this is going to sound corny but...

West Ham always played a Prem style of football in the Championship, which doesn't always prosper there but makes it easier to adapt when you go up. Also they are genuinely big club who other teams wanted to beat and raised their game (it's a joke some people pretending we come into that category this year just because we were in the Prem for one season). Clubs who get promoted around a "work hard" and basic longish ball game (like us and Sunderland) find it more difficult. Incidentally Reading also play Prem style football (and have done for a few years now) and might well do OK next year. Management has a lot to do with it. Pardew might be a Grade One w***er but he does know how to get teams to play proper passing football (Reading/Hammers). The likes of McCarthy, Worthy & Megson don't and will never hack it at the top level.

Posted By: mr carra, Feb 14, 09:05:10