Surrendering Hammers never truly believed they could do it

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11 April 2012

Relegation battles are won by teams who manage to resist the current dragging them down but West Ham allowed such negativity to consume them that their fate was inevitable.

There was a pessimism from the outset at the DW Stadium yesterday born out of resignation to a future that had not yet been written.

The travelling support were a credit to the club - numbering 5,000 as they did - but their chants of "You're going down with West Ham" at the Wigan following encapsulated the mood.

Scott Parker and Matthew Upson were among the more experienced players to miss out - rumour has it Lars Jacobsen was fit but left out altogether - as Avram Grant selected a youthful side more suited to team planning for next season than battling to keep the present one alive.

Jordan Spence made his first full debut, Zavon Hines only his third Premier League start of the season and Jack Collison his first as Grant opted for youth at a time when experience often tells.

For a period, it appeared Grant had got it right as West Ham raced into a 2-0 lead, however their pre-eminence did not last.

Perhaps Grant felt the club's younger players had an exuberance that would break the negativity that has enveloped them virtually all season.

While owners David Gold and David Sullivan deserve recognition for their role in saving the club from financial implosion and securing the Olympic Stadium as a future home, their mid-season dalliance with Martin O'Neill undermined Grant in a way from which he never recovered.

Sources close to O'Neill claim he was approached and walked away, the club privately maintain the Northern Irishman made the first move and subsequently backtracked.

Whatever the truth, aside from a fleeting rally in late February, the Hammers' slide has been unrelenting. Yesterday's defeat was merely confirmation, the rot had set in long before.

On a weekend when Blackpool and Wolves earned battling victories to enhance their survival hopes, the contrast with West Ham's capitulation was marked and decisive.

As it turned out, Fulham's victory over Birmingham would have given them a lifeline but the Hammers never truly believed an escape was on.

And when exactly was the last time they did believe? West Ham have thrown away 22 points from winning positions this season, the latest surrender condemning them to the Championship.

Among the variety of excuses Grant used to explain away West Ham's plight was the curious claim there were no especially poor sides in the Premier League. He found one in Wigan and yet still could not beat them.

What Wigan lacked in nous and support - there were plenty of empty seats in the stadium despite their top- flight status being on the line - they made up for in spirit, endeavour and belief.

"I don't think this is the time to say what is wrong with the team but when you are leading 2-0 - and not for the first time - I think it is a psychology problem more than any other thing," said Grant.

"We had more chances than them in the last 10 minutes but they scored. Maybe this is the story of the season."

Removing Grant from his job after the game was clearly a placatory measure for the supporters.

The Israeli manager was simply unable to instil enough resolve and self-belief in a group of players whose talent appeared destined for greater things than relegation.

They were unable to defeat a Wigan side with such palpable failings even with the benefit of two goals in the opening 26 minutes gifted courtesy of an embarrassing inability to defend set-pieces.

Thomas Hitzlsperger swung over a cross from the left for Demba Ba to head home and 14 minutes later, the same supply line delivered a free-kick to the far post where James Tomkins headed back across goal for Ba to force the ball over the line.

The visiting faithful could barely believe the situation developing before them - especially with Fulham leading Birmingham. Some of them dared to dream but goalkeeper Robert Green was required to keep Wigan at bay.

Latics boss Roberto Martinez grasped the nettle at half-time with a double substitution while the Hammers appeared unsure whether to check or raise, to borrow poker parlance.

They folded. Memories were stirred of Grant's admission he had not known what to say to his players at half-time in West Ham's Carling Cup semi-final against Birmingham as they looked similarly bereft of direction.

Wigan roused themselves against the dying of the light while West Ham's mental frailty was exposed. Tomkins was adjudged to have fouled Charles N'Zogbia, who dusted himself down to curl the resultant free-kick beautifully into the top corner.

Parker was introduced but could not stem the tide as substitute Connor Sammon levelled.

On came Carlton Cole and then Robbie Keane and the game became desperately stretched. Cole missed the best chance - finding his legs entangled inside the six-yard box with the goal at his mercy - and N'Zogbia delivered the killer blow in stoppage time with a low drive that beat Green too easily.

A light aircraft flew over the stadium pulling a banner which read "Avram Grant - Millwall Legend". His response was: "Whatever people want to say it is okay. I do not have a problem with what they say about me now because football is a game of results.

"My job was to keep the team in the Premier League and I didn't do it."

Grant's departure will not alone eradicate the stench of pessimism deepened by relegation. Gold and Sullivan may have secured the Olympic Stadium but before they get there, the Hammers must now visit the likes of Oakwell and the Keepmoat Stadium.

There is a massive rebuilding task ahead with a huge wage bill to reduce and a squad to overhaul - only then will any positivity return.

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