West Ham United - A fan's view
Wednesday, 23 May 2007 18:17
Good, bad or just the same old, same old. What the fans made of the 2006/07 season.
In the last three seasons, West Ham have celebrated promotion to the Premiership via the play-offs, an appearance in the FA Cup final and a remarkable escape from relegation.
Hammers fans rarely complain of boredom, though most would have settled for a quiet season of consolidation rather than ten of the most tumultuous months in the club's history.
One win in their first 12 games saw the Hammers fall at the first hurdle in the Uefa Cup and go out of the Carling Cup to Chesterfield. Everything was blamed, from the distraction of takeover speculation to suggestions that the arrival of Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano had undermined team spirit.
Brief hopes of a revival in early November were quickly dashed when home wins over Blackburn and Arsenal were quickly followed by five defeats in the next six games. New chairman Eggert Magnusson had seen enough and Alan Pardew, the manager who had led West Ham to within minutes of FA Cup glory seven months earlier, was sacked.
Dean Ashton, their star striker who had broken his ankle in August, then had his return date put back – not for the last time. But Pardew's replacement, Alan Curbishley, seemed to have an immediate impact, as West Ham recorded an unlikely home win over title-chasing Manchester United.
Three winless months followed during which Curbishley spent nearly £20 million on new signings in an increasingly desperate effort to turn things around. But after defeat at home to Tottenham – a game the Hammers were winning with two minutes left – they had lost eight of their last 11 league matches, including a 6-0 thrashing at the hands of Reading and defeats to relegation rivals Watford and Charlton.
But while many thought the Tottenham defeat was the final nail in West Ham's coffin, it actually marked the point where the season finally bottomed out. They had lost, but the performance was encouraging, with Tevez and youth team graduate Mark Noble injecting some flair and spirit into the team.
A fortuitous win at Blackburn followed and they were off. Tevez inspired them to five wins in the next seven games, scoring four goals and picking up the Hammer of the Year award.
West Ham went into the final game – away at champions Manchester United – having escaped a points-deduction over the Tevez and Mascherano transfers and needing a draw to be sure of staying up.
Of course, after such a turbulent season they didn't settle for a point, with Tevez again the hero in a 1-0 win that goalkeeper Robert Green described as like winning the league, the FA Cup, the Champions League and the World Cup all at once.
Grade: C
At times West Ham were so poor it beggared belief, but the desire and style by which they recovered during the run-in meant they lived to fight another day.
High Point
The last day heroics will grab the headlines, but the 3-0 win at Wigan in April was arguably the key result. West Ham had threatened to put a run together twice before, but that victory not only allowed them to keep their momentum going but also made sure Wigan stayed involved in the fight at the bottom.
Low Point
There were so many: Ashton breaking his ankle, Pardew getting sacked, losing 6-0 to Reading, losing 4-0 to Charlton, losing 1-0 at home to Watford in the FA Cup and the league, losing to Tottenham despite leading with two minutes to go, conceding an equaliser against Fulham in injury time, signing Nigel Quashie. I could go on…
Fan's Player of the Year
- Carlos Tevez -
He might not understand what any of his team-mates are saying but the Argentinean's combination of natural flair and pure heart endeared him to the West Ham faithful and inspired the team to an unlikely escape from relegation.
Young Mark Noble was also a revelation after he was promoted to the first team in March; Bobby Zamora bagged five vital goals in the last ten games, including the winners against Everton and Arsenal; and Robert Green pulled off some goalkeeping heroics that will surely earn him a recall to the England squad.
Needs for Next Season
The player West Ham fans would most like to see at Upton Park next season is one who is already there. Dean Ashton missed the entire 2006/07 campaign with an ankle injury, but if he can get fit over the summer and stay fit next term, expect to see him at Euro 2008.
Tevez is likely to leave, despite his 'Di Canio' status, as he is apparently having trouble settling in London. Who exactly decides on his future remains a mystery, but I would expect him to be playing in La Liga next season.
Skipper Nigel Reo-Coker is certain to get his wish and pull on a different team's colours come August. If he is as good as he thinks he is Arsenal and Manchester United could both be interested, but Tottenham or Everton seem more likely destinations.
Marlon Harewood, Matthew Etherington, Paul Konchesky and Carlton Cole could all be shown the door after becoming fringe players under Curbishley. Anton Ferdinand, Robert Green, Youssi Benayoun and Ashton will all attract interest from other clubs, but assuming they want to stay, there will be no pressure to cash in on them.
If the squad stays largely in tact Curbs will be looking for a new left-back (as he clearly doesn't fancy Konchesky, while George McCartney looks more like an able under-study than a first-team regular), a central midfield player (hopefully Scott Parker) and another striker (hopefully Darren Bent) assuming both Reo-Coker and Tevez leave.
Adam Barber
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