4.3.2012
CCFC 0 v 2 WEST HAM
Seven days after
the Carling Cup heroics and, as the BBC Sports site proclaimed, ‘entertaining
a nation with what was widely considered one of the great Wembley displays’
it’s ‘back to life, back to
reality, back to the here and now’ for the City Soul II Soul Crew.
The day
dawned with the news of the signing on loan of Portsmouth journeyman Liam
Lawrence. Heralded by some as a shrewd move by Mr Mackay, a ‘good bit of business’,
this signing helps after recent events to place our aspirations for further
progress into context. It’s just the sort of signing that we might and should
expect from a manager fulfilling his brief to seek out quality players. On the
cheap. Following the acquisition of a promising 18 year old winger from Wycombe
and the loan signing of an exciting but unproven Premiership talent sent out to
get some experience it’s not that getting Lawrence (on loan remember, to help
Pompey keep the administrator wolves from the door) betrays a lack of ambition,
rather it reflects the reality of our situation and emphasises just how well we
have done to be up there challenging for prizes. And how difficult it will be
to maintain that challenge against clubs with much deeper pockets.
The end of year
accounts released this week indicate that the club has a total of £70m of debt,
of which £40m is due to be repaid within the year! And the biggest average
attendance for over 50 years resulted in a drop in gate receipts and match
day income. (Eh?) A back to reality check for those of us disappointed that the
squad wasn’t bolstered in the January window by a signing of Bellamyesque impudence.
Today we welcome a
club on loan from the Premiership, bank-rolled by the Two Davids, those Twin
Titans of Titillation, Old Penarthian porn peddler David ‘The Poisoned Dwarf’
Sullivan and his partner, a man of solid East End gangster stock, Mister Ann
Summers himself, David ‘All That Glitters Is Not’ Gold (Sid James meets Hugh
Hefner) owners of Dodgy Geezers Inc. aka West Ham Utd FC. Two of the most
odious gits on Planet Football, but crucially with some very deep pockets in
which to trouser their ill-gotten gains.
So to events on the
field. As we were serving up a Sunday lunchtime special live on the Beeb a
mercifully brief description of a dispiriting display is all that’s required.
We began with the same personnel that triumphed in defeat last Sunday. There
were some tired legs on display, none more so than Gestede who although he had
some success against the mighty Hammers’ central defenders showed his rawness
and lack of tactical awareness by continually failing to anticipate the final
ball and showing a lack of pace against a Premiership quality back four. He
pulled up after 30 minutes to be replaced by Vuckic, a midfielder. To emphasise
the difference in the resources available to the managers, whereas we didn’t
have a striker of any description on the bench, when West Ham’s Maynard was
replaced after squandering a number of chances, Allardyce was able to call on
ex-Chelsea and England striker Carlton Cole.
In a competitive
first half of few chances West Ham were more well organised, fitter, keener,
always first to the ball, dominating midfield and were the more likely to break
the deadlock. And so it was on 43 mins that our defensive frailties came to the
fore allowing the ball to break to (a suspiciously offside) Nolan who steered
to ball wide of Marshall. My Fourth Official with the advantage of TV replays
confirmed by text that the goal should stand (which shut me up and those
sitting around me and emphasised what a difficult job linesmen have). 1-0 at
half time.
The last time the
Hammers visited Ninian Park, Ali was criticised for serenading the opposition
with the theme from Steptoe & Son. The half time discs were less
provocative today, but he still managed to sneak in ‘A Town Called Malice’ and with
perhaps a nod to last Sunday and to the likely outcome of this game ‘Stop Me If
You’ve Heard This One Before’. A more appropriate Smiths track might have been
‘Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want’ (Lord knows it would be the first
time etc...) which neatly sums up a lifetime following the Bluebirds.
The second half
produced 3 or 4 early opportunities for the opposition to emphasise their
dominance. We were just spectators for 20 minutes while the Hammers fluffed
their lines time and again. We had a decent spell during which Whittingham
struck the post with a trademark free kick from 25 yards but after gifting their
strikers a number of opportunities to put the game to bed eventually
McCartney’s bout of ping-pong with McNaughton gave them the clincher.
Disappointingly with 15 mins still left many hundreds decided they’d seen
enough and headed for the exits. City drove forward in search of some form of
consolation, Miller heading the ball against the bar as the game drew to a
close. So, I make that 2 wins from eight while those around us hit peak form.
The cup run was a wonderful distraction but on the evidence of this display,
Malky’s men are distinctly lacking in ‘bouncebackability’.
Still, we should
remain philosophical; worse things happen at (Chel)sea.
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