Survivor Sam

[bonzosbest74]

Survivor Sam is wrong to turn his back on glory


Some years back, West Ham United got into the semi-final of what was then the Littlewoods Cup.
They were to play Oldham Athletic over two legs. A friend of mine, and his pals, hired a minivan to make the trip north. Stopping at a motorway service station they were approached by an old gypsy woman with the offer of some lucky heather. Optimistic about West Ham's chances, and in a frivolous mood, they made a donation. The heather sat proudly in the front of the cab as they resumed their journey. Soon, it started snowing. It snowed all night. West Ham lost 6-0. On the way back, the van broke down.

They still laugh about it. Everything but the result. That will always smart. What mugs lose the first leg of a semi-final 6-0? Well, West Ham actually. Twice. Arsenal and Manchester City fans will travel in hope, two goals down to Bayern Munich and Barcelona, but 6-0 is different. Lose 6-0 and you just feel stupid for having cared at all.
The

[WHU]

I think if you are a supporter, you agree 100% with that article. I find it excellent and accurate.

If you are David Gold/Sully/Brady - you agree with Toads take.

There lies the problem as a fan paying through the nose for 90 minutes of gash a lot of the time in 2014. I choose to attend rarely at present for the above reasons. If we had a forward thinking manager that considers 'some' entertainment as part of his job description, I'd get my ST back.

How much do the Board want some of the noisy Old Skool like me at Stratford or do they simply want any (unt with their @rse on a seat as long as the stadium is mostly full? Full doesn't mean atmospheric with some of the boo'ing newbies, trust me.

Cheers for that Bonzo. I had a few e-mail exchanges with MS during the Brown Out era. Despite what many say, MS is proper WHU and doubt he wants SA in the long term (stand to be corrected if not the case as I am not a regular DM reader)

[mikeveep]

He has underlined a very serious blemish on Sam's smug journey to Prem.survival.

Sure he was on a knife edge trying to keep eleven together for the key relegation battles ahead. But the oddity is that he sacrificed the wrong game.

When he omitted practically the whole first team against Forest, I could accept the "Survival is all"philosophy. But he then played a half decent team against Man City,in a second Cup match risking the very players he had protected a few days earlier, in an "unwinnable" game.

Now that half decent team would have had a good chance of winning at Forest compared to the game against unbeaten at home City.

Why did he take that course? Martin Samuels is right..those two performances will be the focal point of our Season, and possibly in our memories of Sam.

Maybe his contract, with it's provision for a reward for Premiership survival should have had a sub clause awarding a bonus for Cup progression.

[palerider]

A great article once again and so true. And although the cups are nowhere near as important as they used to be, they still get the pulses racing. Our upturn in league fortunes, although very welcome, has been based on hard-work, organisation and, let's all be honest about it, a good deal of luck.

I don't go to the games. A lot is because of distance and cost, but I would be more inclined if it was entertainment. I'm old-school I'm afraid, the way the game's played is as important to me as the result and I make no apology for it. And I won't go again until Allardyce is not our manager.

The Chuckle Brothers see it differently of course and as owners that's their perogative. And I suspect, despite their denials that they won't be around at the club much longer than Sam's departure. That's when I'll start checking the rail timetables again.

As for safety, we're not there yet. His arrogance would have me desperate for the smile being wiped off his face at any other club.

[terrya1965]

Cups are always your big memory of being a football supporter.FA Cup Final`s of 75 and 80 are unforgettable.I will remember them days on my death bed.

If we`d have only played a stronger side at Forest,we may have been playing Charlton at home a week Saturday and looking at a FA Cup Semi-Final.

It`s all down to money being PL.I can`t fully blame Sam because that`s where we have to be because of the money.

I`d love to go back to them times before the PL,where all teams had an outside chance of being Champions.Look at Forest in 1978.They were promoted the year before and Champions the next.

I personally think Sky and TV has helped to destroy competition with the likes of United and Chelsea getting large chunks of the tv cash,while other teams can`t compete.And don`t get me started on foreign owners.

[ashikodi]

I think if you are a supporter, you agree 100% with that article. I find it excellent and accurate.

If you are David Gold/Sully/Brady - you agree with Toads take.

There lies the problem as a fan paying through the nose for 90 minutes of gash a lot of the time in 2014. I choose to attend rarely at present for the above reasons. If we had a forward thinking manager that considers 'some' entertainment as part of his job description, I'd get my ST back.

How much do the Board want some of the noisy Old Skool like me at Stratford or do they simply want any (unt with their @rse on a seat as long as the stadium is mostly full? Full doesn't mean atmospheric with some of the boo'ing newbies, trust me.

Cheers for that Bonzo. I had a few e-mail exchanges with MS during the Brown Out era. Despite what many say, MS is proper WHU and doubt he wants SA in the long term (stand to be corrected if not the case as I am not a regular DM reader)

Fairwea

[Whiskyman]

Excellent article, as usual, from Martin Samuel. Fact is though the so called new breed of supporter, or fan if you prefer, does regard PL survival as the be all and end all.

We are moving into the OS for a number of reasons but I'd guess that the ability to attract a greater number of prawn sandwich munchers features high on the list. Those clients, for that is how they are seen, couldn't give a monkeys about turning out to watch a mid week cup tie against some nonentity from the great unwashed lower down the football pyramid.

Look at the rows of empty seats at most grounds when a cup match is on the TV. Blackburn v Man City and Brighton v Hull, two recent games, were both matches which back in the day would have been sell outs. A potential banana skin for a big boy at the hands of a relative minnow. But it looked as if both grounds were barely half full.

If the regular supporters can't be bothered to turn up in their usual numbers, often at discounted prices, what chance has an

[ashikodi]

You sentimental (unts need to move on from the 80's

Just like the fat beardy tragic (unt who wrote the article

[WHU]

[quote="ashikodi"]I think if you are a supporter, you agree 100% with that article. I find it excellent and accurate.

If you are David Gold/Sully/Brady - you agree with Toads take.

There lies the problem as a fan paying through the nose for 90 minutes of gash a lot of the time in 2014. I choose to attend rarely at present for the above reasons. If we had a forward thinking manager that considers 'some' entertainment as part of his job description, I'd get my ST back.

How much do the Board want some of the noisy Old Skool like me at Stratford or do they simply want any (unt with their @rse on a seat as long as the stadium is mostly full? Full doesn't mean atmospheric with some of the boo'ing newbies, trust me.

Cheers for that Bonzo. I had a few e-mail exchanges with MS during the Brown Out era. Despite what many say, MS is proper WHU and doubt he wants SA in the long term (stand to be corrected if not the case as I

[WHU]

You sentimental (unts need to move on from the 80's

Just like the fat beardy tragic (unt who wrote the article

the sports journo of the year yet again you mean?

just because he has more style and panache you jealous (unt