⚽ UCLQF1L: KAA Gent 1-1 West Ham Utd (13/4/23)

[bubbles1966]

I feel a lot better about this game now I've watched the re-run.

Turn down the babble of the over-excited BT commentator plus his sidekick, Mandy Dingle, and watch the game without their version of what was happening, and it's far less dramatic and traumatic.

We rinsed their left back position for 55 minutes but must have wasted something like ten gilt edged opportunities with poor final balls. They were also all at sea on crosses and long throws, though we were uncharacteristically vulnerable from corners in the first half. Most of their efforts were shots from distance until the final 15-20 minutes. The Paqueta/Downes sub seemed to coincide with the game really opening up.

With the goal we conceded, you can almost see us go to sleep at the throw in 15-20 seconds before, having pretty much run the game in the previous 15 minutes. It's a piss poor goal to concede. Too many half-hearted and slow reactions.

That said, many of our players played better than my initial feeling. Lanzini and Downes were very composed in possession, the one who was well off it was Rice. Downes' covering work was also as good as Rice's, and arguably better.

Johnson also made some good blocks and challenges, certainly more than I gave him credit for initially. We should have this lot's number in the 2nd leg though this was probably a needed wake-up call.

[Ironing Board]

Can’t speak to the BT lady, but the bloke on Paramount was pretty reasonable. For me it was a good, professional away leg performance

[BoleynInsider]

The whole Warburton thing stinks to be honest. I hope he gets tossed out at the end of the season along side Moyes

He kneads to go

[bubbles1966]

By crosses, I meant set pieces. i don't think they defended a single one convincingly.

They look the sort of team Soucek would score against.

[DublinDave]

By crosses, I meant set pieces. i don't think they defended a single one convincingly.

They look the sort of team Soucek would score against.

We miss Ballon D'awson in Europe.
No one could handle him last year when we had 11 men on the pitch.

[Ironing Board]

We miss Ballon D'awson in Europe.
No one could handle him last year when we had 11 men on the pitch.

Just wait for big Kurt to make his appearance!

[Ironing Board]

He kneads to go

Gave me a rye smile that one.

[bonzosbeard]

Gave me a rye smile that one.

Good to see you using your loaf.

[Sir_Trevor]

Good to see you using your loaf.

We're on a roll now.

[Ironing Board]

We're on a roll now.

We’re toast when the mods see this.

[WestSamToo]

FFS. Warburton's name is mentioned and all the bread puns come out. You could at yeast make them decent if you're going to trot them out again.

[funky chicken]

We miss Ballon D'awson in Europe.
No one could handle him last year when we had 11 men on the pitch.

For all of Dawson’s weaknesses, it was certainly nice to have a centre half that you felt he could score from a corner at any time. I can’t speak on behalf of Aguerd’s record, as I haven’t looked at it when he was at Rennes, but it feels like Zouma and even Oggy never score from set pieces. Even when the crosses are good. They should be chipping in with more than they do really.

I agree with Bubbles’ assessment. It’s probably going to be an unpopular opinion, with all the criticism he gets, but I would seriously consider starting Soucek next Thursday.

It’s a shame he’s injured now, as I think even Scamacca would have been more suited to this opposition than Ings. His physicality could’ve caused their centre halves all sorts of problems.

As for you, Mr. Coufal, you have until next Thursday to practice crossing the ball.

[aaronhammer]

Back home from Belgique. Lovely to see so many familiar faces (and meet some new ones, hi to Aaronhammer who we bumped into once in the ground, see below), sad to miss many more.

It was great to meet you in person UTJ with your lad - was great to talk through the game with you. Quite ridiculous it’s taken this long considering the years I’ve been visiting and posting on this amazing website and forum.

Apologies for the humble brag I’m about to write, but it’s for context. I’ve been extremely fortunate that this trip to Gent (or is it Ghent…) was my 10th European away day in the last 2 seasons and there has been a consistent theme throughout it - moments like the above with UTJ. Meeting other fans who I might’ve seen and brushed shoulders with at home or away games or maybe conversed online, but never spoken or introduced ourselves in person. There are some connections I’ve made which I hope will last for many seasons - even if just a passing ‘Hello, how you doing?’.

In almost every trip, the football has become secondary - and for this one that was probably not the worst thing! Probably our worst game in Europe in these 2 seasons - however a lot of credit to Gent who clearly wanted it more. They can’t be underestimated for the return leg either, however I would be hugely disappointed and surprised if we lost.

If we are good and fortunate enough to make it to the semi final, and even more so the final, I couldn’t recommend to others more about making a trip out - even if you wouldn’t get a ticket, as so many showed this time in the city. We’ve been lucky to see some incredible places in Europe, drunk more beer than what we should’ve and indulged in some lovely local food.

For me, this is what it’s all been about. The West Ham family having a good time and making memories which will last a lifetime.

[Ozza]

FFS. Warburton's name is mentioned and all the bread puns come out. You could at yeast make them decent if you're going to trot them out again.

Getting stale for you mate?

[Crossd_Hammrs]

He clearly won the ball but the contradiction of VAR is that several players, ironically including that fella there, were booked for winning the ball but VAR can’t go back and change it.

We lost Downes for winning the ball.

When the ref awarded the free kick it was consistent with those yellows (although he failed to penalise a couple of late challenges by Gent in the first half - the worst of which resulted in a corner for Gent). Downes at least got his yellow presumably because of the intensity of the tackle and he caught the Gent player with the follow through.
That would be completely consistent with awarding a free kick and a yellow at the end. Piatkowski may have got the ball but he also tripped Paqueta who may have been able to continue his run to goal if not brought down. I knew the ref was going to overturn his decision when VAR only showed the replay up to the point where the defender makes contact with the ball, not showing the part where his leg comes up and he brings Paq down after.
I was hoping that the ref would focus on the intensity of the tackle, with a locked leg and studs being up.

Compare that tackle to this - the first VAR decison of the 2018 World Cup. The ref was well enough placed to not award a free-kick initially, he even adamantly dismissed the appeals.
The defender slides in outside the box and made clean contact with the ball which cannons off Griezmann's foot and accelerates away from him into the keeper's hands. But the follow through clips the top of the striker's trailing heel.
However VAR made a penalty check and France were awarded a penalty.

At 1min10s into this video.
https://www.fifa.com/fifaplus/en/watch/ ... )(ch_)(t_)

If the first half bookings and this infamous VAR decision are precedents, then the free-kick should have stood.
Touching the ball is irrelevant to a further foul as Paqueta is still entitled to regather the ball if not brought down.


FWIW I don't think we would have scored from the free kick anyway. But that's a defender that made a rash chalenege that denied an obvious goal scoring opportunity that has got away with it scot-free.
Add this to the goalscorer who slid in late on Johnson but won a corner not a yellow, and Orban doing a 'Kane' on Ogbonna, while Ogbonna himself got booked for putting his hand on Orban's shoulder when the latter again didn't jump for a header, and Cofal got booked for being toe-poked by the winger... and it's clear that the ref was buying Gent's theatrics in the first half. It also left us wary of picking up cheap cards if we tried to be more physical.

I think Gent knew the only hope they had was to come at us with everything: physical, theatrics, gung-ho. As underdogs in a packed home stadium, they had nothing to lose and everything to gain. I think they will be over-chuffed they are going into the second leg still with a chance.
Their goal was a lovely bit of combination play, of which I think most of us are envious; although it still required our midfield to be at fault.
And yes, Orban produced a spectacular piece of improvisation from outside the box that hit the crossbar - but being a speculative effort, if it had gone in it would arguably have been as lucky as it was unlucky it hit the bar.

We were the favourites and we didn't play to our expectactations, but I thought our back line was good and fairly solid, but yet again we couldn't link up in our attack. They were the underdogs, they gave it everything and are still in the tie.

[prophet:marginal]

Enjoyed that read Crossd

[Doc H Ball]

Looking forward to seeing Orban play again. That was some piece of skill to hit the crossbar and he’s started his career with a bang.

For some curious reason he reminds me of David ‘Ned’ Kelly at the moment he joined us and we know how that turned out.

We should’ve signed Louis Saha having seen him against us for Metz. Twitchy even spoke about it and it looked sure to happen but for £2m….

[Ilford Paolo]

Ings to tap it in from two yards.

David Moyes has been in the game long enough to know he got away with one last night, so too, the majority of our huge travelling support, 1,000 in our end and half as many again elsewhere in the ground.

Serious question PP, were there really a lot of our fans in their end when it was so difficult to get tickets in the home end? I went on their website soon after the draw and the ticket office for our fixture said 'access denied'.A friend's adult son who has lived and worked in Brussels for years (and who is into football enough to watch Gilloise and travel to Leverkusen for their away fixture last Thursday) created two accounts with Gent with his Belgian residential address and ISPN.BUT, couldn't buy tickets for our game because only those who had bought memberships by March 1st (ie before the draw).On 44pts I will have no chance for an away ticket again if we progress and am interested in how people manage.The lad had helpfully created an Anderlecht account but could not create an Alkamar one

There were loads in the Cat A section next to us, many with legitimate tickets via the club ( sponsprs etc), but quite a few who wouldn't fall in to that category as well.

No idea how, maybe bought tickets off of locals via facebook pages etc ?

[Doc H Ball]

There was a VIP lane at the ticket collection point for certain people, if you know what I mean. Fortunately 200 masked raiders didn't storm the place ho ho.

On the subject of fans in the home section, whilst excited to see large numbers of our lot in the ground unveiling banners etc, imagine if that happened at the LS. It was always going to kick off.

[boobs]

Serious question PP, were there really a lot of our fans in their end when it was so difficult to get tickets in the home end? I went on their website soon after the draw and the ticket office for our fixture said 'access denied'.A friend's adult son who has lived and worked in Brussels for years (and who is into football enough to watch Gilloise and travel to Leverkusen for their away fixture last Thursday) created two accounts with Gent with his Belgian residential address and ISPN.BUT, couldn't buy tickets for our game because only those who had bought memberships by March 1st (ie before the draw).On 44pts I will have no chance for an away ticket again if we progress and am interested in how people manage.The lad had helpfully created an Anderlecht account but could not create an Alkamar one

We took 2 lads to the game in our Uber and saw them after the game in the main square who got tickets off the Belgian Irons just chatting to them in the square before the game