Any idea that the players had rallied around Grant, following the bungled attempt to replace him, was surely exploded today. We were an absolute rabble. The team were clueless as an attacking unit, with Piquionne and Keane on completely different wavelengths and Obinna on a different planet. Parker did his usual trick of running up blind alleys and O'Neil is clearly out of his depth in the Premiership. The guy aint any cop, end of. The only time we looked threatening was when we started to pump in long balls. And you know, if that works, we should bloody well do it. Stuff principles, at least the ball would get into the opposition box from time to time. If you don't get the ball in dangerous areas, how can you ever score?
The brutal truth is that our midfield is crap. Parker is not the midfield general he thinks he is and cannot see a pass over twenty feet away. He plays with his head down and is a join up player, not a midfield destroyer nor a midfield play maker. We were wrong not to sell him in the summer. Bits and pieces midfielders are not worth £10million and that's what Parker is at the end of the day.
I can't see a way out of the mess. We needed three points today and we didn't look like getting them at any stage of the game. Changing managers at this stage of the season rarely works - look at Burnley and Hull last season and Newcastle the season before - but we can't keep going on like this. I still don't blame Grant. He inherited an absolute mess. But he can't change it, that is now obvious.
Who replaces him? Dowie would probably fancy the job!
13 comments:
Even when you have to admit that Grant has to go, finally, yet you go on to add "I still don't blame Grant". How can you admit that everything is wrong and yet not blame the manager?!!!
Kenny Dalglish tranformed Liverpool by organising, selecting and motivating the team. In other words, all the things that Avram Grant can't do!
So what did Hughton do at Fulham?
Agreed that Grant has to go. The fault is not in his organisation though, but his motivation. You were clearly watching the wrong game today as West Ham dominated the Birmingham fixture and deserved to win it. Yes the strikers aren't on the same wave length yet, but we still looked strong in attack. The idea that we looked threatening with long balls is just as ridiculous - we looked desperate pumping crap crosses onto the head of Roger Johnson, whereas before we had looked a patient and organised attacking unit. Grant's fault today was his inability to motivate the troops enough to keep up the momentum and dominance that they showed throughout the first half. We saw it in both Cup ties against Brum as well, we dominate cos we're a well organised team, and then come half time and Grant can't motivate and McCleish can, and West Ham lose the will to play...and start pumping in long balls. Add all that onto the inevitable defensive errors and we're done for.
Grant needs to go cos he can't motivate, but he can organise us in attack. Long ball football will not keep us up.
hf - freak, sick, scum, disgraceful, without morals and above all godless.
2203, Birmingham play long ball and win. Our best chance? Long ball on to da Costa's head. Our second best chance, ball into box, chaos ensued. Dominated Birmingham? When exactly did you think we might score? Only in the last 10 minutes when we were more direct.
22.24 Hello again. Still trapped in the game I see. Yes I am godless, you are right, in the sense that I am an atheist. And your point is? As for sick - I have a bad back at the moment so I guess I am.Freak? Freakishly handsome and intelligent, yes. Disgraceful? Maybe, depending on what you consider immoral. But, boy is it exciting! Scum? Definitely not! I am far too educated to be scum!
One spark of light on our darkness.Didn't Denba Ba move like lightening when he hit the bar from a difficult angle which was the nearest we got to scoring in the whole game.Perhaps he should have come on instead of Cole,but that is down to managerial error.
Did I read correctly that Green and Cole are included in the England squad. Nice to know there is another team in worse disarray than us
Totally agree with your analysis on yesterdays game and glad to see that you finally agree that Grant cannot rescue this season. For me however, it has been obvious for months now.
Regardless of the stage of the season we are in, he needs to go now. A new manager would have an outside chance of keeping us up and if not, would at least have a few extra months to prepare the team for next years championshop slog.
On paper, our squad is certainly not in the bottom 3 of the league. What we are clearly missing is the motivation and drive that lesser teams have. Its amazing what a little motivation can do to a team. You only need to look at our achievements under Pardew to see this and he didnt have a great team to work with.
Ultimately, the mess we are in is down to GS&B because Grant is their man. But Grant alone has to be held accountable for every individual loss.
Like Sav, I've said Grant was the wrong choice and needed to go before the Liverpool game in November. If there is someone willing to take the job that can figure out a way to get us some points, we should do it. There are winnable games left. But after the O'Neill fiasco, who would take the job? If the idea is to hire a Hughton BECAUSE he is familiar with the Championship, I can accept it. Maybe we get lucky with a new manager bounce and stay up. If we don't, we're a bit more prepared for next year.
But like HF said, the strategy rarely works and I worry that a new manager won't do anything because the team is still not good enough for the EPL. And SuGo seemed to be clear that he is staying.
I don't know.
Haha! Would just like to say, Brilliant comeback Hammerfan. Made me laugh!
I agree, I thought we did dominate the play and in the first half dealt with Zigic well. But you cant give him an inch to get above / in fornt of defender. He did, and scored their one good chance. We really need to work on our setplays as that seems to be where we are conceiding most of our goals from recently.
COYI!
Good God man what’s the matter with you! When Curbishley was in charge I exposed his ineptitude with coruscating irony and conducted a personal campaign of such vitriol that the man has had a disabled badge fitted to his Volvo and hasn’t worked since. As soon as the little Italian was exposed as inadequate, I ripped off his head and spat down the hole; “ I don’t care if he’s a nice bloke he’s ruining my beloved West Ham.”
But then along comes Avram and it’s “I still don’t blame Grant, he inherited a mess”. He inherited; Green, Upson, Tomkins, da Costa, Behrami, Parker, Noble, Diamanti and Cole. The core of a good enough side for any half decent manager to keep in the premiership. He was allowed to waste £8 million and some fairly hefty wages on; Boffin, Jacobsen, Reid, Ben Haim, Hitzlsperger, Boa Morte, Barrerra, Piquionne and Obinna. Latterly he’s recruited Bridge, Ba, Keane and O’Neill for a small fortune.
The side that started against Birmingham were his buys plus three England internationals and the club’s icon Noble. It was his team and it was CRAP. He hasn’t produced quality football or results, he has no character, no sense of humour, no passion and NO IDEA WHAT HE’S DOING. So why aren’t you tearing him to pieces? Is he a personal friend? Is it because he’s Jewish? Or have you settled in the establishment blogosphere comfort zone? If so, take off my shackles, open your basement door and give me my keyboard back!
They say don’t get angry, get even. But I don’t want to get even, I want to get ahead; Avram bloody Grant’s head! And while you’re at it stop posting pictures of arses, we’ve got enough of those in the team. Get the tits out ; that’s Sugobra, we don’t want a bloody running track... Bring back Fanno!
LOL Out Fannying Fanny Marty! Very good.
Me? But I'm a "generous soul with a keen sense of right and wrong" (Fannospeak for a boring old fart). How could I come out with such a vile diatribe?
14:29 - Nice one!
Time for HF to apply for his disabled badge perhaps?
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