Pablo Fornals was the Hammers hero as he fired West Ham into the Europa Conference League final.
The contrast in the player from dejected substitute against Brentford, to Euro hero was stark. If anyone in the West Ham squad deserved the glory it was Fornals. He’s suffered more than most in recent times, frequently being deployed out of position in a defensive wing role.
On this occasion the Spaniard seized the moment to waltz through the middle of the pitch and nutmeg his way to immortality. It honestly couldn’t have happened to a nicer bloke and the timing was perfection.
Forget the shenanigans of the so called Alkmaar Ultras who tried to attack women and pensioners. This was all about Fornals, his teammates and the West Ham coaching staff who’ve steered us to the brink of success.
Fornals the Hammers hero
The Fornicator’s fabulous solo goal won the game and the tie for West Ham. We now face Fiorentina in the final. That game will be held in Prague which makes for an interesting dynamic given the Hammers Czech links. Coufal, Soucek and of course Daniel Kretinsky all hail from the city which will hopefully yield a partisan crowd in our favour.
Moyesiah or naughty boy?
A word of praise too for manager David Moyes, who has come in for much criticism this season. I’ve frequently questioned some of his decisions during the last year or so. Much of my critique I stand by, however it would take a cold heart not to be pleased for the fella.
Whilst the entertainment of his football philosophy leaves a lot to be desired, he’s done wonders for the club. For little old West Ham to reach a European semi final and final in consecutive seasons is unprecedented. If Moyes manages to win the Hammers their first trophy since 1980 he’ll become a legend and rightly so.