UELQF: West Ham Utd 1-1 Olympique Lyonnais (7/4/22)

[Misko]

And what do you think of your players who type more in the shins than in the ball? It’s not a question of conflict.

Come on, man, don't play stupid! There was no blatant violence from the Hammers just normal commitment for such an event. Don't make us look bad.

[Kialos]

The only thing that can leave a bad taste in your mouth is to have played very badly against a very average team!

[pmdd]

Come on, man, don't play stupid! There was no blatant violence from the Hammers just normal commitment for such an event. Don't make us look bad.

I’m not talking about blatant violence, I’m talking about level of play. Don’t say you played a good game! A lot of passing mistakes, kickbacks, bad tacks. At first I thought we were going to be beaten a lot.

[Georgee Paris]

Allo allo allo enouf of this French fancy fighting

[Chavs]

The only thing that can leave a bad taste in your mouth is to have played very badly against a very average team!

Not as bad as the garlic taste in yours

[El brooko79]

And what do you think of your players who type more in the shins than in the ball? It’s not a question of conflict.

It's a contact sport. If players get hurt I fully understand them showing it.
But I saw on 3 or 4 occasions players rolling around waving their arms and the referee stops play. Then the players get straight back up. Job done.

The referee should not stop play if no foul given/no head injury/no serious injury.
The ref was weak, I was just asking what you thought of players pretending to be hurt so the ref stops play?

As one of our other posters said, we consider this dishonest.
But accept its part of the game particularly in Europe.

[Bubbles Fortuna]

I’m not talking about blatant violence, I’m talking about level of play. Don’t say you played a good game! A lot of passing mistakes, kickbacks, bad tacks. At first I thought we were going to be beaten a lot.

It's funny because you're both Lyon fans.

But Misko is at least friendly.

[il_martello_di_genovesi]

And what do you think of your players who type more in the shins than in the ball? It’s not a question of conflict.

If we were kicking your players in the shins, why did they go down holding their heads?

[Gerblatz]

I’m not talking about blatant violence, I’m talking about level of play. Don’t say you played a good game! A lot of passing mistakes, kickbacks, bad tacks. At first I thought we were going to be beaten a lot.

If you had been reduced to 10 men for half a game, would your players have dived around the place like they did with 11? What you saw was guts and passion - the West Ham way - and if your lot **** themselves like they were last night in the 2nd leg you’ll get what you deserve. Your team don’t deserve to go through on that alone..you might have a bent referee on your side but there’s no where to hide when the big boys step up. It’s a physical game and expect the same.

[Oldun]

To be honest the French have never really been up for a battle have they ?

[il_martello_di_genovesi]

I’m not talking about blatant violence, I’m talking about level of play. Don’t say you played a good game! A lot of passing mistakes, kickbacks, bad tacks. At first I thought we were going to be beaten a lot.

Misko is one of your own Lyon fans. He’s just more smooth like a Fred Serieix whereas as you’re coming in like 95 Cantona.

[Johnny Byrne's Boots]

To be honest the French have never really been up for a battle have they ?

For sale: 10,000 French military rifles. Never fired, only dropped once.

['stone hammer]

It's funny because you're both Lyon fans.

But Misko is at least friendly.

It does go to show that fans really do buy into the dark arts of the game. Reading the opposition views this season, plenty of fans have called us overly physical and dirty because we effectively bullied them for 90 minutes. Misko also said that he doesn't like it, but there are teams like PSG that are far worse for it, and unfortunately it's just part of the game.

We're certainly not immune. I've seen Soucek and Antonio dive this season, Noble has perfected the art of 'buying' a free kick, and when Noble does it, we generally applaud. But I will say that I'm extremely appreciative that that's the worst it gets for us.

[prophet:marginal]

My take is that the further up the pitch you play, the more likely you are at some stage going to weave into your general game a dark art or two. Salah is my Exhibit A, here, because he will of course be on the look out for decisions that offer penalties or FKs in dangerous areas. We have to, however, even-handedly accept that the weaving in is a facet of play for ALL teams, given Antonio plays for the odd decision (see WBA last season, where he clearly decided to fade a run leftwards, when he knew the keeper was coming at him). I think that, with forwards, it's more a question of how much their game is affected by it and not whether it is at all, as much as Bowen maybe a bit of an exception.

The worst offenders - and it is 'offensive' against the general spirit of the game imho - are defenders like that CB who Chelsea obtained from PSG. He tumbles the moment he knows he's losing a footrace. It is obviously a dimension of play he has developed, as he has aged, to combat a loss of pace. It is a shame - or perhaps shameful - because he is a talented and decorated international defender after all.

Goes to show that its endemic, basically, but to the detriment to the highest reaches of the game.

[Diogenes]

It's a contact sport. If players get hurt I fully understand them showing it.
But I saw on 3 or 4 occasions players rolling around waving their arms and the referee stops play. Then the players get straight back up. Job done.

The referee should not stop play if no foul given/no head injury/no serious injury.
The ref was weak, I was just asking what you thought of players pretending to be hurt so the ref stops play?

As one of our other posters said, we consider this dishonest.
But accept its part of the game particularly in Europe.

However, I think we would all agree, that it shouldn't be part of the game and it doesn't have to be. The governing bodies have the the opportunity, if they wish to, to drive this out of the sport. Retrospective action for obvious feigning of injury, diving and so called professional fouls could be reviewed and penalised. It would soon stop these practices if they knew they would be forensically reviewed for CHEATING, because that is what it is. If we continue to accept it, we have no reason to complain when it happens.

[Burnley Hammer]

The only thing that can leave a bad taste in your mouth is to have played very badly against a very average team!

Yep, that's what I thought too. We really should be beating the likes of Lyon.

On a serious note... I suspect that you're a lot like us in that you thrive on the counter with space in front to play in, but you struggle to break down teams that are defending deeper and keeping it tight at the back. From that perspective, us going down to 10 men probably didn't do you any favours.

[Doc H Ball]

I know it's not very Europe on tour football away day with the chaps but if you've got a sweet tooth, like me, sneak off to this ice cream place in the centre of town.

This is exactly what we need - a list of eateries and fine drinking establishments

[Doc H Ball]

I can advice a couple more places if you feel like, depending on what experience you aim at

A good cocktail bar, preferably somewhere historic and with good music playing would be ideal.

Also somewhere central for a good breakfast.

Merci!

[bubbles1966]

Yep, that's what I thought too. We really should be beating the likes of Lyon.

On a serious note... I suspect that you're a lot like us in that you thrive on the counter with space in front to play in, but you struggle to break down teams that are defending deeper and keeping it tight at the back. From that perspective, us going down to 10 men probably didn't do you any favours.

I sat through the first half again a while ago.

The only team creating any opportunities that worked the keeper was us, in spite of us being hesitant in the challenge from the outset and in spite of us being pretty poor on the ball in midfield and the attacking third , with the exception of Antonio.

It's also funny how their right back is being praised having been done with exactly the same ball that Fredericks got slaughtered for against Richarlison.

I counted Benrahma in acres of space with enormous amounts of time on seven occasions first half on that bloke's side. Only once did he use it well.

I wonder how Bowen would do on that side? He was pretty invisible in the first half yesterday.

From an attacking point of view, Fredericks was our most effective outlet at full back.

[Cuenca 'ammer]

we'll bloody well batter the shyte out of someone before the season is over if we can fire on all cylinders at once.

I thought after that cracking start that Benrahma had when he almost scored, he was going to go on a tear.

think I posted at h-t he was on about 45% pa.

that's truly dreadful

I REALLY want him to succeed, because
a) we love a maverick
b) I like a creative player
c) he seems like a genuinely smashing bloke (he gave the canteen people money when he left didn't he ?(

but it just doesn't seem to be working. he has a pretty good game followed by either another good game, an indifferent game or a really piss poor one. and yesterday he was most definitely piss poor.