West Ham Utd 1-0 Watford (8/2/22)

[S-H]

Lanzini always seems to have more of an impact on the team when coming off the bench.

[Crouchend_Hammer]

They are both poor players.

In your opinion maybe so, but still better suited to the game last night than the players we did have playing

Arthur is injured anyway

[davids cross]

Lanzini is not the player he was.

Not his fault, just circumstances.

But he's still good enough to come on and change the tempo and pattern of certain games.

He did that yesterday and it turned the game.

[HammerMan2004]

Lanzini coming on definitely changed the game, but in doing so moved Fornals out wide left instead of Benrahma which I'd say had as much positive impact as Lanzini's introduction.

[Burnley Hammer]

Lanzini coming on definitely changed the game, but in doing so moved Fornals out wide left instead of Benrahma which I'd say had as much positive impact as Lanzini's introduction.

Yep, it's the change I called for at half time... although my suggestion was to bring Vlasic on and move Fornals wide, mainly because I didn't even realise Lanzini was on the bench as I missed the lineups, and thought he was injured.

[Aceface]

Lanzini always seems to have more of an impact on the team when coming off the bench.

I think the reason it appears that way is because he tends to only get wheeled out when things are going badly, so the contrast is often quite stark. Moyes doesn’t make that sub when we’re doing well other than to waste time nearer the end. So his chunky appearances are normally only during the slogs.

[Puff Daddy]

Rubbish last night from Antonio

[OFT]

Rubbish last night from Antonio

The lad is exhausted, mid winter break?? my arse

[Coops]

It was a weird atmosphere last night, I think everyone I spoke to before the game didn't think Zouma should play and didn't know how they would react.
Just before the game the announcer didn't read the team sheet out, then the players came out and nobody clapped or cheered. There were a few boos, from our own crowd, when Zouma first touched the ball, but these soon petered out.

We seemed quite nervy where as Watford, were very well drilled and well organised. Roy is a top manager and I think he is a good appointment for them.
The first half was dreadful, Dawson and Zouma were probably the only players putting in a decent performance. The game really changed when Lanzini came on, I had actually forgot that Benrahma was playing he was that anonymous. Manuel made things happen, for me he should be starting.

Probably on the balance of play we edged it but Watford will feel they should have gotten the draw.

3 points, we have hit the magic 40, so something to celebrate, I suppose.

[the pink palermo]

watched the post game and you poor lot were struggling to fill in 5 minutes of "highlights" let alone the usual 1 hour plus. in fact the game was so dire, wasn't Pinky fast asleep there ?

Very, very nearly

The game was poor, but expected as such since Roy Hodgson took the Watford job. He isn't anti football in an Pulis way, but he is the ultimate pragmatist.

File under a win's a win.

[nr637]

Like most I am happy with the win.

Zouma deserves all the flack he is getting and continues to get. I think he should be picked for every game now, so that he can get the response from fans up and down the country. It can be a seen as a form of punishment and a constant reminder of the stupid act he committed and it will not be tolerated The club should deal with him accordingly with the usual fines and even insist he goes to councilling. Then, if he wants to leave the club and country at the end of the season, his contract should be terminated and let him be allowed to go.

[Bend it like Repka]

Lanzini always seems to have more of an impact on the team when coming off the bench.

Agreed. It's a conundrum for Moyes because I don't think he is good enough to start.

However neither is Benny, who just does not offer enough end product.

So the bloody answer is Lingard....

[Watford Hammer]

Not sure it is has been mentioned but I noticed they didn’t read out the team a second time just before kick off as they usually do. Was that because they knew there would be booing re Zouma?

Also for the second game recently why do our fans hang on to the ball and refuse to give it back to the opposing goalkeeper when we are not winning?
Fans were bemoaning how much Watford were wasting time for corner kicks and goal kicks etc. Ben Foster just looked and smiled and must have thought take as long as you like guys. Happened also against Norwich I think.

[Billy Hunt]

Not sure it is has been mentioned but I noticed they didn’t read out the team a second time just before kick off as they usually do. Was that because they knew there would be booing re Zouma?

I reckon so yeh, what with the minutes applause for Isla, the last thing that was needed was a chorus of boos

[prophet:marginal]

Lanzini is not the player he was.

Not his fault, just circumstances.

But he's still good enough to come on and change the tempo and pattern of certain games.

He did that yesterday and it turned the game.

My view of Lanzini is that he is an instinctively technical player (like Fornals) but that he is also a thinker about the game and the angles that arise on the pitch. He would have been told he was a likely sub on, for tactical reasons, before the game and is the kind of player - for me - who will have sat and assessed the opponent before coming on.

That makes him the perfect option against tired legs.

[Puff Daddy]

That moment late in the second half, when near the corner flag, Antonio had a defender up his arse, fouling him. All he had ti do was go down, which just about any other PL striker would've done and taken the free kick, which was in quite a decent attacking position. Wise up son

[mushy]

Starting to be a reasonable, if fragile, argument for starting another midfielder in place of Antonio, with Bowen as the frontman.

We’ve come off second best in the middle of the park in 4 consecutive games now. Antonio has been offering very little so we might be better served packing the middle during the bulk of the game and let Antonio come on for half an hour at the end and see how that dynamic - a tweak in two areas - serves us.

Lanzini is the obvious choice given he’s one of the few players in form even if he’s not the ‘type’ I’d pick given a free hand.

I tend to agree, Antonio isn't and out and out striker in the traditional sense in my view, his role seems to be to link up play with other forwards (especially lately)which to be frank he isn't very good at.
Some are saying we are quite one dimensional and we play the ball out wide to get crosses in, this seems right to me but I have to say the chances of Antonio being on the end of those crosses seem fairly remote to me, especially as he can't seem to leap more then three inches from the floor.
We are almost playing a style of football with a false number nine already, so why not give that position to someone able to either pick a decent pass or hold the ball up long enough to bring others into play?
This would mean less wide play from the likes of Bowen and Benrhama and more attacking through the middle.
They would be my plan B.

[Crouchend_Hammer]

Playing through the middle has never been Moyes style, except on the break.
At Everton and Man U he relied on full backs and wide midfielders to deliver crosses or cut in from of the flanks.
Playing g through thr middle is a much riskier strategy as if you give the ball away you are exposed
Delivering crosses doesn't compromise you defensively

[GPW]

Lanzini is not the player he was.

But he's still good enough to come on and change the tempo and pattern of certain games.

He did that yesterday and it turned the game.

We struggle against teams who sit back and somewhat let us have the ball in and around the centre circle. It's why or record at home against against teams in the bottom half is a bit patchy. Lanzini makes a real difference in those situations and it obvious at HT that he was needed. He's comfortable on the ball, looks for a pass and is comfortable passing at pace. He's less effective when pressed but in these games the opposition don't do that as they are et up to sit deep.

It was a pretty obvious and effective change yesterday. Moyes need a plan from the start for games like that.

[Coops]

That moment late in the second half, when near the corner flag, Antonio had a defender up his arse, fouling him. All he had ti do was go down, which just about any other PL striker would've done and taken the free kick, which was in quite a decent attacking position. Wise up son

That was a strange one, it seemed the lineman was determined not to give a freekick.