Pre-match we join the large
queue outside the Newham Bookshop to buy a signed copy of My Life In Football by Sir Trevor Brooking. Trevor is as avuncular
as ever as he dedicates his book, asking where we live and having a word for my
daughter Nell as we pose for a photo. Nell is impressed that she’s met someone
from the “olden days” who scored an FA Cup Final winner as long ago as 1980.
Then it’s on to Ken’s Café
where Michael the Whovian explains to new Whovians Matt and Lisa why he can’t
watch Who under the Moffat regime and my old mate Chealy, a QPR fan turns up to
reveal that he never doubted Bobby Zamora (much). Nigel is away in Glasgow
watching the game from the Crown Place Bar.
Robert Green gets a nice
round of applause as he takes his place in front of the Bobby Moore Stand.
Should have stayed with a big club though. West Ham take the lead after five
minutes. Downing’s corner drifts over the Rangers’ defence with Green stuck on
his line. The ball bounces in off Onouha’s knee, who is under pressure from
Sakho. Robert Green wears the expression of a man at a bus stop who has seen a
bus drive straight past him, appealing for handball against Valencia.
FIVE IN FIVE FOR DIAFRA
West Ham continue to press
for mist of the first half with Song dominant in midfield and Downing spraying
some lovely passes out to the overlapping Creswell. Jenkinson makes an
impressive debut on the right too. Valencia pokes wide after good work from
Sakho on the left. Zarate whips in a lovely cross that Reid flicks on and
Valencia can’t quite head in. The ageing Rio Ferdinand is troubled by the pace
of Sakho and Valencia. Rangers only have one effort, as Austin wriggles away
from Tomkins and tests Adrian.
QPR look better at the start
of the second half. Substitute Bobby Zamora crosses for Austin to flick just
wide in the early seconds. But a promising ten minutes for QPR are undone by
conceding a second goal from a corner after 58 minutes. Amalfitano’s shot is
blocked and Tomkins turns quickly to loft the ball into the box for Sakho to
head home his fifth in five games. Just
hope Tomka doesn’t celebrate his assist in Sugar Hut.
CHEER UP ROBERT GREEN
“Why does Robert Green always
lets goals in?” asks Nell.
Remarkably West Ham pass the
ball short for the rest of the game and never look in real danger. It’s
unrecognisable from last season. Adrian produces a good save from a Krankjar
free kick and Taarabt shoots wide and that’s it from Rangers.
West Ham should have a third
as Nolan doesn’t get enough power in his shot after good work by Downing. We go
above Arsenal into seventh. Ten points is a promising start. Philip Neville
says it’s the best West Ham team for ten years on Match of the Day. Early days,
but it’s a long time since we had a comfortable home win and this is a
promising start. While Sir Trev would have enjoyed West Ham United playing on
the floor.
TEAM RATINGS: Adrian 6: Jenkinson 6, Tomkins 6, Reid
6, Cresswell 7; Amalfitano 6, Downing 7, Song 7, Zarate 6 (Nolan 5), Valencia 6
(Jarvis 5), Sakho 7.
4 comments:
Enjoyable day spoiled by booing of Nolan. He has contributed a lot over the years. Not everyone's choice to be in the team but booing our own players?
Didn't hear the booing in the East Stand - was it when he came on? If so I agree, very poor. Think we're a better team without him but I would never boo one of our own players.
Yes as he came on, wasn't wholesale but audible in the Alpari. He might be on the bench a lot, but he "scored" at man u and should have scored v qpr, could be good for the last 25 minutes?
Yes, I think he's better as an impact sub…
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