Nationwide Division OneWest Ham United 1 Bradford City 0
Tuesday, 26th August 2003
by Ryan McGill
Phew! That’s better.
It was like d?(C)j? vu all over again at Upton Park last night as in Glenn Roeder?EUR(TM)s absence (this time permanently via the job centre, rather then temporally via the surgeons table) Hammers legend Trevor Brooking arrived on his white charger to revive the first team, and edge one step closer to East End Sainthood.Even though it?EUR(TM)s been only four months since the end of his last spell as caretaker manager, Trevor must have whished for some familiar faces as he scanned last night?EUR(TM)s dressing room. Kanoute, Ferdinand and Di Canio, all goalscorers under his previous reign have since departed for returns to the Premier League. What remains is an uneven mix of great potential (Defoe, Etherington, Ferdinand), some class (James, Connelly, Carrick), but mostly disaffected dross (insert your own names here).
Brooking?EUR(TM)s teamsheet immediately stamped his authority on the side, ditching Roeder?EUR(TM)s 4-4-2 for a return to the 4-3-3 formation that proved so successful at the back-end of last season. Repka and Horlock were stationed at right and left full-back, the fit again Carrick returned to midfield, while Mellor joined Connelly and Defoe in attack.
Visibly lifted by the 30,000+ crowd and the wave a goodwill towards the caretaker manager the Hammers went off like a rocket with wave after wave of attacks, setting the pattern for a first 45 minutes that were played almost exclusively in the Bradford half.
Defoe, Connelly and Etherington?EUR(TM)s wiliness to run with the ball from deep or wide positions was causing the Bradford rearguard and their overworked goalkeeper all kinds of problems, with the only surprise being that it took nearly 40 minutes to score the opening goal. But when it finally arrived it was a cracker!
Defoe collected the ball wide on the left hand side of the penalty area, sold the full-back a dummy and then continued to jink past what seemed like the entire Bradford back four before drilling the ball firmly inside the right-hand post. The ?EUR~keeper had no chance. The stadium went bananas!
The goal settled the West Ham team, who prematurely produced ?EUR~the showboat?EUR(TM), and at times embarrassed the toilers from Bradford with their skill. The crowd were nearly treated to another wonder goal just before the break when Connelly exhibited excellent close control in dribbling the ball from just beyond the halfway line culminating in a delicate chip over the ?EUR~keeper that came back off the crossbar.
Mellor was undoubtedly better placed for a shot if Connelly had looked to his left, but the message to Defoe was loud and clear ?EUR? anything you can do I can do better.
If the team thought that this game was going to be entirely one-way traffic then they got a wake up call in first-half injury time when Bradford?EUR(TM)s Michael Branch found himself in splendid isolation on the edge of the West Ham penalty area only to be denied by the outstretched fingers of James.
The second half was over before it began for Rob Lee who went down untidily following a block tackle near the centre circle. The former England man looked to be in some distress, and following lengthy treatment on the pitch he was replaced by Don Hutchinson, who received a reception that could be charitably be called ?EUR~mixed?EUR(TM).
Despite the disruption caused by the enforced change the opening 25 minutes of the second-half continued in much the same way as the 45 minutes that proceeded it, with constant West Ham pressure.
Michael Carrick was running midfield producing steady stream of accurate passes, and displays of individual skill, while Connelly and Defoe combined in the 65th minute to lift the fans from their seats with a thunderbolt shot from Defoe that was finger tipped over by the Bradford ?EUR~keeper.
However, without Lee to screen the back four the defence seemed to by playing increasingly deeper, allowing Bradford the freedom of our half until they reached the penalty area. Inevitably Bradford gained in confidence and their attacks increased in number and accuracy. Has there ever been a team more nervous when holding a lead than West Ham?
Fortunately David James was in top form, repeating the heroics that earned him the man of the match award for England last week against Croatia, with a series of acrobatic saves.
From a one-way street the game was becoming far more open as Bradford began to commit men to the attack, leaving inevitable holes at the back. Neil Mellor can consider himself very unlucky not to have won what looked a stonewall penalty on 73 minutes when he was bundled over from behind in the Bradford box. Perhaps he was paying the price for conning a free kick out of the Referee moments earlier with the kind of theatrical collapse that his Anfield teammate Emile Heskey has trademarked?
Despite the late game jitters West Ham held out for a confidence boosting victory, although it should have been far more comfortable such was our dominance in the opening hour of the match.
The feel good factor appears to be back at Upton Park, ?EUR~Bubbles?EUR(TM) echoed around the ground, and more good football was played in the first four minutes of this game than I?EUR(TM)d seen in the proceeding four matches. Terry Borwn wrote in the programme about his regret at ?EUR~releasing?EUR(TM) Glenn Roeder, but from where I was sitting it felt like the West Ham fans that had been ?EUR~released?EUR(TM). Truly, we have suffered enough in recent times.
If Brown is hoping the ?EUR~new manager effect?EUR(TM) will produce some quick wins, then he can look forward to a double dose as Brooking has repeated through the media his intention to end his tenure following this Saturday?EUR(TM)s away match at Ipswich. The enforced break for international fixtures that follows (the game with Nottingham Forest on the 6th Sept is certain to be postponed) should allow sufficient time to make an appointment for the home game against Reading on the 13th Sept?
Coincidentally the Reading manager Alan Pardew has been mentioned as a potential candidate, but given their ready availability (without the need to pay compensation) the favourites appear to be former Hammer Ian Dowie (currently working without a contract at Oldham), and ex-Sunderland assistant manager Glenn Cotterill (rumoured to have been seen in the stands at recent games).
On the evidence of West Ham?EUR(TM)s matches so far this season the standard of Division 1 opposition has been uniformly poor enough to suggest that a promotion charge is still realistic, if the new man can organise the defence and develop a supply line to the forwards?
However, given their recent interpretation of employee relations, you do have to wonder who?EUR(TM)d want to work for the current Board of directors? Whoever does will at least be working with a squad that has put themselves back in the promotion race, and a support that is back in a positive frame of mind, all with no small thanks to Saint Trevor.
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David JamesReflexes and reach were invaluable in protecting the lead. There?EUR(TM)s no better English goalkeeper around.
Tomas Repka
Did his best in his new right-back role. Looked good defensively, and always tried to get forward even if he didn?EUR(TM)t quite know what to do when he arrived there.
Kevin Horlock
De-facto left back was so unemployed in defence that he spent the majority of the game playing wide on the left of midfield. Got forward well and gave the team a pleasing shape. Partnership with Etherington has potential but needs work.
Christian Dailly
Complimented Pearce well, and covered the defensive holes that appeared in the second half. Would have liked to see our Captain urge the team to push forward when we had our nervous spell in the second half.
Ian Pearce
Generally solid display. Injuries look to have robbed him of some pace; I wouldn?EUR(TM)t like to see his isolated against anyone too nippy.
Matthew Etherington
Started nervously but grew in confidence following Defoe?EUR(TM)s strike. Looks exciting on the ball but needs to learn when to pass it, rather than run up a blind alley.
Rob Lee
Was badly missed when injured out of the game after half-time. Vital cog in the West Ham machine, allowing Carrick and Etherington to get forward to good effect.
Michael Carrick
Showed us what we?EUR(TM)d been missing with a display of Premier League class. Head and shoulders above everyone else on the pitch, bar one ...
David Connolly
Another ball of energy, seemingly intent on bettering anything that Defoe attempted. Had the crowd out of their seats with a number of near misses.
Jermain Defoe
I hope Alex Ferguson wasn?EUR(TM)t watching this match. Ran the show in the final third, was a blur of perpetual motion, and fought a personal duel with the Bradford ?EUR~keeper.
Neil Mellor
Looked raw and not quite on the same wavelength as his partners in the attack. Grew into the match, and showed glimpses of his potential.
Substitutes
Don HutchisonContributed nothing to the defence or the attack. Attempts at tackling were embarrassingly feeble, while distribution often ended at the feet of a Bradford player. Inept!
Stephen Bywater
Did not play.
Matthew Kilgallon
Did not play.
Anton Ferdinand
Did not play.
Youssef Sofiane
Did not play.
Match Facts
West Ham United: David James, Tomas Repka, Kevin Horlock, Christian Dailly, Ian Pearce, Matthew Etherington, Rob Lee, Michael Carrick, David Connolly, Jermain Defoe, Neil Mellor.Goals: Jermain Defoe 32 .
Booked: Tomas Repka 13 Kevin Horlock 35 .
Sent off: None.
Bradford City: Paston, Francis, Edds, Wetherall, Jacobs, Gavin, Heckingbottom, Evans, Gray, Branch, Windass.
Subs not used: Combe, Emanuel, Kearney.
Goals: .
Booked: Edds (75).
Sent off: None.
Referee: Richard Beeby.
Attendance: 30,370.
Man of the Match: Jermain Defoe.