As a West Ham fan I felt obliged to comment on PB's well written article. Firstly, I would wholeheartedly agree that Reo-Coker is not worth £12 million! He was a disgrace last season, sulking through to January because we wouldn't let him talk to Arsenal, and for that money you expect a player that can score, and create goals. Reo-Coker does neither consistently. He does have a great engine, and can work for 90 minutes, box to box, but regularly gives away stupid free kicks in dangerous areas. He is still young, so maybe there's potential there that more expert football brains can discern. However, if we do get that price, I for one will be pleased, and will also chip in for his taxi fare.
Secondly, I think there's a massive misinterpretation of the Tevez affair. The new West Ham regime found the evidence, took it to the Premier League, pleaded guilty at the hearing, and accepted the punishment. What more could we have done? At that time most West Ham fans would have probably preferred a points deduction as we all believed we were relegation certainties, and maybe the Premier League thought so too. Tevez was always registered correctly, hence no action from the FA, and the only rule break was that the company owning him could have sold him in January without the Club's permission. Does that warrant relegation? I don't believe so.
Tevez' influence up to the time of the tribunal was non existent, and he only came into his own after the hearing. Mascherano's influence was nil. Ask yourself, was this influence more than Sheffield United's prevention of Kaba playing against them after selling him to Watford? In the end, the league is decided over 38 games, and we finished the season in superb form, so thoroughly deserve to retain our place. Added to which, I don't recall many complaints from the other teams until we stared winning. None either about us getting beaten by Sheffield, Charlton or Watford, with Tevez in the side.
Finally, would you honestly want to watch Sheffield United and Niel Warnock (OK he's gone now) next year?
