Attacked viciously by a poodle pup and West Ham match preview

I founded t1ps.com in my bedroom 12 years ago. But as of Wednesday my involvement is nil. It is none the less surprising to find the site you founded publishing a vicious and untruthful personal attack on you as happened on Friday.

I do not blame the young men whose names appear on the piece and whose safe hands the site is apparently in. They were still at University just a few years ago and are innocents on a wider stage. I am happy to be judged on what I produce, not claiming credit for others actions or blaming others for failures.

And so I do not propose to comment again on what appears on t1ps.

Despite this one unfortunate misjudgement, as I noted on Wednesday I continue to believe that folk at RSH are very good people and I continue to wish them all well. Let’s put things in perspective, West Ham are playing Norwich today. That is really important.

Norwich away should be winnable. I have the Canaries down as a team that will be in the bottom six come May. But Andy Carroll is injured. Fat Sam Alladyce insists that West Ham is not a one man team (but Carroll was majestic against Fulham) and that Carlton Cole plus Maiga up front are capable of delivering. I note that Matt Jarvis is back from injury and if he gets enough crosses in Carlton should net something.

Apparently Yossi Benayoun might make a start. It is great to have Yossi back but who loses his place to make way for the great Israeli? That is a hard call. I also wonder about selecting Maiga ahead of Vaz Te who I continue to rate incredibly highly and who could torture a defence that has shipped in 7 goals in three games against sides that are hardly inspiring ( Fulham, QPR and Spurs).

The West Ham defence looked solid enough against Fulham but that was not hard as the cottagers were piss poor. On the last game away from home (Swansea) the hammers back line (and goalie) looked woeful but then again Swansea is a class act. Norwich is not. I am trying not to sound cocky here. The West Ham official website points out that if we win we go second (for a few hours) and if we win 6-0 we go top (for a few hours). Carlton Cole scoring 5 times (2 from a Jarvis cross and 3 from a long ball from defence/goal kick) plus a re-debut goal from Yossi? I can dream. But that sort of comment always makes me feel nervous.

The last time West Ham went to East Anglia when we were flying high to play a struggling side was at Ipswich last year. We were thrashed (was it 6-1?). As a West Ham supporter you are always a pessimist. If we found ourselves on 39 points in January and were in the top six, I know that the discussion would be “where will we get those 3 points we need to ensure that we are not relegated?”

I regard this game as a six pointer. Win and West Ham are a quarter of the way to safety after four games. And Norwich will be on 2 points after 4 games (none of which were against top sides) and their confidence will start to drain. Lose and Norwich will get a much needed boost to their confidence. Delia will be able to have a celebratory drink or fifteen and Fat Sam will be praying ever harder for the return of Andy Carroll. Does anyone know a pub in Shipston on Stour where the game is being shown?