West Ham Utd 3 Newcastle Utd 1(20/09/08)

[Dannyboylister]

Just watched again and Cole was massive in every goal. I think our new management team is a lot more personal with the players and Cole seems like the kind of "bright" player that this tactic will work wonders with.

[dave_l]

Just watched again and Cole was massive in every goal. I think our new management team is a lot more personal with the players and Cole seems like the kind of "bright" player that this tactic will work wonders with.

All about confidence and a strong hand with CFC and I think the new management team will provide this. He should be a player that CB's absolutely hate to play against and I hope yesterdays was one in a long line of excellent performances.

[Ben]

highlights here with great commentary

http://www.fliggo.com/video/cHQxLmVe

[lopsidedbunny]

Match of the day highlights commentary by Alan Shearer,

Newcastle had most of the ball in the first half

Just what game was he watching?

[upton o'good]

Overall, a very good performance I thought.

Cole, Di Michele, Behrami and Parker (befeor he left) got through an immense ammount of work.

On the downside, we looked vulnerable at times - not just out wide where you would expect it, but through the middle. Noble, who started well for me, looked very tired by early in the second half and Parker and Berhami were also tiring. The introduction of Mullins should really have happened earlier (indeed I am not conviced that Noble should start ahead of him in a 4-3-3), also we allowed Butt a huge amount of space - ideally one of the front 3 should have dropped on to him more often.

Zola has already flagged fitness levels - and we are clearly going ot need to be a lot fitter to get the most out of his tactics.

in resppnse to the comment that it'll have been difficutl watching for Ashton and Bellers...I doubt it: Ashton clearly lacks the self awareness to appreciate that he will struggle to play in any of the 3 front roles (it is all about movement, Dean) and Bellers would be a sight more dangerous than Matty up front - so should rightly figure he'll play if fit.

[upton o'good]

Match of the day highlights commentary by Alan Shearer,

Newcastle had most of the ball in the first half

Just what game was he watching?

they had a lot of easy posession. And they did camp out in our half for a lot of the first half - think about those corners...

[smuts]

Great for Zola to get a win in his first game...that's take a lot of the pressure off.

Great to see us in fourth at the moment, but the real test will how we cope against the big boys at home as we need to sort out our away performances.

Hopefully the Sheff Utd thing will go away this week, and stuff like us selling even more players in todays press is all bullsh*t.

[Chippenhammer]

I am a bit concerned that we need to work on free kicks. Nobes took three or four in decent positions in the first half and never got close to bothering the keeper. Nobby would have made a lot more of them. On the whole though this performance was like a breath of fresh air.Thought our middle three got through loads of work and won the vast majority of 50/50 balls. Had to laugh at DDM though. He makes Matty look brave and strong in the tackle.

[davids cross]

My two penneth worth..........some encouraging signs but Newcastle were plain ugly in every aspect of their game.

Green - Little to do apart from a couple of snap shots in the second half, could do nothing with the goal..........solid game 7

Faubert - Got better as the game went on, early days in that position with us, still to be convinced......6

Illunga - Once again early days so I'm gonna give him more time, no more than ok for me.......6

Neill - A major improvement on Davenport, lost Owen for the goal but his general play and positioning was very good......7

Upson. - The best defender yesterday, hardly put a foot wrong, solid and reliable.....8

Parker - Can never understand how the bloke gets slated from time to time on here. He was a excellent yesterday and was at the heart of almost everything........8

Noble - I actually thought he played better when I re watched it on Sky, live I thought he was just ok So I will go with a 7 having rethought his performance.

Behrami - Having finally worked out where I thought he was playing, he actually got better as the game went on, full of energy and alongside Parker and Noble they won the midfield battle........he's a bit like a wind up toy......7

Di Michele......Well what to make of him Like a **** Di Canio........ermmm he's gonna do lots of good things and lots of awful things. Gave the ball away far to easily at times and quite lightweight on the ball. But he adds something quite different to our play and will be interesting to see how his place develops, he's gonna drive us mad.........for the two goals and the assist which was definately a shot ( I was right behind it)........8

Etherington - Did pretty well in his new role, is always a threat when running with the ball...........7

Cole - Our best player yesterday, just shading out Parker. He's a great out ball for the team, good control and brings the midfield into play. He's also got very good feet and must be a pain for central defenders, worked his nuts off........MOM 8.

[joyful]

Thanks DC. Pretty much agree.
(The joyful household spent much of the game arguing whether Behrami was a duracell bunny or a new breed of excited puppy. There's something quite endearing about him though.)

[Cuenca 'ammer]

Easy day for Etherington he wasn't asked to defend. He actually had to look that word up in the dictionary.

Green ~ Had an easy day really
Ilunga ~ gave the ball away too easily at first, looked like a girl when he turned his back on the ball to avoid getting hit with it. John Pantsil light. The Uruguayan must be REALLY *****
Faubert ~ tough to figure him out, played solidly and has pace which Neill lacks. However, still doesn't look like a full back.
Behrami ~ worked his nuts off and does track back, but I can't figure out if he's a midfield player
Neill ~ solid, still with Upson back there we lack pace
Upson ~ I thought he was tremendous and was my MOTM
Etherington ~ looked good in a formation which suited him, attacking and not much defending
Noble ~ looked much better at getting forward his ball to Di Michele was good but the Barcodes defending was dire yesterday
Parker ~ looked better than of late, got forward a few times too, but his first option is backwards and his second option is sideways
Di Michele ~ looked good at times but most of the time was missing in that he did daft things and was lightweight. Still managed 2 goals. What can you say ?
Cole ~ as always worked his b*llocks off, but he is still an enigma.

Glad we played the Barcodes yesterday. They are truly awful. The commentator made the best point ~ They are using not having a manager as an excuse now. Professionals show know and do better.

[WestHamIFC]

Absolutely bizarre ratings for Ilunga on here - they seemed to be based only on the first 10 minutes of the match??

Granted he made a nervous start giving the ball away twice, but after that he was outstanding.

Going forward especially his link up play with Etherington and Di Michele (when he came out wide) was some of the best I've seen from us down the left-hand side for a long time.

Contrast that with Faubert and Behrami down the right who just weren't convincing in the 'swapped' roles of Julian as the RB, and Valon in front as RM.

Parker was brilliant - ran himself into the ground. Almost single-handedly prevented Newcastle getting any passing together it seemed.

[Korea Hammer]

Thought that Faubert short-pass across his own crowded penalty area that nearly led to a goal was vintage West Ham too!

[[HH]]

Glad we played the Barcodes yesterday. They are truly awful. The commentator made the best point ~ They are using not having a manager as an excuse now. Professionals show know and do better.

They should, but they rarely do.

Newcastle were completely disjointed and not only lacking a manager, but also had many players unavailable for selection such as Guthrie, Smith, Gutierrez, Martins, Viduka and Beye - I don't think Zola's could have been handed an easier game to start his managerial career with.

[claret parrot]

I have to keep reminding myself that this was Newcastle, the team that lost 0-4 to Hull the other week, but even so that display was pretty encouraging. Before the game I was thinking "Newcastle in disarray? ... the right time to play them? ... yeah, that's what we were saying about Man City". You know how it normally goes: A team that can't buy a goal, and on a six game losing streak, A player that's making his 100th appearance and has yet to score his first goal for his club, A team who are managerless and rudderless - all of a sudden they play against West Ham and what do you know, the jinx is broken. Not yesterday though, so even if NUFC aren't likely to be in contention for a CL place this season, we can feel very pleased with that performance, especially when you think that Ilunga and Di Michele are only playing their second game for us.

I don't want to slate Curbs but I always felt he made some very strange decisions: Refusing to play Green, Noble, and Tevez until he was forced to by injury despite the fact just about everyone in the ground and/or on kumb knew the situation was crying out for all three. Zola comes in and immediately moves Neill to centre back, and plays the right side combination of Faubert and Behrami, even switching their roles. I don't suppose he reads kumb but these are all ideas which have been suggested and discussed on this forum. It just makes me think that even if he doesn't have a West Ham backgound he may prove to be more in tune with the fans than Curbs ever was.

There I go again - ffs Parrot it's the first game of the new regime, let's just see how it develops.

[upton o'good]

Absolutely bizarre ratings for Ilunga on here - they seemed to be based only on the first 10 minutes of the match??

Granted he made a nervous start giving the ball away twice, but after that he was outstanding.

Going forward especially his link up play with Etherington and Di Michele (when he came out wide) was some of the best I've seen from us down the left-hand side for a long time.

Contrast that with Faubert and Behrami down the right who just weren't convincing in the 'swapped' roles of Julian as the RB, and Valon in front as RM.

Parker was brilliant - ran himself into the ground. Almost single-handedly prevented Newcastle getting any passing together it seemed.

Agree Ilunga was better than some on here sugest. but otherwise I think you've misunderstood the tactics. Behrami was not playing right midfield, but was one of three mdifielders in a 4-3-3. So ilunga shoudl have been linking with Ethers, but if anyone, the player faubert should have primarily linked with going forwards was the "winger" on that side DiMichele. DiM tended to play more central than Ethers - given that he is naturally a striker and matty naturally a winger.

[Cambiasso]

Ilunga ~ gave the ball away too easily at first, looked like a girl when he turned his back on the ball to avoid getting hit with it. John Pantsil light. The Uruguayan must be REALLY s***e

I'm glad I'm not the only one that noticed it. Happened at least twice.

I think Etherington did play well in a much more free role.

[Dicksie's Right Boot]

This may have been mentioned earlier but what sort of reception did Zola get?

[BondsoBob]

I have to keep reminding myself that this was Newcastle, the team that lost 0-4 to Hull the other week, but even so that display was pretty encouraging. Before the game I was thinking "Newcastle in disarray? ... the right time to play them? ... yeah, that's what we were saying about Man City". You know how it normally goes: A team that can't buy a goal, and on a six game losing streak, A player that's making his 100th appearance and has yet to score his first goal for his club, A team who are managerless and rudderless - all of a sudden they play against West Ham and what do you know, the jinx is broken. Not yesterday though, so even if NUFC aren't likely to be in contention for a CL place this season, we can feel very pleased with that performance, especially when you think that Ilunga and Di Michele are only playing their second game for us.

I don't want to slate Curbs but I always felt he made some very strange decisions: Refusing to play Green, Noble, and Tevez until he was forced to by injury despite the fact just about everyone in the ground and/or on kumb knew the situation was crying out for all three. Zola comes in and immediately moves Neill to centre back, and plays the right side combination of Faubert and Behrami, even switching their roles. I don't suppose he reads kumb but these are all ideas which have been suggested and discussed on this forum. It just makes me think that even if he doesn't have a West Ham backgound he may prove to be more in tune with the fans


than Curbs ever was.

There I go again - ffs Parrot it's the first game of the new regime, let's just see how it develops.

When did Newcastle lose 4-0 to Hull ?

[Croydon]

Thought Llunga played very well. Great going forward, only major fault I remember is leaving Upson (I thnk) to try and mark 2 players after he hadn't made it back in time.

Thought Faubert played very well, some excellent passes and the future is looking bright with him and Behrami on the right.

Behrami didn't stop running and tracked back very well. Would be nice to see him going forward.

Disagree with some on here saying Parker doesn't pass forward. I was impressed with some of his passes splitting Newcastle.

Noble..looking better, just please God don't take any more set pieces. Passed well.

Pleased for Matty, but still feel our left wing is a weak link.

Cole excellent.

DDM, good start, but still reserving judgement. Very nice touch on the second goal.

Lucas, Upson and Green...nothing really to deal with, but when they had to I think they did pretty well. Nothing much Green could do for the goal.