Too good to go down, there are three teams worse than us – the list goes on with similar comments when your team is struggling at the bottom of the league. It’s fair to say that this season has so far seen very few highlights. The players are not playing as a team, we have already changed managers, and the board seem oblivious to the discourse amongst the fan base. The club looks broken. As a long time West Ham supporter of more than 50 years, I have seen this all before.
The Agony of the 42-Point Relegation
Often though as relegation loomed, as it often has over that half a century, it seemed inevitable, but there was one season that I got suckered into the ‘too good to go down’ belief, I think I even said it myself. That season was 2002-03. Even going into that last game away to Birmingham, I still believed we could survive and sat there stunned when the final whistle went and our fate was confirmed…
Star Names vs. Team Cohesion
The squad back then was littered with star names. In goal we had England’s David James, and at the back we had Tomas Repka and Christian Dailly. But it was in midfield and up front that we really shone. How about a midfield that contained Joe Cole, Michael Carrick, Trevor Sinclair, Steve Lomas and Lee Bowyer? And what about a forward line that contained Paolo Di Canio, Jermain Defoe, Frédéric Kanouté and Les Ferdinand. Pretty impressive.
Defensively and our forward line I believe stronger than our squad today and in midfield an equal to today’s team. I guess the question that had to be answered is was there a leader in that squad? One could say that Di Canio was a leader but he was a loose cannon at times… This time we have a more calming influence in Bowen but it’s a lot to put on one player’s shoulders.
The Familiar Pattern of the Collapse
The poor start to season 2002-03 didn’t help and panic seemed to really set in… It took us until our seventh league game… to get our first win. It took us until 29th January to get our first home win. As for the cup, I was there to see us limp through a penalty shoot out in Chesterfield and then was convinced we would get a result in the next round at home against Oldham only to lose. It was the Oldham game… that I realised it looked as if we were doomed. We couldn’t buy a win.
It was clear that despite the quality in the squad, they were inconsistent and struggled to turn performances into results. The defence was leaky, and the attack couldn’t always compensate. How does this compare with this season? As I write we are six games in with just one away win and sitting on four points with yet to win at home. There are clear similarities between the two seasons.
The Deceptive False Dawn
In that relegation season, we also had a managerial chance with Glenn Roeder stepping down and Sir Trevor Brooking rejuvenating the squad… The results began to flow. We then did what West Ham always does, they gave the fan base a false dawn. I actually believe that we could survive. A loss to Bolton was followed by a win against Middlesbrough and then an unforgettable win at Maine Road… I believed the escape was on.
I also believed on Monday 29th September this year, walking back from the Hill Dickinson with the comeback against Everton pretty much the same thing, we can survive. Sadly it was a false dawn back in 2003, the Manchester City away win was all a bit too late… West Ham were relegated on a record 42 points.
Leaders, Nuno, and the Looming Fear
The 2002/03 West Ham team became the ultimate example of why a team is never ‘too good to go down’. It highlighted that team spirit, consistency, and a solid defence are just as important… The season was the perfect storm of poor early form, defensive frailty, and an ultimately futile late rally that ended in heartbreaking relegation…
There are so many comparisons between that team and the current one. We have had a similar poor start. We have had a change of manager albeit earlier this time… In the relegation season we were short of leaders. If something happens to Bowen, who from our current squad would step up? I can’t see anyone doing that role. It was clear that under Potter there was no cohesion, can Nuno Espírito Santo inspire them?
I believe by Christmas we will have a better idea of where our future lies. The season 2002-03 should be a reminder of what could be. I just hope it’s not a forecast of what will be.
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