West Ham Utd 1-1 Stoke City (11/04/15)

[Jumby]

I wasn't at the game today, just had Stelling and his Motley Crue on the box yelling every 30 seconds. I was making a chilli in the kitchen and feeling pretty relieved until I heard Kamara's voice, I knew what was coming, and so did my kitchen walls!!!!

[Aussie_Rosso]

I was in London in 2013. The match I was able to see was the home match v Stoke. We lost 0-1 through a Pennant free kick and was informed by people around me that it was the worst performance they had seen from the Hammers for a long time. We must have a thing against Stoke!
What a shame we couldn't hold on for the win overnight (96th min!!!) although it seems we didn't deserve the three on the run of play. #COYI from Sydney.

[Up the Junction]

Tonight's post-match press conferences:

Allardyce: http://www.kumb.com/story.php?id=128434

Hughes: http://www.kumb.com/story.php?id=128435

[The Old Mile End]

Surely there is no doubt in anyone’s mind that the manager has failed to motivate this talented group of players?

For the first twenty minutes it looked promising. The return of Valencia gave us some pace again - sadly lacking recently. An early goal, chances being created, dispossessing defenders and keeping the ball up their end led us to believe this could be a good game. Then it just started to deteriorate.

Maybe it was Stoke tightening up, maybe it was us playing Valencia too deep and having no right side at all. Whatever it was, we surrendered. Our football became appalling as we ceded possession and could not put two passes together. For their part, Stoke, despite having 67% of the ball, couldn’t force a save out of Adrian.

More of the same in the second half, except that we were looking more and more vulnerable at the back. Poor communication between management and players led to Morgan being stripped ready to come on within one minute of the restart – yet getting covered up again not required yet.

We needed something else, some fresh legs maybe. What we didn’t need was Nolan. Why bring on a player who can’t run, pass, dribble, head, retain possession or tackle fairly, when all of those attributes were required? He contributed virtually nothing -expectedly so.

Morgan’s introduction was long overdue, and it coincided with our best spell of the half as we seemed to upset their rythym and close the game out. But we remained vulnerable at the back and I felt we were going to lose this game with 20 minutes still to go.

They got closer, two offside goals not given, they hit the inside of the post with a header. It was always coming. It was just so typical of late that the equaliser would come with about 30 seconds left on the clock. They caught us at sixes and sevens at the back and took the chance that came their way.

We were all over the show and were fortunate to come away from this game with a point I think. Possession statistics show how they dominated us. We are sadly lacking in effort and cannot raise the tempo when required. One problem has been the real lack of competition for places outside of the established 12 or 13. This would have been an ideal time to have bled in some youngsters. Some fresh legs. Someone playing for a place.

We started with probably our best eleven – but it just didn’t happen yesterday. And it has been mostly the same of late. We have lost our way. The manager will probably go on about how important it is to keep the clean sheet. Since he became obsessed with this earlier in the season, things began to deteriorate elsewhere. In the last eleven games, we have managed just once to score twice.

The spark has gone.

[jdick]

Between Sakho, Valencia and Cole we had a total of 3 shots. This at home, against a mid table side! What's the problem? Enthusiasm, Skill, or is it the system?

[Antwerp_Lad]

After not coming to a home game for about 3 years I don't think I'll be back any time soon.

What a completely **** experience. I got a ticket next to the away fans because I thought it would be a pretty decent atmosphere there, ****ing hell was it boring. Loads of abuse by Stoke fans, not a single response.

The only group of people trying to get the place going were in the corner of the East Stand. Think I'll try to stick to away games from now on.

[pablo jaye]

Antwerp - the last few games I have been to, I have sat in the East Stand near to the away fans - mainly for the better atmosphere there. Far better than other parts of the ground - the top of the Rio stand is so far up, it shares an atmosphere with the moon!!

A couple of other points - the lack of fitness towards the end of games has definitely become a mental issue for most of the team, you can see it on their faces and actions. May as well get Corporal Jones marching up and down the sidelines hollering 'Don't Panic!'

Also, someone said 'it's Stoke ... ffs!' Maybe not the most attractive side but they were fit, well organised and kept going ..... if only we had those qualities yesterday, eh!

[AlfieG]

All this 'its Stoke FFS' stuff is part of our problem. They are a much more established PL team than us and they looked like it yesterday. Lets not get on our high horses, we are not as good as some people seem to think.

They were much the better side yesterday and deserved to win the game. They played some really nice controlled football and opened us up more and more as the game went on. It was only for some heroic last ditch defending and a large chunk of luck we didn't get thumped. They won the first and second balls for all but the first 15-20 mins.... Well done to them.

Add to that, their bench was much stronger than ours.... We bring on Cole, they bring on Diouf (with Crouch still sitting on his arse) for example. You can see the squad development that we still need to go through before we are established in the prem again.

Thanks to Cresswell's brilliant free kick we nearly scraped a win.... thats all......

Onwards and upwards.

[bullyhammer]

[qte="kevino"]
I am not a big Valencia fan but thought he looked really sharp today for a while
[/qte]

To me though that's all he does is look lively, he has all the attributes yet has no clue when to apply of it and as such is not that good at all

I think he's a true striker, a hitman, a finisher. We are expecting him to do things he's not used to doing. Maybe we don't have the side or the tactics to accommodate a player like him, but I'm convinced of his talent, and pretty sure he'd score a lot of goals if used differently.

[61dicksey]

A game in which Stoke dominated but lost in all the vitriol of BS was a superb free kick by Cresswell , move over Noble let Cresswell take dead ball kicks he is far more superior.
Reid was the problem for the goal which actually counted for Stoke , he had the chance to tackle Aunautovic before he took the strike but seemed to stumble.

[prophet:marginal]

If we needed someone to come on and hold up the ball and win aerial duels it would have been better chucking Collins up there than Cole :lol:

I broadly agree that his time is now done as an effective striker, even as a sub, but other people were suggesting yesterday that he was at fault for their goal. The ball was desperately hammered up the pitch towards him...

...and then nobody challenged the bloke who'd already 'scored' once.

Hardly Carlton's fault.

[the pink palermo]

Surely there is no doubt in anyone’s mind that the manager has failed to motivate this talented group of players?

Taking those two points .

I keep reading the phrase "talented group of players" , but little if any credit being attributed to the Manager for signing them . As for his ability to motivate them, well he didn't appear to have a problem with that up until mid December did he ?

So what's changed ? Perhaps the Boards inability to fund any transfer activity in January sent a signal to the players with regards our ambition and maybe the players have been following the saga concerning the Managers contract with incredulity .

You could certainly forgive the players for getting concerned that having been as high as 4th this season as to why the Chairman seemed reluctant to award his Manager a new deal .

Now we all know the real reason he hasn't is the Chairman wants a bit of sex appeal when we move into the Athletics stadium 85% of you wanted , so it's a problem , but one entirely of the Chairmans making .

For the first twenty minutes it looked promising. The return of Valencia gave us some pace again - sadly lacking recently. An early goal, chances being created, dispossessing defenders and keeping the ball up their end led us to believe this could be a good game.

So at this stage everyone is happy, the Manager has picked the right team, tactics and has motivated his troops .

Then it just started to deteriorate.

Maybe it was Stoke tightening up, maybe it was us playing Valencia too deep and having no right side at all. Whatever it was, we surrendered. Our football became appalling as we ceded possession and could not put two passes together.

I agree with most of that .I described it as being out muscled .Quite simply Stoke were bigger, stronger and more physical ,and our squad hasn't got the players to handle teams with those attributes .

Maybe had Fletcher joined in January we might have .

More of the same in the second half, except that we were looking more and more vulnerable at the back.

So how effective was Song on the day ? Bobby O - a good judge - has him down as our most effective player yesterday , for my part I'm struggling to square the circle with that being the case and your vulnerability comment .

We needed something else, some fresh legs maybe.

If only some had arrived in January .

What we didn’t need was Nolan.

Actually I thought he was exactly what we needed .

Morgan’s introduction was long overdue, and it coincided with our best spell of the half as we seemed to upset their rythym and close the game out.

I agree .

But we remained vulnerable at the back and I felt we were going to lose this game with 20 minutes still to go.

I agree .Especially the bit about being vulnerable at the back .

Who was screening the back 4 at this point .In fact , who was doing it all game ?

They got closer, two offside goals not given, they hit the inside of the post with a header. It was always coming. They caught us at sixes and sevens at the back and took the chance that came their way.

At the back .....at the back....at the back.......

We were all over the show and were fortunate to come away from this game with a point I think

I agree .

. Possession statistics show how they dominated us. We are sadly lacking in effort and cannot raise the tempo when required. One problem has been the real lack of competition for places outside of the established 12 or 13.

Yep, it's a problem alright .A better January window may have helped .Yes, David Sullivan I mean you .

This would have been an ideal time to have bled in some youngsters. Some fresh legs. Someone playing for a place.

Nice in theory , but who have we got ? Poyet ? Against a physical Stoke side that seasoned pro's couldn't handle ? I don't think that would have been the answer yesterday .

We started with probably our best eleven – but it just didn’t happen yesterday. And it has been mostly the same of late. We have lost our way.

Yep, and it keeps coming back to a squad that wasn't strengthened when we had the chance to do so and a squad being managed by a man with an uncertain future .

Both of those issues are at the Boards door .

The spark has gone.

Yes, an inevitable consequence of the lack of leadership from David Sullivan .

He should have backed him ( Sam) or sacked him .He dithered , he didn't know what to do, he didn't know what he wanted

And this is the result .

[Hockley Hammer]

It can't help any manager when three of his four first choices in midfield play poorly (again). I agree that Noble and Downing were were worse than Song but you know Song fades in a game.
I've lost count of the number of games since Christmas that I have thought that Noble is having a nightmare.
I still don't see what the fuss is about with Valencia on the ball he is generally lightweight and dreadful. Why does he keep him on the left and Downing on the right when neither is getting involved in the game. We seem to remove the full backs from an attacking role at home. Cresswell and Downing on the left have looked a lively combination whenever they play down the left.
There are no excuses for the manager yesterday but I will say save for Sakho and Kouyate our front six were awful as has been the case too often lately. The three subs didn't improve anything either. Yet the starting X1 is the one demanded.
Can't wait for the season to end. The manager seems to know his fate and now it seems the players do too. A farcical way to run a club.

[the pink palermo]

Good post Hockley .

One more thing , the highlight of the game yesterday was the express delivery - to my seat no less - of a half time kit kat .

A much needed morale booster .

Thank you Upton Girlie !.

[bullyhammer]

We seem to remove the full backs from an attacking role at home. Cresswell and Downing on the left have looked a lively combination whenever they play down the left.

Pretty sure Sam has ordered our full backs to venture forward far less, in an attempt to get more clean sheets. It's had a negative affect, with us seldom scoring more than 1 goal in a game, but still conceding.

[miles]

Perhaps the Boards inability to fund any transfer activity in January

We bought three players in January.

The manager seems to know his fate and now it seems the players do too. A farcical way to run a club.

I don't recall this much hand wringing when his contract was running out two years ago. Maybe it was because we were winning football games.

[Hockley Hammer]

I don't recall this much hand wringing when his contract was running out two years ago. Maybe it was because we were winning football games.

Perhaps everybody at the club knew the manager was staying so it was carry on as before as opposed to the situation now.
You are right about the winning though. Our manager must have some effect on the players if they are incapable of doing what they are paid a fortune to do because they feel sorry for the manager.
I'd personally like to keep picking up my win bonuses.

[Hockley Hammer]

Pretty sure Sam has ordered our full backs to venture forward far less, in an attempt to get more clean sheets. It's had a negative affect, with us seldom scoring more than 1 goal in a game, but still conceding.

It is noticeable in games especially at home. Can't help having an underperforming midfield most weeks either. I think the back four are reasonably solid and would and did look a lot better with a midfield that perform as a unit.

[miles]

Perhaps everybody at the club knew the manager was staying so it was carry on as before as opposed to the situation now.

That's the whole point though isn't it. Not winning football games has put him in this "situation". So has reverting to the type of mind numbing tactics we endured all of last season. He held his own future in his hands at Christmas and has ballsed it up completely. Blaming anyone other than Sam Allardyce for his not getting a new contract is silly.

[the pink palermo]

We bought three players in January.

Remind me.

And talk me through how they strengthened us ,