West Ham 2 - 1 Aston Villa Post Match

[SoccerHQ]

They're an awful match up for us really. Niggly at set pieces but controlled and nulified our CMs and CFs with ease.

Were still playing them at a good time in the season compared to in October so opportunity missed as 8th is pretty much impossible now with Wolves winning.

Not a great game from Gerrard really in terms of game management.

They're better but they're not 10-15 points better than us.

[Vegas]

Didn’t really have any expectations for a result. McGinn, Ollie and Ings looked tired. That was a rough match and I thought the ref was poor. Next run of matches will be difficult, hopefully we can collect some points and get past 40 over the next three.

Every time I say that I’m worried about Watkins he scores, but he was just completely absent today. Couldn’t trap or pass a ball and didn’t have a single decent chance. We played narrow, they played wide and were dependent on their physicality. Long term, I prefer our approach.. just weren’t at the races today. A little bit of player rotation was probably warranted.

I think that’s a great summary. Always fucked off when we lose, but not too much I’m specifically fucked off with today. Maybe SG could have shuffled things sooner.

[Goldie.7]

Spam were the better side. We were second best for everything and got what we deserved - nothing!

As soon as the commentator said Ings has never won against them when he was being subbed, I instantly stuck a few quid on them.

Same old inconsistent Villa, nothing ever changes!

[Havencheese]

SG got this wrong today. Should have made changes at start or HT.

Yep, should’ve named a fresh Sanson as well. I’m firmly in the camp of SG but he disappointed me today with the naming of the team and the timing of the subs. It became apparent we were on the back foot with them easing through a sluggish midfield that it needed a tweak.

***

Disappointed but not entirely unhappy, Bailey offered enterprise as did Buendia. JJ with a very, very cool headed strike, struck beautifully. This was after I felt in the final third we’d been doubling back rather than first timing shots on a few occasions, they’re extremely organised. The period of the first half when we had loads of possession and once Antonio went off, is when a better side might be able to make that West Ham team pay, those were the periods of ascendancy and it was open against an organised shithouse team.

As has been said, if SG gets more of his men in, a DM, we’ll do this mob next season.

[brontebilly]

It wasn’t the day for Watkins and Ings together. Their midfield is very good and we mostly had no answer to it. Watkins was terrible today, really, really poor. And what a ridiculous trek back to the station after for away fans.

I wonder against better teams if we will get away with playing both of them anyway. Tough team selection the next day.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

SG got this wrong today. Should have made changes at start or HT.

This. West Ham rightly so having played on Thursday looked knackered but we looked worse.

[Ads]

Pretty level game, both sides slow and leggy. Think we ought to have had Sanson and Emi start. Their zip and energy would have been welcome.

Annoying to lose Digne so early. Felt we let them set in their low block and moved it too slowly. Bailey looks miles off it.

Not sure why McGinn dives in when Rice is 60 yards from goal.

Got to trust the squad more.

By far and away the worst ground I've ever been too and I've been to plenty of shit holes. It's a depressing place to play football. I'd fucking hate being a West Ham fan.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Was a very poor game in truth, though Yarmolenko certainly was a big improvement on the lumbering Antonio. Game was constantly disrupted with stoppages and injuries. Wrong team selection by Gerrard for me and mad matters worse by delaying his attacking subs. No complaints about the result. They bullied us physically in the second half.

Martinez 6 - jumpy in first half, one great save but poor for both goals
Cash 6 - poor in attacking areas, jaded
Chambers 5 - good first half but struggled with Yarmolenko in the second
Mings 7 - solid game throughout
Digne/Young 6 - Young tried hard but lack of a natural left footer hurt us going forward
Luiz 6 - good first half but swamped after half time
McGinn 5 - same as Luiz but hopeless for their second
Ramsey 7 - solid display and a fine finish
Coutinho 5 - started very well but dropped far too deep, struggled with intensity
Ings 4 - looked gassed from early on, one dreadful.clearance nearly cost us first half. Almost scored
Watkins 2 - absolutely appalling, not a single positive.
Bailey 6 - surprise first sub but their sub left back was terrible so was worth targeting. Much better cameo but lost ball badly for second goal.
Buendia 7 - brilliant assist and should have been on far earlier.
Gerrard 4 - poor team selection and timing of attacking subs left a lot to be desired.

Spot on, for once. Only thing missing was the ref who allowed West Ham to elbow their way throughout the game.

[Abbeyfealeavfc]

Disappointing outcome.
Having played Thursday and with the likes of Sanson, Buendia, Bailey, Konsa and Traore on the bench, some changes should have been made to the starting line-up and maybe even earlier in the game.
Some of these players coming in would have freshened things up and they know they would have been fighting for their place. Missed opportunity and management naivety for me.

[PaulWinch again]

We looked laboured today, probably because it’s the same team playing three times in a week. But not going to grumble too much we’ve won 3 out of last 4, and this was always going to be tough.

[Villan82]

We need to become harder to beat. We struggle against physicality, we lose too often.

[CT Villan]

A bit average. Thought Luiz and Watkins were poor and seeing Coutinho having to drop so deep to do Luiz's job for him was very frustrating. JJ also too anonymous despite his goal.

We waited until we were 2 down before any real sense of urgency became apparent.

[Legion]

https://www.skysports.com/football/west-ham-vs-a-villa/report/446577

[Villatillidie25]

Echo the sentiment of many.
Team should have had at least a couple of changes (Sanson being one) given the workload in the past week. We’ve finally got a decent squad, why not use it.
Very laboured performance all round with an inability to beat their low block at all which meant we spent a lot of the time passing sideways.
Tough day for Ings and Watkins with no space to work in at all but both not quite at the races. Mcginn and Ramsey pretty anonymous. Luiz ok although bit lax at times. Coutinho flashes of brilliance and makes things look easy but came far too deep. Full backs meh, offering little service. Thought Chambers was a fraction below his last few games. Mings decent.
Agree with whoever said it’s a crap ground. Absolutely soulless.

[Monty]

Also - really was happy for Yarmolenko. I'd have been happier with him scoring in a 3-1 defeat, but you can't have everything.