Vinny's Doncaster Report
Vinny 7:29 Sun Mar 11

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West Ham United 1 Doncaster Rovers 1

Another frustrating performance saw West Ham again drop points at Upton Park for the third successive home game.

With Reading winning again they are now level on points with only goal difference keeping us in the top two. This display left a lot to be desired despite an excellent start to the game and promotion does not seem as certain as it perhaps was a few weeks ago.

Of course this result hasn’t decided anything but the last two home games gave us a chance to cement a place at the top of the league and without being disrespectful to both Watford and Doncaster, these are teams we should be beating and beating well.

With the size of our squad and the options available we should be putting this type of team away with ease.

We just cannot seem to break teams down although with Vaz Te on the pitch those opening fifteen minutes suggested we were going to run riot. When Vaz Te was forced off injured that was pretty much it from us in an attacking sense and like all these teams who have managed to get a result at the Boleyn this season, they grew in confidence as the game went on.

What Doncaster has was a player who made things happen in El Hadji Diouf. This horrible little man had the creativity to spark his team into life and we have no such player (this could be Vaz Te in time).

The substitutions from Allardyce were puzzling and whilst not the sole reason we did not claim all three points they certainly contributed.

I had no issue with Baldock coming on as I think he has been a little unlucky in the last few months. Before his injury he was scoring a few goals and looking a threat. He came back from injury had a decent game at Sheffield Wednesday although his display was marred by a missed penalty. In the time he was out Allardyce brought in Maynard and Vaz Te which made it difficult for him to get back into the side.

But anyone who has seen Sam Baldock play knows that he is not a left winger and his best attribute is being in the right place in the right time to score goals.

The next chance was also a strange one with Henri Lansbury being replaced by Gary O’Neil. I can only presume Lansbury was injured because he was having a decent game and covered a lot of ground.

O’Neil on the other hand is such a uninspiring footballer he offers so little to the side and is average at best. I have nothing against O’Neil but this change hindered our second half performance.

But the change that leaves me scratching my head was to remove Kevin Nolan (our joint top scorer and a midfielder) and bring on recent loan signing Danny Collins who is a defender. Now you can argue that by doing this Taylor moved into midfield with Baldock going up front with Cole but at that time things were a bit desperate and we really needed a goal to win the game so if Nolan had to come off then it needed to be Maynard coming on or Morrison at worst. If Nolan wasn’t injured then I fail to see how the inept Jack Collison remained on the pitch.

We play like a rugby team. We force the ball forward and try to bundle the ball over the line. We play long balls forward and attempt to force the opposition back. We play diagonal passes from the back knowing the worst case scenario is that it will go off for a throw and we can push players forward.

We have no width, players playing out of position and other players not offering enough throughout the game.

Like against Watford we play long balls forward to a player who is as bad a target man as you are likely to see. But even when Carlton Cole does win a header it is flicked on to no one as he has little support.

If we has scored a last minute winner I would like to think that I would be raising the same points as I am not in the same boat as many that the result is simply the most important thing.

I don’t expect West Ham to play like Barcelona but come on, there has to be more to our football than this. This is just horrible to watch and so fucking boring. I don’t buy this notion that West Ham fans are a bunch of moaners, I believe we do have a valid complaint that the style of play served up is just not very good.

The Team

Allardyce made a few changes to the side who struggled midweek against Watford.

In defence, Joey O’Brien was not included in the squad and at right back was actually George McCartney with Matthew Taylor dropping to left back.

In midfield, Julien Faubert was also not included in the squad with Jack Collison and Ricardo Vaz Te coming into the starting eleven. This saw Vaz Te on the left, Collison on the right with Noble, Nolan and Lansbury in the middle.

Carlton Cole was up front on his own in a 4-5-1 formation and you can tell me it was 4-3-3 till you are a blue in the face but it wasn’t and it never is.

Included on the subs bench was Ravel Morrison the young midfielder signed from Manchester United in the January transfer window and recent loan signing from Stoke City Danny Collins.

No goal keeper was named on the bench again.

On the bench for Doncaster Rovers was former Hammer Herita Illunga who was released earlier in the season.

First Half

We started the game exactly how you would have wanted us to – in blistering fashion. Within the first thirty seconds we had the ball in the net.

It was a really good move with Kevin Nolan playing a perfectly weighted pass through to Ricardo Vaz Te who went shoulder to shoulder with the defender Chimbonda and lifted the ball over the onrushing keeper. But whilst the West Ham fans celebrated the goal had been ruled out for a push by Vaz Te by referee Andy D’Urso.

On the fourth minute mark our early domination continued when a ball forward found Collison who in turn found Cole in the area in space and the striker took a first time shot with his left foot which crashed off the cross bar.

Vaz Te was causing problems for Doncaster on the left hand side and was fouled a couple of times but the ref waived the appeals for a free kick away implying Vaz Te had dived.

Another good move moments later involving Vaz Te saw Lansbury cleverly dummy the cross and it found Cole who turned and attempted a shot with his left foot but scuffed it horribly.

But just one minute later we would score a deserved opener.

A shot from Lansbury was blocked and found its way to Vaz Te who put in a delightful cross for Tomkins at the back post whose header down caused all sorts of chaos as Cole attempted to bundle it over the line but it was blocked but on hand to finish was Kevin Nolan from virtually the goal line.

This was Nolan’s 9th goal of the season and his reputation as a goal scoring midfielder is validated once again.

At this stage it really was a question of how many were we going to get but on 21 minutes Vaz Te went down injured and was forced to come off. Our lack of attacking prowess can be traced back to the loss of Vaz Te and he was replaced by Sam Baldock.

Doncaster has their first shot of the game on 25 minutes with Gillett putting his shot way over the bar and was certainly not the best a shot could get.

As the half went on we had really run out of steam and Doncaster were slowly seeing more of the ball and beginning to knock it about.

Just before the half time whistle was due to be blown an almighty penalty appeal went up from the West Ham players as Tomkins won a back post header which appeared to have struck the arm of a Doncaster player but D’Urso gave nothing.

Second Half

We kicked off the second half with Taylor playing a long ball forward with the ball skipping off the turf ahead of Nolan and out for a goal kick. This was to be symptomatic of our second half display.

Diouf was taken out by a poor challenge from Noble and he put the cross into the area for one time West Ham target Giles Barnes to head wide.

Doncaster were clearly growing in confidence and it was very much “well if you’re not going to attack, we will” and they took some risks and get bodies forward.

A volley towards goal from Barnes was blocked and fell to Habib Beye who got in behind Taylor and his cross was deflected towards goal which Green kept out with his legs and put behind for a corner.

The Doncaster support (which was quite good and more numbers than the dismal Watford effort) were beginning to believe this game was not over yet.

From an attacking sense we were offering little and a free kick in to the area by Noble which saw Cole head just over was about as good as it got.
Lansbury was taken off on 57 minutes and replaced by Gary O’Neil who went to the right hand side with Collison moving into the middle.

Our calmness at the back was beginning to wane and panic in the area on 66 minutes saw Tomkins misjudge a cross but it was eventually dealt with by the number 5.

If anyone was going to get the next goal in the game it was going to be the visitors and their pressure paid off on the 73rd minute as they found an equaliser.

A loose ball put the ball into the path of Diouf whose cross eluded Tomkins and Green for Gillett to get a boot to it and James Coppinger was on hand to finish from close range to make it 1-1.

I couldn’t believe that we had got ourselves in this position and was extremely annoyed at the way we had applied ourselves in this second half.

On 80 minutes Kevin Nolan was replaced by Danny Collins who went to left back with Taylor pushing forward as we went to a 4-4-2.

But it was Doncaster who looked more likely to grab a winner and they so nearly did when they broke forward with Chimbonda crossing low into the area for the unmarked Diouf to stab goalwards only for Robert Green to make a fantastic save and claw the ball away. We should be thankful we have Robert Green at this football club.

Four minutes of added time were awarded but it just was never happening for us although a ball into the area by Noble was cleared only as far as Jack Collison who turned his shot wide from 15 yards out.

It was a frustrating end to a frustrating game and we have dropped points yet again on our home turf.

As I am not a moron I did not boo at the end, but this wasn’t good.

It wasn’t good at all.

Player Reviews

Robert Green
His save late in the game made sure we did not lose this. His catching from crosses and corners was spot on and he attempted to distribute the ball as quickly as possible.

George McCartney
In recent weeks he has been performing really well but this was in his proper position of left back. For some reason he was at right back in this one and when he went forward he had to keep checking back to get it on his left foot which just delayed and in most cases prevented an early cross into the area.

James Tomkins
Excellent in the first half and looked very calm and collected. In the second he was misjudging the flight of the ball and his distribution was as bad as it could have been.

Abdoulaye Faye
Continues to dominate opponents in the air and marked the Doncaster forward Bagayoko out of the game which saw him being taken off by the Doncaster manager Dean Saunders.

Matthew Taylor
Playing in a position he has played many times before he didn’t have a great game and struggled with Diouf for most of the game.

Jack Collison
Another in the long line of poor performances by Collison this season. He does not get involved enough, bottles out of challenges and does so little you wonder why he is even playing.

Mark Noble
Poor display from Noble whose quality on the ball was his main problem in this one. He was slow to release the ball and his crosses in to the area were very inaccurate.

Kevin Nolan
He ran his socks off throughout his time on the pitch and scored a goal which makes him joint top scorer. This was a better display than against Watford where he was awful.

Henri Lansbury
I thought he had a decent first half and really put in a good shift. He worked hard and was winning quite a few challenges. Better.

Ricardo Vaz Te
He was out best player despite being on the pitch for only 20 minutes. He made it all happen, he was the creative spark and when he went off, our attacking progress went with him.

Carlton Cole
Poor again although the service was pretty bad. He isn’t a target man and he struggled to make anything happen with the long balls towards him. He wanted the ball to his feet and at times he would control the ball and lay it off nicely then others he would fall over or foul an opponent. Simply put, Carlton Cole has not scored enough goals since December and this is not good enough.

Subs Used

Sam Baldock (on for Vaz Te 25 mins)
Am I alone in thinking Baldock is not a left winger? We can debate whether he is actually good enough some other time but if you are going to play Baldock at any point you play him as a centre forward.

Gary O’Neil (on for Lansbury 57 mins)
Nothing performance from a nothing player.

Danny Collins (on for Nolan 80 mins)
Why?

Subs Not Used: Morrison, Maynard

Bookings: None

Man Of The Match: Ricardo Vaz Te

Doncaster Rovers :Ikeme, Chimbonda, Beye, Martis, Spurr, Coppinger, Bennett, Barnes, Gillett, Diouf, Bagayoko
Subs; Hird, Ilunga, Oster, Robert, Hayter

Attendance: 34, 650

Overall

Three points off the top of the league with a game in hand on the leaders doesn’t make it sound quite so bad but I think if we had simply been unlucky in the last two games we would be looking at it in a different light and this report would not be so dour and bordering on depressing.

But we were not unlucky and we did not deserve to win this game.

Next Game – Leeds United (a) Saturday 17th March 3pm Kick Off

We put pressure on ourselves with our failure to win home games as we now have to go and get a win at Elland Road which is not an easy place to go to at the best of times. I thought they battered Southampton a couple of weeks ago and were very unlucky not to have won the game let alone lose it.

If we want to win the League then we need to pick up maximum points in as many games as possible. We need to start this by beating Leeds.


Sam's View

"Like the last couple of home games we couldn't finish the opposition off when we had the opportunity and then we become a little bit nervous,"

"We should have won it at the death with Collision's effort 12 yards out but he put it wide. Chances like those are the difference between three points and one."

"We lost Vaz Te who was causing them a great deal of problems down the left hand side. We had to play George McCartney at right back due to the absence of Joey O'Brien and a few others. We haven't got all the squad available at the moment as we would like but we should still have had enough quality to beat Doncaster.

"We played on Wednesday night and they played on Tuesday which makes a physical difference in the latter stages of the match. We were good, bad and indifferent in this game but if you win that doesn't matter.

"Everyone gets nervous at this stage of the season and it's just about seeing the game off. We got the goal early doors and what I am most disappointed about is that we didn't go on from there and score more."

"We became a little nervous and lost our fluency allowing Doncaster back into the game. We had the golden chance at the end but we didn't take it and we are just not good enough at home at the moment.

"It's a shame, after our results against Millwall and Southampton we haven't been able to push on."

"We knew March was going to be a difficult month with having to play the postponed game against Peterborough. The difficulty is we have injuries we don't need right now. Against Doncaster we have been forced into changes that we didn't want to make. O'Brien and Faubert both dropped out and we need players available to play.

"We want to have our best players on the pitch and at the moment we are not able to do that so we are all suffering. This problem didn't seem to be on the horizon a few weeks ago but we have and we must make sure we deal with it."



Season 2011/12 Scorers and Red Cards

Carlton Cole - 9 (9 League)
Kevin Nolan - 9 (9 League)
Mark Noble - 7 (7 League)
Sam Baldock - 5 (5 League)
Jack Collison - 3 (3 League)
Ricardo Vaz Te - 2 (2 League)
Winston Reid - 2 (2 League)
John Carew - 2 (2 League)
Frederique Piquionne - 2 (2 League)
James Tomkins - 2 (2 League)
Own Goal - 2 (2 League)
Papa Bouba Diop - 1 (1 League)
Joey O'Brien - 1 (1 League)
Matthew Taylor - 1 (1 League)
Henri Lansbury - 1 (1 League)
Julien Faubert - 1 (1 League)
Frank Nouble - 1 (1 League)
Nicky Maynard - 1 (1 League)
Gary O'Neil - 1 (1 League)
George McCartney - 1 (1 League)
Scott Parker - 1 (1 League)
Junior Stanislas - 1 (1 Cup)


Red Cards

Callum McNaughton - 1 (vs Aldershot home)
Frederique Piquionne - 1 (vs Portsmouth home)
Joey O'Brien - 1 (vs Reading away)
Jack Collison - 1 (vs Reading away)
Kevin Nolan - 1 (vs Millwall home)
Matthew Taylor - 1 (vs Southampton home)
Robert Green - 1 (vs Blackpool away)*

*rescinded by FA on appeal



Email: vinnywhufc@hotmail.com

Sir Alf 1:37 Fri Mar 16
Re: Vinny's Doncaster Report

Vinny 6:47 Wed Mar 14

If he does see it, perhaps he too realises he has no one in the squad to address it?

Having one paced midfielders in an already slow midfield is bad enough but then you think about how little Nolan and Collison contribute in some games, you wonder what Sam is thinking? I understand with Nolan more. I have spoken to Bolton and Newcastle fans and they say he does appear to be anonymous in a lot of games but will weigh in with goals in any season. But you cannot carry 2 players who can be anonymous for large passages of play.

Are we that stretched with injuries or lacking any othe option to Collison. Jack would probably look a whole lot better as part of a more mobile quartet but in our team he has been insipid and seems to be scared of making a challenge. Like a big girls blouse in most games. When he has been getting chances or is on goal he has become another of a very long line of poor finishers. Cannot even hit the target now. Confidence issues? Maybe but how in earth he is getting picked currently is a complete mystery.

Ozziehammer 11:14 Thu Mar 15
Re: Vinny's Doncaster Report

Bottom line......If you cant beat Watford and Doncaster at home what is going to happen to us in the top flight; if we get there?

I've been watching the highlights and even the worst in the top league are playing way better than we are.

seth 7:30 Wed Mar 14
Re: Vinny's Doncaster Report

Two very good posts. Thanks.

Vinny 6:47 Wed Mar 14
Re: Vinny's Doncaster Report

I think Allardyce does see the problem but what he is doing is putting any forward with a bit of pace on the left wing.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Maynard start on the left or right hand side tomorrow.

Whilst I do not think that he was a great player Junior Stanislas could have offered something in the way of width and I still think he can cross better than Faubert.

Sir Alf 6:21 Wed Mar 14
Re: Vinny's Doncaster Report

Indeed Vincent.

Many people, especially BFS, is looking at the forwards and their finishing as a reason for our dropped points at home. Yeah we have missed some gilt edged chances but the root cause, and one the predates Sam, is the midfield. Immobile and lacking creativity. No width and pace etc... We must have collectively the slowest midfield in all 4 Divisions. Individually the players we have are decent, some very good even and I reckon in a more balanced / blended set up the likes of Noble, Nolan, Taylor and even Collison and Taylor would look far more effective. Lack of movement means fewer passing options, you go back or sideways, get closed down or dispossessed or have to go long with an aimless, percentage ball to a front man.

Its not the only issue but for me is the the big "white elephant" in Sam and team's living room.

Unfortunately, we didnt have the budget and chance to deal with it in the transfer window although Morrison may help longer term.

Does Sam see what a lot of the supporters are seeing? The one paced midfield being outwitted by pass and move passages of play at UP. We have to play the holding player (Tomkins or Diop) to mask it frpm a defensive standpoint but it does not help much at home. It may stop the opposition scoring but we cannot either. What I do like about sacrifiicing Tomkins in that role is that it frees Noble to get foward and play a free roaming role. He aint a World beater but is the best creative passer if allowed to get on the ball in more advanced positions and not constrained by defensive duties.

Hope we see the holding role reinstated against Leeds. We need to be rock solid up there and stifle their midfield etc.... as we have managed to do on the road so much this season.

Vinny 5:59 Wed Mar 14
Re: Vinny's Doncaster Report

I don't think McCartney playing at right back was a massive problem and certainly was not the reason we failed to win the game.

It was the midfield which was the concern and the fact that most of our midfielders didn't have much of an impact on the game at all. The changes made by Allardyce did not work either and without the creative spark from Vaz Te we looked void of ideas and this gave Doncaster confidence.

seth 8:11 Tue Mar 13
Re: Vinny's Doncaster Report

some here seem to be suggesting that BFS played McCartney on the left for a laugh. He was clearly forced into it.

To him it probably looked like a safer bet that throwing someone else in there. Didn't work out that way.

Hope we have a proper right back at Leeds or we will be toast.

BMU 5:32 Tue Mar 13
Re: Vinny's Doncaster Report

you also should mention the inexpicable tactical line up with George McCartney as right back and Matt Taylor as left back which is largely the workings of an insane individual as Taylor cannot defend full stop and we lost the attacking threat of McCartney from the back.

Agree on Collison and he should be dropped as he is contributing to the side as is Carlton Cole at this point, who seems incapable of winning a header, holding the ball up or scoring which renders him next to useless

I do wonder somethimes whether Allardyce has lost the pot

Texas Iron 3:45 Tue Mar 13
Re: Vinny's Doncaster Report

Gazza_AZ 8:03 Mon Mar 12

CFC...Maynard...Baldock Vaz Te...

You missed some combinations...

CFC...Maynard...

CFC...Baldock...

CFC...Vaz Te

Maynard...Baldock...

Maynard ..Vaz Te...

Baldock...Vaz Te...

clack 12:42 Tue Mar 13
Re: Vinny's Doncaster Report

Who would've gone in goal if Green had got injured/ sent off after Lansbury went off (57 mins)?

Gazza_AZ 8:03 Mon Mar 12
Re: Vinny's Doncaster Report

Vinny

Excellent report, and I do sense the underlying furstration - despite being second in the league with a g-i-h.... but

BFS seems to indicate that he would field a different team if all were fit. I get the sense that you believe that he would still play 4-5-1 even where everybody available for selection...When will we reach this promised land (all players available for selection) - and when will we know whether Sam has intentions to play 4-4-2 with an immature strike partnership... and who should it be ?
Cole / Baldock
Cole / Maynard
Maynard / Baldock
Maynard / Vaz Te

I will be interested to hear your opinion... sounds like you do believe that BFS will still play 4-5-1 at home though - and hence your problem with him

David L 12:53 Mon Mar 12
Re: Vinny's Doncaster Report

O'neil did contribute: you must remembe that flowing move down the right where the ball went from Collison to O'Neil, to collison, to O'Neil, to Collison, to O''Neil, ball lost to defender.

It was just lke the old days of Brooking and Devo.

mattyb 10:15 Mon Mar 12
Re: Vinny's Doncaster Report

Spot on Vinny,

I agree Collison was awful. He needs a few games in the reserves.

Bleeding Claret 6:38 Mon Mar 12
Re: Vinny's Doncaster Report

Gary O'Neil must be the most pointless footballer I have seen for quite some time. Seriously, what is the purposeof him? Does anybody know? Serious question.

w4hammer 6:30 Mon Mar 12
Re: Vinny's Doncaster Report

Did o'neill actually touch the ball at any time durin g the match? I recall he ran around a bit, and fell over a bit- and thats about it?

Happy that h'e s back after his injury, however a more mediocre and "w-t-f does he actually do" player its hard to find...

Aussie Dave 6:24 Mon Mar 12
Re: Vinny's Doncaster Report

Vinny good report-really enjoy the player profiles,at least you call it as it is.
As you said another 2 points lost but when you look at the home stats for the season so far we have given away 21 points. We could now have a possible 87 points and automatic
promotion. I know its a bit of a stretch especially since we hav not been dominant at
home all season.
What is the answer?- I keep thinking back to the great west ham teams of the past and they all had one thing in common-good striker
partnerships up front, not a lone forward on his own.
Bfs needs to change his home tatics before it is to late, and get back to the west ham way.
Come you irons-lets get back to where we belong.

mentor 8:12 Sun Mar 11
Re: Vinny's Doncaster Report

Far too soft on an abysmal long ball performance. Some people will put up with any shit.

franksfat&slow&wank 8:02 Sun Mar 11
Re: Vinny's Doncaster Report

always a good accurate report albeit i never knew oneil had shagged ya mrs vin?

westhamjoe 7:58 Sun Mar 11
Re: Vinny's Doncaster Report

Absolutely spot on.
Harsh on O'Neill, but he doesnt seem to have many friends in the chicken run or with a Pompey pal of mine !
I personally like O'Neill, his a good footballer that can run all day and has(d) a bit of pace.

Sir Alf 6:41 Sun Mar 11
Re: Vinny's Doncaster Report

Thx Vinny

I have always seen Allardyce as a caretaker manager for a few seasons to get us up and keep us there until our finances improve. In that time, he has the opportunity to try and build something more than a functional team which is where we are. The problem we have is that I think Allardyce is the perfect manager to keep you in the Prem on a budget and if you can up with percentage football in some games. I can because I want us to establish ourselves in the Premiership not keep yoyo ing back up and down.

Unfortunately though, the functional, big physical team we have is falling a tad short for a team that needs to get promotion. That is the problem with the Allardyce approach I guess. Not adventurous enough to get you safely in the top 2 positions. That said, there are still a few games left and we aint too far away from the summit. We need to step up a gear somehow at home and really its teh same problem that existed in the first home game against Cardiff. He has not solved that largely due to squad balance and recruitment and partially due to tactics and formation.

It will go to the wire. Just hope West Ham aint once again the fall guys :-(

kylay 4:41 Sun Mar 11
Re: Vinny's Doncaster Report

Thank you vinny. didn't get to see this one, and I certainly wondered who was at right back. horribly disappointing that we make it so hard on ourselves

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