Was a good game. All credit to Barcelona…so fast! In the end it looked like ‘men playing boys’.
So the worst kept secret is official now, hide all the pies big Sam will soon pass amongst us.
There will be no deviation, it will be straight to the kiosk and down in one, a bit like his teams really.
Still if it means a route one back to the Prem who really cares? I do but then I am an old timer who lives too much in the past.
The past that saw Puskas, Di Stefano, Matthews, Wright, Edwards and Chislenko just to name but a few.
I really do hope that Sam brings West Ham back up at the first attempt even though it will not appease the purists. A bit of nostalgia does you good now and then Hammer and although I was only knee high to a grasshopper I do remember such illustrious players including a few that played for the Hammers.
Heard them talking about big Sam on the radio and he sounds all wound up and ready to goLets have a burst of Im forever blowing bubbles for Hammer. I watched the England match today and it seemed to be the usual England sort. This manager doesnt seem to be getting the best out of them at all dont know what my friends Vera and Bob think.
Well Annie, I have always thought that Capello has tended to look rather bemused and out of touch with the national team as a whole and nowm he is trotting out the old chestnut about fatigue playing a big part in the performances of the players, for goodness sake they are supposed to be super athletes so maybe it’s the weight of all that money that they earn that is tiring the poor dears out 
As one of the TV match commentators suggested last night’s game should not be assumed to be a’gimme’.
He got that right, in contrast to the lacklustre motiveless England side, the Swiss looked calm, composed and organised.
It was easy to see which coach was inspirational to his team.
The vastly experienced Ottmar Hitzfeld was supreme whilst Postman Pat Capello failed once again to deliver his junk mail.
The midfield man Xherdan Shaqiri - who surely should have been man of the match - showed his more illustrious England counterparts how the game should be played.
There has been a lot of talk of end of season match fatigue, realistically this is a cover up as we twice committed the most basic schoolboy errors in handling bread and butter set pieces which led to the two goals.
It should perhaps be a stark reminder that the competition proper starts in June of next year!
In any event, the first, a floated free kick saw Rio Ferdinand flap at it like a demented semaphore signaller. I would not blame Hart for being on the wrong foot for this one even though he was a bit slow off the blocks.
The second was worse by any standard, the object of a defensive wall seemed to have escaped messrs Walcott and Milner as they just strolled apart when the kick was taken. Sadly Hart was having a kip on the other side of town and his cinderella act of always being late for the ball was farcical, cheer up Bob Green you are not alone.
In truth the master stroke by Capello of selecting Milner and Walcott in the first place while Young was left on the bench sort of gave us a clue of the result as it left Darren Bent starved of any service. Maybe this was the reason Bent missed a couple of good chances in the second half and one in particular was easier to score than miss.
We are lucky that all is not lost…just yet. Montenegro only managed a draw themselves so we still head the table with a better goal difference.
We go to Montenegro in October and that could be the game that could decide who qualifies.
On paper one would think we would get there ok but when you consider both Switzerland and Montenegro are twenty plus places below us in the world rankings it is not by any means certain.
I am only glad we are not in either groups B or H as qualification from those two would on last nights showing be a step too far for us.
Not a disappointment but it is rather nice to see Martin Jol working again.
I hope he is treated better by Fulham than Spurs did when he was last here although they could hardly stoop as low.
He remains one of the nicest and most knowlegeable people in football.
In addition to Tottenham he has had spells with amongst others, Ajax and Hamburg SV.
All the best Martin and I hope it is not binding in your contract to pay homage to Michael Jackson’s statue at Craven Cottage every week.
A great appointment indeed, I think Martin Jol will be an asset to Fulham and I can see them ending up with a pretty good campaign next season but of course they will be back training later this month ready to mount another attack on the Europa league, hope they don’t use tiredness as an excuse if it all goes pear shaped 
Icould say something unlady like regarding the tiredness but I wont.
Let rip Annie! Sometimes I end up spitting feathers at these so called “professionals”. Wonder how they would cope in the real world away from the cloud cuckoo land antics of the media and false adoration?
Sad to hear that Mike Doyle the ex Manchester City and England defender has died at the age of 64. Another great player who it seems finally lost a long battle against booze.
The true Blue captained City and turned out for them over 500 times and made five appearances for England.
He also played for Stoke City, Bolton Wanderers and Rochdale.
He was an uncompromising player in his defensive role but also managed to score 40 goals fot City. He was also renowned for his total animosity to neighbours United.
RIP
Mike, training starts soon for the new season up there.
Hammer, is’nt it strange how many ex footballers have pegged it in their 60’s in recent times? Is it to do with the injuries they picked up during their playing career? I know this guy hit the bottle, but don’t we all these days, and still survive, despite the latest Government silly guidelines,ie. half a pint a day. Cheers!!
Half a pint a day! blimey, not worth getting up for Such a shame that Mike Doyle has gone to the stadium in the sky, he will be in great company at least. R.I.P Mike.
Sad to note the passing of the one time West Ham United winger Ken Bainbridge who has died at the ripe old age of 90.
Another great Barking born boy, Ken had the distinction of scoring the fastest goal ever at the Boleyn Ground, he took just eleven seconds into our Division Two win over Barnsley on 29th August 1949.
A game we went on to win 2-1.
A decent winger who had enough pace to even cope with today’s game.
He also helped out on the goals front, the one he got when we demolished the mighty Arsenal 6-0 in an FA Cup match back in 46 was memorable even though it upset my Ma to see her side lose so badly to the Irons.
Ken left us after 96 appearances in league and cup, for Reading in the summer of 1950 as part of an exchange deal for the defender Vic Niblett.
Ken was a player who gave nothing less than 100%, quietly going about his business in an unassuming way, something that is generally missing from todays prima donna’s .
He continued successfully for the Royals until 1953 when he moved to Southend and finally to Chelmsford City.
RIP Ken.
I look forward to the second half.