EL: GNK Dinamo Zagreb 0-2 West Ham Utd (16/09/21)

[richneal]

Strangely comfortable win - wasn't expecting that at all.
Thought Fredericks did very well - enjoyed watching him play.
Didn't notice Zouma much at all - and I can only imagine that's a good thing.
Didn't see enough of Vlasic that amazed me, but far too early to make any judgement on him. As and when he gets a run of a dozen games in the first team we'll get a proper look. Best of luck to him.

Credit to Moyes for getting the game plan just right: first half DZ were extremely timid but, at least in part , our performance forced them to be that way.

[MilkyBarKid16]

I really wasn't expecting us to play so well. Not because I thought we'd be poor, but that Dinamo would be a lot better. They didn't make things difficult for us at all and as good as we were, the way they played really helped us.

I'm really looking forward to our remaining group games and I'd expect us to come top and be unbeaten. It's all very unlike West Ham!

[Turtlecharityracer]

That has a great look to it.

[chappo59]

Thanks mate

[Aztec Hammer]

I still can’t quite believe what’s been happening since lockdown.

This club was about dead and buried for me. It honestly got to a point where I despised it for what it had taken away from me. Not ashamed to say the antipathy had reached such levels for me that I basically was welcoming relegation and all the destruction towards GSB that would come with it.

Then Moyes did something truly special. It’s not even the winning. It’s the restoring of pride that I thought was well and truly extinguished. Players that I genuinely have a lot of time and affection for. Players that clearly care about the fans and what it means to wear the shirt. Players that you simply won’t find shirking responsibility or not giving their all. I’m not sure there have been many instances of that even when we are at the Boleyn and I had my childhood love for the club. It has even reached a point where I’m not recoiling at the thought of having to go to the new ground to watch us. The night game against Leicester was enjoyable in a way I didn’t think was possible anymore. The togetherness between the players, the staff and the fans. A lot of people deserve credit for that but one man above all.

David Moyes has completely transformed West Ham. We were on our knees. Now we stand tall with our chest out and the badge prominent.

We just beat Dinamo Zagreb away in a proper European competition. Comfortably, without letting a goal in. It even feels strange to write it.

The other person who deserves the most credit alongside Moyes?

Declan Rice. The boy is special. If someone told me a few years ago that soon there would be a kid from our Academy, who is world-class and immensely likeable, and who will captain our club to Europe at 21 and score a goal in our first game abroad intercepting the ball, and running with it from his own half before lashing it in. I would have laughed and told them they’d pretty much described my West Ham football dream.

It just happened. And it doesn’t feel like a one-off.

It can’t and won’t ever be the same now that the Boleyn is gone. But I can get used to this. Because it might not be in the case of the stadium, but in many other respects, we are better and more likeable than we’ve ever been in my life.

Let’s go and win this whole thing. These boys feels capable of it.

[TheHandOfDog]

Was so nervous before the game that we might just West ham it and get smashed but I was blown away, we were in full control of that game, we looked really good and if we continue in that style we might go far, hats off to all involved

[DublinDave]

Great post Aztec...

[r99c]

I still can’t quite believe what’s been happening since lockdown.

In many ways I think West Ham has got us all through Covid. March 20-June 20 aside we have been on such an incredible run it's ridiculous

[bonzosbeard]

I still can’t quite believe what’s been happening since lockdown.

Let’s go and win this whole thing. These boys feels capable of it.

[HammerSaints]

The team we just beat 2-0 in a hostile Zagreb last year topped their group winning 4 out of 6 games, drawing the other 2 and finishing with 14 out of a possible 18 points. Won both legs in their round of 32 game against Krasnodar, beat Tottenham in the round of 16 and lost 3-1 agg to the eventual champions Villareal in the quarters.

I believe the commentators mentioned 9 of the 11 that started against Tottenham played against us last night.

How can anyone not be happy? We dominated for 80 mins and easily controlled them the other 10 in our first proper European game in 15 years.

I have never been prouder.

COYI!

[Tezza65]

Great post Aztec...

Hear Hear

[ictrucker]

Bit off topic but has anyone else who consumed a vast quantity of croation beer been blowing bubbles all the way home. Thought masks on planes and in airports had something to do with covid I now know the real reason. Been sat at home for 8 hours and I can still perform a full rendition of over land and sea

[steveyrockstar]

Fair to say that this is only the second time in my lifetime we've beaten anyone decent in Europe, after Metz.

That's pretty scary. Hopefully, plenty more victories to follow this one though!

[cockneyboy21]

Out of interest for the people that went, what was the ticket pick up like, I read a few things that the queues were big and it was a bit of a nightmare? We’re they stringent on ID and Covid passport/negative test check? Did you have to show ID to get into the stadium as was suggested as well? If according to the clubs policy they are going to be doing the same for genk and Vienna sounds like it could be a pain?

[London Fields Hammer]

Out of interest for the people that went, what was the ticket pick up like, I read a few things that the queues were big and it was a bit of a nightmare? We’re they stringent on ID and Covid passport/negative test check? Did you have to show ID to get into the stadium as was suggested as well? If according to the clubs policy they are going to be doing the same for genk and Vienna sounds like it could be a pain?

I don't see why they would need to do it for the next two unless there is last-minute doubt about allowing fans.

[IronZ-79]

Out of interest for the people that went, what was the ticket pick up like, I read a few things that the queues were big and it was a bit of a nightmare? We’re they stringent on ID and Covid passport/negative test check? Did you have to show ID to get into the stadium as was suggested as well? If according to the clubs policy they are going to be doing the same for genk and Vienna sounds like it could be a pain?

If anyone could advise on this that would be much appreciated. Interested in knowing whether you can only collect tickets with the right ID or not.

Thanks

[Coops]

Nicely put Aztec, pretty much sums it up for me too. I had got to the point where it felt like going through the motions, and having a beer with my nephew in Hackney Wick was what I was looking forward to more than the actual match.

[aaronhammer]

Out of interest for the people that went, what was the ticket pick up like, I read a few things that the queues were big and it was a bit of a nightmare? We’re they stringent on ID and Covid passport/negative test check? Did you have to show ID to get into the stadium as was suggested as well? If according to the clubs policy they are going to be doing the same for genk and Vienna sounds like it could be a pain?

I collected my ticket from the hotel the day before and it was seamless and the West Ham support staff were superb. I believe though from others on the day at the stadium for collection that queues were quite long and not clear (they had different queues depending on your collection ticket number).

To collect the ticket they needed ID and checked it against the ticket booking name - presumably if these don’t match they wouldn’t have given the ticket.

To get in the stadium, we had to show Dinamo stewards our passport, ticket, and Covid negative test. However there was no name on the ticket so I think the passport was to match up to the Covid test.

[appyammer al]

Sums up pretty much I how feel at the moment about our manager, captain and team.
Forget the regime but lets give proper credit where credit's due.
I'll be taking my seat in the lower Billy Bonds as proud as I've ever been to be associated with our clubs players, manager and coaching team.
Great post Aztec.