Hammered

I have too many West Ham mates to be cock-a-hoop about the Hammers' relegation yesterday although the light aircraft that flew over Wigan's ground just after their equaliser you have to admit was funny and cruelly timed.

The Hammers have knocked on the relegation trapdoor a few times since they got promotion under Alan Pardew in 2005, but for me this season the writing was on the wall. It is said that new owners Messrs Gold and Sullivan budgeted for relegation. Well they pretty much confirmed those expectations by then appointing Avram Grant. Yesterday at the final whistle the porn brothers showed their class by sacking Grant as he walked down the tunnel after seeing his players throw away a 2-goal lead.

I wouldn't trust Gold and Sullivan in appointing the right manager, but whoever it is is, and the Wally with the Brolly is the early favourite, he will spend most of the summer fighting of agents and attempting to put together a team capable of instant promotion.

There is plenty of evidence that says the more established the relegated Premiership team the harder it is to bounce back. By established I mean big wages, a huge infrastructure and inflated egos. Middlesbrough, Coventry, Southampton Leeds, Forest and Charlton are all sad recent examples, yet Chris Hughton did buck the trend and would I reckon be a good appointment

West Ham have the 8th largest payroll in the Premiership and are £80m in debt with the move to the Olympic Stadium looming. If a quick promotion is not achieved then their marketing department will be working overtime to dream up ideas of how they will fill the Olympic Stadium against Doncaster Rovers of a damp Tuesday night.

Sad days for our friends in East London.