Well if we are honest, Tottenham could have scored six in that second half. Jussi was truly inspired and kept Spurs out time and time again as Tottenham created chance after chance from corners and we chased shadows as Bale went into overdrive. Allardyce did a great job of motivating Arsenal when he said they couldn't cope without Van Persie and he repeated the trick for this one when claiming Spurs were over reliant on Bale. Wouldn't we just love to have a player like him to be overly reliant on?
Until we went ahead we were in the game, but once Taylor missed his chance when clean through, we dropped far too deep and it was only a matter of time before the valiant Jussi was beaten. To be fair, the equaliser was a scrambled affair, but it came from a free kick ridiculously conceded by the utterly inept Pogatetz. Tottenham's third, however, was sheer class: Bale is now the finished article, truly brilliant.
Allardyce must take his share of the blame for the defeat: The decision to send on Pogatetz was absurd. The guy is shit. End of. He should never wear the shirt again, but what options do we have? What in God's name is wrong with Demel? Why can he only last 70 minutes in a game? If he isn't fit, why did we extend his contract? He's had two weeks off for pity's sake but still he is withdrawn with a quarter of the game to play!
Our second goal was wonderful, great movement and finish from Cole and a delicious ball from O;Brien to set him up. But that apart, and the Taylor miss we weren't really in the contest in the second half.
So we sit six points above the drop, we are shipping goals alarmingly and we are in a nightmare run. Relegation isn't just a threat, it's becoming a probability.
Player ratings: Jussi 9 (could he have saved the second?); Demel 5, Collins 5, Reid 5, O'Brien 7; O'Neil 5, Nolan 5, Diame 6, Jarvis 6 Cole 7, Carroll 6 Subs: Taylor 5, Pogatetz 1, Collison not on long enough to rate.
Webb tried his best to help us win but we let him down
ReplyDeleteAllardyce let down our performance against Spuds by his mad substitutions.
ReplyDeleteTook Demel off and then Diame and brings Pogatetz - one of the worst players I've ever seen, and a non-contributing Collison. Plus they have Bale.
Joe Cole, Jarvis, Jussi [some great saves] Reid, Diame, Carroll were GOOD - even O'Neill was ok. Collins did his usual blocking but doesn't do much with the ball other than that.
But Taylor is definitely not PL, and we didn't really miss Chicken Wings either..
Much as I hate to say it, Spuds are better equipped than us, in terms of investing in players, and definitely AVB showed Allardyce how to substitute players and manage a football team in the 21st century...
Giving a trial to Ricardo Gardner when we have Spence says all you need to know about Allardyce's preferences. His substitions were actually pathetic tonight, completely mystifying too.
Sam's substitutions cost us the game. Pokatetz gave away the free kick from which they equalised, Taylor was pathetic and taking out Diame gave Spurs too much space in the middle and allowed Bale to play his game. Even Collison was too slow and very pathetic in the few minutes he was on.
ReplyDeleteWere was Wellington by the way. The guy scores in every game he plays in the reserves and he is still not good enough to make the bench for Sam!!
Looking at our fixtures in March I think we are in deep trouble. Sam has to change his tactics or we should be considering changing Sam, sooner rather than before it is actually too late.
Funny too funny.hope u stay up as we will need the 6 points next year too.
ReplyDeleteI agree totally. Lennon was not in the game when O'Brien was at left back. I thought I was the only one that noticed Demel being dead on his feet at around 70 minutes, disgrace when Spence should of been given a chance last season.
ReplyDeleteI dont agree with some of your ratings though.
Think Demel should get less because he gave away the ball for the first goal and made no effort to win it back, he just hung a lef out, it was Collins who tried to throw his body at it.
Collins and Reid kept Adebayor very quiet and reacted really quick when they were near Bale so 5 is very harsh.
I though O'Neill, while no Mark Noble did a decent job (and I am not a fan, sooner we rid of him the better)
Diame didn't offer much going forward so would rate him less.
Although take Bale out of this Tottenham side and Fat Sam is right, they are very ordinary. Lets hope they dont get champions league next season and he leaves. If he goes and Everton lose Fellaini then both sides will see major drops in league position
Heading for the drop!
ReplyDeleteLets face it, you're a Championship Side. next season reqiuires a straight swap , Big Gob for Big Sam.
Warnock's not a Premier League Manager and with Leeds going up this year he may feel an urge in his loins for one last challange.
Sav, we are not likely to see Sam change his tactics anytime soon as you well know. He has one plan, and can't even adapt his plan with sensible substitutions.
ReplyDeleteStill, on the brighter side of things, every defeat is another step towards the door for the fat sack of shit. Hopefully next season we might actually get to watch some proper football regardless of what league we are in. Every cloud...
Still giving ratings for a match you did not attend? Tut tut. Such a shame S,Warnock couldn't be tempted to w,ham isn't it? By all accounts that pokatetz is shite. Not many comments on your post either. You must be the pokatetz of football blogs.
ReplyDeleteStill giving ratings for a match you did not attend? Tut tut. Such a shame S,Warnock couldn't be tempted to w,ham isn't it? By all accounts that pokatetz is shite. Not many comments on your post either. You must be the pokatetz of football blogs.
ReplyDeletechampionship club at best MOT
ReplyDeleteMadDog Pog was embarrassing to watch. I feel embarrassed that someone within West Ham thought he was even good enough to play in the Premier league. Shit subs, negative tactics which back fired wow going well ain't it Sam!
ReplyDeleteBale did it again, but he also was absent in many moments of the match. He does have however that trait of the great ones, that decide a match with one sigle action. That is what happened last night.
ReplyDeleteI think we all agree the entry of Potatotetz was one turning point. Allardyce probably wanted to give more aerial presence behind (we lost far too many balls from crosses in the air, didn't we?), because I am not sure Demel was toasted. In any case, Spence should have been on the bench, and O'brien could have stayed on the left, Lennon didn't do much until the subbing happened.
Also, I would have made Collins go in for Nolan. Or even Vaz te, why not ? In a ore central role, perhaps he would have made the opposite defence panic ? Taylor is full of good intentions and works hard, but he is just too short. I knew he was going to miss his shot against Lloris. Just like he did against Cech. The difference was that day Maiga poaching around...
Well, we all agree tht Potatotetz was horrendous. He was outsped, outpaced, ridiculized, you name it. I think that what allardyce tried to do was bring more strength in the air, because we lost far too many crosses in the air, wouldn't you say ? However, that was a bad choice. Lennon did not do much until the defenders swap. I would have left O'brien where he was, and let Demel finish his match. BUT, I would have liked to see Collison for Nolan, or even Va Te for Nolan. In a more axial role, he could perhaps have put more fear into the spurs defence.
ReplyDeleteFinally, perhaps all this wouldn't have happened if Spence had been on the bench. When is he going to be given a chance to show what he really has in him ? In second division ?
So if relegation is probable, which three teams do you predict to go down?
ReplyDeletebecause you are an idiot,you forgot your map.
ReplyDelete