I said it was a must win game in the build up. I said that today's result would set the tone for the entire season. I said that anything less than a victory would spell trouble. Well for the first 12 minutes we looked superb; then after scoring, we surrendered the initiative and, from that point forward, never really got back into the game.
What went wrong? Well I'm not sure it is a coincidence that huff and puff Behrami's return coincided with our most disjointed performance in a long time. What does the guy offer exactly? Yes he harries opponents, but more often than not he gives away a free kick anyway. Offensively, he is a complete waste of space. Dyer was missing in inaction again - God knows what is wrong with him this time - and Barerra looked no great shakes after coming on, so perhaps Grant had little choice. I don't know.
What I do know is that, apart from some delicious passes from Noble in the first half, we looked like Zola was back in charge. Is it 4-3-3 or is it Behrami that makes us look disjointed and crap? Either way, Grant must see what Zola failed to see, that we aren't good enough to mess around with fancy formations. We need shape; without it, we are nothing!
The second half was appalling. I don't think we strung three consecutive passes together and Newcastle simply controlled the game. A better team would have stuck four or five past us! The decision to bring on Ilunga for Upson was perverse. We were already struggling against high balls into the box so the situation cried out for Ben Haim. It was no surprise to see a cross coming in from our left flank, with Ilunga absolutely in no man's land, and an absolutely unmarked Caroll rising to head home the winner. But what was Da Costa doing? As Caroll ran towards our goal to head home, Da Costa was running in the opposite direction! Had he seen a pretty girl amongst the Geordie fans at the other end perhaps?
Our goal was brilliant. It was a sublime pass from Noble, a brilliant run and cross from Piquionne and a clumsy but effective finish from Cole. But that apart, what did we offer. Obinna had a good 15 minutes but was awful apart from that. Noble had a fantastic first 45 but looked shattered in the second half. Parker was a spectator second half. Gabbidon was lucky to be given a free kick when he slipped, allowing Ameobi in. Ilunga was dire second half after coming on. Upson gave in to injury very easily again. Piquionne was missed hugely after he departed injured. And Cole looked ordinary.
We are bottom for a reason now. Sullivan did not look happy. Grant will be sweating. I would hold my nerve but I wouldn't be surprised to learn that a brown Volvo is chugging its way down the A12 as we speak. We were shit today, so maybe it is time for Turds!
Player ratings: Green 6; Jacobsen 6, Da Costa 4, Upson 6, Gabbidon 5: Behrami 4, Noble 6, Parker 5: Obinna 5, Cole 5, Piquionne 6 Subs: McCarthy 4, Barerra 4, Ilunga 3
16 comments:
noble 7 cmon he deserves at least a 7 he ran his heart out played some good ball and did nothing wrong
I have a difficult time trying to remember a performance that was worse than this! Honestly! And I know we had a few in the past.
Grant is really responsible for changing the midfield in order to accommodate Cole up front. Obinna was aweful as a playmaker. It is just not his forte. He kept making wrong passes. The same on the other side with Behrami not fit and confident enough to make a difference. As you say, I don't think we managed three passes together in the second half! And if that is all we can do when playing at home with such as Newcastle then I am sorry but we have lost the plot already.
It is a very depressing thought that we couldn't even compete! This hurts even more than losing at home. And this after, we managed to go ahead in the score for a change. We have surrendered the midfield and invited them to come at us. I really don't know what Grant is doing! Probably, he doesn't know either!
Noble deserved 10 in the first half Fred but second half...well, like the rest of the team, he went missing. He was turned terribly twice in the second half and lost possession a number of times carelessly. To give anybody 7 after a second half when we were truly dire, would be generous in the extreme surely?
That's a bit of a stretch. Pretty girl amonmg the Newcastle fans? get a grip on reality, man!
Watched it online and seriously, it was bad. Outmuscled at every turn I simply got annoyed with the repeating spectacle of Can't Control laying on his arse with his fixed look of surprise/desperation. It's no surprise Carlton, you've been crap for months. Sloppy passing, lazy long balls, no urgency from a position where we could have stepped and ruined them (it's not like they turned the screw on us) and some f#*k awful defending made the second half a real stinker. A massive opportunity royally boned.
I am glad you trailer trash have this coming,I seen ur blog on tottenham vrs inter,h f told it like it is but most of couldn't take it for what it was,a fight back vrs the euro champions with ten men, take a long look at yourselfs.On talksport the other day there was a spammer talking about ur cup final win over spurs and he more or less said that even if west spam go down alls not lost because we beat tottenham,fair play u played well that day and hats off but fuck me what's that all about?outplayed bye the fizzy popers Newcastle at home and you have the balls to put down us when we are away to the best side in the world,I hope u go down but won't pray for it cos we have bigger fish to fry,you tossers like to have go at hammersfan but you can see that he wants west ham to think big not small like the ballbag who rang up talk sport.good football you have hear hf but some of the bullroots that post need a good beating starting with irish hammer(cork fuckpot)
No one deserves more than 5. Perhaps just Green because he was not responsible for either of the goals (for a change). Grant should however get 0 or less!
I just read that you're going to be on the tele! Great news, you must be excited. Let us know when and which channel...
Just a thought, but why not give Faubert a go on the right of midfield? He regularly played in good crosses from the right last season, albeit playing out of position at right back.
I said on another site that David and David need to make a decision NOW!
The wrong decision spells the end of their precious stadium, 30million down the shitter, their squad stripped bare and out of business.
That's why this little matter needs to be sorted before the window. I think it would be suicide if they stick with Grant through the window.
Rijkaard, O'Neill, Curbs and Pardew all looking for work and ALL would do a better job then Grant. I don't want Grant to spend what little we have in the window.
I think the only option is Pardew, he would probably take it and would be the best in the window because he can sniff out some gems with little cash.
Rijkaard and O'Neill will probably go for the scousers job and the loser would turn us down anyway. Curbs would be a keep us up manager but not sure he would come back and he is just shit in the transfer market.
Yep my choice is Pardew (just lock up your wives)
I thought that it was a combination of the 4 3 3 & the swiss ponce huffing & puffing. also is it just me or do we need more songs in the stands apart from bubbles, for large parts of the game, newcastle were a lot louder that us.
Oi mug how's your grant / zola index now?
Oy Anonymous, last 24 hours, Top thread on West Ham All Sources News Now board. Failing aint we?
Watching West Ham at 74 years of age is not doing me much good. I was reduced to screaming at the tv "tackle, close them down, don't stand off", but of course they did stand off and put Newcastle in the position where they could send in the high balls and it was only a matter of time before goals were scored.
The Illunga substitution was amazing if there were any doubts about him having lost it, there certainly aren't now. Ben Haim would have given us much needed size and muscle in the middle I for one have lost faith in Grant his peculiar decisions continue to cause concern.However,during the first 15 minutes I thought Grant had got it absolutely right. Why did it all change? was it the team? was it managerial tactics? what was it that caused the fatal change? Some body needs to find out very quickly a) to save the club from relegation and b) to save this old timer from having a stroke.
1102 did you deliberately misunderstand my post? you had an index, a grant vs zola index that was illustrating that grant was better than zola - where is it now?
1440 I'd like to know too - please who's winning grant or zola?
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