Claret And Blue Bubbles

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Is This robertothehammer ?

2009-11-07T13:16:00.005Z

Stress of Being a Manager

2009-06-25T07:59:00.004Z

Now I'm not exactly privy to the dates of these photos as to when they were taken. I do know however, that Zola hasn't even seen one full season with us yet. Compare the two pictures and tell me he isn't ageing quicker than a United States president? Anybody?

It was Inevitable

2008-03-02T11:21:00.000Z

Its been a long time coming. Yesterday we were finally found out. This is more or less the same team who were so lucky to win the way they did against Boro and Sunderland. The team that scraped out 1-0 wins over the likes of Birmingham, Blackburn Plymouth and Fulham. The same team that couldn’t beat Man City over 4 games, in fact only scored one goal against them. The team that draws at home to the likes of Reading , Bolton and Wigan. Curbishleys team. The same team I watched at that Everton Cup game that prompted me on the spur of the moment to say I’m never going to another game whilst that moron is manager. The team that much as I enjoyed the results, beat a Man Utd team that didn’t turn up,(Well Rooney certainly didn’t) and beat Liverpool with an injury time penalty (makes up for the Cup Final slightly). The same old team thats been playing all season, only this time the goals went in. I admire the fighting talk of the fans who feel we are gonna do the Poo. Win a game where we haven’t won for what? 50 years? Maybe you can give me some of that wacky baccy too. Because I didn’t think Chelski were that good. We just made them look good. Any aspirations of playing in Europe next season or FAT playing for England were blown out of the water. Even Green looked ordinary. Maybe we owe him more than we do. Truth is IMO is that we’ve had two good results this season. Away to Derby and Reading. And look where they are in the table. I’m interested to hear what the Pro Curbs fans have to say about this. And before anyone says I'm not a Hammers fan. I wasn't one of the thousands walking out after half an hour!

New Live Chat Room

2008-02-03T13:29:00.001Z

PLEASE NOTE:You are advised to use Internet Explorer to open this Chatroom. (Log In Down the bottom of page). I've tried it with Mozilla and for me it just hangs and freezes. I have tried many chatroom scripts here and this one seems to be the best and has some fun options once you've worked them out. Any problems please leave comments and I will try to rectify them.

West Ham United - Soap Opera (Part 1 May 06-Feb 07)

2008-02-03T12:57:00.001Z

This still makes me laugh.

Christmas Decorations

2007-12-29T10:42:00.000Z

Been a while since I have posted and a bit of a mixed bag. The old saying that West Ham go down with the Christmas decorations could well be true this year as the end of December and nearly all of January looks a complete nightmare. Its history that we did the double over Utd last year and were the first team to win at the Emirates ,and that's all it is. History. I don't expect it to happen again and with the added attractions of Manchester City (twice) and Liverpool, I expect a grim opening to the New Year. Herein lies the problem, as losing, like winning becomes a habit. Losing drains the confidence, people suddenly don't want the ball or are not prepared to try things different because of the fear factor.
This is not to say that I give us no chance whatsoever, as the one shining light of this season has been our defence which is one of the meanest in the league. Unfortunately, this is tempered by the whole defensive set up that Curbishley has instilled in this team of his as opposed to the idea of going for the win. We do not have a ten plus goal a season midfielder and our strikers are not doing much at all. Ljunberg runs down too many blind alleys (when he is playing that is), Boa Morte is well, Boa Morte. Solano has some lovely touches but seems to have a fear of an open goal. Parker and Mullins are not attacking midfielders which leaves Bowyer and Noble. Nope. Can't see ten plus there either. So we ain't gonna leak goals (famous last words for this month) but we ain't gonna score too many either. So I will go for two points, come the end of January and possibly a Cup defeat in a replay to Man City.

Silly Month

2007-09-04T17:42:00.001Z

So the first month of the season rolls to an end, a month I call the "Silly Month" because usually there are a couple of very strange results and unusual teams sitting at the top of the table. No really big surprises so far apart from ,mildly, Wigan doing a bit better than expected and Reading looking a bit poor. On the West Ham front, a bit of a mixed bag. Home defeat and draw to City and Wigan were followed by an unimpressive win against Birmingham who looked absolutely appalling and a win against Bristol which is as it should be. I suppose given our history against lower league sides it is a bit of a good win. This was followed by a good win at Reading although as I just said they look a bit poor and could well be a candidate for the struggle at the bottom so a reasonable start but not one to make me think any different about finishing just out of the bottom six.
I wasn't impressed with any of the new signings, but admit Bellamy is looking to be a sound investment and at long last Ashton started a game. Dyer does what he does best, which is gets injured along with Freddie and Parker the latter of whom I havent even seen yet. Come to that I haven't seen Faubert either. Never mind. Two stunning last minute swoops for Solano (anyone else want to come and be near their families?) and Camara had the fans whooping for delirious joy as Adriano reportedly turned down a £100,000 a week offer to play for us. The fixture list has been quite good for us so far so if September sees us still in the top half of the table I will be surprised after watching the Wigan and Bristol Rovers games.

Here We Go Again

2007-08-13T07:37:00.000Z

So the whistle blows for a new season again. For all the hilarity of Man City getting Sven as a new manager and the mirth about the players he has bought, he quietly carries on as he always does and stuffs us in the opening fixture. Now I for one think that Sven is no fool. His record demands respect, but as with most fans we have short memories and can only remember him as England manager. And for all that, his record in competetive games is also up there with the best.
On to the current manager at Upton Park and as most of you who know me will know I am no fan of Alan Curbishley. For all the glee over Sven reportedly buying players on video maybe its a shame that our manager didnt look at a few himself He may just have seen how dangerous some of the City players were because they are all on YouTube!
Fair enough, we had some injuries, but he has had all summer to cover all positions. At the moment all he has done is replace players who have left and not necessarily for the better. The ball is out for me on Faubert because all I know of him is from YouTube. He doesnt look bad I admit which is more than I can say for Bellamy who is no substitute for Tevez, Parker who is no better than Reo Coker nor Ljungberg for Benayoun. Surprisingly Ferdinand is still there and even MORE surprisingly started the season off in preference to Gabbidon and Collins, the latter who played a blinder towards the end of our relegation fight.
Also still there is Spector, Quashie, Boa Morte some of whom surely were panic January buys as none have done the slightest thing to inspire me with confidence. Down the left, for all the public lack of faith in McCartney (another who finished last season with some stirling work) no cover at all although talk of Shorey coming seems to be dragging on a bit too long.
We were lucky to have saved money by not getting Bent and talk of Eider is another one that seems to be dragging on. The Dyer move is off (on/off/on) but why we want him is beyond me and most of the Toon fans too as even they dont want him.
The result? A 0-2 at home to Man City, some lamentable defending, passing, shooting and a team totally devoid of ideas. Added to the inspired mangerial decision to play Matty at left back when some semblance of game plan seemed to be appearing and the total lack of a player, (Tevez perhaps?) who could take the game by the scruff of the neck, it was an abject performance.
I know it's only one game and as a general rule I always say the first month is the silly season when strange results pop up. But I fear for the Hammers unless something happens and after watching the Roma game and the opener plus the comings and goings so far I put us to finish just outside the bottom 3 or 4. The writing is on the wall.

Bent a No-No

2007-06-14T21:19:00.000Z

Bent turns down move to West Ham. Apart from staying up this season, best news I've heard all year.

Paki

2007-05-27T12:44:00.000Z

I see the racist ruck has started up again. So whats wrong with Paki? It's short for Pakistani. Bit like Aussie is short for Australian and Pole for Polish. Don't we get called Brits? Do you hear any of them moaning about it? Do you really want to know some of the names I was called at school? And at work? Believe me they're a darn sight more offensive than Paki. At the end of the day one of the beauties of this country is freedom of speech. And if you dont like it you know what you can do. Because no-one ever died over a bit of name calling. And there are worse names to be called than Paki.

So I Was Wrong

2007-05-26T15:17:00.000Z

And for once very much glad to be so. Like most fans the last game gave me feelings of absolute euphoria, even if the Mancs didnt really field a full side.
This season has got to go down as possibly one of the most memorable seasons in my memory, and thats saying something. From pre season when Ashton was severely injured after an unlucky Cup Final loss, is there anyone who could possibly have envisaged what was about to happen? To go from downright bottom of the pits to hit the highs at the end with the magic of Tevez and in between lose a manager most fans thought was harshly treated by a new board, and a new manager bought in, who I must say, the jury is still out on that one for me.
Its obvious now that there will almost certainly be a clearout and new players bought in. For all the paper talk, and there will be much speculation during close season, I just hope Curbs buys some decent stuff. I dont hold much faith and early speculation of players he is looking at doesnt look very promising. So from hereon, I am not going to give speculation any airing. My comments will be on players we actually buy and sell, not tittle tattle.
Biscuitman is looking a very solid geezer and I say welcome aboard Mr Magnusson. Be prepared for the ride of your life because this is West Ham United.
If I can just put a coupla suggestions to you, may I suggest you do whatever it takes to keep Tevez. I haven't been as excited by a sole player since Di Canio. And get rid of Curbishley

Cup Final

2007-05-20T08:02:00.000Z

Did anyone stay awake long enough to see the Final all the way through? Thank God neither of these two made it to the European Final. All that money spent on those players, the opportunity to dish up a spectacular and we see that old shit. I said all along that Chelsea would never have the guts to go for it but I was surprised at Utd. Imagine watching that all season.

I'm a cynic

2007-05-13T12:35:00.000Z

We will be steamrollered by Utd and Wigan will beat Sheffield. Curbs reckons that football is an honourable game and that there will be no collusion. Its only 40 million quid after all. Honour? Don't make me laugh. I'd piss on honour for that sort of money....and so would you.
Here's hoping I am sooooooooo wrong. COME ON YOU IRONNNNNNNNNNS

Too Late

2007-04-29T09:04:00.000Z

I haven,t written on here for some time basically because I couldnt be bothered. Bit like the performance of most of the players at West Ham. Even after that stirling performance against Everton which prompted me to buy a last minute ticket for the Bolton game I still had no faith. I still think its too late after watching the Wigan game on the Internet, although what hope may be gained is that I thought Wigan were atrocious and after all the bitching coming from the area about Tevez long may they play like that.
Which brings me to my questions over the punishment the club have received for playing illegal players as they were owned by a third party. If that is the case then I presume that the new paperwork that has satisfied the league means we now own Tevez outright. That makes the £5.5 mill fine look like a bargain. If not then aren't we are still breaking the rules?
The second point is the argument for points deductions. Jewel (Wigan) among others, is quoted as saying that if we had already been relegated or were mid table then almost certainly we would have been docked points. Which makes that form of punishment a bit pointless [Pun unintended] really to my mind.
I said when the Argentinians arrived that the whole thing stank. Now it is all in the open I hope that Biscuit Man and his crew chase, chase and ruin that parasite called Brown and his cronies. If ever it becomes apparant that Brown had no concerns for the welfare of this club then there is the proof. He must be held accountable somehow.

Cookie Crumbles

2007-03-04T18:22:00.000Z

So we lose 3-4 in really quite an entertaining game for the neutrals. Fair play to Curbs, at last he came out fighting, maybe a bit later than I would I have done. I think the last time West Ham played with four strikers was the last game of the season against Liverpool when we went down. I don't understand how Harewood stayed on for the whole game to be honest. When you have a 5'5"player(Tevez) outjumping 6'1" Harewood then something or someone is clearly not working. I personally didn't think it was a penalty and I also cannot understand why Konchesky (who had a poor game again) didn't take Stalteri out in the dying seconds.
Nine games left of which three are against Arsenal, Chelsea and Man Utd, suggests we are almost certainly down, but if we fight like we did today It will be a teeny bit easier to take than that gutless performance against Charlton.
An aside to all this........ Well Done to Tevez my man of the match...Again! Are plans being made to keep him next year? If Lucas Neill and Upson are worth the reported wages they are on, then double Tevez's please

Fat Lady Starting to Sing

2007-02-25T09:26:00.000Z

Well what was that all about? Bit pointless turning up really if we're going to play like that. I think we are all agreed that this looks like the end of the road for the Premiership this season. But if Curbishley is going to be so negative about the whole thing then how in Hell can you expect any different from the players?
Pardew on the other hand is giving out positive vibes all the time, and listening to the players, the Charlton boys are all fired up for the battle ahead.
In my 41 years as a Hammers fan, in all our other relegation battles (Yes. Even the Roeder season) I believed we could escape. I saw the teams fighting. I saw a game plan of sorts, desire, passion and a belief in the players and the manager that we were not going to go down. Curbishley on the other hand is all doom and gloom, with comments such as this is a "must win" game. Well excuse me Alan, but I happen to think ALL fcuking games are a must win game. And now the Fat Lady is walking up to the microphone getting ready to sing, maybe we can have a go at winning whats left of the most dire West Ham season I've ever had the misfortune to have been involved in.
For my part I'd like to see Curbishley walk away from this club he claims to love so much, but more likely he will wait for the sack and become and instant millionaire like the other managers here who got the boot. Jeepers, where else can so much money be earnt for being such a failure

Big Mouth

2007-02-20T16:11:00.000Z

I see Eggert has just reportedly slagged off Alan Pardew according to that quality newspaper, The News of the World: "The key factor was that something was just not right in the dressing room" says our Biscuitman
Well thats as maybe. Personally I'd have waited till we had beaten Charlton before opening my big gob like that wouldn't you? Maybe Eggert will end up with egg on his face?

And while I'm on the subject, who's supposed to be in charge here anyway? The manager or the players? I mean....Curbishley is doing really great eh?

Mucky Tabloids

2007-02-14T08:46:00.000Z

Ensconced happily on the Royal Shitter at work where the mucky tabloids end up for the common people to read are left, I noticed that the Daily Mirror is kicking off again at West Ham. Having happily dug the knives in for Alan Pardew, they devoted three whole back pages to picking on Curbs and the players. Admittedly there were lots of pictures for those who can't read properly. Its quite amazing where some of these stories generate and even more so how small the apologies are, like the recent story over Shevchenko being a snitch to his boss, when it is proved to be a total fabrication.

Anyone who looks at the BBC 606 Have Your Say site will know that I said Curbishley was not the man for the job before we took him on, but the fact is we're stuck with him at the moment, and after the Watford game things are looking truly awful. With that in mind Wigan are NOT uncatchable yet so I think we should ALL PULL TOGETHER. That is the fans, the players and the management. Lets get out of this shit and come the end of the season safely tucked up for another year in the Premiership, then, and only then, start kicking off, leaving, sacking or throwing tantrums.
Starting with our next game against Charlton lets get behind the team with non stop vocal support, and players, lets have a response. Lets Blow those bloody Bubbles.

Up or Down?

2007-02-06T15:41:00.001Z

Twiddling my thumbs here this afternoon I decided to try to predict the results of ours and our closest rivals matches to the end of the season. I don't normally do this till the Easter period when all sorts of permutations can be made, and realistically you know what sort of team you can field. Who knows Carroll might break a leg giving Green a chance again and Ashton will start playing tomorrow.(Flying pigs etc).
Anyway, we have played 26 games and amassed a hefty 20 points. This is, of course, half the magic figure of 40 points which seems to be the accepted safety net. So we need 20 points from twelve games........ three of which are against Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal, so shall we say 20 points from 9 games? See where I am going with this?
Added to the fact that I fully expect Charlton to turn us over, probably with Darren Bent getting a hat-trick after Reo Coker gets sent off in the first half with Pardew doing an over elaborate celebration in front of Biscuit man.
Mind you...I never have been very good at predictions.

Aston Villa 1 West Ham 0

2007-02-04T10:15:00.000Z

So another three points down the pan. I would have liked to have written what I thought was going to happen but I couldn't get the team sheet early enough. The fact that Harewood was the only sub on the bench tells me that Curbishley had no intention of "going for it", even worse was that when he came on he took Kepa off. Belatedly Etherington came on for Boa Morte but as in the past we had to chase the game. Admittedly I only saw the highlights but that was enough. The Upson injury is a fiasco. If you were writing a fictional football story with centerback injuries like that it would be scrubbed as too unbelievable.
It also seems that our voices at Upton Park for Greens reinstatment in goal has been heard. Apparantly as Curbishley says you can hardly not hear it and reports of a bust up between the pair are just not true. So he obviously is in the minority who thinks Carroll is better.
So on to next week with Watford. With Charlton and and Wigan away to Manchester United and Arsenal the points against Watford assume greater significance. I wonder if Curbs will pick Shaun Newton again?

Olympic Stadium

2007-02-02T12:41:00.000Z

According to yesterdays report from the totally unbiased BBC http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/west_ham_utd/6320267.stm it would appear that after the olympics the Olympic Stadiums capacity will be cut from 80,000 to 25,000 which is some 10,000 less than Upton Park can hold at the present. This news means that the stadium will not be a feasible or viable option for West Ham no matter what the biscuit man wants. Now, I dont really have a problem with this as I have no desire for the club to leave Upton Park, and seeing as we have planning permission already for extending the East Stand feel that that is the way forward.
My problems run like this:-, Who in their right minds would build an 80000 seater stadium for one event?
Who would build an 80000 seater stadium and then take 55000 seats away afterwards?
This surely is another example of the utmost stupidity that can only come from a person like a politically motivated one. Brains are not a requirement.
Biscuit man should really stay away from people like that, but I dont doubt the physical value of the Upton Park ground as a building development has already been valued up.

You've been warned.

Upson

2007-02-01T12:42:00.000Z

So the Upson deal is now done and dusted which means when fit we will have 6 centerbacks to call on. Collins, Davenport, Ferdinand, Gabbidon, Dailly and now, Upson which is a bit more than Chelsea have by all accounts. Point I'm asking -is who is going to be the best pairing? I thought we only got Davenport because it didnt look like we were going to get Upson, who, incidentally, in my opinion, is the only half decent signing Curbs has done. Come on be honest. We all go out and buy in the January sales stuff that we regret. Usually with our own money though. For my part in all this, I'd go for Upson and Gabbidon.