Sunday 28 October 2007

Shutting up shop at Pompey

My question is, do we want to pick a team to, in the words of Turds after the game, "stop Portsmouth playing"? Is that the West Ham way? Is that what it has come down to? Stop Arsenal playing perhaps, but stop Portsmouth playing? Then you have to look at the selections. Yes he did play 4-5-1 but with Bellyache out of position and obviously out of his depth in the role. Thank God he had to come off, otherwise he would have been sent off second half because of all his moaning and because, with defensive responsibilities, he would have mistimed at least one tackle - and he was already on a yellow. I was furious when Spector and Ferdinand were sent on, not because of who they were but because it gave out a clear message to the team - shut up shop. We were bossing the game at the time! Result, we dropped deeper! Result, we give away a penalty! (And it was a penalty!) People argue it was a reaction to Kanu being sent on. So what? That meant more space for us. The second half belonged to us until those substitutions. There-after, ONLY one team could win, Portsmouth. Tell me, is it ever right to put yourself in a position where it is impossible to win a game? I don't think so.

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