I see Kevin Nolan and Fat Sam have been spouting again. Nolan "It's going to be tough on Southampton. Hopefully when they put that shirt on on Saturday it'll be a little bit heavier as there are expectations on them to win the game. Hopefully Coventry will give us something to play for. Fat Sam "I'm fearing I'll have to tell the players to go out and win 3-0 or 4-0 and hope Southampton slip up. "We might need that margin because we'd be absolutely gutted if Southampton end up drawing, we don't score enough goals and end up staying in the play-offs on goal difference." Fact is West ham have to win and win well. Pressure is more on them and their crowd at home won't help especially if they don't get an early goal. Let's face it their home form is not great and Hulls defence is!
Tbh, fat Sam's been trying to get into Saints players heads for past month or so. ****ing prick that spends more time in the media than with his team.
The interview I saw he spoke the truth: have only a slim chance but West Ham have to go for it and hope Saints slip up. Nothing controversial in that. I think Fat Sam has become this years Poyet to most Saints' fans. Have ghastly feeling we will be 0.0 at half-time and West Ham will be winning, but then we get a goal, then Coventry score followed by 2 Saints goals. And the crowd go wild!!
I think it is useful to imagine yourself in the other guys shoes. I never resent another teams manager trying to wind up his players to get the best performance from them. Nigel has a different and better way of doing things but there is need to get all personal about it. Remember all the vitriol poured over Poyet when he suggested that Reading were the best team in the league? Bit of an over-reaction by some in retrospect.
If we'd won the league Poyet would have still said Reading were the better team! He does hold a grudge against us. But I agree with your point, different managers have different ways, its not always sinister.
I don't think that they have any pressure regarding the match on Saturday. West Ham have pressure because if the possibilities, we have some pressure because of the expectations.
We're at home Coventry who are 2nd from bottom and already relegated. West Ham are at home to Hull, who are 8th and only just missed out on the play-offs. We're 2 points in front of West Ham. We have the best home record in the league, while West Ham's is actually one of the worst. In fact pompey's home record is almost identical to West Ham's. Our club is on a secure financial footing, and comfortably ahead of schedule on a 5 year plan. West Ham is owned by a pair of porn-merchants who have gambled heavily on a quick return to the prem. Who's under pressure?
West Ham know they need to score at least three so will be desparate for an early goal. If that doesn't come their fans as we know will get nervous and that will get to the players. Can even see Hull nicking it on the break! Now that would be nice!
We'll do our best, can't stand Fairy Liquid United, much prefer you to go up than that fat prick Allardyce and his hoofball bunch of cockneys, so hope they lose the playoffs aswell as they will have to sell, Nolan, Noble, Cole, Grenn, Tomkins, Taylor, Maynard and Vaz Te, oh what a laugh
the team in the league is usually the team under the greater pressure. Either way, we will cope with this.