Recorder Series West Ham United correspondent Dave Evans assesses Saturday's defeat to Leicester City...
I want to talk about flip flops.
At this time of the season we hear a lot of chatter about the hideous holiday footwear and how mid-table teams are already metaphorically wearing them as they go out on the pitch for the last few matches.
Newcastle United were accused of it a couple of weeks ago and the accusation was levelled at the West Ham players going into Saturday’s game with relegation-haunted Leicester City at the King Power Stadium.
Close to a million pounds is the difference in prize money for one place in the Premier League, but do the players really care about that?
West Ham can realistically finish between eighth and tenth this season, so do they really need to give 100 per cent when the prospect of going snorkelling in the Maldives with their families is just around the corner?
I saw lots of comments on Twitter suggesting that losing at Leicester was a ‘new low’ for the Hammers.
Once again the supporters calling for the head of Sam Allardyce returned to social media as if this was the most humiliating display they had ever seen from a West Ham team.
We have seen one or two disappointing and poor performances from the team this season, but they have been few and far between compared to other campaigns and Saturday’s was certainly not one of them.
It was a bad result, but then so was Manchester City’s defeat at Burnley not so long ago; Chelsea’s loss to Newcastle; Liverpool’s defeat at Upton Park and Manchester United’s loss to, who was it? Yes, Leicester City.
In this Premier League, shocks happen, but perhaps Saturday at the King Power was not such a shock.
It could have gone either way. The Hammers created plenty of chances in a thriller of a game and in the end it was a scrappy late goal that beat them – again.
We saw Sunderland beat Newcastle on Sunday and West Ham’s game was a similar story. Nigel Pearson’s team simply wanted the points more than the Hammers, they needed those points and it was like their cup final.
So did West Ham really have the flip flops on? No chance.
The way the superb Cheikhou Kouyate marauded around the pitch, scored that goal and hit the post could not have been done if he had opted for the same footwear as George Clooney in that coffee commercial.
James Collins knows no other way than to give 100 per cent. Mark Noble could not run all over the pitch without his boots and though Diafra Sakho controlled one Aaron Cresswell cross like he was wearing flip flops, his endeavour suggested otherwise.
For those calling for Sam Allardyce to go, be careful what you wish for – remember Avram Grant!
West Ham sit in the top half and if those unlucky draws against Man United and Spurs had been deserved wins, then there would be a very different reflection on the season.
There is still another seven games to go in this Premier League campaign and West Ham may suffer more disappointments.
But for me there is no question that these players still have the flip flops locked away with the sun tan lotion until the end of May. It is a matter of pride in trying to finish what they started back in August.
*Dave Evans is the only West Ham journalist to follow the team home and away. You can follow him on twitter @Recorder_Hammer.
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of West Ham United.