West Ham: All right at the back

All the press about the Liverpool v West Ham game on Monday was bound to focus on Liverpool, and their failure to press home their advantage at the top of the league by beating weaker opponents at Anfield. Fair enough, really, given that this is the third time they've frozen like a perpetual virgin presented with a drunk and willing conquest. But I wasn't watching Liverpool throw away a golden opportunity; I was watching a completely different story unfold. A story with an unlikely hero.

So who was responsible for West Ham's result at Liverpool? Rob Green made several great saves - one, from Benayoun, was absolutely thrilling - while Upson and Collins were heroic and Ilunga looked like a proper full back for the first time this season. But the man who gets the credit for the clean sheet, and for the previous two against Sunderland and Portsmouth, is Steve Clarke, the first team coach.

When Gianfranco Zola became West Ham's manager, I was worried about his lack of experience, and about what effect the leadership of an attack-minded cavalier might have on a set of players who already regarded defending as an unwelcome chore. The arrival of Steve Clarke was a real relief, then. This man is surely one of the best defensive coaches in the British game. He was right-hand man to Jose Mourinho while Chelsea were grinding their way to two titles, and retained his position, and reputation, through the arrival and departure of Avram Grant.

What Clarke brings to West Ham is something they haven't had since... well, since ever, probably: a sound, organised defence that doesn't panic and offers a secure platform to the forward players. It's early days yet, but the last time we kept three clean sheets in a row in the Premiership was in 2002/03, when Christian Dailly and Gary Breen were at the heart of our defence. (Now that was a miracle.)

And the improvement in the back line isn't necessarily at the expense of the club's tradition of open and attacking football. A secure and competent defence gives our forwards the confidence to play proper football on the break instead of desperately trying to clear their lines and buy time for the team. In time, I think we'll see a better balance between Clarke and Zola's divergent influences, and I'm just a tiny bit optimistic that we're going to be OK.

Which all means that my brilliant post about a relegation scrap is going on the spike - for a few weeks at least.

Douglas Carter

Comments

[Bill, Sydney, Oz]

Agreed, Ilunga has been good all season.

I wasn't too impressed by Lucas Neil to start with but I think he's a stand out player and captain at the moment. Hope he doesn't prove me wrong.

[ted]

This article is dead wrong. The real reason that Wesy Ham have kept three clean sheets is because I transferred Rob Green out of my Fantasy League team. Along with all the other players that I've transferred out because they stopped performing, as soon as they're out then they start to play well. I will prove this theory by re-introducing Green into my side and the goals will start to flow once more.

[kyle]

i think that all of the issues involving the tevez/mascherano signings may have affected morale in the locker room. If gianfranco zola canot instill a belief in the team, then i think that relegation may be assured

[D.Heath]

At last some praise and appreciation for what Clarke has been quietly getting on with at West Ham. The press will now I'm sure start to credit the less glamorous of our ex- Chelsea duo.
Once they arrived it was quickly apparent that there is a new mindset at the club and that some solidity at the back counted for something.
The first job for any team is to stop shipping goals and what a miracle it is to see our team realise this.
We have to keep the good players and get rid of the detritus that abounds and Julian Faubert, please can you try to get the ball over the first defender and pass it to one of your team mates for a change? It can't be that hard!

[Gary Johnston]

Spot on Douglas. Steve Clarke is the best signing West Ham have made since Paolo. If the defence continues as it has in the past couple of games we can be in for a promising season. Need to offload all the waste we don't need a big squad let's be honest this year or for a few years to come we will not be competing for the league so let's get in 16 excellent players and let our amazing Academy mop up any injuries we have the start of a squad but I would be happy to see a proven premiership striker or a fit Dean Ashton along with Mark Noble getting back in action and things will only get better. I don't think we will be out of the hunt for Europe this year as it is so tight. Thank You Steve Clarke. Money well spent if only I could say the same for Boa Morte the man must have one leg shorter than the other because every time he hits a shot he falls over.

[James VP]

I am amazed that Lucas Neill would appear in the spine of anyones team. He is the weak link and goes missing when things get tough. I have no confidence in him as a captain and along with the dreadfull Faubert makes the right hand side ineffective.
I am not a boo boy and think that Collins, Green, Upson, Cole, Ilunga and Behrami have been excellent this season. We are only 3 decent players off a top ten again.

[James VP]

In terms of will we stay up, probably yes as the quality outside the top 5 is poor but my biggest fear is that Green and Upson are sold in January, they would prove irreplaceable in the current squad.

[John]

Douglas whilst I agree in principle with most of what you say there is one reason, no make that two that you missed.

First clearly our point at Liverpool, like all other points we have secured, was surely down to Carlos Tevez?

Secondly and on a more serious note I think Collins has made a big difference. He played very well towardss the end of 2005/6 and was very unlucky to not make the FA cup final team. He also played an eqaully big role towards the end of 2006/7 and along with Green was instrumental in keeping the clean sheets that kept us up....or was that Tevez;<)

[Kelvin Smyth]

A good post, I was wondering when our last run of three clean sheets was. Completely wrong on Ilunga though, he's been excellent this season and an improvement on George McCartney.

[Swazihammer]

Great Articule Douglas, couldnt agree more. Our back line has always been a big problem, I remember the time when we finished in the top six and we still had a negative goal tally.
Zola i am still not so sure about but as for Clake, I was delighted to hear he was joining us to tighten up our defence.
When is Green going to be the first choice England goalkeeper?What in Gods name does he have to do to get into the England team (score goals as well)?

[ausssihammer]

I also believe that things take time, the success in my humble opinion stems from a consistent, well nearly, starting 11.We forget that last year we virtually played every game with different players whilst this year not only is the squad competative but also fit. If we can get Ashton and Dyer fit we have real and numerous options up front, if we can add Appiah and perhaps another right back then we have the makings o a decent squad. This extra costs sould be offset by Quashi, LBM, Reid, Gabbidon leaving and a couple of the strikers loan contracts being cancelled. I think we need to ensure we buy Illunga before his loan nears completion and he impresses too many other teams?. We dohve a tough run and whilst everyone seems to be beating everyone elsewith the exception of WBA and Sunderland I think 36 points will be enough to stay u this year. Surely everyone is confident enough that we will win another 5-6 home games and 2-3 away??

[Bill]

This is the right way to build a team from the back, with a solid defence and a strong spine. West Ham have that spine, with Green, Neill, Upson, Parker, Noble, Cole, Ashton (when he returns).

This accompanied by the form of Berhami, Collins, Illunga and Bellamy, and the emergence of the next generation from the the World Cup winning Academy, is significant. Collison, Tomkins, Stanislaus, Spence and many other prospects give great hope for the future.

The future is bright and will only be undermined by another suicidal round of 'selling the family silver' and relegation. West Ham is historically one of the most mismanaged club's in English football, how could they have failed to win a league title with Moore, Hust, Peters, Boyce, Byrne, etc? How could they have failed again after producing Ferdinand, Lampard, Cole, Carrick, Johnson, Defoe, etc?

The financial future of the club needs to be resolved as soon as possible to consolidate the future and finally realise the full potential of the club. The club's fans will not tolerate the waste of this new generation of Academy prospects!

[Doug Rafanelli]

Yes, except that Ilunga has been a standout all season. One of the smartest fullbacks in the league, even. Can West Ham sign him in January, please?

[Dan Yeates]

This truly is one of the best articles I've read in a long time. We completely need to stay positive at times like these, and why shouldn't we. Three clean sheets in a row, 5 points from 9 isn't terrible, and we are playing better, livlier football than we were under AC, all respects to him.

the next two games might be tough, and now doubt the restless boo boys will have something to say about it. but i think Zola/Clarke are on the right track at least.