Sometimes things need to be expressed very simply indeed for the reality of what’s happening at West Ham United to have its full impact!
And it was a comment on the BBC website which really brought it home last night when they spoke of the team’s ‘remarkable’ arrival in the top half of the table.
Discussing what is frankly a stupendous achievement the comment read:
“For Manuel Pellegrini’s side to be in the top half of the table at the half way point of the season is a remarkable achievement, considering they lost their opening four league matches and have been ravaged by injuries.
Manuel Lanzini, Carlos Sanchez, Winston Reid, Andriy Yarmolenko and Ryan Fredericks are all long term absentees with Jack Wilshere, Marko Arnautovic, Javier Hernanez, Fabian Balbuena and Pablo Zabaleta also unavailable.”
What’s even more remarkable is that only six were named on the bench last night because of injuries and among 
those claimed to be fit are Andy Carroll who clearly isn’t and could have been dismissed for a wild challenge soon after arriving on the pitch.
Despite all the issues this boss of ours also chose to drop the captain and install the well under-used Aaron Cresswell into the job on the night – predictable Senor Pellegrini is not!
His decision to push Michail Antonio into the right back role drew a small chorus of moans on some of our forums – notably the CandH FB page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/363174467150521/
Some Hammers fans do love a moan-up whatever the circumstances and the fact that Ryan Frederick was not around and that Zaba was ill seems to have by passed them completely as there was absolutely nobody else available.
Now we all know that Slaven Bilic considered Michail could become one of the best in the PL but I think most reckoned he must have had a couple of beers when he said that.
Antonio was used in a position he doesn’t like last night yet found a way of making a major impact on the game. To tear into him at all seems a bit weird given that here we were winning a difficult game of football on an away ground where his amazing break had set up the second goal.
Not once during this season have I heard the manager talk about respecting a point, blame injury circumstances, an official, point the finger at the players or dig the board out for more dough in the transfer window.
Stable, calm, yet unpredictable and adventurous – making the best of his circumstances and proving more and more successful right now with 15 points from a possible 18 tells us all we need to know about the boss.
We’ve waited a long long time for such achievement levels so moaning seems well out of place. Let’s start enjoying ourselves free of that stuff.
I am!
I am confident about Perez having a future at the club Kevin, he is still carrying an injury and I think both he and Wilshere will come good, provided Wilshere can adapt his lifestyle to that of a premier league footballer, as it is he is wasting it much like AC, Diangana is lower on confidence than when he arrived but he is getting a lot of opportunities and is definitely showing in glimpses what he is capable of, hopefully with Yarmo out for the season Diangana will build confidence and challenge for that position next season. Antonio looks like he is actually enjoying playing RB which he certainly didn’t under Slav, he was pretty good yesterday and the last game he played argueably better than Fredericks in the position. I think the difference between Slav and Pelle is that they might both be good man managers but Pelle is also a coach andevery player in our team is improving where under Slav they progressively lost form and condition, what do you think ?
Lets bring a little realism in, Pelle is a top manager and is placing trust in players like Perez. But he is a top manager and if he gives a player the opportunities and they don’t perform, he will make a quick decision. Perez was awful night. Perez will be sold at the end of the season if not earlier, simply put he is not suited to the PL. Andy Carroll was a laughing stock last night and personally I hope he never puts on a West Ham jersey again. The same comment applies to Wilshere, a terrible signing and I just hope we have an option to terminate his contract at the end of the season. Pelle is a top manager and he knows this even at this stage. He has been brilliant, the captures of Fabianski, Balbuena, Diop, Anderson, the progression of Rice and the leadership of Arnie and Zaba have been the key ingredients for this run. However Anderson has got us points that perhaps we would not have got without him so we need to continue to build and we need a top left back, a top CM, and a top left footed winger who can cut in from the right. I believe they will come either at Christmas or in the summer and I hope we have identified young players with potential already for these positions. IMO I would listen to offers for Perez, Carroll and Hernandez during this window.
Yes to all you have said , Hugh . The way we are paying is remarkable given our queue in the treatment room . I hold my hands up and admit I was one of those fans who moaned at our performance against Watford ,,, probably because of our great form before that game .
Expectations running a little too high and the sudden drop in form caused some deflation amongst a number of fans . But a little criticism from time to time is healthy if it results in a reaction such as the Southampton game . I am not one for digging out individual players as I consider that to be harmful . For example , Perez had a stinker ( it’s all about confidence) whereas Rice had a blinder. Anderson didn’t wake up until the second half but when he did he was amazing .
Diangana tried his utmost but was outmuscled . Carroll came on full of determination and got a bit carried away . The point I am trying to make is that with this will to win in a style which Pelligrini has introduced is incredible and something we haven’t seen for donkeys years . The whole team is performing at a level that we should be celebrating and enjoying .
So I won’t dig players out because non of them deserve it .
Pelligrini is doing a fantastic job and the players should be congratulated for Thier collective response to his ideas .
COYHAMMERS