The Prophet

As much as Appiah would push Butt closer to the exit door he is exactly what we don't need. This might sound strange but bare with me. Over the years we've had far too many quality players come through the door who I've thought would make a real difference. Appaih has the potential to be one of those players, but there is a niggling doubt in the back of my mind due to two key reasons: The last thing we need is another injury prone player who would demand high wages. We've only just shipped out the likes of Dyer, Parker and more recently Emre who were all talented in their own right. You can have all the ability in the world but if your body continues to constantly break down then your nothing more than a burden on the wage bill. Is it just me who cringes when they hear the term "box-to-box midfielder"? Well that's the term of phrase often used to describe Appiah, but there are very few players who play the all action midfield role well. It requires stamina and a whole lot of footballing brain to be able to go about your game without disturbing the balance of the side. Does Appiah have that? Well I don't know, that's why I'd avoid the gamble.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/01_wk4/gboycottDM230107_228x323.jpg The only Boycott your likely to see on TV in the near future.

No, not in the English game. The English are too wrapped up their ways and traditions. The manager is iconic, he picks the team, he brings in the quality and bins those who aren't good enough. It's a direction worth considering, but one that will never truly work in this country.

The fact is Wise has as much influence in first team affairs as Jimenez and Vetere one way or another. However people, particular our friends in the media love to single out wise simply because of their agenda against him. Now I don't Wise as much as the next person, but I still feel he's gone about the job he was given in a very professional and effective manor as have his counter-parts, but he has been persistently picked out by fans and the media as the man responsible for meddling in first team affairs. This begs the question why the likes of Roy Keane constantly have their hoop licked clean by exactly the same personnel. The man went out and ended a fellow professional's career, that's GBH on the street. Yet Wise is constantly singled out for his violent past. People need to get past this and realise Wise is not the problem to Keegan, the system is. I find this a real shame, especially after the psoitive start the club has made with this system in place.

Victim of the modern game I'm afraid gentleman. I don't have a shred of sympathy for West Ham. It doesn't help that I already had a general dislike of their fans, but to boo and jeer him after everything he's done for that club is a disgrace. Let's not forget this is the man who had the bottle to take the helm when they were neck high in the shit, saved them from relegation and then consolidated the following season with a solid mid-table finish. This behaviour is more than likely to have an effect on the board's confidence in Curbishley. Now that doesn't mean the board are bulletproof either. They should have had more sense than to let the knee-jerk reaction of the fans influence their treatment of the manager. In fact the influence of the fans may not have been more great, but the fact is their are now far too many men sat in board room's up and down the country who have far too much influence in first team affairs and are swayed far too easily by their respective fan bases. Get used to it I'm afraid, the new hands-on looking board rooms are here to stay whether we like it or not.