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Deep breath everybody – things look much better

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Amid all the drama and hysteria – which has always been West Ham –  it sometimes pays to take a deep breath and look at present facts against recent history.

We learn our lessons from history and currently-  despite all the negativity from some areas – I don’t believe things look too bad at all.

I am convinced  that were you to ask any member of the board whether they should have fired Slaven Bilic at the end of last season there would be a resounding YES!

And as I recall from CandH  and other polls, a very sizeable 60 – 70 per cent or so when asked to vote on the successor to Sam Allardyce, plumped for Bilic as the chosen one.

My point? Even us supporters can get it wrong too!

There were thousands who decided before he arrived that David Moyes was a wrong ‘un quoting Man United, Real Sociedad and Sunderland as great examples of what a s..t decision the board had made.

Wrong again I reckon and however badly some wanna throw stones it was an appointment that looks to be paying off big time !

Let’s look at the immediate future. Some may remember my recent blog when I claimed that the three clubs at the bottom would be lucky to get more than 37 points whilst believing that Irons would get 42 or 43.

We have collected 20 points from the last 12 league games. We have two tough games away from home in front of us but SIX of the last nine will  be at home where we are looking in great shape.

And shall we remember too that such a reward was achieved whilst some of the most important players at the club were on the injury list.

Remembering that from our last eight home games we have been beaten only once things look pretty damned okay to me.

In over 50 years of supporting this fabulous club I’ve seen far worse.

The Moyes appointment was spot on and I’ll predict a top eight finish under him now assuming he gets the gig next season. Indeed I wouldn’t be unduly surprised were he to take us to the Europa League.

I get there are some issues some fans will never forgive or forget…I have nothing against anyone protesting as I wrote recently.

T’was ever thus at football clubs but as an Iron I have always looked forward with hope and real optimism – I ain’t about to change.

COYI

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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

0 comments

  • West Ham Fan No 32 says:

    I am hopeful more than confident we will survive, we have the players to do it but anything is possible at any time in this league and the last two months tend to throw up a lot of surprises, having said that our last 6 fixtures are tough so surprises for us in April at least would be welcome 🙂

  • sleepswithdafishes says:

    Things are much better. Injuries are our only real threat this season as they have been already.
    Moyes is a very competent manager/coach, with tried and tested methods. Of course he doesn’t have an exotic foreign name so there will always be people who throw abuse at him. Myself, I see a lot of the common sense, and pragmatism of Jonny Lyall in him.
    John Lyall decided about 40 years ago that we would not buy a player, until several members of the coaching team at West Ham had run the rule over them. They would then compare notes and he would make the decision. That way they didn’t make a decision on one showing wether good or bad. Harry Redknapp threw those rules away when buying Marco Bookers admitting he had never seen him play.
    We are back to planet earth, with people who understand the English game, and who work systematically to a proven procedure.
    Barring a bad run of injuries we will survive, and move forward next season.

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