Saturday lunchtime, high noon at Carrow Road, some of the Barclays Premier League's last chance saloon shootists assemble for their relegation OK coral! Cue the late and great Ennio Morricone's final confrontation soundtrack of the music box and the seconds ticking down, make no mistake that despite there being no crowd to create the atmosphere players are used to, the forthcoming game has massive significance for both clubs.
There has always been an affinity between Norwich and West Ham, with players and staff being regularly traded between the Canaries and the Irons, more so in the past than now. Norwich's squad are a lean clean fighting machine with regards to fiscal survival, the very fact that they invested very few funds, comparatively speaking for a 'top flight' team, after being promoted was a clear indication of their game plan.
Get promoted, take the money, and use it for the future, if they could survive so much the better. As it stands Norwich are in a precarious position that means defeat on Saturday will see them relegated, but such are the vagaries of this season that a victory would give them hope of survival, possibly to the season's end, but whatever happens they are in fine fettle financially for the next season. On the other hand, relegation to the Championship would have catastrophic consequences for West Ham United's imbalanced and highly paid squad, holding on to key players would be an issue as well as trying to offload players on disproportionate salaries that no one would be prepared to pay match.
Results have so far been relatively kind to David Moyes' team, with the other 'basement dwellers' all recording less than good average returns since project re-start, but the good luck cannot be guaranteed or relied upon, it is still well within the destiny of West Ham United to survive, but it is a far cry from the 'other level' fans were promised and dreamed of. If survival is achieved it will depend on getting a result against Norwich and fellow strugglers Aston Villa, if it goes down to the wire as some feel it is destined to do, West Ham may well need victory over the villains to ensure their top flight existence, likewise Villa could be in a position where victory might guarantee their safety.
If you are not a fan of any of the clubs down the bottom of the League entertainment IS guaranteed, however if you are one of 'the afflicted' you are in for a 'button up buttercups bouncy ride' in the extreme! What seemed like a lot of games is now becoming a few, and as such any intention of managers to be cautious with their player's fitness could have massive repercussions, and at this stage in this strangest of seasons you might as well risk all the assets available, because no matter what happens, at least every effort and possibly physical expense will have been expended in the pursuit of survival.
Haller has a niggle, so f*****g what? It's not half as much as the niggle you get from your gloating opposition team supporters as they see your once proud club slip in to potential oblivion! Man up, take a lot of Ibruprofen, or even get an 'Alvin Martin' courtesone shot, like he had before virtually every match in his latter career. It really doesn't matter, there's only a short amount of time between the players and sunny beaches, surely they can all give it one last push, or is that asking too much for the first team 'athletes' at the club, all of whom are receiving in at least excess of £50,000 per week? - Ed
