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Part of the function of an 'elite' football manager is to be able to detach oneself from the previous incumbent and all their associated errors, this involves developing 'blinkers' with regards to the purchase price paid for players by the outgoing manager.

The last Hundred Yards is always the hardest to complete in any distance running, race leaders can be caught agonisingly close to the finish line as the rest of the pack sail past them, and it is much the same in elite football. Irrespective of where West Ham United finish in this season's Barclays Premier League, fans can be rightly proud of how their team has 'duked it out' with the big boys, despite having the least well equipped squad to deal with the challenge.

David Moyes's reluctance in using Conor Coventry alongside Tomas Soucek has perplexed many Hammers fans, but credit where due, captain Mark Noble has stepped up to the plate and put in a couple of stellar performances. Unfortunately he has joined what has become a burgeoning list of injured players for the medical team to deal with.