Joint-Chairman David Gold reflects on the win against Chelsea and previews Saturday’s game with Watford
Last weekend’s victory against Chelsea was incredible and it will linger in my mind for years to come. Not just the victory but the way the whole event panned out. It had everything. It had controversy and two close calls for Chelsea goals that could have gone either way.
And of course our much discussed centre forward Andy Carroll scored the winner. What we know about Andy that many people don’t know is that he has been working hard to get back in the team. He got his chance and how much more Roy of the Rovers could it have been than him coming on and winning the game in the way he did with just ten minutes left. So when I say it had everything, it did, with the winning goal from our record signing to prove he is still a top, top striker.
Whilst I was thrilled to win at Palace, which is not an easy place to go as they were fourth at the time, for me, to win at home against the Premier League champions is just so satisfying. To endorse that I think the fact we had 30,000 fans staying on to applaud the team at the end of the game spoke volumes.
It was one of the best atmospheres we’ve had at home for a long time and I’d like to pay tribute to our supporters for the role they played in the win.
It’s great to see such big smiles on the faces of Hammers fans again. Something we have to remember is that their football club was in serious trouble six or seven years ago.
We managed to stay up that first season but then got relegated and spent a year in the Championship and fans were beginning to think it was the same old West Ham.
Arguably they’ve been through hell and back but they’ve been rewarded for their diligence, determination, loyalty and their faith in their football team. At last we’ve put together a squad of players, it’s taken two-three years to do, and it’s culminated with Slaven coming to the club and it’s all come together.
We now go to Watford on Saturday and although a lot of people are expecting us to win, I don’t think we have to concern ourselves about motivation. I can promise you that Slaven will ensure that they are motived because the fans are right behind them, they are third in the table and they are outplaying some very good sides.
We’ve got players coming back like Alex Song, but with the squad we’ve got now there are no guaranteed starting places for anyone.
It’s a cliché but there are no easy games in the Premier League. There are less difficult games and you’d rather be going to Watford than Man City. But the difference this season to previous years is we go there believing we can win the game. If you go back over the last six years when did fans last go to away games expecting to win? We would win two or three games a season and this year we’ve already won four.
We’re going to Watford, we’re third in the table and we’ve got players coming back. We’re stronger today than we were five games ago. Our confidence is high and our optimism is high and that’s everybody at the club from the players to the management team. It’s great to see the camaraderie with Slaven hugging the players and his staff. It shows his passion that arguably has been lacking.
Finally, I enjoyed seeing the picture doing the rounds on social media this week of us all celebrating Andy Carroll’s winner wildly in the Directors’ Box.
I think the picture demonstrates the whole tension of the day. As Andy rose to score with a brilliant header time almost moved in slow motion. That was the winning goal and we knew it. Forgive me but I got a little carried away!
Let’s hope there are more scenes like that over the coming weeks.
And of course our much discussed centre forward Andy Carroll scored the winner. What we know about Andy that many people don’t know is that he has been working hard to get back in the team. He got his chance and how much more Roy of the Rovers could it have been than him coming on and winning the game in the way he did with just ten minutes left. So when I say it had everything, it did, with the winning goal from our record signing to prove he is still a top, top striker.
Whilst I was thrilled to win at Palace, which is not an easy place to go as they were fourth at the time, for me, to win at home against the Premier League champions is just so satisfying. To endorse that I think the fact we had 30,000 fans staying on to applaud the team at the end of the game spoke volumes.
It was one of the best atmospheres we’ve had at home for a long time and I’d like to pay tribute to our supporters for the role they played in the win.
It’s great to see such big smiles on the faces of Hammers fans again. Something we have to remember is that their football club was in serious trouble six or seven years ago.
We managed to stay up that first season but then got relegated and spent a year in the Championship and fans were beginning to think it was the same old West Ham.
Arguably they’ve been through hell and back but they’ve been rewarded for their diligence, determination, loyalty and their faith in their football team. At last we’ve put together a squad of players, it’s taken two-three years to do, and it’s culminated with Slaven coming to the club and it’s all come together.
We now go to Watford on Saturday and although a lot of people are expecting us to win, I don’t think we have to concern ourselves about motivation. I can promise you that Slaven will ensure that they are motived because the fans are right behind them, they are third in the table and they are outplaying some very good sides.
We’ve got players coming back like Alex Song, but with the squad we’ve got now there are no guaranteed starting places for anyone.
It’s a cliché but there are no easy games in the Premier League. There are less difficult games and you’d rather be going to Watford than Man City. But the difference this season to previous years is we go there believing we can win the game. If you go back over the last six years when did fans last go to away games expecting to win? We would win two or three games a season and this year we’ve already won four.
We’re going to Watford, we’re third in the table and we’ve got players coming back. We’re stronger today than we were five games ago. Our confidence is high and our optimism is high and that’s everybody at the club from the players to the management team. It’s great to see the camaraderie with Slaven hugging the players and his staff. It shows his passion that arguably has been lacking.
Finally, I enjoyed seeing the picture doing the rounds on social media this week of us all celebrating Andy Carroll’s winner wildly in the Directors’ Box.
I think the picture demonstrates the whole tension of the day. As Andy rose to score with a brilliant header time almost moved in slow motion. That was the winning goal and we knew it. Forgive me but I got a little carried away!
Let’s hope there are more scenes like that over the coming weeks.