Half-Term Report: West Ham

Let's get the obvious statistic out of the way. No club has been bottom of the Premiership at Christmas and stayed up. West Ham are bottom, but in Bolton, Sunderland and West Bromwich there are teams as woeful as themselves. Shame for the Hammers is, the rest also appear to have more of a stomach for a fight and that is what matters. Too good to go down? Everyone remembers Nottingham Forest and just because West Ham have the seventh biggest wage bill in the league does not entitle them to remain there. Joe Cole has been made captain, but that has not worked and although Michael Carrick has regained some form they desperately need goals from Frédéric Kanouté and a miracle recovery from Paolo Di Canio. West Ham share with Folkestone Invicta, of the Dr Martens League, the distinction of failing to win at home all season. Both will probably go down.