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Ferguson’s ‘West Ham Way’ memory lapse

AlandFSir Alex Ferguson – in doing his best to sell a book and defend a mate – has made himself look a colossal fool…some may say that’s not hard!

My first call of the day this morning came from Manchester where a a familiar voice from a City-supporting mate said:  “Have you read these Ferguson quotes about West Ham …what a …..!

It’s hard to disagree particularly when the comments are so confused. He declares:‘I hope that before I die someone can explain the “West Ham way.” What is it? They last won a trophy in 1980, the FA Cup.”

By my reckoning Ferguson would have been about 22 when the Irons were at the peak of their powers under Ron Greeenwood and playing a game universally known as the ‘West Ham Way.’

It was back in those days when the WHUFC Academy was  accepted as the best in the land at a time when such things as the near post corner was born under Greenwood.

Ferguson knows very well what the West Ham Way is and has done himself no favours with a ridiculous outburst which is nothing more than a bid to help out Sam. I don’t thin the old bruiser in charge of our club needs it.

The giveaway is in the line that “the West Ham fans expect too much of him” before adding: “There is this preconception with West Ham fans that Big Sam is a survivalist who tells teams to boot the ball up the pitch.

‘The truth is that he stayed up with a team of very average players. That’s management. He drew the best from them.’”

We have no problem in Fergie defending a mate – very honorable but to rubbish a club tradition that’s been in place for over half a century is just absurd and unneccessary.

James Milne – a member of the  ClaretandHugh Facebook forum – wrote this morning:  “Just read a great Fergie quote from a few years back that totally contradicts this “We played against a real good team today, all West Ham do is attack, attack, attack, and to be quiet honest with you it was a really good game of football.”

Fergie mate it’s over…just enjoy your retirement and leave the things of West Ham to West Ham!

 

 

About Hugh5outhon1895

Hugh Southon is a lifelong Iron and the founding editor of ClaretandHugh. He is a national newspaper journalist of many years experience and was Bobby Moore's 'ghost' writer during the great man's lifetime. He describes ClaretandHugh as "the Hammers daily newspaper!" Follow on Twitter @hughsouthon

3 comments on “Ferguson’s ‘West Ham Way’ memory lapse

  1. I’ve followed West Ham since 1957. The early 60’s were full of creative players. Boyce, Sissons, Robson, Peters etc. Under Greenwood it was mostly ‘The West Ham Way’. Then when other clubs sold out to wealthy foreign owners, the tide went out and we were left with an old generation of owners and used car salesmen. While our attempts to install wealthy benefactors fouled up we could never really afford to compete. Now after 55years dare I hope for a return of the West Ham way? Maybe.

  2. I guess Fergie has also forgotten where Rio and Michael Carrick were brought up. He’s had the luxury of managing a team that can afford to keep all it’s best youngsters. If West Ham had been lucky enough to have the same financial backing then I think we may have seen a slightly different record of achievement for West Ham over the last 10 years. As it is, it is Man U plus others such as Chelsea who have reaped the benefits of West Ham’s academy – the true embodiment of the ‘West Ham way’. .

  3. I have supported West Ham for well over forty years and although on surface it may seem disrespectful for Sir Alex to make such comments about the “West Ham way”, put in the context in which it was said and alongside similar comments made by many professionals within the game, it’s basically a wake up smell the coffee and be able to see the Big picture to many supporters who feel that their club should be doing better than they are and are unable to see the reasons behind it.

    Don’t get me wrong, after all my years I understand what the West Ham way means to me, but I also understand that many of those years were littered with frustration & disappointment and owners whose lack of vision held the club back and effectively left us behind the game. As far as I’m concerned this club has gone back to ground zero since the Davids took this club over & have slowly brought this club back from the brink of near financial meltdown. I am happy to know that this club is now heading in the right direction & this period in the clubs history will go down in HISTORY as “Our” leap forward!

    So although it hurts we all need to suck it up and be able to see the wood for the tree’s, knowing that we are now building a structure on all levels within the club and from that will come a legacy.
    Hopefully we won’t have to keep on talking about the world cup or 1980 and we will be able to move on as a club, establishing ourselves as one of the Big six challenging for Champions League, Europa & Cups on a regular basis.

    COYI

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