West Ham...0 Liverpool...3Too good to go down? Yesterday West Ham appeared perfectly cut out for relegation, yet the board have avoided taking drastic action and West Ham could soon be beyond help. While no-one wants to vilify Glenn Roeder, the results condemn him and the bungling manner in which they conceded goals to Liverpool have no place in professional football, let alone in the Premiership.
Although a victorious Gerard Houllier yearned to be compassionate about his opposite number, he identified the factor that makes Roeder look so culpable.
"He has got the ingredients to keep the team up. No problem," said the Liverpool manager. "Kanoute is back, Defoe will come back in. They have got some talented players."
West Ham are indeed blessed and that makes it all the more unacceptable they should have amassed such an unsightly record. With a dozen fixtures left, 51 goals have already been slotted past them in the Premiership.
West Ham are supposed to be equipped to recover through the menace of their attacking football but at present they are a danger, above all, to themselves.
With defences so thoroughly prepared to counter set pieces, corner-kicks are often no more than glorified throw-ins which serve only to restart play. Against West Ham, they were lethal weapons. All of Liverpool's goals came from the inswinging corners that John Arne Riise struck left-footed from the right.
"We do plenty of work on set pieces at the training ground," said Roeder. "It comes down to individuals. They are given responsibilities and they were not carried out today."
The manager also knew that his side had been cowed by the 2-0 lead Liverpool established inside 10 minutes. "Players get frightened in our situation," he said. "They've got to be bigger than that."
He spoke with the glumness of an honest person who knows that every reproach of his squad is also an indictment of himself. If organisation breaks down persistently and if the West Ham players' temperaments are so frail it is his coaching and motivational skills that are called into question.
After the 6-0 humiliation by Manchester United in the FA Cup, there was speculation last week that he would be dismissed. In practice, it is difficult to think of a credible, available candidate to succeed him but the board could be tempted to make the change in any case if they find yesterday's display as intolerable as did the supporters.
Milan Baros headed in from extremely close range after six minutes with neither Tomas Repka, his ostensible marker, nor David James intruding. Three minutes later, the goalkeeper punched out another corner but no-one in the West Ham ranks closed down the impressive Steven Gerrard as he lashed in a low drive from 20 yards.
In the 67th minute, Sami Hyypia headed Riise's deep delivery back into the middle and Emile Heskey bustled in the goal although James claimed he had the ball securely in both hands before the challenge.
Houllier had nursed Michael Owen by leaving him out of the starting line-up and, despite his regard for Roeder, he must have been shrewd enough to decide that scoring against West Ham takes care of itself.
This was as big a margin of victory as Liverpool have achieved this season and it will deepen the conviction that they can claim a Champions League place, even if other clubs will be more obdurate opponents.
With Les Ferdinand and Paolo Di Canio appearing superannuated, only one real save was required of Jerzy Dudek and Liverpool were 3-0 ahead by then.
It will help that Frederic Kanoute is now fit enough to start Saturday's match at Elland Road but there could be a greater change at West Ham if the board, at the last gasp, feel obliged to review Roeder's position.
WEST HAM: James; Johnson, Repka, Dailly, Winterburn (Brevett 59), Bowyer, Carrick, Cole, Sinclair (Defoe 68), Les Ferdinand (Kanoute 55), Di Canio. Subs Not Used: Van Der Gouw, Schemmel. Booked: Cole.
LIVERPOOL: Dudek; Carragher, Hyypia, Henchoz, Riise, Smicer (Cheyrou 79), Diouf, Murphy (Hamann 82), Gerrard, Heskey, Baros (Owen 72). Subs Not Used: Arphexad, Traore. Goals: Baros 7, Gerrard 9, Heskey 67.
Referee: M Messias (N Yorkshire).
