West Ham United vs. Aston Villa: Post-Match Thread

[The Situation]

any highlights of the game?

cant be arsed going thru 14 pages

Click on the link for higlights

http://www.101greatgoals.com/videodisplay/west-ham-aston-villa-9061256/

[JD]

Have just watched the whole game, delayed coverage.

We looked very good in patches today and should have won by a hatful of goals, but for once instead of conceding a late goal we got one. Life is sweet today 

Thought Ash, Luke and the Ginga Ninja were excellent today, with Downing and Bent playing very well also. Reo Coker still needs to work on his distribution, which was terrible at times, but no faulting his commitment.

Bye, bye Kit Stealers, enjoy Barnsley next year. Looks like Blackpool may join you. 

[Caiphus]

I really think that the personality arm wrestle going on behind the scenes has finally been won by GH.  The desire was pretty evident from the team and I saw real passion from GH and GMac when Gabby scored.  I'd absolutely love this to be the start of a winning run till the end of the season.  I'd love to see us win 4 out of the remaining five... I think it is doable if we can maintain the spirit...  I don't think a draw or even a win at arsenal is out of the question considering how hot and cold they have been all season.

[Matt Collins]

I really think that the personality arm wrestle going on behind the scenes has finally been won by GH.  The desire was pretty evident from the team and I saw real passion from GH and GMac when Gabby scored.  I'd absolutely love this to be the start of a winning run till the end of the season.  I'd love to see us win 4 out of the
remaining five... I think it is doable if we can

maintain the spirit...  I don't think a draw or even

 a win at arsenal is out of the question
considering how hot and cold they have been all
season.

I see it differently. We've reverted to 442. We're
playing more like under MON than at any time
under houllier. The kids are all out the team.

It will be interesting to see how things get
blended in the summer. We need quite a lot of
new players even if we keep the likes of ash,
NRC, downing, friedel, walker, etc. And we
certainly won't keep some of them. And downing apart, we wouldn't get full value for any of them either. We'll need some of the kids to really push on next year I think. Delph and Clark in particular.

[holtepaul]

Well what a strange occurrance.

We have been absolutely abysmal all year, and here we are in 9th place, and with a real possibility of getting in the 50's points wise.

If , after the turmoil at the start, if you had offerred a top 10 finish, and 50+ points - I'd have took it, and I bet many others would.

Strange

Yesterday.

We started appallingly, the defence was all over the shop for 25 mins. We then started to settle, had a clear goal ruled out, got the first and never looked back. I think we had settled for a point, which would have been acceptable, but got the bonus at the end.

Bent is absolutely amazing. I just wonder where we would have been if we had bought him when we should have, instead of buying Heskey. His movement is on a par with the very best. Have a look when Downing was running through and crossed (Green saved) but Bent lost two markers on the back post.

If we get the defence sorted - we are in for  a VERY good year next year - no matter who is in charge.

[ROBBO]

I thought we looked panicky in defence against a very poor WH forward set up. Was convinced they would steal a late winner even though by that time  they were very poor.
Midfield is still a major problem and we need a quality central defender,but we do finally have one of the best centre forwards in the game, what i like about Bent is even when he misses an easy chance he doesn't let it affect him, he just goes about his business.

[rob_bridge]

I really think that the personality arm wrestle going on behind the scenes has finally been won by GH.  The desire was pretty evident from the team and I saw real passion from GH and GMac when Gabby scored.  I'd absolutely love this to be the start of a winning run till the end of the season.  I'd love to see us win 4 out of the
remaining five... I think it is doable if we can

maintain the spirit...  I don't think a draw or even

 a win at arsenal is out of the question
considering how hot and cold they have been all
season.

I see it differently. We've reverted to 442. We're
playing more like under MON than at any time
under houllier. The kids are all out the team.

It will be interesting to see how things get
blended in the summer. We need quite a lot of
new players even if we keep the likes of ash,
NRC, downing, friedel, walker, etc. And we
certainly won't keep some of them. And downing apart, we wouldn't get full value for any of them either. We'll need some of the kids to really push on next year I think. Delph and Clark in particular.

Very good performance yesterday. I hate excuses made re injruies etc.. when we were missing a few so tough shit in the last 3 games to the teams we played - it happens to everyone. Agree more with the latter comments. No more stupid 4-4-1-1 system (all the negatives of 4-5-1 without the positives of 4-3-3) and with Ash being wasted 'in the hole'. Put wingers on the wing, more experienced and organsied defence and midfield. Oh and some support for Bent. No coincidence Dunne, Collins, L Young, NRC and Petrov coming back has given us a better backbone. And team spirit is all well and good but it NO substitute for team work. Personally I don't care whether the players have love-ins in showers after the game or hate each others guts provided they work together professionally.

[Surrey Villain]

When Agbonlahor came on yesterday Houllier finally stumbled on possibly the lineup most fans have wanted for a while and all it needed was to swap Ashley Young and Gabby into their best positions.  I guess Ashley Young has been playing as a second striker because he wanted to but it has not succeeded and yesterday when he reverted to the wings he was sensational as he has been for England recently. Where would we be if he hadn't got his way all season?
Now we have two strikers with two good subs in that position and two wingers with Albrighton champing at the bit to get in as a sub.  We have a choice in midfield and at centre back and only perhaps the full back pool needs strengthening.  We do need a first clas goalkeeper to replace Friedel. 

[richard moore]

1. Great to see Houllier and Gary Mac getting excited at the end there - they were really buying into it

2. Loved Pornodwarf's black leather gloves

3. Hitzlesperger is still a very ordinary player - both him and Noble aint half shored up by Parker

4. Imagine West Ham rattling round in that Olympic stadium next year with about 25K fans
 

[luke25]

Over the past few seasons we've scored alot of goals with the Ash crossing to Gabbys head routine so its fitting that thats the goal that pretty much guarantee's our safety.

[Pete3206]

My thanks to the media, football writers, pundits and all round "experts" for getting it totally wrong about Darren Bent. Panic buy? We'd have been sunk without him.

And what an absolute joy to see Gabby get the winner yesterday.

[Mazrim]

I dont agree we've been crap all year and only now that we're playing experienced players are we looking the part.
Weve played some really good stuff at times and often not got the result we've deserved.

The finest display of football I have seen from this side this season was the 2 - 2 Man Utd home game and that included several kids. Of course the experienced players bring more assurance but lets not assume everything is great because the kids are out of the picture.
I dont think they would have had so much football if injuries hadn't dictated but the fact is they've had good exposure this season and the ones that make it will benefit greatly from it. As will Villa as a result.
They'll figure more and be even better next season.

[not3bad]

We have been absolutely abysmal all year

West Ham 3-1?  Man Utd 2-2?  Chelsea 3-3?  Man City 1-0?  Blackburn 4-1?  Abysmal?

[Archie]

Yesterday the fans have been great, as usual, by far the best in the PL.
And the Bells are Ringing campaign worked, well done lads.

Apart from this I don't feel so enthusiast, I can't understand how opinions can change completely from a week to another.
Yes we have made 2 wins in a row, I'm obviously very very happy for this, and I'm also relieved because we have probably avoided relegation, but at the end we have only beaten two average teams, that should be normal for a big club, as we are a big club, that gives 4 players to the National team.
West Ham is at the bottom of the table, and last August we had "hammered"  them 3-0  under the caretaker manager Kevin Mc Donald.

And still we were risking to lose with such an average team, courtesy of an incredible blunder  of Richard Dunne (the most error-prone player in the world second only to Titus Bramble) that at minute 85 left completely unmarked Carlton Cole in the box.
Any "normal" striker would have scored without effort and we'd be here to comment a defeat.

[avfc_1874]

Where's BCV?