Woeful West Ham

West Ham are a digging themselves into a hole that even Chilean miners would find difficult to get out of. Will there be any light at the end of this tunnel for the Hammers?

Avram Grant has now overseen the worst league start in West Ham’s 115 year history. It’s hard to point the finger solely at the melancholy Israeli, but he has to his take his share of the responsibility. The Hammers have hit the ground crawling this season which follows their poor form at the back end of last season. In the four league games this season they have been well and truly bossed. They now look dejected, uninspired and a shadow of the side that started the 09/10 season under Zola. The only player who shows commitment week-in, week-out is Scott Parker. He is the Hammers beacon of hope and will try to lift the game by the scruff of the neck but he cant do it alone, the team needs a leader on the sidelines as well as on the pitch. Grant is not a leader or a motivator; he doesn’t wear his feelings on his sleeve like many managers and thus does not endear himself to fans or players alike.

People would point to his record at Chelsea steering them to a Champions League final but it would be foolish to give grant credit for that. Jose Mourinho left the Chelsea side with enough drive and talent that I could have steered them home to a trophy. Well… maybe not me, but any competent manager with a head on his shoulders could have taken that Chelsea side and competed with the best in Europe.

You could then point to his tenure at Portsmouth. He did appear to pick up their spirits but ironically Pompey did not start to play their best football until they were already destined for the drop. The players and staff knew they had no longer anything to lose and the pressure had been lifted. The players then went for it. It is interesting how some players will struggle to play for the points but when it comes to their pride, they dig their heels in, to at least retain some dignity from their season. This culminated in their FA cup final last season against Chelsea where their dream cup run ended. With the state Pompey were in I would say Avram Grant did the best he could with that bunch of players and with all the background controversy surrounding the club and its finances.

Soon afterwards in June he left for West Ham. A club steeped in tradition and with arguably one of the best youth academy systems in the country. Surely Uncle Avy could make something of them? This is where issues begin to be raised. It is apparent now that like Portsmouth last season, West Hams problems are not just on the pitch but also behind the scenes. I say behind the scenes as a turn of phrase as matters that usually should remain behind the scenes are making their way straight to the tabloids courtesy of West Hams limelight loving new owners. David Gold and David Sullivan took over West Ham in January of this year having left Birmingham City. For all Avram Grants short comings in his management it is the owners who are wreaking havoc on the club which they are always quick to profess their love for.

In my opinion their first mistake was sacking Gianfranco Zola. Given time, Zola could possibly develop into a very talented young manager. He had the players playing for him and although results had not always gone his way, the football was a lot more attractive to watch and he brought the best out of their best striker Carlton Cole. But when Gold and Sullivan arrived in January they never took to the smiling Italian. They constantly undermined his with they’re evasive comments in the media and some not so evasive with Sullivan openly criticising Zola’s team choice in March following their 3-1 defeat to Wolves which he described as “pathetic”.

Things took a further turn for the worst when it was clear that for all West Ham’s great pedigree in bringing talent through the academy and its great English scouting network, it was not Zola or his staff that were buying players with a plan to shape their team. West Ham’s transfer policies were now run by Gold and Sullivan and a system of agents. This became apparent when it was revealed that the owners had tried to sign Graham Dorrans from West Brom without consulting Zola. Gold and Sullivan also went public saying that the entire squad was up for sale apart from Scott Parker. What way is that to run a club? The message coming from the club need to be unified. It was clear in West Hams cause that Zola was now out of the loop.

All great clubs have a unified single message coming from them. I’ll take Everton as an example; David Moyes is unquestionably a great manager but he was given time by a patient and calculated board that supported him and consulted with him on transfers he needed to shape the team. Everton have consolidated year upon year taking transfers in here and there but with a purpose. Ironically Birmingham City, the club that Gold and Sullivan left, are now shaping up to be a pretty decent mid-table side in just their second season back in the Premier League. They have a manager who is supported by the club’s board in his transfers. Alex McLeish has money to spend these days but does so wisely obviously melding a collection of players he thinks will fit his team. My point is that Everton is David Moyes’ team, Birmingham is Big Ecks team but was West Ham ever Zola’s team? Perhaps at the start but when Gold and Sullivan arrived they undermined that philosophy. Is West Ham Grants team? The answer is no.

When a club is run by owners like that it is never going to be a manager’s team. When the scouting network has been replaced entirely by agents there is never going to be progress with shaping a team. I can understand agents representing a player as players are treated like a commodity and they sell their talents to clubs. When a club is represented by agents looking for talent it is sheer folly. They do not have the best interests of the club or management. They find a player with a low price and tell Gold and Sullivan, who then snap him up rather than looking to their youth academy. There is no co-ordination between owners, manager and his staff. Grant will never be able to shape a team for himself. He is merely a stooge and a ‘yes man’ for Gold and Sullivan and will continue to have players foisted on him.

Although they may think they may be acting the in the best interests of the club. Gold and Sullivan need to sit back and take stock at what they have done to the club already. They have an uninspiring captain at the helm of a sinking ship, there is an air of doom and gloom surrounding the club that needs to lift, there are increasing debts of over £100million and they are rock bottom of the table with zero points. I think it is now a matter of ‘when’ and not ‘whether’ Grant will be sacked. But with a precarious financial position can they afford to bring in a new manager. The whole scenario whiffs of what happened to Pompey last season. Pompey are now rooted to the bottom of the Championship. Will the Hammers be following next season? I really hope not.

As a neutral I have always liked West Ham. They have avid supporters, a great history and used to show tremendous character. They have many problems to overcome but perhaps the first step is showing a bit more spirit on the pitch. The problems are magnified because the results are not there. Would I be writing this if the Hammers had won a game and drawn two? Probably not.  The players need to dig deep and get a result that will lift Upton Park and kick start their season. Maybe when the results start coming, things will improve on the board end. I know this is an over dramatic thing to say but the next few fixtures will probably make or break their season.

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