ELPO: West Ham Utd 0-1 (agg 1-2) Astra Giurgiu (25/08/16)

Relive every moment of every first team game since the beginning of the 2005/06 season. Our archive of matchday threads originally posted in the General Discussion Forum.

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BonzosBoots
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Re: West Ham Utd vs Astra Giurgiu match thread

Post by BonzosBoots »

Believer wrote: One more win last season and we'd be in their position. Annoying.
This is actually my position on this. The Swansea and Stoke games at the end of last season are where we screwed up. We could have had a good pre-season, lessened the impact of injuries.
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Re: West Ham Utd vs Astra Giurgiu match thread

Post by LincolnshireHammer »

iLoveLasagne wrote:Darren Randolph's name was spelt 'Randolf' on the screens.

The whole night was a disaster. We have become a joke. :thdn:
Have a word with yourself. We're not even in September yet and people like you have already brandished us as a 'joke'.

It's laughable how quick some are to put down the fans, it really is.
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Re: West Ham Utd vs Astra Giurgiu match thread

Post by smuts »

DDHammer wrote:Haha people have actually called this pass from Byram to Burke a hospital ball?!

" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.
I did say I saw it once. :thdn:

It was still a **** over hit pass.
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Re: West Ham Utd vs Astra Giurgiu match thread

Post by Kubrickhammer »

An obvious word of advice here, but don't ever go and read what our very own fans have to say about our team on twitter. I know people think we've got some idiots on this forum but honestly going on there puts it all into perspective. Our 'fans' are already ripping into our new signings based on last nights result (Tore and Nordveidt especially), it's shameful. Some are celebrating the fact that Havard got injured yesterday. People thrive off pessimism in football, it's something I've never understood, and then when things start to go well they just shut up or make up stupid memes for one or two players. Unbelievable, the sense of entitlement in football is obscene nowadays. Sorry, a needless rant but I unfortunately went on to a few accounts and got all teed off.
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Re: West Ham Utd vs Astra Giurgiu match thread

Post by DDHammer »

I tend to ignore twitter fans, there's a bloke on there with 600+ tweets this month alone moaning about Bournemouth and Watford outspending us and barraging the Sullivan's with tweets about how Zaza is terrible and not good enough for us. Usually with awful grammar and a grainy topless selfie sporting a knock off gold chain.
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Re: West Ham Utd vs Astra Giurgiu match thread

Post by Hammer1972 »

DDHammer wrote:I tend to ignore twitter fans, there's a bloke on there with 600+ tweets this month alone moaning about Bournemouth and Watford outspending us and barraging the Sullivan's with tweets about how Zaza is terrible and not good enough for us. Usually with awful grammar and a grainy topless selfie sporting a knock off gold chain.
If you don't like it, unfollow me 8-)
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Re: West Ham Utd vs Astra Giurgiu match thread

Post by bobbymooresbracelet »

DDHammer wrote:I tend to ignore twitter fans, there's a bloke on there with 600+ tweets this month alone moaning about Bournemouth and Watford outspending us and barraging the Sullivan's with tweets about how Zaza is terrible and not good enough for us. Usually with awful grammar and a grainy topless selfie sporting a knock off gold chain.
Leave Bilic alone FFs
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Re: West Ham Utd vs Astra Giurgiu match thread

Post by Up the Junction »

Don't blame me for fight, says OS steward
http://www.kumb.com/story.php?id=130243
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Re: West Ham Utd vs Astra Giurgiu match thread

Post by Johnny Byrne's Boots »

Double-O five and a half, licenced to touch.
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Re: West Ham Utd vs Astra Giurgiu match thread

Post by JCA »

Just had a look at group E in the Europa draw........would have been nice wouldn't it........
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Re: West Ham Utd vs Astra Giurgiu match thread

Post by Harry Hound »

JCA wrote:Just had a look at group E in the Europa draw........would have been nice wouldn't it........
Gutted :cry:
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Re: West Ham Utd vs Astra Giurgiu match thread

Post by bobbymooresbracelet »

JCA wrote:Just had a look at group E in the Europa draw........would have been nice wouldn't it........
Yeah watching us run around like a bunch of f*****ing headless chickens for a couple of months.
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Re: West Ham Utd vs Astra Giurgiu match thread

Post by warontheterraces »

Bum gravy...Key player injuries have cost us. Fact is we've played Astra 4 times now and been unable to beat them even once. So no complaints from me, they have our number and played our weak team like a violin. Watched all our games home and away so far this season and we've looked a bit flat and uninspiring in the main. I have some sympathy with Bilic as our best players are all injured and he's obviously been trying out various options none of which have really come up trumps so far.

None of the new signings bar Fletcher and Feghouli look like they are going to improve the side to me. Though it's early days and I'll be happy to be proved wrong. Don't think we've done good business in the transfer market which has long been a consistent West Ham failing down the years. I don't expect every buy to be as good as Payet but ok, mediocre and alright players are not what we need. What's needed is good quality and above. If they won't improve the team we don't need them, like for like is no good.

Let's see how it goes with our best players back and a settled team before we start wielding the axe though. Need to improve because our 70s style loose marking and lack of bite up front is costing us dearly.
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Re: West Ham Utd vs Astra Giurgiu match thread

Post by The Head of Brooking »

bubbles1966 wrote: The giveaway on it being an overhit ball is Burke's run........look at the angle he has to run to keep it in......he would have run a straight line on a good ball.

The true picture - without video image distortion of angles and distance - was worse. Burke was breaking his neck to stop it running out of play.
Spot on.

Truth is neither fullback was to blame. Byram's idea was good, just poorly executed and Burke almost recovered it, but they were at least trying to create something going forward. At the point the move broke down we still had four to three in our favour.

For me Tore and Reid were at fault. Tore fell asleep and didn't track the runner and where Reid was going tracking an offside attacker to a place where he couldn't receive the pass is beyond me.
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Re: West Ham Utd vs Astra Giurgiu match thread

Post by upton o'good »

YorksHammer wrote:If he'd just left it and conceded a throw I doubt we'd have conceded, to be honest. We'd have got back and been far more organised against any attack.

Or leapt and controlled with his chest, which would have kept it under control better. Byram's ball was precisely what our players should be doing there (perhaps a little airy, but otherwise) - trying to stretch a team with a nine outfiled players behind the ball.

No way is Byram at fault there. That said, the goal is a result of a number of players not sorting out their roles properly and getting done by simple movement that we should be better at defending against. The good thing is players like Burke are young and will learn from their mistakes. I'm not so sure Reid will ever learn to not track someone running offside.

He has to stretch to head it. Now you want him to leap in the air and chest it down, presumably in leaping he should provide just the right amount of twist to change the direction of the ball to a forward one as otherwise he is just putting it in the path of one of their players, oh and he is going to need to relax his chest to get the ball not to go forwards too far, though no doubt he has strained to get there. He's a 19 year old centre-back for gods sake not Di Canio, crossed with a salmon.

All Byram had to do was pass it to Kouyate who was also running fwd and then support him. Leave the Hollywood stuff to others. He needs to learn to do the simple things well - and to stop grabbing everyone.

And to make this relevent to the thread, yes we should eb loooking for more experienced right back, now that thankfully the Antonio rb thing seems to be receding.
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Re: West Ham Utd vs Astra Giurgiu match thread

Post by norfolk_hammer »

I'm amazed that Bilic is getting off so lightly tbh, 8 changes from Bournemouth, OK some enforced by eligibility but we should have at least had Noble in there for leadership and partnership with Kouyate. Slav was a top flight defender and yet we were a shambles for the goal, and not for the first time either, even before the goal we looked like conceding, bar some last ditch tackles!

Nordveit has shown nothing to convince he is Prem level, I would rather Oxford in the role personally, and Tore and Calleri likewise although hopefully they will all come good. Overall too many gambles in one side on a night when it was important to the fans to give it a proper go, particularly because even at full strength we are likely to get nothing on Sunday.

He is right to moan about the signings we could have had but he has to get his side of things right with those we have And not being in Europe could affect new additions and keeping our prized assets.
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Re: West Ham Utd vs Astra Giurgiu match thread

Post by Burnley Hammer »

norfolk_hammer wrote:I'm amazed that Bilic is getting off so lightly tbh, 8 changes from Bournemouth, OK some enforced by eligibility but we should have at least had Noble in there for leadership and partnership with Kouyate. Slav was a top flight defender and yet we were a shambles for the goal, and not for the first time either, even before the goal we looked like conceding, bar some last ditch tackles!

Nordveit has shown nothing to convince he is Prem level, I would rather Oxford in the role personally, and Tore and Calleri likewise although hopefully they will all come good. Overall too many gambles in one side on a night when it was important to the fans to give it a proper go, particularly because even at full strength we are likely to get nothing on Sunday.

He is right to moan about the signings we could have had but he has to get his side of things right with those we have And not being in Europe could affect new additions and keeping our prized assets.
You make it sound as though we had loads of other options that were better. We could have played Fletcher instead of Calleri - if we'd have had the benefit of hindsight. Calleri didn't look like a bad option at the beginning of the night. And instead of Tore? Doesn't matter how you re-arrange it, it's still a weakened team.
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Re: West Ham Utd vs Astra Giurgiu match thread

Post by bowltorious »

Yesterdays result was a disgrace, absolutely no excuses im afraid. Three ****ing times now I've seen us lose in the 3rd qualifying round, Palermo fair enough as they were a good team at the time but to lose to these twice, shocking. Hopefully Payet stays as I could see him wanting out now, very strange how he still isn't in the squads aswell.

I just want the opportunity to go on a European trip to Inter Milan or whatever. Who would have been in our group by the way?

I was so numb and angry last night, still so pissed off at the club.
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Re: West Ham Utd vs Astra Giurgiu match thread

Post by WorcesterWHU »

upton o'good wrote: He has to stretch to head it. Now you want him to leap in the air and chest it down, presumably in leaping he should provide just the right amount of twist to change the direction of the ball to a forward one as otherwise he is just putting it in the path of one of their players, oh and he is going to need to relax his chest to get the ball not to go forwards too far, though no doubt he has strained to get there. He's a 19 year old centre-back for gods sake not Di Canio, crossed with a salmon.

All Byram had to do was pass it to Kouyate who was also running fwd and then support him. Leave the Hollywood stuff to others. He needs to learn to do the simple things well - and to stop grabbing everyone.

And to make this relevent to the thread, yes we should eb loooking for more experienced right back, now that thankfully the Antonio rb thing seems to be receding.
All of this is completely moot. In 180 minutes we scored a single penalty against this lot which came from an utter brainfart from their defender.
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Re: West Ham Utd vs Astra Giurgiu match thread

Post by Pop Robson »

Conspiracy Theory says the club didn't want the group stages
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