Watford 1-4 West Ham Utd (28/12/21)

[Bond Holder 59]

Nice to be able to compliment Noble on the playing side for a change instead of something to do with his character or his actions off the pitch. Definitely opponents that suited him but he was very good.

I agree Ace. They turned out to be exactly the right team to play with our current available team and to put the smiles back on faces. In addition, if Dec had to miss one game, this was the one so fate smiled upon us.

I’ll eat humble pie, I feared for Noble when team announced, but I was wrong (again).

Finally, thank goodness we didn’t pursue King.
⚒

[hammerman11]

noble played well in this game. when we play norwich he will also start.

a nice win to get us back on track. most of us feared the worst; we are hammers after all.

concerning that a bad side like watford still caused diop and dawson problems with fabianski producing 3 fine saves to keep the score down. better teams will punish us. also johnson was far from happy on his wrong side. just proves what we all know ; that we need a left back and left sided centre back in january window.

antonio seems to be improving and playing his way back to form. should have scored when put through.

a few days before we travel for another london derby against the schoolkids ultra team. win there and we are back on track and hopefully over our blip. january window will be open and we have two games against leeds to come. maybe we are turning it around.

need spurs to lose a few games though.

[mattyD]

Anyone know what was up with Johnson? Really can't afford for him to be unavailable for palace.

[OohAahButler]

Anyone know what was up with Johnson? Really can't afford for him to be unavailable for palace.

Happened right in front of me…he pulled up clutching (I think) the back of his thigh. Winced and look pretty upset. Then was subbed a couple of mins later and trudged slowly off around the perimeter of the pitch. Didn’t look good to me.

[steps]

Great performance after going 1-0 down. Dawson again though, he’s costing us every game now and is guilty of at least one rickett per game. Nearly cost us a goal late on in the game too, I really hope we have a defender lined-up to join in January as we can’t go on with this back-up defence.

Bowen was excellent, as was Benrahma (we are going to miss him in January). Noble also had a very cultured game I thought, cool as ice for the penalty.

Quite like that Dennis bloke, took his goal well and seems to track back quite a lot for a forward. I wouldn’t be against us making an approach if Watford end up relegated.

We needed this game to get back on track and hopefully can carry it on to the game on Saturday.

[MK-Hammer]

Great performance after going 1-0 down. Dawson again though, he’s costing us every game now and is guilty of at least one rickett per game. Nearly cost us a goal late on in the game too, I really hope we have a defender lined-up to join in January as we can’t go on with this back-up defence.

Bowen was excellent, as was Benrahma (we are going to miss him in January). Noble also had a very cultured game I thought, cool as ice for the penalty.

Quite like that Dennis bloke, took his goal well and seems to track back quite a lot for a forward. I wouldn’t be against us making an approach if Watford end up relegated.

We needed this game to get back on track and hopefully can carry it on to the game on Saturday.

Disagree with your comments about Dawson ….yes he got sold by Dennis for Watford’s goal ….but I specifically watching him in the 2nd half yesterday and he won nearly every header which was most of what Watford produced ….his ricket near the end of the half was caused by being sold slightly short by the ball to him.
I’m more concerned by Diop ….at least Dawson can find a man with a pass out from the back ….Diop just hoofs it forward and invariably to the opposition….He also gets pushed off the ball easily & gets caught wrong side too often ( as in the lead up to the Southampton penalty)

[Billydinho]

Pleased with the win but even happier with the manner of it and delighted for Moyes who needed it.

It does make me wonder whether, if we’d actually played a ridiculous poor Norwich side first, we’d have lost to Southampton.

Momentum is key and Norwich would have been a free hit.

[Pete647580]

Reflecting on yesterday now my euphoria has died down a bit, I reckon

(a) Watford were woeful. That might be the biggest factor in the game.
(b) We were way more composed up front. Antonio, Bowen etc looking up and picking out a player when getting into the box instead of the 'just lash it in' pinball we've been doing recently.
(c) Does Antonio always sweat that much? Maybe I haven't noticed it on the low quality streamed video.

[steps]

Disagree with your comments about Dawson ….yes he got sold by Dennis for Watford’s goal ….but I specifically watching him in the 2nd half yesterday and he won nearly every header which was most of what Watford produced ….his ricket near the end of the half was caused by being sold slightly short by the ball to him.
I’m more concerned by Diop ….at least Dawson can find a man with a pass out from the back ….Diop just hoofs it forward and invariably to the opposition….He also gets pushed off the ball easily & gets caught wrong side too often ( as in the lead up to the Southampton penalty)

Arguing about who is the better / worse defender re: Diop and Dawson is a bit like choosing whether you’d rather be kicked or punched.

Both worry me.

[continental skills]

Watching on a stream yesterday, the co-commentator - I think it was Glenn Murray - was incredibly complimentary about our performance, much more so than any number of people on here! He was particularly full of praise for Bowen, Coufal, Noble and Soucek.

As for me, like many others, I thought we were done for when we went one down so early and Watford started time-wasting tactics the way Southampton had two days earlier. Thankfully, the team out there on the pitch is more resilient. My greatest concerns were whenever Drop was anywhere near the ball, I found him particularly poor yesterday. Would be interesting to see his passing stats - seemed like every long ball he played went straight to a Watford player, as did every clearing header.

As for the VAR decision to rule out Bowen's goal - winding the tape back to a challenge in our half of the pitch which both referee and linesperson deemed good when it happened seems like the wrong approach. If they're going to do that, then surely they should start examining dodgy free-kick decisions that lead to goals, like Southampton's third.

[Pete647580]

Bowen was excellent, as was Benrahma (we are going to miss him in January). Noble also had a very cultured game I thought, cool as ice for the penalty.

I actually thought Noble looked really nervous before the penalty - I was sure he was going to miss it.

Fair play to the bloke, though - if he was nervous he didn't let it affect the execution.

[Wilko1304]

Rice is better defensively and offers less goal threat.

Soucek is actually having a decent year, statistically, improvements in some areas and few declines.

It’s definitely about more balance, but I’d prefer Dec was doing his attack more in bursts than dictating play.

Having Lanzini in there was a huge today. Allowed Noble to be brave on the ball, allowed Soucek to drift forward.

[wolf359]

I actually thought Noble looked really nervous before the penalty - I was sure he was going to miss it.

Fair play to the bloke, though - if he was nervous he didn't let it affect the execution.

He commentated on how long he was waiting to be allowed to take it (and if it was going to happen). It appeared there were nerves there, but he still did the business

[mattyD]

Happened right in front of me…he pulled up clutching (I think) the back of his thigh. Winced and look pretty upset. Then was subbed a couple of mins later and trudged slowly off around the perimeter of the pitch. Didn’t look good to me.

Oh bollox, sounds like his hamstring again. If Arthur plays left back against Palace we are ****ed. I'd put Fredericks there or Coufal.

[ageing hammer]

As for the VAR decision to rule out Bowen's goal - winding the tape back to a challenge in our half of the pitch which both referee and linesperson deemed good when it happened seems like the wrong approach. If they're going to do that, then surely they should start examining dodgy free-kick decisions that lead to goals, like Southampton's third.

They always seem to do this if West Ham score, they troll every second of action to try and find something ANYTHING to rule out a goal by us.

It's been happening for years

Remember the disallowed goal when Antonio was lying on the floor "interferring" with play by blocking the standing goalkeepers view

I recall a few other goals where the ball brushed off the sleeve of Rice in one game and also Antonio in another game and those goals were disallowed.

Even at the last game at the Boleyn, Noble was flattened in midfield from behind the ref left it go and the mancs scored, no going back to check that though. In the same game Antonio scored and it was disallowed they said the ball had gone out the end line and back in again during the cross, no way had the all of that ball gone out, yet Pogba's goal last season stood when the ball passed Moyes and Ole behind their heads and curled back in.

[Johnny_C WHU]

I think we have been playing poorly for a while now. We have a small squad, loads more games and now some injuries so it is understandable. Yesterday was a nice breather and will hopefully install a little confidence as the opposition were so poor.

I dont know why this Rice / Soucek debate is a thing, just because Soucek scored and looked decent without Rice.
The Watford team were so poor even Noble looked like Pirlo. Soucek got forward more because Watford didn't have any midfield presence, allowing him to drive forward. If Rice had played we may scored 8, who knows!

[OohAahButler]

I think Dawson is getting unfairly maligned by some on here. He got done for their goal, but in fairness Dennis did superbly…I reckon most defenders would have got done too. Dawson still earned his whack with plenty of intercepting headers etc, and is frequently left exposed by Diop.

As for Soucek/Rice, it seems obvious to me…mix it up during each and every game (‘right, it’s your turn to go now, I’ll stay’). Both have so much to offer and it’ll keep the oppo guessing.

[MB]

Rice is better defensively and offers less goal threat.

Soucek is actually having a decent year, statistically, improvements in some areas and few declines.

It’s definitely about more balance, but I’d prefer Dec was doing his attack more in bursts than dictating play.

That’s it. I don’t think anyone is suggesting Rice gets shackled like he does for England, but those bursting runs should be fewer.

We’ve had times in the last few games when our players have looked up and we’ve had no one in the box. Yesterday Soucek was a constant option in and around the box for others to link off.

[funky chicken]

Rice is better defensively and offers less goal threat.

Soucek is actually having a decent year, statistically, improvements in some areas and few declines.

It’s definitely about more balance, but I’d prefer Dec was doing his attack more in bursts than dictating play.

Having Lanzini in there was a huge today. Allowed Noble to be brave on the ball, allowed Soucek to drift forward.

Pretty much the gist of it.

Rice is really good in terms of carrying the ball forward. But Soucek definitely offers more of a goal threat.

I am glad you highlighted Lanzini’s performance. As it really fell under the radar.

[old fart]

They always seem to do this if West Ham score, they troll every second of action to try and find something ANYTHING to rule out a goal by us.

Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you :lol: