PSF: West Ham Utd 0-3 Manchester City (04/08/17)

[Aztec Hammer]

One man team. Lanzini.

[Colours never run]

My heart sank as soon as I saw the team sheet with Fonte and Ogbonna at the heart of our defence. One of the worst pairings we could cobble together at the minute.

I really do believe we need 1genuine quality commanding Centre Half. None like Fonte or Ogbonna ta.

[Ozza]

Great run out for the lads, not bothered about the scoreline, Byrum and Rice both had good games.

Oi sully get off our forum

[hawkins_hammer]

Fingers crossed on Arnautovic.

[aitchayell]

I know that he has his backers but I just don't see what Fernandes brings to the team. He is ineffectual wherever he pops up. He plays without any confidence or conviction.

[Wilko1304]

Rice looked very good

Ayew is a clearly a very good footballer

Hernandez can clearly play as a lone forward and battle

Hart made some good saves.


That's your positives, everyone else looked shocking. I understand we have numerous injuries, but that happens and it's clear we need a couple extra players brought in so that we have a squad

[dodger]

Great run out for the lads, not bothered about the scoreline, Byrum and Rice both had good games.

Why was it great when one of our players got injured and a fellow PL team looked much fitter than us?

Even if you take the 'the scoreline in friendlies doesn't matter' line, it's still a crap outcome.m

[w6hammer]

I know it is a friendly but that was a very poor performance along with the two in Germany.I am concerned Bilic has not addressed problems from last season in terms of poor defending,a slow ponderous midfield devoid of pace and creativity and a lacklustre forward line.Bilic needs to up his game big time if he wants to stay as manager.I personally do not rate him.How a class centre back as Bilic was can not seem to organise a team to defend is baffling.

[Hammer in Hornchurch]

This was a bad idea from the begining.. I understand that we try to defend with a bit of caution since we will be pegged back by United, but why can't we work hard? And tackle? We are like cones jogging about! Shamefull and another clear indication that our manager is ****.

Agreed.

Can't understand the people who say Bilic 'gets us'
Organising your team to be so unfit/can't tackle/can't defend/no energy/no idea - is that what he thinks we want?
I think we should expect better, the players are not bad players.

[Het-Field]

To me, the concern is the midfield. We simply haven't been upgrading in the centre, and by losing Nordveit, we are already down a player who can play CM, without a replacement.

[Aztec Hammer]

Nothing in central midfield. Nothing in defence. Goalkeeper is going to chocolate wrist goals to rebounds all year long whilst screaming at everyone like the most annoying kid in the sixth form football team. Very little on the wings and creatively thought not too worried because we were without Lanzini and Antonio.

[Wilko1304]

Not digging out the manager in pre-season, absolutely pointless.

[sharphammer]

by losing Nordveit, we are already down a player who can play CM.

that's debatable mate

[Rasp]

The negativity on here is mind boggling.

[Alfiehammer]

Was baby sitting my nephew this afternoon and only got score updates. I will attempt to read through this thread but if anyone wants to give me a paragraph summary I wouldn't be unappreciated. I can't imagine it was particularly good. And though I don't put much stock in friendly results, im struggling to work out who thought paying Man City was a good idea....

[faubert93]

No creativity without Lanzini.
No counter attacking pace without Antonio.
No solidity in defense without Reid.
No legs in midfield without Kouyate.

We've just played a team work 10x our squad but that is no excuse for the lack of grit and determination.

Fonte is useless.
Arni now looking like he is injured. (sigh)
Obiang the only midfielder who is fit enough to stay with the pace of the game.

The Positives?

Masuaku and Ayew and Hernandez actually look like they have played football before.

[Hamburger]

.
Clueless. New players, same old predictable, boring, one dimensional Bilic tactics. Rice the only positive. Was solid, had some ideas and looked like he was trying, unlike most of the others. I'd like to see the stats, I think we had 1 attempt at goal and no more than 30% of possession. A lot of work to do and I'm not sure Bilic is the man to do it.
.

[traxop]

You can just tell from his close control and touches that Chicarito is a different class.

Got to say, Rice does look very impressive. He's been able to spot and find the free man out wide on several occasions. Those are the kind of passes that relieves the pressure and starts our attacks.

Hoping Ogbonna is just taking it easy because it's a preseason friendly otherwise whomever is partnering with him in central defence is going to be royally screwed.

[Danny's Dyer Acting]

Was baby sitting my nephew this afternoon and only got score updates. I will attempt to read through this thread but if anyone wants to give me a paragraph summary I wouldn't be unappreciated. I can't imagine it was particularly good. And though I don't put much stock in friendly results, im struggling to work out who thought paying Man City was a good idea....

It was a poorly thought out pre season game against a much better side/squad. A few players looked good in spells, too many looked undercooked. Season starts next weekend.

[Colours never run]

Rice looked very good

Ayew is a clearly a very good footballer

Hernandez can clearly play as a lone forward and battle

Hart made some good saves.


That's your positives, everyone else looked shocking. I understand we have numerous injuries, but that happens and it's clear we need a couple extra players brought in so that we have a squad

Pretty much agree with most of that.

I'm also still not convinced by playing 4231 as we look so disjointed everytime we play it and not solid ad compact like we can be playing 3 at the back. Unless we clear out some centre halves and replace them with real quality, its almost pointless keep preserving with this formation as we always get carved up like a knife through butter, regardless of who plays in midfield.