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Wils 1:39 Fri Dec 4
Mark Irwin, The Sun - hatchet job on WHU fans

MARK IRWIN West Ham might issue new commemorative mug if they beat Man Utd, not that owners or fans will give Moyes credit for it
COMMENT
Mark Irwin
4 Dec 2020, 10:46Updated: 4 Dec 2020, 10:46
IF West Ham beat Manchester United tomorrow evening, they will briefly rise to third place in the Premier League table.

Surely worthy of a place in the Hammers Hall of Fame considering they once issued a commemorative mug to celebrate victory over United’s reserve team in the Carling Cup quarter-finals.

West Ham issued a commemorative mug for beating United's reserves in the 2010 Carling Cup

Nothing Moyes achieves at West Ham will ever be enough for fans
This week marked the tenth anniversary of that, erm, unforgettable win.

It’s probably only Covid restrictions which prevented a gala reunion dinner for the East End legends Pablo Barrera, Victor Obina, Tal Ben Haim and Jonathan Spector.

After all, they still speak in reverential tones about the Boys of 86 and the time they finished behind Liverpool and Everton in the title race.

So Saturday night will surely go down as an ‘I was there’ moment for the first 2,000 lucky supporters to be readmitted to a Premier League game.

But then you remember that this is a club where the fans are never happy unless they’re banging on about the good old days of Mooro, the chicken run and the Kray twins.

And that’s when you realise that nothing that David Moyes and his players achieve this season will ever be enough.

No team has benefited from the absence of supporters during the coronavirus lockdown more than West Ham.

Arsenal might have the angriest fans in football, but they do most of their whining online.

West Ham followers prefer to get up close and personal when they’re dishing out the vitriol - or at least as close as they can get in their horrible new stadium.

Moyes won’t have forgotten his first spell in charge when one nutter attempted to plant a corner flag in the centre circle during a 3-0 home defeat by Burnley.

“I just felt I had to do something,” Mr Nutter later explained.

“People have died and been put up against a wall for what they believe in.”

And it’s logic like that which makes West Ham the impossible job.

The team was stuck in the relegation zone when Moyes was first appointed on a temporary basis to replace Slaven Bilic three years ago.

But comfortably keeping the club in the Premier League still wasn’t enough for the owners, who handed the ruins to mumbling Manuel Pellegrini and waited for him to work his magic.

Eighteen months later they were still waiting for the Chilean zombie to show any sign of life as his team sleepwalked their way towards the drop zone.


Moyes has created an ego-free team playing effective football this
Yet Moyes’ return to duty last December was still greeted with groans of disbelief and it is only now that his work is starting to receive grudging recognition from the locals.

It has taken time for the Scotsman to make his mark but he has gradually created an ego-free team playing effective football with bargain signings Jarrod Bowen, Tomas Soucek and Vladmir Coufal all to the fore.

He’s also brought a bit of passion back to the touchline with his old school back-up team of Kevin Nolan, Stuart Pearce and Alan Irvine.

So even though their best results this season were achieved when Moyes was in Covid isolation, no-one can question the job he is doing at the London Stadium.

Of course West Ham are not going to challenge for the title and they probably won’t even qualify for Europe.

But Moyes has still done more than enough to warrant an extension to the contract which expires at the end of the season.

Trouble is that the owners will probably wait to see if Zinedine Zidane or Jurgen Klopp fancy the job before committing themselves to a decision.

ray winstone 9:37 Sun Dec 6
Re: Mark Irwin, The Sun - hatchet job on WHU fans

Of course they do, how do you think we ended up with Boris and Brexit?

RM10 4:12 Sat Dec 5
Re: Mark Irwin, The Sun - hatchet job on WHU fans

Do people still buy that rag

terry-h 4:11 Sat Dec 5
Re: Mark Irwin, The Sun - hatchet job on WHU fans

If you look at Mooro's photo on the front cover of Matt Dickinson's biography, he might well have been a part time member of the Kray Twins' gang!
Scary Bobby...

collyrob 2:15 Sat Dec 5
Re: Mark Irwin, The Sun - hatchet job on WHU fans

Paddy power having a pop as well today.

“West ham set to welcome back 2000 protestors to London stadium”

“They're not allowed sing or chant, but they sure know how to complain.. 🔨🔨🔨”



Very strange, are they worried about us.

Iron Duke 12:21 Sat Dec 5
Re: Mark Irwin, The Sun - hatchet job on WHU fans

This type of new breed glory hunting football fan completely misses the point.

On one hand, he criticises West Ham fans for being small time and celebrating occasional wins and mediocrity.

Then he criticises us for never being happy and not being satisfied with mediocrity.

Which one is it then, because it clearly can’t be both?

DukeofDevo 11:57 Sat Dec 5
Re: Mark Irwin, The Sun - hatchet job on WHU fans

‘Mumbling Manuel’ and ‘The Chilean Zombie’ not far wrong is he! I think this writer is an irons fan! Moyes was treated badly first time around and he should get another two years at least! He’s had to clear out a lot of expensive dead wood and he’s brought in some decent players, and got them organised! In Moysie we trust!

cholo 11:23 Sat Dec 5
Re: Mark Irwin, The Sun - hatchet job on WHU fans

Wasn't the "krays" thing a running joke in the 70s/80s among rival fans that every west ham fan claimed to know the Krays personally or went to school with them?

Chigwell 11:06 Sat Dec 5
Re: Mark Irwin, The Sun - hatchet job on WHU fans

Wasn't it the Krays who invented the near-post header?

Sir Alf 8:49 Sat Dec 5
Re: Mark Irwin, The Sun - hatchet job on WHU fans

Agree with that assessment Ronald. As the poll on the left says “8th to 14th”. I hope nearer to 8th which with the squad we have and money spent last 2 seasons would count as success IMHO

Ronald_antly 7:27 Sat Dec 5
Re: Mark Irwin, The Sun - hatchet job on WHU fans

I wouldn't disagree with much of what he's written.

I do disagree with his assessment of Moyes, though.
I actually like 'Moysie', but I think people are getting a bit carried away with how we're going just lately.
We had a few good performances while he was dying from convid, but the moment he made his MIRACULOUS return we put in a 45 minute horror show.
YES, we turned it around in the last few minutes, but we should have been dead and buried long before that. It's always nice to see Tottingham trip over their foreskin, but it's only because they did so that we had the opportunity to steal a point at the death.
Our performances against Fulham and Villa tell a truer story of where we're at.
We'll finish mid-table at best.

Coffee 7:12 Sat Dec 5
Re: Mark Irwin, The Sun - hatchet job on WHU fans

chim chim cha boo 6:10 Sat Dec 5

Mace66 6:35 Sat Dec 5
Re: Mark Irwin, The Sun - hatchet job on WHU fans

To be fair he’s telling it pretty much how it is.

Most of our fans aren’t happy unless they’re living in the past and all he’s saying is the past isn’t even that great with a high of a 3rd place

And Moyes has been slaughtered before he’s had chance to prove he can do a decent job given time.

In fact some of our fans must be absolutely furious that he’s in danger of making them have to eat their words ?

chim chim cha boo 6:10 Sat Dec 5
Re: Mark Irwin, The Sun - hatchet job on WHU fans

I think one or two of us may have fucked his woman to write something so bent about us.

Well done.

Darlo Debs 2:28 Sat Dec 5
Re: Mark Irwin, The Sun - hatchet job on WHU fans

Is this a disgruntled Sheff Utd fan still smarting over the Tevez saga?

Either that of a disgruntled ex employee of the club who never got told the full extent of the Carrick deal

gph 11:49 Fri Dec 4
Re: Mark Irwin, The Sun - hatchet job on WHU fans

I don't recall THIS mug, but I do remember one when we beat Tottenham three times in one season.

If we beat them three times a season every time we met them three times in a season, I' be happy with a mug each time.

Alex Bunbury 11:31 Fri Dec 4
Re: Mark Irwin, The Sun - hatchet job on WHU fans

Is the mug thing made up? I have no recollection of that at all.

Most people I know think the media have some sort of agenda against the club they support so I wouldn’t get too worried about it, he’s clearly on a wide up.

british is best 8:17 Fri Dec 4
Re: Mark Irwin, The Sun - hatchet job on WHU fans

It astonishes me the hatred the goons have for us . So many of their ex players drip venom towards us . Keown Merson. Nicholas spring immediately to mind . And even Stewart Robson Liam Brady and Nigel winterburn band last but not least the cripple Wilshire .

Iron Duke 6:57 Fri Dec 4
Re: Mark Irwin, The Sun - hatchet job on WHU fans

I bet Mark Irwin still lives at his mum’s, wears half and half scarfs and is pro-VAR

ornchurch ammer 6:39 Fri Dec 4
Re: Mark Irwin, The Sun - hatchet job on WHU fans

He sounds like an angry little man.


Moyes is starting to get some praise. GSB never will.

Browno22 6:34 Fri Dec 4
Re: Mark Irwin, The Sun - hatchet job on WHU fans

Kray twins? FMOB great research

ironsofcanada 6:05 Fri Dec 4
Re: Mark Irwin, The Sun - hatchet job on WHU fans

Just rage click bait isn't it?

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