West Ham Utd 0-1 Wolves (01/09/18)

[mattyD]

Frederick's was awful, looked like he'd been out all night, didn't want the ball and didn't know where to mark. ... which surely has to be dealt with before? Wolves were well organised, fitter and stronger than us and waited for their chance. We chucked it away with Sánchez's brain fart. 93rd minute.... WTF? 100m and still no midfield. Anderson is quality but no one else to support him. Wrong shape and no comprehension of what's needed. We need to earn the right to play. Also without Nobes on the pitch there's no leader, no one in the refs ear.... who was ****.

[-DL-]

He's not playing up to his usual standards that's for sure. Personally, I think he's carrying an injury or has failed to shake off the effects of a previous niggling injury, rather than him unable to fit into Peller's vision.

Or maybe his head was turned in the summer and we said no, so he's got the hump.

He doesn't appear to be the same Arnie as the back end of last season, doesn't seem to want it as much or put in the graft.

Oddly enough, as these things do tend to happen by accident, we may see a totally different team if he was to miss a game or two with a knock.

[smuts]

Frederick's was awful, looked like he'd been out all night, didn't want the ball and didn't know where to mark. ... which surely has to be dealt with before?

It was Wayne Quinnesque to be honest. I was right in line with him and he didn't have a clue what to do with or without the ball.

He's 26 soon so he's not a rookie.

[Crouchend_Hammer]

I am not sure we were so good defensively, better yes but not good. First half they overloaded our full backs especially on the left where Cresswell frequently had two players and no support. We largely rectified this second half only to leaves gaps in the centre, they got at least 3 “one on ones”, that is not good defending.

The attacking however was even worse, I recall at least one occasion first half when we were looking to attack and all our forward players ran out of the area back towards the ball. I struggled to understand where Antonio was meant to be playing - up alongside Arnie or out wide and if so left or right. Changing position is fine from an established framework but when you do it from chaos it just adds to that chaos.

Their manager got it spot on. I don't think they normally play with wing backs but did yesterday and pushed them very far forward. This meant that our full backs couldn't go forward and also antonio and snodgrass had to play very deep to mark them. Because they were better on the ball they dictated the game. What was disappointing is that we were awful at the transition from defence to attack so couldn't take advantage when we did win the ball back and their wingbacks were back in place before we got over the half way line

This is why I would prefer Arnie to play deeper so he can help move the ball better from back to front - for all Snodgrass application he is not known for his fast breaking, and that has never been Antonio''s fort

We really miss Lanzini tbf

[Cuenca 'ammer]

One note of brevity ..and I hope I don't get a bollocking from Chalks..but C & H "viewers" rated players yesterday...

Masuaku got a 5.25.

We must have really been poor - because he wasn't even in the squad !!!!!!


:lol:

[DrVenk]

Or maybe his head was turned in the summer and we said no, so he's got the hump.

Yes, unfortunately that makes sense too.

He is captain when Noble doesn't play, he is urging his teammates on as much as he did before, and he stayed after the final whistle with Diop to applaud our fans. So, I think he's just as committed, but maybe in the back of his mind he's thinking 'see where we are in January'.

[Johnny Byrne's Boots]

.....................

He [Fabuanski] made saves that I'd expect Adrian to make

I'd probably agree with you on the shot stopping, but where I feel Fabianski is far superior to Adrian is his decision making on crosses and set pieces. When Fab decides to come off his line for a cross he goes for it one hundred percent, woe betide anyone between him and the ball. Adrian generally takes one or two steps out, dithers about whether he's made the right decision or not then picks it out of the net.

[Douthy]

How are people talking about Adrian ffs

[Diogenes]

It seems to me that Pellegrini is playing "Live' pre-season games at the moment. Its as though he is using the first 6 games for that purpose. His tinkering, dropping players from match day squad (rather than to bench) and substitutions seem to suggest that is the case.

Or, I am simply just being optimistic thats what is happening.

[NW5hammer]

We were easily 'out-tacticed'. Wolves did nothing special, they just played wide on both sides and our players had no idea how to fill the space and who to mark. The full-backs and wide players didn't play together. I suspect that we assumed that Sanchez and Wilshire would look after the defensive side and everyone else would bomb on.
But what was really poor was the number of misplaced passes and the inability to hold onto possession. Players were hitting balls into space miles from anyone or hitting it straight to Wolves players.
That shows a lack of concentration and awareness but also that the players are just not playing as a team - or rather not playing as little units.
You could see Wilshire getting more and more frustrated as no one made themselves available. When Anderson got the ball he did nothing with it.
Worst passing performance I've seen for years, despite the fact that we have better technical players than we've had for yonks.
Something badly amiss on the coaching/organisation side?

[Wilko1304]

Wolves were not especially good and didn’t really do a job on us or anything. They played their usual system, were able to get at us but were also able to be got at, probably the first team who didn’t really expose our central midfield.

It was two average sides, but one was at home and more dumb than the other. Their bench having someone like Traore was a big positive for them.

We were really poor in the attack, Arnie being quiet, Anderson going missing, Antonio lumbering about, Snodgrass all tracking and discipline but no real class.

[brewster]

I thought that I understood what is usually wrong with West Ham after witnessing a performance like the one we saw yesterday, but now I don't have a Scooby. I cannot believe that we are seeing the same basic faults that we saw during our very first season at the London Stadium under Bilic. Giving the opposition too much space, not closing the other team down, work rate poor, tactically inept, defensively embarrassing. Yet we have new manager, new players and new tactics. I don't understand this team anymore and to be honest the way I feel I'm beginning to think that relegation may be the only thing that will sort this mess out. 56,000 people there yesterday. We deserve so much better.

[Graza]

Just girded my loins enough to watch us on MOTD. I really hate doing it but I agree completely with Shearer. We never got close, we never challenged and they showed what putting in the shift looks like in the 93rd minute.

Fitness, application and desire were all missing from our performance. Every time we had the ball the movement was so slow (if any) that we were predictable and pedestrian. If a player was marked they just stood still. Worrying. Time to fix it, but worrying.

[Smonnie]

I really didn't think we were that bad.

For me our biggest problem was that our only plan of attack seemed to be crossing the ball into the box, but there weren't enough of our players in the box.

We needed a couple of runners from midfield and we also needed Arnie to stay in the middle.

Not sure where people are seeing lack of desire from Arnie - all I saw was him dropping too deep in order to try to get into the game.

Rooney used to do the same thing for Manchester United when he was played up front and not seeing enough of the ball.

[Ironing Board]

I really didn't think we were that bad.

For me our biggest problem was that our only plan of attack seemed to be crossing the ball into the box, but there weren't enough of our players in the box.

We needed a couple of runners from midfield and we also needed Arnie to stay in the middle.

Not sure where people are seeing lack of desire from Arnie - all I saw was him dropping too deep in order to try to get into the game.

Rooney used to do the same thing for Manchester United when he was played up front and not seeing enough of the ball.

Arnie no longer has the free role he did last season. I think his performances are suffering because of it, but not through lack of effort.

[GALF]

I thought Balbuena was our best player, bar being involved in the error at the end. I thought Diop and Fabianski had good games too.

Sanchez's brain fart at the end was so incredibly frustrating as I thought he had a pretty decent game until then.

I genuinely cannot understand Anderson and what his game is. Why on earth does he get the ball into his feet and then literally just stand still for 5-10 seconds? Then when he does run, he always steers out left, gets shown down an alley and then either turns back or stands still again!

There's no relationship between our players. Yesterday, bar maybe our CB's, there were 10 individual outfield players. It was like watching a game with 10 trialists, both in the sense that there was no chemistry but also a lack of obvious direction or tactics.

[Hugh Jargon]

Fredericks looks out of his depth to me.

[Johnny Byrne's Boots]

^^^^ Re. Anderson. At one point yesterday he got the ball on the left wing just inside the opposition half, ran forward past two opponents nearly to their penalty area then stopped, did a one eighty and took the ball back to where he started. Who knows?

[cockney hammer]

just seen ths om who




View from the Wolves lot:

“Lost the fear factor Upton Park bought for opposition and their fans”

“Awful stadium for football, and that's the problem really. It wasn't designed for this. Atmosphere was dire and I don't think it's fixable. Terrible move for West Ham.”

“It just doesn't feel like a football ground. On the concourse it felt like I was going to watch a movie or a comedian, not a football match. There's no atmosphere and that transmits itself to the players on the pitch. I overheard someone saying that they're playing 38 away games this season, and I'd go along with that.”

“Walking around before the game, having not been to the Olympic Park before, I thought the whole place was pretty special... then I got inside. It’s just not a football stadium, the whole atmosphere is dead, the view is **** because you’re so bloody far away... it’s just crap. I loved Upton Park, probably one of my favourite grounds to visit. Such a shame they’ve moved there.”

“I reckon moving to that stadium has cost them 10 home points a season. Probably also cost them a decent manager in Bilic. Upton Park had a unique history and atmosphere but the owners couldn’t resist moving to the Olympic stadium on the cheap.”

“What a horrible place to watch football. Felt like I was at a concert. Not a football ground I’m a million years.”

“It's quite literally the worst place I've ever watched football. It's a lesson for me because I always assume that if the prices are okay then the atmosphere will follow: the 'London' stadium proves that ground design also matters, the gap between stands, and from stands to the pitch, has a serious effect on the atmosphere.”

“The split between the tiers is horrendous but I think like some other clubs who have moved they also paid no attention to transferring fans. There was no obvious singing section anywhere.”

“Hammers and their stadium are exhibit A as to why Molineux should be rebuilt and not relocated.”

“I think the stadium is a mess, it's not a football stadium and a great shame on what was an institution (and some would argue one of the few remaining) of East London. I think they'll be best served by knocking it down and making Upton Park v2.”

“West Ham have destroyed themselves and the culture of the very club itself and all for what? Greed?

I don't like the hammers but I feel sorry for their traditional fan base, they've been shafted.”

“I know someone who is an arsenal fan but has a West Ham season ticket cause its accessible and cheap, I wonder how many others are doing the same!”

“Terrible stadium for football. It has no soul”

The best:

“I'd been looking forward to this one just to see how awful it really is.
Was not disappointed.
It looks great but for football it is the worst I've ever been in out of the 87 I've visited.
Even the Don Valley and Withdean were better for atmosphere.

The gaps between tiers destroys any chance of getting songs going properly.”

[Crouchend_Hammer]

Someone should somehow get that posted in the national papers, and also printed up on flyers we can all throw on the pitch. Also, get it printed on a massive poster and hang it On sullivan's gates at his house