West Ham Women - 'Must Try Harder
And so to the long awaited resumption of West Ham Women stuttering season against our ‘bête noire’ and insufferable bogey team Tottenham Women. Let’s just hope that debutant manager Olli Harder will be able to unlock the psychological hold the ‘Lilywhites’ have had over us with his reported tactical nous, or failing that, be blessed with an enormous helping of beginners luck.
Since I’ve been covering/supporting West Ham Women over the last five years we have tasted the sweet smell of success only once, in that historic 1-0 victory under the lights at Upton Park. Lady luck was destined to be on our side that night as the West Ham Ladies ‘fielded’ a record breaking (probably) thirty two mascots. Spurs had none. Since that heady night the best we’ve managed is a 1-1 draw at the start of this campaign.
The author doesn’t want to harp on about too many negative things (positive thinking and all that jazz) but the low ‘derby’ point for me was the 10-0 reverse during the start of the reign of James Marrs. If I remember rightly we were six (or seven) down at half time, and instead of giving a talk of some sort in the dressing room, he stayed on the bench looking completely (what have I done to deserve this?) shellshocked. Nikita Whinnett for the visitors lived up to her big screen assassin namesake and absolutely destroyed us with her eye for goal. Dark days indeed.
Won 1 Draw 2 Lost 9 Goals for 9 Goals against 36
2015-16 Away L Cheshunt 1-2
2015-16 Home L Hornchurch Stadium Cup 1-1 aet spurs win on pens
2015-16 Home W Upton Park 1-0
2016-17 Home L Thurrock Cup 0-10 (yes ten)
2016-17 Home L WHU Foundation Cup 1-3
2016-17 Away L White Hart Lane 0-4
2016-17 Home L Thurrock 0-7
2017-18 teams in different leagues
2018-19 teams in different leagues
2019-20 Home L Rush Green (friendly) 1-2
2019-20 Home L London Stadium 0-2
2019-20 Home D Rush Green Cup 2-2 spurs pt pens
2019-20 Away L The Hive 1-2
2020-21 Away D The Hive 1-1
The lack of continuity maybe a major factor in our inability to conquer our North London nemesis. Bizarrely, the twelve games between the two sides have been played at nine different grounds, and West Ham Women (nee Ladies) have had four different managers, only Marc Nurse claiming a victory. The only constant factor of this fixture has been the the Tottenham coaching dynamic duo of Karen Hills and Juan Amoros who performed miracles climbing to the heady heights of the WSL, whilst mentoring players into top of the pyramid performers, only to be jettisoned by the club after a few ‘iffy’ results.
West Ham Women in turn have mutually parted company with ‘people's favourite’ Matthew Beard recently so Sunday’s game should give us a chance to start with a clean slate as Olli and his counterpart Rehanne Skinner haven’t had any previous in this fixture, or indeed battled wits before in any game (I’m guessing).
So how do we line up. Most published fan accounts would probably go for popularity over form ( Why have you left ‘x’ out? Why have you let ‘y’ go? etc) but I’m sure Olli’s bequeathed backroom staff will have a ‘helping hand’ say in the matter.
ARNOLD seems to have cemented herself as number one keeper. Even when she let nine in she was arguably our POTM.
I’d like to see a four across the back. FISK FLAHERTY pick themselves for me as we haven’t seen enough of CISSOKO to assess her prowess (her skills looked silky against Charlton)
The enormous, incalculable loss of Rachel Daly almost feels like we have lost three players due her apparent omnipresence. I would fill her unfillable boots with what used to be called a ‘utility player’ VETTERLEIN with the welcome return of PACHECO on the other flank.
In midfield SVITKOV is a hunter.A greater hunter. She should be assigned nullify TW main playmaker (whoever that is), leaving CHO and VAN EGMOND to mop up the rest leaving DALI free to feed the front two of LEHMANN and (just behind) THOMAS. Van Egmond to venture up front at every available opportunity allowing Lehmann a more ‘wingy’ position.
ARNOLD
VETTERLEIN FLAHERTY FISK PACHECO
CHO SVITKOVA VAN EGMOND
DALI
LEHMANN
THOMAS
Martha Thomas knows what it's like to score against Spurs
Our opponents have gained a bit of momentum since the change of leadership and will be a tough nut to crack. Whilst I’m ready to boo the very thought of the name Tottenham through blind loyalty to the badge, I have to afford great admiration for a couple of their players Angela Addison and Ash Neville, who I have seen hacking around in the mud in the lower leagues, and have now established themselves as pure thoroughbreds in England’s elite league, even if they they did have to pay second fiddle to the Alex Morgan roadshow, which has now (thankfully for us) rolled out of town.
The game should go ahead this weekend barring any more ‘gates.’ We’ve had ‘Dubai-gate’, ‘Covid-gate’ and the ‘FA one rule for the big three and another for the others-gate’…. soon to be followed by a scandal over attendances ‘Gate-gate.’ Another deciding factor maybe the inclement weather. The pitches that the women players have to endure at this stage of the season usually flit between a waterlogged bog and tundra. Maybe the idea of returning to a spring/summer season is not a bad one after all.
Let’s hope there’s a reason for an Olli Olli Olli - Oi Oi Oi headline and not - The Bigger They Are……..
COYI
