FAC3: Gillingham 0-2 West Ham Utd (05/01/20)

[jastons]

Does anyone else think Zabaleta was unlucky to get a yellow? I thought he was fouled in their box.

[hammer1975]

Not so sure he would have had a tap in, his run was taking him wide... I don't think he'd have been any nearer the goal than Anderson was.

I haven't watched it again mate but my instinct was that he was lining up his run so that a ball in front of him would have meant using his right foot to put it past the keeper. don't think he'd have been wide and had a clear run on goal (unlike Anderson). Lanzini got in quite a few decent positions tonight imo.

[Burnley Hammer]

Does anyone else think Zabaleta was unlucky to get a yellow? I thought he was fouled in their box.

I thought he went down far too easily, and clearly looked for a penalty. A bit embarrassing. He was in a good position I think to whip the ball across goal too.

[reo_coker20]

Does anyone else think Zabaleta was unlucky to get a yellow? I thought he was fouled in their box.

He was booked for throwing the ball down not for the apparent dive

[Crouchend_Hammer]

Does anyone else think Zabaleta was unlucky to get a yellow? I thought he was fouled in their box.

I thought it was a little bit 'divey', similar to Noble's v Bournemouth

However, both were the incidents that are almost impossible for know for sure, as the only the player involved will know.

SOme you will get, some you won't, so you could say he was unlucky to get a yellow, in the same way Noble was a bit lucky to get a penalty IMHO

[traxop]

I thought Gillingham had the right blueprint, get the up and under down the field with their forwards pressuring our backs. They were trying to force us to find the touch lines so they can put in the long throws - which they did. They were always going to get at least one good chance from the volume of long throws and corners, but they weren't able to take it. We weathered the first half and dominated the second with a professional performance.

Thought we should have at least a penalty for either the pull on Rice or Zaba, coupled with the one-on-one miss by Haller, on another day it might have been 3 or 4, but in the end it was a good honest performance.

[miketheloop]

I also thought Lanzini had a good game, he’s been in and out for the first team but I thought he worked hard and looked strong on the ball, especially against typically hard lower league opponents. His pass completion rate shows he passed pretty well.

[Burnley Hammer]

I haven't watched it again mate but my instinct was that he was lining up his run so that a ball in front of him would have meant using his right foot to put it past the keeper. don't think he'd have been wide and had a clear run on goal (unlike Anderson). Lanzini got in quite a few decent positions tonight imo.

That is how it appeared to me at first, but then in the replay from a different camera angle, he looked a lot wider. I'd have to see it again I think to be sure.

[Crouchend_Hammer]

Gillingham done themselves proud though. I didn’t realise they were managed by Steve Evans... I have an irrational hatred for that fat fooker... not sure why... anyway COYI

Certainly not irrational. He is an absolute **** who is hated by pretty much every lower league footballer supporter

[IronZ-79]

Job done. Great to see us deal with the aerial onslaught first half. That's one thing about Moyes that you could never see Pell do...consider the oppositions strength and play a system to deal with it.

Personally think Zaba is much better on the ball than Fred. Looks more comfortable with the ball at his feet.

Thought the entire team put a shift in tonight. From front to back. HALLER came back for every single throw in and the instructions were clear. Grear work ethic from the lads

[JustJoe85]

So another positive step as far as I'm concerned when it comes to Moyes bringing me inside.

Strong team is a plus but I did have concerns 5 at the back against a League One side having just out in out most effective attacking performance of the season last time out.

The line up just gave me some pretty horrific flashbacks to Moyes last spell in charge with only 3 attacking names allowed to cross the halfway line and first half kind of backed that up. It was awful and very reminiscent of Shrewsbury and Wigan.

And at half time we'd literally not had a shot. It wasnt looking good.

And then 2nd half it changed.

It wasnt like Shrewsbury or Wigan. Moyes 2.0 sent them out with more intensity, more purpose. We immediately pressed harder and got on the front foot, created more and got our rewards through our new pacy attacking winger .... and late sub Fornals.

Still a work in progress. Didnt create loads against a League 1 side. First half performance was dreadful (not having all the cup cliches, we were crap). And still hard to judge Moyes on the friendly start he's had.

But said the right thing before
Had a positive impact half time
Pressed to win the game
Said all the right stuff to back this up post match.

Keep it up Dave, and keep it up West Ham

[Rays Rock]

Big blow for Fredericks who pulled having to chase back full tilt. Wouldn’t have happened if the ref had blown for the correct decision in the first place.

[Hammer Laffers]

Best bit about all of that was the BLT Upton Girlie bought me

[Diogenes]

Moyes chose the right team and tactics tonight against a very 'agricultural' Gillingham. Soaked up the pressure first half, ran them around in the second as they tired and didn't really have a Plan B.

[-DL-]

Been home about 25 mins after stopping off for a kebab.

The Gills done themselves proud, were right up for it from the off, and didn't give us a chance to breathe in the first half. The ref was a complete homer, and some of the decisions were baffling. The pitch was a bit of a state, very bumpy and bobbly, and Hallers shot over the bar when it was easier to miss, looked like it bobbled to me just as he hit it.

I though Anderson was very frustrating - trying to walk the ball to the goal when the pass/cross was on. Hot sure he's particularly up for a chilly cold night in Medway truth be told.

I thought Lanzini was anonymous, despit what the stats say - looks a shodow of his former self.

Game changed when Zab came off, and the only gripe against the manager from me, is he should have made the Snodgrass for Fornals sub much earlier.

All in all, a fairly professional job done, on what could quite easily have been a banana skin - but we got through it, comfortably in the end, and we're in the hat for the next round.

[PlaistowIron]

Certainly not irrational. He is an absolute **** who is hated by pretty much every lower league footballer supporter

Works for me

I’ll keep on hating.

[-DL-]

Best bit about all of that was the BLT Upton Girlie bought me

And there was me thinking it was because you had the pleasure of seeing me for the first time in yonks

[LeonRivers]

I did have concerns 5 at the back against a League One side having just out in out most effective attacking performance of the season last time out.

The line up just gave me some pretty horrific flashbacks to Moyes last spell in charge with only 3 attacking names allowed to cross the halfway line and first half kind of backed that up. It was awful and very reminiscent of Shrewsbury and Wigan.

And at half time we'd literally not had a shot. It wasnt looking good

Let's be fair. For most of that first half we had three at the back, with the full backs pretty much playing as wingers.

[traxop]

I too thought Lanzini had a decent game. As far as being anonymous in the first half, well that's more to do with how the game was played. Gillingham going back to front to pressure the backs and we cleared it up the field bypassing the midfield from their corners and long throws.

The game wasn't structured enough for any team to build anything through the middle. They were trying to pin us down and the defense did their job and cleared it with safety first in mind. It was only in the second half when they couldn't keep up with the intensity that we got a grip on the midfield and the likes of Anderson, Lanzini and Masukau could combine.

[OohAahButler]

Glad we are through to next round but im worried the first half (no shots on target and 5 at the back) is a sign of what is to come in the league for the coming months. Was very reminiscent of moyes first reign. Sheffield game will be interesting.

Bearing in mind how Sheffield play, I imagine it’ll be more of the same. This isn’t the game to play free-flowing expansive football any more than today’s game was.