Who needs 11?

Well for the third game in a row we go down to 10 men.  Agreed it was actually the second half this time, but it was Greeno with no obvious sub!  7 points from 9 in a run that has seen us go to 10 men in those three games is remarkable. I wonder if it has ever happened before!

The players that are staying on the pitch have been fabulous.  Vaz Te looks brilliant and Maynard IS going to score us goals, Noble goes from strength to strength and all looks rosy. At last we have a team that looks fast, incisive and dare I say it, even a little creative!

Now onward to Crystal Palace at home and who knows we may even go for 90 minutes with 11 men on the pitch - I wonder what could happen if we manage that!

Just thought I'd mention Iain Dale's interview with David Sullivan. Well worth a read here  (it goes to part 8 first, from there you can start at 1 and make your way through, I promise it makes sense!), excellent stuff, thanks Iain!

We're still top!

Well for the second match in  row we have managed to get a result with only 10 men!  Once again Noble was excellent.  However this time it did cost us.  I do think we might look back on this result as one we could have won and didn't because of ill discipline.  It's all very well blaming the ref for all sorts but players do have to take responsibility for their actions.  I know all about the arguments for the heat of the moment etc, but Matty was needed on the pitch, not in the changing room!  Did he strike his face, did the opposition player make a meal out of it, was the ref in the wrong position?!?  Who cares, don't get involved!  We had the penalty awarded why get yourself in bother?

Rant over! we have a couple of tough away games coming up and I am hoping that a dropped two points does not come back to haunt us!

With 11 men and the boys in the mood they are I think we will make the automatic promotion places, I just hope it's as champions!

COYI

Postponed!

A frozen pitch in Peterborough means no match today.  Well there are positives and negatives:

• +: The boys won't have to play twice in 4 days - we don't usually do that well!
• +: The pressure is on Southampton to get a result today - they haven't done that well recently!
• +: It gives more time for Maynard, Morison and Vaz Te to get involved and push for a place
• +: I won't have to be anxious in the hopes that we play well!
• -: I do enjoy the tenseness of match day, strangely!
• -: Southampton could be just one point behind us at the end of play tonight and thus leaving us pressure on Tuesday night!

Overall I reckon it works out well for us today as long as the boys don't become scared rabbits on Tuesday under the lights at Upton Park.  For today they get to train, gel and work out the tactics that will be needed to beat Southampton and lead us onwards and upwards to the EPL

Peterborough away

I am one of those supporters of our great club who is unable to make the regular visits to watch the boys play regularly.  Hence my excitement last week when we were on Sky.  This week I will be keeping up to date on my phone as I am supporting the launch of a charity at kick off time tomorrow.

What  I am hoping is that we us some of this new attacking prowess that has been brought in.  I would like to see Nicky Maynard running off of Cole.   I know it's unlikely, but here's hoping!  I'm also hoping that Noble finds the same intensity that he had last week.  It was probably the best I have ever seen him play.  He's evidently learnt so much from Parker and he is just starting to be the player we all hoped he would be.

Ia result tomorrow takes the pressure off of Tuesday night - let's hope we get it!

My team for tomorrow;

Green
O'Brien Tomkins Reid McCartney
Faubert Noble Collison Taylor
Maynard Cole

COYI

Top by 4 points!

Well another Saturday rolled around and what joy I found when I realized that the Irons were on Sky!!!  After erecting my fence panel (hero husband moment).  I sat down to enjoy/ endure, you never can tell, watching a fierce local derby.  Then came the 8th minute and a sending off of Nolan!  I thought, here we go, another disappointing performance in the face of dull opposition.

However, what transpired was brilliant. i haven't seen WHUFC play this well for ages.  With 10 men, we looked unplayable at times with the Lions of Millwall left with thorns in their paws all over the pitch.  They lacked bite and ferocity which can not be said for the likes of the much maligned Faubert, the often toothless Cole and the magnificent Noble.  Only picking three names seems rude as the team played really well, but these three deserve special mention in my opinion.

The victory was made even sweeter by the fact that it meant that we stayed top and put the pressure on the Saints which they couldn't handle as they only mustered a draw at in form Leicester.  The up shot being that West Ham United sit at the top of the Championship, four points clear of our nearest rivals.

As we enter a sticky run of games which include Southampton, Blackpool and Cardiff, that we will maintain this good form and start banging more open play goals in through the likes of Cole, Maynard, Baldock and Vaz Te.

COYI

Arghh! and fresh hope

What was Tuesday night all about.  I know we haven't been playing well, but 5-1 to Ipswich, that's just disastrous!  Fortunately that bitter taste was sweetened by what i believe to be three very good signings.

I am aware that Ravel Morrison is a bit of a nightmare, but Big Sam does have a history with these sorts of players.  If we can bring the best out of him and he can stay out of prison, we know we have a jem of a player. that bit of flair and quality we have been looking for.  i know he's only young, but high hopes!

Ricardo Vaz Te is one of those that seems to have been around for ever and yet is still only 25.  Big Sam likes him and he likes Big Sam.  He banged 12 in for Barnsley heres hoping he'l get a run in the team and bang them in for us as well.  A good season doesn't make a player, but let's face it, we're not prolific at the moment from open play!

Then we have Nicky Maynard - quality.  I am so pleased that this all went under the radar and he in now a WHUFC player.  He will score goals as he has proved time and again and he will spear head the attack back to the premier league.  I also believe with his pace, movement and instinctiveness in front of goal, that he will be a hit in the EPL when we return next year.

Ipswich can keep their 3 points and Kudos moment, let's set our faces forward now with strong reinforcements and let's score the goals that are needed to get us out of this division!