West Ham 2 Liverpool 3 - Somewhat Predictable, Sadly. What now?

Apologies for the delay in posting. My internet connection has been down, making me feel a bit like a castrated dog!

Back to the game! I forecast either a high scoring draw or a tonking and I suppose I got a bit of both. The first half matched up to my optimistic prediction but in the second half we were never really at the races. It was as if Clarke had pushed Zola aside in the dressing room and said, "OK no more of this attacking nonsense, let's keep what we've got!". We dropped deeper and deeper and the loss of Collins was highlighted as Tomkins and Gabbidon defended inside our box, rather than on the edge. The third goal followed a fantastic block by Gabbidon but he was deep inside our box when he made it, whereas Collins and Upson have been so disciplined in holding the "last line" much higher up. Another brilliant Gabbidon challenge was made on the edge of the six yard box and resulted from him, Ilunga and the midfield falling fast asleep at a throw in. Full marks for Gab's recovery but if we defend like that every week, we are going to be in trouble!

Ilunga had a mare by his standards and looked exhausted when Babel (of all people)skinned him for the third goal. And poor Tomkins was taught a lesson when Torres did him all ends up for the first goal. Does anybody believe he would have passed Collins with such consumate ease? The kid has a great future but we may be damaging him by exposing him to players of Torres quality so early in his career. Look back at my pre match review and sadly I called Tomkins against Torres as a mismatch in the making. And then there is Kovac. His challenge on Gerrard for the second goal was pathetic. I am unconvinced of his worth.

Move to midfield and we see the problem of buying players because Nani fancies them rather than because the team needs them. Both Noble and Hines were out of position and I'm not sure we got the best out of Diamanti because we were expecting him to track back, something he clearly doesn't fancy doing. Liverpool are vulnerable down the flanks but we played narrow, allowing Johnson and Insua to attack with virtual impunity. With Hines and Diamanti unsuited to providing defensive cover and Noble gravitating infield rather than holding to the right flank, we looked vulnerable every time Liverpool swept forward. Come the second half, we were reduced to trying to squeeze out any space in our half, so leaving Cole utterly isolated again. There was only ever going to be one result second half and, if not for my love of West Ham, I would have put my mortage on a Liverpool win ten minutes into the second period.

There was no shame in the defeat (unlike at Wigan) but our frailties were cruelly exposed. Without Upson and Collins, we are lightweight at the back, whilst our midfield lacks balance and shape. Hines and Diamanti look good in flashes but both were guilty of giving the ball away to Liverpool far too often, with Hines inadvertently starting the move that led to the first Liverpool goal with a misplaced pass in midfield. The kid shouldn't be there, he should be up on the shoulder of Cole and breaking beyond, allowing Cole to look forward instead of always back. That, of course, means a 4-4-2 formation which then makes it difficult to accommodate either Diamanti or Jimenez because of their reluctance to defend. If Jimenez and Diamanti play, then Hines can't, but both have to play much closer to Cole than we have seen them thus far. Then Noble and Parker have to anchor midfield with Dyer my prefered option to make up the midfield, if he can get and stay fit. Then where does Behrami fit in? Replace Noble?

Waddle was cruelly accurate in his co-commentary. We don't support Cole quickly enough and, playing like this, we are going to struggle. I warned before the season started of the dangers of a slow start, made more probable by our failure to make signings earlier. Pompey will go down and so will Hull but Burnley, Wolves and Birmingham look as if they might make a fight of it. Zola and Clarke have a lot of work to do quickly if we are not to find ourselves in a relegation struggle akin to three seasons ago. I warned that the writing was on the wall before the season kicked off. Perhaps a few more might start to read it!