ELQ3: Astra Giurgiu 2-1 West Ham Utd (06/08/15)

[Cardiff here we come.....]

We all want to compete for cups and even win the odd cup. But realistically, we're not at that stage yet. I'm asking for us to keep the long term plans in perspective here. Building slowly and growing is the key.

SP, sorry to pull you up on this but if this was SA tonight you would be slaughtering him now...

If we are still in the 'building' & 'growing' stage of West Ham, why wasn't the man that built the foundations allowed to finish 'his' side & rebuild till completion???

I think we didn't need any Newbie Manager taking over just for the sake of it. Saying that I think Bilic will be a success if given the time but will DS give him time? If the fans are p*ssed after this & 1/3 of the way through the season, he'll be sacking someone & it won't be himself.

I feel we're in serious trouble this season. The whole squad looks flat & disinterested.

[tonbridge iron]

Tonight was a gamble that went wrong. Whoever influenced the team sheet and more importantly the available substitutes should be under scrutiny. I am gutted but I feel more sadness for the supporters that spent their hard earned cash to go over there. You deserved better guys.

[Ozza]

Allardyce and Bilic are one in the same on the back of what I've just witnessed.

Both have thrown games as West Ham manager

How are you meant to have any respect for someone who does that?

Those **** owners can do one as well. Snides.

finally someone on here who is consistent, good on ya

[MD_HM]

Bilic just said that 80% of the players that played tonight are first team players??? WTF is he on?

Maybe he meant senior players, I.e. First team squad

Randolph, Jenkinson, Henry, Nolan, Poyet, Lanzini and Maiga

So still only 64% :lol:

[michaelr52]

Very annoyed tonight.

All that effort to get to the Europa League and Bilic obviously was not keen on carrying on. May as well have said f**k it in the first round.

Nolan was p**s poor and hopefully not around for much longer. We could have fielded a half decent side and won that game. I feel for the supporters who spent a lot of money going to the away legs. They have been robbed by the couldn't care less attitude of the manager IMO.

[Ozza]

Tonight was a gamble that went wrong. Whoever influenced the team sheet and more importantly the available substitutes should be under scrutiny. I am gutted but I feel more sadness for the supporters that spent their hard earned cash to go over there. You deserved better guys.

Maybe the bloke who gets paid the big wonga should have been in the technical area??

[Paddy O'Hammer]

CHEER UP TIME

Not sure if this has been posted anywhere but this is feckin funny :lol:

https://twitter.com/hashtag/ThingsMoreU ... a?src=hash

[LongShot]

Being honest, I don't think our squad is quite European material yet. It's hasn't got enough quality to mount a sustained bid and it's not large enough, yet! Yes, we could've cruised this if we'd gone all out from the start and played our best team regardless of the injury situation we found ourselves in, but by doing that we could've risked a whole lot more.

Ultimately it's the league that pays everyones wage, and I believe the players focus is more centred upon it. Easier to get yourself up for Arsenal at the Emirates than FC Astra in Romania. So far our opponents in Europa have ben absolute pricks, and have been well up for it, and were likely much further into their preseason. This still goes down as an utter balls up but it was likely a very tough call for management to make in general.

We managed to blood a few youngsters, Page looks good defensively, Cullen has got a bit of the Wilshere's about him and notice Oxfords omission tonight, a start at Arsenal on Saturday?

In the main we're on the up, and European football is coming - personally I'm happy to wait a bit longer.

I'm going to forget about this and move on. A couple of mega signings would help that happen.

[Whufc06]

To compare Bilic who is a few games into pre season having just taken over and Allardyce who was in his 3rd campaign is a bit much IMO

[Chip Korea]

The issue isn't whether the genuine first team squad we have could have won tonight, and whether the squad could have gone on to give a good account of itself at Arsenal. Its whether it could play twice a week for months.

The answer is it couldn't. With everyone fit and available right now maybe we could, but going into the season with key players already out we'd be screwed. The only hope was that the kids could do it, and they did a grand job but failed.

[MD_HM]

I'm disappointed however the main difference between them is Bilic has just arrived having inherited a very poor performing, negative style, unbalanced squad and had just a few weeks to try and get them playing.

Sam threw games with "his" squad after being here 3 and a half years

I think it's a bit premature to be slagging off Bilic just yet, maybe he will take the domestic cups more serious once he has had a chance to work with the players and bring in a few more new faces

[nickkarkie]

Agree with long shot that we have had a rude awakening as to the antics of European players, they are a disgrace, they guy who held his arm as if it was about to fall off near the end of the match when he was barely touched was shameful

[James P]

When I heard the squad we brought I knew the European adventure ended tonight. I was expecting a painful 2-0, 3-0 defeat. Going 1-0 up made my night. That half hour or whatever it was was fantastic. Nights like tonight is why I keep coming back to football.

[Cardiff here we come.....]

Breaking news on Sky Sports Julian Dicks has been fined for allegedly spitting at the Astra Coach.


UEFA are going to review the video of tonight's game & fine Dicks £1000 per spit.

Rumour is he will be fined £158,000.

[richiepap]

I don't understand why people keep saying the romance in football is dead. I just watched a plucky Romanian side I'd never heard of knock a top flight English team out of the Europa League.

[Brentford Hammer]

Really wish I had gone to Malta now

"No, I'll wait till we play a more exciting tie" I said," maybe the play off game - we could go to Bilbao or Dortmund"
B*llocks
I'm really not happy with the club tonight.
As others have said, I think even a win on Sunday wont dissipate the anger I feel tonight.

Well done to all those that did travel.
And good effort by those who were chosen to play.

[bab_whu]

First post so go easy. Hope "Big" Bilic and the Board get as much criticism as Big Sam would have done for this tonight. my assessment of Bilic so far......Puppet.

[chalks]

The issue we have here is the assumption that we gave a squad incapable of Europa League and PL football.

We have now thrown the EL, so God help the owners and manager if it's now also proven, as I suspect, that our squad is you even capable of sustaining a PL campaign

[Aztec Hammer]

First post so go easy. Hope "Big" Bilic and the Board get as much criticism as Big Sam would have done for this tonight. my assessment of Bilic so far......Puppet.

Nowt wrong with that mate.

I detested Allardyce and what he stood for but Bilic/owners have mugged us off as well after tonight

[Absolutely Hammered!]

Dont worry lads.. at least we will be on MOTD on Saturday nights which is how it should be. Never could get that excited about MOTD Sunday. Got to say, we haven't even started the season and it seems like we're not that far from a BILIC OUT thread already. I honestly think he's going to be fantastic for us but I hope people realise it will take time for Bilic to impose his philosophy on us. At least with bilic you know he has it in his locker for us to play attractive football whilst getting results as he did with Besiktas. Sam simply didn't. Let Bilic build his foundations first and then lets judge him. Until then, Just sit back, relax and watch Payet and Co tear it up in the PL!