Winning Championships and the Management Factor: Man U 4-2 West Ham

Coaches are not on the pitch playing the game but they are a huge factor in the final result. A soccer game is two forty-five minute halves and what adjustments are made at half-time can determine the final outcome of the game.

At the end of the first half, West Ham was leading the English Premier League leaders, Manchester United, two goals to zero. Avram Grants’ men had another forty-five minutes to secure three points, an upset victory, and to put them in a more competitive position to avoid relegation. Grant’s team began the second half with no adjustments. They had secured the lead by the referee granting them deserved penalties. But even before the first-half ended, Manchester was already asserting their superior class. West Ham’s best chance of winning was to insert another player who could withstand United’s relentless attacks.

Sir Alex Ferguson, who has to be considered one of the more astute managers in the game, made adjustments in the second half. He inserted “Chicharito” Hernandez and Berbatov to join with Wayne Rooney in the attack. Ferguson not only makes the right moves at the right time but he selects players who are match winners, very much aware that although mid-field play is dominant, having players who are specialized goal scorers is critical to winning matches and winning championships. Rooney scored a hat trick in the second half and “Chicharito” converted the fourth. West Ham went down to defeat 4-2.

EPL: The Tide Rises

By
Bagga Wilks

Tottenham vs West Ham

Every game in the English Premier League for the remainder of the season will be exceedingly consequential. When Tottenham faced West Ham on a glorious English afternoon, Tottenham sought maximum points to remain in the top four and thus be eligible to play in the Champion UEFA League next season. They triumphed over A.C. Milan and will face Real Madrid in the quarter final, quite a formidable undertaking.
West Ham is fighting to avoid relegation, to maximize points to remain in the Premier League. The 0-0 draw earned a valuable point for West Ham. The game was telling as it demonstrated that football is not just about talent and finesse but also about hard work and tenacity.

Tottenham has incredible fire power, speed and guile in their fairly young team. Lenon and Bale are like larvae to a defense and it is difficult to contain their volcanic eruptions from the left and from the right. Modric is blossoming to be quite a playmaker. There are lots of riches up front with Defoe, Van de Wart, Pavlyuchenko and Crouch.

Their defensive mid-fielder, the Brazilian Sandro is adapting to the League and has both defensive and offensive skills. Despite the abundance of talent, Avran Grant’s posse kept them from scoring for ninety minutes. Bale is just back from a back injury and is fighting to recapture his form. Defoe, a prolific goal-scorer, is suffering from the “Torres syndrome” and cannot buy a goal.

With much less talent but matching Tottenham with tenacity, West Ham showed that the future had a place for blue collar workers. The West Ham defense kept their shape and fought for every ball. They are still mired in the woods of relegation and Tottenham are in danger of missing out on Champion League ball next season.

Arsenal vs. West Brom

Arsenal is still in the running to win the coveted Premier League title. At half time they were down 0-1, and shortly after the second half, were looking down the barrel of a 0-2 defeat.

Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 West Ham: Late Lennon Winner Maintains Spurs' unbeaten Record

Tottenham Hotspur grabbed an unlikely victory at Upton Park this afternoon, defeating a dogged West Ham side 2-1 to return to the top of the English Premier League.