This game was a family outing. There was me, my two sons, one daughter, a grandson and a son's girlfriend (but no partridge or pear tree). Connor, bouyed by his success in predicting the score against Man City (if not the team that would win) and possibly overcome even this early in his career supporting West Ham by the Fulham result, decided that we would go one better and win 4-1. Oh the naivety of the young. Considering the Fulham performance, rather than the result, as well as the fact that we had played 24 hours before and Everton's match had been postponed, the jaundiced elders expected nothing from this game. When we were given a team with Carlton (two-goal) Cole on the bench and Rigor and Faubert the faux right back on the pitch, even nothing seemed a stretch.
In the event, we got a draw and felt reasonably happy. Well, except for the numpties behind us who greeted Cole's appearance as a substitute with their customary level of abuse, which one of them then managed to escalate into racism. What odd brain cell they must possess suggests to them that this will help the team win? Does it never occur to them that support might be part of the job description of being a, well, supporter (the clue's in the word)? While I admit that the general and specific levels of some West Ham players over the years - and certainly in this team - on occasions beggar belief, even I can see they are trying (very, as the old joke has it). Although Rigor has an unbelievably irritating habit of passing to the opposition, he works terrifically hard. Not to much effect, I admit, but he won't improve through abuse.
Similarly, Cole often occupies two central defenders alone and receives scant service from the wings that he can do anything with. Unfortunately, he undermined his case by missing a golden opportunity to win the game with a poor attempt. But maybe that betrays a lack of confidence from having Racist Numpty abusing his every contribution.
I bet David Moyes would play him. After all, he deployed his famous 4-6-0 formation with no forwards until he brought on Yakubu as a sub. Now there's a player we tried to sign, and out of a choice of him and Cole, we have the better of it. What abuse would he receive, I wonder?
But then it appears he was a signing favoured by the owners - in the tradition of Big Benni before him. Perhaps they should stick to owning and leave the football to the professionals? Not that one would wish to trust Avram with big money. After all, he spent almost all his transfer budget on Winston Reid and Pablo Barrera, neither of whom played even with all the players being rested and who both seem out of their depth in the Premier League.
So we competed well enough against a team that beat Man City away last time out, could have won (and could have lost) and seemed to have Super Scott out on his feet by the end, but we had a point and are unbeaten in three games.
And then bloody Liverpool lose to Wolves (the only team with a worst away record than us) and bloody Arsenal let slip a lead against ten-man Wigan and we're back on the bottom.
A funny old game? No, it's enough to make you weep!
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