West Ham's Bid Best for Children, February 9, 2011

The headline this morning is “West Ham’s Bid Best for Children,” which confused me, thinking initially it had something to do with Mssrs. Hines, Sears, Stanislas and Noble. But no, it’s to do with the Olympic Stadium and how West Ham going there would result in an eruption of peace, education and improved living conditions for millions of currently impoverished, illiterate and war-mongering East End kids. Or something like that.
I remain torn between staying at Upton Park and going to the new Five Ring Circus of Advanced Sporting Excellence, known by some as its acronym, FRICASSEE, by others as the Olympic Stadium. As someone who does not go to Upton Park regularly (after all, it is north of the river, away from the safety of Southeast London), my views are more than likely worth the same as Avram’s when it comes to buying new players. I do remember being able to touch the net from my front-row standing spot once, which I still remember as being cool.
There is a sense that if we move, we can build for the future, but that is an argument that I am sure contains a million potholes.
Let’s also make sure we survive this season first, and that must start against a West Brom side that just sacked its manager Roberto Di Matteo, who everyone said was a decent, nice chap…which is why he had to go and didn’t stick it.

West Ham Utd. 0 Birmingham City 1 (Premiership), Sunday, February 6, 2011.
Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water, to paraphrase the film Jaws, we come unstuck, and it does look as though the Jaws of Relegation are widening. I refuse to give up home and confidently expect us to beat the Baggies on Saturday 0-6. And our away form does seem to be a little better than our home, with the idea that we do seem to chase wins away from Upton Park. Our forwards in this game had no bite, and our midfielders, despite composure from Scott Parker, do not seem to have a plan as to how to get the ball forward. Again, you wonder both how the goals will be made and where they will come from.
Added to this was the disappointment of Wolves doing something no one else has done this season, no, not let in more goals than the Hammers, but beating Manchester Utd., and Wigan remembering once again how to score goals. Four days before this game, the sun was shining in the east, but now the moon has waned, and the clouds are brewing (how’s that for three unrelated, strained meteorological metaphors). Chances are the weather will change again, and this time West Ham have to realise there’s a second rainbow after the first (wow, this really is stirring stuff).
Man of the Match—Can you come up with one? I can’t. Lars Jacobsen remains solid, so I’ll give it to him. Well done, Lars.