EXTRA TIME

Curbishley Ruining The West Ham Way?

April 15, 2008 at 11:26 am 1 comment

In a hard-hitting review of the Bolton game in The Echo, Rob Pritchard accuses Alan Curbishley’s defensive approach of ruining a century of slick, passing, attack-minded football at West Ham. Pritchard claims West Ham under Curbishley are actually attempting a poor imitation of Bolton and that it flies against the traditions of the club built by such managers as Greenwood. Lyall and Redknapp.

Many West Ham fans accepted the dire football the team have played this season because the team were at least picking up points. Since Christmas, however, the fans have had to watch the team playing poor football and getting thrashed by good sides and beaten by poor ones.

Alan Curbishley has pointed to the injuries to West Ham’s flair players but it is actually hard to determine who he is talking about. Etherington’s pace is admittedly a lot more exciting than Boa Morte’s day-dreaming on the left wing. Bellamy also seems to show more passion and desire to win than most of the players on show on Saturday and hopefully, if Dyer ever recovers, he will also demonstrate some pace down the right.

However in the summer Curbishley sold the two players at the club who could consistently unlock defences, Tevez and Benayoun. Obviously once both players publically declared their desire to leave there was little Curbishley could do to stop them. However it has become apparent that they have not been adequately replaced.

Let’s hope the Icelandic economy recovers enough by the start of next season to allow the owners to make available a sizeable transfer kitty. West Ham are in desperate need of a couple of flair players.

West Ham fans have never called for success but have always expected attractive football.

(From: Hammered Blog)

Entry filed under: English, West Ham.