West Ham Utd 3-4 AFC Bournemouth (22/08/15)

[onestuartslater]

Sorry if this has been covered, but can anyone who booed/sang WTF was that to the drinks break explain why they did so? It was blistering hot out there, what was there to not understand?

[BiggerSam]

I was shocked when Ogbonna was hooked as I felt he was probably our best centre half. But at half time on the stream I was watching they did a little round up of different stats, and one thing they showed was the average formation of both teams. Don't know how its worked out or how reliable it is but it showed the average position of every player on the pitch.

The number 21 of Ogbonna was tucked nicely underneath Winston Reid, quite literally directly underneath on the right hand side of the defence. There was then a massive gap between Ogbonna and Cresswell. Could quite possibly have been what Bilic had seen?

I like Ogbonna, looks comfortable on the ball, very strong and wins almost anything in the air. But you can imagine how if communication is difficult, poor position/awareness could ensue.

[Kubrickhammer]

I can't understand why we start off so poorly, the fan's were well up for it from the start, the place felt positive even though we lost last week and yet the team play so slowly and lethargically.

I'm not going to rewatch the match so I guess I'll never quite know why we were so bad but from where I was sitting it looked like two huge individual errors from Cresswell and two huge individual errors from Jenkinson. Is there a reason our fullbacks are looking so poor? Maybe, but we didn't even keep the ball for long enough in midfield in the first half to judge the likes of Kouyate, Noble and Obiang in my opinion. It's hard to call it an awful team performance considering we scored 3 goals as well and looked better going forward in the second half (like last weekend). This was a case of two players in two positions not knowing what on earth they were doing.

It's going to be tough, I definitely think we need more width, Kouyate did well in the second half up and down the wing but it's not where he should be playing. Bringing off Ogbonna was a bit strange but I can see Bilic's thinking, that back four were so bad that the only thing he could really do (except maybe go to a back three) was to revert to something more familiar (ie last season's back four).

I've got this horrible feeling Slaven has lost one or two members of the dressing room, or that the attitude of one or two players isn't quite good enough. This happens in periods of transition, any Manchester United fan can tell you that. This is why we need (ed) to bring in more new players, let the team know this is a new West Ham, not the West Ham of last season with a new man in charge.

Conclusion: not optimistic but don't quite think we're relegation material yet. The owners need to spend at least 15m if we want to really turn things around, until Valencia comes back we need to revert to playing wider (with some improvements on our current wide forwards/wingers needed if this is to happen), the back four need to settle in, one of the three CDMs needs to actually operate like a bleeding CDM and then we'll see what actually happens. Today was a horrorshow, the second in a week in fact, but this is the third game of the season and we've got to give the manager our time and support. Equally, the owners need to give the manager some money and let him choose his own players. On a positive note, Randolph did alright today and that made me smile, felt good for him and means we don't have to waste any money on Green.

Also, lost it with some of our fans today. Booing a drinks break? Who cares, it was scorching out there and it didn't affect momentum that badly. When we went 0-2 down the level of booing was quite disturbing as well, could have easily cost us a third (i'm not joking, they looked very uncomfortable, Bilic included).

[Rio]

If indeed a couple of the dressing room aren't on board with Slavs thinking then I want them out. No matter who they are. I have my suspicions, but they need to be put in their place.

You either adapt or leave. If your poison then you don't have the club at heart, so have no place in its future

[chigwells finest]

i remember a game vs stoke about 2 years ago, possibly the worst game of football i can remember , we lost 1-0 to a late free kick, we also lost the 1st 2 games last year , no point blowing a gasket over this , i'll judge us better after we've played Liverpool .

[Up the Junction]

Allardyce would have loved Randolph and Payet

We might find out tonight. He's guest on MotD.

[sgb1972]

Our manager has worried me today.

We played so narrow again that our fullbacks (who were poor / average last week) were exposed. I'm sure this opportunity wasn't lost on the Bournemouth management team.

Our lack of attacking width was corrected in the second half by playing Kouyate out of position - why not play Payet wide right?

Substituting Ogbonna was baffling - was he not the best of a bad defensive bunch up to that point? To sub anyone in the first half unless they are injured is humiliating so needs to be right.

The team set up was obviously wrong again. Our midfield three played predictability narrow (Noble, Kouyate, Obiang), but we then had Nolan and Payet playing directly in front. All our play had to try and go through the middle of the pitch. Jenkinson was shocking, but first half every time he had the ball at his feet he delayed through lack of options.

And Maiga for Sakho? A straight swap when you're chasing the game. Don't let Maiga's goal cloud the decision.

A manager can't be responsible for individual mistakes and poor performances, but our tactics and substitutions were horrendous.

I hope he doesn't lose the squads belief so early in the season. The first half sub decision especially.

[TurnbullHammer]

Our shape in the first half was bloody awful. Although our full backs had a mare, they had no outlet because of our formation.

We are crying out for at least two decent confident wingers.

[Pulls up Trees]

So who are the main suspects for not having the right mindset for the game? (As has been intimated in this thread a couple of times).

[ironilunga]

P.s. only at West Ham could we beat Arsenal away and then lose to Leicester and Bournemouth at home :lol:

It's been in remission for a few years under the treatment of Dr Sam but early signs are its returning.

[Kubrickhammer]

My guesses would be the two fullbacks and Reid perhaps, but honestly I don't know. Compare their levels of effort to Kouyate, Obiang, Noble and Sakho. I'd also say Payet probably doesn't act like he gives a damn half of the time but that's got nothing to do with us, that's the kind of player he is and can't really complain about it because he seems to make up for it most of the time with amazing ability. This is only based on stuff I've heard from Marseille fans though.

[Second Ball]

For all the points on it only being three games, we are very likely to be bottom after six and with an average in one first team player being sent off each game, not in a great position either psychologically or mathematically.

This is a massive gamble by the board, to dispense with a manager who, love him or hate him, had a track record of keeping teams together and in the top flight, for a manager who has a pretty average record in less competitive leagues.

I said on the 6 match prediction thread that if we ended up with 6 or 7 points we'd struggle, 9 looking ok, more than 9 would be a good confidence booster from a tricky series of games. I don't see us getting any more from the next three games so that's pretty poor, especially when the Europa is taken into consideration.

Maybe knicker-wetting but I'm moving countries so this thread is my only point of reference... :arry:

[hammers92]

The BBC have had an agenda in their reporting of the Olympic stadium and tonight they bring on Allardyce who has never been on before....ok then

[jacko]

If indeed a couple of the dressing room aren't on board with Slavs thinking then I want them out. No matter who they are. I have my suspicions, but they need to be put in their place.

You either adapt or leave. If your poison then you don't have the club at heart, so have no place in its future

100 percent agree. Although I have no idea who they are. I can't imagine collins or Nolan are happy. Nolan was doing a good impression of Lord Lucan today.

[LincolnshireHammer]

Linekar is a bit of a prat isn't he?

[hammers92]

If indeed a couple of the dressing room aren't on board with Slavs thinking then I want them out. No matter who they are. I have my suspicions, but they need to be put in their place.

You either adapt or leave. If your poison then you don't have the club at heart, so have no place in its future

Couldn't agree more. You play for the club and the manager, not yourself. Don't like it then get out.

[Jimbo3]

[quote="onestuartslater"]Sorry if this has been covered, but can anyone who booed/sang WTF was that to the drinks break explain why they did so? It was blistering hot out there, what was there to not understand?[/quote]

There was a lot of it going on around me. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion I suppose, but we don't help ourselves sometimes as it created at atmosphere towards the players.
I think we were still only 1 down when they took the first break and the players can't have not noticed it.

[Up the Junction]

Substituting Ogbonna was baffling - was he not the best of a bad defensive bunch up to that point?

Word is that he was advised to return to last season's established back four by one of his coaching assistants.

[pharaoh]

Linekar is a bit of a prat isn't he?

yes, Allardyce still smirking at the "West Ham way" probably could have said worse though. Lineker likes to dig though. Suppose that's what you leave yourself open to for losing at home to Bournemouth

[bubbles1966]

Substituting Ogbonna was baffling - was he not the best of a bad defensive bunch up to that point?

Word is that he was advised to return to last season's established back four by one of his coaching assistants.

Good to hear. Good advice.