West Ham United 1 Portsmouth 2 (26/12/06)

[King Guy]

The point is, at the moment either Zamora or Harewood has to start alongside Tevez because Ashton is injured and Teddy is not up to starting anymore. In that case we have a choice. The one that runs around all day and gives his all for his team even though he isn't the worlds best footballer; or alternatively the one that barely runs, falls over, throws his arms in the air, loses the ball in dangerous/promising situations, can't hold up the ball, gets outmuscled by Glen Johnston even though he is much bigger and doen't seem to give a sh*t. I know which one i'd choose.

I say start Teddy and sub on Cole when he gets worn out. Ted needs the start, otherwise he's gonna get peeved and piss off in january.

[Ivelookedeverywhere]

In the game I saw, I saw ineptitude all over the park.
Possession is nothing without cutting edge.
Cutting edge is nothing with ineptitude.
Zamora cannot jump and win headers, his lack of awareness sees him continually caught in possession

i think that sums up the whole team performance, not just zamora. i think the whole team lacked awareness and basic football skills. Thats not being dramatic but im sick and tired of west ham having no originality or diversity to there play. its always seems to be the same, sideway passes with crap crosses (*repeat until relegated)
It was my missus first game today and she said to me "why do west ham keep passing the ball to the other team" I had to laugh because i found todays game more depressing than the bolton, wigan or reading matches because i really thought the players had woken up to whats happening and with a new manager, things would change.
I just hope curbs sorts these ****ers out cos i was really pissed off with that display.

[Bobby Orangeboom]

i think that sums up the whole team performance, not just zamora. i think the whole team lacked awareness and basic football skills. Thats not being dramatic but im sick and tired of west ham having no originality or diversity to there play. its always seems to be the same, sideway passes with crap crosses (*repeat until relegated)
It was my missus first game today and she said to me "why do west ham keep passing the ball to the other team" I had to laugh because i found todays game more depressing than the bolton, wigan or reading matches because i really thought the players had woken up to whats happening and with a new manager, things would change.
I just hope curbs sorts these ****ers out cos i was really pissed off with that display.

& there lies the problem...

Forget last year where collectively we played above ourselves & had a wonderful year..

The brutal facts are around about three quarters of our squad are not ****ing good enough..

Look at the team that started yesterday

Green - Yes
Spector - Not sure, probably not.
Konchesky - No
Gabbidon - Not sure
Ferdinand - Not sure
Benayoun - Yes, i think
NRC - No
Mullins - No
Etherington - No
Harewood - No
Zamora - No

That's ****ing scary...

[Skarky]

Green - Yes.
Spector - Yes (Only 20! Only a moron would say he's not good enough)
Konchesky - No.
Gabbidon - Clearly Yes.
Ferdinand - So obviously yes, it's nearly a no it's such a yes.
Benayoun - Just about on his day.
NRC - Yes, just can't be arsed.
Mullins - 100% yes.
Etherington - No.
Harewood - Only when it's live on Sky.
Zamora - No.

That's ****ing scary...

[Bobby Orangeboom]

Spector - Only a Moron would say yes as he is only 20

Gabbidon - Not clearly yes, i like Gabbidon but makes as many costly mistakes as he does excellent tackles that's why he's a not sure.

Ferdinand - Has got bundles to improve on that's why he's a not sure

NRC - Based on his performance this season, NO.

Mullins - A good Championship player, admitedly one of our best players this year but we are in the bttom 3 so that doesn't count for a lot.

Harewood - I like Marlon, but in my sunday side & not for West Ham

[w4hammer]

....Konch had a shocker yesterday..you just know what the day is going to be like when he starts his"shaky head-treading water run" when he's caught hopelessly out of position/wrong side of the player in the first 10 minutes

Part of the problem with his ***** distribution, however is that he has so little to aim at....i sit just about on the half way line and ...and time and time again you can see him come forward, and there's often not a west ham player within 20-30 yards , and when seeing thre or four opposing players about to close him down, he's forced to lump it long in the remote direction of a (typically) static forward line.....no-one comes short, no-one makes space.

Bobby is there for the goal kick pick -ups, but the rest of the time, theres so little movement and channel running its embarrassing

but yet against the mancs they did all this really well??!!?

i dont get it, but thats why im not paid 2 mill a year....sort it out curbs...you lot have spoilt my christmas
1

[Can't Touch This]

I agree - we didn't move at all yesterday so you can't blame Konch for distribution when there's little or nothing on. We are playing it square across our defence, back when we reach anywhere near the opposition goal line and thumping it hopefully up the park more often than not. "Alehouse balls" as the great Brian Moore used to say.

Reflecting on the game, they actually played for a draw I think and were very difficult to break down. Had we not gifted them 2 cheap goals we may have took 3 points, if not 1.

I would also play Z with Tevez as our current options are limited. Dailly would probably do better than Spector who I think is too inexperienced to "blood" in our current predicament.

Masch needs to be given a chance a some point and could replace any of our current midfielders, preferably Mullins although only as they are 'similar players' since Etherington and Yossi have done nothing this season.

Even Harry said that we lacked confidence yesterday and he was never really anxious about the result.

[leopardman]

I can only think of one reason that Masch has not been given a chance yet by Curbs. Masch must be off in January for sure. That can be the only sane reason. I really thought Mach looked the nuts in the Palermo game at home then hasn't had a sniff since. Shame really.

[Antwerp_Lad]

Although we lost I still enjoyed my first visit to Upton Park :roll:

[Ivelookedeverywhere]

& there lies the problem...

Forget last year where collectively we played above ourselves & had a wonderful year..

The brutal facts are around about three quarters of our squad are not ****ing good enough..

Look at the team that started yesterday

Green - Yes
Spector - Not sure, probably not.
Konchesky - No
Gabbidon - Not sure
Ferdinand - Not sure
Benayoun - Yes, i think
NRC - No
Mullins - No
Etherington - No
Harewood - No
Zamora - No

That's ****ing scary...

I agree with you on that bobby. It is very scary.
The only one in your 'review', im not sure with is NRC. Id rather see him get better with us than arsenal or whoever. And i agree with you on gabs and anton, yesterday there was no understanding between them both and green. It looked like school boy defending at times. But like NRC i would like anton to stay and get better with us.
As you said..... ****ing scary.

[Bobby Orangeboom]

I agree with you on that bobby. It is very scary.
The only one in your 'review', im not sure with is NRC. Id rather see him get better with us than arsenal or whoever. And i agree with you on gabs and anton, yesterday there was no understanding between them both and green. It looked like school boy defending at times. But like NRC i would like anton to stay and get better with us.
As you said..... f*cking scary.

With regards to NRC, he as an awful lot to prove to me & thousands of others. If he & his Agent honestly believe he has gave his all & performed well this year either 1 ) they're liars or 2 ) they're deluded cos it hasn't been good enough. That's why he got the " no " from me.

Anton, he could get a " yes " if he focus's more. He's got a lot to learn too which gives him a " not sure " for me..

[Harveys_HammersLH]

PLAY TEVEZ AGAINST MANCHESTER CITY.

I hope that is clear enough. I've had a bit of a cold since Boxing Day and lets be fair watching that rubbish in the first-half hardly helped. A few points need to be brought up. First off Zamora and Harewood don't look like they are going to score. Harewood put in his worst performance for a long time and was taken off at half-time and as for Zamora...ahhhh Bobby Z...he works hard, his general play is quite good, he holds the ball up quite well and can play some decent through balls but get within 20 yards of the goal and he looks scared! It's like "Well done Zamora...go on have a shot...now...you've got half a yard...shoot....shoot now....SHOOT." I think frustrating is the word.

The less said about the first-half the better. We were shocking. They scored twice from exactly the same cross to exactly the same player. You would think our players would of caught on after Primas scored the first and then headed down a ball then ended being cleared off the line from exactly the same type of ball but nooooo we let him do it again for the third time which resulted in the second goal. Unreal.

The second-half was a bit better. The abject Etherington and the shockingly awful Harewood were both taken off for Carlos "we want Tevez on the pitch" Tevez and a young lad by the name of Teddy Sheringham. Tevez closed down the ball in the first few seconds of the second-half and it seemed to lift the crowd and the players. We create more when he is on the pitch. I know he is yet to score for us but he looks as like he will which is more than can be said for Zamora for example. He has got to start against Manchester City on Saturday as has Teddy Sheringham who bagged a goal about 10 minutes from time. A late flurry followed but we could not get a second.

Not many results went for us after the game. Manchester City at home on Saturday is such a important game for us. We need to players to put in the same effort as they did against Manchester United and also play good football. We really need a win on Saturday.

My Ratings:

Green 6
Konchesky 6
Ferdinand 5
Gabbidon 5
Spector 4 (Dailly 7)
Etherington 4 (Tevez 7 MOTM)
Reo-Coker (c) 6
Mullins 5
Benayoun 7
Zamora 6
Harewood 4 (Sheringham 7)

http://boleynramblings.blogspot.com/

[Oh Danny G is wonderful!]

Matty has got to be the biggest pussy to ever wear a West Ham shirt, he does absolutely nothing and bottles out of every tackle. For ages i have been saying once Matty gets fully fit he will be a good player. I finally decided after Saturday that Matty will never be fully fit and he has lost all ability to beat a defender. I agree with the earlier post that he should be sold to Brighton with a carrot shoved up his arse!