By CandH blogger Allen Cummings
After a weekend when results couldn’t have gone much better for us – 3-0 defeats for Norwich, Watford and Bournemouth in particular, surely we can allow ourselves just a glimmer of ‘positivity’ about what our final fate might be.
There was an independent appraisal of the relegation battle in the Mail on Sunday. The paper looked at the eight teams they considered still in the mix along with us, and they came to the conclusion that in their opinion we would survive.
Not official of course, but music to my ears, and supporters like me, who welcome an up-beat endorsement. But that just doesn’t seem to be the case with some people – and I find that totally baffling. It seems talking up ‘positives’ instead of dwelling on ‘negatives’ is a reason for derision and mockery at our club. Is it really such a crime to be an optimist?
The old conundrum ‘glass half full’ or ‘glass half empty’ has never been more relevant. I’m definitely a ‘half full’ kind of guy – life’s too short to be anything else in my opinion. But that’s frequently attracted accusations of seeing things through ‘rose tinted glasses’.
And that usually comes from the ‘half empty’ brigade who seem happiest when they are running the club down, running the team down or running the manager down – often all three – and predicting nothing but doom and gloom. It’s almost as if they want the team to fail…to fuel a separate agenda.
If we were in an irretrievable position I could understand that depressing attitude. But we’re not – far from it. We’re not along down there, stranded without hope. There are plenty of other teams in the mix with us – why would we in effect talk up their chances of survival while at the same time talking down ours? I just don’t get it.
We have the formidable task of taking on a seemingly ‘unbeatable’ Liverpool tonight. I would justifiably stand accused of wearing rose tinted glasses if I were predicting victory at Anfield.
But a decent performance of any kind will be a bonus in itself – the icing on a satisfying weekend. The two games that had figured highly in the fears of many supporters will then be behind us, leaving 11 games, against less formidable opposition, including several relegation rivals.
That gives us the opportunity to show just what this team are capable of! I believe on paper we have a better squad then our rivals – the time is fast approaching for the players to step up and show it.
Well Allen,speaking as a pessimist, I can only say it as much a state of mind as being an optimist! And it makes it just as hard to understand optimists – who refuse to see all the pitfalls in life. If we ever meet up we could have a long discussion about it, but by the time you get to our ages nothing would change. What is worth considering though-I think pessimism is partly a defence mechanism. If you think the worst will happen you won’t be disappointed. Perhaps all pessimists have suffered a severe disappointment in life. For me it was the crushing realisation at about age 10 that I would not be Bobby Moore or Bobby Charlton because just about everybody up my street was better at playing than me. So you are right, it is a bit of a bummer as a philosophy for life …but what can you do? So I am expecting 5-0 thrashing tonight. It can’t be worse than that can it. Watch this space ….
Feel exactly the same as you Allen, we have a great squad, we have made imho two brilliant buys in Soucek and Bowen, realistic about this game tonight, always hoping for a win but more than that want to see a performance that builds towards Saturday and the rest of the season where imho any and all of our remaining games we could win COYI!!!
Pessimist or optimist, pragmatist or dreamer, I think what we all want to see is 100% commitment.
And that, sadly, has been in very short supply this season at West Ham.
No it isnt, we are imo more likely to stay up than go down. The negativity isnt surprising given our current run tho.
We just need to start winning against Southampton, putting out an attacking side at home, because our offensive players are on paper far superior to our rivals at the bottom.
He definitely has the ability but i think under Pellegrine he stopped taking on players down the left side as much, wether that was loss of confidence or managers instruction who knows. Lets hope Moyes can get him back to his best or better as he is a great player. COME ON YOU IRONS.
Is it equally a crime to take a realistic stance for this season, which makes it three out of the last four when it has been a truly awful – dumped out of the only tournaments we are likely to succeed in by lower league sides (again and again in the FA Cup) – and frankly just dreadful players who look as if playing football is an unwanted distraction from going shopping and taking selfies.
In the four years we have been at the London Stadium the decent games in that time can’t number more than ten – Spurs 1-0, (we have lost the last four at home to them), Palace 3-0, Southampton 3-0 (twice), Burnley 4- 2 (didn’t Joe Hart play well in that one) and away the win at ****e Fart Lame –
Now suddenly a 19 year old Czech lad on loan and an untried Championship winger are going to turn it all around!!!!
Only five years out on Soucek’s age and exactly the sort of miserable commentary so many are delighted to make. Well said Allen
I agree with what has been said in the article and there are those who appear to only be happy when things are going wrong perhaps they should go and support Arsenal as they have a lot of moaning fans and I see that there will be the moaning brigade at Liverpool tonight.
I saw in the Newham recorder an article moaning about Moyes tactics against last week and yet I bet they were moaning about Pellegrini’s tactics of taking City on the first game of the season and lost 5 – 0
I have supported West Ham for 63 years and some things never change
Seams to be a crime especially if you like the ground and don’t have a problem with the manager
I don’t give a spig for what the papers say or the pundits ; all of them are just parasites with no ambition or courage to manage a football team . Earning big money just talking . We can all talk , that’s obvious but we don’t get paid for it . We only know one thing ; and that’s love for our club ,,, same as any other fan/supporter . I don’t mind the coverage of games but i draw the line on pundits advising or critizing managers & players . They have no right to sit in an air-conditioned studio like lords critisizing the performance of others and exciting the fans on how they performed or not . These so-called experts need to shut up somewhat .
Too much Pundrity as in fact been responsible for managers being sacked .
High time they had thier wings clipped .
There are fortunately three teams that seem worse, in fact considerably worse: Norwich, Bournemouth and Villa. We may not be happy with the squad or the way Moyes sets up against the top teams, but I really believe we’ll get the points later on. The transfer window went well: we now have a two decent keepers, Soucek looks good, and Bowen + Haller could be tasty, especially if Anderson gets going alongside Fornals. I think we’ll be OK in the long run.
We will stay up . No doubt . And just why can’t we put in a good shift against Liverpool ?.
Wouldn’t it be great if the Useless and deficient West Ham United get a result !’
Pelligrini has a lot to answer to for the mess he left behind , so let’s please stop blaming Moyes and get behind him .
I’m an optimist. Fully behind the team to turn things round too just like we have in many seasons past. The trouble nowadays is there is an undercurrent of people who seem to want us to fail just so they can use it in their grievance against the board. I honestly think the likes of gsb out, hammers United etc would rather see us relegated.
Good to see the positive side of things Allen. Thank goodness we don’t have to fight along these moaners in a war zone , the white flag would’ve gone up after the first couple of incoming shells .
What I don’t understand is in 56 years supporting the club is can’t remember any better owners. Lots of worse ones mind you, but none better.
Let us hope that we see the positive side in tonight’s performance against Liverpool. I am being realistic (not pessimistic) when I say that I expect much the same as we got at City – possibly conceding more goals. I say that, not because I am a pessimist, but because the team is poor. That is why they are where they are. I hope with all my heart that they will beat Liverpool; but I just can’t see it. I will be the first to eat my words if I am wrong. Let’s hope that I am !
The team is not poor, the manager is. We are a joke of a club to allow this type of negative manager into our club. I just saw the team and Noble and Snodgrass again included. No chance of getting out of our own half. I am tired and sad by what is happening with Moyes in charge, He has to be sacked after tonight if we want to stay in the PL.
Well, I will eat my words. I was wrong about the team tonight . Superb performance all round – except Fabianski; & I will excuse him because of his past performances. But, the challenge is to take that effort, performance , commitment & determination into the Southampton game – & all those that follow. IF we can repeat that type of performance we will be OK – PLEASE make that your level of performance for the rest of the season. Please !
Pessimism and bitterness is a poison that kills hope, ambition and effort. It just eats away at you and those who we look to to move forward. Never put a pessimist in charge or make them a counsellor. Fabianski’s injury is what has cost us this season. I believe Sullivan and Gold have invested as best as they could without bankrupting themselves. I’d rather they were here than some disconnected middle eastern despot with mega cash. We have signed management and players who have not delivered as hoped, but at the time everyone thought they were great moves; hindsight is a wonderful thing. If the stadium was so obviously goddamn awful, why were Spurs trying to grab it from us?