Bolton 3 West Ham Utd 1 (15/12/09)

[Kendal Iron]

A few thoughts on last night's match.

First, the over reaction on here is incredible!

Zola, out, drop Green, the rest of the team are useless..................laughable!

Losing Dyer was a blow, but seemed almost inevitable.

Kovac did what was required given that the ball was in the air more than on the ground, yes he is limited, but far from useless.

Tomkins is a young player obviously short on confidence, but again played nothing like as poorly as some on here would have you believe.

Same goes for Collison, Gabbidon, Stanislas etc.............not there best games, but useless?........ do me a favour

Three individual errors cost us dear. After our equaliser, we were on top & I thought we might just win it, but Greeno's out of character error knocked the stuffing out of us.

But, really.........Sack Zola & drop Green.........makes you weep!


And those who say they have never seen such a poor West Ham team have either not been watching for very long or have not been paying attention!

[the pink palermo]

What we lack is seasoned pros like Kevin Davies. Sure we all dislike him but he does a job week in week out. He ruffles up defenders and puts himself about. His challenge on Green in the first half which he got a yellow card for was the reason why Green spilled the ball in the second half, he didnt want to get clattered again. Wouldnt be the worst signing in the January window..

Is a very sensible comment IMO .

Davies is a good pro , and knew exactly what he was doing clattering Green .Reminicisant of Parker winding up Cattermole at Wigan last year to get him sent off .

[derek zoolander]

After our equaliser, we were on top & I thought we might just win it, but Greeno's out of character error knocked the stuffing out of us!

They're not uncharacteristic this year though are they mate.

[Kendal Iron]

They're not uncharacteristic this year though are they mate.

Of course they are!

Yes he will make the odd rick, all keepers do, but to here some on here you would think he dropped the ball like that every week.

[the oldham stripper]

And those who say they have never seen such a poor West Ham team have either not been watching for very long or have not been paying attention!

ive been going for 50 years & this IS the poorest west ham team i can remember, in class, temprement, & attitude. they couldn't give a flying fu*k about west ham or the supporters, it makes me wonder why i still do.

[Fionn]

By the way, were you happy with how Noble played at Birmingham, Fionn?

:lol:

I certainly wasn't Tel mate but I've been equally unhappy with pretty much our whole team over the last few games. I personally don't think Kovac has been that bad, in fact admist all the rubbish we've been watching I think he may actually be slightly improving. Doesn't take anything away from the fact he's a bit **** though.

[Tel The Hammer]

Doesn't take anything away from the fact he's a bit sh*t though.

Furry muff.

I'd say the term 'plain' sums him up a bit better, though.

If Zola's tactics, formations and gameplans had any kind of normality to them, I believe Kovac and Parker would make a good partnership in the centre of our midfield. Instead nobody in a West Ham shirt, except Parker, seem to know what the f*** they're meant to be doing.

[Fionn]

Plain seems a fair assessment Tel. Plain and simple.. :lol:

Instead nobody in a West Ham shirt, except Parker, seem to know what the f*** they're meant to be doing.

Of that we can agree on my friend.

[joyful]

It's always hard to differentiate between lack of confidence and lack of effort and I haven't quite reached a decision on which we're seeing.

What's clear to me is that someone senior -- apart from Parker -- needs to step up to the plate. Zola's body language looks awful at the moment, like a dead man walking and that can't be helping. Probably a wise move to let Clarke do the post match. He looks like he has some grit and should take a more active role.

Zola is obviously not entirely to blame, but he must share some criticism. Why persist with the right footer on left and left footer on right formula when it has clearly not worked. What is going wrong in the warm up/training that sees West Ham lose three different players to hamstring strains within the first 20 minutes of a game.

And no matter how disappointed the players are and how badly they want to get off the pitch, they should ALWAYS acknowledge fans who have travelled for 5 hours each way on a midweek night to watch them. It was only once Collison came off the subs bench to do this that the last few stragglers of the pitch joined in.

[the pink palermo]

I haven't quite reached a decision

What is going wrong in the warm up/training that sees West Ham lose three different players to hamstring strains within the first 20 minutes of a game.

And no matter how disappointed the players are and how badly they want to get off the pitch, they should ALWAYS acknowledge fans who have travelled for 5 hours each way on a midweek night to watch them.

You are GFZ and I claim my £5

Rest of your post Joyful is spot on .

3.06 to get home .Stopped for fuel as well .

[btajim - mcfc]

Did you try and play attractive Football against Bolton? If so, forget it. They're a Team of Scrubbers (suitably) whose Bully Boy Football produces reasonable enough results to ensure points for survival.

I was following all of last nights Matches on the radio and was optimistic for a point for West Ham after you'd equalised.

Here's to picking up some form asap.

[Neil.C]

Second half we bossed the game for a good spell with some very good football which unfortunately always seemed to fizzle out by the time we got near the oppositions penalty area.

Greens mess up was a nightmare but these things happen with keepers.

I have always supported GZ and would like him to be a success but time is definitely running out.........

[the pink palermo]

Did you try and play attractive Football against Bolton? If so, forget it. They're a Team of Scrubbers (suitably) whose Bully Boy Football produces reasonable enough results to ensure points for survival.

I was following all of last nights Matches on the radio and was optimistic for a point for West Ham after you'd equalised.

Here's to picking up some form asap.

We don't have the personnel to get into an arm wrestle .Second half we were better than the first believe it or not .Individual errors cost us , but GFZ simply has too small a squad , and is too indecisive as to his best side .Shame really .

Bolton had a game plan .Same one they've had for years , hoof it up , put it in the mixer and win the second ball .

Ugly to watch , but they scored three ..........

[Zatopek]

|'m as depressed as the next man about the season so far - but last night I was filling in the next batch of home matches in my new diary and it's struck me that we have got a really easy run of it, at least at home, for the next few weeks (if we ignore Chelsea and Man City on the last day!).

HOME fixtures:

26 Dec Portsmouth
9th Jan Wolves
30 Jan Blackburn
9th Feb Brum
20th Feb Hull
27th Mar Stoke
10 April Sunderland
24th April Wigan
9th May Man City

You'd have to hope that we can win the majority of those. Staying up....?

[ju1ce76]

we were a joke last night. I was sat behind the dug out and I think Zola and Clark must have muttered about three words to each other. GFZ looks a shadow of his fomrer self and I am not sure whether it is all the off the field crap that is causing it, the fact that he has very few prem quality players to choose from or he is just fed up with everything. The sooner the club either gets sold or gets some investment the better. If nothing happens and based on last nights performance we are going to be in the fizzy pop next year.

On a plus not Parker looked quality last night, just a shame the other 10 looked woeful!

[smuts]

Now tell me I'm wrong about Dyer....

What a disaster

Okay....you win! :lol:

[JBs Caravan]

Last night
Tompkins gave birth everytime,Davies went near him
Greeno made one ricket,other than that no probs
Faubert in the second half had right wing crosses raining down on him,with
zero help(what are the management watching)
Parker & Kovac in midfield superb performance
Diamanti,Stanislas flitted in and out of the game
Franco up front,totally outnumbered and isolated,but tried his best

Bolton were predictable,but actually scored the first goal,by passing on terra firma !!!,i thought from
set pieces,with Kovacs help as Tompkins was quivering all night,we were coping with their threat
But you had to have some sympathy,as there really was only one option last night,and that was to retain the
ball,for as long as possible,and for long periods this was achieved,sadly in a 15 mins spell,it went pear
shaped
Some creative and clever tactics are required for Sunday,and some inspirational team talking from
the management,alas i fear,only Clarkey has it in him

[Kendal Iron]

Last night
Tompkins gave birth everytime,Davies went near him
Greeno made one ricket,other than that no probs
Faubert in the second half had right wing crosses raining down on him,with
zero help(what are the management watching)
Parker & Kovac in midfield superb performance
Diamanti,Stanislas flitted in and out of the game
Franco up front,totally outnumbered and isolated,but tried his best

Bolton were predictable,but actually scored the first goal,by passing on terra firma !!!,i thought from
set pieces,with Kovacs help as Tompkins was quivering all night,we were coping with their threat
But you had to have some sympathy,as there really was only one option last night,and that was to retain the
ball,for as long as possible,and for long periods this was achieved,sadly in a 15 mins spell,it went pear
shaped
Some creative and clever tactics are required for Sunday,and some inspirational team talking from
the management,alas i fear,only Clarkey has it in him

A very good summary of last night's game..............except I think you are a bit harsh on Tomkins & while I agree Kovac did ok, `superb` is a bit strong.

[F.U.B.A.R.]

Da Costa for Collison in the 87th minute??????

Way to go balls out for it Zola.

I want him out, sick of our spineless, lack of spirit and determination. Zola's personality is rubbing off on our players.

Yes that same personality that ruined his own playing career!

[fjthegrey]

Yes that same personality that ruined his own playing career!

Do we have a player with even a quarter of the technical ability Zola had? No we do not.

We are in a dogfight, and Zola is not exactly the William Wallace figure I'd want leading my troops into battle.