Source: Daily_Mail
LEO'S LONDON: Don't blame Avram Grant for West Ham's plight - it's Thomas Hitzlsperger's fault
When Avram Grant faces former club Chelsea on Saturday he will needlittle encouragement to stress that he was just a penalty shootout awayfrom Champions League success with them.But if anyone wants to know what is keeping him off the right trackat West Ham, the point he makes might not be as predictable. The absence of Thomas Hitzlsperger, apparently, is to blame for the miserable start to the season of Grant's team. So close.John Terry misses the penalty that would have made Avram Grant the best manager in EuropeThe manager sees him as the key man, the player who can knit hiscollection of individuals together and make a new three-man centralmidfield work alongside Scott Parker.The club have been using pictures of Hitzlsperger, Carlton Cole andParker on their website as three of their most recognisable faces - andhe is certainly one of their more encouraging signings.He was well liked at Aston Villa, where he earned the now especiallyapt nickname of Thomas The Hammer for his thunderbolt shot from longrange. More from Leo Spall. LEO'S LONDON: The summer's transfer window winners and losers. 01/09/10 LEO'S LONDON: Why Gallas is not worthy of true villain status25/08/10 Leo's London: Plastic is not fantastic - Spurs should have avoided pitch woe19/08/10 LEO'S LONDON: When Saturday comes. the Premier League will be reduced to dress rehearsals thanks to transfer window chaos11/08/10 Leo's London: More fool Fabio if Capello takes England gamble on kid Wilshere05/08/10 LEO'S LONDON: All-American hero Keane has to leave Tottenham28/07/10 Leo's London: Sol is hardly Arsenal's answer when Gallas could have stayed22/07/10 LEO'S LONDON: Tottenham will take Arsenal's glory away with attack threat14/07/10 VIEW FULL ARCHIVE Hitzlsperger has the talent to pitch in with a few much-needed goals for West Ham too and, by all accounts, was in great form in pre-season.Dragging a whole team out of the doldrums and dissolving the pessimism which is engulfing Upton Park would be no mean feat.But that seems to be the sort of impact Grant and the club thought Hitzlsperger should already have had.One reason he has not is that his signing in the summer on a free transfer from Lazio did not make the biggest of splashes.The timing - just a few days before the start of the World Cup - was unfortunate and after previous club claims about targeting Thierry Henry and David Beckham, it was never going to be a big deal.Another is the thigh injury Hitzlsperger sustained on Germany duty which has prevented him from playing a competitive game for West Ham.Allowances have not been made for his absence in most analyses of their three opening defeats as a result - and it is still not certain that he will feature against Chelsea. The saviour? Big things are expected of Thomas Hitzlsperger once he recovers from injury - Avram Grant has made that clearGrant expected a little more understanding and has mumbled about injuries after games.But proof that Hitzlsperger is the spark to set West Ham alight will be needed before the doubts about West Ham's prospects are dismissed.*****Jack Wilshere's impressive return to England's Under-21 team on Tuesday night was good news for the midfielder, the country and his club, Arsenal.But Fabio Capello should think a little harder about promoting a talented teenager to the senior squad in future if he has no intention of keeping him there.One for the future: And Jack Wilshere deserved better from Fabio CapelloThe England manager may have been savagely criticised for dropping Wilshere to Stuart Pearce's team, but his biggest mistake was raising expectations in the first place.The 18-year-old was never going to be a mainstay for England at this stage. He is still finding his feet at Arsenal, has plenty of growing up to do and has talented, experienced players ahead of him.Whether Wilshere's rapid rise played any part in causing the late-night fracas that led to him being arrested and bailed last week, we may never know.Those close to him claim he acted as a 'peacemaker', but even if putting himself in harm's way was all he did wrong after a nightclub visit, it was still unwise.There is a chance now that this sorry episode could end with Wilshere learning an important lesson or two that will aid his development.But after Capello picked Wilshere for the friendly against Hungary last month for his own ends, as a gimmick in the aftermath of a dismal World Cup showing, he is in no position to take any credit.*****Mark Schwarzer is apparently intent on leaving Fulham for free next summer after failing to get his move to Arsenal in the last transfer window.Good luck to him. He can sign a pre-contract agreement with a foreign club from January and even Fulham chairman Mohamed Fayed will probably not blame him. Ready to quit Fulham: Mark SchwarzerBut any hint of bitterness at manager Mark Hughes and Fulham for keeping their first choice goalkeeper - because they could not find a suitable replacement - is unjustified.Schwarzer is 37 years old and having signed for the Craven Cottage club on a free in the first place, it is just a rare example of a player's power not matching up to the club's.