Blackburn Match Report

The great thing about this performance was not the win, it was the consistency. The team have performed with the same dogged determination now for several games. It may not be pretty at times, but it’s effective. When was the last time we had a plus 8 goal difference? When was the last time we had won four games away at this stage of the season? We should remind ourselves that we have only let in 12 goals so far this season. At the same stage last season it was 18. After 15 games last season we had 14 points. We now have 22. We had scored 10 goals last season compared to 20 this season. All in all, we should be really proud of what this team has achieved. Imagine what might have happened if all the injured players had been available.

There were no weak links today. Everyone gave their all. I thought Dean Ashton was outstanding in the second half. Mullins and Parker ruled midfield and the back four coordinated really well. Lucas Neill had a few dodgy moments, possibly, but I’m nitpicking. Boa Morte could have had a couple of goals and he seems a different player to the one I criticised so freely earlier in the season.

And Robert Green. Well, his save from Tugay in the last few minutes said it all. The man is pure class.

Green 9 - Three world class saves
McCartney - 8 Apart from a miskick, dealt with everything that came to him
Neill - 7 Drove the team on
Upson - 8 Kept both Blackburn strikers in his pocket
Gabbidon - 8 Ditto
Mullins - 8 He’s transformed himself this season
Parker - 9 He’s going to be a massive player for us. A real leader.
Solano - 8 A joy to watch
Cole - 7 Few chances but gave his all
Boa Morte - 8 Brilliant volley should have led to a goal
Etherington - 6 Not really on song and picked up an injury
Ashton 9 - Back on song. Imagine what he will be like by Christmas

So as I say, the fourth match in a row where the team has put in a consistent performance full of vim and vigour. Bring on Everton!

Blackburn Preview

Last season we were very lucky to get away with three points at Ewood Park - remember the Tevez goal which shouldn’t have been? If that goal hadn’t been given, instead of playing at Ewood Park this season, we might be at Layer Road.

We’re now in a comfortable mid table position, but a bit of a gap has opened up between us and the Top Nine. Three points are vital today. Several Blackburn players are missing through suspension, including the in-form David Bentley. We have a few players on their way back and for the first time this season Alan Curbishley has a few selection headaches, not least whether to bring Marlk Noble back into the first eleven. Scott Parker and Hayden Mullins, one of our most in form players at the moment, had blinders against Chelsea and do not deserve to be dropped. But football can be a cruel game. Our long term choice for central midfield has to be Noble and Parker. At some point, maybe not today, Mullins will make place for Noble.

I think today is the day to bring back Dean Ashton and partner him with Carlton Cole. This means that Boa Morte would make way, which in some ways would be unfair, as he had a good game against Chelsea too.

There are rumours that Anton Ferdinand is fit and will replace Danny Gabbidon. I suspect that this is not the case and that he will be on the bench. The only other selection dilemma is whether to replace Solano with Ljungberg. Again, Solano has done little wrong and keeping him in will spur him on to greater things. So far this season, Freddie Ljungberg has flattered to deceive.

To be honest, I’m not that optimistic we will come away with three points from here. It’s a ground we tend to do badly on, and although we have won a few times in recent years, it’s not a game we look forward to. Especially when that idiot Robbie Savage is playing.

My West Ham: David Cracknell

David Cracknell is Political Editor of the Sunday Times. He is shortly leaving the paper to take charge of the political lobbying company, LLM.

How did you become a Hammer?
My mum and dad are from East London so it was a natural thing. There are four season tickets in the family, although as I’ve worked on Saturdays for the past ten years I haven’t had one. But in my new job I get my weekends back, so if anyone knows a mate of a mate who’s got one, please get in touch!

Your first game?
Must have been sometime in 1974, aged six, because I was a mad fan by the time we won the FA Cup the following year. My dad took me to the Chicken Run, so that always feels like home. I remember Frank Lampard, Trevor Brooking always with his tongue in his cheek, looking to make the perfect pass.

How many games do you get to?
Not enough at the moment as I have to rely on someone pulling out, and its had to be on Sundays or mid-week. I went a lot more when we were in the Championship a few years ago because you could just turn up. I went to Cardiff though, three times in a row.

Most memorable moment?
Probably that play-off semi-final at Upton Park where we beat Ipswich. I’ve never experienced an atmosphere like it. Deafening as well. Pards dancing around like a lunatic in that “Moore than a football club” T-shirt. Then we lost to Crystal Palace in Cardiff …

Have you met any Hammers players?
I’ve met Brooking, but only a couple of years ago. He’s very passionate about sport in schools these days. My dad always said: “Now there’s a footballer with O levels!” My GP is one of the West Ham doctors - my mum ran his surgery practice for years - does that count?. I bumped into Bob Zamora straight after we lost to Liverpool at Cardiff - I was lucky enough to be invited into the WAGs area after the game. As you can imagine, it wasn’t a happy occasion after getting so close to victory!

I’m most proud of having played on the hallowed Boleyn turf though. It was a charity match against MPs a couple of years ago. We used the home dressing room, which was an honour. I didn’t play very well though - I think I was a bit overawed by the whole thing!

Favourite current player?
We all have to love Robert Green at the moment, don’t we. Should be England’s No1. But am a fan of a good East London Academy boy like Mark Noble - although, like a lot of its graduates (Lampard, Carrick, Joe Cole etc) I reckon he probably needs to move on to blossom. (Sorry!)

What’s the football banter like in the bars of the House of Commons?
Non-stop. As you probably know, the Labour MP Jim Fitzpatrick is a Hammer, and the minister Tony McNulty. Ahead of the party conference games, when our Lobby team plays the MPs, there’s always a lot of joshing with Labour’s frontmen Ed Balls and Andy Burnham.

Describe last season. How did it affect you?
Emotional, wasn’t it?! A Shakespearian almost-tragedy.The whole Argentinian fiasco unsettling the team and then at the end of it Tevez (and Green, of course) rescue us from demotion.

What are your hopes for this season?
Well we’re going to stay up for sure. Ideally finish well inside the top half. If we put on a spurt after Christmas I’d hope we’d make Europe. I’d like to see Deano have a purple patch and for Freddie to show us a bit of that old Highbury skill.

Choose your all time Hammers Eleven

1. Robert Green
2. Billy Bonds
3. Frank Lampard
4. Julian Dicks
5. Alvin Martin
6. Bobby Moore
7. Frank McAvennie
8. Paulo Di Canio
9. ‘Pop’ Robson
10. Trevor Brooking
11. Alan Devonshire

What do your colleagues make of your support for West Ham
They often pity me …

COMING SOON: Labour MP Tony McNulty…

The Rumour Mill is in Full Swing

So, Bobby Zamora is off to Fulham, Derby, Reading or Sunderland for £5 million. Curbs wants to get rid of Davenport, Quashie and Pantsil. Stephen Carr is on his way to Upton Park. And many more.

So what do we think? In this thread let’s talk about outgoings - who should West Ham consider selling in the January transfer window. We have a huge squad and it needs trimming. Don’t talk about players you’d like us to sign - we’ll do that tomorrow.

Personally, I’d sell Christian Dailly and Nigel Quashie. And that’s it. We need to remember that we actually only forked out a net £7 million the summer.

Chelsea Afterthoughts: Proud to be a Hammer

I am sure I am not alone when I say how proud I was of our performance against Chelsea. We deserved at least a point, and defensively we were awesome. It givesd me real hope for the future if we continue to play with that level of total commitment and skill. We were never going to have a huge number of goalscoring opportunities, and so it proved, but again, Carlton Cole worked his dogs bits off and Luis Boa Morte had his best game in a Hammers shirt. Scott Parker was terrific in midfield, with Upson the star of a superb back four. I really cannot praise them too highly. Let’s hope this kind of form is carried forward into the two Everton matches and beyond.

Green 8 Consistent as ever
Upson 9 Man of the match
Gabbison 8 Didn’t give Drogba a sniff
McCartney 7 Solid
Neill 7 Improving with every game
Solana 7 Pity about the missed header
Mullins 8 Linked well with Parker
Parker 8 Great tough tackles
Etherington 6 Had a difficult day
Cole 8 Total commitment
Boa Morte 8 Harried and tackled like a demon