PSF: Southampton 2 West Ham Utd 2 (01/08/08)

[kennyskills]

How did Stech look?

[w4hammer]

right..i've had night to sleep on my moans of last night.

first up- I couldnt really give a f*** about the result, and never do in pre-season games.

All im looking for is signs of improvement in what we do at a basic level, understand what the players are attempting to do, formations etc

Of course the real test is how we look after ten -fifteen games, or more accurately where we end up in may.

We dont have a functioning midfield currently, I dont think anyone can argue that- whatever the combination-its the same as last year, there's yawning gaps, zero creativity and options, and we only survive due to parkers agility and abibility to lunge in.

With nothing in midfield, the lump out of defence is our stock ball.. was last year, will be this year. get used to it

Curbs mantra about pace is fine, but running fast in straight lines without a ball doesnt a good side make!

Im not throwing the towel in on faubert, just passing comment than in all the games ive seen him ( starting at man city in the cup) ive seen alot of ankle whirring like billy-whizz, and Im sorry to report, f*** all else - sure he gets up and down - but to do what?

So faubert with and end product= a good west ham prospect- until then I'll reserve judgement that i think his agent has played a stormer!

Basic poor techninique still proliferates - wingers in my son's u13 team dont overhit passes as frequently as Kyle Reis does- and this has gone on every game ive seen him play- so lets accept its a basic technique failing- no amount of games seems to change that.

football, and this site, is all about opinions. Im not one to slag our lot off at every opportunity- Im honestly saying that I'm feeling increasingly pessimistic about where this side is going and what our prospects are..

[Gertcha]

Old Bill called in numbers and stopped the trouble WHU fans have been nicked

I was there at half-time (not involved) but saw everything as I came out of the pisser. Two blokes had a bit of a scuffle and OB got holf of both of them, then the chant of Irons came up and everyone with a pint in thier hand threw it at the OB, OB ran out of the stadium, west ham followed, everything seemed to have calmed down then all of a sudden OB came charging into the concourse with battons and dogs ect... nothing happened really bit of an over reaction from both the OB and the fans.

[Side of Ham]

You are my West Ham,
My only West Ham,
You make me happy,
When skies are grey,
D'ya know what makes me,
So much unhappy,
Is these dosey c•nts,
Who slag off West Ham.

F*ck off to Tottenham,
Where you are welcome,
Then you can moan all,
You f*cking like,
Then we can go back,
To how we used to,
Support-them-throooooough,
The good times and bad.... la la la la laaaa la la la la laaaaaa lalalalaaaaaaaaa!

[Scaloni Is The Messiah]

So the result doesn't really matter? I agree to some extent and I can't get myself worked up a lot about a friendly result though a negative result can't be good for ther players' morale, can it?

If you lose a kickabout with your mates, does it affect your morale. Pre-season friendlies are essentially a step up from that. Professional sportsmen are unlikely to care all that much if they draw a game 2-2 if they feel they've had a good workout (and playing in a close game is a better workout than smashing some no-hopers) and I'm sure Curbs didn't lay into them at the end, because the result's not important. The only game where the result has anything resembling significance is the final home friendly, because it's usually where the manager picks something close to his starting xi for the following week and everyone's pretty close to full fitness. And even then, if we lost 5-0 it wouldn't really tell us a lot.

Well if we can't have a result can we at least have some entertainment? Turn it on a bit. Try some tricks and do something a bit flash instead of being so cagey. As it was it was only the young lads led by Noble who turned it on a bit last night.

I think this is a big part of the problem. Pre-season friendlies aren't there to entertain. I've never been entertained by one. They're usually incredibly tedious to watch. Goes with the territory because of what they're for. All I'd say is if you want to be entertained, don't pay money to see a pre-season friendly. It's only really worth it if you're interested in seeing how the players' fitness is coming along.

[Up the Junction]

Mugs

some of you twats on here

F*ck off to T*ttenham

This is exactly the sort of cobblers we're trying to stamp out ... please gentlemen, either contribute positively or not at all. You've all been around long enough to know the score.

football, and this site, is all about opinions.?

There it is.

[Wheels]

I have just read the last page of comments on last night, but here goes with my thoughts.
Faubert had some good touches but looked a bit perplexed as to where Behrami was meant to be playing, who on last nights performance leaves us needing a right back for the coming season. Unless McCartney is back we also need a Left back because Neill was playing centre-back. Davenport I thought looked good untl he made the mistake for the first goal and then his confidence was shot until he scored our first (Although their announcer said it was Faubert's goa) Parker looked good along with Noble when he came on. Mullins was busy in the middle. Some of the youngsters looked as thought they need another season before coming into the first team except for Hines who has the look of a Defoe about him (and I don't mean his colour). I was speaking to a well know West Ham person, won't name him but he has been around the club since the early 80's on our way out and he said it look's like a long season ahead of us.

[Side of Ham]

This is exactly the sort of cobblers we're trying to stamp out ... please gentlemen, either contribute positively or not at all. You've all been around long enough to know the score.
There it is.

UTJ i do all my positive contributions directly with the club ie: Season Ticket holder and providing the club with my skills on a business level, any negative contribution comes from a lot of posters on your forum. My silly song was a positive post as it was stating positively that those who continually to set their standards too high have out grown what West ham is about and should move up onto watching Spurs as obviously West Ham is no longer to their standard. The way i worded it was done in a traditionally (please correct me if i'm wrong) East London dialect. If this breaks the rules then obviously i must be on forum full of 'Pimm's a cocks' as i didn't know our dialect was now against the rules.

Yours now looking forward to being banned for being a........ positively contributing, local supporter who uses traditional phrases.

SOH

[davids cross]

Regarding pre season........From someone who is in the 40+ group of fans. I long ago came to realise they are of no significance whatsoever. Our worst pre season ever ended with our best ever top flight finish 3rd in 85-86. I don't think we won a game in that pre season (maybe one) going down heavily to poor opposition in some. To me it's all about a physical and mental build up to the opening game of the season and peaking to that end. Bit like a 100m athlete running a 200m race to get some strength work in for a major championship.......it's all a preperation to an ultimate goal nothing more.

[Harveys_HammersLH]

Was I the only bloke who thought Faubert did alright? Took a while to get in the game but when he did I thought he did alright.

[Kialos]

If someone is at a game and comes back and posts their opinions on what they saw, they are perfectly entitled to do so. If every viewpoint is going to have to be qualified all the time by saying Neill was poor, but of course it's a pre season friendly and I know that it's really about fitness and not about winning blah blah than things really are going to start getting boring.

People who were at the game are obviously aware it was a pre season friendly, it was printed on the ticket for a start. Why can't people accept that just because someone hasn't stated the bleeding obvious it does not mean that they are not aware of the bleeding obvious.

[Scaloni Is The Messiah]

I don't think anyone has an issue with people saying x was poor or y didn't have a good game, it's just the 'we're going to be **** this season' or 'x is the worst player of all time' that's a little bit silly.

[bubbles1966]

I've always thought that pre-season friendlies were about:

1) Building match fitness whilst avoiding injuries
2) Building team organisation in a semi-competitive environment
3) Integrating new players into the squad

Sounds as though there is little agreement about any of the players performances....but a common theme in most of our games both last season, and this pre-season.... we need to someone to stand in the middle of the pitch alongside Parker knitting it altogether/making the play.... a Carrick or a Lampard......

Must admit.....the necessary signings and return to fitness of some of our players is all getting a bit lastminute.com for me.....

[Kialos]

I don't think anyone has an issue with people saying x was poor or y didn't have a good game, it's just the 'we're going to be sh*t this season' or 'x is the worst player of all time' that's a little bit silly.

People tend to overreact and let off steam immediately after a game so I think it's inevitable. It's better people sound off negatively on here than sound off in the ground isn't it.

[Wheels]

Was I the only bloke who thought Faubert did alright? Took a while to get in the game but when he did I thought he did alright.

I thought he looked quite good except he kept wondering what that twat at right back was doing !

[w4hammer]

I thought he looked quite good except he kept wondering what that twat at right back was doing !

like i said before, its all about opinions

[Dyl]

I had to sit with the saints (my mate at work got the tickets), looking enviously over at our cracking support. Funnily enough ended up sitting in between two of our lot

Overall, was impressed most with Behrami, looked class on the right, pushing forward and also giving Lucas (who was great apart from getting out-paced once or twice) good support. Faubert also looked very tidy, bellamy should've scored a couple in the first half and Cole didn't look too bad, just a bit lanky and gormless (so what's new). Was good to see the boys show a bit of heart to come back from 2 down.

[mokum hammer]

Overall, was impressed most with Behrami, looked class on the right, pushing forward and also giving Lucas (who was great apart from getting out-paced once or twice) good support. Faubert also looked very tidy, bellamy should've scored a couple in the first half and Cole didn't look too bad, just a bit lanky and gormless (so what's new). Was good to see the boys show a bit of heart to come back from 2 down.

A review like that & I'm optimistic for the oncoming season

[Romford]

The joys of KUMB :lol:

FWIW..

I actually enjoyed the match and thought it a good run out for a friendly... and saw some very good football in small threads of play.

I actually thought Davenport had a good game, was worried by Swiss Tonys attitude (esp at the back) and thought Faubert was our worst player. Getting knocked off the ball by a kid half your size when you are built like a Battleship was worrying...chucked in with shedloads of pointing at players to do his spadework for him when tracking back.

The goal from Hines was a lovely move and I thought Nobes made the difference in the 2nd.

Good to see a few old faces there tonight

[Memorial Ground]

What do you mean about VB's attitude, Romford?