By Pete Ellis
With news that Payet was on strike, wanted away, and on the back of two abysmal results versus City and United, you could be forgiven for thinking that this was going to be the straw that broke the camel’s back in West Ham’s season of woe.
The thought of facing the only England manager in history with a 100% record in a London derby didn’t fill me with glee either, especially as the man that knows his way around the rule book takes great delight in giving Hammers fans a hard time.
Yep, the dark clouds were over Stratford, and armageddon was upon us…….or was it?
We have all voiced concerns this season about something not being quite right, and with Bilic publicly naming and shaming our supposed talisman as the problem, and laying out some of the behaviour, the thing that was “not quite right” was the man we had all fell in love with last season.
He’s a great player, great free kick taker, and a great talent. HE could have been a West Ham Great too, but he has no interest in that and probably never did.
At our lowest point, we needed a hero. On Saturday we got 11 of them.
Carroll was getting into positions that he hadn’t previously, Antonio got more assists in 20 minutes than Ozil did in 20 games, and Lanzini rounded it all off with a perfect counter attack goal and jumped in with the fans to celebrate.
It’s almost as if he knew we needed to feel the players were with us, and for me that’s exactly what he did.
Tevez-esque if truth be told and for club morale, both players and fans, it was worth the yellow card.
We came together as a club, as a fanbase, on Saturday. The moaning about popcorn, tourists and seating was forgotten for 90minutes
We had bigger fish to fry. We needed the show the players we were with them, and they needed to respond.
Both obliged and what a way to show Monsiuer Payet what he’s missing.
We don’t want him back, and the players responded to his actions by proving we don’t NEED him back to survive in this league.
For the first time this season, we were a claret and blue army, from pitch to top tier, and we all had a common goal with no agenda to slate the board, stadium or players.
Our differences were put to one side as this game was too important to use a point scoring exercise.
For the first time (in the league anyway) we got our Hammers back, and appeared to show a bit of what we had about us last year.
Let’s hope that confidence is carried through to the Boro game, because the players seemed to play with a new found confidence and freedom without the distractions of he who must not be named.
Long may it continue ! COYI!!
Nice one Pete,yeah it was a proper good afternoom.I just want to give Citeh some payback next time round.Show them the real West Ham without the sulking Fat Frog 😁
Oh & before one of you cunning wise asses says he only come on late in the last match i mean him stenching the whole place out round the squad during that time,not purely on the pitch for the 0-5 embaressment 😁😁
Good article and great noise last time out but let’s not get carried away
First half we were dreadful the difference was playing a back 4 with a real right back have Antonio given some freedom up front
Given our team the sooner we revert to 4 4 2 formation with options up front including a fox in the box the better
Koyoute and obiang holding the middle with Antonio and lanzini out wide
This will stop teams having so much opportunity of getting foreard
I think you are right aussie, first 45 were very dicey. That change made all the difference though. Surely Antonio has to be given his freedom further forward now. I just wanted to write about the fact that it was all built up to be another west ham calamity, but for once the headlines weren’t mocking us. It felt as though a valve had been released and we came through a potential nightmare fixture. Can’t argue with any of your point to though, spot on.
Hi Pete,
What a beautiful and heart-felt article, and the title (On the day a hero was needed we found eleven!) was just so spot on.
Can’t add anymore than to tell you that upon watching the boys play in that Palace game, I wept like a small child. What a club we have.
Again, thanks so much for your contribution; you’ve done yourself proud, mate
Cheers,
Maxie (Sydney)
Cheers mate. Just nice to be able to put something positive up there for once.
Glad you enjoyed.
Have to also day that the fans made it extra special. The continuous chants of super slav were almost half protest and half war cry against payet. We weren’t gonna let any player undermine our club no matter how talented. At one point slav almost looked overwhelmed to know his decision had been vindicated by the total support the fans gave him and rightly so.
Exactly. It seemed to be a unified effort from everyone connected to the club which was great.
Normally Pete’s posts are a bit whacky for me but this was genius, brilliant and heartfelt -well done! I had to come on here and congratulate you Pete! #coyi
Thanks Hammersjeff
The whacky stuff has been retired I think. Prefer this style personally so more of the same to come.
Appreciate the kind comment. COYI
Nice one mate – pleasure!!! All the best!! Keep em coming!
Great post Pete,sums up that performance superbly,and I think we all felt the same. COYI
Couldn’t agree more with your post Pete you hammered the nail on it’s head ! Don’t retire the wacky stuff completely though it always makes me laugh 🙂
Haha, it’s official.
“Pete Ellis – more fans than Payet” (i.e. one…)😂
Cheers pal 🖒😊