Well we arrived at Old Trafford with Diamanti when what we really needed was Androcles. I warned about the consequences of entering the arena with the wounded lion and so it proved. In the end, 3-0 was an injustice to Emperor Rooney and his Praetorian Guard.
We could complain about the way we started the second half, with the Mancs passing the ball around us as if we were bollards before Park hit the woodwork, and how, in the remainder of the second half, it looked as if they were toying with us, less a roaring lion devouring a Christian, more a domestic cat playing with a mouse, but, in truth, there was nothing we could do. Manchester United were, quite simply, a class apart.
It is pointless to look for explanations beyond that. On this showing, if Cole is a World Cup striker, then Rooney is the greatest player the world has ever seen; if Behrami is worth £15m, then Scholes, even at 35 must be worth half a Ronaldo; if Diamanti is a genius, then Valencia is Newton, Einstein, Hawking and Pele all rolled into one; dear God, if Upson is an England player then so is Wes Brown! We even made Gary Neville look like a viable alternative to Glen Johnson for South Africa! Thank God that Giggs was injured!
Poor Spector was undone badly in the second half. Arsenal and Chelsea will be coming at us down that flank now. Upson and Tomkins battled manfully and Tomkins made another brilliant challenge on Rooney in the second half, as did Upson. But where were our centre backs when Rooney headed the second? Behrami looked bemused, having run half the length of the pitch to find himself in splendid isolation in the middle of our penalty box! And it was reassuring to see that we remain a charitable organisation for Michael Owen. Why break the habit of a lifetime eh? Make way for Michael Owen and lay out the red carpet all the way to the edge of our six yard box!
To grade individuals on this showing seems unfair. Spector tried so so hard and made three brilliant challenges but he was murdered in the second 45, with no protection offered by his midfield. How do you rate Cole, Mido or Franco? The ball they received was so slow, so telegraphed, and they were so outnumbered by the time it got to them. That said, they looked laboured when they got it, especially given Wes Brown was one of the markers. Yes you expect Vidic and Evra to present a challenge, but Neville and Brown? Well I suppose they are defensive giants in comparison with Carrick and Fletcher!
The best moment of the game? When Noble was tackled by the corner flag! That, I'm afraid said it all! Goal difference back to where it was before the Hull game; which is why we should have shown more urgency when they were down to eight and a half men!
One last thought: we matched the result achieved by the might of Wolves Reserves! We came, we saw, and we were conquered!
I think you summed it up well.And SULLIVAN thinks that we can be playing CHAMPIONS LEAGUE football in 7 years!! We can forget that with no investment.Tonights match proved the difference in class.Class players cost money,how the hell are we going to bring in quality players with no money? Are we a team going nowhere?
ReplyDeleteWell nobody's expectations are dumbfounded and we can now play a very beatable Bolton at home. For me it didn't feel like a night where we would get much, and i'm wondering now if this is why are goal difference is better then everyone elses, after all look at the remaining away games. What confuses me is that many other teams, perhaps worse than us manage to create a few chances against Man United and Tottenham yet we never manage to create anything worth a mention. Disagree about having more urgency against Hull though, they did get everyone very much behind the ball when down to 9 men.
ReplyDeleteGone are the days when we used to have a really good go at the likes of Man Utd, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea. Hard to believe we are in the same league. One day I think they will slice the premiership in half and become prem 1 and prem 2. Then maybe we might reach mid table in prem 2. LOL
ReplyDeleteSick, you are all sick - are you mad did you not watch the first 35 minutes? birds of a feather stick together - why don't you jump ship and support ManUre? I'm ashamed that there are people like you lot that "support" West Ham, shame on you. They beat AC Milan - what did you mugs expect?
ReplyDeleteFYI Fanno: Cole is still getting his fitness back........ he is going to the world cup and Rooney is being hailed at the best striker of his generation.
We were not up to it today at all and thats what infuriated me. If they are passing all around you at least get stuck in and leave a mark!
ReplyDeleteThis is interesting,"On this showing, if Cole is a World Cup striker, then Rooney is the greatest player the world has ever seen"
ReplyDeleteMight that have something to do with his colour or are you now willing to admit he is a West Ham striker in probably one of the worst sides we've ever fielded and you've got it wrong? Of course you won't not man enough. That is nothing to do with having a go at West Ham it's sadly a fact that we are a side that has almost been beaten to death over the last 4 years but it is commendable we are still in there pitching. Of course you can continue to slag West Ham on this blog, continue the beating from within it's what you do but you are so far up your own arse you have no character when it comes to support and those with the long brown tongues (you know very well who you are) should hang their heads in shame for following THE most dire of so called fans SHAME ON YOU
Loozas30users = Melodramatic knob, should really get out more.
ReplyDeleteHF
ReplyDeleteYour thoughts on what Kelly Sotherton has just said? I used to like her. Silly moose
kevin in manchester writes..
ReplyDeleteyes I went along and was sorely disappointed-again! In the first half hour we more than matched them in terms of possession. Kovac harried away in midfield making united's attempts to get something going difficult but I was really disappointed by the lack of movement up front and watching noble go backwards before my eyes. Vidic had cole in his pocket but cole showed little inclination to move out of it; for a six foot four man his attempts to out jump a smaller United back line were pathetic. Diamanti was poor. I was expecting our left side to bomb forward and pressure Neville and Brown but no dice. having pulled off our pass of the season, Faubert kept trying to recreate it in the wide open OT spaces but without success. United scored two goals.. genius brilliant, goals .. on the counter attack which is illustration enough that we were not dominated .. of course when they were two nil up it was game over. We needed a leader to galvinse us from the off ..unfortunately he was injured ..let's hope scotty is back for Bolton or it'll be squeeky bum time again down in among the relegation candidates.
You must have loved this performances HammersFan?
ReplyDeleteGives you another opportunity to slate all the players, tell us all how bad West Ham are, tell us how bad the result was and what a terrible position it leaves us in etc etc etc.
Get a fucking grip, we were playing the champions who beat us 4-0 at home this season and have handed us far greater defeats before. 3-0 in our position is not a bad result.
It's funny, you continue to tell us how crap we are, yet you are disappointed with a defeat at Old Trafford? If we are so bad, how can you expect us to get a result away to the Champions.
Pretty much agree with your assessment HF. As Kevin touched upon, I think Kovac deserves a special mention as he hardly put a foot wrong against a world class midfield. Spector and Tomkins both impressed but Spector was let down by lack of midfield cover and the pace of Man utd's attacks. Tomkins let himself down with poor positioning for the goals.
ReplyDeleteConcern over Upson as he seems to get worse and worse defensively (kept Owen on-side) and he should have scored too.
fanno.
ReplyDeleteAny chances of doing a blog posting of the variables of games we have to win (lose or draw) to stay up?
As the run of matches coming up isn't looking too encouraging, and we could very soon be down in the dumps again..
btw, I thought the mighty hammers gave a good go in the first 30 mins, but as everyone here is saying the quality then showed through - the current squad next year (if we stay in the prem) is mid table...
FYI 0056, I have been bigging Cole up for a long time now but his performance on the night was disappointing - although I explain why in my report; the supply was awful. When Behrami had the chance to put it on Cole's head, he pulled the cross behind him. I quote, "How do you rate Cole, Mido or Franco? The ball they received was so slow, so telegraphed, and they were so outnumbered by the time it got to them."
ReplyDeleteTo others criricising the report, I put the result down to the brilliance of Rooney and the team around him. I quote, "in truth, there was nothing we could do. Manchester United were, quite simply, a class apart. It is pointless to look for explanations beyond that."
I praise Spector: "Spector tried so so hard and made three brilliant challenges but he was murdered in the second 45, with no protection offered by his midfield."
I praise Tomkins and Upson:"Upson and Tomkins battled manfully and Tomkins made another brilliant challenge on Rooney in the second half, as did Upson."
Sorry the report doesn't describe a brilliant performance, but that's because it wasn't!
I still think Cole should go to the World Cup, he just a bad game. That happens.
I don't lay in to any of our players and decline to rate individuals because to do so would be "unfair".
We were thumped by a far better team. Do you blame the Christians eaten by the lions? No. I really do think that some people reply without reading what I have written. Either that or they have an utter inability to understand nuance. Show me where I call the performance a disgrace please!
And for your information, before the game I mooted to a friend that Neville may yet go the the World Cup. Mind you, making Brown look good is difficult to excuse!
The last 10 posts on West Ham Till I die received 915 replies which is an average 91.5 replies per post
ReplyDeleteThe last 10 posts in this place received only 119 posts (of which most slagged you off) which is an average of 11.9 replies per post
Which makes their blog is 768% more interesting than yours
It you use the same ratio at your current counter visit of 274349 it means over the same period they've received millions and millions more hits than you.
I don't understand your point? What has that got to do with the price of eggs exactly?
ReplyDelete