football-management.co.uk

[yorkie_martin]

This one is more directed at flemmy, but I am sure us non-Hammers have an opinion too.

Pardew pulls together a tight team of up-and-coming talent, who scrap to a league position (5th) that some may say is above their weight. England call-ups beckon. Then this season there is no continuity and the side is in an early-season nose-dive.

Where did it all go wrong ?
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Sheffield Wednesday ; Game 3
(never won a bloody thing !)

[flemmy]

Where did it all go wrong ?

Hmmn, where to start ?

Ok, firstly, the arrival of Tevez and Mascherano has really put the club in the spotlight and i'm not sure that the players, the manager and the club in general have dealt with it, especially as the deal isn't exactly transparent in it's terms.

There is takeover talk surrounding the club that seems to be distracting everybody as well, now our chairman Terrence "pontins" Brown has been a reviled figure for some time not least for flogging off our last crop of talented youngsters and underinvesting in general. the club's still 30 million in debt and nobody can understand where's the money gone ? but at least he's the devil we know, Kia Joorbichan, formerly of MSI and corinthians, is the devil we don't, is he genuinely interested in the clubs welfare or just a moneymaking exercise ?

last season we finished 9th in the end the club slipping down the league whilst everybody looked forward to our first cup final in 25 years and we seem to have started in a similar vein. Tevez and Mascherano are undoubtedly quality players and if there's big money to be made when they are transferred, not that west ham will get much out of the deal, then the pair will need to play extremely well to justify the alledged asking price of 25 million each. But look at the situation we dont know if either will adjust to the premiership speed and style of play, 2 other big name, big fee argies never did, Crespo and Veron, quality but not here.

At the moment a lot of players arent performing to any where near the level they did last season. Carrol's distribution is shocking, Konchesky cant seem to pass, Gabbidon is looking a pale imitation of the majestic centreback he looked last year, ferdinand has been carrying minor niggles, the rightback spot is problematic Mears dont look up to it yet and Paintsil has been injured, so has Etherington and Yossi, Mullins has been forced out by the arrival of Bowyer, quality on his day, and Mascherano, Reo-Coker might have been unsettled by the club turning away Arsenal's interest on deadline day and is still to find his best form, Harewood seems low on confidence, Zamora and Cole are backup strikers at best and Ashton is out till at least november. maybe we're just suffering from 2nd seasonitis and clubs are alot more prepared for us this this time round.

I think that give it another month and a couple of scrappy wins and fitness and confidence and performance levels should rise up to where they should be and we'll still be challenging for a uefa spot come the end of the season. if we're still in a slump by the end of october though the pressure is really going to start ratcheting up and i'll start to worry !

C'mon you irons !
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West Ham G3
Midtable mediocrity
" like my dreams they fade and die "