West Ham United v Aston Villa Post-Match Thread

[ciggiesnbeer]

Downing had a good game for them today. No doubt. Still he is miles away from being a quality player in my opinion.

I would be more depressed if we were buying over priced Premier League workmen versus taking gambles in cheap lower league/imports at least you can get the odd pleasant surprise the latter way.

[john e]

didn't see the game today,
SO how did Sylla get on as I know a lot of people were calling for him in the team ?

[PaulWinch again]

Wasn't it interesting that the one time we actually passed the ball Benteke hit the bar? Every game we have like that, with shite passing and a slightly cowardly attitude on the ball, we tend to have one move or even spell in the game where we pass it and look good. Perhaps we could look at those times and attempt to replicate it for longer than 3 minutes a game.

Completely agree, you'd think any analysis of the game would show that. That move was really good and nearly created a goal, I've said it so many times we are at our best when we pass the ball. We are rubbish when we go long.

[PaulWinch again]

Wasn't it interesting that the one time we actually passed the ball Benteke hit the bar? Every game we have like that, with shite passing and a slightly cowardly attitude on the ball, we tend to have one move or even spell in the game where we pass it and look good. Perhaps we could look at those times and attempt to replicate it for longer than 3 minutes a game.

What did my nut in today was how often we'd play two passes and then what would be at best a 50/50 ball, usually long.

Like you said, today, we finally put together a passing move and nearly score.

That is exactly what happened against Man City and it culminated in KEA's goal.

Ultimately, some of the players really need to start to up their game or be replaced with others more capable of passing. I know I have just mentioned a goal of his, but KEA is really the epitome of an "all fart, no shit" player.

Swans around with that air of "look at me, I'm a playmaker" about him, looking the part as he drifts into space, but provides nothing for weeks and weeks on end.

Yep there are too many players who aren't justifying their selection. That passing movement that led to the Benteke header against the crossbar should show that when we pass and move we're a threat. As soon as we go direct we're hopeless.

[john2710]

didn't see the game today,
SO how did Sylla get on as I know a lot of people were calling for him in the team ?

His performance showed why Lambert has overlooked him so far, painfully out of his depth, along with the rest of the midfield.

[ciggiesnbeer]

didn't see the game today,
SO how did Sylla get on as I know a lot of people were calling for him in the team ?

Pretty average. Had a few simple touches, disappeared for bits of the game, made some good cut outs at the back. Although he ran a lot, it was often to where the ball had been not to where it was, so he just trailed it around a bit. Definitely needed the game time.

5/10

[Monty]

Wasn't it interesting that the one time we actually passed the ball Benteke hit the bar? Every game we have like that, with shite passing and a slightly cowardly attitude on the ball, we tend to have one move or even spell in the game where we pass it and look good. Perhaps we could look at those times and attempt to replicate it for longer than 3 minutes a game.

What did my nut in today was how often we'd play two passes and then what would be at best a 50/50 ball, usually long.

Like you said, today, we finally put together a passing move and nearly score.

That is exactly what happened against Man City and it culminated in KEA's goal.

Ultimately, some of the players really need to start to up their game or be replaced with others more capable of passing. I know I have just mentioned a goal of his, but KEA is really the epitome of an "all fart, no shit" player.

Swans around with that air of "look at me, I'm a playmaker" about him, looking the part as he drifts into space, but provides nothing for weeks and weeks on end.

He played very poorly today, but there have been games where he's clearly played better than Westwood in the same position. The problem today was the absence of Delph, which seemed to give the midfield a kind of collective energy enema. Then they really were all fart and no shit.

You and I have gone on about this for years, Paulie, but it's all about off-the-ball movement. Look at Arsenal right now - they never stop moving, all of them, looking for space and making their markers very confused about what to do. We're lucky if one of our players does that.

[PaulWinch again]

Wasn't it interesting that the one time we actually passed the ball Benteke hit the bar? Every game we have like that, with shite passing and a slightly cowardly attitude on the ball, we tend to have one move or even spell in the game where we pass it and look good. Perhaps we could look at those times and attempt to replicate it for longer than 3 minutes a game.

What did my nut in today was how often we'd play two passes and then what would be at best a 50/50 ball, usually long.

Like you said, today, we finally put together a passing move and nearly score.

That is exactly what happened against Man City and it culminated in KEA's goal.

Ultimately, some of the players really need to start to up their game or be replaced with others more capable of passing. I know I have just mentioned a goal of his, but KEA is really the epitome of an "all fart, no shit" player.

Swans around with that air of "look at me, I'm a playmaker" about him, looking the part as he drifts into space, but provides nothing for weeks and weeks on end.

He played very poorly today, but there have been games where he's clearly played better than Westwood in the same position. The problem today was the absence of Delph, which seemed to give the midfield a kind of collective energy enema. Then they really were all fart and no shit.

You and I have gone on about this for years, Paulie, but it's all about off-the-ball movement. Look at Arsenal right now - they never stop moving, all of them, looking for space and making their markers very confused about what to do. We're lucky if one of our players does that.

I find it amazing that professional players at the top level are incapable of movement off the ball.

[mr woo]

Downing had a good game for them today. No doubt. Still he is miles away from being a quality player in my opinion.

I would be more depressed if we were buying over priced Premier League workmen versus taking gambles in cheap lower league/imports at least you can get the odd pleasant surprise the latter way.

Granted when you put it like that.

The point I'm making though is that EVERY player has his merits and weaknesses and so blindly discounting every player over 28 because they dont fit a 'policy' is daft. Its the blend that needs to be correct, surely. The kids at Man Utd would never have made the impact they did without Cantona, Keane and Schmeichel for example.

[Matt Collins]

We're not allowed to talk positively about watching the arsenal game apparently

On the positive side, just scan down tonight's league table and work out which teams we've played. Eight off the top and two off the bottom, carol, is the answer.

But we do need to start playing a lot better and carrying more goal threat if we're to win some of these upcoming games. I think there's a decent argument that the 4231 of last week worked pretty well for an hour. But with Weimann and gabby out the three in behind benteke would look pretty untested. Bacuna / helenius / Tonev? Not for me at the moment!



But a side of Guzan - Lowton vlaar Clark Bennett - bacuna Westwood Delph Tonev - gabby - benteke

Looks a bit better, albeit with some weak links still!

[pauliewalnuts]

I don't see Bennett as a player who improves us much, and Tonev has hardly set the place alight.

I also don't know why we're not allowed to talk positively about watching the Arsenal game.

[PaulWinch again]

We need a player in central midfield and an attacking wide player who are significantly better than what we have. That'll cost money, but it's the only way we'll improve in the long and short term.

[eastie]

We're not allowed to talk positively about watching the arsenal game apparently

On the positive side, just scan down tonight's league table and work out which teams we've played. Eight off the top and two off the bottom, carol, is the answer.

But we do need to start playing a lot better and carrying more goal threat if we're to win some of these upcoming games. I think there's a decent argument that the 4231 of last week worked pretty well for an hour. But with Weimann and gabby out the three in behind benteke would look pretty untested. Bacuna / helenius / Tonev? Not for me at the moment!



But a side of Guzan - Lowton vlaar Clark Bennett - bacuna Westwood Delph Tonev - gabby - benteke

Looks a bit better, albeit with some weak links still!

On the subject of goal threat gabby and Weimann have scored once between them this season so far.

[silhillvilla]

Just leaving euston, exceptionally busy out there. The queue at uptown park tube was ridiculous after the game and the obligatory pre-game a derailment of a train on the hammersmith and city line made the journey arduous and slow. No trains between Liverpool street and barking. What is it with trains etc on the weekends, is it all intentional to ruin peoples weekends, sort it Boris.
To cap things off I've gone into whistlestop at euston to try and get a few snifters on board for the journey back, robbing bastards want £3.49 for a 250ml can of Gordon's and tonic.

[SoccerHQ]

4 games without a goal, that is dismal. I doubt we even had a drought like that in the TSM season. The problem is staring Lambert right in the face, he needs to act in January.

Overall a decent point but stating the bleeding obvious we really need a win and a few goals next weekend as things have gone flat in this season now.