Sunderland 2-2 West Ham Utd (15/04/17)

[kayahammer]

I thought Arthur had a better game than Cresswell has had recently.

Agree about Randy though. Whatt does he ever do on corners apart from allow himself to be bullied.

No comment for their second. If I did it would look something like this: ****** ***** ******** ******** ****

[The Old Mile End]

A very uninspiring game that featured three Easter gifts.
We had the gift of Lanzini – a pleasure for us all to see. And we had the double gifts of Randolph, which was a pleasure for all of Sunderland to enjoy.

Professional football clubs and players obviously know more about the game than the rest of us. Of course they do. Why else would you not put a man on each post when defending a corner? But both teams did it and both conceded soft goals as a result of it. But surely they know best?

I have to pick up on our defending of that first goal. Sunderland had just one player in the six yard box to attack a corner. Yet we allowed that one player to create havoc with our defence. Experienced players like Collins and Fonte gave no protection to their own keeper and allowed him to be bullied off the ball. Randolph himself is at fault too – massively so. It’s for him to get free from the man and instruct the defenders in front of him. It’s for him to focus on the ball coming in and not be distracted by the man who he has allowed to lean on him. I knew he would end up in a heap on the floor when that cross came in – it’s not the first time after all.

As for the second goal given away as a gesture of goodwill? Let’s just say that Randolph cannot complain if that’s the last we see of him this season.

Overall though, it's a good result that virtually guarantees where we'll be next term.

We are finishing the season similar to how we started it. No flow, pattern, pace or flair. Uninspiring – but just about safe.

[PrinceH]

He chose to start without Cresswell and Adrian. He doesn't get sympathy for that.

Cresswell has been a shadow, and "most" people on here have asked to see him dropped, now when Arthur is free from his injury. And Arthur had an excellent game. So at least Bilic will have my sympathy for that.
(Adrian on the other hand...)

[hammerman11]

arthur deserves to keep his place as cresswell has been shocking recently.
Byram showed stupidity and naivity with bookings
Randolph is just randolph. I now expect that every game.
As said no pace and looked dead on feet.

should of won but didnt. poor result but onto next game lukaku and co !

[WoodgateHammer]

we may struggle to rack up even one more point this season.

-
Maybe, just maybe some off Burnley last game, but the others, no...not on this form.

[Iron George]

Well that was a fun day , 9 hours of driving for 100 minutes of football , and dropping two points against the worst side in the division .

In fairness to Slaven he started today without Noble, Ogbonna, Reid, Payet, Sakho , Cresswell, Antonio, Obiang and Adrian .That's nearly a starting XI when they're fit, still with us, or in form .

For so many to be missing for a variety of reasons has not made Slavens job any easier , nor has Randolphs recent run of dubious performances .

Next week will see Byram added to the MIA list .All in all today was a reflection of this season, a fragile, spineless display from a team that wants it less than the opposition week after week .

We look a thoroughly disorganised side with problems all over the pitch , and we may struggle to rack up even one more point this season .


A diabolical season .

As usual mate you've expressed my thoughts far better than I could in writing.

I want Bilic to get a third season but his stubbornness over Randolph and the RB position will be what costs him his job if the GSB triumvirate decide to axe him. Truly perplexing that every fan can see Randolph isn't good enough, yet Bilic sticks by him. Let's hope the Spaniard is back between the sticks next week and that's the last we see of Randolph in a West Ham shirt, he has cost us too many goals this season.

It's also SO 'West Ham' that we concede two goals to a team that couldn't score for circa 700 minutes prior to our visit.

Fortunately there are three or four worse teams than us in this league, though had we not got those two fortunate (especially Hull) 1-0 wins in the space of four days prior to Christmas we would be deep in the mire right now

And as for any more points this season, I'll go optimistic and predict that we'll get somewhere between 0 and 3.

[WoodgateHammer]

but his stubbornness over Randolph

-
I don't think anyone on here will disagree, however what we don't know is the full story, is it his stubbornness or is Adrian at fault...

[vietnammer]

Was anyone sitting near Noble and did he sing Bubbles or slag off Randolph?

[w4hammer]

All in all today was a reflection of this season, a fragile, spineless display from a team that wants it less than the opposition week after week .

We look a thoroughly disorganised side with problems all over the pitch , and we may struggle to rack up even one more point this season .


A diabolical season .

Exactly. Its the gutless , timid, limp, brain dead football that has worn me down too. There isnt a single leader on the park and hasnt been all season- and Collins "fist pumping" isnt leading- that first goal was primarily down to ****ing awful CB work.

As for Byram - the look on his face when he was booked second time and then realised he was sent off- he just looks about two divisions out of his league.

An awfull season that only has drubbings , to nil, ahead of us.

[kayahammer]

Was anyone sitting near Noble and did he sing Bubbles or slag off Randolph?

He tried to get a chant of "There's only one Mark Noble" going.

[uptonparkhurst]

Trying to hold on at 2-1 by bringing on Nordveit was very Allardici-esque. We allowed Sunderland to come onto us and got what we deserved.
Lanzini probably got a neck injury watching the ball sail high over his head.

[Kialos]

Both goals down to the keeper. I would hate to be playing in a team knowing no matter how much effort and hard work I put in one individual was going to balls it up every game. It must be having a huge negative effect in the dressing room. It was telling only one player could bring himself to speak to Randolph at the final whistle.

[nickkarkie]

Sorry pal but that's rubbish. If Carroll played like he did yesterday and we had real quality and movement around him we would be laughing. I just don't understand what our system is. We aren't an attacking side nor a defensive side and most definitely aren't well balanced. There's a **** load of work that needs doing in the summer. A first choice striker being a priority simply because of Carroll's fitness record. If he was an ever present number 9 would be way down the list.

I actually think we're very lucky to be in the league position we're in mainly thanks to numerous tight and often lucky victories picked up against the worst sides in the league. It could so easily be a different story if those victories went the other way.

And that right there is exactly the problem, we don't have a way of playing, players seem to do whatever they want.

You can criticise Klopp and Guardiola, Pulis and Allardyce, but at least those managers have a way of playing that they believe will be the best way for their team to win matches. We seemingly have no tactic, organisation is always poor, we always look so stretched out on the field instead of compact and we can barely string more than 3 passes together, the one time we did we had a great chance with snodgrass.

[DDHammer]

Inexcusable persisting with Randolph this long. I couldn't give a **** if he done Slav's bird and got her up the duff, **** all that training ground politics, I want to see the best 11 players on that pitch and leaving Adrian on the bench is borderline criminal.

Every stat points to Adrian being the superior keeper and I reckon Randolph has cost us 10 or so points single handedly. Embarrasing stuff from Slav.

[brun61]

As much as Randolph at fault, why cant we win games when leading, we go 1 up & play negative sideways & backward instead of going for it, not only yesterday but what I can remember every time this season, we invite the opposition on, put our defence under pressure & concede, Sunderland were allowed to look half decent by our negative approach, Bilic cant tell them to play backwards when on the edge of their area surely, I suppose i should know what to expect by now after 50 plus yrs of it

[Aitch]

I thought we were excellent until they scored. You can not underestimate the impact a howler by the goalkeeper has on a team especially one in our position. Almost as bad as Randolph was Mariner who gave every decision to Sunderland including some critical ones that 9/10 times would have gone our way. Anichbe manhandled Byram all match without giving a foul away but earned a free kick every time he flopped around when anyone barely touched him or came close to touching him. Khazri committed 7 fouls with no card, and Denayer's foul on Kouyate which didn't even get a free kick was worse than either of Byram's yellows. In fact Khazri, Cattermole, Denayer, Anichibe, Jones and Manquillo all committed similar or worse challenges with no action.
I thought Fonte and a Collins were excellent, and Snodgrass has his best game for us and Arthur was brilliant. Lazini was let down by Kouyate and Fernandes who were lightweight.
The fact is, if not for Randolph, we would have won without a Reid, Ogbonna, Obiang, Noble and Antonio who all would have been starting if available.
The players we had available were probably the weakest squad on show in the premiership all season.
We need a new goalkeeper, right back, centre back, central midfielder wide midfielder and striker.

Agree with all that. Jones should have had 2 yellow cards, but at least that great referee in the sky made it right!!

[w4hammer]

The players we had available were probably the weakest squad on show in the premiership all season.

oh come on you cant really believe that surely. You telling us Hull's staring eleven ( when they had a bunch of u17's on the bench when they beat leicester was any better?!

Hull City: Eldin Jakupovic, Andy Robertson, Curtis Davies, David Meyler, Tom Huddlestone, Abel Hernandez, Robert Snodgrass, Sam Clucas, Jake Livermore, Adama Diomande, Ahmed Elmohamady

Too many fans have given too many at the club to easy a ride this season -

[danm79]

Trying to hold on at 2-1 by bringing on Nordveit was very Allardici-esque. We allowed Sunderland to come onto us and got what we deserved.
Lanzini probably got a neck injury watching the ball sail high over his head.

Not sure you can blame the Nordveit sub on the goal, must have been playing all of about 60 seconds between him coming on and the goal.

[danm79]

Inexcusable persisting with Randolph this long. I couldn't give a **** if he done Slav's bird and got her up the duff, **** all that training ground politics, I want to see the best 11 players on that pitch and leaving Adrian on the bench is borderline criminal.

Every stat points to Adrian being the superior keeper and I reckon Randolph has cost us 10 or so points single handedly. Embarrasing stuff from Slav.

More to do with Karen being upset about what Adrian said about her Cat 4 amazing stadium I believe

[Stepney]

Great weekend away. As for the game I thought we looked good in spells but probably didn't deserve the 3 points if we're honest. Randolph is starting to get on my tits with the errors he keeps making but, as someone said, he must have some dirt on Bilic which is why Bilic never seems to drop him. I think that point will see us safe now as the other results seemed to go our way. I reckon we'll get two more points now before the end of the season. 1 against Everton and 1 against Burnley and lose the rest. 39 points will be about what we deserve this season Imo.

Onwards and Upwards