A month spent across the pond for me has found the Hammers moving into second in the championship, behind the force of nature that seems to be Southampton at the moment.
An unnaturally warm end to October brings the managerless and big spending foxes up UP. Bearing in mind our pretty poor home record this season (and most others recently !), and the fact how teams raise their game when the chips are down, I had a draw in my head.
The noisy foxes were silenced after 17 mins, when Sam Baldock belied his height to get up at the back stick, and onto the end of a Carew cross for our first. This was quickly followed by Julien Faubert hitting a good 20 harder into Schmeichel the youngest bottom corner for our second.
Faubert seems to be enjoying his new position and seems to be doing well at it, long may this continue. We reach half time comfortably in the lead. Happy days, its beer time.
We then enter the usual WHU trait on failing to protect or build on a lead, and let Leicester back in via Andy King. Carew is then subbed for big Fred and the draw looms as the most likely outcome.
To be fair on a rare attack at this stage, a route one play finds Fred flicking on for Sam to put away a calm finish, to go 3-1 up, and surely get the 3 points.
Andy King then scores a screamer to make it 3-2 and then we press the ? button and bring on little Freddie Sears. Now, maybe I’m wrong but I just don’t get it. He wasn’t good enough under Zola playing football, and definitely ain’t good enough under big Sam’s longer ball regime, so why does he persist, when Nouble is playing well for the gills and is more built for the job. Sorry Fred, I know you are WHU through and through but you just don’t cut it kid.
Anyway we crack on and ground out a hard won win from what should of been an easy job at half time.
We are now pulling away from the play off places and another 3 points on Tuesday against Bristol City should compound this position.
I am hoping to see Carlton Cole at least on the bench. He is our top scorer this season along with Sam Baldock and the two of them need more time together to get a long lasting partnership going.
Mrben09 