Apparently every cloud has a silver lining but I fail to see what the upside of losing to one of the worst teams in Premiership history is, in Crystal Palace!
Now I really fear that we are in a dogfight and at the moment as I said in my first article, who is going to score the goals?
I’m very glad that Andy Carroll has finally arrived back at Chadwell Heath and is training again. However, we need him now. The games against Sunderland, West Brom and Fulham are likely to define whether we will be in the relegation battle.
Outside of him, I only see Carlton Cole as someone who could get goals. I’ve always admired Carlton’s passion for the Hammers and the fact that he took a pay cut when we went down! However, is he good enough to lead the line? For me normally I would say no but above the others, I say yes 100%. I won’t go over the whole Maiga issue again but I will mention Petric! Why have we bothered with him? Gold & Sullivan said because of the FFP that we couldn’t afford another player unless one went out! Petric must have signed for nothing then!
I then come into the goalkeeping situation, yes Jussi made a decent save at the start of the second half but why didn’t he come out and collect the ball for the goal on Tuesday? Adrian must be pushing him soon enough – again this is just my opinion!
As for the Defence, how much are we missing Winston Reid? He is so dependable. I would say one of our most valuable players, which if you had said that three and a half years ago, I would have laughed at you! He has adapted so well, that now I would say he is in the top ten centre backs in the league. That’s how much I rate him!
I just don’t think Ginge is good enough, he is rash too often for me. Yes he gives you 100% which is normally all you need but he infuriates me with his thought process and the fact he thinks he is Beckham and can play that million pound ball from the back. Tomkins is still young and he has performed well since he got in to the team. We have no other fit centre backs so they must start.
The rest is an issue for me! After the last two games, I would bring back Spence and play him at right back but that’s not going to happen! So I guess I would go Demel rather than the headless chicken that is O’Brien. On the left I would go Rat. He is good good forward but the jury is still out on his defending! George has only played against Fulham who were so poor, I think you could have brought Dicks or Lampard Snr back. So no idea.
And now we come to the main point…our midfield! Ravel is quality, again he is the star talent in the team and yes he still lets himself down, like on Tuesday after the final whistle. He has to be careful he doesn’t completely lose it. So he misses the game against Liverpool. But more importantly he can play against Sunderland.
I would definitely start Noble and he would be my captain going forward alongside Diame, who was brilliant in there against Fulham but then gets played out of position on Tuesday. I would then have Joey against his old club supporting Carlton with Jarvis and Downing on the wing as they are natural wingers.
Which yes means I would drop Nolan. I thought he was awful at Palace on Tuesday and think he could do with the kick up the arse that this will probably give him. Not only that, it will stop the theory that Sam will pick him whether he is fit or not and playing well or playing poor!
As for Saturday’s game, I don’t see us getting anything from the game for a few different reasons! One, Suarez, whether you like him as a person, is playing so well recently that he will take the game away from us. Two, we haven’t won at Anfield for so long I don’t think we ever will again. The fear is probably to long now. And three, Sam will probably play Nolan which means someone out of position! So I won’t put a score line.
My last comment is that if we do lose Saturday, the game against Sunderland becomes another must win.
So as usual…come on you irons, I’m forever blowing bubbles!