Mr Kenzo 2:47 Mon Nov 7
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Crystal Palace - Official Match Thread - Preview

Made a mockery of Paul Merson's prediction last week

joe royal 2:38 Mon Nov 7
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Crystal Palace - Official Match Thread - Preview

joe royal 7:13 Sat Nov 5
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Crystal Palace - Official Match Thread - Preview
Palace haven’t won away all season:

Welcome to the Olympic stadium.

Was pretty predictable sadly.

Sir Alf 2:22 Mon Nov 7
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Crystal Palace - Official Match Thread

Russ of the BML 12:45 Mon Nov 7

Yep we’re still being coached to sit deeper, keep the shape and be compact as opposed to playing a higher press be a few yards further forward as a team. Look at how we and other teams like Palace deal with defending. We launch it “old skool” straight back. Less than we did but more than almost any other team. This includes Fabianski who is not and probably never will be a sweeper/ keeper.

We look slower as a team than almost every other. That’s recruitment too not helping. A lot rests on Aguerd being a success but passing out from the back needs runners and movement. We just don’t have it. It will improve with Downes who is a lot more mobile than Soucek but Paqueta is not a No 10. His success is as a no 8 deeper with Lyon and Brazil and his one disappointing spell was at Milan as a no 10 I read? Moyes seems to play players out of position to keep his favourites.

He’s playing Bowen to try to help him get to the WC. It’s failing dismally. Bowen has been dreadful this season. Coincided with getting cozy with Dani Dyer perhaps? Focus off footie. Also his form last season and teams take preventative measures defensively. He has struggled and should be benched.

We don’t have any wing backs aside from inexperienced Ashby and on loan Longelo. To play attacking possession football you need pace and skill in those positions nowadays. They allow overloads to get around the high press and behind defences. We don’t play that way. Still too much rooted in counter attacking, absorb and sit deep then open up later a bit in games. It’s been sussed and don’t work

Swiss. 1:47 Mon Nov 7
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Crystal Palace - Official Match Thread

ted fenton 12:47 Mon Nov 7

Exactly my thoughts ref Haller and Scamacca.

Northern Sold 1:37 Mon Nov 7
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Crystal Palace - Official Match Thread

Couldn't stomach watching that game yesterday (and going by the copious amounts of empty seats on view it seems I was not the only one) so watched the equally as shit Rugby... just watched the MotD highlight this AM... fuck me that was drepressing... oh and Antonio... you are a fucking cheating disgrace

zico 1:17 Mon Nov 7
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Crystal Palace - Official Match Thread

Russ of the BML 12:45 Mon Nov 7

Interesting that Benny, Fornals and Scamacca are always the ones to get hooked! I wonder if at times Benny just thinks fuck this, we need a goal and that doesn't fit in with Moyes not lose rather than win philosophy.

Surfinglizard 1:03 Mon Nov 7
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Crystal Palace - Official Match Thread

It’s the first time for a while I’ve read so many Moyes Out pleas, not only here but many other sites. When you look at the individuals in the squad and the level of performance you can only conclude something is rank bad in the camp and he’s run out of road. His inability to change tactics is the most worrying and has been for ages. Decent players out of position and being ineffective, no clear strategy understood by the 11 on the field. We’ve been found out big time by most of the Prem teams that play us. I hate to say this but I hope we don’t sneak a crappy win v Leicester and the crisis of results continues for one more game so the board finally make the decision to change. If we claw a point or three this will go on into next year.

claypole 1:01 Mon Nov 7
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Crystal Palace - Official Match Thread

Before he passes backwards Cresswell generally gestures for someone to move for the ball. I saw Rice doing that yesterday, also our throw-in has been pathetic for some time due to lack of movement.

ted fenton 12:47 Mon Nov 7
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Crystal Palace - Official Match Thread

Moyes sets up his team to sit well back and hope to hit the oposition on the break !! To set up like this against Palace is embarrassing this is why Haller and now Scamacca are not playing their normal game as strikers.

Time to go !!

Russ of the BML 12:45 Mon Nov 7
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Crystal Palace - Official Match Thread

zico 12:28 Mon Nov 7

Yep. I said that a few weeks ago.

Benny was pressing and all they did was side-step, play it forward and the player turned and moved into space because there's no press from the whole team.

Then Fornals would do it, Scamacca, Antonio. All wasting their fucking energy because even the worst PL teams can cope with a one-man press.

It's embarrassing. And clearly shows a lack of communication and a defensive system being passed to the players.

How the fuck can a PL manager stand there and watch one player press and nobody else? You either tell the rest of the team to do it or tell the one player doing it not to do it. Depending on what you want. But from what I see Moyes doesn't know what he wants because he is incompetent or he can't get the players on board. Either way, it's creating poor performances.

I've looked at us last two months and have throught with a few tweaks here and there and some of the new players picking up form, we could push for Europa spots. But after yesterday's shambles I am now of the belief that a few tweaks and some better form can't get us out of it. Moyes is the problem. He has been for a year now.

Charoo 12:36 Mon Nov 7
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Crystal Palace - Official Match Thread

One thing evidently clear yesterday is that Antonio is not a premier league player - he is absolutely fucking terrible.

I’ve always quite liked him but he can’t hold a ball up to save his life, can’t make any sort of correct decision when he gets the ball, should have passed when he dived for the pen, should have not taken a touch and cut the ball back instead of chipping into the keepers arms, he falls over at the slightest touch, he’s lost some pace and is getting bullied by average centre backs.

If he’s going to play it should be as sub at right wing for an under performing Bowen and that’s it.

Soucek shouldn’t be near the starting line up, his inability to pass slows us down so much.

Rice as 90% of the time was the only real player to come out of yesterday with any credit - he was fucking everywhere, mopping up Cresswell’s shit at Left back and trying to get us moving forward. We are gonna be fucked when he leaves.

zico 12:28 Mon Nov 7
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Crystal Palace - Official Match Thread

What I have found worrying in the last few weeks is this. Moyes sets us up to play deep, keeping shape (or trying to) and one of the few teams in the division not to press high. Yet I have seen several times Rice, Paqueta or Scamacca scurry forward to try and press the opposition back line, turn around and frustratingly beckon the rest of the team with a wave of the arm to do the same. The result is a half-hearted effort by one or two and that's it. Now that seems like a team who don't actually have a clue as to what the team strategy is. If Moyes is saying play a low block (or whatever it's called) and one or two are desperate to close down then the communication between management and players is not there.

Ron Eff 12:21 Mon Nov 7
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Crystal Palace - Official Match Thread

We have so many players behind the ball, even when in possession in midfield, that we might as well be playing rugby. Its so static. Then he has the audacity to hook the striker at half time after playing a system that basically afforded him about 3 touches in the first half.

This is exactly what it was like when it turned toxic v Burnley the first time around. This isn’t improving now so what is the point of delaying the inevitable. Roll the dice now.

Takashi Miike 12:06 Mon Nov 7
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Crystal Palace - Official Match Thread

"There just isn’t enough movement"


spot on

legrandefromage 11:59 Mon Nov 7
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Crystal Palace - Official Match Thread

It’s rarely mentioned but there are two aspects to a decent passing game. One is the technical ability to execute a pass but the other is there being enough options available for the player in possession. I would say the latter is the biggest problem at the moment. There just isn’t enough movement and space created - it is the reason we end up going backwards or long so often. The preference for defending deep means there are rarely any players in front of the ball apart from the lone striker. Ball retention will not improve until that changes.

Rossal 11:24 Mon Nov 7
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Crystal Palace - Official Match Thread

Considering the target was 6 points from remaining 2 home games, players had thursday off that was one of the worst performances we've had under Moyes. I dont know how but he has managed to make the side have 0 goal threat.

Off the ball we have lost our press, watch how Ayew and Zaha pressed our defenders with the ball. It wasnt a pitch to play it tight and quick and Palace realised and pressed us constantly in our half. We lost the ball 4 or 5 times in our own half before their first goal and eventually it cost us. Such basic simple errors which were not a characteristic of us in Moyes first few seasons in charge. Scamacca didnt lead any sort of press from the front, when Palace had the ball in the middle had so much time and space was bonkers. When Soucek Dawson and Kehrer has it theres no time, space or options.

On the ball we just lump it long when the ball is always going to skid through. Kehrer 2nd half wasnt enough of an option and was toilet on the ball when he did get it. His worst game for us by a mile. Soucek his usual struggle to find a teammate wank. Scamacca isolated, Paqueta dropping too deep to get on the ball. We look a shadow of the side from recent seasons. Dont think Moyes recovers from the sub boo's. Or he will turn it around, there has been little indication this season of any glimmer of hope. Writing been on wall all of 2022 to be fair, its just the Europa run bought out alot of excuses which acted as a smokescreen. Pre season was dreadful and start of this season the same.

Thanks for the memories Moyes and transforming our club, but all good things come to an end and its time for both parties to move on.

Eerie Descent 11:17 Mon Nov 7
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Crystal Palace - Official Match Thread

Why are people mentioning Antonio as some sort of reason for the loss? Did anyone expect him to take it to the corner flag to hold on to the draw at home to Palace? Yeah it was a shit cross, that's because technically he's lacking.

It done football a favour that Palace won it. Teams that play 'football' like we did, do not deserve anything from games. That was fucking disgusting, but not much worse than 90% of what we have served up all season, we've just been very lucky at times to get goals against the rum of play.

At least everyone has caught up now any more performances like that and the pressure will become huge. As I said weeks ago (and got roundly counted) we are the worst team to watch in the League. Bar none.

Russ of the BML 11:03 Mon Nov 7
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Crystal Palace - Official Match Thread

When asked about the booing when Benny was subbed:

Moyes - "Well, he scored a good goal - But I don't recall him making an impact after that. There's lots of experts about."

Enough said for me. We've been saying it on here for weeks and weeks now that Moyes has a personal issue with Benny. And, if last week's comments about his not speaking good enough English wasn't proof enough, then this cemented it.

I agree after the goal he didn't play well. But who did? And why is it always Benny that gets pulled off and takes the stick. If he plays well Moyes says he should play better. If he plays badly Moyes says he's not good enough. If he scores a goal Moyes says he wants more. If he doesn't he criticises his end product.

I said it last week - No person should have to suffer that derisory behaviour from your boss - No matter what industry you are in.

And now he's digging the fans.

Moyes is a miserable fucking pig. He looks like he is dying. I'm sick of him floating around looking like a Victorian ghost. I'm sick of his interviews, being spiky and dour with the journo's, making excuses and slagging the players off. Now he's turned on the fans.

He is tired and stale. His approach and ideas are out-dated. The club and the team need new oxygen and energy. Someone younger with an innovative, fresh approach.

stewie griffin 11:02 Mon Nov 7
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Crystal Palace - Official Match Thread

i think what worries me most is that this feels like more of the norm under Moyes. A lot like first time around.

The last two seasons were weird because of covaids. The first was a mess, and while supporters were back last year, the fixture list was somewhat compressed.
Despite the endless bleating about depth on here, what we had that many other clubs didn't was 4 Premier League quality centre backs, a top 6/7 keeper and decent enough full back options.
What we also did was score an absolute shitload of goals from set pieces.
So you stop us scoring from set pieces (which in this day & age most teams will eventually figure out), and add a couple of years to a previously competent Premier League backline (Fab, Cresswell, Ogbonna, Dawson) and this is what you're left with.
Feels like after the general disruption and mayhem of the last 2-3 seasons everyone has reset a little, and this is where we're likely to be under Moyes.

Lee Trundle 10:42 Mon Nov 7
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Crystal Palace - Official Match Thread

"But clearly Moyes is struggling tactically, and he seems to be struggling more each season because he doesn't adapt"

Stupid or stubborn? It doesn't really matter as they're both as bad as each other.

I said this a few weeks ago, but he's increasingly looking like a yesterday's man.

Sven Roeder 10:26 Mon Nov 7
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Crystal Palace - Official Match Thread

Probably the first time I have come out of the ground after a last minute defeat (even with a deflected shot looping over the keeper) where the general mood was that a point for us would have been daylight robbery.

Was similar to the Brighton game where I thought we were outpassed, outplayed and the manager comprehensively done over.
As mentioned Palace allowed the centre halves and Soucek to have the ball because they knew our glacial style would allow them to mark any dangers with the ball and restrict us to aimless possession.
We created nothing and apart from a brief period late never got anything going.
Probably the first time the crowd turned with the booing of the Benrahma sub, singing his name and the loud cheers for Soucek being hooked.
Definitely a feeling that Moyes has run his race and that 6 wins against League 1 level Europa Conference teams is only papering over the cracks.

He was critical of Benrahma (didnt do much after the goal) & hooking Scamacca to be replaced by a simply abysmal Antonio wont help dressing room harmony. Lots of shrugged shoulders and TEAPOTS at each other from several players.
A frustrating day that felt like the DOG DAYS of Moyes reign.
Watched most of Leicester at Everton and if they play like that we are in big trouble.
Personally ... I see next Sunday as SACKING DAY as the new man will at least have 6 weeks to work with the players not going to the World Cup.
In the mean time at least for Saturday Aguerd, Downes & hopefully Ashby have to play.

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