Garden Gate For Sale

[Nigel]

For all his quiet dignity, Roeder just could not motivate the players, even the few of them left after the relegation firesale. Just look at Scott Minto - an expensive and disastrous purchase who looked terrible at West Ham but was able to play superbly against them in the defeat at Rotherham on Saturday.

"Donkey" Dowie is an eternal joke amongst Hammers fans. Seemingly ever-present at Centre Forward in Harry Redknapp's starting line-ups, his scoring record was just woeful:
1995-1996 Played 33 Scored 8 goals
1996-1997 Played 23 Scored 0 goals
1997-1998 Played 12 Scored 0 goals

For those last two seasons, he never even looked like scoring (excepting the two he scored for Northern Ireland against mighty Albania, and a superlative own goal in a numbing League Cup defeat at Stockport). At a club with a history of heroic failures then, he must surely be the Board's top choice for the job. My choice - more steel, more commitment, more belief - perhaps Stuart Pearce or Julian Dicks, but only if Saint Trevor or Alan Curbishley decline the millions we'd joyously strew in their paths for at least a hope of promotion.