Green Street Hammers
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Hindsight in fashion at West Ham

By Scott Johnson

LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 01: Manuel Pellegrini, Manager of West Ham United looks on prior to the Premier League match between West Ham United and Wolverhampton Wanderers at London Stadium on September 1, 2018 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Stephen Pond/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 01: Manuel Pellegrini, Manager of West Ham United looks on prior to the Premier League match between West Ham United and Wolverhampton Wanderers at London Stadium on September 1, 2018 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Stephen Pond/Getty Images) /
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To say West Ham should be happy with the showing so far would be stupid. But all this rose tinted hindsight is pointless, baseless and completely wrong.

It never seems to be sunny for too long in East London. Even when Bilic was leading a Payet inspired West Ham to a record points total, it was time to say goodbye to our stadium. Then what followed was a depressing show of dour football in a new stadium for a season and a half. After that Moyes came along and although the running improved, there were some awful, awful performances in there as well.

But now, after a summer of spending and optimism seems to have been punctured by reality, we seem to be looking at the previous two seasons like we were so close to being world beaters. We have people clamouring for the return of Big Sam and David Moyes. What is going on in their head?

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Claret and Blue Tinted Spectacles?

I understand when fans look back at the late 80’s, and at previous eras of relative glory, and say they wish they could go back to those. But the fact is the sport has moved on and we can’t run the club that same way and expect to have any success. What I don’t understand is fans and pundits, like Tony Cottee recently, saying that Moyes in charge would be better. I just can’t see it.

During the back half of last season we may have become more effective, but we weren’t exciting or adventurous in any way shape or form. We went places intending not to concede and got thumped. Sometimes there was literally nothing good about the system and everyone called it out. Why would that suddenly be better?

We put our faith in a man who has succeeded at many different clubs and a large part of a new first XI as well. I agree that under Moyes we’d probably have a few more points now than we do. But would it be interesting? Would I be thinking about potentially pushing up the league by the end of the season? No. It’d be another season of standing still and talking about what could be.

Next. Poor performance acceptable, lack of effort is not. dark

With Pellegrini it might take time and it won’t be pretty as he works it out. But all I remember the last two seasons is people talking about the West Ham Way. Those who said they’d rather interesting football that guaranteed results? Granted we haven’t seen it yet, but the ingredients are there for the Hammers, and once the players start taking personal responsibility for their actions on the pitch we’ll be closer to consistent, exciting football than we’ve been at any other point at the London Stadium.