Saturday 6 November 2010

Birmingham 2 West Ham 2 - Absurd, ridiculous, disgraceful, moronic, ludicrous, inept!

We did it against Newcastle so you would have thought they might have learnt. But no. Score, take control, even in this game nick another, then drop deep, hand the initiative to the opposition, and invite them to come back into the game. It was so predictable once we sat back; and once the first Birmingham goal went in, there was only going to be one winner, even though we were still a goal ahead.

Deeper and deeper we dropped, more and more desperate became the challenges and, surprise, surprise, Parker mistimed a tackle yet again, diving in from sideways and behind and setting up Larsson in the perfect position for one of his trademark free kicks. There was only going to be one outcome wasn't there?

Why? Why did we drop deep? Why? Why did Green play as if his feet were anchored to his goal line? Why? Why did Parker dive in unnecessarily yet again? What does he think he achieves, inviting referees to give free kicks around the edge of our box? Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Crass! Crass! Crass!

Where was the leadership? Why wasn't Upson moving the defence higher? Why wasn't Parker yelling at the midfield to defend higher up the pitch? Why didn't Grant do anything? We had to wait for Birmingham to not only draw level but almost take the lead before the change was made, with Dyer coming on for Boa. At 2-0, with Birmingham changing shape, an adjustment to 4-4-2, with Dyer on for Cole or Piquionne would have secured the points. But no. Grant sat on his hands, and the players just gave up for ten minutes, ten minutes that sacrificed two crucial points, ten minutes that drove another nail into our relegation coffin. It was brainless, utterly and completely brainless. And gutless too.

Before the game, I would have taken a draw, but 2-0 up half way through the second half against a very, very ordinary Birmingham team, who but West Ham could come away with anything less than 3 points?

And until that suicidal ten minutes, we had looked so good. We controlled the game. The goals were well worked. Boa's pass was a gem and Piquionne's finish was sublime. The Cole pass for Behrami after his exchange with Parker was every bit as good and Behrami, of all people, finished with aplomb. Obinna so nearly scored a third, Foster turning his shot onto the bar. The game was ours, it was won, it should have been a case of how many we would score as we loaded up the midfield but kept Cole and Obinna, or Piquionne and Obinna, up top ready to spring beyond a stretched and very ordinary Birmingham defence.  But instead we handed the game back to Birmingham on a plate!

Who do we blame for the goals themselves? Ilunga played Jerome on for the first, but Green was rooted to his line as the cross came in for Zigic and was slow to respond as the ball was knocked down. Birmingham nearly scored from an earlier Larrson free kick, with Green (and the post?) knocking the ball back into play rather than round the post. The priority was to not concede any free kicks around the box, especially out on the right hand corner of our box. So what did Parker do? And the guy acted as if the decision was wrong, just as he did when he committed two carbon copy fouls earlier. Stay on your feet! Shepherd the guy into an area where he poses no threat. Don't dive in, especially from the back and side because there can only be one outcome, even if you make contact with the ball. Stupid! Crass! Brainless! And at that point, the fans were singing Super Scotty Parker! How about changing it to Stupid Scotty Parker guys?

And what happened after Birmingham scored the equaliser? We looked the better team again! Explain that if you can, explain why we allow the opposition total control for such a narrow window of the game but otherwise boss it?

I am so angry at the crass stupidity of it all. To be honest, a 3-0 defeat would feel less like a kick in the cobblers than this because you can't help being crap, but you shouldn't ever surrender a 2-0 second half lead. Remember Hull away last season? Remember our second half against Bolton this season? Remember that second half against Burnley at Upton Park? Remember Sunderland away, 2-0 up against 10 men? Remember our second half surrender against 10 man Fulham at Upton Park? (I know we rescued a point!) The Newcastle game is too fresh a wound to hope to forget! This isn't a one off, this happens time and time and time and time again. Sack the lot of them, they are spineless, brainless, moronic fools.

There. I've got that off my chest. Another ruined weekend!

Player Ratings:

Green 5; Jacobsen 5, Gabbidon 6, Upson 6, Ilunga 4; Behrami 6, Parker 5 (because he gave away those free kicks!) Boa 7; Obinna 6 (blows so hot and cold!), Piquionne 7, Cole 7 Sub Dyer 6, Kovac not on long enough to rate!

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

"It was so predictable" but you didn't predict it before the game or indeed at half time, mug!

Hammersfan said...

No, I didn't predict us to be ahead, mug!

Anonymous said...

Of you didn't beacuse you couldn't even predict a mince pie at Christmas - you actually predicted that Grant would do a much better job, you also predicted that Parker was going to the totts.

If was so predictable why didn't you predict it?

Anonymous said...

Well said HF, another disaster. What a disgrace throwing away a 2 nil lead. Every bloody weekend the outcome is the same. Grant has to go before its to late.

Anonymous said...

Hammersfan
I totally agree with your post, I normally do. Why do you get so many mugs on here that give abuse.
How long can this go for? Sullivan said he will shuffle the pack if we don't get 7 points from the next 4 games! Oh well that was a hard earned point today. Don't wait till November, shuffle now before it really is too late

Anonymous said...

18:05 hf we can always tell when it's one of yours... posting to yourself just looks sad.

Hammersfan said...

Wrong again 1843!

T.I.S said...

It's in West Hams genes. If conceeding a late one against Arsenal was a kick in the teeth what on earth was this? I should've known better to take the win for Granted at 2-0 and it only took a 2-1 for me to learn my lesson, because as you say, it was ALWAYS coming. Not only do we have no faith anymore, it means any team aslong as their not trailing by 4, which they wont be, can come back into the game. Pathetic. Can't for the life of me see us beating West Brom, and whoopty doo is we miraculously do, we will still be bottom. ARRRGGGHHH!

Gay Jamie said...

Curbs is available and I say bring him back why oh why did we ever force him out???

Probably the same people who abuse HF on here. Okay the board forced curbs out but most fans wanted rid and now look where we are!

Imagine where'd we be if we had patience and let curbs build like he did at charlton. Now we're bottom, going down and have a manager like grant ffs. He can't even visit the right brothels ;)

It's just sad that most are support are so thick that they wanted curbs out and these same morons abuse HF for telling it how it is.

Oh well of to soho with my fellow whu friends ;)

Hammersfan said...

Irony Jamie?

TBI said...

You know the really sad thing is West Brom and Blackpool will be looking at there games against us as a possible 3pts away win.

Yep sad but true, teams will look at the fixture list to see who they can get home and away points off and we are up there in the top 3 this season.

Hammersfan said...

Up there in the top three mate? If only! If only! If only!

unemployed_grad said...

The ref was a joke, lucky Brum girls know how to cheer us Hammers up! As written about here: http://dailyhooligan.blogspot.com/2010/11/birmingham-vs-west-ham-robbed-by-ref.html

Anonymous said...

All I wished for my birthday (today nov 6) is for stech to start but instead I woke up (Los Angeles) to a 2-0 lead blown. How many losses does it take to replace a green?

TBI said...

Or was that bottom three? hahaha

John said...

Looking at the positives the front three looked better than usual, and we should have had a penalty, we did hit the woodwork twice.
Looking at the negatives the normal nervous dropping back after they had scored, fragile defence, with Green yet again at fault. First goal he hesitated and stood on the line rather than following his initial instinct to dive out and smother the ball. Second goal why didn't he push it round for a corner? its almost beyond belief that timid pat out into the penalty area. The situation is made more aggravating because the problems can be put right, its all down to fine tuning.Why the F--- doesn't someone get it sorted.

Sav said...

It never seizes to amaze me how sloppy play from Gabbidon slips by the attention of critics and commenters on this blog. He was totally at fault for the first goal. He completely went to sleep losing the guy he was marking. And of course that let Birmingham back in the game. Of course, Green made a mess of a simple save leading to the second and the rest is history. How can you give Gabbidon 6 points when in my book he is most at fault for West Ham droping two points, is totally beyond me!

Hammersfan said...

You may have forgotten Sav, but Gabbidon prevented a third goal with his clearance (with the help of the bar) off the line. I'm not sure about the first goal. I think Green was at fault. He took a step forward and then hesitated and stayed on his line. Ilunga was also at fault because he played the scorer onside. Gabbidon may also be to blame but had Ilunga held the line and had Green came and smothered, there would have been no goal to blame Gabbidon for!

Anonymous said...

Sav, where were you in the last few games when gabs was amongst our best players?

Fault lies with upson he didnt even jump for the knock-down. Go and see

hf is right about greens hesitation. he did it in the arsenal game for their goal. everyone missed it because he did some good saves but go see arsenals goal an you will see green chicken out in going for the cross