West Ham United v Aston Villa Match Thread

[CJ]

Bacuna booked for fouling Downing.

[pauliewalnuts]

This is quite incredible. A team that can't defend for shit (us) against a team that can't score for their lives ('ammers). It's like watching a drunk trying to poke someone's eye out with cooked spaghetti.

What worries me is that not long ago, we were saying that we couldn't defend for shit, but we'd always score.

Now we've started defending a bit better - a bit - but stopped scoring.

Frightening isn't it? Ironically, we've brought in strikers, presumably to ensure this didn't happen, when what we actually needed was a midfielder or three.

Quite. I don't really know why he bought Kozak, either. Or Helenius. Or certainly both of them, anyway.

The midfield is awful. KEA is a four decent games a season player, Sylla flatters to deceive, Westwood has regressed, only Delph has improved. Tonev looks like a parks player most of the time.

It's all admirable, the young players thing, but it's really, really difficult to make it work, or else everyone would be doing it.

There's also a line past which it becomes an excuse for not buying in decent, proven players more than an actual plan.

The thing is, I'm pretty sure there is a place for Helenius in the team. He's a creative player, can produce the unexpected and looks like he can score, too.

No idea why he bought Kozak, though.

It's not so much about Helenius - you're right, he might turn out to be a decent player, but he's come from the Danish league, and is young. It's not so much that we signed any of those strikers, but you've got to wonder whether it was really sensible to buy him AND Kozak. Not to mention Bowery.

[Tuscans]

Oh fuck off Westwood, you are crap mate.

[Legion]

£7m for Kozak?

[PaulWinch again]

Our passing is fucking atrocious.

[Axl Rose]

Weimann...Westwood....oh deary me....clueless.

[SamTheMouse]

This is quite incredible. A team that can't defend for shit (us) against a team that can't score for their lives ('ammers). It's like watching a drunk trying to poke someone's eye out with cooked spaghetti.

What worries me is that not long ago, we were saying that we couldn't defend for shit, but we'd always score.

Now we've started defending a bit better - a bit - but stopped scoring.

Yep, which suggests our team just doesn't have the quality needed to remain solid at the back while posing a consistent goal threat. It seems to be either one or the other at the moment.

[curiousorange]

Is it a new by-law that Villa players can't pass to other Villa players? We either spazz the simple pass or run it into trouble.

[Tuscans]

Looking at it 3 months in...wasn't the greatest bit of business in the summer for Lambert.

[Goldie.7]

£7m for Kozak?

A waste of 6.5m

[Axl Rose]

give us all something to shout and scream about Villa. in a good way

[Legion]

Looking at it 3 months in...wasn't the greatest bit of business in the summer for Lambert.

Okore looked good.

[Matt Collins]

I don't have a problem with taking a chance on the likes of helenius and bowery. Even if half of them don't come off but the other do, it's a risk worth taking.

But relying almost entirely on these signings, plus our not-as-good-as-we'd-hoped youth products is a bit of a bind at times.

Having said that, put a fit gabby, Delph, n'zogbia, Okore and an in form Weimann and benteke in that side and it'd be a completely different sight

[Tuscans]

Looking at it 3 months in...wasn't the greatest bit of business in the summer for Lambert.

Okore looked good.

Yea, forgot about him. Do like what I saw.

[Goldie.7]

Wasteful..