kips 2:24 Mon Jan 2
Echoes of the 2002/2003 season
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20 years ago exactly, West Ham were almost half way through the season that was ultimately to end in relegation. That was the team ‘dubbed too good to go down’ if you remember.
The warning signs were there at the end of 2002. We had limped through up to that point with a few draws and the occasional win but we were struggling to get going.
Joe Cole, Di Canio, Carrick, Sinclair, Steve Lomas, Kanoute and Defoe and company were a team that should have been comfortably top half but things were not right.
My thoughts back then were the same as today. There is a saying that the whole can be bigger than its parts, but also the opposite is true. That was the case then and that is the case now.
My thoughts up to recently is that there is a good team there trying to show up. Now I think not. The team of 2002/3 were better and they went down.
That season, Sunderland were adrift by late January and finished with just 19 points but another six or seven teams were fighting it out. Trevor brooking was drafted in to take charge for the last half a dozen games and the results did improve but we still managed to go down with 42 points.
Deja-Vu anyone?
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Replies - Newest Posts First ( Show In Chronological Order)
Woden
2:51 Tue Jan 3
Re: Echoes of the 2002/2003 season
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I doubt we’ll get 42 pts . If we do we’ll stay up.
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nychammer
4:37 Tue Jan 3
Re: Echoes of the 2002/2003 season
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"Once the old fella has gone"
half the battle. god willing after Leeds
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Manuel
2:53 Tue Jan 3
Re: Echoes of the 2002/2003 season
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Wayyyyy too early for this, not even halfway through the season. I don't mind a bit of panic, knicker wetting etc, but there is miles to go still. Once the old fella has gone we will start picking up and move up the table.
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Pablo For Nails
1:52 Tue Jan 3
Re: Echoes of the 2002/2003 season
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If anything, I think this season is more like the Great Escape season -
- follows a “successful” season where we didn’t win anything
- bloated squad
- “World class” players signed but no idea how to get the best out of them
- a captain who doesn’t want to be there (I love Declan but it’s obvious he wants a new challenge)
- injuries
- a lack of goals
- believing that last season’s tactics are the answer
- playing an ageing goalkeeper when there’s a younger, more agile option available
- a protracted takeover
The answer then was drastic and it’s unfortunately looking like it might have to be the same again unless Moyes can find a way to put together a winning run again soon.
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mallard
11:54 Mon Jan 2
Re: Echoes of the 2002/2003 season
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The game that sealed our fate was losing to Bolton 1-0, after that it was pretty much out of our hands.
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OccupyGreenStreet
11:44 Mon Jan 2
Re: Echoes of the 2002/2003 season
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The Arsenal game was weird, so dominant and about to go 3-0 up but Kanoute missed the pen and Thierry Henry scored a stunning goal out of nothing.
Also remember the away game at a freezing Charlton at night when we were desperate for points and Glen Johnson made his debut. Scott Parker ran rings around Lee Bowyer as they crushed us 4-2. Horrible night.
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goose
11:02 Mon Jan 2
Re: Echoes of the 2002/2003 season
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Wasn’t it the first season of having a transfer window? Usually we’d have acted earlier & probably been okay, but we had to wait to bring in Les Ferdinand and it was too late by then.
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nychammer
10:55 Mon Jan 2
Re: Echoes of the 2002/2003 season
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I was at that game and i think i left before the end, it was that terrible. Weren't we playing Ian Pearce as makeshift Center Forward? (although I recall he did actually score one against Fulham that season)
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,
10:48 Mon Jan 2
Re: Echoes of the 2002/2003 season
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We were terrible in that game. A centre back playing at centre forward and DiCanio coming out for the second half bandaged from ankle to hip, Roeder being scared to substitute him.
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Tomshardware
9:52 Mon Jan 2
Re: Echoes of the 2002/2003 season
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Vividly remember listening to the Southampton at home game on the wireless, think we lost it 1-0 with James Beattie scoring. On paper our squad was a wealth of talent and creativity.
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Jaan Kenbrovin
9:32 Mon Jan 2
Re: Echoes of the 2002/2003 season
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The echo of that season will be losing our best players for a fraction of their worth after relegation.
We’ll get about a quarter of the value people discuss for Rice. Same for Bowen. Same for the 180m of players we bought in the summer.
I genuinely cannot believe our owners are doubling down on Moyes. They all need to fuck right off.
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REALGSA
8:57 Mon Jan 2
Re: Echoes of the 2002/2003 season
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we made 3 free transfers that season
we spent £170m odd this season
they are NOT the same.
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Huffers
8:42 Mon Jan 2
Re: Echoes of the 2002/2003 season
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Can’t see Super getting us to 42 points.
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Johnson
5:24 Mon Jan 2
Re: Echoes of the 2002/2003 season
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A better comparison for me in the Uncle Avram season. Favourable cup performances masking what a debacle the league form was with the boarding sleeping at the wheel as usual.
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Nagel
5:22 Mon Jan 2
Re: Echoes of the 2002/2003 season
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The 02/03 squad was obviously great, but if you play 442 and your first choice two strikers are out for half the season, leaving just a teenage midget up front then you're going to struggle.
I think the real echo of that season comes from the full backs. Schemmel went from hero to zero and Winterburn was well past it. Getting Rufus Brevett and Glen Johnson in for the last dozen or so games made a huge difference.
Not sure why people always get this wrong, but Brooking was only in charge for 3 games, and Roeder had got 15 points from the previous 8 games. The introduction of the transfer window that year didn't help, but even so we took too long to bring in the new players, eg Brevett on deadline day, Les Ferdinand on the 20th. If we'd had those signings ready to go first week of January we'd have probably stayed up.
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nychammer
4:39 Mon Jan 2
Re: Echoes of the 2002/2003 season
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Henry wasn’t it ?
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Coffee
4:35 Mon Jan 2
Re: Echoes of the 2002/2003 season
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Kanoute, iirc?
For them, either Wiltord scored both or at least got the equaliser.
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Coffee
4:33 Mon Jan 2
Re: Echoes of the 2002/2003 season
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Good post, kips.
Was that Arsenal game the one when we were 2-0 and missed a penalty?
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nychammer
4:29 Mon Jan 2
Re: Echoes of the 2002/2003 season
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I was at that Arsenal game. Cracking for the neutral but having missed the pen to go 3-0 up and 2-2 it felt like a cruel defeat to us. It seemed to affect us and sparked the slump
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zico
4:23 Mon Jan 2
Re: Echoes of the 2002/2003 season
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If I remember rightly didn't we have a penalty at 2-2 at home v Arsenal to win or something, missed it and didn't win at home until February or similar? I think it's playing out like just over 10 years ago with Grant. Clearly going down and they stuck with the toad only sacking him immediately after the last game. This board never learn.
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nychammer
4:18 Mon Jan 2
Re: Echoes of the 2002/2003 season
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Exactly the same scenario playing out. Coming off a 7th placed finish under Roeder (another unpopular choice) but having a mare in the following season, the owners held fire way too long to safe our season. The same is happening here. The entire support base is now calling for change and the owners seem paralyzed. They either can’t find anyone or won’t, but they must. The result will unfortunately be the same unless we act right this minute because we are sleepwalking to the championship under Moyes, no ifs buts or maybes.
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