West Ham United v Aston Villa Post-Match Thread

[Clampy]

I didn't see any of the first half (apart from the highlights this morning) and the picture in the pub for the second half was a bit naff.

From what I saw though, we missed Gabby's pace and Delph in the middle. Bacuna didn't look comfortable at left back but he did his best I suppose. Not going to grumble too much about a draw away from home but we need to start finding the net again soon.

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I have just seen PWS post.

Apologies to all, not very becoming.

[Ron Manager]

I was looking at Man Citys bench at half time yesterday afternoon. It read  Hart,Richards,Lescott,Milner, Kolorov,Navas,Dzeko.

That was their bench. They won 7-0!

What chance is there for a club like ours with little financial backing from the owner.

The best we can hope for is mid table in the top flight....any season!

and maybe a League Cup run.

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You cannot compete with that, although even when we were spending a lot of money I don't think the expectations were to actually mix it with the top two or three.

I wonder when the last time we as fans held those expectations?

[Big Dick Edwards]

I take the view that any away point is a good point. Also bear in mind we had two first choice defenders unavailable through injury and still kept a clean sheet. We also lost here last season. Let's look at the positives rather than be unnecessarily negative.

[danlanza]

If Benteke had buried that header then i think the game would have been ours.
99 out of a hundred times he would have buried it, just not yesterday.
Oh well, a point is better than nothing.
Lets hope we get a result against Cardiff. If we don't then we will have to start asking some awkward questions about what is going on.
Keep faith. We will improve and when we do we will go on a very good run.
UTV

[Ron Manager]

You cannot compete with that, although even when we were spending a lot of money I don't think the expectations were to actually mix it with the top two or three.

I wonder when the last time we as fans held those expectations?

Fair comment. I suppose we should try to get really organised with the players that are on the clubs books. Southampton have achieved a style of play that works so it can be done.

On reflection a point away is always acceptable but our ball retention was shocking in the extreme.

[Pete3206]

Poo

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Southampton have done well to spend a decent amount of money on a couple of players who can make the difference.

Whether they have that money to spend I don't know. There seems to be common agreement that we are one attacking midfielder away from putting together some good home form. Our away form is very good; three clean sheets on the spin, lost one game we were cheated out of; get those next level players in the summer (or January?) and we will be a decent all round outfit.

While the sides we have played at home have been by and large the top six, its a pity we haven't been able to dig out a result to earn a scrappy point as we have away from home.

[rob_bridge]

Happy with the point. Clean sheet.

[eastie]

Southampton have done well to spend a decent amount of money on a couple of players who can make the difference.

Whether they have that money to spend I don't know. There seems to be common agreement that we are one attacking midfielder away from putting together some good home form. Our away form is very good; three clean sheets on the spin, lost one game we were cheated out of; get those next level players in the summer (or January?) and we will be a decent all round outfit.

While the sides we have played at home have been by and large the top six, its a pity we haven't been able to dig out a result to earn a scrappy point as we have away from home.

But weren't we saying last season similar about getting two or three quality players in - the problem has still to be addressed.

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There was a clear decision to build the squad, a necessary one in my opinion when you consisder what happened in December when we couldn't rotate players out of the firing line.

We are working to a budget which may be a hinderance or it may be that Lambert is very particular. He wanted Dempsey, there were rumours that he wanted Countinho in January and we know he wanted the guy from Nuremburg. I think we are poorer for not getting that player, no doubt about it, but if there are limitations to how much we spend, then surely it is understandable that we are slowly improving based on the level of overhaul we have had in the past 16 months.

[Clampy]

There was a clear decision to build the squad, a necessary one in my opinion when you consisder what happened in December when we couldn't rotate players out of the firing line.

We are working to a budget which may be a hinderance or it may be that Lambert is very particular. He wanted Dempsey, there were rumours that he wanted Countinho in January and we know he wanted the guy from Nuremburg. I think we are poorer for not getting that player, no doubt about it, but if there are limitations to how much we spend, then surely it is understandable that we are slowly improving based on the level of overhaul we have had in the past 16 months.

The re-assuring thing is that at least we know he's after another attacking midfielder. I can only presume we were either told the Nuremberg guy was not for sale or we were quoted a ridiculous fee. We are missing that someone who can help us win a game when the strikers are off form.

[Shrek]

Worst away game I have been to, no singing from Villa fans all game. Not once during the whole game, was the whole away end singing together.

Strange. All through the game, all I could hear on my stream was the Villa fans in fine voice.

That would have been the West Ham fans, who were singing Claret and blue army all game.

[eastie]

There was a clear decision to build the squad, a necessary one in my opinion when you consisder what happened in December when we couldn't rotate players out of the firing line.

We are working to a budget which may be a hinderance or it may be that Lambert is very particular. He wanted Dempsey, there were rumours that he wanted Countinho in January and we know he wanted the guy from Nuremburg. I think we are poorer for not getting that player, no doubt about it, but if there are limitations to how much we spend, then surely it is understandable that we are slowly improving based on the level of overhaul we have had in the past 16 months.

Decent points maybe , but it begs the question as to why we spent so much on Kozak to sit on the bench when it was clear we needed that creative spark in midfield.