Aston Villa 0-0 West Ham Utd (16/09/19)

[Cuenca 'ammer]

Al

as I said mate, as long as the majority of people are entertained then the league table should not matter one whit.

[Crouchend_Hammer]

There is one fundamental difference vs BFS
We actually tried to win the game
That is reflected in the line-up and also how we are always looking to attack.
We may not have been hugely successful in our attacking, but we were trying to score. Our attacking players just didn't play that well
Even with 10 men we were still piling forward looking for a win
Under BFS we would have settled for a point before kick off

[Cuenca 'ammer]

a question I posed for Pinky and Kialos

they went. were they entertained.

did you go ? were you entertained ?

just asking, not digging out.

league position doesn't matter ?

I don't pay a single penny either in travel, admission or even to the extent of paying Skye - that's obvious

so my conclusions are merely drawn from watching on the computer. my observations are based upon what I watched from the comfort of my living room and my couch.

I am watching the Barca/Dortmund game and from a neutral standpoint it's been entertaining. if I were a Barca fan and went there I would be severely disappointed with my team and them creating chances and working the opposing keeper.

[Puff Daddy]

...and anyway, both Liverpool and Chelsea lost tonight, so it can't be all bad

[Crouchend_Hammer]

a question I posed for Pinky and Kialos

they went. were they entertained.

did you go ? were you entertained ?

just asking, not digging out.

league position doesn't matter ?

I didn't go, no
As a spectacle it wasn't the best game I have ever seen as we didn't play very well from an attacking point of view
However, we did try to win the game, even with 10 men, and attacking intent and trying to win games is what separates Pellegrini from BFS

[Turns to Stone]

Please, let’s not dredge Allardyce up right now shall we.

[Cuenca 'ammer]

Please, let’s not dredge Allardyce up right now shall we.

not sure that he was specifically mentioned. only that some posters up there who went thought we were not prepared enough, or at least as well as our opposition. then others said they thought it was better fare than with previous managers efforts a per pro to our outlook.

I asked if people were entertained and if they went or watched from home. I think it does make a lot of difference if you make a 4 hours journey mid week as opposed to people like me sitting at home.

of course people chimed in that they thought we at least went for a result whereas before we might not of.

I think that for better or worse, these questions are going to come up. or comparisons are at least.

some people defend Pellers no matter what, some don't, some quite rightly ask questions.

and I would guess quite a lot of those actually make the trek to watch in person. much more valid I think for those who shell out and spend hours travelling as opposed to others who sit at home.

I think we all can ask or remark from home, it doesn't mean we are not entitled to an opinion but those who do the miles are in a much stronger position I feel.

like I mentioned above, I was entertained by the Barca/Dortmund game, but I would not be happy going all that way, spending all that money for the some times lack of creativity or intention of the team were I a Barca fan. some of it of course is down to personnel available as were we on Monday, however it's easier to feel happy about a point when you can watch it all from home.

Kialos and Pinky didn't seem to be to enamoured with the game overall whereas other did. and of course as I say it is/was inevitable for comparisons to be made.

[goa127]

We’re West Ham United ffs. We’re a mid-table team. We’re not going to be great and / or entertaining every week. Even the best teams have to go away from home and grind out a point every now and then, especially when they’re playing with 10 men for 25 minutes. We weren’t at our fluid best, no doubt about it, but I’d much prefer to watch us trying to play nice football than watching a Big Sam team hoof it, or a 2nd season Slav team not having a clue what they’re doing.

100% this. I'm not sure at what stage this season we have suddenly become the most fearsome team in the premier league. I'm optimistic for this season but I don't expect to beat everybody every week

[Wilko1304]

Weird, I see no evidence they were particularly more prepared for this than us.

The two teams just play differently. There’s a certain blood and thunder, out of the 90s English football era about them. Two dynamic central midfielders who get up and down all game, Villa had little patience in their play. They were strike hard and fast type attacks, but we never got overwhelmed and let it work. That Grealish chance at the end wasn’t even a chance, he could neither head nor volley that ball.

We, for once, went away and showed a side too much respect. We were patient and didn’t just go balls out at 100mph thinking it’s either score or bust. Pellegrini has been criticised for not being able to get this team to play with any sense, yet they went to a tough away game and tried to play it smart and now it’s criticism because after 65 minutes we weren’t leading?

Played a third of that game with 10 men and we nullified them when that red happened, looked the better side and played with real steel and determination, another thing this side has been accused of not being able to do.

Game management has been noticeable already this year, it really wasn’t last year, and should be applauded as part of the process.

[Burnley Hammer]

First time I've popped on here since the match - I personally thought it was a good game and, on the whole, we played well. I was especially impressed with the extra work-rate the players put in when Masuaku was very wrongly sent off. The main criticism I have is that we have a new striker that is really good in the air but we never put a decent high ball into the box for him to attack. I'm pretty sure that Anderson and Yarmolenko are talented enough to plant a ball on someone's head so I'm not sure why they always seem so reluctant to do it. The teams we play against never seem quite so reluctant.

[DaveWHU1964]

Wilko -

[smuts]

First time I've popped on here since the match - I personally thought it was a good game and, on the whole, we played well. I was especially impressed with the extra work-rate the players put in when Masuaku was very wrongly sent off. The main criticism I have is that we have a new striker that is really good in the air but we never put a decent high ball into the box for him to attack. I'm pretty sure that Anderson and Yarmolenko are talented enough to plant a ball on someone's head so I'm not sure why they always seem so reluctant to do it. The teams we play against never seem quite so reluctant.

From memory, we put one cross in for Haller to attack and he got his head on it and put it wide. We then just seemed to dally about on the wing especially on the left and put in low slow waist height balls in.

Definitely something to work on.

[e17]

I think the preparation element can also add a pinch of “newly promoted team playing with the bounce of that success”

There’s always an air of unpredictability when teams come up that works in their favour early doors. Even Cardiff got results you wouldn’t expect last season at first.

Manchester United at the weekend is the rest first tester of where we’re at this season.

I fully expect us to destroy them

[Cambs Iron]

Id be very interested to know where Declan's shot would have ended up without Tommy Shelveys block

From the camera angle i think it had a good chance of nestling into the bottom corner.....

[Patito]

Anderson has a good header blocked as well that was on its' way.

[Graza]

I asked if people were entertained and if they went or watched from home. I think it does make a lot of difference if you make a 4 hours journey mid week as opposed to people like me sitting at home.

I watched from home, the first half was scrappy and dragged due to both teams working hard and nullifying each other. The second was better and probably benefited as a spectacle from the sending off but wasn't a great game. Had the injury time scrambles not happened it would have been remembered as a much worse game.

If we'd dropped the goal at the death...

[Estuary]

I think the preparation element can also add a pinch of “newly promoted team playing with the bounce of that success”

Exactly this.

[jimbobbs]

I went with the old man (some may know as wilf from the snug) and we both thought it was a decent game. We have both travelled much further and seen much, much worse.

I don't think the international break helped (same for both, I know), Yarmalenko offered nothing (after a year out, I know, but needs game time), Rice was poor first half but second half a different story and overall several good to v good performances.

Correct post above - we would've settled for a point in the old days and kept going (performing better with 10) after Arthur's harsh / stupid red.

We will get something at the weekend and would start with Fornals instead of Yarmo, otherwise same as... COYI

[thejackhammer]

So we play 38 league games this season.

Let's assume the games against Man City and Liverpool are write offs, let's call it the top 4 are write offs.

That's 30 games left, 15 at home, 15 away. Going by the old claim of winning your home games and drawing your away games, that's 45 home points and 15 away points, that's 60 points in total.

Last season that puts us 7th, 6 points from 6th.

I'd take it.

[bristolhammerfc]

I am not disappointed with the result. The sending off was wrong and effected the game.

My issue is that this is Pellegrini's second season. It's his team now. He has the players he wanted fit and available (except maybe Antonio).

We moved to our new stadium, employed a proven Manager and spent good money. I don't think this game reflected any of that.

I think we looked afraid to lose the ball and became negative in our lack of willingness to take chances. We had a number of opportunities to whip in a cross or for individuals to take players on and we reverted to playing neat little triangles before going back to the halfway line.

There were lots of overlaps from Arthur and Anderson but as we approached the box, we decided to knock a square pass and then back to retreating triangles.

Honestly, it was boring. It felt like training at times. i don't think we have a divine right to beat teams like Villa, but I expected a bit more in the final third. Mark Noble was the only player who played with any risk.

I don't see why anyone who complains needs to be pigeon holed into a polar position of wanting BFS back or expecting us to be Barcelona. I think it's perfectly fine to analyse a game in isolation.