McAvennie and Cottee happened by accident…is history set to repeat itself? TC gives his view as Brighton looms
It was the toughest luck in the world that Paul Goddard damaged his shoulder during the opening 1985-85 season opening at Birmingham at St Andrew’s and when Frankie Mac grabbed two in the next game somthing bigger and bigger happened!
But the result was that whilst poor Sarge was out for six months, Frank McAvennie and TC went on a goal scoring partnership which led us into our highest ever league placing.
And with Andy Carroll ruled out of Friday’s night game Cottee told ClaretandHugh there’s got to be a chance that history could repeat itself given the options now available to the manager.
He said: “I don’t know what he will do but there has to be a chance that Diafra Sakho and Chicharito will be involved in the same team and who knows what may happen.”
Cottee refuses to be drawn into the heated debate surrounding Carroll’s absence but repeated his belief that Sakho is the best striker at the club.
He said: “Whilst I have yet to see Slaven play two up as a partnership he may look for a different option against Brighton and Diafra has to come into his thinking.
“Antonio and Arnautovic will have to play and I’d very much like to see Chicharito through the middle with Sakho one side or the other of him.”
Cottee is convinced that all the signs from Burnley are that the team is ready to blossom and that Brighton is a game we should be looking forward to with real hopes of three points.
He said: “That would push us into mid table and then as a Hammers family we need to get behind the team and the manager as we push on. Let’s be positive about things. Yes it was disappointing that 10 men couldn’t get three points but that should tell us a lot.
“This is a top squad with great spirit which offers lots of options and we saw some very good football being playedat Turf Moor despite the unfortunate circumstances – and there’s better to come.”