The Samurai maid and the Yakuza butler! Published 11/04/18 on Irons United

Hope had been elevated by wandering interlopers, faith had been restored and the balance had been readdressed…but then came Chelsea who would all but shatter dreams and send opinions spiralling into a frenzy…but was this a surprise to anyone and should fans be so eager to grasp onto isolated performances that would fool the senses?

Many within the West Ham universe would gaze down upon the claret and blue titan players with chequered pasts and believe all was well with nothing to fear…were they wrong? This is by no means a reflection of the result against Chelsea, however it is an indictment of the level of performance that the West Ham players are able to produce against better teams. This isn’t the ‘next level’ that many were hopeful for and that were promised too, but it just might be enough to keep the bailiffs from the door if a table down the hillside were ever to become a reality.

Before the game, many would have high hopes that the West Ham players would rise to the occasion…boys to become men, filing clerks to become warriors and creative talismans to become folklore gods for all future generations. The desire was there but the execution failed at the first hurdle as the Chelsea midfield dominated and ran the show.

The match was largely dominated by a Chelsea team that would be playing for their fallen hero Wilkins. They played in his honour…very skilfully and with slick passing too, retaining the ball whilst West Ham all but floundered at their feet…however they failed to capitalise on chances and Joe Hart proved to be the Hammers’ saving grace too.

The 1-1 scoreline flattered West Ham, however it was a well earned point and will give the claret and blue army renewed hope that the season may not be lost after all…but they must tun up against Stoke City in the next match…and this is where West Ham usually stumble.

The Hammers have a history of putting in decent performances against the big boys of the league and even winning their fair share too, however they have failed to repeat such displays against those teams in the bottom half of the league…this season being no exception.

However, many would err on the side of caution whilst others may be sitting pretty believing all problems have been solved within this club. The owners would love nothing more than for Moyes to pull this mammoth task off and save the day, however I dare say for vastly different reasons to those of the loyal fanbase. Their interest surely rests within the Hammers remaining in the very profitable Premier League…certainly it is for Karren Brady who is not really interested in the footballing aspect of her West Ham tenure…she is in it for the money as are Sullivan and Gold one would assume.

The problem with West Ham this season and was even displayed in the match against Chelsea and somewhat against Southampton in the second half at the London Stadium, is that the players do not tend to retain possession when moving forward into the opponents half. Yes, there is neat interchange of play across the defensive lines or into midfield but then it usually breaks down going forward to the strikers. This then gives the opponents a free run at the midfield who are usually overrun and have submitted.

The frustrating aspect of the West Ham game is that at times they can all play as Champions…even the remedial players have their days in the sun and may deliver a shining performance but overall it is inconsistent and not nearly seen enough. Arnautovic may indeed be the only player who is consistently posing a threat to the opposition while the rest of the players are improving in their supporting roles to him.

More often than not most of the players have appeared to be as ill fitting parts in a machine that is less than well oiled…or indeed they have a misplaced purpose too. This is something that needs to be addressed for the remaining games but crucially for next season if West Ham are to remain in the Premier League.

The summer will be a huge challenge to bring in the right personnel to fill in the gaps in the squad and many would consider the West Ham owners as not having the right ambition, nor funds to make the next step and buy some world class players to take the club to that elusive next level. But what is the next level that they are hoping to achieve? For the fans, it will be European qualification or a cup success or two…however the team are a long way from achieving those goals just yet.

Many would consider the squad to possess some quality players that would stroll into most starting elevens, however the same squad is littered with players that have not consistently produced for some time…and the summer will be just about the right time to offload some of the dead wood players and saving the club some pretty coin in the process.

As with most things surrounding West Ham, the transfers and injuries have crippled the team performances this season for the most part. The manager has been unable to draw out any kind of run with the team that would give the fans confidence  and them some form of momentum. The players have repeatedly been asked to play outside of their comfort zones or even in different positions that they are used too…it just hasn’t fit together, nor has it worked…just like some form of Footballing Oxymoron.

West Ham have an incredibly tough run in to the end of the season, however, the result against Chelsea may be exactly the right kind of stepping stone that the team needed to climb over…which they achieved…just about! Now all eyes will be looking ahead to the Stoke City match and wondering whether a win can be returned, a performance portrayed and whether the pieces will being to fit together again. Properly this time…and not just some Samurai dressed as a maid or the Yakuza as a butler.