Hammers didn’t show enough commitment

FOR me the West Ham players did not show enough commitment to give their fans value for money in the defeat to Arsenal.

I’ve been on the end of heavy defeats like that as a player, but I think all supporters want their team to do is show a bit of pride, even if they’re 5-1 down.

Supporters pay a lot of money to go to places like the Emirates Stadium, and the least the players can do is keep running and giving everything they have got.

To lose three or four goals like that in 10 minutes is not good enough, and as I’ve said before, I don’t think defensively they are good enough.

The lack of effort has not just been evident against teams like Arsenal this season, and I know supporters expect to see players tracking back more when they lose the ball.

There were some out there who were just walking back, and that does not make them part of a real team that is working hard enough together.

The result apart, it was sad to see the head injury suffered by Dan Potts. It does not matter who the player is or what team they play for you do not want to see anyone injured like that full stop.

It’s always been a part of football, but thankfully on this occasion it looks as if he’s OK.

 

Hazard red was a disgrace

EDEN Hazard was wrong to kick-out at that ball boy on Wednesday night, although I must admit I was surprised to hear he is 17 years old because usually they are much younger than that.

But the incident itself reminded me of what used to happen when you were out with your mates when you were younger and someone falls on the ball and says “it’s my ball you’re not having it”.

And then someone else tries to toe-poke it out from under him without trying to kick him.

That’s what Hazard tried to do and the kid got up and looked like he was play-acting as if he’d been really hurt in a similar way to how some Premier League stars do! Maybe Hazard should have just picked him up and chucked him out of the way and not kicked him, but for me, the sending off was a disgrace. And I notice nobody at the time told the ball boy off for blatant time wasting at a crucial stage of a semi-final.

Some people have said that the police might get involved, but that’s ridiculous because he should not have even been shown a red card!

The game has just gone mad and it has got to the stage where nothing surprises you anymore in football.

 

Clubs seem happy to disregard experience

I WENT for the vacant Margate manager’s job this week, but it seems the club have now appointed their goalkeeper as caretaker manager.

When I applied the chairman there said “you’re not what we want”, and I mean him no disrespect, but what does he want?

I’ve got bundles of experience at playing at the highest level, and I’ve managed Wivenhoe and Grays in the non-league.

People say my reputation could be getting in the way, but unless clubs actually speak to me they won’t know what I’m like and how I work.

Others have said I might want too much money, but football has never been about money for me, it’s always been about enjoying it.

When I was at Wivenhoe I wasn’t even getting paid.

Somebody said to me the keeper Margate have appointed manager has got his badges, and that seems to be the most important thing now.

They seem to just disregard experience and I’m starting to think I’d be better off as a school teacher with all my badges than someone who played at the top of the game for 13 years with one badge less. It’s frustrating but that’s just how it seems to be at the moment.