Anyone else got a nose bleed? After four games unbeaten, three wins on the bounce and four clean sheets in a row we now found ourselves in 10th place.
A few weeks ago we were struggling for goals and clean sheets, languishing in the bottom three. Now we’re flying high in the top-half of the table, albeit with just four points separating us and the relegation zone.
Yesterday’s home victory over Norwich wasn’t the prettiest, but it’s a sign of the positive direction in which we’re pulling when we were still able to come away with all three points.
And it’s that kind of spirit and dedication that Sam Allardyce has been able to reinvent in the dressing room after months of fans calling for his head. Of course, the injury problems we’ve suffered this season haven’t helped, but a doomed season has now become one of promise and belief.
Each and every player at the moment is putting in a shift and giving their all for the team. There isn’t one that stands out as a hindrance or a spare part – they’re sticking together.
The first-half yesterday was as poor as they come, not taking our chances, giving the ball away too easily in midfield and giving Norwich too much time for creativity.
Had it not been for Adrian between the sticks, we could have easily been two or three goals down before the break.
And it’s Adrian who should be handed credit for our current run of form. He hasn’t just won the hearts of the Hammers faithful, he’s also proved that he’s more than good enough to compete at this level. How many times have we seen a goalkeeper arrive at the club, only for them to spend two or three years as an unused substitute?
And who needs Andy Carroll? The uproar and panic after his red card at Swansea suggested relegation had already been confirmed. The feeling was that we had no chance of picking up the points needed in February.
Kevin Nolan proved he can lead the team and perform without his best mate, while Marco Borriello has come in and impressed in the 90 minutes he’s played so far.
So are we the one-man team everyone makes us out to be? Not if the last two games are anything to go by.
Although there’s a long way to go and the four point advantage over the drop-zone is no where near big enough, there’s enough about us to believe we will be in the Premier League next season.
The fact we’re not conceding is a basis upon which we’ve been able to grow. By not conceding we avoid defeat, and now we’ve started scoring goals, those draws are being converted in to wins.
So as we approach the last three months of the season, and with just four wins needed to reach that magic 40 points mark, all we arguably need to do is keep four more clean sheets.
Go on, Adrian. Do your thing.
