Rollercoaster of a Year for West Ham United

This time last year, West Ham were facing relegation and financial ruin, after a disastrous start to the season and a squad split asunder by squabbles, egos, and various alleged shenanigans that can’t be published for legal reasons.

The start of the 2007/08 season, with the exception of a mugging by a new-look Man City at home on the opening day, has been the best in years. A long overdue win against Reading satisfied honour; goal bonanzas against Borough, Sunderland, and Derby, combined with draws against Bolton and Spurs, have established Alan Curbishley’s Claret and Blue army safely in mid-table. Even the losses against Chelsea and Arsenal have been relatively close run affairs.

With new owners, a safe pair of managerial hands, and a strengthened squad, the fans should be very happy Hammers.

But look closer and whisper: the Upton Park faithful have their doubts, and an objective analysis of December’s Carling Cup game against Everton reveals why.

Upfront, the Hammers lack a cutting edge. Ashton is at least a month off the pace, and Cole is clearly not Premiership class. The midfield paring of Parker and Mullins neither shielded the back four particularly well, nor provided support for the strikers. And on the wing, Lungberg and Boa Morte (and later Pantsil) proved entirely ephemeral to the proceedings.

At times the defence—and crucially in the 88th minute, where they conceded what is likely to appear on a host of next year’s Christmas comedy football DVDs—looked hapless and hopeless. And Curbishley’s curious substitutions in the second half baffled the crowd nearly as much as it baffled the team.

Curbishley has succeeded in securing Premiership football to Upton Park, and he deserves a huge amount of credit for this. But to secure the coveted place in Europe that the fans demand and the owners expect, he needs to buy a few Christmas crackers in the transfer market and offload a few of last year’s buys that have proved to be duds.