Former Hammers defender Tony Gale provides his expert
view every week, exclusively on whufc.com...
ONCE again, we're looking back at another great week, following
an impressive win against Birmingham City on Monday night.
There's no doubt that we faced Steve Bruce's men at a good
time - they were missing several first-team regulars through injury
and suspension - but they still had some quality and show and you
can only beat what is put in front of you.
Scoring the early goal certainly had a key influence on the result.
We have generally started games well this season but don't seem
to have had much fortune in front of goal early on - I think the
Manchester United game at home was the only other time we've
scored inside the first 10 minutes - so it was nice to take
immediate control on Monday.
It was also good to see the boys up front get the goals - it was
important that those two justified the manager's selection, and
I thought both Deano and Marlon showed the kind of confidence and
quality you want to see from strikers who know they are under
pressure to deliver the goods.
So another welcome three points, that took us past the magical
40-point mark and means that we can now look above us and have a
real good crack at finishing the season in style. For me, it's
nice to see everyone at the Club - staff, directors and supporters
- walking around with a smile on their face. After the difficult
times everyone has experienced in the last couple of years,
it's good to see the good times here again…and long may
they continue.
THE win against Birmingham made it seven in a row in all
competitions, which I'm told equals the record we set back in
1985-86. That was actually part of a run of nine wins in the league
- with a League Cup defeat at Manchester United sandwiched in
between.
Personally, I hope the current side go on to beat our record. It
would be great for the Club - records are there to be broken and,
should they beat our nine successive league wins, I would imagine
they will be set up for a memorable finish to the season.
It certainly looks good at the moment. Alan Pardew has virtually a
fully fit squad to choose from, and having his first-choice team
out is going to be key factor in the coming weeks.
Another key factor is that the team looks very fit and able to cope
with the physical demands at this stage of the season. A lot of it
is to do with confidence - when you are winning you can't wait
for the games, while losing can make you feel a bit jaded - but
Alan also has a young spine to his side. That is fantastic for the
Club, and the players look as if they have the legs to finish the
campaign strongly.
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LOOKING forward to Saturday's FA Cup tie at Bolton, there's
no doubt it will be a tough match, and a draw will be a good result
for the Hammers.
However, given the form we are in and the team we will put out, we
have a great chance of winning the game and there is no reason to
feel anything but confident.
Bolton certainly won't fancy playing us at the moment and, if
we can impose our game on them early on, I can see us getting a
result.
We'll have to be at our best, though, because they can be a
formidable force, especially at home. It's a bit like facing
Wimbledon in the old days - you know you are going to be in for a
difficult afternoon, but they are by no means unbeatable.
They have a strong defensive outfit and some very talented players
in attack, but hopefully their UEFA Cup tie against Marseille on
Wednesday night will have taken a bit out of them, and the chance
is there for us to grab a win.
I'LL end this week's column by paying tribute to Ron
Greenwood, a man I sadly didn't have the pleasure of playing
under but certainly know a lot about and respected a great deal.
Ron was obviously a regular visitor to Upton Park when his
protégé, John Lyall, was managing in the 80s and would
always stop for a chat whenever you bumped into him at the ground.
He was a true gentleman and, from a footballing point of view, was
quite simply one of the greatest coaches English football has ever
seen.
The methods and beliefs he introduced back in the 60s are still
being used today by Tony Carr to develop the young players
progressing through the ranks, and I think every player who has
played for West Ham United in the last 40 years has something to
thank Ron Greenwood for.
Of course, the game is very different today, and people often ask
if the likes of Ron and John would be successful managers in
modern-day football. I certainly think they might have some trouble
coping with agents and certain sections of the media nowadays but,
when it comes to the football, they would have no problems.
On the training pitch, Ron Greenwood was simply untouchable, and he
left West Ham United with a priceless legacy…