Running out of puff can mean many different things depending on the environment and/or the precise situation and/or location. It could be ravers who have run out of comestibles, or and old steam train struggling to get up an incline furiously being stoked by 'sooty men', or in West Ham United's case a team of players who have literally run themselves into the ground.
This appraisal is by no means meant as a criticism of the players, who have by and large given their all for the cause, they have run themselves ragged, but without the additional recruits who were blatantly needed by the club have been unable to meet the 'excessive' demands placed on such a small squad.
Nowhere what that more apparent than at Tottingham's stadium on Sunday, the 3-1 score line hardly did justice to David Moyes' team, on another day and with a PROPER striker Hammers could have emerged with at least a point, possibly three!
It is the same old story unfortunately, how ANY club could envisage going through an entire season with only ONE striker beggars beleif, if you add into the mix the fact that the only striker is NOT a striker, but a winger who has been 'converted' by the Moyesiah, as well as the fact that the striker cum winger has committed themselves to playing International football for a country that is NOT their country of birth, but IS across the other side of the World and you have the makings of a disastrous end to what had been a very promising season.
The players looked dead on their feet on Sunday, they all put in a shift but perhaps it was unrealistic to hope for a result against the North Londoners, given the exertions of the 120 minutes played in the victory over Sevilla in the Europa League Cup on Thursday evening.
The International 'break' now looms, back in the day it was of little concern to West Ham as so few of the squad were full Internationals, now it is a different story. Hopefully David Moyes has issued 'firm' instructions, particularly to England manager Gareth Southgate with regards to his usage of Declan Rice for the friendlies lined up.
Ravers can always go off and buy their 'puff' from a 'bag man', Hammers have to wait until June to get theirs renewed! - Ed
Comments
Same old story
Same old story for years, I think they just want prem survival, nothing else matters ,
Dec's will be off at the end of the season ,and they will say they tried to keep him , with the song in their head really really massive ,Profits
Ive said it before,and i will
Ive said it before,and i will say it again,cant see where the next goal is coming from without Bowen on the pitch,and yes one striker to survive all season spells disaster.