Thick and Fast: West Ham 2 - 2 West Brom; 10 November

Footballers are fond of saying that games are 'coming thick and fast' when there's a midweek game.  So, in eight days we shall have played Birmingham , West Brom and Blackpool.  So far, after the first two, the points have come thin and slow.  Two only out of the supposed target of seven from four games (including Liverpool away where our track record is, for West Ham, simply believable although unremittingly dire).

After each game I read our manager's comments either in his email to me (with random blocks of text in red print), or on the Pravda website, or in the public prints.  I am always convinced we have been at a different match.  Where he sees spirit and determination, I see heads go down and passive acceptance of the inevitable.  Where he sees us dominate the play, I see us likely concede every time the opposition attacks.  Where he sees our pattern of play improving, I see us inviting crosses and rarely marking in the box, especially very big and obvious players (Carroll? Jones? Jerome? Ibanez?)  We agree on one thing only.  Scott Parker should play with his pants outside, a cape and great big 'S' on his chest.  How he manages to carry so many underperforming teammates week after week is a mystery.  I only hope they're giving him their wages - he's doing their jobs, after all.  (This week, with the exception of Kieron Dyer. I won the sweepstake in our row about how long he would last because mine was the longest time at 75 minutes and he managed 90.  I don't expect to see him again for some time)

So we were completely lacklustre against West Brom.  Rigor Mortis passed more freequently to the opposition than his own side and then gave away a penalty.  Cole laboured and drew more crowd derision.  Upson and Gabbidon didn't defend crosses, Jacobsen and Ilunga didn't cut them out.  For fifteen minutes arouf half-time we played and the shrank back into our shell as we waited for the equaliser.  The surprise was we held on for a draw.

So the controller has initiated discussion about what I'll do about my season ticket next year when we're relegated.  When, mind, not if.

My bold statement is I'll stop going.

And I mean it.  Whether or not we're going to move to the Olympic Stadium.  Whether or not Avram stays as manager.  Whatever the quality of the Pornographers' bullshit.

So Blackpool at home is a big game.  Lose and I know we're finished even this early.  Win and who knows.

So I'm predicting a draw.