We are just two weeks into the new season and once again the worrying signs are there at West Ham. We have failed to score in two of the first three games - a problem that was all too evident in last seasons relegation debacle. Here we are in a lower league, and we are not dominating games. Once again we had preseason preparations that were superior to none. Once again we have not come out of the traps raring to go.
Okay, we all know that the First Division is a marathon and not a sprint. But, the early warning signs are already there at West Ham. Again, these signs point to poor management. Again the culprits are the Board and the Manager, Roeder.The Board failed miserably last season. This year it used it's influence to dictate the comings and goings of players to such an extent that the first team sheet to be named had to be amended at the eleventh hour due to a motorway pick up of the new star striker. How unsettling must have it been in training with a different first eleven in trying to get to know each other almost daily?
Roeder has showed his inadequate hand again by not standing up to the Board and allowing them to dictate player availability. This was bad enough, but now the sycophantic yes man is showing his obvious inability to motivate or manage his team. Already we are stumbling and falling at early hurdles. The decision not to use the stadium dressing rooms at Rotherham was a poor one. It gave out a loud and clear message to the rest of this league that West Ham are not up for it. They don't fancy mixing. They are not prepared to get down to the level required to battle out of this league. They are prima donnas.
Why should we expect anything else? West Ham has got exactly what it planned on the appointment of Roeder. What other Premiership club would have appointed a rookie with a poor apprentice track record to lead it? What other club would have then appointed another non-achiever with little experience alongside him? It was a recipe for failure. The result is exactly what should have been expected. Let your fifteen year old son and his mates drive your big expensive car out on the road and you will get the accident you deserve.
This is the failing of Brown. This is the failing of Roeder. They deserve each other. Brown wants a yes man, despite the weakness this has brought the club. Roeder is just the man. His failure to stand up for himself and his position has brought about the downfall of West Ham. West Ham took a First Division decision the day it made the appointment, and now they are where they deserve to be.
But who is paying the price for these errors? Justice is something that must be seen to be done. Those responsible for West Ham's demise have to go. Roeder first, then Brown. Right now the only ones being punished are the fans. Heroes and favourites have gone. Week in week out we are left with these two bumbling baffoons still calling the shots.
The many problems behind the scenes continue. Most important right now however, is that West Ham must face up to the reality of the position they find themselves. It is bad enough having to play the likes of Rotherham in a league game. Losing just rubs salt into the wound. If West Ham are serious about getting back to the Premier League in one season, then they must address the issue of motivation, fight and attitude. To get of this league players must lay their reputation on the line, roll up their sleeves and fight for each and every ball in each and every game. There had to be a reason why these players made it at West Ham as opposed to smaller clubs like Crewe or Wigan. Now is the time to prove it. Prove it to yourselves, to the rest of the league, and to the fans.
As I have said, this league is a marathon and not a sprint. We cant expect to win every game. Nevertheless, corrective action must be taken early to get back on the right track. These worrying signs must be nipped in the bud. For the sake of Roeder's own health, I wish he would just give it up and walk away from it. Failing that, he should be allowed just two more games to set the ship right. He has been dealt a poor hand by the Board, but that's partly his own fault for putting up with it.
Personally, I cant see either Brown nor Roeder doing what's right for West Ham. Neither have shown they are capable of making such a decision. They both have to go someday though. Given this, the only solution I can see is a drastic one brought about yet another catastrophe happening in the near future. Of course I hope that I'm totally wrong in this. Perhaps there is no crisis. Perhaps Brown is right and it is all our fault after all. Was it really the fans that wanted a Nationwide League team? Perhaps, perhaps not. All I can see at the moment however, is more suffering and pain on the horizon.
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