As regular readers of Claret & Hugh will hopefully attest to, I’m not usually the first person to leap towards conspiracy theories or excuses for how badly West Ham have performed this season.
For me, the reasons have generally been pretty straightforward.
The club started summer recruitment far too late, started the campaign under the wrong manager, and for the first half of the season under both Graham Potter and Nuno Espírito Santo, the team simply haven’t been good enough.
Add in dreadful recruitment from the ownership, and it’s fair to say West Ham have largely been the architects of their own downfall.
Arsenal VAR Decision Changes Everything
For that reason, I’ve never been overly concerned with needing favours from referees or other clubs.
If we were good enough, we’d be masters of our own destiny.
But after yesterday’s diabolical VAR decision against Arsenal, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to completely dismiss the feeling of skulduggery that many West Ham fans now have.
It genuinely feels like there are different standards being applied.
And yes, it feels like West Ham were cheated.
Leeds Now Hold West Ham Hopes
Which brings us to tonight’s game between Leeds United and Tottenham Hotspur.
In short, West Ham now desperately need a favour from Daniel Farke’s side.
Mathematically, Nottingham Forest are probably safe following our defeat to Arsenal at the London Stadium yesterday.
But Leeds still have something to play for.
Whilst their supporters may not be too concerned, Spurs can technically still catch them.
Clutching At Straws? Probably
Granted, it’s not much to cling onto.
But West Ham are now operating firmly in desperate-times territory.
And after what unfolded yesterday, many supporters will feel the integrity of the Premier League took a significant hit.
If Leeds can restore even a little bit of it tonight, I suspect plenty of West Ham fans will be eternally grateful.
Clueless Nuno to blame, clutching at straws expecting Leeds to do any favours, really cant see hammers surviving
Nothing ever will change my opinion that we were screwed big time by VAR yesterday
First foul committed by Arsenal should have led to advantage being played and if not that a penalty to us
Goal should never been ruled out
Leeds are mathematically safe mate (7 points above with 2 games left). But let’s hope they play with freedom and confidence from PL safety tonight!
As a very long time West Ham supporter of course I want them to stay up. However being realistic that is unlikely, and so we are looking forward to a better spectator experience in the Championship. Having no VAR will be a massive benefit, as yesterday’s fiasco showed. Also we will not have to suffer the big 5/6 club bias of the PL. 75% of supporters want VAR abolished, but the PL won’t hear of it. Difficult not to conclude that it’s because VAR enables questionable decisions like yesterday’s to be made in favour of big clubs. The financial rules also ensure that the big clubs stay on top. Churning of fixtures and match kick off time for TV and European matches is also a pain. Despite it being the self appointed ‘best league in the world’, the PL style of football is not the most attractive to watch. There’s too much emphasis on physicality, posession, pressing, and set pieces, including the routine toleration of goalmouth wrestling matches. The PL is all about money, media hype, TV rights, and commercial sales. Match attending supporters are right at the bottom of the pile of priorities. Thanks to Sullivan WHU is extremely badly run and frankly not fit to be a PL club, as 27 months of poor performance shows. That won’t change until he’s replaced by someone who knows how to run a top club, and who shows some real ambition. Arguably we’ll be better off in a league where we can hopefully hold our own, rather than in a perpetual relegation dogfight, with a sub standard squad and haphazard, antiquated recruitment methods. COYI !
Bad decisions at Brentford with Mavro disallowed goal.
Villa fielding a schoolboy team.
Arsenal (ref and VAR) managing to get a decision against whu.
The board may deserve these decisions but players don’t.
Come on Leeds you are better than Spurs so give whu players a glimmer of hope.
The arse is there for kicking.
Apart from the fact that Spurs can catch us, a big,big bonus awaits our squad the further up the league we go.
Leeds always play to win, Spurs are the pundits favourites but what do they know.