Jacobsen: - West Ham may offer style
After Sunday's 2-0 victory away to SønderjyskE in the Superliga, attention turns to a different platform. On Wednesday evening FC Copenhagen face English side West Ham United. Last season former FCK defender Lars Jacobsen played for the Hammers, and so FCK.DK got hold of him to ask for a few words about his old club.
by Joe Short
West Ham was founded in 1895 as ‘Thames Ironworks FC’, and as the name implies was formed at an iron factory. In 1900 the club was renamed West Ham United, a name that has been used ever since. It took some years before West Ham achieved great success and in 1923 they were close to a victory in the FA Cup, but they couldn’t see off Bolton Wanderers. The Hammers have won the FA Cup three times, in 1964, 1975 and 1980, but have never won the English Championship, finishing third in 1985/86, just four points behind champions Liverpool.
In recent years the club has not had the same success as before, however since the 2005/06 season the club was a Premier League team. This status they lost in May with a 3-2 loss to Wigan, condemning them to relegation to the Football League Championship.
The former Copenhagen man Lars Jacobsen was under contract at West Ham last season. FCK.DK asked Jacobsen a few questions about the club, and about what went wrong last season:
What went right and what went wrong during West Ham’s relegation season?
- Insofar as we were relegated, there was not much that went well. We did, however, have a relatively long stretch in both cup competitions, and were only one game away from an FA Cup semi final at Wembley. But in the league it's easy enough to say what happened because we just didn’t get enough points, and so we went down.
How do you think West Ham will do in the coming season? Are they in your eyes favourites for a return to the Premier League?
- They are among the favourites. They have the facilities and squad to move up, but it will be difficult. There are many games and there are many teams that can play good football, so it is no easy task. But I would argue that it is a bit of a disaster if they do not get promoted.
What type of football will those in PARKEN expect to see from the West Ham side on Wednesday?
- It's a good question. West Ham will arrive with a new manager Sam Allardyce. I have previously had him as a coach, and he is not known for impressing the technical spirit of football. West Ham are known for their technical football, but Allardyce is more prone to the direct style. It should also be exciting for West Ham fans, for they have been demanding the sleek side of the game, but no one really knows what the manager has in store.
