I've been missing off this site for almost as long as the period between City visits to West Ham, given our temporary blip around the grounds of second tier football (quite enjoyed the odd day out in truth; always nice to win more than you lose).
Seems quite odd to be posting a few words about your impending arrival, given that, albeit only 8 games in, we're only 4 points behind your good selves, level with Spuds and Everton and above Arsenal in the table.
Its all down, you might be surprised to learn, to two most un-West Ham-like blokes, namely Big Sam and Cap'n Kev. The place in unrecognisable from when you came to play against us last, when you toyed with us for 30 minutes and then put us to the sword. That's not of course to say that you won't run out winners again - you've certainly got a team into which none of our players would ever get - but you'll get hussled and harried for every 50-50 ball, get shown the odd glimpse of a pair of clean Jarvis heels and watch in stunned disbelief as New Zealand's highest World Cup scorer, that's Winston Reid, for the uninitiated, gobbles up every high ball you play into our box. OK, so you play on the floor, eh? Big whoop!
So, in the spirit of welcome back to good old E13, here's a few other thoughts about your club/team since I last posted regularly.
What a wonderful way to win a championship!
You'll qualify 2nd in this season's CL group stage.
Even though you are in the league unbeaten, it still seems to me that you're just really getting started so far. Maybe the 2 points dropped to Arsenal took the wind out of your sails? You also seem to be less sure at the back generally. We've kept more clean sheets, which almost has me looking at my fingers, unsure whether I can actually type such blasphemy.
As a neutral, I find it odd that Tevez is still in your team. Appreciably, you wanted the title, and his assistance in winning it, more that you wanted to make an example of one player. But I thought that, once the dust had settled, you'd want, as a club, to see the back of Carlitos. His behaviour last season was disgraceful.
Dzeko scores a beauty with the ball at his feet.
Some West Ham pointers
Jussi is a stop-gap signing after we lost a staring competition with Rob Green over the terms of a new contract. He will not shut you out for the whole game.
Part of that is caused, I am afraid to say, by the fact that James Collins is Sam's go-to first choice CB. Not a big fan, personally. Looks good in the last-ditch desperado tackle, until you remind yourself that its probably his mistake he's rectifying. See above re Winston Reid; effortlessly our most improved player to get over relegation and re-invent himself.
Our full-back options are a touch limited, although Guy Demel, from Hamburg is a unit who is surprisingly skillfull.
We have a midfield 3 of Noble, who's had a brilliant start to the season, Diame (a great free signing from Wigan) and Captain Kev Nolan. The latter is hardly most fans' cup of tea, but is surprisingly technically gifted, bosses around his team and the ref for the full 90 and presently has a 2 games per goal ratio. Not something to be sniffed at.
Vaz Te is now out for the foreseeable, so its probably Jarvis and Benayoun as the supprt for the lone (or should I say loan?) striker. Both have the skills to pay the 'beat our peers' bills, but, whether they can step and embarrass the likes of Clichy etc, I somehow doubt.
I'm not massively enthused by the Andy Carroll loan thing, but we did need fortification in that area, given Carlton Cole's habit of scoring few but conceding countless free-kicks. The wild card will be Maiga, who's a nice mix of strength and skill. You'd have seen the latter against Soton yesterday (lovely goal), but whether he's going to cause Kompany et al any sleepless nights, I am not so sure.
Enjoy the game, travellers. As you know, City are generally welcome at our place. Especially if they aren't thrashing us!
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