Comments on: West Ham v Aston Villa, what to expect http://cmonyuirons.com/2008/05/west-ham-v-aston-villa-what-to-expect/ Wed, 28 Jul 2010 21:10:17 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Ironside http://cmonyuirons.com/2008/05/west-ham-v-aston-villa-what-to-expect/comment-page-1/#comment-1651 Ironside Sun, 11 May 2008 09:40:31 +0000 http://cmonyuirons.com/?p=525#comment-1651 Big Sauze, you said "What really worries me and this is where Ironside’s argument falls down, is that at times of real need, he calls on Jonathan Spector amongst others, and if we have top 6 apsirations, we need to be using quality, not make do players." Not sure if you had read my previous posts under this article but if you do you will see that I have put a whole series of points about the unmerited criticism that Curbishley is now getting and how dangerous this is to the club at present. The point about Spector actually supports what I am saying. Yes we HAVE had times of "real need". If at the start of the season you had been told that our injury list would be so bad this year that at times we would be playing Carlton Cole on his own up front as our only fit forward (other than Henri Camara and, perhaps LBM) and that Spector would be drafted in to play centre back, where would you have expected to finish this year? How much attacking flowing football would you expect us to play? But that is exactly what we have been faced with. As it turned out, we actually managed to beat Man U (in perhaps our most convincing win against them in terms of dominating the game that I can remember for many years) with Carlton Cole on his own up front and Spector at centre back!! The tactics used in that game were actually a triumph for Curbishley, not that it ever gets much of a mention. Of course there have been other results that were not as good but you HAVE to remember what he has had to work with this year. It's frankly ludicrous to accuse Curbishley of not realising that "we need to be using quality, not make do players". The whole point about this season is that we have been forced into that position. And my point is that faced with that situation we have actually done bloody well. Given the difficulties this year I seriously think that its an achievement not to be in a relegation scrap. Instead everyone is moaning that we are not close enough to qualifiying for Europe and have not been playing pretty enough football. And I still think that this reaction is a bad reflection on some of our support and is potentially dangerous for the future of our club if we are to avoid the chaos of becoming a Man City or a Newcastle with a managerial merry go round. Big Sauze, you said “What really worries me and this is where Ironside’s argument falls down, is that at times of real need, he calls on Jonathan Spector amongst others, and if we have top 6 apsirations, we need to be using quality, not make do players.”

Not sure if you had read my previous posts under this article but if you do you will see that I have put a whole series of points about the unmerited criticism that Curbishley is now getting and how dangerous this is to the club at present. The point about Spector actually supports what I am saying. Yes we HAVE had times of “real need”. If at the start of the season you had been told that our injury list would be so bad this year that at times we would be playing Carlton Cole on his own up front as our only fit forward (other than Henri Camara and, perhaps LBM) and that Spector would be drafted in to play centre back, where would you have expected to finish this year? How much attacking flowing football would you expect us to play? But that is exactly what we have been faced with.

As it turned out, we actually managed to beat Man U (in perhaps our most convincing win against them in terms of dominating the game that I can remember for many years) with Carlton Cole on his own up front and Spector at centre back!! The tactics used in that game were actually a triumph for Curbishley, not that it ever gets much of a mention. Of course there have been other results that were not as good but you HAVE to remember what he has had to work with this year.

It’s frankly ludicrous to accuse Curbishley of not realising that “we need to be using quality, not make do players”. The whole point about this season is that we have been forced into that position. And my point is that faced with that situation we have actually done bloody well. Given the difficulties this year I seriously think that its an achievement not to be in a relegation scrap. Instead everyone is moaning that we are not close enough to qualifiying for Europe and have not been playing pretty enough football. And I still think that this reaction is a bad reflection on some of our support and is potentially dangerous for the future of our club if we are to avoid the chaos of becoming a Man City or a Newcastle with a managerial merry go round.

]]> By: Big Sauze http://cmonyuirons.com/2008/05/west-ham-v-aston-villa-what-to-expect/comment-page-1/#comment-1629 Big Sauze Sat, 10 May 2008 12:45:10 +0000 http://cmonyuirons.com/?p=525#comment-1629 I think he really thought he was doing the right thing, we were all carried along on the euphoria of Eggy's enthusiasm. AC signed players of a known reputation, some that he had formerly had at previous clubs, but and this is the crunch, they were players with a reputation for being injured, and were obviously risky. BG will have had an idea what was going on, for someone of his business status, it's hard to believe that he would allow his investment to be managed by proxy without having some control, and isn't he represented by his son at all games?. (Very interesting to read your article about him yesterday, the rumours circulating WHU are that he wants out, particularly as the banking business is suffering a bit at the moment) It's very easy to point the finger, we have a reputation over the years of buying players that do not live up to expectations, unfortunately we seem to have suffered in this area more than most. At the end of the day scouts give their recommendations, whether they are taken up is another thing. I suggested we sign Lucas Neill from Millwall years before we signed him. What really worries me and this is where Ironside's argument falls down, is that at times of real need, he calls on Jonathan Spector amongst others, and if we have top 6 apsirations, we need to be using quality, not make do players. I think he really thought he was doing the right thing, we were all carried along on the euphoria of Eggy’s enthusiasm. AC signed players of a known reputation, some that he had formerly had at previous clubs, but and this is the crunch, they were players with a reputation for being injured, and were obviously risky. BG will have had an idea what was going on, for someone of his business status, it’s hard to believe that he would allow his investment to be managed by proxy without having some control, and isn’t he represented by his son at all games?. (Very interesting to read your article about him yesterday, the rumours circulating WHU are that he wants out, particularly as the banking business is suffering a bit at the moment)
It’s very easy to point the finger, we have a reputation over the years of buying players that do not live up to expectations, unfortunately we seem to have suffered in this area more than most. At the end of the day scouts give their recommendations, whether they are taken up is another thing. I suggested we sign Lucas Neill from Millwall years before we signed him. What really worries me and this is where Ironside’s argument falls down, is that at times of real need, he calls on Jonathan Spector amongst others, and if we have top 6 apsirations, we need to be using quality, not make do players.

]]> By: Joe http://cmonyuirons.com/2008/05/west-ham-v-aston-villa-what-to-expect/comment-page-1/#comment-1618 Joe Sat, 10 May 2008 11:18:26 +0000 http://cmonyuirons.com/?p=525#comment-1618 Sorry to bring this up Big Sauze, but it is an important part of the debate. As an ex West Ham scout, what advice would you have given Curbs on the players that he was about to buy, bearing in mind, Curbs and Maggie did have the Fans and probably BG on his back towards end of summer transfer window, wasnt a few of our players that were signed, brought in at any cost due to Fan pressure, and something i find it really hard to believe is that BG did not know anything of the wages that were going to be offered to get these players, as the owner of the Club why did he wait months to pretend he was unaware of what Ljungberg was getting paid? Sorry to bring this up Big Sauze, but it is an important part of the debate.
As an ex West Ham scout, what advice would you have given Curbs on the players that he was about to buy, bearing in mind, Curbs and Maggie did have the Fans and probably BG on his back towards end of summer transfer window, wasnt a few of our players that were signed, brought in at any cost due to Fan pressure, and something i find it really hard to believe is that BG did not know anything of the wages that were going to be offered to get these players, as the owner of the Club why did he wait months to pretend he was unaware of what Ljungberg was getting paid?

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