Brighton & Hove Albion 3-1 West Ham Utd (22/5/22)

[Johnny Byrne's Boots]

If the players were as bad as he thinks they were, why did he leave them on so long?

[PrinceHisback]

Noone bar Rice (and maybe Coufal) had any impressive game. But I would say Moyes hardly ever put any blame on himself. Soucek has been a lively servant for this club for two seasons now, and played in his national team as a captain beyond that. Was it 54 games this season? Kral has hardly played 54 minutes… Moyes stubbornness to work with a (too) small/thin squad showed today, just trust his first eleven players, nearly never play any youngster (he could have shown that we are looking for the future by given Oko-Flex ago instead he once more gave Yarmo a go), and is seldom good at changing anything, not players, not tactics. After today he should be most disappointed with himself.

[smuts]

I love Fornals but some days he's just atrocious and should be hauled off after 60 minutes...today was one of those days.

[Clucking Bell]

If the players were as bad as he thinks they were, why did he leave them on so long?

That's a fair comment.

Fornals definitely had one of those games where nothing he tried came off and both him and Soucek looked absolutely ****ed. The US commentator said that the pair of them have started more games than any other of our players, 50-odd, this season and Rice isn't that far behind.

I think singling out any of our players though is a bit much: none of our lot covered themselves in glory. Zouma and Dawson switched off, Fabianski should have saved the first goal and Antonio did bugger all except score. Lanzini and Cresswell were ineffective, Rice sort of gave up after their second and probably only Coufal really earned his money today.

You've got to take your hat off to Potter though: he got his players to step it up in the second half and they did very well to keep the ball away from Bowen .... although, to be fair, he didn't do too much in the way of going looking for it.

Disappointing end to the season and we'll definitely need a good handful of reinforcements in the summer as we're not going to repeat this year's (on the whole) successes with the same fifteen players.

[Benaloon]

We've obviously had a great season and consecutive European finishes is an incredible achievement given where we've come from. But there's no getting away from the fact that we've absolutely bottled it when it's come down to it. Obviously in the semi (although that was more unfortunate/frustrating than anything else) but then our form in the league has been dreadful for the last 3 months and yet we still had the chance to salvage something... and still blew it.

Think there's a real risk we slip back into the mod-lower mire unless we get every signing right this summer.

[Cuenca 'ammer]

That's a fair comment.

Fornals definitely had one of those games where nothing he tried came off and both him and Soucek looked absolutely ****ed. The US commentator said that the pair of them have started more games than any other of our players, 50-odd, this season and Rice isn't that far behind.

I think singling out any of our players though is a bit much: none of our lot covered themselves in glory. Zouma and Dawson switched off, Fabianski should have saved the first goal and Antonio did bugger all except score. Lanzini and Cresswell were ineffective, Rice sort of gave up after their second and probably only Coufal really earned his money today.

You've got to take your hat off to Potter though: he got his players to step it up in the second half and they did very well to keep the ball away from Bowen .... although, to be fair, he didn't do too much in the way of going looking for it.

Disappointing end to the season and we'll definitely need a good handful of reinforcements in the summer as we're not going to repeat this year's (on the whole) successes with the same fifteen players.

don't think JBB (and he can answer for himself) is specifically singling out any one, but a bit like me, there's only so many subs we can use and who we can actually use (or at least Moyes seems to want to use).

and of those, we don't have a sub for Antonio. if we changed Fab that's one less field player we can change. etc etc

my suggestions only came from the fact that we would only use Noble and Yarmo to help get goals.

so Noble for Fornals and move Lanzini
Noble for Fornals Yarmo for Lanzini and go 4-4-2

no later than 60 minutes or as soon as it went 1-1

that's about all we could do.

or use Oko-Flex.

[MB]

If the players were as bad as he thinks they were, why did he leave them on so long?

Because the options on the bench were worse and yes he'd probably still have thought that if we'd signed (available) players in January.

It still isn't quite his squad, but this is the summer to sort that out.

[Hammer1966]

BTW to the two Portsmouth Irons I met before the game - fair play lads. You made it a great pre match afternoon. Lovely chatting with you.

[Sticky]

.. I've started to become aware of how anonymous Bowen can be during games..I know he plays on the shoulder of the last defender .. but at times it's akin to playing with ten men.

Anyone know how many times he touched the ball today?

Obviously he is mustard, but I have the feeling that when he starts to trust his right foot more and can go either way, and also starts to dominant games he will become even better.

[Crouchend_Hammer]

Did we play that awful formation with Fornals and Coufal as wingbacks today?

Cresswell must defo have incriminating information on Moyes

Not having Benny was a real shame, and where was Vlasic?

[Cuenca 'ammer]

.. I've started to become aware of how anonymous Bowen can be during games..I know he plays on the shoulder of the last defender .. but at times it's akin to playing with ten men.

Anyone know how many times he touched the ball today?

Obviously he is mustard, but I have the feeling that when he starts to trust his right foot more and can go either way, and also starts to dominant games he will become even better.

according to Whoscored 29
Rice with 89

yes he was not involved much today. and that's an understatement

Antonio only 39 which really shows up how little the midfield provided today.

Fornals 56 but he couldn't find a team mate for the life of him. 64% pa.

both Bowen and Antonio 1 Shot each

can only find 7 shots and only TWO on target.

ain't gonna win many games with stats like that.

Antonio 1 on target.

yep, we were absoultely dogshyte.
Lanzini 69 and 86% but ZERO key passes.

[Colours never run]

.. I've started to become aware of how anonymous Bowen can be during games..I know he plays on the shoulder of the last defender .. but at times it's akin to playing with ten men.

Anyone know how many times he touched the ball today?

Obviously he is mustard, but I have the feeling that when he starts to trust his right foot more and can go either way, and also starts to dominant games he will become even better.

That's quite often the charmed life of a Striker/Forward I'm afraid. For long spells during games they don't do a great deal, but it's in those small moments when they actually produce a goal in 1 way or another is when you finally notice them. And thankfully we've had 22 moments by Bowen to remember just why he's so important to us, even if he appears to do little at other times during games.

[mushy]

(one of the worst performances I’ve ever witnessed any player have in a West Ham shirt)

I only need one more for a full house on Kumb matchday bingo.
Is anyone else close?

['stone hammer]

Did we play that awful formation with Fornals and Coufal as wingbacks today?

We didn't, no.

Passing accuracy today:

Antonio 81%
Lanzini 86%
Bowen 83%
Rice 94%
Fornals 64%
Soucek 57%

Tells it's own story. I'm starting to have serious doubts about Soucek. The weaknesses are beginning to outweigh the strengths.

[Burnley Hammer]

I was a bit confused about our formation in the first half to be honest. Bowen seemed to be central a lot and Antonio was out on the left.

[bubbles1966]

The 90 minute pass accuracy doesn't really reflect the game.

At 45 minutes we had had most possession, and we had a higher pass accuracy.

The only player struggling to pass the ball in the first half was Fornals,

We were the better team first half.

The second half was toilet, and Moyes was far too slow to do something - fresh legs etc, but what's the point of bringing on players who have been told their careers are over at West Ham?

Curiously, they got better when they got rid of much-lauded Bissouma.

[HammerAl]

Felt for Rice today. He was immense as usual and trying so hard to rally the troops, push the team on, and make things happen. The players around him just weren’t on the same level as him (and has happened on a fair few occasions this season).

I just hope we can f *cking beat this lot next season!

[Cuenca 'ammer]

The 90 minute pass accuracy doesn't really reflect the game.

At 45 minutes we had had most possession, and we had a higher pass accuracy.

The only player struggling to pass the ball in the first half was Fornals,

We were the better team first half.

The second half was toilet, and Moyes was far too slow to do something - fresh legs etc, but what's the point of bringing on players who have been told their careers are over at West Ham?

Curiously, they got better when they got rid of much-lauded Bissouma.

absolutely agree to the first part

I'd also like to think that players are a bit too professional to take that attitude.

Noble - he would bleed Claret and Blue
Yarmo - he's shown a top level of professionalsim I think

[bubbles1966]

absolutely agree to the first part

I'd also like to think that players are a bit too professional to take that attitude.

Noble - he would bleed Claret and Blue
Yarmo - he's shown a top level of professionalsim I think

Yes, I get that and I don't dispute either ....but what's the point?

Kral must have been an unused sub 35 times this season. What's the point? Moyes might as well put an Ann Summers blow-up doll there.

He might as well give the time and opportunity to U23s.

[Cuenca 'ammer]

he's had the opportunities but especially today when it was a free hit, he chose Yarmo instead of Oko Flex..

what gives ?