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Even before Alex Song’s 88th-minute winner condemned West Ham to their sixth defeat in 10 Premier League games, commentators seemed hell-bent on looking for positives from the East London side’s performance.
It didn’t take long for the overused clichés to rear their ugly heads. It was a ‘gutsy’ performance from the West Ham team. Rob Green ‘banished the ghosts’ of Rustenberg. And, of course, the Hammers will stay up if they play like that every week. Well, I’ve got news for Avram Grant. They won’t.

That is not to say their performance was anything but commendable. The centre-back pairing of Manuel da Costa and Danny Gabbidon, playing a league game alongside each other for the first time in the calendar year, did a great job of minimising the threat posed by the Arsenal frontline, while behind them Green reminded fans of his performance at the Emirates in 2007 when West Ham recorded a famous win.

In addition, Mark Noble and Scott Parker put in good shifts and largely matched the Arsenal pairing of Fabregas and Song, while what their team-mates lacked in flair they more than made up for in pure hard work.
However, it is far easier to quantify effort and commitment when most of the running you are doing is towards your own goal, and this is where Grant’s side spent the final third of the game (with few exceptions) after the introduction of Theo Walcott forced them to abandon their Plan A of constant pressing and a high defensive line.

The odd point gained in a surprise draw with one of the top four is not what will keep West Ham in the Premier League: they need not only to match this commitment against the teams around them, but also to add an attacking verve to turn 0-0s into 1-0 wins and 1-1s into 2-1s.

Of course, there is no hiding from the fact that the new-look partnership of Frederic Piquionne and Victor Obinna may take time to reap rewards, but that is all the more reason for Grant to select players with the potential to break forward from midfield and chip in with the occasional goal.

While the absence of Jack Collison and Thomas Hitzlsperger has hit the club hard, Grant still has plenty of talent at his disposal, yet his seemingly-favoured combination (Behrami-Parker-Noble-Boa Morte) is worryingly-narrow. Both Keiron Dyer and Pablo Barrera have impressed when coming off the bench, but not since the defeat at home to Bolton in August has the pair started together.

Grant has stated already that his preferred formation is 4-3-3, generally seeing Boa Morte make way for Carlton Cole (although Mark Noble’s appendix surgery may now force his manager’s hand somewhat). However this formation – when used – has seemed to lessen the impact of Piquionne as he and Obinna have tended to drop deeper and deeper until the 4-3-3 becomes a rigid 4-5-1.

Last week’s defeat at home to Newcastle took a similar shape to the loss at the Emirates Stadium, suggesting that the presentation of one as positive and the other negative comes down to mere semantics.

In both games West Ham started brightly, with their centre-back pairing nullifying the opposition attack and Piquionne creating chances with the help of Parker and Noble breaking from midfield. Then, after the break, the over-exertions of the first half began to tell. Not only did West Ham struggle in the possession stakes, but they did not manage a shot on target in the second half of either game.

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John Toshack has stood down as Wales manager with immediate effect, the Football Association of Wales confirm.
The 61-year-old revealed to a media conference that he was willing to continue as Wales boss for their “must-win” Euro 2012 qualifiers next month.
Toshack was so disappointed with their opening defeat in Montenegro that he told his FAW bosses of his intention to resign after October’s double-header.
But Toshack departs after a six-year reign immediately by “mutual consent.”
The Football Association of Wales are to make an announcement about Toshack’s successor in due course with former Wales defenders Kenny Jackett and Chris Coleman among the bookies favourites.
Former Fulham manager Coleman, a friend of Toshack’s, is out of work after being sacked by Coventry City in May and has declared his interest in the job as has former Wales striker John Hartson, who has never managed but has completed the relevant Uefa Pro Licence qualification.
Jackett is hot property after guiding Millwall to League One promotion and into the Championship play-off places but Welsh youth guru Brian Flynn, who Toshack named in his backroom staff six years ago, would be a popular successor.
As would former Wales captain Ryan Giggs but the superstar winger is still playing in the Premier League with Manchester United.
Toshack, who has presided over a time of transition in Welsh football, appeared before the media alongside Welsh FA president Phil Pritchard and chief executive Jonathan Ford at Thursday’s press call.
So Toshack, who awarded 43 players their first Wales cap, put his faith in youth and fast-tracked talented youngsters such as Gareth Bale, Jack Collison, Joe Ledley, Aaron Ramsey and Wayne Hennessey into the senior side.
Toshack guided Wales to 10 competitive wins in 29 qualifiers – losing 16 – since his first game in March 2005 but failed to claim the scalp of a major footballing nation. (BBC Sport)

Whilst its undeniable that John Toshack doesn’t have a great deal of talent to pick from this surely does not act as a good enough excuse as to just how poorly Wales have performed during his tenure. In the 22 qualifying matches they were involved in for Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup they managed to only beat Cyprus, San Marino, Azerbaijan, Slovakia and Liechtenstein.

Given the recent development of some good young talent one would have thought that Wales could manage to put in some decent performances but started their Euro 2012 campaign with a defeat in Montenegro. It will be interesting to see who the Welsh FA turn to next.

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Arsenal have been linked with a stunning double swoop on cash strapped West Ham United.
Highly rated youngster Jack Collison has caught the eye of Gunners boss Arsene Wenger.

The 20-year-old midfielder has already turned out for Wales and has caught the eye with a number of impressive performances.

Meanwhile his Hammers’ team mate Matthew Upson is also linked with a return to the club where he started his career. The England central defender was sold by Wenger to Birmingham City. (Lancashire Evening Post)

This is interesting news indeed. If Arsene Wenger was to try and bring both Jack Collison and Matthew Upson to the Emirates it would sure cost a pretty penny. £12m rated Collison is one of the brightest young talents in the game at the moment and when Man City expressed an interest in Upson in the summer they were quoted a valuation in the region of £15m for the 30 year old centre back.

Given that William Gallas and Thomas Vermaelen have formed a decent centre back partnership I am not sure there is much of a need for bringing back their former player from Upton Park.

20 year old Welsh international Collison may be of more interest to Wenger and the young midfielder has proven his ability at Premier League level but surely Gianfranco Zola will not want to sell such a promising prospect unless the financial crisis at the east London club has hit levels that require a big name player to have be sold off?

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