Saturday 18 December 2010

Grant not getting the rub of the Green

I'm beginning to think those calling for the sacking of Grant may be right. You can be a conservative manager (Revie), you can be a radical manager (Clough), you can be a passionate manager (Jose), you can be a dour manager (Ancelotti), you can be a dictatorial manager (Ferguson) and you can be a fatherly manager (Sir Bobby Robson) but you CANNOT be an unlucky manager!

Poor Avram seems to be cursed. His prayers on the day of Atonement seem to have been ignored. He has upset his maker big time - we have all heard the rumours - and Lady Luck is now wearing a strap on and giving him a good seeing to from behind in vengeance.

We should have known when we saw the fixture list and the terrible opening we were given to start the season. We should have known when Hitzlespurger was named the German captain - a West Ham player leading Germany! - and promptly pulled up lame, ruled out until February. We should have known when Da Costa was accused of assaulting that woman. We should have known when Noble got appendicitis. We should have known when Nobes recovered in record time only to succumb to another long term injury. We should have known when Parker fell ill and when Jacobsen and Ilunga joined the injury list. Seven players out, eight players out, nine players out, and counting. We should have known when Kovac turned up fit and available for selection!

And now Green is out for a crucial 6 pointer and his understudy Stech is doubtful. It never rains but it snows for hapless Avram! The poor sod is probably checking the Commandments as I write. Thou shalt not kill - check. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife or slaves. Check. Where the hell does it say anything about massage parlours?

11 comments:

Clez said...

HF, I think perhaps the fact Green is out means Grant's luck is returning. I like Rob, but, man, his lack of confidence on crosses has for a long time now been a real problem. Worse, his once great shot stopping is looking increasingly suspect. I was at the Birmingham game where he was totally responsible for turning an awesome winning display into a lucky draw.....and I was there last week when he got beaten on his near post twice in a few tenths of a second (once by Toure, then by his own header). Now bear in mind all the other errors this season, and even Blackburn's new caretaker would surely have targetted Rob as a weak spot to test again and again with the likes of Roberts and Samba at set pieces. So even if it's our Gernman back-up if Stech is out, then it might be a pointer to lady luck finally looking Grant's way - we'll find out after 90mins today.

Hammersfan said...

Some truth in that mate. I have been a critic of Green for some considerable time. But you know your luck is out when both your first and second choice keepers are doubtful for the same game!

Stani Army said...

Doesn't matter, happens to lots of teams.

planetman said...

Ruud Boffin sounds as though he is very capable and not short of confidence either. He could be a revelation, you never know ;-)

Hammersfan said...

Does it Stani? Name them!

fred149 said...

some truth green has looked alot better then last year and the birmingham game one of the goals where his fault but both goals were down to poor marking.as the saying goes a goalkeeper is only as good as his defence and when weve defended well green plays well i also think its harsh for either of them goals by yaya toure as upson shouldve been at front post to clear it and it hit him went in off the post extremly unlucky

Stani Army said...

Every team has injuries

Hammersfan said...

Lyall's team that finished third only used 14 outfield players all season. Even Chelsea have struggled this season because of injuries. Anyway, name me a team that has lost both the first and second choice keeper for a game.

Of course, Man Utd brought a team without a defence to Upton Park last season and still tonked Zola's team 4-0. What was the score when they played at Upton Park this season?

Sav said...

After trying everything else, you are now telling us that Grant is just so unlucky! He may be unlucky but you are overlooking the main reason he is failing. He is incompetent! As Stani says, all teams have injuries and that is the one sure excuse for all when things bad.

The truth is that Grant has failed to make a team of West Ham. This is not down to injuries. It is his personality and old/archaic methods. It is because he is running the club with no spirit and no sense of urgency. Luck has nothing to do with it.

Stani Army said...

Arsenal

Anonymous said...

That's more like it HF - you're back in your groove, your default pessimistic real self. I knew it wouldn't last - welcome back - let the moaning, criticising and back biting begin. Zola out! oh sorry that was last year.... Grant out, out, out, out!