West Ham V Bolton 21/12/02 [R] Finally! Ricketts scores from open play! It's been nearly 12 months but he deserves it. I've also seen a lot of crap about him being offside yet TV replays (contrary to what a lot of the southern media have been saying) have shown his run, and Okocha's pass, to be as close to perfect as possibe, he was onside 1-1 the final score and so we're not bottom on Christmas day
Things aren't looking quite as bleak after recent reults although obviously there is still a hell of a lot of work to do. The papers today seem to suggest that Bolton are trying to flog Ricketts for 2.5M. Can't believe this is true if he has been nursed back and now seems our main hope of a quality striker unless there is someone else lined up. Even so it seems like a real gamble. I suppose Sam pulled the rabbit out of the hat last season and so I should have blind faith. Farrelly hasn't made the bench as well in recent games and that has cut down the amount of opportunities to opposition teams. Must admit though I was a bit embarrassed watching Campo against Everton. He owes Jussi big-style. The Sunday paper that I read had a piece from every fanzine writer in Premiership and apart from Boltons (obviously) everyone predicted us to go down. Again it must be blind faith because I think we are still more than likely to stay up. Anyway, happy new year to any trotters reading this and we all know what would please us most, apart from squalid erotic fantasies.
Ey up mate, I hope Santa emptied his sack for you. Ricketts transformation since the West Ham goal has been amazing. He looked sharper during the Newcastle game than he did at any point during 2002. It's a shame he got that injury and was forced to come off after 60 minutes against Everton, I hear Pedersen was limping for most of the game so 0-0 was a tremendous result. Campo... what will we do with him? A tragic liability who is immensley talented but slower than Dean Holdsworth. We still need signings in january; a striker and a central defender. Aston Villa on Wednesday, I'd be pleased with another draw. They may be ************ away but they're good at home. Ideally we could do with a win to give ourselves a bit of daylight between us and the bottom 3. Happy new year to the Trotters supporters.
Happy bew year mate. I've heard nothing about any potential transfer targets, which I'm sure you'll agree, is quite disturbing. Ricketts has found his shooting boots though and Delroy looks like he could be a class partner for him. Are we going to beat Fulham next week? We better had!
Another day, another Birmingham buy, West brom touted for someone else and tumbleweed blowing across the Reebok. Let's just hope this is not the case and that there is feverish activity going on under strict secrecy behind the scenes. Didn't see the Cup game but speaking to people who did apparently Smith had a blinder and as you say Delroy seems to have promise. The Fulham game is one we should be able to win if the preparation is right and there is a strong following wind. Suppose there's no guarantees though.
I am really concerned that everyone else around us is getting new players in and we're not. I really wonder if Big Sam actually has any transfer targets at all. It seems every paper is linking Rickett's to Spurs for some piss poor amount of money, the Sun even said 'Spurs set to end Rickett's Bolton nightmare' What nightmare? ************ing southern tossers. I'm very worried we're going to be bringing in another Akin Bulent, ie "This guy's got great potential!" (he'll sit in the reserves for a year before moving to some nameless Greek club) With West Ham getting Bowyer I can't help but think we desperately need to make a class signing or risk being overtaken. I've noticed we're being linked with just about every out of favour midfielder in the Premiership *cough*Batty*cough*. That's good because a midfielder is just what we need Just 3 weeks left of the transfer window
Well the window is predictably closing and still no sign apart from odd rumours. Seems just as predictable that the club will be stood over the fax machine on the last day and just fail to get authorisation from the FA by the 5p.m. deadline. Ho-hum. Need for at least one person who can score a goal as desperate as ever. The players we have are putting up a decent battle (Frandsen has been seeming better than ever since he returned although I understand he is out again now, Jussi doing great, Gudni as ever, Farrelly......) but it's asking a bit much when teams around them are all buying. So, fasten seat-belts, here goes with the run-in and will it be whistling 'Great Escape' again.
Ok, I was wrong.YYYYYEEEEEEEEESSSSS! Salva(tion)! Corny but hopefully won't be the last time we see it. It is still going to be tough to stay up having seen the respective run-ins which sort of emphasises the importance of the next 2 games. Also, any more displays like the other night and we might as well get our bags packed now. Still, we now blindly have reasons for optimism if we have someone to finish chances.
I really hope Salva and Ricketts click, we need them to score to keep us up. Then Ricketts can get his move to that 'big' club, Spurs. What about this Swedish lad we've signed? Lord wassisface? Know anything about him? (I sense another Manni Morini) Tuesday's display was awful and I think our season may just come down to saturday, if we don't get 3 points I can't see us getting enough points in our remaining games to get up to 40, and I think 40 will be needed this year. Brum City, always a favourite of mine, ************ing thugs. I hope Robbie Savage gets the reception he deserves, if we play Tofting only to kick 7 bells out of the little Welsh ************ I'll be happy Prediction please? I'm going for 3-0 the Wanderers (me? Optimistic? I just feel it's due) okay, 3-1.
Well well, no sooner do I post this then we agree a fee of £4 million to sell Mr. Ricketts to... Boro. Good deal? Probably...
Can you keep up with this. Our website says no bid for Ricketts. Theirs says not only a bid but he is up there having medical and discussing terms. Then we hear that it is a race against the clock to get paperwork through from Spanish FA for Ballesta. All this and still no last minute bidding war for Gaz Faz.
We've got Salva's clearance but it's too late for the game tomorrow... what a ************ing joke. I'm still confused by the Ricketts saga, so is everyone else. Trial reject Pierre Yves Andre apparently signed then apparently didn't. Pedersen and Facey up front tomorrow then. Going back to what I said earlier I feel that the signing of Salva will have come at least one game too late now. Wanderers 1-2 Brum
Okay, West Ham thread merged with this to make it more relevant. Ricketts signs for Boro for £3.5 million with just a few minutes left in the transfer window. Salva not eligible for tomorrow. I fear the worst, Facey and Pedersen are just not up to scratch and I think we're going to suffer badly. This is the most important game of the season and to go into it without any recognised first team strikers shows very poor timing by the club. I feel tomorrows result may condem us to our fate, win and we stand a good chance of staying up, lose and we're damn near relegated. We've shot ourselves in the foot with the transfer dealings today. By the time Salva plays it will be too little too late, I seriously doubt we would be able to scrape enough points in the remaining games should we lose tomorrow.
Two new signings Pierre-Yves Andre, a striker from Nantes who's goal scoring record is worse than Dean Holdsworths. Florent Laville from Lyon. A Central defender with Champions league experience and former team mate of Bruno NGotty. I only rate one of these, can you guess which one? BTW Neither are eligible for the Birmingham massacre.. uhh I mean match.
It could just be that he plays in the hole. The same one that Deano used to play in. Probably he has been bought more as back-up than anything else and we may not see that much of him. It's clear that Salva is seen as the main man. Thought they all looked impressive the way they walked on the pitch and waved before the game yesterday. Maybe something a bit more substantial next. Great win, anyway.
Aye, a superb and thoroughly unexpected win. Good to see Facey get off the mark, and I have no idea how Pedersen can claim that goal as it clearly went in off the defender (2 own goals in one game who'd have thought it? *cough*sunderland*cough*) I'm a hell of a lot more optimisitc now, 3 points against the Baggies and we'll have done a lot of the hard work to survive especially with Liverpool dicking West Ham.
An interesting report that omits to even mention BWFC! http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/2727863.stm