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claret on my shirt 1:19 Tue May 9
Have the players been putting the effort in?

I read a good piece on OLAS and the guy said " should we feel cheated by the players, the effort against Spurs was brilliant but where was that effort in many of the games we've lost or drawn this season"

Personally i am not sure what to think on this as Spurs is a huge game for us and so the players are likely to put more effort in as i guess us fans do as well.

Your thoughts?

Sniper 1:27 Tue May 9
Re: Have the players been putting the effort in?

Similar to Leicester in that regard - there seems to have been a malaise around the whole club this season, shifting payet seemed to give us a results boost (though the performances were often still shit) but it didn't last long.

I think it's lots of factors - over performing last year, poor signings, no striker of more for most of the season, bilic not knowing what his best formation or lineup is and the players feeding off all that and playing like a bunch of unmotivated strangers

Alex V 1:29 Tue May 9
Re: Have the players been putting the effort in?

Good topic. I have mixed feelings too. I think playing week in week out there has to be a level of calmness to the general approach over a long season. But the difference in commitment levels shouldn't be quite so marked between matches.

Pagey 1:32 Tue May 9
Re: Have the players been putting the effort in?

We should feel cheated because the reality is that if we pressed and worked as hard in every game like we did in the Spurs game then we'd achieve so much more. Suddenly the defeats become draws and the draws become victories.

Don't get me wrong, it was great to see the effort put in, but why just reserve that for Spurs at home? They all get paid a fantastic wage for doing something they love, the least we'd expect in return is 100% effort. The reward for doing so is obvious.

El Scorchio 1:38 Tue May 9
Re: Have the players been putting the effort in?

Varying amounts, I think.

The majority of the squad I do feel have been trying, but it's more cohesion and gameplan that's been lacking. Several have been working their bollocks off but have appeared to not know what to do in several situations (like who should cover who at the back which has lead to several goals)

My one main criticism would be in attack in the vast majority of games where the oppo has sat back there's very poor movement from the forwards and midfield, and the ball carrier is often isolated and has to either beat a man or go backward to make anything happen. We also do not break forward anything like as fast as other teams do. There needs to be much more impetus on that next season.

Watching other teams break out of defence with speed and purpose, busting a gut to get forward is like watching a different game to how we do it. One or two players jogging up in support and a move breaking down as defenders are easily able to get back.

Dr Moose 1:43 Tue May 9
Re: Have the players been putting the effort in?

Andy Carroll's been cheating a living as a striker this season!

El Scorchio 1:46 Tue May 9
Re: Have the players been putting the effort in?

Andy Carroll's had basically no service this season.

No-one's been getting down the flanks to put good crosses in for him. No one's been running beyond him or joining him up front in a hurry when we're attacking.

claret on my shirt 1:51 Tue May 9
Re: Have the players been putting the effort in?

El Scorchio 1:46 Tue May 9

Pretty difficult to get crosses in to a guy who's sat in the stands for 3/4 of the season LOL

Vullana 1:54 Tue May 9
Re: Have the players been putting the effort in?

"Watching other teams break out of defence with speed and purpose, busting a gut to get forward is like watching a different game to how we do it." - seems to be how the top 5 teams score most of their goals.

It would be an interesting to see the stats on goals scored by breaks vs building up an attack from the back.

El Scorchio 1:56 Tue May 9
Re: Have the players been putting the effort in?

Well... half the season, but point taken!

What's a real shame is that the games recently where he's not been playing there have actually been some crosses coming in that Carroll would love, but unfortunately to players with fuck all ability in the air. When he was playing we just weren't doing that at all.

Alex V 2:04 Tue May 9
Re: Have the players been putting the effort in?

Of course if Carroll was playing teams would then prepare and set up to block crosses and defend them.

JustAFatKevinDavies 2:08 Tue May 9
Re: Have the players been putting the effort in?

you all realise this is real life and not football manager right?

claret on my shirt 2:09 Tue May 9
Re: Have the players been putting the effort in?

I think at the start of the season we brought in to many jolly foreigners or players not used to the Premier and they tried to address that to some extent in the January window with Shitgras and Fonte two players who are used to the Premier.

El Scorchio 2:12 Tue May 9
Re: Have the players been putting the effort in?

Alex V 2:04

So therefore you set up to pull players out of position with clever movement to create crossing opportunities.

We never really even attempted to do that. Our attacking movement has been pitiful almost all of the season. In fact I don't really even know what our attacking gameplan has been at all in most of the matches I've seen.

Most opposing teams, you can clearly see what they try to do. (Southampton, City and Watford being prime examples) With us, it seems to be 'give it to Lanzini and hope he can beat a few men'.

Sniper 2:19 Tue May 9
Re: Have the players been putting the effort in?

I'm with you there scorch - as soon as Carroll starts it's like tenoakyers just thinknall they have to do is ping it to his head from anywhere, yet the reality is if they put in decent crosses he's more likely to win the ball than anyone. It's all very lazy when he starts, but I don't think that's his fault.

GreenStreetPlayer 2:23 Tue May 9
Re: Have the players been putting the effort in?

Should have told the players we are playing Spurs every week.

Do wonder on many occasions how motivated and prepared the players were with a number of very slow starts.
Coupled that Bilic tactics and decision making were also very wrong at times. The Spurs away game an example where our substitutions lost us the game, while the starting eleven were holding their own.

I was very surprised to see the energy and stamina levels on Friday as a few players hadn't played much in the last few games. Where did this come from, though great to see we also had a team of athletes that could compete.

, 2:25 Tue May 9
Re: Have the players been putting the effort in?

Looking back the individual efforts of players have not been so bad but the collective effort had been missing almost since game one. Lately our collective effort has been much more like we expect and need.

We absolutely need to hit the ground running next season, carrying no passengers or players that don't want to be here.

Sven Roeder 2:37 Tue May 9
Re: Have the players been putting the effort in?

Some of it is down to variable players and some may be instruction.
We definitely had intensity in closing down on Friday and protected our back 3.
Against Man City at home x 2 the tactic seemed to be to sit off and wait for Silva or someone under no pressure to cut 4 of our players out with one ball.
The intensity and harrying has to be there against everyone.
Part of the reason we need more pace and athleticism and someone who is a goal threat when we do win the ball back.

the exile 3:04 Tue May 9
Re: Have the players been putting the effort in?

For much of the season the effort has appeared to be pretty poor, but it's hard to know what to put it down to. But it has clearly been much better in the last few games, where we have pressed and closed down teams far more effectively than we were before. Obviously Payet had a destabilising effect early on and questions can be asked about the manager's tactics and selections, but without some kind of inside knowledge it's hard to know what is behind the inconsistency. Take Cresswell for example - he's been a shadow of the player he was last season but seemed to be almost back to his best the other night. What the fuck has been going on with him?

claret on my shirt 3:12 Tue May 9
Re: Have the players been putting the effort in?

One huge difference does seem to be the Ginger Pele, the guys a warrior and leads by example on the pitch (no i am not saying nobes does not do the same) . You can imagine him in the dressing room pre-game getting the players ready for a war.

Sven Roeder 3:12 Tue May 9
Re: Have the players been putting the effort in?

Some German tried to snap his leg off.
Missed the start of the season and took time to get going.
Virtually an ever present his entire career so would never have dealt with that before.
I saw Arthur also said he had never had a serious injury til he came to West Ham. Has had two or three injuries this season
Welcome to West Ham!

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