Hammertime: West Brom Game Typifies Season
West Ham should have beaten West Brom.
Yes, there were bad refereeing decisions. Yes, West Ham should feel unlucky about some of the 50/50 chances and options that went awry. But they should also never have let things get to this point and it is time they be accountable for that. Enough hanging your head and saying “unlucky boys” and enough of the sorry sad poor old us routine. West Ham are a good side with damn decent players and should be winning matches against teams like West Brom handily.
It’s true Andy Carroll should have played. It’s absurd that he didn’t. I have written countless pieces about what a good footballer I think Andy Carroll is but it’s only when he is doing precisely that, playing football. He spends too much time injured and not enough time on the pitch.
Carroll’s Injury
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Apparently he got a slight knock in training and decided that he would be more comfortable sitting this one out? Is that a joke of some sort? Is the medical staff non-existent? That is why clubs employ, very expensive and professional I might add, medical departments. It is their job to decide if a player is fit enough to be out there earning his small fortune per week.
This is sport for God’s sake, put your feet on the ground and be counted for who you are. Make a point! If medical staff looked at Carroll and said “go on get out there” that should be the end of it. If they think that this training wobble was apparently so bad that he couldn’t play then that would be one thing but I have yet to hear a single report of that nature. He is a very crucial part of this team’s success. He needs to be out there. The fact that he wasn’t isn’t even the saddest part of this all it’s that it was typical.
Goalkeeper
Darren Ranolph, Adrian and Raphael Spiegel are simply not good enough goalkeepers. I hope that is clear enough. West Ham’s second goal shouldn’t have stood for several reasons but it also shouldn’t have been scored regardless. A better organized defense and a goalkeeper with quicker reaction times is needed.
A team needs a good goalkeeper because they are the person you count on for so much more than simply defending the goal. They are the only person with a consistent full view of the field. They should be the great organizing factor in your team. A great voice and communicator. The truth is with those facets they can actually save themselves a lot on the actual goalkeeping.
West Ham struggle with inconsistency and that has been the problem all year. Honestly losing he-who-shall-not-be-named isn’t that big of an issue. Lanzini is as good and has just as much if not more heart. The problem is the West Ham team can go from stunning to s***t at a moments notice with not a single gear in between.
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They simply need to be better. Of the clubs in the tier just below the big six West Ham should be in pole position but too often the club falls because of mental fragility and failure to launch. The lack of accountability around this team is stunning and something that needs to get sorted out sooner rather than later.