Gollivan Versus Al-Faraj - No Contest

Only time will tell whether The Hammers new owners will succeed in their latest venture, but it appears to me there’s currently slight doubt that their intentions for West Ham are honourable (their moral character(s) is/are another story) although time will put that belief of mine to the test.

If people make money from an investment surely that’s a good thing and testament to the success of the business, isn’t it?. They may turn out to be less than what they profess to be in the long run, but their involvement right now has given us a stay of execution and for that I am truly grateful. I do hope on the other hand that history does not prove them to be liars. Gollivan & the Stratford Bull Terrier or the Al-Faraj family – given the choice right now I know which one I’d have, but that is not to say I have reservations

Nightmare Scenario

I have just listened to the David Sullivan interview on the BBC's Radio 5 Live - my first impressions

Curbishley left because he said that he had a clause in his contract which gave him autonomy in the transfer of players to and from the club and that the club had breached that clause which left him in an untenable position therefore he had to leave. His legal team then won a lawsuit against the club for constructive dismissal.
My point here is does Zola have that same autonomy as Curbs? If he doesn't why not, but if he does why is DS saying that they will not sell in this window and that they have offered 100k a week to a "special player". Gollivan have also employed Barry Silkman as a transfer target entrepreneurial guru - where is Kia in all of this? Is Zola being treated with contempt, has the likeable little Italian become insignificant in their 52.5 million pound investment? Why are they all over the transfer dealings of the club now when it should be the Zola/Nani/Clarke/Kia team, shouldn't it? They said they are drawing blanks, surely not the same blanks that the previous regime were following up whom Gollivan have criticised so strongly? 
Despite what Gollivan have said about Zola being safe are his days numbered too? Is he 52.5 million pound safe?

He talked of a 110 million pound debt and we also know that West Ham are in hock up to the eyebrows too; 110 million, what were the Icelandicks doing, they must have been throwing money around like a hyper-active muck spreader.

Gollivan are "in partnership" with the bank as DS put it (by that I take "the bank" too mean Straumur) but they are trying to put together a consortium to buy the other 50% within the next few months. It's interesting to note that Straumur would not sell to them a controlling 51% interest but retained 50% themselves presumably to have a say in what goes on still; it would be interesting also to know to what extent that influence would be.

When the interviewer also asked DS about the possibility of relegation, because let's face it that is still a very real possibility, he was noticeably taken aback and said that would be horrendous.
Gollivan are terrified that relegation will leave their recent investment in tatters and are prepared to go to extraordinary lengths to stay in the Premier League – sound familiar? David Sullivan actually said “they have invested “high-risk” money and could lose EVERYTHING.

Sullivan also told BBC Radio Five Live that his club (our Hammers) needs an injection of special talent NOW before it is too late, which begs the question (and I point you to my previous post) what do they really think of Carlton Cole? Cole is supposed to be back for the Pompey game (surely that’s three points by the way) but is there no faith in his ability to keep us up? "We have a crisis and you have to have a different strategy to what our long-term strategy will be."

We are 16th in the table level on points with Hull who are in the relegation zone and Sullivan knows that because the deal for the club dragged on, he has come in at a difficult stage in the transfer signing window, only 9 days left as we speak.

He talked of an unbalanced squad and the real need for a couple of strikers and a defence player presumably a RB and a back-up keeper. The keeper choice, I feel, will have to be a long-term signing because Green is off in the summer if not before.

Although he said a Nightmare scenario he did say that they have a five year plan and that people would look back in 5 years time when West Ham were solvent again, and say that the 2 Davids had done a good job - let's hope so eh.

5 games in 16 days to come - 2 strikers and a RB coupled with a current fit squad and will be talking Europa League next, relegation will have become  a figment of our imaginations in the dark an distant Icelandic past.
The next 16 days could see our season made or broken - a little over 2 weeks to save 52.5 million, I'm grateful it's them and not me and I really do hope we are playing top-flight football because of them next season

Are Carlton Coles Days Numbered?

It is rumoured in the papers today that Gollivan are eyeing up attacking reinforcements for The Hammers; here are just some of the strikers we are apparently being linked with, don’t laugh…                                       
Eidur Gudjohnsen
Benni McCarthy
James Beattie
Dick Mar van Nostril Boy
Robbie Keane

Who they are is not really the point here, but rather is it a realistic possibility that Gollivan are going to bring in 2 additional front men before the window closes? If they are then that little scenario gives rise to the meaning of my headline and would be possible concern or curtains for Cole.

Let’s make this clear from the outset – I am not a great lover of Cole never have been never will be - if he was any good he’d still be at Chelsea imho (same with Frank Nouble for that matter too - but that's a whole different debate) and the recent paper talk of Liverpool & Arsenal wanting him (CC) was just laughable, and what was the money being touted for him, 20 million? ROFL.  No other sensible offers for him yet in this window just goes to show what other premiership managers think of him; the offers are conspicuious by their absence.


He has some ok points but those are far outweighed by his glaring inability as a premiership goal scorer - remember that brilliant 'forward' slotted ball through to Thefoe (see picture) oh dear!!! Thought he was playing for England, I'm sure he did, slotting through to his 'team mate" on international duty whoops

When Marlon Harewood, Bobby Zamora and the now unfortunately ill-fated but brilliant Dean Ashton were in the squad Carlton was little more than cannon fodder - a bench warmer first class. It was only on a needs must basis that he found himself in the starting line-up at all, very much a case of no one else so in he goes. In those early days of his career as 'top-dog' he was continually booed by the West Ham faithful and often, whilst I was at our home matches (S/T holder), I would hear him called the Dagenham donkey on very many occasions.

No doubt he has improved under Zola for sure, but let’s face it he had to because there was no other direction for his 'ability' to go but up since his ‘skill’ as a striker was so blatantly obviously poor more down would have been subterranean; he also had growing up a little on his side too – he had to get better with age surely, didn’t he? But if you are completely useless and then improve beyond recognition, all to the good, is it not possible you are still not good enough because you were so bad to start with? I truly believe that this is the case with Carlton


Remember also that our now dearly beloved, can't do with out him Carlton is very much a confidence player, being two behind in the starting stakes will not do his self-belief any good whatsoever especially if Gollivan's pair hit the ground running - wait a minute there's that slippery slide back to his Chelsea days again. Will Gollivan tolerate him in bad form - on his wages n'all?

If Gollivan really do bring in two strikers and they are anywhere near the calibre of the little short list above, I think that once again Cole will be found out and found wanting. I believe he will find himself once more the third choice striker option. New hit-men on board he may find - during a few of our remaining games - he could discover he does not even have a place on the bench, depending on what tactics Zola/Clarke choose to adopt and should there be a greater need for a more attacking mid-field set up or a player who is more versatile, or one that has a greater work-rate. Let's face it CC is rather limited in his abilities - but he does hold the ball up well

Excerpts from the diary of a Londoner who moved to the Highlands of Andalucia.

Dec 20 - It’s started to snow. The first of the season and the first we’ve seen here for a couple of years. The wife & I took our hot toddies out and sat on the terrace watching the fluffy soft flakes drift gently down clinging to the trees and covering the ground. Its so beautiful and peaceful.

Dec 24 – Awoke early to a lovely blanket of crystal white glistening snow covering the Olive Tree landscape. What a fantastic sight, every tree and bush covered with a beautiful white mantle. I shovelled snow for the first time in a long while and loved it. I did both our driveway and our pavement, next door's too. Later a snowplough came along and accidentally covered up our driveway with compacted snow from the street. The driver smiled and waved as he drove happily by. I waved back and shovelled it away again.

Dec 26 – It snowed an additional 5 inches last night and the temperature dropped to around minus 8 degrees. Several branches on ours trees and bushes snapped due to the weight of the snow. I shovelled our driveway again.. Shortly afterwards the snowplough came by and did his trick again. 
Much of the snow is now a kind of brownish-grey icy slush.

Jan 1 – Warmed up enough during the day to create some slush which soon became ice when the temperature dropped again. Bought snow tyres for both our cars. Fell on my a*** in the driveway. £100 to a physio but nothing broken. More snow and ice expected.

Jan 5 – Still cold. Sold the wife’s car and bought her a Landrover to get her to work. She slid into a wall and did considerable damage to the right wing. Had another 8 inches of white s*** last night. Both vehicles are covered in salt and iced up slush. More shovelling in store for now. The b****** snowplough came by twice today.

Jan 9 – More f****** snow. Not a tree or bush on our property that has not been damaged. Power was off most of the night. Tried to keep from freezing to death with candles and a paraffin heater which tipped over and nearly burnt the house down. I managed to put out the flames but suffered 2nd degree burns on my hands. Lost all my eyelashes and eyebrows. (Car hit a f******* deer on the way to casualty and was written off.)

Jan 13 – F******* b****** white s*** keeps on coming down. Have to put on all the clothes we own just to get to the post box. If I ever catch that a******* that drives the f****** snowplough, I’ll chew open his chest and rip his heart out with my teeth. I think the b****** hides round the corner and waits for me to finish shovelling and then he comes down the street at 100 mph and buries the f****** driveway again.


Jan 17 – 16 more f****** inches of f****** sleet and f****** ice and God knows what other kinds of white s*** fell last night. I wounded that b****** snowplough driver with an ice axe but he got a way. F****** car won’t start. I think I’m going snow-blind. Can’t move my f****** toes. Haven’t seen the sun in weeks. More f****** snow forecast. Minus 20 degrees. F*** this. I’m moving back to Seven Kings & sunny Ilford

West Ham 'Supporters' New Home Shirt

Wow - I've just gotten through reading a few of the so-called West Ham 'supporters' blogs this morning and there the subsequent posters comments and replies; all I can say is what sad negative lives some of you so called fans must lead.

Since Terry Brown left (and I am not singing his praises, although some would do well to research a little of the man before sending him to the gallows based on the media's crucifixion of him over very many years or buying into the slaughter of him without knowing any more about him other than what is said by those that would put him to the sword for their own selfish ends - I digress) since he has been gone this club has been in turmoil, quite literally.

As a club we are as a shot up Spitfire during the blitz that has been ravaged by the enemy without, as well as those that would sabotage us from within. The brave little fighter is spiralling earthward at terminal velocity, smoke and flames billowing heavenward as we plunge to our inevitable end where we crash and burn. And what do 'we' do? West Ham fans look on and are discussed by our inability to die with a little better flair.

Some have even given Frank Nouble a slagging for his performance in his début for us - is that what being a West Ham fan has become? Burn our own players, our own urban warriors at the stake because of the ineptitude of the owners and board? Slag the 600 who rode so valiantly into the valley of death "cannon to right of them, cannon to left of them, cannon in front of them, volley'd and thunder'd"... as they took the Crossed Hammers forward into battle once more odds completely against them? A little dramatic? That's as maybe, but a suitable & fitting metaphor given the war that is now raging against this West Ham side by it's very own so called supporters. You know who you are - now hang your heads in shame.

Maybe we were unable to die with any flair yesterday - given our realistic position and uncertainty that is crisis West Ham at the moment - that is so very understandable to the loyal; but like the brave Tommy called upon to do his duty in times of hardship by a needy nation, our lads may have died in the oldest and most prestigious football club competition in the world, die we did, but we died with dignity yesterday against a side that is riding high still in with a shout at the top slot whilst we are fighting for our very lives.

---------- ~ ----------

We aren't no thin red 'eroes, nor we aren't no blackguards too,
But single men in barricks, most remarkable like you;
An' if sometimes our conduck isn't all your fancy paints,
Why, single men in barricks don't grow into plaster saints;
While it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, fall be'ind",
But it's "Please to walk in front, sir", when there's trouble in the wind,
There's trouble in the wind, my boys, there's trouble in the wind,
O it's "Please to walk in front, sir", when there's trouble in the wind.


For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Chuck him out, the brute!"
But it's "Saviour of 'is country" when the guns begin to shoot;
An' it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' anything you please;
An' Tommy ain't a bloomin' fool -- you bet that Tommy sees!
                                                                                                  -Rudyard Kipling

This Game is all About Zola

Prediction for this game (Chelsea (h)), for the smart arses, consensus of those says we are going to get slaughtered and what a revelation that is eh? Read the papers look at our form & position in the table, read all the negative stuff about Zola and the inevitable follows, we’re going to get tonked. Great bit of deduction Watson no matter how elaborately you say it – The Alan Shearer’s school of punditry, state the obvious and you can’t go wrong.
Would be much harder to predict Zola’s team and tactics, especially as he says he is not going to abandon his principles for this one, even if we do languish at bottom of the pile – well any defeat puts us bottom because we are currently on -9 goals with Pompey, both on 14 points.

Is it possible we can take any heart from what 'our' three plus Murphy did to Manure yesterday or what a spirited Pompey did to the Pool, albeit the scousers know their season is over, despite what the pundits thought back in August?

I believe Zola has to get real and take this game on merit, they are top of the heap and could be rampant against us today if he try’s to play the beautiful game in and around our own defensive third or mid-field where we continue to lose or give the ball away cheaply.

Set up a true 4-5-1 and defend for our lives a 5-4-1 even and defend like we did when we beat Arsenal at the Emirates. Tell each and every player that he demands they give blood for this game. We should be very physical, not let them settle anywhere on the park; continually hassle them from start to finish. Let Lampard and Drogba know we are there very early on with some crunching tackles (enter Mark Noble).

It will do Zola no good if he has one eye on the Boxing day game 'gainst Pompey - we need to field our best fit XI so important are these points. The world and his ladder expects us to get beat so it's time to stick pride in the back pocket and play with intent - if this rabble can do that

I don’t know if ‘this team’ understands the dislike that the West Ham fans have for Chelsea; in the past that aversion has raised the atmosphere at the Boleyn and thereby lifted the players to put in a performance. If they can do that today we might just have a chance or at the very least be able to keep it down to, say, two nil.

I get the feeling this game is ALL about the manager- he looks a beaten man lately who is out of his depth without a clue what to do or where to go from here. If it don't work fix it

Three Blind Mice

Following another defeat to a poor side which leaves us languishing in the bottom 3, soon prompts a crisis meeting called by Duxbury to lay the law down to Tweedle’s Dumb & Di(ck) aka GFZ & SC. It took 3 hours to go over the poor first half of this this season’s performance, if you can call it performance. It would have taken me three minutes to tell them that they have to field their strongest available eleven week-in week-out, play basic football until we have turned it around. Zola to ditch his principles, stop playing around with formations and get real. Let the players know, in no uncertain terms, that they are being paid good money to do a job, if they can’t do it don’t turn up on Monday for training – visit Quashie at MK Dons – by the way we could do with him back at this very minute in time - Drive up there and get him back for the Chelsea game Zola, you Numpty

What improvements can be made, it’s laughable? This is a meeting where we have a manager who obviously doesn’t know what he is doing – else why the meeting? A second in command who has already asked us to blame him for our recent plight and a CEO who knows nothing about football and should have been sacked a long while ago - whilst he was our club’s legal representative – over the Tevez/Mascherano affair.

Interestingly the Tweedles sought to save their sorry arses by blaming 9 lost points on individual errors citing Robert Green in particular, “watch your back Robert”. They are comparing our failure to perform this season to our similar failure last season. IF WE BEAT CHELSEA (don’t make me laugh) we will only be 2 points worse off than this time last December – so in actual fact we are 5 points worse off with a side that has no stomach, going into what will probably be a Chelsea hiding of us – talk about spin, Jesus.

We are 19th and the Tweedles insist that this team is technically better than last year. We have 4 ‘spine’ players, two of which want away, a few has-beens and cast off’s that flatter to deceive IF THEY CAN and a bunch of kids who are no where near ready and would be no where near the first team if we had proper owners with money to invest in real senior prem players.

They also only think that they are going to get money in January. The window is less than 2 weeks away and they don’t even know whether there’ll be any investment or not – incredible! If they think they can raise money from the sale of Green & Upson they need to look at the bigger picture. Those sales would only mean more disruption to an already disrupted side in turmoil. Any new players that might come in will take the rest of the season to settle in and might find that they have to find their feet in the Championship – should they stay following an inevitable relegation due to the ineptitude of the 3 meeting members; talk about the blind leading the blind.

“There will be no fire sale….& no pressure to sell” I’ll believe that at the end of January, such is my faith in the integrity of Duxbury. But should there be a sale Upson is the obvious choice. Is that the right hand not knowing what the left is doing, or is it just lies, because there seems to me to be a contradiction in there somewhere? They do cite his age, short contract length and unwillingness to negotiate, not travelling to Bolton and his poor form – “watch your back Matthew!! It appears to me he is off in January, unlike Parker and Cole who they have said they will not countenance bids for – not the same for Upson it would appear though, bye Matthew.

They justify the terrible mistake they made in the sale of Collins by saying the money funded the show-pony Diamanti, and not a very good show-pony at that. What about the Chamakh fib then? And Nani is justifying the poor signings by saying money is tight – so they are poor signings then else why mention them and him?

This paragraph speaks volumes about Zola’s inability – “Zola and Clarke have been an effective team at West Ham with the latter, in particular, a talented coach and organiser who perhaps needs to be allowed more influence at the club” Both of them can’t motivate the senior players though, can they.

Shambles, completely shambolic management team – they can’t even be honest with us and all we get is more spin. Even David Gold has been dropped now as a bidder & it’s just Sullivan or is it? They treat us like fools!

Let’s hope that Andrew Bernhardt in taking his time to consider what to do next seriously considers the positions of all three Dozy, Beaky and Titch – anybody, absolutely anybody would be better than those three.