West Ham Utd 1 Watford 1 (07/03/2012)

[Aceface]

I thought Vaz Te looked quite lively when he came definate inproved from the palace game.

See, I agree, but I don't think what he did last night was all that different from what he did against Cardiff or Palace where everyone was c*nting him off, except this time he got one to sit in the net. Vaz Te seems to be one of the few players who can actually dribble the football in our current squad (Noble being the other, albeit at a much slower pace). For that reason alone he should be starting in most of our games

[rare as rockinghorse shat]

An easy scapegoat if hoofs up field are deemed goal scoring opportunities.

Bit lazy, that.

I know last night a few were missed by midfielders, but we have created opportunities and our strikers have missed them.
Not too much Allardyce can do about that, other than to drive some momentum and determination in them to bury them next time with a point to prove.

You may not like it, but Allardyce is a good man manager and that's his methods.

And sorry, I was referring to Baldock against Palace last weekend... my mistake.

[wizzo_66]

Sorry RARS but were you at the game yesterday?

Usually spends matchdays with a cucumber in his arse.

[rare as rockinghorse shat]

Sorry RARS but were you at the game yesterday?

What can someone do if they get the ball punted to them whilst getting doubled up on?

The football in the second half was beyond stupid, punt constantly.

No, but I wasn't referring to last night. More to the previous 12 months mate.

He's always been grossly inconsistent.

[James P]

Carlton Cole is looking more and more like the Mr Hyde we should have sold 2 years ago for about £7m.

Carlton Cole is maintaining the level of performance he has shown his entire career bar a brief hot streak under Zola. There will be a raft of his supporters on here at the end of the season with a fresh batch of excuses as to why he didn't match their pre-season predictions that he'd destroy this division. It will be Sam's fault, it will be the midfield's fault, it will be Championship defender's fault or Championship ref's fault. It definitely won't be down to Cole though.

They will then tell us that as long as XYZ changes he will deliver next season and prove the doubters wrong and we'd be sorry if we let him go and that we couldn't really replace him anyway. Then the whole failure-excuse making cycle starts again.

[beckton]

Usually spends matchdays with a cucumber in his arse.

Never done it myself but probably more enjoyable than watching our home games, unless he does both at the same time.

[Matt of iron]

No, but I wasn't referring to last night. More to the previous 12 months mate.

He's always been grossly inconsistent.

Fair enough.

[hawkins_hammer]

Collison doesn't play, Faubert does = dropped points

[Yea Why Not]

The football in the second half was beyond stupid, punt constantly.

errrr what would you have called it in the first half then?

442 under Sam is just asking for punt after punt. Theory being smash it up to Cole, knock it down to Maynard, happy ****ing days. Well thats what Sam wanted to see any way but the last 10 minutes of the first half aside Cole won next to nothing cleanly in the air which I thought was pretty ridiculous considering he was head and shoulders above both their center halfs

I've heard Noble & Nolan both left the stadium in neck braces last night. Thats how long ball it was

[Georgee Paris]

Sorry, but are you saying that Cole and Faubert deserved to be applauded for their contribution last night?

No need to apologize. They should be supported, encouraged - not told they are useless. They aren't useless. Actually they are far better at playing football than you. So much better in fact that if they are classed as useless than you in turn must be the equivalent of a pathetic blob of nothingness jizzed out of an even bigger entity of utter rubbishness. Just think for a second. Do you really think they would be as equally useless as you at doing whatever it is you do in your life next time you accuse them of being useless at what they do for their life? You don't have to applaud them for their contribution, but please don't think your opinion of how useless that player is is respected or even appreciated by me. Nope, I look at the people that shout nonsense about players being 'rubbish, useless, shight' etc etc and think 'useless'

[QuintonNimoy]

Carlton Cole is maintaining the level of performance he has shown his entire career bar a brief hot streak under Zola. There will be a raft of his supporters on here at the end of the season with a fresh batch of excuses as to why he didn't match their pre-season predictions that he'd destroy this division. It will be Sam's fault, it will be the midfield's fault, it will be Championship defender's fault or Championship ref's fault. It definitely won't be down to Cole though.

Should've kept Zamora.

[the pink palermo]

I'm suprised at the huge negativity on this thread today .

Did nobody else see the 4 gilt edged opportunities we had in the fist half ? The Manager is right to bemoan our lack of finishing .

Some of our play last night was good, some of it rank , but take even just a couple of the chances and Watford would have folded .

What are people expecting to see from players drafted in on frees / low fees , tail end of their careeers etc ?

There appears a total disconnect - caused by being able to watch the worlds absolutely best players 5 times a week on TV- and what people can reasonably expect to see at a second division football match .

The Taylor shot - had he scored - goal of the season , and everyone having a party .

The Cole backheel to Noble - utterly sublime - deserved to be finished

The Faubert volley from 4 yards.......my mum would have burried it .

Sam, I'm sure could bore you with the stats , and whilst I too felt we disintegrated - paniced even - when chasing the game , we did create more than enough chances to win the game , and Green was almost unemployed .

Question . Why did Sam feel the need to change a winning team ?

[bubbles1966]

Reading this thread just brings home how differently we all see the games. My take:

Overall

In spite of a less than inspirational performance it would have been a travesty if we'd lost, and it wouldn't have been too much of a stretch to say that a 2-1 win wouldn't have flattered us - if it was a boxing match scored on points, our arm would definitely have been raised.

Opposition parking the bus

Not in my opinion, It was only in the latter part of the game that they sat back - largely because that's where we pushed them. Defending gallantly shouldn't be confused with coming for a point.

Was I the only one who saw their goal coming?

Not in the inevitable, West ham cock-up sort of way - but in noticing that the same situation had arisen four of five times in the first half - a Watford player having plenty of time to let fly from 20-25 yards on the edge of our box. They kept fluffing it - but eventually if you give them enough opportunities. A direct consequence of 4-4-2 IMO - and a central pairing of Noble and Nolan who really didn't do a good job of protecting the backline.

The crowd

Complaints of booing seem a tad exaggerated - but the whole thing isn't what it used to be - Jeremy's Market Trader spiel before the game, the crappy rock opera music, people filming games on their iPhones - it's all a bit ****. Bloke next to me must have watched about 50 minutes of the game with his trips to the toilet, for a burger, for a drink and leaving early It really ain't what it used to be.

The defence

Thought McCartney had a good game - superb goal saving clearance near the end - and that Tomkins and Faye eventually got to grips with Watford's forwards, and both showed some neat footballing moments. O'Brien struggled a bit. Green largely redundant.

Midfield

Taylor was rightly subbed (contrary to the boos) - aside from two of three Hollywood moments he was ineffective. Faubert was worse - missed a sitter and played in some bizarre back to goal role all first half. He managed a couple of decent crosses second half but could easily have been subbed - worst I've seen him play all year. Nolan had a pretty decent first half - some good link play and won a number of 50-50s - but the moment he miscontrolled people around me were on his back. He disappeared second half and when offered the opportunity to create, chose the safe ball. The home crowd getting to him? Noble was awful for 30 minutes or so - gave the ball away repeatedly and was very exposed defensively. Gradually pulled his game around

Forwards

Cole was the only one who showed anything - and he was his usual completely inconsistent self. Won most of the headers but his forward partners rarely got on the end of them, and played one exquisite reverse pass to put Noble in on goal in the first half, forcing a fine Kucszak save. Second half was a bit of a mare and he trod on the ball when given a clear goalscoring opportunity. Maynard was largely ponderous and ineffective.

The Subs and the Manager

Baldock flattered to decieve. Whilst he is nippy, he is shrugged off the ball constantly - the kind of performance Sears gets/got slated for.

Vaz Te and Lansbury however changed the game. Vaz Te's pace and Lansbury's passing got the team flowing. their introduction put us at 4-3-3 - and it isn't hard to imagine that if we'd started that way we would have won the game comfortably. Watford wouldn't have got their series of central midfield potshots to score and we'd have stretched them more.

[lukeWHU]

No need to apologize. They should be supported, encouraged - not told they are useless. They aren't useless. Actually they are far better at playing football than you. So much better in fact that if they are classed as useless than you in turn must be the equivalent of a pathetic blob of nothingness jizzed out of an even bigger entity of utter rubbishness. Just think for a second. Do you really think they would be as equally useless as you at doing whatever it is you do in your life next time you accuse them of being useless at what they do for their life? You don't have to applaud them for their contribution, but please don't think your opinion of how useless that player is is respected or even appreciated by me. Nope, I look at the people that shout nonsense about players being 'rubbish, useless, shight' etc etc and think 'useless'

This is just insulting. I think the mods should take a look at this.

[Yea Why Not]

2012/13 - Stay up with Allardyce
2013/14 - Let him walk away after his contract finishes, no compensation to worry about, appoint Paolo Di Canio

Hell Yeah!

[Upton Larks]

With respect, a lot of us didn't, myself included. The team that was promoted last time out was young, hungry, full of pace, power and a manager at the helm who was willing to attack the premier league the "west ham way" - hate using that but the point I am trying to make stands.

This squad is more robust, more solid and more resiliant to play away from home. HOWEVER, it lacks the pace, width and creativity that made staying up in 05/06 a reality. Much like Swansea/Norwich are looking at this season.

^^^^ THIS

[Upton Larks]

Question . Why did Sam feel the need to change a winning team ?

Because he didn't after Blackpool and we drew with Palace.

[bubbles1966]

Changing the personnel wasn't the problem (even allowing for some piss poor performances), changing the pattern was.

[BMLGirl]

Did nobody else see the 4 gilt edged opportunities we had in the fist half ? The Manager is right to bemoan our lack of finishing .Question . Why did Sam feel the need to change a winning team ?

Seems to becoming a theme at his post-match interviews. It is happening too often - more striking practice me thinks!

As for changing a winning team - maybe he saw fatigue in some players (Collison? or was he injured) - maybe he's looking at the bigger picture (i.e. 8 games in March) - you can't keep playing the same players (winning or not) at some point you're gonna have to rotate (personally thought Noble looked knackered last night, and hardly surprising).

[e17]

No need to apologize. They should be supported, encouraged - not told they are useless. They aren't useless. Actually they are far better at playing football than you. So much better in fact that if they are classed as useless than you in turn must be the equivalent of a pathetic blob of nothingness jizzed out of an even bigger entity of utter rubbishness. Just think for a second. Do you really think they would be as equally useless as you at doing whatever it is you do in your life next time you accuse them of being useless at what they do for their life? You don't have to applaud them for their contribution, but please don't think your opinion of how useless that player is is respected or even appreciated by me. Nope, I look at the people that shout nonsense about players being 'rubbish, useless, shight' etc etc and think 'useless'

What if he's actually Pele though? Or Messi taking a breather from playing to post on KUMB?