Perfect Pitch

OLAS 418 11TH AUGUST 2007

It’s pissing down with rain as we arrive at the WOMAD festival on the last Thursday of July and we’re arguing about where to pitch the tent. I realise that this is symbolic of my hopes, dreams and fears for West Ham this year. If we pitch it quite near the toilets, that will prove we’re one step ahead of the game. We’ll be out there in front while others are catching up. We’re sure of ourselves while others are dithering. On the other hand, if we pitch it too near the toilets then we’ll be down there almost sitting in the stuff – as we were for most of last season.

The decision is made for us by the rain. The patch of weather-beaten grass we identified is already becoming a swamp, but we find a clearer space nearer the toilets, and still feel we’ve got some distance. So we’re quite happy. And to emphasise the point we angle the tent away to the east so that it will pick up the sun in the morning. Perfect pitch!

As the rain continues and WOMAD becomes WOAH! MUD!! people go past us in slow motion and stop to chat. First up is a family with four young kids – the youngest a five-week-old baby. Dad is wearing a West Ham woolly hat. He’s quite optimistic for the new season but pessimistic about lasting the weekend at the festival…

We leave late Sunday afternoon after hearing Steel Pulse for the first time in a live gig since I saw them more than 25 years ago. They’re still going strong. But we’ve ground to a halt. One of my last conversations with a footie fan at WOMAD is with a young Villa supporter talking about Reo-Coker and Harewood. I admit that they’ve probably got a good buy with Reo-Coker. He had burnt his bridges at Upton Park a long time ago but he has real potential, and a change of scene could release that potential. For all our frustrations with him last year, we know how he led us in the Cup Final and throughout that first season back where we belong.

Harewood though is another case and I still can’t fathom how we got nearly 4 million for him. On his day he’s menacing, I assure the Villa guy, but when he goes into a sulk it doesn’t last for a few minutes but a few games. Nevertheless, I’d rather have him on the subs bench to scare the shit out of our opponents than have Carlton Cole as our secret weapon.

So what of the summer comings and goings and what are our real prospects this year? Reo-Coker was bound to leave and we got a good price for him. With Harewood following I expect the third member of the clique – Anton – to follow, if not soon then in January.

When Anton first broke into the team, at a very young age, he struggled, but quickly matured as a footballer. In our Cup Final season he showed every likelihood of being a better long-term prospect than his older brother, but he has declined dramatically since then. His antics off the pitch suggest he’s lacking a lot in strength of character. If Gabbidon and Upson are fully fit, and Collins maintains his form from last season, I can’t see Anton getting too many outings, and he will want to be playing first team football.

Defensively our weakness continues to be at left back. Konchesky could be infuriatingly inconsistent - and looks like Al Murray the pub landlord – but that’s not a crime, and he was a talent that could have been nurtured. Over time we would have had a much-improved player who may even have made a claim again for an England place. I don’t doubt McCartney’s commitment – but he seems a much more limited player, notwithstanding his fine goal against Roma. Whether we can buy a better left back before the window closes remains to be seen.

Midfield is looking stronger though. The prospect of Mark Noble developing alongside experienced and talented players such as Scott Parker and Freddie Ljungberg is mouth watering. As a creative player, who bags goals as well, Freddie is an ideal replacement for Yossi, and when Faubert recovers we’ll have very good options on the right side. Against Roma, Freddie gave his all and showed a combination of tenacity and guile that will greatly benefit the team.

The left side still worries me. Has Mattie has fully recovered psychologically? Against Roma we saw flashes of the old Mattie – speedy and tricky - but just as many flashes of the newer Mattie – slowing up and bottling challenges. Boa Morte needs to convince me that he’s not just here as timeserver collecting over-inflated wages. He contributed very little to the team’s miraculous recovery last season. I’ve no doubt he’s got the talent – he showed it at Arsenal and Fulham – but we need to see it week in, week out.

Up front it’s a whole new set up. Curbs has described having Deano back after a year as like signing a new player. Deano of course has lots to prove. He wants goals and glory and his clinical strike against Roma will be a real confidence booster.

Craig Bellamy also looked hungry. How will he fit in at West Ham? Well, he has shown some familiarity with irons – at least of the golfing variety. I hope we will see the best of what he can offer in terms of strength and power on the pitch – though I worry abut his effect on the dressing room.

The pace and power of Ashton and Bellamy in the second half against Roma certainly took the edge off the absence of Carlos Tevez. We knew it wasn’t going to last, though had he stayed here he could have been a legend. But I wish him good luck and hope that when he next steps out on our pitch, in Manures’ colours, we show our appreciation of what he did for us last year.

I’m not sorry to see the back of Teddy Sheringham – who really is beyond premiership football now – but I’m glad Bobby Z is still here. He is an intelligent footballer, desperate to do well for the club he loves, who lacks confidence. Talent-wise he’s a late developer, but competing for a place against Deano and Bellend, I’m convinced the best is yet to come from him.

And speaking of intelligent footballers, what on earth is Mullins still doing here?

After last year’s debacle I’m not going to be stupid enough to predict where we will end up this year but I will confidently predict that we are going to see a lot of West Ham goals this year.

I learned very early on in my West Ham life that scoring a lot of goals doesn’t necessarily translate into points. Back in ‘66-67 we scored four away at Leicester but let in five, and scored five away at Chelsea, but let in 5 that day too. Still we beat the spuds 4-3 that year and hammered seven (!) past Leeds in the League Cup…(pause to wipe a nostalgic tear… followed by pause to laugh out loud at where Leeds are now!)

All the players we’ve signed since last January, including Matt Upson in defence, are capable of scoring goals. And, with the squad we have now, we can turn being a goal down into a goal up – as we’ve just done against the Italian runners-up and cup holders.

Last year we showed we can leak goals too, at an alarming rate, but if we can find a stronger left back and keep that defence relatively free from sustained injury then we should turn our goals into points and be competing for a good top-half finish – with most of the other teams. It’s going to be very tightly bunched this year. Sunderland and Birmingham stand a chance of staying up, I don’t think Derby will, and at the other end it’s Manure, Chelski and the Scousers. Arsenal are due to drop a peg and mix with the rest of us – so there’s everything to play for.

And that starts today. I promised myself I wouldn’t make any final score predictions this year, but one won’t do any harm, will it? So, 2-0 it is today in a hard fought contest against a Citeh team that, once they get to know each other, might compete in the top half too, for a change.

Final word on the new shirt. OK, so healthy eating is an idea whose time hasn’t come to us yet at Upton Park, and yeah, we’re not all as sleek as supermodels, but to force us to wear shirts with XL emblazoned on our stomachs is taking the piss a bit.
Come on you irons!!!