Love and hate

OLAS 456 March 1st 2009

From the moment that Craig Bellamy was out the exit door and scraping his knuckles along Green Street looking for the way north, no one has been waiting for his return to Upton Park in opposing colours more than the Upton Park faithful. We never ignore an ex-Hammer.

For those who gave their all for the club and chose to move on, but did so without acrimony, we are extraordinarily generous in our welcome and greetings. Just recently Carlos Tevez, Michael Carrick and Rio Ferdinand seemed quite overwhelmed by the warmth and degree of applause they received. When Bobby Zee returned with Fulham we applauded him as he stepped out, laughed as he blasted the ball into the Centenary stand (and remembered why we didn’t need him) but chanted his name with love as he eventually got substituted. Even when they have been gone ages – like Jimmy Bullard who recently stepped out for Hull - they have been remembered with total respect.

That doesn’t come from nowhere. It is part of the tradition of a club that, much later than most around it, could still boast some Stevie Potts, some Trevor Brookings - one-club players - and others who gave many, many years of service before ending their careers in lower divisions.

The revival of such club loyalty among 21st century premier league players would buck such an enormous trend in the game in general, and even at West Ham we have had to acknowledge that the present day reality is that players don’t stay with us very long. Young Mark Noble is our longest serving regular first teamer – which is bizarre. He’s still only about 11 years old. Nevertheless, you get the feeling now that many of the players who are currently to Upton Park want to commit their long-term future to the club, and in most cases not for the money.

In the good old days when we would score 80 goals a season but let in 84, beat top clubs and lose to all the crappy ones, and get dumped out of the F. A.Cup by nomarks from Division3, we had players who got all the pleasure they wanted just stepping out week on week in the claret and blue.

And for several of our players now you can feel that spirit returning. They can see the possibility of enjoying their football, relishing being part of a true team set-up and fulfilling their football ambitions by staying here. How many will actually be here in two years time is anybody’s guess but Zola and Clarke are reviving all the best traditions at Upton Park in the way we play, in the bond with the fans and the general feel about the place. Truly re-establishing that sense of absolute belonging among the players would be an enormous achievement for Little and Large.

But then, in the Beautiful Game, you have those who are steeped in the growing mercenary traditions pervading football outside of Upton Park – those who can only think of glory through their pay packet, who have been prepared to cynically turn their back on us, who claim they love the club one minute but show they only love themselves. Paul Ince did it years ago, then there was Jermaine Defoe and now we have today’s returnee – Craig Bellamy. Let’s make him know how we feel. (as if I needed to say that – people are already straining at the leash.)

Today will be a big test of character. We seemed to have been unduly knocked off balance and deflated by the barely deserved defeat against Man U and some pretty careless displays have followed. Giving away unnecessary free kicks just outside the box is criminally stupid and we were deservedly punished both at Bolton and at Middlesbrough. At least against Bolton we made several chances and goal attempts. Against Borough we were absolute pants. And I pity the thousands who made it up there instead of sitting in their living rooms at home shouting ‘fuckbolloxfuckbollox” and throwing their cat/supper/youngest child at the telly.

If we registered any worthwhile attempts on target, I must have been blinking at the time. Our approach play was far too obvious and slow and, whereas a few weeks ago we were looking sharp and clever, on Wednesday night we just looked tired and uninspired. Just like our dreams…

But there is still a lot to play for in the league. This time last year the season was already over – safe from relegation and also safely out of the race for Europe we were seeing out the games knowing that we were unlikely to finish higher than 9th or lower than 12th. This year the battle for 7th or even 6th might still be on for several teams including us. Though, conversely, if our poor run continues we could soon find ourselves back among the teams fighting the drop, so today we’ve not only got to put in a good performance but get a result. Three points are needed but even one might steady things a bit and help us look forward with hope to the following four fixtures, mainly against lowly teams, where there are points for the taking.

The desire by fans to put one over that under-evolved creature - Craig Bellamy – will certainly be a huge motivating factor but we‘ve got to do the business on the pitch and Zola has to think hard about his team selection. Di Michele has gone off the boil and Freddie Sears deserves another start. Midfield is harder to call. With the exception of Scotty Parker, whose performances have picked up again, Behrami, Noble and Collison have all disappointed lately. Kovac looked solid but lacking match practice against Borough. Savio can play a midfield role and might give us the spark we need to recapture. I’d like to see him in the starting eleven.

Bellamy aside, I find it hard to hate Man City. Most of my hate in that part of the world is almost completely used up by Manure and Bolton. Poor Citeh have always had to live in the shadow of their big cousins, thereby prompting my natural support for the underdog. Nevertheless I’m old enough to remember them winning the league back in ’68 with players like Mike Summerbee, Tony Book and Colin Bell. I’m sad enough, too, in my infinite recall of events 40 years ago (while I can’t remember what I was doing last week), to remember Hurst and Peters setting up goals for each other and scoring against them as we stuffed them 2-1 at Upton Park the following season, while the Citeh fans plaintively sang their own version of “Those Were the Days My Friend” (Remember Mary Hopkin? No, of course you don’t).

So, love football, hate Bellamy. Enjoy the game! COYI!!!!