How else can you explain the selection of Parker in an advanced midfield role? How else do you account for the inclusion of Sears in a 4-3-3 / 4-5-1 formation? How else do you rationalise how infrequently we got the ball into Cardiff's box? Some are trying to suggest that we played route one yesterday but I saw no change from the way we played last season, or the season before. It was toothless stuff as we tried to gum the opposition to death.
And Allardyce was on the touchline too. Allardyce doesn't do touchlines, he sits up in the gods and talks into a microphone. But Zola did touchlines and Avram did touchlines too and I had the feeling that somebody had mentioned to Sam that West Ham fans like to see the manager in the thick of the action, not sitting aloof. Or perhaps he just wanted to put as much distance between himself and Sullivan as possible!
Well, if this was all a fop to the Academy reputation, it went disastrously wrong. If Allardyce is going to succeed he has to do it his way. Doctor Evil has to be given his head, we don't want a Mini Me version otherwise we could have appointed Sammy Lee.
Blackpool and Southampton showed you can play your way to victory in this division but yesterday suggested to me that this team under Allardyce can't. I want to see passion, I want to see commitment, I want to see conviction. Give me a team of thugs over the team of pussies I saw yesterday. Get the gloves off Doctor Evil and let's play dirty, let's play mean. Let's bully our way to promotion!
16 comments:
just play with more than no strikers. how are we gonna score with no one up front. and get rid of green, for chrissakes.
kevin in manchester
Sorry, it's seductive to believe that the players do not care but I don't believe that is the case.
You say nerves; what have nerves got to do with it? Call it bottle then, it's crucial to outcome in sport. How to get it;keep it or why teams lose it, is one of the great imponderables of sport.
After four years in crisis, the whole club is rocking on its feet it'll take more than a pre season to sort that out. But consider this ; if Sam can't do it for us who do you suppose can?
The crowd played its part in the performance or rather didn't - they were mute and edgey, nervous and twitchy before a ball was kicked and didn't get much better.
It is not fair to say it was a poor performance- it certainly wasn't great but we created for or five times as many chances as they did. Sam was right, it was poor finishing that did for us- he'll have to fix that- and trying to win the game at the death that lost it when they broke on the counter to score the goal.
We hit the bar, had a ball cleared off the line, drew three terrific saves from Marshall who was also quick off his lines to snuff out about another three goal opportunities.
I suspect Sam has found out more about the squad from that defeat than he did in the whole of the pre season and I believe he'll fix it.
There are faults in the team and weaknesses for sure but there is a reason we are in the Championship and we don't have the funds to go out and fix it.
We may need a left back, right back and striker; but who? there don't appear to be many obvious candidates who are willing and able to come to west ham.
There will inevitably be a large element of make do and mend this season - we'll just have to live with it and hope for the best.
Went yesterday.
First twenty minutes we murdered them then somebody (Sam?) decided that bombing down the wings and through the centre was NOT the way to play!
What is the point of having a powerful midfield,which we undoubtedly had,and then bypassing them by hoofing the ball from defence to Piquionne or Cole??
No wonder Parker and Nolan were ineffective in the second half.
The weren't given the ball!!
Also I prefer Noble going forward and Parker holding rather than the other way around which is how they played yesterday.
But maybe that's just me.
John V P
Na, I think he'll go up to the stands HF, it's just because it was the first game.
MY TEAM:
Green
O'Brien, Tomka, Reid, Ilunga
Parker or Collison if Parker wants out.
Barrera, Nolan, Taylor
Carew, Cole
That's a Prem side.
I've added Carew to the tweets. He has tweeted a nice pic a couple of days ago.
Didn't yesterday just show how over rated Parker is? The guy can't see a pass, execute a pass or shoot. Super Scott went clean through on goal yesterday and his touch was so bad that it gave him a chance to do the only thing he can do... make a desperate sliding tackle. That just about somes him up for me.
Now onto the mini me of Parker, Mr.Noble. This fool does not only posess the same deficiencies as Parker but also lacks in the one area of The game where Parker is proficient. He cant even tackle.
These two imo are a big reason why we cant dominate matches. They sit so deep in midfield and just let the opposition come onto us without getting close until they get half way inside our half. If we want to go out there and win that league this can not continue. We need our midfield to push up and strangle the opposition so we can build some sustained pressure because otherwise you have to keep building attacks from you're own half which obviously is less dangerous.
Look at Man Utd. There midfield push so far up and don't give you a second to look up and start playing you're passes. I am not for one second suggesting that we have the players of the quality that Utd have but you don't need quality to press the ball high up you just need to work hard.
I would love if we could sell Parker and get Barton in on a free. He is twice the player Parker is imo and he would work well with Nolan.
I doubt we could find a new home for Noble so he'll probably have to stay.
I dont think Sam is a fool like the last two managers we had so I'm sure has sees this problem. The only question is, what will he do about it?
We buy cheap and sell big! Old Andy Johnson IN hot prospect Barrera out. Result Net Profit! I've seen this movie so many times before at West Ham. Our current owners are no different.
Despite Shane Long indicating that he would like to join West Ham, West Brom seem to be closing this deal for about 6 million pounds. Money is still the top-top priority at Upton Park (or should I say at the Olympic Stadium).
The current owners don't work to make the fans happy. They just use them to make themselves rich!
surprise surprise the arse with x 5 teams in the fantasy league tops the TGGC league - what are we doing about it? nothing! typical.
Right Mr Johnson, if you're reading, I've removed four of your five teams so as to make it fair on everyone else. I did request you do so yourself a few days ago but you hadn't. The one team I did leave was your highest scoring one so that you can have no real complaints. I think that is more than fair.
Keep it up boys!!!
yeah hf sort it out
12:12 is your team up the right way? according to HF there's a correct etiquette in how this is done. Ask fred hf gave him a dressing down about this serious issue only a day or so ago.
Can only but agree with Sav
PS Paolo Di Canio seems to be doing rather better with a newly relegated side than dr evil
ha oh ye watch out lol change ur team the other way round quick maybe he hasnt noticed
22:35 shame you didn't do it before it started - we could have all entered 5 teams at the start and kept the team with the highest score in.
08:23,
I appreciate that but there was a ethical reason I did it this way. I could not have known which of his teams he considered to be the best (hence would have liked to keep) so couldn't delete just any 4. The only thing I could have done (after he did not delete them himself) was to wait a week to see which of his teams seemed the better of the 5 he'd chosen. That way, he has no argument. I appreciate his top team is at the top of the league but there are many weeks to go. I can assure you he won't remain there just because of his first week start.
Can you check if I'm missing a comment HF.
14:31 ethical reasons?! the guys a bloody cheat! he entered 5 teams! that's what's wrong with this country - we give too much bloody consideration to these lowlifes who try it on.
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