The First Day Let-Down

So there were good points.  We were there in good time, parked well so that we were able to get away dead quick after the game and were back home before 7.  It's often after 6 for a home game after dropping off various sons and daughter.  We enjoyed the journey and the West Ham support, as ever, was very good - very loud, very supportive, very funny.  But also (and this is not unrelated to the football played, very disgruntled).  It's quite a while since I've seen fans leaving an away match before 70 minutes.

Not that much was missed by those who got an early start home.

Frankly, we were shit from beginning to (almost) end with about 15 minutes at the start of the second half when we seem to have decided that, as we'd already lost the game, we could play with some spirit for a change.

The team to start was little different from last season, with only Winston Reid starting at right back of the new signings.

And we were quickly back into the groove of last season - giving the opposition plenty of space in midfield, not marking for corners and passing  as much to the Villa players as our own.  Maybe it was the claret and blue that distracted them (but it didn't seem to affect the Villa in the same way).

It was a surprise it took Villa 14 minutes to score - especially as Tomkins had tried to make a present for Carew, and when that didn't work, decided to hit our post himself.

The defence was dreadful, Reid and Ilunga giving their men time and room to cross at will, Upson and Tomkins losing Carew at every attack (and he's not especially inconspicuous).

In midfield, Faubert showed why he was tried at right back instead, Rigor Mortis did nothing (except lose Petrov for their second goal) and Kovac,  Noble and Parker lunged around (Kovac), passed equally to their defenders or our attack (Noble) or turned numerous circles (Parker).

Cole was, well, Cole.

At least at half time when Piquionne and Barrera came on we huffed a bit and the crowd got into a jumping up and down chant of "We are West Ham Claret and Blue Army" that cheered us up, but that was about it.


Except for the way we supported Rob Green who got the expected abuse from the home fans.  Still, as we sang, "He's not as shit as Heskey".

But, to be honest, our whole team is crap.

So Messrs Gold and Sullivan, with their long experience with pornography, should know a bunch of useless f**kers when they see them.  I expect another Chairman's column apologising for the shambles.   Only this time, they appointed the manager and bankrolled the purchases, so maybe a bit of self-criticism is in order, too.

Next week, the Joy of Bolton......