Hold the Back Page - re west ham

[Bishops Finger]

This evening on Sky Sports 1 with Brian Woolnough (The Daily Star), Paul Smith (The Sun), Sam Wallace (The Independent) and Martin Samuel (The Daily Mail & self professed West Ham supporter but strangely silent during the discussion).

Discussing West Ham, they said it was vital for West Ham to be in the Premier League when the move to the Olympic Stadium comes about or it would mean a financial meltdown for the club. The concensus was that 6 or 7 players were needed, they thought Robert Green would probably go and that BFS was a pretty shrewd operator in the transfer and loan market - Joe Cole's name was mentioned as someone the fans would welcome back, I don't remember any other names being discussed.

One thing I thought interesting was that the current lot of players would cost an extra £7 million with increases in contracts due to going up to the Premier League, and that Kevin Nolan was currently on £55k a week!

Paul Smith was pretty adamant that Southampton, and particularly Reading, would struggle in the Premier League and were pretty sure of going down because their boards would not be prepared to make the required investment.

Nothing startling really!

[psychoscoredthelot]

sounds riveting

[sendô]

I don't know if I'd agree that we need 6 or 7 new players in the sense that they are saying we do - I assume otherwise we will go down. I think the team we've got could probably just about survive, mainly because there are enough other teams that will struggle. What we do need to do is invest in key positions and try and push into mid table rather than fight a relegation scrap. We shouldn't just be aiming for survival, because if you fall slightly short you go down. If Fulham can come almost 7th with the team they've got then it isn't inconceivable that we could aim for 7th.

[MB]

We shouldn't just be aiming for survival, because if you fall slightly short you go down. If Fulham can come almost 7th with the team they've got then it isn't inconceivable that we could aim for 7th.

That was always the Pardew approach. Aim for top half and you'll finish 12th. Aim for 17th and you'll probably be relegated!

Fulham is a good example of what you can do with three or four very talented players and a bunch of journeymen grafters filling in the gaps. A good manager who understands the tactical aspects of the game of course helps!

[MS in the West]

I don't know if I'd agree that we need . If Fulham can come almost 7th with the team they've got then it isn't inconceivable that we could aim for 7th.

Fulham have come in, or close to 10th in the Prem for years now. I think you're massively underestimating their team

As to these journos. It's a bit like joournalism eating itself in that programme. It's a magazine programme that asks journos their opinion - rather than one that goes out and gets news and opinions from others/those who know. Can't see why we should take the slightest notice of these people who often have less judgement than the average fan, consistently make up stories, stir things up, nick things from fan websites and so on. Now if they were asking Gary Neville his view....

[kayahammer]

sounds riveting

^^^^^^^^^^^^

[Roby]

I've been a big fan of this show since my mum and dad got Sky when I was a kid back in about 1994.

I remember when they used to have Jimmy Hill hosting it!

Not too keen on some of the posh twats they have on like Henry Winter but generally it's a good show to watch on a Sunday morning with a bagel and a couple of cups of tea.

[Dyl]

Our team unchanged wouldn't get relegated. A few players in will mean we'll finish about 14th.

Reading, Norwich and Wigan going down next year. Swansea, Stoke, Villa and Southampton all fighting out the spots just above.

[mywhufc]

Our team unchanged wouldn't get relegated. A few players in will mean we'll finish about 14th.

Reading, Norwich and Wigan going down next year. Swansea, Stoke, Villa and Southampton all fighting out the spots just above.

Allardyce was right, we are deluded.
1/2 the team got us relegated, prob lose green, and Parker jumped a year ago, so a worse team than what we went down with but you think our team unchanged wouldn't go down.

[dapablo]

Allardyce was right, we are deluded.
1/2 the team got us relegated, prob lose green, and Parker jumped a year ago, so a worse team than what we went down with but you think our team unchanged wouldn't go down.

..but we have a manager and a captain now, a vast improvemennt on just a Parker.

[Side of Ham]

We have a set up that doesn't roll over now, before it was one player that didn't roll over the rest with the managers tactics did.