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LeroysBoots 11:07 Thu Aug 18
Smoke and Mirrors

We have been led to believe by the club that we bought quality in the close season, players that will take us to the next level.

However after 2 games in we look painfully thin in terms of quality on the bench, we look bereft of ideas in the middle and we have a plethora of wingers....none of which seem much cop.

We have 3 players in Valencia, Obiang and Sakho that are so not engaged it's not funny anymore

They need to be moved on sharpish.

We have a growing injury list that is worrying and we have alleged discontent with the tactics and personnel playing out of position

We played a pub team tonight yet we made them look like fucking Barcelona

We couldn't pass 5 yards without over hitting or giving it away

The quality of the new buys is extremely questionable however I did feel for Calleri tonight when the service he got was non existent

He must have wondered what the fuck he was doing there.

Oh and we had a left back who was ineligible !

Sullivan needs to step up and buy the striker we are crying out for

He needs to cut our losses on Valencia and move Obiang out.

Sakho...no idea what to do with the mardy cunt

Our squad despite the injuries looks painfully thin..though I'm sure some on here think it's great

Infidel 3:14 Mon Aug 22
Re: Smoke and Mirrors

Things are not as bad as they seem.

Our first team is excellent and should finish at least as high as last season.

Give the club some credit. We have made a couple of important additions in key areas, notably:

Arthur at LB - not only cover for Cresswell but pushing him for the starting line up when he's back fit

Calleri, whom I like the look of in his early outings

Feghouli (ditto)

and Byram, who although not a new signing might as well be as we hardly played him last year. This lad looks good enough to hold down the RB slot all season.

I completely agree that Tore and Ayew are not the sort of players we should bringing in if we want to push on to a higher level but as squad cover they are decent.

I also agree that Sakho and Valencia must leave.

Valencia's sulk off the pitch on Sunday was disgraceful. We needed some urgency to push for a winner and he was helping Bournemouth to wind the clock down to get a draw? He should never play in our colours again. Totally unprofessional.

We have an alarming number of injuries but Payet and Lanzini will be back very soon. These two together can rip a lot of teams apart.

Add Antonio and Feghouli and we have one of the fastest, most creative and most entertaining midfields in the league.

I am not concerned about AC. When he's on the pitch we have a tendency to hit long balls up to him, which invariably come right back at us. This is what happened at Chelsea.

With Calleri up front for a few games there won't be that big target man to aim for and we will play more to our strengths - could be a blessing in disguise.

There is an XI we can play very soon that is really mouthwatering.

Adrian

Byram Ginge Winston Arthur

Noble Kouyate

Antonio Payet Lanzini (or Feghouli)

Calleri

That team could beat any team in the league.

Jam rock Ammer 2:49 Mon Aug 22
Re: Smoke and Mirrors

Imo last season was better than 98/99 and 01/02.
Pity we're having to deal with the 'West Ham curse' as far as injuries go at the present time but how about we just get behind the team and concentrate on improving the atmosphere at the new place!

Billy Blagg 2:25 Mon Aug 22
Re: Smoke and Mirrors

Stepney.Ammer 12:01 Sun Aug 21
The answer to that is no-one really knew. With no internet social media the only way people knew what others thought was to speak to them! Odd I know. Just imagine talking to someone...

Trevor B 4:44 Mon Aug 22
Re: Smoke and Mirrors

Shut up Augustus

Professor Yaffle 4:29 Mon Aug 22
Re: Smoke and Mirrors

Embarrassing thread this...

Hermit Road 3:03 Sun Aug 21
Re: Smoke and Mirrors

If poor form is brought about by consistent poor decisions, then he should rightly expect some stick.

dicksie3 12:39 Sun Aug 21
Re: Smoke and Mirrors

98/99 was better, in my opinion.

Stepney.Ammer 12:01 Sun Aug 21
Re: Smoke and Mirrors

Regardless, getting all knicker wetting after a couple games (one league at that) following a season like last is too much like Spurs or Chelsea for me.

I really fear for Slav and the players if the form is poor 5-10 games in, as I can the fans turning on them if going on here is anything to judge by.

I'm just a bit too young to really remember the 86-87 season, so maybe a couple of the older lads can tell me whether the fans turned so quickly following the success of the season before.

I don't remember it being that bad in 02-03, mind you not every fan and his dog was posting an opinion on the Internet or social media.

Stepney.Ammer 11:53 Sun Aug 21
Re: Smoke and Mirrors

Dicksie

Not sure your age mate but fuck me anyone old enough to remember those seasons you mention should know that last season easily pissed both of them.

dicksie3 11:30 Sun Aug 21
Re: Smoke and Mirrors

We finished 5th in 98/99 and 7th in 01/02.

Don't get too carried away about last season. Christ.

Stepney.Ammer 11:20 Sun Aug 21
Re: Smoke and Mirrors

Fucking hell, some of you lot need to have a word with yourselves.

Last season was our best season since 86 in which we played some of best football I've ever seen us play.

We've got one of the BEST players in the WORLD in Payet who we look certain to keep hold of this season, when without doubt he would have been sold under past regimes.

Whatever your thoughts on the new stadium we have stepped up a level by moving there and almost doubling our capacity.

We've spent decent wedge again this season on new players and whilst they may not yet have set it alight they surely derserve more time THAN A COUPLE OF GAMES!!

Seriously, fucking embarrassing reading some of the comments on here. And just to think we slate Chelsea and Spurs fans for their attitude when things aren't going well. Looking on here we're just as bad!!

Willtell 10:24 Sun Aug 21
Re: Smoke and Mirrors

Sorry Geoff but you are bullshitting your way through this and clearly are not talking from experience. WH had to clear all the debts owed to the banks because they were secured against the ground before it was sold. If it was so easy to borrow G&S would have done it you can be sure of that.

G&S financed it because the banks won't lend to a business £100m in debt - end of conversation.

Geoff 10:16 Sun Aug 21
Re: Smoke and Mirrors

Willtell---Sorry mate it's you talking rubbish, not me. When being assessed for a loan the bank will basically weigh up a company's assets , future performance indicators and cashflow. Debt is only one aspect of a company's financing and in a low interest rate economy shouldn't present any problem whatsoever. When Manchester United announced their latest figures they showed a debt of £322 million for example. With their turnover that is peanuts.

Sir Alf 1:19 Sun Aug 21
Re: Smoke and Mirrors

Its not the debt or the underwhelming transfer activity, all the unrest and whinging is all down to Messrs Sullivans, Gold, Brady and their PR machine setting unrealistic expectations with the noise coming across newspapers, web sites, twitter etc...

Again today an article from Gold this time in the Mirror about Champions League and having to move to break into the big time.. entitled "David Gold says West Ham had to leave Upton Park to become a big fish in the Premier League water"

The owners crave appreciation more than anything else. Must have been bullied at school or something?

Why oh why can't they go about things in a quiet, assured but realistic manner. Keep things under radar etc... :-(

Willtell 12:02 Sun Aug 21
Re: Smoke and Mirrors

Geoff....
Rubbish. With a £100m debt no bank would give you anything loan wise...

Geoff 10:39 Sat Aug 20
Re: Smoke and Mirrors

Why does everyone keep being obsessed with debt? Debt in business isn't a problem in itself providing you earn enough to service the cost of the debt. And as interest rates at present are at an all time low I would hazard a guess the cost to the business of servicing the debt is minimal.

Side of Ham 1:50 Sat Aug 20
Re: Smoke and Mirrors

Bootsy, you do know they wanted to buy the club nearly 2 decades ago, before all this 'opportunity' arose?
If people are going to be intent on digging them out don't use the 'opportunity' bollocks as it's just that. They've wanted West Ham ever since they could afford to own a football club.

Hermit Road 1:20 Sat Aug 20
Re: Smoke and Mirrors

That's one way of looking at it Willtell, but we don't need to clear the debt in four years. We need to ensure it is serviced, a very different thing. We also need to start buying players who improve the first 11. That's very important, and given the massive rise in revenue from selling our old ground, TV money, commercial income, ticket sales, corporate sales and more, there really shouldn't be any reason to do it.

dicksie3 1:00 Sat Aug 20
Re: Smoke and Mirrors

Pretty fucking disgraceful that they're inventing some other debt as an excuse for not making any further signings.

I don't believe them... Christ, I'm turning into QUEEN DRUID GAGA more and more every day.

Willtell 12:50 Sat Aug 20
Re: Smoke and Mirrors

That's right HR because the club's value increases as its turnover and profitability does. Let's be clear though that we need to make 4 years of £25m a year after tax profits just to clear the debts and we have an extra £15m to pay for the stadium development this year...

Hermit Road 11:38 Sat Aug 20
Re: Smoke and Mirrors

I said that when they took over £100 million debt was very serious because the value of the club and our income. The same debt now isn't as serious by any means. I don't think we would have trouble spending money now because of that. Do you?

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