VERDICT: Wanderers 3 West Ham United 0
8:00am Monday 11th April 2011 in Sport By Marc Iles
THERE seems no end to Johan Elmander’s ability to reinvent himself this season – but can the club-record signing complete his transition from zero to hero at Wembley?
Gone is the confidence-stricken striker who looked to be an expensive mistake two seasons into his stay at the Reebok. Instead, the 29-year-old looks capable of anything, and popped up against West Ham in central midfield to orchestrate one of Wanderers’ most impressive displays of the season.
Daniel Sturridge fired the bullets, taking his tally to six goals in eight games for the Whites since he arrived on loan from Chelsea in January with two strikes of real class. And the returning Chung-Yong Lee continued his own impressive streak, scoring the second, and stretching a run of eight consecutive victories when he has hit the back of the net.
Everywhere you looked there was something to smile about for Owen Coyle, from Zat Knight’s commanding return from injury to season-best performances for Martin Petrov and Marcos Alonso.
But surely the most pleasing aspect of the sun-soaked afternoon for the Whites boss was that his decision to play Elmander alongside Fabrice Muamba in the middle of the park reaped some handsome rewards.
The Sweden international had already proved a few people wrong by racking up 12 goals, even set against the backdrop of constant speculation over his future beyond this summer.
Elmander may be reluctant to speak about his expiring contract, and draw from that what you will, but his actions on the pitch do not seem to be coming from a man with his mind on warmer climes.
The £8.2million man hasn’t looked entirely comfortable used on the right wing to accommodate Sturridge in the last few weeks but restored to the middle, albeit behind the front two, he looked a completely different player, providing the link for virtually everything the Whites threw forward.
Such was his energy up and down the park, Coyle said after the game that he was forced to tell the Swede to slow down, no doubt as he lapped the ineffective player-of-the-year candidate Scott Parker for the third time.
It had looked a formality that Elmander would be used alongside Davies against Stoke next weekend, with Mark Davies or Tamir Cohen filling the gap vacated by the injured Stuart Holden. But his impact against West Ham has certainly given Coyle some food for thought – and perhaps even a route into the team for Ivan Klasnic.
The fact we are able to speculate excitedly about next week’s line-up is entirely down to the feel-good factor left behind after an eighth straight victory over the hapless Hammers.
Witnessed by the Reebok’s biggest crowd of the season, the result never looked in doubt after the Whites raced into a two-goal lead inside 20 minutes.
But, as usual, there was a moment on which the game could have veered off very differently. It arrived when Wayne Bridge sprung the offside trap and skipped through on Jussi Jaaskelainen with the game just 11 minutes old, only to be halted by a fine challenge by Gretar Steinsson.
Three minutes later, Sturridge had opened the scoring at the opposite end, collecting Elmander’s lay-off and curling a sublime shot into the top corner from the edge of the box.
While the on-loan striker raced to celebrate, West Ham midfielder Mark Noble and keeper Rob Green were being pulled apart by Matthew Upson. To Avram Grant’s chagrin, that was as much fight as the Hammers displayed for the opening 45 minutes.
Sat in the stands because of a two-match touchline ban, the former Chelsea chief was sinking lower in his seat with each passing minute. Kevin Davies should have added a second after out-pacing Bridge on the right and dragging his shot wide when he could have squared for Petrov. There was little time to dwell on it, however, as Chung-Yong started another attack with a great ball for Elmander with the outside of his right boot, and continued his run to finish with a close range header from Petrov’s inch-perfect cross.
West Ham’s defending was nothing short of abysmal and should really have been punished further.
Gary Cahill and Sturridge both wasted good headed opportunities before the break, and Petrov had one shot deflected wide by Upson’s last-ditch tackle.
Grant brought on Carlton Cole and Lars Jacobsen at the interval to try and restore some order but the game was quickly put to bed as Sturridge surged into acres of space from the left and, virtually unchallenged, drove a low shot past Green from the edge of the area.
Eight years ago, a Hammers side including Jermain Defoe, Joe Cole, David James and Glen Johnson were effectively relegated at the Reebok, and they have never enjoyed a single return to the stadium ever since.
But not since Jay Jay Okocha put them to the sword to virtually end Wanderers’ own relegation fears that afternoon has a Hammers side looked this disappointing.
Sturridge should have completed his hat-trick and had three very clear sights of goal. Manuel da Costa’s fine challenge denied him the first time, Green the second, and by the time his searing pace had manufactured the third chance, you felt like giving him the match ball on sheer effort alone.
The on-loan Chelsea striker is cup tied at Wembley and was determined to exert every ounce of energy – but, understandably, those who will be on duty against Stoke curtailed their efforts a little with the points already in the bag.
Jaaskelainen was not for giving up his clean sheet, though, and he made one superb save from Demba Ba on the afternoon he equalled the great Nat Lofthouse’s 503 appearances for Wanderers.
And he deserved his luck a few moments later when the same striker rattled the woodwork with an off-balance shot from 20 yards.
You can guarantee it won’t be such an easy ride next weekend at Wembley but, thankfully, Wanderers have left themselves with plenty in the tank.
After all the fretting over Holden’s absence there will be those who worry that Sturridge will also be unavailable against Stoke. But there are plenty making a well-timed return to form, not least changing man Elmander. Now to do it on the biggest stage of them all.
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