West Ham, Darren Bent or snow can brighten our lives

Image: addict_tedKevin

Always look on the bright side of life – even when hubcap thieves in Liverpool are casing the joint, intent on stealing our star striker, and our next opponents suddenly start winning. Monsieur Salut, off to Zurich to report (but not for the British media) on the Fifa decision on 2018/2022 World Cup venues, tries to keep smiling …

The Reserves’ great win at Chelsea aside – and we’re still waiting to hear from the much-praised Louis Laing with a photo we can post – it has not been a week for good news.

* back to bad old awaydays with a shocker of a final 10 minutes at Molineux

* reports that Liverpool may try to haul Darren Bent through the midseason transfer window

* everyone’s fall guys West Ham embarking on a seven-goal revival just before they come to us

We have a Plan A.

First Darren Bent saves Roy Hodgson’s new American boss £60m – surely not the £22m quoted in mischief-making reports suggesting an imminent bid – by committing himself to Sunderland until he’s at least 33½. He’s 26 just now.

Then West Ham remember they’re supposed to be completely useless and restrict their comeback to two out of three games. Bent, naturally, scores one of the goals that beat them.

There’s every reason to hope.

After all, why would Darren want to go to a struggling Merseyside club? Why shouldn’t he score again?

And it was our star Who are You? previewer – come back later in the week to see which Hammers fan we have got to answer our questions – who offered me this reassurance today: “You don’t need to be misled by any highlights you may have seen from Saturday. We were awful for most of the game.”

To be fair, those words were written before West Ham stuffed Manchester United 4-0 in the Carling Cup.

So there needs to be a Plan B, at least for the part of the equation that supposes three home points at the Stadium of Light on Sunday afternoon.

Any chance of a bit more snow?