Phil Parkes – is one of the most knowledgeable former Hammers around and gives is straight from the shoulder for fear or favour.
And as the big game approaches on Saturday it may be a good idea to remind ourselves on what some see as our biggest problems – Roberto and Manuel Pellegrini.
He discussed both in a recent exclusive blog with ClaretandHugh and it really is difficult to fault what he had to say on the two men
One can only hope that Roberto is about to prove him wrong and Pellegrini right.
Here are the key quotes from the pieces he gave us:
- Parkesy on Roberto
- Let it be said, I don’t like him at all and to be honest he doesn’t even look like a goalkeeper to me – he looks like an outfield player who has somehow found his way between the sticks.
- We might have got away with him over a couple of games but the idea of him being in there until January is a serious worry and it’s hardly any wonder the team is suffering a crisis of confidence.
- The lads would have known what to expect when they saw him on the training ground and the worries will have been there for some time and it really is showing.
- Parksey on Pellegrini
- I agreed with the appointment and it was too early to be giving the sort of mauling he was getting on social problem – which is really the problem these days.Managers got a far better deal in my day when that stuff wasn’t being spouted all over the place.
- He’s a top manager and there’s no doubts in my mind that he will sort it out so long as the players get their acts together.
- Make no mistake, if they are out of form and incapable of what the manager demands, there’s not a hell of a lot the boss can do about it.
- The players need to get together and sort it out as they did in my day!
There’s really not much to add but we’re pretty sure many more will before Saturday comes other than I reckon he’s got it about bang on in both cases.
But like the rest of us I hope to od Roberto find his form from now until January when we can find a decent No 2 stopper and Fab returns.
Reading Parkes’ comments on Roberto affirms my arguments with my mates when they ask me why my team has slump in form in the recent past. I do agree that if you have a poor goalie then the rest of the players eventually lack confidence. The manager may as well feel that he needs to do more in attacking because he is certain they will concede.
However, this proves to be highly unlikely as the manager sticks with Roberto game after game. It’s either he sees something in him in training and personally that we don’t see on matchdays or maybe Roberto is just the best among the worst goalkeeper options we have and maybe he is the only one that can cope with the pressure of the Premier League(especially when facing spurs and Mourinho).
I find the latter to be quite unlikely considering he was once a captain for a pretty impressive side in Olympiakos(a team that has earlier this season drawn with Spurs). you do not captain a club to the champions league if you are the best among the worst really.
So I am not saying that Roberto is phenomenal in any way (but Fabianski may be) but I do urge us all to back him in this tough time and hope he gets to be at least what he was earlier in his career.
COYI!!!!