West Ham boss Avram Grant reveals lucky scarf has helped mini-revival

The reason behind West Ham's recent revival has been revealed - as Avram Grant's lucky scarf.Hammers boss Grant was offered a claret and blue scarf to beat the cold when his side took on Manchester United in the Carling Cup in November, and the team responded with a famous 4-0 win.Defeats to Sunderland and Manchester City followed, leaving the Hammers bottom of the Barclays Premier League, so kitman Bob Oteng suggested the neckwear should make a reappearance at Fulham on Boxing Day.Cue a 3-1 victory, helped by Carlton Cole's double strike which wasinadvertently set up by Fulham players Dickson Etuhu and Aaron Hughes. Surely there's snow way the scarf is helping: Avram Grant has enjoyed a change of fortuneThe scarf stayed for the meeting with Everton two days later, in which Tony Hibbert's own-goal put the Hammers on the way to a 1-1 draw, and Saturday's 2-0 win over Wolves when Ronald Zubar put through his own net.So Grant will once again be wrapped up against the chilly north-east wind when he takes his rejuvenated side to Newcastle on Wednesday.'Bob gave me the scarf,' he said. 'It started in the game against Manchester United when it was very cold.'I liked it because it is the scarf of the club and since then I wear it a lot and we are winning.'I don't think I will wear it in the summer, unless everyone believes it will do us some good. May the fourth be with you: Carlton Cole completes November's Carling Cup rout of Manchester United'Once in Israel I wore the same clothes and my team won 11 games in a row. But then it was raining, I changed my shirt and we drew, and everyone blamed me!'I'm not a big fan of superstition but I'm not going to go against it either.'Striker Freddie Sears also appears to have benefited from a change in luck, breaking a 73-game goal duck against Wolves.The youngster, who was only recently recalled from a loan spell at Scunthorpe, is set to start again at St James' Park.'I am happy for him and for the team because he is part of the vision of this club,' added Grant.'We want to use the young players but they need to be good and prove themselves.'If he continues like this he can play a role for us until the end of the season.' West Ham target Ba goes on strike to force through move from HoffenheimSidwell completes medical ahead of switch from Aston Villa to West HamWEST HAM UNITED FC

Source: Daily_Mail