cardiff in the table. It will be intense but it's in our interests to take the temperature down a notch or two. Let's not reduce the game to blood and thunder, if class outs, Whittingham apart, we should progress without too many difficulties. Let's get behind the boys, let's get behind Allardyce and let's keep in mind that accident this morning...if it all goes wrong, at least it isn't the end of the world!

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

....my guts haven't started churning yet for some reason....

Thats because this is West Ham, you're getting on a bit.... and you just know the outcome.

Unknown said...

nice post, I'm currently holidaying from Australia and will be enjoying every second of the game on a reasonable time in a London Pub.

COYI

Anonymous said...

one on the best things I have ever read on twitter!!!

Life is too short, and hopefully the hammers will be here along time after me!!!


COYI!!!

bubblesblindman said...

I like to second that emotion Tom,absolutely love reading these posts.I have agreed with almost everything that has been written.Keep it up.
P.S. I'm thinking the strange atmosphere is either that it's the first leg or,unfortunately,it seems the general feeling at UP is that we are already in the final,very dangerous

Anonymous said...

For life is quite absurd
And death's the final word
You must always face the curtain with a bow.
Forget about your sin - give the audience a grin
Enjoy it - it's your last chance anyhow.

Cheer up, you old bugger,give us a grin.
COYI

Anonymous said...

Anony-mouse says,

Nice post HF- and what you've seen this morning is another reminder that as important as West Ham is to us, there are other things that are truly more important, like life and health.

Back to the game- i agree, I feel strangely calm and not because I'm complacent about the outcome. More because we've been here before and we know that we will have both good and bad days supporting this lot. Cardiff's Mackay has done his best to ramp up the pressure on us by saying we're favourites but I don't know anyone who's bought that line. Two hard to beat sides meeting so something has to give over two legs but neither side can expect to walk it. Is that the reason for the calm? - that most of us seem to be realistic and not over-burdening the team with arrogant expectations. If so that can only help our chances.

If we can sneak a win- great, but I'd settle for a draw.

Hammersfan said...

Cheers Bubblesblindman.

If we get a result, I will raise a pint to you tonight Anony-mouse and you can do the same to me!

Hammersfan said...

Enjoy the night Justin - providing you are a Hammer!

Anonymous said...

Anony-mouse says.

Agreed HF. I'm getting nervous now- The calm couldn't last. Where's that nice bottle of hard liquor gone? COYI!!!