Reasons to be cheerful for West Ham and QPR on the most depressing day of the year

Today is the most depressing day of the year apparently. Not in Blackburn after they climbed out of the bottom three at Rangers' expense. Well maybe in Blackburn. Let's face it, how could you be anything other than miserable in Blackburn, unless you have moved there from Middlesbrough!

So, what is there to be cheerful about?

Well it's not so hard for Hammers fans. We are second in the table. Or joint top if we want to be cheerful. We are four points clear of third place and have Forest up next - and they score less goals than we do. But they do have Harewood. Well, like I said, they score less goals than we do!

The injuries are clearing up too. As things stand, its only Demel and Taylor carrying Kieron Notes.

And Big Sam has signed another big lump. John George or George John, whatever he is called. So Sam is happy and if Sam is happy we must be happy too. Our slump is officially over. Because Sam says so. So that's all right then. We did beat Portsmouth on their dung heap after all, overcoming ten mediocre men in the process. That's progress! Under Zola we specialised in drawing against 10 men!

And then there's Piquionne. Freddie the Fly Tipper may be off to Wolves!

True the football is shit, true we haven't scored twice in the same game for eight matches now, and true we have all the flair of...well of an Allardyce team, but we have won two league games on the trot and haven't shipped a goal in either. And we are out of the FA Cup too, so no distractions there!

So let's be happy!

Finding reasons to be cheerful if you are an R is not so easy. Sunday's defeat rooted the R's in the bottom three and the Hughes bubble was pricked earlier than anybody outside of Wigan, Blackburn, Bolton and Fulham would have liked. The last eight games have yielded just one point and newly promoted Swansea and Norwich are leaving Rangers in their wake.

But QPR have Sparky Hughes and he is a winner. Of all the managers available, after O'Neil was snapped up by Sunderland, he was the best man for the job.

And QPR were unlucky at Newcastle, hitting the post twice before Newcastle scored. And unlucky against Norwich too with the sending off of Barton the Innocent. Sometime soon the luck will have to turn, albeit luck evened itself out in the cup game in Milton Keynes.

And Fernandes and Mittal have money and Fernandes has threatened to spend it.

And Hughes has a list of targets.

And Dyer may be fit in the summer.

And best of all, Bolton, Wigan and Blackburn are all shit. And Piquionne may join Wolves!

And there is a relegation six pointer against Wigan up next.

And best of all, QPR may sign Henrique. And if you have to go down, its always best to have a Brazilian in the Bush!