West Ham United proved the Guardian Football Weekly (February 24, 49:43) wrong with their performance against Liverpool on Monday evening.
What’s the word?
The podcast, in which journalists Max Rushden, Barry Glendenning, Jonathan Wilson, and Barney Ronay discuss the issues of the day, took aim at the Hammers ahead of their clash with the Reds.
The Irons went into the game without a win in seven games and were seen as something approaching whipping boys prior to the clash with the Reds.
Did he really play for us?! No West Ham fan has managed to name all of these obscure Irons signings....
Glendenning said: “I mean, I give them no chance whatsoever. None, absolutely not. Now they may very well go and surprise me but I will be absolutely astonished.”
And Rushden quickly added: “Yeah, West Ham really aren't very good, are they? Things are getting tight at the bottom now, because Watford's form has really fallen off since that little Nigel Pearson bounce. Norwich are pretty much done for and it's starting to look like one of West Ham, Watford, Villa, Bournemouth and maybe Brighton.”
A gutsy display
West Ham turned in a genuinely brave performance against the Reds.
Georginio Wijnaldum scored the first goal at Anfield but Issa Diop equalised in the 12th minute before Pablo Fornals gave David Moyes’ side a shock lead.
Of course, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane eventually turned the tide but it took until the 81st minute for Jurgen Klopp’s men, who have not lost all season, to score their winner.
Of course, at a time when the Hammers need points – they remain in the bottom three, one point behind Aston Villa – performances will only get you so far.
But the Guardian podcast made it seem as though this was nailed on to be a 6-0 defeat for Moyes’ men.
That it wasn’t is something of a victory for the club, with the journalists proved decisively wrong.