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Slipperduke

The Camden Cad
Joined
Aug 24, 2004
Messages
4,333
Location
North London
Sometimes in life, when faced with inexplicable stupidity, there is a temptation to assume that perhaps it is you who is being stupid. When Steve McClaren decided to play long-ball to Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney in Russia last year, I briefly toyed with the theory that maybe, with his years of managerial experience, the England boss knew more than the rest of us. It turned out, of course, that he didn't. He was just being stupid and Russia won quite convincingly.

I've had similar concerns with West Ham in the last seven days. The club is run by an Icelandic tycoon Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson and young chief executive Scott Duxbury, who used to be a lawyer. Now they can't be entirely stupid, can they? I ask that because, from the outside, they look utterly clueless and I'm wondering if I've missed something.

For all the muck that has been sprayed in Alan Curbishley's direction, it seems that the problems at Upton Park are not entirely of his making. The club's hierachy are angry that their investment has not been rewarded with instant success, but going from relegation escapees to the safety of mid-table in one year is success by anyone's standards. They are angry that the wage bill has spiralled out of control, but whose fault is that? Who drew up Freddy Ljungberg's contract, the football manager or the lawyer? Who reportedly had to pay him off with a lump sum that eclipsed the value of most transfer deals? Curbishley has claimed that he was reduced to coaching a team that other people were building. So where does the blame lie? Who has really made West Ham a laughing stock?

Now the club, with all the class of a kiss'n'tell floozy, are shamlessly revealing the details of their recruitment interviews. Thanks to Director Mike Lee, we know that John Collins impressed, "but is maybe not quite right," and that Roberto Donadoni and Gianfranco Zola, "really shone," in their interviews. How charming.

It has been suggested that they are being so liberal with traditionally confidential information in an effort to flush out their true target, Croatian coach Slaven Bilic, but he would be absolutely mad to ditch his country in pursuit of this post. Why would anyone desert their nation in order to take up a compromised position of power at a viper's nest like Upton Park?

The saddest thing about this whole sorry affair is that Curbishley was actually turning West Ham into quite a likeable club. There was an English spine to the team with Rob Green, Matthew Upson, Mark Noble and Dean Ashton. He gave his talented youth players like Freddie Sears and James Tomkins a chance to shine, and he suffered the slings and arrows of outrageous slurs with great dignity and fortitude.

Duxbury and Gudmundsson are under huge pressure now to appoint the right man and it's reassuring to see them dealing with that in trademark style by pursuing candidates who have never managed in the Premier League. Looking at their past record of decison-making, I wouldn't have expected anything less.
 
Good read Slipper!

I think Di Canio would make a good manager.
 
Come off it Ricey ... W*** H** are a bunch of muggy c units and Di Canio a penis of the highest order

I actually like Di Canio as a player, I have met him got his book and had it signed by him. Think he is one of the best strikers to play in the Premiership and scored possibly one of the best goals of all time.
 
I actually like Di Canio as a player, I have met him got his book and had it signed by him. Think he is one of the best strikers to play in the Premiership and scored possibly one of the best goals of all time.

Tut tut tut Ricey !!!!!!!!!

If you hadn't have got green for playing Whitesnake i would red you for praising anything associated with the C 0 C K ney W A N K E R S
 
Di Canio, admitted fascist that has a tattoo on his arm of DVX that relates to Mussollini. Great role model.
 
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Hey you can't hate everyone who has ever played for West Ham?? Do you hate Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters??
 
Hey you can't hate everyone who has ever played for West Ham?? Do you hate Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters??

Bobby Moore nearly got us relegated to the Conference

And Brian Dear bit my ear once and made it bleed so yes ;)
 
I was with you until:

Then you lost me :D

Apologies! I can't take my personal prejudices into work with me!

I actually detest having to go there. The ground is situated in the third strata of hell, the fans are sub-human scum, the club is run by morons and there isn't a single player there who is as good as he thinks he is.

Aside from that, I'm completely objective.
 
Apologies! I can't take my personal prejudices into work with me!

I actually detest having to go there. The ground is situated in the third strata of hell, the fans are sub-human scum, the club is run by morons and there isn't a single player there who is as good as he thinks he is.

Aside from that, I'm completely objective.

:D:D:D What he said !!!!!!
 
Apologies! I can't take my personal prejudices into work with me!

I actually detest having to go there. The ground is situated in the third strata of hell, the fans are sub-human scum, the club is run by morons and there isn't a single player there who is as good as he thinks he is.

Aside from that, I'm completely objective.

:clap: :clap:
 
Apologies! I can't take my personal prejudices into work with me!

I actually detest having to go there. The ground is situated in the third strata of hell, the fans are sub-human scum, the club is run by morons and there isn't a single player there who is as good as he thinks he is.

Aside from that, I'm completely objective.

and after that, i think it's in your interest not to return!
 
can i just ask why there is a thread as long as that about west ham? doesn't make sense to me

Course you can. It's the All Leagues thread, the dirty corner of Shrimperzone where all clubs are up for debate!

Incidentally, there's a fantastic West Ham fan on Sky Sports right now calling for the appointment of, "Donaldini," on the basis that, "he's Italian and that, innee?"
 
Apologies! I can't take my personal prejudices into work with me!

I actually detest having to go there. The ground is situated in the third strata of hell, the fans are sub-human scum, the club is run by morons and there isn't a single player there who is as good as he thinks he is.

Aside from that, I'm completely objective.

I am Matteo di Walker and I endorse this post.
 
I have had it on very good authority that the lil man zola is definatly the new boss at west ham!! my source, though cant be named, has been spot on in the past, so much so im putting a cheeky £200 on this one! He made me a nice fortune out of Paul Ince with Blackburn!!!
 
I have had it on very good authority that the lil man zola is definatly the new boss at west ham!! my source, though cant be named, has been spot on in the past, so much so im putting a cheeky £200 on this one! He made me a nice fortune out of Paul Ince with Blackburn!!!

Surely even they're not stupid enough to do that? Putting all your hopes on a completely untested, renowned nice guy just becuase he's a decent player is the act of madman.
 
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