PSF: Charlton Athletic 0-0 West Ham Utd (25/07/15)

[ironilunga]

Who gives a **** about pre season matches?

Agreed,

We are in the process of bedding in new players and likely experimenting with certain players in different formations under a new coaching staff. This, whilst trying to navigate through a europa qualification and in doing so trying to avoid knackering the majority of the first team squad before Christmas.

Lots to be positive about. Decent recruitment, promising youth players emerging and into the third qualifying round of europa.

Good times.

[Caribiron]

First opportunity for me to see us pre season. Set up as a 4-2-3-1 which I liked. Showed patient build up but were slow in transition and struggled overlapping on the wings.

Knoyle did very well coming in late on. Ogbonna looks like a real player made a couple of mistakes (looked like he gave a pen away to me) but overall pretty impressive. Cullen had a great game, kept it simple, always looking to raise the tempo and always available for the ball. Oxford - bloody hell! This boy is going to be one hell of a player, and he's pretty damn good right now. Really looking forward to seeing him in a full on competitive game.

Valencia - much needed game time showed a few flashes of what he's about but was, unsurprisingly off the pace. Had 2 clear shooting opportunities but played poor passes instead.
Samuelson this kids going to get better and better one of those players that will benefit from playing alongside the likes of Payet, he's on the same wavelength.
Sakho played well. He's clearly learning the new system and also new players around him. In terms of fitness and pre season he's lightyears ahead of Valencia.
Payet. Very impressive. Quick very comfortable on the ball and always looking to link up. Some sublime touches and is going to be a real star for us this year.
Without a doubt Jenks and Cresswell would have given us more width going forward and better delivery but we looked very much like work in progress.
And without wishing to state the bleeding obvious, we need a striker. Dzeko, f**k off to Italy so we can bring in Destro.
As an aside. Charlton were no mugs including their 6'7" monster Moniek (sp) upfront. Had they been sharper and managed to finish they could have run out 3-0 winners. But they didn't...

[giantsteps]

Another year, another argument about pre-season games.

Ogbonna impressed me yesterday, very comfortable on the ball. You can see him fitting in nicely as a regular first team starter. Who gets dropped at his expense though, Winston or Tomkins?

Payet looked good and was often at the centre trying to orchestrate things to happen. Wasn't too impressed with his corners though, on several attempts he failed to clear the first man.

Samuelsen also looked fantastic on the ball at times, great skill but obviously still very raw.

First time at The Valley yesterday so another ground ticked off the list. To say I won't be returning in a hurry would probably be a fair bet though.

[Major]

He didn't say anything about the first team. Good football can happen at any level. I understand that it's preseason but it would be nice (and possible) to see good football. I don't see how you can dig that guy out for wanting to watch a good game.

Its easy really

Pre season games are not to show fans "good football" they are for the coaching team to experiment with tactics and for the playing team to get match fit.

They will always be disjointed, will always have our team below par and will generally be against some dodgy team who will possibly look at the game as some kind of Cup Final. We all know that before we go (or should do), so why moan?

Its like buying a pirate film before its released and then moaning about the dodgy format and the fact we have some weird blokes head in the bottom corner. If you want real quality buy a kosher copy after the release date.You will get a glimpse of the real film but it will be a bit **** compared to the finished article, thats a pre season game.

Like i said its really simple.

[kalashnikov]

Ogbonna impressed me yesterday, very comfortable on the ball. You can see him fitting in nicely as a regular first team starter. Who gets dropped at his expense though, Winston or Tomkins?

For me Tomkins. This isn't necessary because I think Tomkins is that much worse than Reid, he isn't, but I believe he has less of the attributes Bilic is looking for. We're going to play a high line and pace/athleticism are a must for CB's in such a system.

Take Birkikana's goal, Collins was arguably correct positionally but didn't have the pace to shut down the through ball when Tomkins was caught under it. Reid or Oggbonna are both faster players would have cleared the danger.

[hammers92]

Samuelson got clapped off by Charlton too when he was subbed, was by far our best player. I already love watching him play, always trying to make something happen and create an opening. Hope he gets some game time this year because this guy could be something

[damiant]

I think real Madrid were happy with their pre season match against man city

[Major]

I think real Madrid were happy with their pre season match against man city

What happened?

[MB]

What happened?

A full strength Madrid side beat a half strength Man City side 4-1.

Completely meaningless as you said earlier.

[carnage]

Who gives a **** about pre season matches?

Puff Daddy

I can't remembers good pre season.

I wish we looked a little better in the Europa though.

[billybondsballbag]

I can't remembers good pre season.

I may be wrong, but I seem to remember us winning nearly every pre-season game under Avram Grant. Make of that what you will...

[Major]

[/quote]I may be wrong, but I seem to remember us winning nearly every pre-season game under Avram Grant. Make of that what you will...[/quote]

A very good point, weren't we dogshit last season as well and then got off to a flier?

[jammys78]

Crap result but played some really nice stuff yesterday you can see how the team are adapting to Slavs style of play which is nice, Samuelson looks a very decent player, ogbonna had a good game for his first ever game in English football, payet looks such a class above everyone else he's gonna be a great player, sakho looked sharp as always, our support was brilliant a Stewart said we had 2500 there! The antigallican pub before and after the game was buzzing you wouldn't have thought it was a pre season friendly!

[DaveWHU1964]

So are we ever gonna have a good pre-season match......

Yep, about one in 20. That one last year where Burke got a last minute winner looked like that one in 20 so probably about three or four years till another one comes along.

People expecting, or even just hoping for a 'good' pre-season game just don't get what these games are all about. Results are irrelevant. Major's earlier post on this is spot on. Last year there was an absolutely ridiculous meltdown on here about our pre-season results and performances. They mattered not one flying f*** as we saw when the season started as they had served their purpose- integrating new players and getting everyone match sharp.

[Kialos]

I quite enjoyed yesterday, watching skilful players trying to play decent football is always welcome. I think some people just equate good football to a goal fest but to me watching Samuelsen, Oxford and Payet play was good enough for a pre season.

No disrespect to Phil Parkes intended but he can't be right all of the time. Can't understand why we signed such a poor keeper and he's been poor in every game so far playing modest opposition.

[Kialos]

To watch our development squad, I should imagine so

It was never going to be a development squad game as a few of us correctly called.

[the celestial insect]

We are in the process of bedding in new players and likely experimenting with certain players in different formations under a new coaching staff. This, whilst trying to navigate through a europa qualification and in doing so trying to avoid knackering the majority of the first team squad before Christmas.

Lots to be positive about. Decent recruitment, promising youth players emerging and into the third qualifying round of europa.

Good times.

Sensible perspective and logically positive.

[Lee_WHU]

I'll go along with everything Major is saying. I guess the twist in the tail is that we've got competitive Europa league fixtures thrown in the mix and we look no better there than in these regular pre-season games so since there IS something to play for and to look good in the issue comes up more than it would normally.

OS has stuck the highlights up: http://www.whufc.com/News/Articles/2015 ... st-Ham-Utd" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

About 10 seconds of 1st half highlights including Randolph flapping at a corner and also playing Oxford into a tight situation and flubbing the following kick upfield. Could've just concentrated on the 2nd half :lol:

[ballantine]

Pre season games are not to show fans "good football" they are for the coaching team to experiment with tactics and for the playing team to get match fit.

Whilst i agree with this, pre season is also an opportunity to discover flaws and shortages in the team. Like last year, when Allardyce admitted (later) that he was really worried by how we played in pre season, which was why they went after sakho and song.

So it must be kosher to discuss what's working and what's not, even in pre season games.

[Yea Why Not]

Exciting attacking line up, should knock a few goals past Charlton - for anyone who likes a bet, we are 9/4 with BET365

Looked great odds to me, stuck £50 on it. Should have known better