West Ham Utd 0-1 Tottenham Hotspur (20/10/18)

[daytimedave]

anderson pissd me right off today, thats it ,ive had enough of him, a luxury player we cant afford as he strolls around with no urgencey,hes just a passenger, 40million - such a waist

[vietnammer]

leave their two most creative players out in Son and Eriksen

Asked a Spuds mate what had happened to Son, and he said Son had been **** since the last 5 games of last season. Seem to remember him being outstanding

[Doc H Ball]

It reminded me of the previous game v Brighton.

A sluggish start, turning the ball over in midfield and the defence not getting back into shape for the decisive goal. Then a much improved second half that makes you wonder why we didn’t start like that. Then missed chances and an over reliance on an increasingly frustrated Marko.

Anderson needs to play centrally but the quandary is that so do 3 covering players when we play top sides.

I still get the feeling we did half a job close season and lack left backs, a reliable striker and a box to box player. We need Manu back.

Was that really one of the biggest games of the season? It felt like putting your car keys in the bowl and picking out Phillip May’s.

[Doc H Ball]

...such a waist

He’s not fat.

[Georgee Paris]

anderson pissd me right off today, thats it ,ive had enough of him, a luxury player we cant afford as he strolls around with no urgencey,hes just a passenger, 40million - such a waist

He’s been quality more often than not.

[Stepney]

I think it will all come together against teams 7-15 who come to play us

Like we did against Bournemouth and Wolves at home you mean? And Brighton away? Whatever way we dress it up we simply don't score enough goals. All this possession and passing sideways doesn't mean anything unless you score goals. Like somebody said on here earlier we could've played for another 5 hours today and not scored. We just don't have that cutting edge up front.

[Crouchend_Hammer]

We don't seem to have much cutting edge but the vast majority seem adamant that Arnoutovic cannot possibly be moved from his central position

[bubbles1966]

Arnautovic is not the issue - he scores, creates or threatens every game - it's the absence of anything else.

Balbuena and Diop miss clear opportunities from set plays almost every game, while Anderson, Snodgrass, Noble, Obiang, Antonio etc have scored how many?

In a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3, the support attackers have to score goals. They (Yarmolenko excepted) are failing presently. The one cop-out clause is the standard of opposition so far, but I'm not sure that really holds.

None of them are delivering to the level that Payet, Lanzini and Ayew did in terms of goals.

[Chicken Run Supreme]

Twas an unusually flat derby against one of our fiercest rivals with fine margins betwixt defeat and victory. A draw would probably been fair, but it was not to be.
They out-muscled us in midfield and that won them the game today. Anderson was woeful today and after starting to look the player we hoped he might be, he had gone backwards in the last couple of games. We had the chances to have got something out of today but Lloris made some excellent saves and Atkinson did all he could to help Spurs with some awful decisions.
Disappointed with the result and some poor individual performances today, but I am still convinced Pellegrini has us going in the right direction. Onwards and upwards.

[IronworksDave]

Disappointing all round ... this is our 'cup-final' as everyone seems to say, but for most of the game the atmosphere was flat ... you can't blame the team it was 0-0 until the 44th minute, and we gave it a decent go in the second half, the crowd never really got the place buzzing ...

On the pitch they were missing from the start Dele, Eriksen, Dembele, Son, Wanyama, Vertongen, Rose all who would walk into our starting eleven ... this was our chance and we blew it ...

Winks - Dier - Sissoko hardly a threatening midfield but they more than held ours ...

I am sure Pellegrini has us going the right way ... I bet he couldn't believe the lack of fight both on and off the pitch today ... not going to pick out individuals it's a team game, just all very disappointing

[simonpaulthomas]

The usual stitch up on MOTD - all the talk being about how amazing Spurs were, and our only mention was that Snoddy should have been sent off for a challenge... no mention of a possible penalty for us or the chances we created (Except to say how great Lloris was). Pass the sick bag.

[Sir_Trevor]

The usual stitch up on MOTD - all the talk being about how amazing Spurs were, and our only mention was that Snoddy should have been sent off for a challenge... no mention of a possible penalty for us or the chances we created (Except to say how great Lloris was). Pass the sick bag.

I was sitting right at the other end of the pitch ad well back, but I went up for the pen when Diangana went down and asked the guy next to me how Winks had played the ball. Of course, being so far away, I couldn't be sure, but, seeing it on the TV, I am now seething. Winks gets nowhere near the ball but just takes Grady out.

If I could see it from where I was, it is disgusting that the ref and the assistant (who, of course, spotted the Arnie offside well enough) didn't see it.

Also, I am not entirely convinced Lamela wasn't fractionally offside for the goal, and Kane definitely was and, if you watch closely, he actually ducks away from the ball as it travels to Lamela, so how is that not being active? But, no analysis of that obviously.

I'm also surprised that they didn't show Antonio's shot in the last minute, as it looked quite close from where I was.

[fmgod]

Was a boring game, seemed no atmosphere, we probably deservedly a draw but 70 mil of talent sissokho and lamely were the small margins difference. Thought bal and diop were very good, Kane did nothing, Zab marked moura well too. Was really happy son didn’t play as a I see him as a massive threat.

Not disappointed in our performance but not happy either.

[goa127]

Some really conflicting views on today's game. I thought it was a pretty even if uninspiring game that we were unlucky to lose. Our biggest handicap today was the unexpectedly bad form of Anderson. He's been an important player for us recently but today he couldn't even lift a corner above knee height. Shades of Harry Redknapp. I have to mention the centre backs. Superb again, especially Diop

[Ironing Board]

Was a decent performance, but was not very impressed by Spurs. We seem soft touches at the moment, which is a concern. Also do not think we really troubled Spurs, who were playing within themselves. Without Eriksson they are not the same team.

[IronworksDave]

Was a decent performance, but was not very impressed by Spurs. We seem soft touches at the moment, which is a concern. Also do not think we really troubled Spurs, who were playing within themselves. Without Eriksson they are not the same team.

Without Eriksen, Dembele, Dele, Rose, Wanyama, Vertongen ... that's six of last season's regulars and six players who would probably all start for us ...

Have to say grinding out 0-1 wins when not at your best, and with arguably six of your best players missing, yeah I'm a little impressed ...

Sure we also have a lot of injuries, what's worrying for me is that we don't seem to be able to 'fight' for 90 minutes, for spells we do but then concentration seems to go ... still we are improving, we need to ...

[Wilko1304]

The Antonio Witch Hunt :lol:

These injuries are a real issue. Think we have to change system and go 4-3-1-2 with Hernandez and Arnie up top (they have shown an understanding) and Anderson central.

Weird game. We deserved a point but little more. Spurs are an odd side, very efficient, without being either defensive or attacking. Not an insult, they’ve arguably got the best centre back pairing in the league and we threatened them. Poch is more early Chelsea Jose than people realise.

Someone needs to teach Diop and Rice how to attack the ball in the box. Balbuena goes at it, those two are kind of there like they know they should but don’t have any conviction

[Ironing Board]

Without Eriksen, Dembele, Dele, Rose, Wanyama, Vertongen ... that's six of last season's regulars and six players who would probably all start for us ...

Have to say grinding out 0-1 wins when not at your best, and with arguably six of your best players missing, yeah I'm a little impressed ...

Sure we also have a lot of injuries, what's worrying for me is that we don't seem to be able to 'fight' for 90 minutes, for spells we do but then concentration seems to go ... still we are improving, we need to ...

We really need to put a string of decent results together. Will probably be another season of lower mid table mediocrity.

[hammerman11]

That was disappointing ! we never got to grips with the midfield as noble rice and Snodgrass were chasing shadows most of the game. Anderson was dire and seemed too casual with no fight. very weak in the tackle.

crowd was also disappointing. in the TBL some spurs idiot got thrown out in second half but plenty of half/half scarves. who buys them for a London derby. too many tourists and plasticsmaking it one of the poorests crowds for a spurs game for a long time.

fab - good - a couple of good saves
zab - another good performance although no challenge for the goal
cresswell - average. first game back will take time. poor crosses
diop - MOTM another superb performance
Balbuena - another good performance
noble - slow and too many sideways passes.poor
snodgrass - maximum effort, good corners.
rice - couple of good passes but over run in middle wothout obiang
anderson - awful. lazy, weak, poor corners
yarmolenko - not really in the game before injury. looks bad and several months out
arnie - on his own upfront. still managed to have a few good efforts. good performance but needs support.

antonio - a few decent surges down the left,best he has been this season !
hernandez - linked up well with arnie for the offside goal.good performance considering first game back from injury/sickness
diagana - a good performance and looked to have something about him. helped having zab next to him rather than cresswell. looks to have a future.

we lost narrowly but hould have got something from it. two 1-0 defeats on the trot puts us back in trouble.

leicester away - will be tough now and a change of personnal is needed.
burmley home - a must win game I feel.


we are progressing as we now compete more with the decent teams and have a good share of possession and chances. the difference is that spurs can bring on dembele who would start in our midfield. squad is thin in the central midfield area but we all knew that but we chose to ignore.

we are entering an importnat run of fixtures against the poorer teams in the league. the trouble is we are one of them as well !

[Major]

I went to West Ham today, first time in over a year. My cousin had a spare and last minute decided to go, for me there were a few of things of note:

1. The stadium is better than when I left it, still **** but better.
2. The new centre half's look good and will become a decent pairing if given time, Balbuena is the best summer signing for the money paid from what I could see
3. West Ham need a ball winner in midfield, I always thought Obiang would be that person but maybe not?
4. The treatment of Anderson in and around where I was sitting was disgusting, has he been **** all year? my cousins opinion is that he has looked great in spurts but was having a mare yesterday. For the crowd to turn that quick makes me re-consider point 1.
5. Spurs fans are c****.
6. The ref was a ****.

Thats about it really, you will finish mid table and thats about right from what I saw, good luck people, I hope t works out.