He was the only player that I was unhappy with in the first half (Carrol was close, but was ok). He passed the ball okay, but never seemed to go forward. When forward with the ball he either made a longish pass back or dribbled forward into group of spurs players and lost the ball.
Then in the second half, he worked so hard, not just for the goals all over the pitch, closing Spurs down in midfield. Ran for every ball. More than the team he was the player of two halfs.
Then there is this Stat on the bbc: Since his debut for the club in August 2016, Andre Ayew has been directly involved in more goals than any other West Ham player (10 goals, five assists).
Perhaps it is more a case of crap from the rest of the team, but he is becoming an important player for us.
Sorry to start a new thread, but could not find an Ayew thread...
He's a goal poacher, He has the instincts to be in the right place at the right time along with the ability to react quickly to any lose ball bouncing around in the box. I mentioned This a while ago, although he is nowhere near Jimmy Greaves's level He is cut from the same cloth...... Perdonally I rate him as a striker and I'd play him more.
Well let's just agree that we all want more like Wednesday night from now on.
As annoying or shit as he may be or may have been, 10 goals and 5 assists in 23 games is pretty good shitness. If he can maintain his 2nd half form, he'll go along way to justifying what we paid for him.
He'd rather wave his arms about at people than track a player, he'd rather wander around than actively get involved. In my book it's lazy and lacking the drive to make something happen. Should be getting much more from him.
If you're getting into the dictionary definition of lazy, then yeah, he's not exactly Rick Waller on a Sunday afternoon playing Zelda in his one bed flat.
However, if you've ever played football at any level (I've no doubt you have) you know the players who shirk proper work, and he is a shirker, all day long. Running about to give the impression you're trying is not good enough. He gets paid a lot of money, he has not done nearly enough to earn it.
He does work hard, always has, but yes, he could be accused of shirking defensive and closing down duties.
Point is, he is not, and never has been, lazy, and I hope he realises the benefits he and the team got from adding the dog work to his game. He has to keep that up.
I agree with your sentiments about yourself, however I couldn't disagree more about Ayew. Running about is not a sign of working hard, he has in his time with us hidden from the proper graft that makes a difference, he'll flail a foot in without genuinely trying to get the ball, chase a player he knows he won't get near, it's little things where you can blatantly see he is shying away from getting hurt. If we had a team of players 'trying' as hard as him, we'd be even worse than we are now.
He was good 2nd half, if he carries that on, you'll get nothing but praise from me. However, I won't hold my breath, one decent half of football does not even come close to making up for how poor he has been.
I have nothing personal against Ayew but I genuinely do not know what he is. I know he is human but I mean in the form of a pro footballer. Is he a striker? Is he a attacking midfielder? Does he play in the hole? Does he play wide? For me he seems to be put where he is needed and is very average wherever he plays.
It very much is for winners; sports people talk about it all the time.
When things aren't going well, it's the X-factor that changes the game, because players with mongrel find a way to make a difference and change the game from a losing position to a winning position, by any means.
Australian cricket teams have it in abundance. So do the players I described.
Yes. Strikers in particular. We don't get the ball to them quickly enough unless it's a hopeful diagonal aimed at their head. They do get a lot of stick for failings that often originate from the midfield.
Anyone who knows my form, will know I try my hardest not to slag off our players if I think they are putting effort in, even if they are playing badly. I don't like to spread negativity about our players who try hard.
Some comments on here suggest he is lazxy or just ambles about, but that is so far from the truth, it's completely unfair. He always tries hard, and clearly has passion, it's just so often he frustrates by holding onto the ball too long, running into crowds of defenders and losing possession, which often slows down promising counter attacks.
Since he's been here, for me, he's been just like Carlton, by which I mean after biting my tongue for so long and so many fuck ups, it's when I finally crack and slag them off, they then pop up with a goal. He was the only one I dug out on the match thread during the first half.
I thought the team were snapping passes around quite well in the first half, releasing it a lot more quickly than normal, trying passes they have seemed scared to make before, especially the defenders, but it was more often than not Ayew who slowed our tempo. So I cracked and singled him out.
I might have to do that more often, bless him, because he was immense in the second half, and for the first time I think he made the connection with the fans. I hope I don't curse him but he could now be like the proverbial new signing.
VirginiaHam 2:29 Actually mate I think you'll find that MONGREL is not a word for winners.
It's a word meaning a dog of no particular breed or a mixed race person. How you get that to mean winners I have no idea so perhaps you could enlighten us?
He’s been an underwhelming signing but his goals to games ratio (10/36) is pretty decent. I can’t remember him scoring anything other than a tap in but he often seems to be in the right place.
There's a word that defines winners; the teams that find the X-factor when it's all going tits up.
That word is MONGREL.
Pogba, Costa, Terry, Vardy all have it. They do the shitty, cunty things that can change games, by will and nastiness. Either the other side unravels, or their own side wakes up. Tottenham didn't have it last night.
Already on this Board there has been reference to how firstly Zaza and now Calleri seem to be performing, in La Liga, at a level somewhat above that they displayed themselves capable of at WHU.
This thread is about Ayew and there is an element of surprise over the performance he put in yesterday. Is there something wrong with the way we are doing things with players at WHU, are players coming to us and their particular USPs being ignored or discouraged by misuse?
It's funny that after half a match where he has been decent that people now think he's worth a start. The bloke is lazy disinterested and has had little impact since he arrived. He's been given match time at the expense of others and not shown he's fighting for his place. Maybe like Sakho he is looking for a buyer.
I've always backed Ayew but fucking hell he does make it hard work,
He must have something about to be a star at Marsielle. Played with Payet didn't he and was seen as the better player. They had Ayew, Payet and Gignac playing together?
Seems to be hero worshipped in Ghana.
Handicapped by a lack of pace and giving the ball away easily but decent technically and can chip in with goals. Not sure where his best position is.
Started off with a bad injury but hopefully he'll turn in more performances like yesterday.
Not sure how we fit in lightweights like Ayew, Laznzini, Hernandez and Arnautovic.
I had Ayew down as a complete waste of money, bought in just to keep Payet happy
He's ambled through a few matches getting the odd tap in & last night looked no different
Then the second half started & he looked like a greyhound on speed!
Magnificent second half performance, chasing down & getting into some great positions, fighting for & often getting the second ball, a real thorn in Tottenhams side
Easily the best 45 minutes we've had out of him. If he can play like that every match we've got a real player on our hands
