Claret & Blue Congratulations

[No Hoops]

What's he oxf*rd of a chairman got to say on twitter today I wonder.

oxf*rd of gold you oxf*rd

[Dare to Dr£am]

What's he oxf*rd of a chairman got to say on twitter today I wonder.

oxf*rd of gold you oxf*rd

This is what I find most dislikable about West Ham. Not so much the fans, as we can all be kunts. It's the board. Gold, the other arrogant twunt and Brady! Sheer arrogance about promotion, belitting Reading, throwing money around that 12 months ago they said West Ham could be going bust but here they are spending like it guarentees promotion, and then the Olympic Stadium which would be a disaster for the club... Can't stand them.

Otherwise I don't mind them. Although blowing bubbles out of a machine every home game and then calling us plastic is a tad rich.

[LoyalRoyal22]

I know there’s a fair amount of animosity between the clubs but credit where it is due. Congratulations on promotion and fully deserved after an astounding run culminating with the pasting of us and Southampton. No excuses from the game against us, even if I was whinging like a teenager on the day about several perceived injustices, all of which turned out to be unfounded.

You’ve got a great manager who conducts himself superbly and is braver than his timid demeanour suggests. Which I find quite ironic given who’s steering our ship.

I still hold out some hope that we’ll be playing you next season but time will tell. We’ve not got the best record so far this season when it comes to holding our nerve.

Enjoy the Premier League.

Nice comments there pal

[facaldaqui]

There are some decent WHU fans around and for those one's good luck in the playoffs. Also thank you for your words OP.

Sorry to state the obvious, but most fans of most teams are decent people. Messageboards attract a few internet warriors, as HobNob shows, but most fans enjoy rivalry banter as a bit of fun and nothing more. My best friend from university is a Hammers fan, and thanks to him I've seen a lot of top matches, including cup finals. This gives me an affection for the East End/Essex turnout, which can be very witty. It helps that West Ham has a "way", rooted in the great players of their heyday. At the moment, Sam has turned from that way, but it will come back: it's what the fans want.

I never took against West Ham over Pardew--it wasn't the same thing as with McGhee. But I do think they've become ugly recently with the takeover of the two pornographers. However, you can't blame fans for their owners; we've been lucky in that respect but could as well have been unlucky. I hope they win the playoffs, because I like to see Hammers in the prem.

[FiNeRaIn]

There are some decent WHU fans around and for those one's good luck in the playoffs. Also thank you for your words OP.

It helps that West Ham has a "way", rooted in the great players of their heyday. At the moment, Sam has turned from that way, but it will come back: it's what the fans want.

Sorry but that is utter gash.

Back in 66 they had some great england players, most of their fans weren't even old enough to remember, a lot weren't even born then. They've not had players of that ilk for decades. What is this " way" in which you speak of? Reminds me of celtic fans tbh and their " way" being a replacement word for " catholic".

[TBM]

'greed

This West Ham "way" got them relegated last season........

The last time i remember West Ham being half decent was when Di Canio played for them

[Tinrib]

There are some decent WHU fans around and for those one's good luck in the playoffs. Also thank you for your words OP.

It helps that West Ham has a "way", rooted in the great players of their heyday. At the moment, Sam has turned from that way, but it will come back: it's what the fans want.

Sorry but that is utter gash.

Back in 66 they had some great england players, most of their fans weren't even old enough to remember, a lot weren't even born then. They've not had players of that ilk for decades. What is this " way" in which you speak of? Reminds me of celtic fans tbh and their " way" being a replacement word for " catholic".

I think west Ham have had a number of great players in recent years - their problem is they've not been able to hang onto them - Lampard, Cole & Ferdinand spring immediately to mind..

[Whore Jackie]

Joey Beauchamp was a big loss too.

[facaldaqui]

There are some decent WHU fans around and for those one's good luck in the playoffs. Also thank you for your words OP.

It helps that West Ham has a "way", rooted in the great players of their heyday. At the moment, Sam has turned from that way, but it will come back: it's what the fans want.

Sorry but that is utter gash.

Back in 66 they had some great england players, most of their fans weren't even old enough to remember, a lot weren't even born then. They've not had players of that ilk for decades. What is this " way" in which you speak of? Reminds me of celtic fans tbh and their " way" being a replacement word for " catholic".

It may sound like gash, but clubs have a "way". The Leeds way continues, for example, long after their heyday. The Hammers way is to play fast, passing football on the ground: they were trying to do that as recently as Zola, whom I believe they should've kept. The obsession with that style of football is something you can only understand if you've stood in the WH crowd over the years, as I have (now and again). After their heyday, they were still signing the likes of Devonshire, Di Canio, and other dribblers.

When a club has a "way" it retains influence over the years. I believe that after Coppell and McDermott, we will always pine for the defensive-midfield, wing-attack style that we've become associated with. The point is not whether the team actually play that way; it is that the crowd will want it to play that way. That's what I mean by saying that a club has a "way".

[Tinrib]

Joey Beauchamp was a big loss too.

[facaldaqui]

'greed

This West Ham "way" got them relegated last season........

The last time i remember West Ham being half decent was when Di Canio played for them

I'm being misunderstood. I'm not saying they have always played like the old Bobby Moore team. I'm saying that that style is in their psyche now, to the extent they will aspire to it. West Ham fans genuinely despise unattractive tactics, which is why they laid into Sam even when he was mainly winning.

I do not believe Avram Grant represented the West Ham way whatsoever. But I think Zola did and should have been given more time.

[FiNeRaIn]

Your second post to that made a lot more sense, fair enough, its more of a fan mentality. I can accept that.

[MrWestHam]

I think all football supporters like to think their club is different. West Ham have been lucky over the years because everyone seems to have accepted we are. That's mostly based on a pretty impressive production line of British talent and that we always used to look good on Match of the Day, despite losing. My argument against the pretty, technical stuff was what you saw on MoTD was it. Outside of the highlights we were tactictly naive, unfit and undisciplined. You get found out very quickly these days with that approach.

Ferdinand, Carrick, Cole, Lampard, Defoe (well, not really but it supports the argument), all ably assisted by DiCanio, Sinclair, Berkovic and Benyaoun will be nice to watch at home in August against Charlton but it'll get ugly away at Middlesbrough in February.

Allardyce is too far in the opposite direction in my opinion and it's horrible.

To bring it back to Reading I think you've got a good balance. Ferocious, aggressive and organised when not in possession and technical, pacy and effective when you've got the ball. I think it's the only way to be in the modern game.

Clubs with long heritages will always take pot shots at relatively new big clubs like Reading and it's funny how it gets a reaction. All that matters is where you are today, not where you've been.

[FiNeRaIn]

What the hell...another good post from this WHU fan

He's already doubled most of HNA in terms of quality of post in one day.

[wingnut]

Joey Beauchamp was a big loss too.

And not forgetting Marco Boogers

[glenroyal]

I think all football supporters like to think their club is different. West Ham have been lucky over the years because everyone seems to have accepted we are. That's mostly based on a pretty impressive production line of British talent and that we always used to look good on Match of the Day, despite losing. My argument against the pretty, technical stuff was what you saw on MoTD was it. Outside of the highlights we were tactictly naive, unfit and undisciplined. You get found out very quickly these days with that approach.

Ferdinand, Carrick, Cole, Lampard, Defoe (well, not really but it supports the argument), all ably assisted by DiCanio, Sinclair, Berkovic and Benyaoun will be nice to watch at home in August against Charlton but it'll get ugly away at Middlesbrough in February.

Allardyce is too far in the opposite direction in my opinion and it's horrible.

To bring it back to Reading I think you've got a good balance. Ferocious, aggressive and organised when not in possession and technical, pacy and effective when you've got the ball. I think it's the only way to be in the modern game.

Clubs with long heritages will always take pot shots at relatively new big clubs like Reading and it's funny how it gets a reaction. All that matters is where you are today, not where you've been.

Though you appreciate with Reading that despite being a "new big club" - we have a longer heritage than all but a few, and long recent history of stable, prudent management focussing on what matters. The heritage does count for team motivation as well as fan pride.

[Dare to Dr£am]

I think all football supporters like to think their club is different. West Ham have been lucky over the years because everyone seems to have accepted we are. That's mostly based on a pretty impressive production line of British talent and that we always used to look good on Match of the Day, despite losing. My argument against the pretty, technical stuff was what you saw on MoTD was it. Outside of the highlights we were tactictly naive, unfit and undisciplined. You get found out very quickly these days with that approach.

Ferdinand, Carrick, Cole, Lampard, Defoe (well, not really but it supports the argument), all ably assisted by DiCanio, Sinclair, Berkovic and Benyaoun will be nice to watch at home in August against Charlton but it'll get ugly away at Middlesbrough in February.

Allardyce is too far in the opposite direction in my opinion and it's horrible.

To bring it back to Reading I think you've got a good balance. Ferocious, aggressive and organised when not in possession and technical, pacy and effective when you've got the ball. I think it's the only way to be in the modern game.

Clubs with long heritages will always take pot shots at relatively new big clubs like Reading and it's funny how it gets a reaction. All that matters is where you are today, not where you've been.

You're growing on me like a sensitive mole on my bollocks that likes to be caressed.

I hope you post more!

[facaldaqui]

I think all football supporters like to think their club is different. West Ham have been lucky over the years because everyone seems to have accepted we are. That's mostly based on a pretty impressive production line of British talent and that we always used to look good on Match of the Day, despite losing. My argument against the pretty, technical stuff was what you saw on MoTD was it. Outside of the highlights we were tactictly naive, unfit and undisciplined. You get found out very quickly these days with that approach.

Ferdinand, Carrick, Cole, Lampard, Defoe (well, not really but it supports the argument), all ably assisted by DiCanio, Sinclair, Berkovic and Benyaoun will be nice to watch at home in August against Charlton but it'll get ugly away at Middlesbrough in February.

Allardyce is too far in the opposite direction in my opinion and it's horrible.

To bring it back to Reading I think you've got a good balance. Ferocious, aggressive and organised when not in possession and technical, pacy and effective when you've got the ball. I think it's the only way to be in the modern game.

Clubs with long heritages will always take pot shots at relatively new big clubs like Reading and it's funny how it gets a reaction. All that matters is where you are today, not where you've been.

I think it's fair to say that even in their heyday West Ham's pretty, technical football did not win them enough games. Yes, they won cups, but not the league--you couldn't put them up there with Leeds, Liverpool, and Arsenal. Their team was usually a combination of skilful players and East End journeymen. But, as you say, they often seemed a breath of fresh air on MOTD, compared to, say, Bolton, Stoke, Blackburn, Wigan ... Birmingham, Hull, etc. But very few matches are as good as they seem in highlights shows.

[The Goat was fed]

"Clubs with long heritages will always take pot shots at relatively new big clubs like Reading"

Don't know about the "relatively new" bit given we've been hanging around 141 years waiting to become a "big" club.....

[MrWestHam]

Interesting about the heritage point. I posted it without really knowing so just took a look at Wickipedia. I remember going down to your place on the night of 9/11 for a cup game that I think we lost on penalties to you. Weird watching football that day.

I hope the long game in terms of patience and prudence pays off for you as I think it's much better for the English game to see teams and clubs be built rather than created overnight. Patience has been drummed out of most of us. I've caught myself being really frustrated this season but I have to take into account there are a lot of new players, with a new manager and even newish owners. All that takes a long time to settle in and too often they aren't given the chance if they don't achieve success immediately.