New Jersey
2:16 Sun Nov 6
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Stoke - The Official Match Thread FT 1-1
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Upton Fart - I noticed that yesterday, because of the running track it takes an age to get the ball back into play as there weren't enough ball boys. Not a big thing but at this level it's all about 'marginal gains' and that is unprofessional.
When an ageing Peter Crouch came on they panicked, Adrian had head loss and Stoke got a point they sort of deserved, as we didn't exactly batter them.
Looked most effective when Fletcher and Antonio went up front.
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1964
2:14 Sun Nov 6
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Stoke - The Official Match Thread FT 1-1
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Wasn't that impressed with Ayew either. Isn't his proper position a winger?
No-one we have signed is any better than Valencia - tells you all you need to know.
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i-Ron
2:10 Sun Nov 6
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Stoke - The Official Match Thread FT 1-1
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Let's be honest....Apart from a promising run...Fletcher did fuck all. No idea what his position on the pitch was yesterday but I wouldn't play him there again that's for sure.
How many chances or shots did we have after he come on? I know we scored an own goal but the next 20-25 mins...?! Nothing.
If that was Zaza Calleri etc people would be livid.
I'm sure he's going to be a good player one day but I can't see him scoring anytime soon.
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Texas Iron
1:51 Sun Nov 6
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Stoke - The Official Match Thread FT 1-1
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Sir Alf ...
Correct as usual...
Bilic took yoo long to suss out Stoke formation and adjust accordingly...
He's not flexible enough in his thinking......adn poor at assessing the opposition...
Knowing they would miss 2 key attacking players he should have set up to attack them from the first minutes down tge wings...and of course 2 up front...
And he did nothing to counter some of the slowest but technically capable veterans Allen...Adam...Walters...and didnt block out one of their best players Ramadan...all due to tge gsps left by 352...
And of course lack of a striker left us toothless up front...
Harsh to judge him so early but I dont rste Ayew as a main striker......he cant lead the line...
Missing Sakho and Carroll...and even Valencia has left us short of goal threats...
Gonna be a tough season...and I hope Bilic gets some advice and guidance ...Brooking should have a few serious words...ASAP...
Bilic is good in theory...but poor on the pitch this season...Second season syndrome...
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Sven Roeder
1:00 Sun Nov 6
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Stoke - The Official Match Thread FT 1-1
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The positive about Fletcher is that he played the position like a centre forward. Made the runs and showed for the ball. I'd start him until Sahko is ready and give us a bit of structure.
In hindsight with Shaqiri & Arnautovic out it was obvious how Stoke would play and that 3 centre halves were excessive unless one was a Rio type who would step into midfield.
Half time I would have taken Collins off and added Fernandes to midfield.
We need more energy & to move the ball quicker. Currently we take an age to get the ball to Payet and he has 3 men hovering and their defence set.
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Full Claret Jacket
12:48 Sun Nov 6
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Stoke - The Official Match Thread FT 1-1
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Alf, Fletcher looks very one-footed to me. I don't think he is the answer currently but he is a decent prospect and should get a run out.
I really begin to wonder if Bilic does his homework and sets up the team for each match. It looks like we get a result one week so he sticks with that and we are then predictable and ineffective.
Within the first 10 mins you could see how Stoke were going to play and we should have had a plan ready for that with the players on the pitch.
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,
12:45 Sun Nov 6
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Stoke - The Official Match Thread FT 1-1
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There is a pattern, especially at home, such that the more we dominate possession the less likely wear are to win.
We have come off a run of games that we should have got more points from and now face a run where we don't expect much success if any. And the way we are playing does not give cause for optimism. Let's hope for a win, of any sorts, in one of our upcoming toughies.
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1964
12:40 Sun Nov 6
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Stoke - The Official Match Thread FT 1-1
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Thank you Mr Sullivan for providing a 20 goal a season striker -
Oh! Well can we at least have a 1 goal a season striker?
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Sir Alf
12:34 Sun Nov 6
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Stoke - The Official Match Thread FT 1-1
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Due to losing 6 from the first 7 games, Bilic has adopted a far more cautious approach and tactics with the emphasis on "not losing". Understandable I suppose and coincides with the 3 at the back where we have seen just the one reverse against Everton last week where we arguably could have done better had we taken first half chances.
Yesterday when we went to 2 up top (Fletcher and Antonio) we started to create more space and chances but Stoke like most teams are adopting the same approach that has seen Watford, Southampton etc do well when they play us at our gaff. 10 behind the ball and exploit us on the counter. The 3 at the back and 5 in midfield with a proper holding midfielder (Obiang) has stopped us leaking so many goals but we are now struggling for goals as we only have 2 players in the squad IMO who can play up top on their own and they are always injured unavailable (Carroll and Sakho)
That said, Fletcher showed how to do it better than anyone else available currently and should be given more chances. Not necessarily to start but coming on at the 60 min point. He just needs to build upper body strength and there is definite potential as his ball control and movement is excellent.
Yesterday, Stoke came for a point and as mentioned to counter attack and perhaps get all 3. Our goal came when Bilic changed the system and theirs when Hughes made changes and Adrian somehow thinking he had to charge from his goal line as a sweeper keeper.
We may not want Carroll long term as he is never available but we need him to get fit and be an option from the bench asap. We also need Sakho now. It will make a big difference but Bilic will need to accept that Lanzini and Payet on the pitch at the same time is not working with teams setting up to stop them. I can see Sakho and Carroll being the strikers we rotate in games with Sakho starting and Carroll coming on as needed. Then Ayew in for Lanzini or even Payet if he is struggling (that said Payet created the goal for Antonio despite a poor game). With Carroll we can go direct and yesterday that would have given Stoke a different set of problems and as they proved with Crouch coming on, it creates space for others.
With Noble out next game,Fernandes gets a chance to play in his preferred role alongside Obiang. Ferndandes did struggle with the physicality of the Stoke team but he looks to me a player that is going to get stronger and better, so lets see him in central midfield?
The next few games will be interesting. Tough games where we are expected to get nothing. I am hopeful that with teams like Spurs and United taking the game to us and with Sakho and Carroll as options, we can revert to the counter attacking game that we saw in the first half of last season.
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theaxeman
12:22 Sun Nov 6
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Stoke - The Official Match Thread FT 1-1
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Just watching MOTD and chelsea destroying Everton and you can see the value of a PROPER centre forward in Costa. We need a centre forward to build our attacks through and give the midfield confidence to get forward with out the ball being lost. Our options up front without Sakho and dare i say Carroll are woeful apart from the promising Fletcher. As has been said a million times an absolutely shocking window. Oh and Adrian is a fucking show pony makes ordinary saves look like worldies and fucks up basic goalkeeping. Time For Randolph his chance has been long overdue.
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Private Dancer
12:01 Sun Nov 6
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Stoke - The Official Match Thread FT 1-1
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IMO there's a fine line between making an effort and being motivated to win. I would rarely, if ever, accuse po's of not trying but I don't see a team that hates losing and wants to go that extra 10%, particuarly at Everton last week. But take your point, a lack of understanding can derail a winning mentality.
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Full Claret Jacket
11:55 Sun Nov 6
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Stoke - The Official Match Thread FT 1-1
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I don't see a lack of effort, I see a lack of understanding and ability to play as a team.
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Iron2010
11:42 Sun Nov 6
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Stoke - The Official Match Thread FT 1-1
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i-Ron 10:53 Sun Nov 6
I would agree with that if were still in September. But we are in November and haven't had a Striker score a single goal. Anyone half decent would have taken a half chance or created something for themselves by now.
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Private Dancer
11:36 Sun Nov 6
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Stoke - The Official Match Thread FT 1-1
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What manager sets his teams up in a style that doesn't make goalscoring chances? A week or 2 ago everyone was raving about our fantastic trendy new system, all gone quiet now though hasn't it. Systems don't win footballl matches. I'd say it's more a simple case of us playing like a bunch of un-motivated cunts.
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Full Claret Jacket
11:30 Sun Nov 6
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Stoke - The Official Match Thread FT 1-1
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i-Ron 10:53 Sun Nov 6
Exactly. In fact we had so many we loaned one to Everton. I'd hazard a guess that the reason none of them score is due to the fact we don't play to their strengths.
Ask yourself whose fault that is instead of moaning about the transfer window, lack of investment, the stadium and injuries.
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i-Ron
10:53 Sun Nov 6
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Stoke - The Official Match Thread FT 1-1
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FFS how many more people are going to post that we don't have a striker?
We do have strikers
We play with one every week
It's just our style of football that isn't creating chances for them
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Hermit Road
10:35 Sun Nov 6
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Stoke - The Official Match Thread FT 1-1
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Noble missing spurs gives us a better chance of getting a result against Spurs.
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Ernest Faulkner
9:36 Sun Nov 6
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Stoke - The Official Match Thread FT 1-1
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Noble getting that late booking and missing Spurs means what?
Reid at the back and Kouyate pushing into midfield to battle Wanyama?
Or Fernandes playing central?
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threesixty
9:22 Sun Nov 6
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Stoke - The Official Match Thread FT 1-1
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Perversely we will probably get wins off the next 4 games!
The main reason is that big teams will never sit back against us like mid table and other shit clubs.
They are too proud for that. And we can hold the ball and pass it probably better than any team outside the top 4.
We like playing counter attacking football and the big teams think we are shit these days and will play a high line against us.
I think we'll get 7 or 8 points of the next few games.
To give Bilic some credit, what can you do against a team that sits back all day if you don't have world class strikers? Adrian needs beta blockers. Just calm down mate. Seriously. Had he not been so rash I couldn't see stoke getting anything. They didn't come here to win, just to fustrate (which is fine). But we gave them that result.
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Upton Fart
8:40 Sun Nov 6
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Stoke - The Official Match Thread FT 1-1
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G&S you tight wads, employ a few ball boys to get the ball back in play quicker ! when it goes out of play its taking an age to get the ball. It might help our game to speed up too !
Horrible pitch at the moment, all to slow.... Bit like billic's decision making
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hollocks
5:50 Sun Nov 6
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Stoke - The Official Match Thread FT 1-1
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The problem this season is we have no strikers. Ayew is not a striker. Noble is too slow. Today Noble would get the ball and pass it back. We miss Kouyate's runs. We need two up front in this system and the results will come. Payet for me has not been the same player since he got injured against Everton last season. Yes he can hit a free kick but he's lost that burst of pace he had.
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