West Ham fans on the KUMB forum have been in discussion recently, with some of our player’s loyalty to the cause questioned.
The thread “A ‘safe position’” was started on the basis of quotes Lukasz Fabianski had made earlier in the week, when our Hammer of the Year contending goalkeeper referenced our current league standing in terms of a relegation fight, rather than the scrap for Europe we find ourselves in.
We may be the underdog for seventh now, having lost to Everton and Chelsea in consecutive matchdays, but the job is not over yet, and the backdoor into the Europa League remains on offer, providing we put together a solid string of results now.
The way Fabianski spoke after the defeat at Stamford Bridge, however, does raise concerns that there is a lingering feeling in the players that the main task of securing our safety – as it was this time last year – remains a consideration at Rush Green.
“I hope, even though we are in a safe position, I just want us to finish the season in a strong way, to still give something back to the fans, to show good football, to get some good results,” the Polish ace said.
“The recent performances have been up and down so I hope that, especially with what we’ve shown in the second half [against Chelsea], hopefully that will give us the boost that we can finish the season strongly, and that we can perform and, like I said, get something from the rest of the games.”
The suggestion, then, that we are in a “safe position” was right to spark debate, and here is just some of what has been said on the KUMB forum since…
“The owners may not be that bothered by Europa League, (although I don’t buy into that theory as much as others) but the players would want to qualify. Sub-consciously they may switch off a little towards the end of the season, but they certainly aren’t sitting there in the changing room before a game rationally thinking ‘Screw it, can’t be bothered today’.” – Crouchend_Hammer (April 11, 07:52)
“The way some of them start the games, that is exactly what they are thinking!” – Hammerman11 (April 11, 08:24)
“Why would you be as focused when fighting for eighth spot in the league? I’d reckon most want to stay injury free until summer. That’s it.” – Szola (April 11, 09:01)
“As the saying goes, a fish rots from the head down… The club is affected by GSB’s lack of ambition. MP has a massive task to get the players out of their current ‘we’ve done our bit now’ mindset. In fact, I wouldn’t mind betting that they think they’ve done well to get the club where they are by this time in the season…” – AlfieG (April 11, 09:39)
“Doesn’t finishing seventh and qualifying for Europe mean an earlier start and less holiday, with the likely hood of travelling to back end of nowhere to play? Are you lot really sure the players are motivated to get qualified, it certainly doesn’t seem so does it?” – Ozza (April 11, 10:47)
“Its been made pretty clear that the entire club from the board downwards see the Europa Cup as nothing more than an inconvenience that has to be avoided. The players know that the team isn’t really good enough for 7th anyway, the penny dropped quite a while back.” – Mushy (April 11, 10:58)
“The truth is we have owners who have no love of the club or its traditions. They are prepared to ride roughshod over everything this once proud club stood for so they can feather the nest of themselves and their kids. They have no interest of leaving a legacy, all they care about is cold hard cash. “ – Francois Vander or else (April 11, 11:03)
“I wouldn’t have thought, but I expect they have loads of subliminal messages around the training ground, the number 40 plastered over everything, Cliff Richards Summer Holiday playing in the canteen, and in the changing room at the stadium, posters of all-inclusive luxury hotels everywhere, Big Andy flogging timeshares.” – S-H (April 11, 11:40)