West Ham Utd 1-0 Sunderland (27/02/16)

[sendô]

Playing Payet and Lanzini together is the sort of thing we should be aiming to do every match. If only we had a third one?

Im sure there will be games though when we will favour more midfield solidity and out and out pace on the wings, so maybe will see one make way for Moses/Antonio/Kouyate.

[Aztec Hammer]

Those are fair points DL, they both did find it a bit difficult yesterday to find space. But I think rather than them getting in each other's way, I think, or at least I hope that what we might be seeing is the complaint that we've always heard from the 'big' teams.

That when we play these sides like Sunderland, they dumb the game down and try to fragment it. I always hated when Wenger and the others used to say that. But I didn't necessarily disagree with it. The lesser sides do dumb it down but they have every right to. Wenger has no divine right to expect teams to try and fight fire with fire against his sides.

But you know what - I think we're seeing that more now. The evidence is there. We struggle against the sides that want to play messy, fragmented football. And we beat City, Liverpool x3, Arsenal, Chelsea. All teams that don't give respect to us and allow their class players to play against our class players.

In my opinion, the next step is to add one or two more Payet and Lanzini quality players that can help to unlock those difficult games against the lower sides. Because if we were able to turn those wasted draws that we've had into wins, we would have been right up there with a shout to win the whole thing.

[The Moth]

it's just my opinion - on what I saw yesterday (and it may be that he had only just come back from injury so he may have been off the boil) it seemed to me that both Payet and him were trying to do the same role, to the point they were both largely ineffective.

Now, it could either be we play one or the other...

I'd suggest you take your own advice

If judgement is cast on the basis of one game, then by that token, Emmanuel Omoyinmi was a world beater.

Missed yesterdays game but Lanzini and Payet have in general been excellent together this season, no issues having both in the same team

[Iron-worx]

Fat Sam is an effective manager for teams that don't quite make the grade.

Stop the opponents from playing, bring everything down to a scrap, make it as much as is possible a lottery and in that way a poor team gains more points than it otherwise would do.

It produces soul destroying games very much like yesterdays which we could have drawn or even lost, or won 3-0 but for the woodwork.

I understand why but it's awful football so I'm glad that he went away griping and I won't be sorry to see Sunderland drop.

It does a job, and it did a job for us when we had players like Faye, Carew and Maynard, but I don't like it.

[jaybs]

Yesterday was just one of those games, yes I would have loved to see us put 3 or 4 past them, but we won, and against some teams you have to play that way, now we have two real tests coming up!

[Romford]

Horrid game.

We changed our "build from the back" philosophy and went far more direct and couldn't put 4 passes together. pick up a second bacll and played right into the hands of the boring one.

Nice to see he still hasn't changed in coming out with absolute cobblers at the end of the match.

Was proud about the reaction from the fans...for more respectful than the idiot deserved (or gave)

[MD_HM]

Where has anybody said that? Show me.

Apologies DL although directly after your comments I meant as a whole not aimed at you.

Bloke behind me yesterday didn't stop moaning just think it's easy for people to lose sight of where we are now and where we have come from

[-DL-]

I'd suggest you take your own advice

I suggest you take things in context.

I think rather than them getting in each other's way, I think, or at least I hope that what we might be seeing is the complaint that we've always heard from the 'big' teams...

Which is a perfectly valid point there, and one I think you may be spot on with.

Lanzini and Payet have only started 10 games together this season. Out of those ten, we have won half of them - but the most telling thing is, who those wins have come against. Liverpool, City, Chelsea, Palace (when they were flying) and Sunderland yesterday. Sunderland was the first time we've done a struggling team when they've both started - and if Defoe hadn't missed a couple of very good chances, we could well have come away with nothing.

The rest have been against teams you would usually expect us to beat, the so-called lesser teams. 3 losses and 2 draws.

So perhaps, against the so-called lesser teams, we have to cut our cloths accordingly.

[irving boleyn]

As said previously, it was the right midfield balance yesterday..but Slaven seemed to have given Noble the default position of a number Ten..he was invariably the most further forward...that left Kouyate and the recovering Lanzini too much to do in the deep position,especially with the dubious defensive talents of Anthony and Byram on display..

[Scratchy]

Maybe it's the pain killers and anti-biotics clouding my judgement, but I'm wondering whether Bilic should be thinking along the lines of it being Payet or Lanzini rather than Payet and Lanzini together.

I thought they got in each other's way a bit, and neither really got the chance to show what they are about.

Don't get me wrong, this is not a criticism by any means, but I think they are a similar kind of player to a degree.

But boy, what a lovely headache to have for Bilic.

We played our best football earlier in the season where both of them linked up wonderfully. I don't even think they're similar players, Lanzini is more about retaining possession in tight areas and working hard, which is why he plays deeper than Payet. Whereas Payet is our focal point, direct running followed by either a shot or a key pass.

[the pink palermo]

Was proud about the reaction from the fans...for more respectful than....... deserved (or gave)

I agree with you there Romford .

A couple of muted chants of we play on the floor and are you watching Allardyce was the extent of it .

As for the game itself, the worst spectacle of the season for me , a flat atmosphere, poor quality throughout and Sunderland working hard, running around plenty but having little to excite in the final third .

We should have scored when Carroll hit the bar, and were unfortunate not to when Noble did the same in the first half .In all honesty though Antonio's goal came from nothing .

Once again the shunting out to the flank of Noble in the first half to accommodate a big unit in the middle did us no favours .

A win's a win but if we play this badly on Wednesday night we'll get spanked .

[ryanrc]

I didn't see the game as I was on a plane but it looks like despite playing poorly we deserved to win and it looks like Noble had another good game.

[bobbymooresbracelet]

Best part of the game goal aside was Sir Geoff dropping the F word in at half time.

[rottiel]

Poor game but really pleased with the 3 points, was dreading him coming back and winning and how cold was it ?

Roll on Wednesday night now but we really need to step it up or there will be a repeat of the away game.

[Romford]

I agree with you there Romford .

A couple of muted chants of we play on the floor and are you watching Allardyce was the extent of it .

As for the game itself, the worst spectacle of the season for me , a flat atmosphere, poor quality throughout and Sunderland working hard, running around plenty but having little to excite in the final third .

We should have scored when Carroll hit the bar, and were unfortunate not to when Noble did the same in the first half .In all honesty though Antonio's goal came from nothing .

Once again the shunting out to the flank of Noble in the first half to accommodate a big unit in the middle did us no favours .

A win's a win but if we play this badly on Wednesday night we'll get spanked .

Our worst home performance since the new Boss arrived...felt like we still had the old one.

Goal came from nowhere...and totally agree about Weds night.

Sunderland have problems though....we had a mare and i never really felt they would even get a draw despite what Sam and the Sunderland fans will think.

As for the atmosphere....early kick-offs are always the same at the Boleyn.

[Hockley Hammer]

Our worst home performance since the new Boss arrived...felt like we still had the old one.

Goal came from nowhere...and totally agree about Weds night.

Sunderland have problems though....we had a mare and i never really felt they would even get a draw despite what Sam and the Sunderland fans will think.

As for the atmosphere....early kick-offs are always the same at the Boleyn.

At half time having got the goal I thought there was absolutely no way they would get back in the game.
We were terrible in the second half and they created genuine chances that may cost them dear at the end of the season. I don't think we could have complained if they nicked an equaliser.
They squander chances like they made it's easy to see why they are in the position they are in.
Bad performances happen but we don't want one like that Wednesday night.

[bubbles1966]

Since the turn of the year they are actually tenth on form.

[AlfieG]

The Ex manager showed a bit of respect for the fans reaction to him yesterday.

Want to thank all the West Ham fans who gave me a good reception yesterday! Thoroughly enjoyed my time at the club & wish them all the best.

Fair play for being big enough to do that....

(Now can we just forget about him and enjoy the future...... )

[Gazzaloz]

I think we'll be a lot better with Sakho back. He'll play more on the shoulder and stretch defences in a way that Carroll and Big Emmy can't. He'll give Payet a better target and create some space for Lanzini and Moses/Antonio.

[Ludeksgloves]

Sunderland stood back and made it very difficult to break them down. We simply did not have the space to play our normal game, which is why it ended up being a messy (and pretty boring affair). Very happy with the 3 points!

I think Big Sam will keep them up though.