David Moyes gave his press conference early on Friday morning and proclaimed that all was well again in the West Ham camp and the team would travel to Leicester City on Saturday afternoon filled with positivity and gumption to go and get a result! Marvellous! All fans could rejoice! Mark Noble released a statement of similar intent, whilst the club deemed it necessary to release positive vibes from Cresswell and Zabaleta during the week leading up to the game also. Does anyone really believe this nonsense?
Whatever the result on Saturday, it has all come too late and the winds of change must be welcomed during the summer, no matter where allegiances lie. However the greatest changes must be made from within the clubā¦the structures and systems in place to bring in new players and nurture existing and potential talents.
There has to be wholesale changes and Moyes has not done enough to impress most of the fanbase, although one assumes that some minds would have been changed if he were to pull off the miraculous and come away with three glorious wins in these remaining games and finish off in mid table obscurityā¦as was hinted in the press conference.
As has been the passage of this seasonās drama, the loyal fans would have one eye on progress of the claret and blue and the other eye scrutinising the other fellow struggling teamsā resultsā¦which would ultimately seal the hammersā fate. Could West Bromwich Albion, Stoke City and Southampton come away with three vital wins to continue to pressurise the teams above? Would this really go to the last game of the season as many West Ham fans have been predicting?
Whatever the feelings and intentions before the match on Saturday, the fact remains that a winning performance was as unlikely as an Italian porn star becoming a member of parliamentā¦Oh! That actually happened too! However, most would agree that a Moyes dressed in a skimpy leopard print dress would not likely change its spots. He has been primarily defensive throughout his short lived West Ham career and it would be highly improbable that would be altered for the gameā¦however there was more on show than many would have ever believed possible and were granted the stage to do so by a woeful Leicester performance too.
Leicester on the other hand would be looking for a rebound after the thumping they received the previous week and would like to exploit the vulnerable West Ham defence with some incisive counter attacking play and for Mahrez to feed a willing Vardy to run behind and score a few goals for their causeā¦but to the delight of the West Ham faithful that never really materialised and the infrequency of assaults on the Hammersā goal was ably dealt with by a very comfortable looking Adrianā¦thank heavens for that!
West Ham are ripe for the picking at the moment and no amount of positivity from fans nor from within the club can mask the true potency of this virulent disease that has spread throughout its ranks. Daily news leaks would attempt to maintain the interest of the bruised fanbaseā¦whether a new American owner story, new player targets, London Stadium hosting multi events or even housing Chelseaā¦heaven forbid, but the reality is the only story of note is the one that would determine survival.
The expectant fans stood nervously at kick off, wondering if the wayward band of brothers could come together and finally fight as an insurgent unit to topple the crowns of former kings. Could they deliver any kind of performance that would thrill, excite, entertain and bring home the bacon? Well, they delivered in part, but not what most fans might have wanted.
The fact is that although Moyes is defensively minded, the players are not that great at defending all over the pitch which allows teams to have greater possession and better opportunities to attack the West Ham midfield and defenceā¦and ultimately pepper the goal defended by another suspect device that is Hartā¦or in the case on Saturday; Adrian! The saving grace on Saturday was a combination of better attacking Hammersā play, better and consistent individual performances and a Leicester team that was off the mark in every facet of the game.
West Ham have come away with a fabulous victory although the manner was just short of amazingā¦but rather a job well done. The other results went in the favour of the claret and blue armyā¦so the season is saved and the party can startā¦however let us not forget the troubles that still rumble beneath the surface. It is a time to be happyā¦but happiness to merely survive does not justify a Moyes tenure for the future, nor does it mean that many of the players should remain within the ranks or the club should be rushing out to spend countless millions on the likes of Hart, Mario or even some other mediocre target.
The season has been a long and hard fought battleā¦much under baked and a lot over cooked at times too. It has been a time to forget the sour dough and time to throw away the stale bread. Time to start anew, time to reflect on the mishaps and failures, but just as weāve all been hoping for, the club is safe at least for another season so we wait for the summer to see where the club fortunes lie.