Blackpool 1 West Ham Utd 3 (02/02/11)

[paulhs1]

Grant played the right team and system for this game. I think we can really push on from here. A win on Saturday and we real really be on the ascendency.
Reid however has proved on more then one occasion that he just can't cut the mustard in this division and we need to look at off loading him in the summer!

[WHUTerry]

Huge result and sets things up nicely for Sunday. Can't wait. Perfect revenge would be dumping them in the bottom 3..

[indiehammer]

great to see Grant come over at the end and throw his scarf.

Also nice to see Piq throw his shirt into the crowd! Lovely touch.

[kitthehammer]

We need to win the next 3 matches and keep the momentum going.
Brum, west brom & burnley.
Stoke next month would still only see us on 33.
But at least on this improving form and with players coming back like da costa, hitzlsperger and hopefully collison we will hopefully get some points from the big boys as we really do have tough matches coming up.
Just a shame we are running out of centre backs - we might well see both spector and kovac playing there soon.
There is only reid and tomkins fully fit.

[Mosterhammer]

Reid is very poor at timing for his headers, and the ones he gets to he doesnt seem to be able to direct. hope he comes good with some match time and confidence. might be playing a lot in the near future..
well, 3 points!

[chalky607]

Great first half, sh*t second half. A better team would've punnished us big time in the second half. We invited so much pressure on ourselves it was untrue.

True, we sat back too deep, and invited them on?

[prophet:marginal]

Great performance by players and fans alike.

Done us proud tonight, the lot of ya.

Hope we can bring a bit of that atmosphere back to The Boleyn

[nickkarkie]

Well done hammers, I am going to swear that I will no longer post negative things about west ham, nights like this really make it clear that I overreact when when win and the same when the lose, it really affects my day. I have faith in the team and if we can get Hitz and Da Costa into this side I believe we will win a lot of games in the run in.

It is nice to have a right midfielder who knows the positional side of playing out wide, he tucks in well to help the middle 2 when the ball is on the opposite side and he pulls out wide when we go forward, he tracks back well as well and gave obinna licence to stay forward a bit more.

We can win the next 4.

[The Gibbins]

Watching first half on football first...its the shape to our team tonight that is the difference. We just look a lot better, much more stability.

Obinna's second goal

[neilbob]

the balance tonight was just so much better.

[Chelmo Hammer]

Huge result. Exactly the sort of game we would have lost up until recently. BUT we need to follow this up with a win on Sunday.

[Olliek92]

only listened to it on the radio on and off, first half sounded very good, second sounded worse but it sounded as tomkins had a stormer. Extremely good result, need 6 points in our next 2 games as well though. Also well done to the away fans, in good voice as always, CC agrees with me.

Big massive shout out 2 all da travellin fans 2day, U absolutely outsang their home fans! Ive always said we have the best travelling fans!

[spyrobear]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZYaXskUlRs

[Pop Robson]

Also nice to see Piq throw his shirt into the crowd! Lovely touch.

Well caught by my lad too

[Cardiff here we come.....]

the balance tonight was just so much better.

Watching first half on football first...its the shape to our team tonight that is the difference. We just look a lot better, much more stability.

This is solely down to the fact we've improved the quality of the starting X1(in Keane & O'Neil).

If Boa-Morte & Cole started tonight we'd be returning from Blackpool with 0 points

Lets batter Birmingham City on sunday.

COYI

[Lee_WHU]

'ave it!

[westhamerica]

Big thanks to whowever it was (westhamamerica I think) that called ESPN3 for this game. Never heard of it before - best stream I've ever watched.

Wish it was on that every week -- best part is if you miss it (or any ESPN USA match aired) it will be there for replay later in the day, week, month...

[BubbleBoy]

the balance tonight was just so much better.

Yep. All round
Better options down the side. Bridge and O'Neil make both sides much stronger, particularly when Jacobsen can sit and help the centre backs.
And the energetic midfield trio allows Obinna to join the front 2 with Keane providing a link up front.

Let's hope they all stay fit.

[anjado]

I think the big difference today is that we had two proper fullbacks in the team something we haven't had since Zola's first season in charge. I thought Bridge had a great game he got forward well in the first half especially. Jacobsen was solid like he always is and O'neill provides good cover. I think people are being harsh on Reid apart from the Villa game he hasn't been that bad and he played well tonight.

[HarrowInnHammer]

On the coach back now what a performance from the fans and players, maybe we've turned the corner? Well worth the two days off Ill