Houllier's men mock Hammers' pretence

A question. Precisely how many times in recent seasons has the quaint, romantic notion that West Ham United are finally poised to blossom been posed? Three, perhaps four, times? In the more hysterical quarters of what was once Fleet Street it has become something of a tradition to declare the coming of a new force; it is called puffing up the unfashionable.

And so it came to pass that the happy-go-lucky 'Ammers, having strung together a couple of half-decent results and defeated a team of perceived betters in an FA Cup tie, were feted as the best thing since everything from sliced bread to jellied eels.

Before you can toss one of those wretched, hackneyed East End cliches into the pot, the word is out that lovable Harry Redknapp has, indeed, transformed base metal into gold and that there will shortly be a seismic shift in the Premiership's balance of power.

Cue anti-climax, for inevitably what follows is not Lord Mayor's show but dustcart and the only sound to be heard is that of the self-styled visionaries yelping in pain as reality plants a firm kick in what the late George Carman memorably referred to as the thinking parts.

Without wishing to burst one of those bubbles so beloved of the West Ham faithful, news of their club's emergence as a team so imbued of class and style that fear and panic will shortly engulf Old Trafford and Highbury has been somewhat exaggerated; it was ever thus.

If fact and fiction can be prised apart, West Ham are revealed as no more than a collection of the highly promising, the ageing, the aged and the foreign.

At the moment, in Paolo Di Canio, they also boast a genuine maverick with the capacity for brilliance but, sadly, he wasn't with us on Saturday. No, the Latin Lip was laid low by a virus, one which has a nasty habit of weakening his slender frame whenever there is the prospect of hard work away from Upton Park.

For all Joe Cole's unselfish, if futile, running West Ham were shredded at Anfield, outmanoeuvred, out-thought and ultimately outclassed.

No real disgrace, of course, for Liverpool are starting to resemble the fearsome, ruthless beast which Gérard Houllier used as a mental template when, two years ago, he began to throw someone else's money at a problem not of his making.

Once again, Liverpool were marvellous, an absolute joy to watch. By playing without wingers and using Vladimir Smicer as a free spirit just behind his forwards, Houllier was able to set Dietmar Hamann, Steven Gerrard and Igor Biscan toe to toe with Cole, Michael Carrick and Frank Lampard in central midfield.

It should have been intriguing, cracking stuff but it was no contest, Liverpool dominating to such an extent that West Ham all but surrendered after their brief, post-interval flurry failed to produce a goal.

"We changed our shape because I wanted to match them in midfield, where they are strong," said Houllier. "I knew that if they could not feed their strikers, it would be good for us."

And good it was for Liverpool. The outcome was rarely in doubt after Smicer's fabulous drive from distance flew beyond Craig Forrest midway through the opening half. Two smartly taken goals by Robbie Fowler, the renaissance man, wrapped it up and returned Harry's boys to just above the drop zone.

"Some of my players looked tired today," conceded Redknapp. "I'd like to have done what Liverpool did, rest a few, but I couldn't because of injuries. I'm not going to make excuses though - they were better than us."

Liverpool (2) 3 - 0 (0) West Ham
Smicer (20)
Fowler (45)
Fowler (57)

Liverpool
Westerveld; Babbel (Wright, S), Henchoz, Hyypia, Vignal; Biscan (Barmby (Ziege)), Gerrard, Hamann; Fowler, Heskey, Smicer.

West Ham United
Forrest; Dailly, Pearce, S, Schemmel (Song), Tihinen, Winterburn; Carrick, Cole (Soma), Lampard; Camara, Kanoute (Todorov).

Referee: S. G. Bennett (Orpington)

Attendance: 44,045

Bookings
Liverpool: None
West Ham United: Kanoute (31)

Sent off
None

Free-kicks

Liverpool: 9
West Ham United: 6


Corners

Liverpool: 0
West Ham United: 0


Goal attempts

Liverpool: 14
West Ham United: 8


On target

Liverpool: 10
West Ham United: 3


Hit woodwork

Liverpool: 0
West Ham United: 0


Offsides

Liverpool: 5
West Ham United: 3

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