Manchester City 2 West Ham Utd 1 (16/10/05)

[tits_guest1986]

I thought Man City's 'atmosphere' was a disgrace!

over 40,000 there today though you cant knock that

[NE hammer]

Rampant and Free Flowing is how teletext described Man City. Must be a long time since those superlatives and Man City have been in the same sentence. Seems to me like we had no interest in giving them a game and subsequently made them look rampant etc.

[Toulouse_Iron]

B'stard PC just wiped a very long and well thought out post: to summarise...
1) 1st half we were anonymous except for Carrol and Konch.
2) Tommy & Ethers had mares and everyone else was utterly transparent.
3) Citeh clearly deserved to win. We were outclassed by a GOOD team.
4) James played a blinder. Snuffed out the few threats we posed them.
5) Reo and our whole midfield were always 2nd to the ball.
6) We could have lost 5-0 but WE DIDN'T.

Drop Tom and Ethers for a match or 2, put Tedward on the bench in place of Bobby, keep playing attacking football, pass to our OWN players and we will not go down. This is our prime objective this season: STAY UP. We have got off to a good start and we have to build on this.

Attack, Attack,Attack,Attack,Attack,!

[Dwight1970]

Today and the Sunderland showed that we don't have much quality in the side but other performances have showed that if everyone does what they are good at and come together as a team we might not be a bad side.

Teams will have worked us out from our initial performances so maybe we might have to change it around a little bit but if we keep the hard work ethic up and don't over complicate things unless you actually have the ability to pull it off, we will be alright.

Man City's front 2 caused us so much problems I think Gabbidon carried Anton today but Anton is still very inexperienced so it is asking a lot for him not to have a dip in form at some point. Hopefully we have enough cover there to rest him should the need arise.
Most concern for me is the performances of Repka and Etherington, in the last 2 games Tomas has been a liability and Matty quite ineffective.

With Yossi often roaming as Reo-Coker is often our attacking outlet on the right as Repka does not seem happy to get forward like Koncheskey does on the left. This often leaves Mullins overrun in the middle when the move breaks down, this is compunded by the fact that when Tomas does get involved his distribution is so poor we are often getting caught on the counter attack anyway.

I think we will get found out as we have so many weaknesses in the side so we should shake it up now and again. Otherwise we will have to hope there are simply not enough sides good enough to expose us every week or pray that we can match the Villa's performances more often or not this season.

I am sure we will be ok but I still think it will a long hard haul so I think we should be enjoying these relaxed times right now.

[Harveys_HammersLH]

Some of you can be really negative at times.

[Larry]

Some of you can be really negative at times. :?

well I'm certainly not negative - we never got goingin the first half but were much improved in the 2nd and despite a few blipps it was incouraging to see how much more improved we are in defence when in past seasons we would have collapsed.

but hay we our 9th, after 8 games have only lost 2 we our doing a lot better then we dared hope for so lets be happy at that.

[Harveys_HammersLH]

but hay we our 9th, after 8 games have only lost 2 we our doing a lot better then we dared hope for so lets be happy at that.

Spot on Larry.

[kaybee15]

Maine, U.S.A (rolling eyed emoticon )

As you are so keen on emoticons, surely you should have noticed the at the end of my post? It indicated that I knew the difference between Maine Rd and Maine USA and was, in fact, joking. Cos, y'see, the names are similar and...and....oh, I give up.

On to the game.

Super Tommy had an absolute mare, compounded by the fact that when Football Genius
took his place he appeared to be trying to play worse, certainly for the first 15mins or so of the second half.

Mullins should be thoroughly ashamed of the second goal - when you are playing a side who are so utterly in control, the first reaction upon ****ing the ball on the edge of your own penalty area should be get rid of the ****er. Don't wait for one of a highly dangerous strike partnership to take it off you.

Matty is running out of chances to impress - his things that work v things that don't balance is massively in the red, and he's simply not good enough to have his few moments of glory outweigh his failings. He's good, but perhaps not as good as we'd all hoped.

Yossi+ Konch - very impressive, excellent signings. Can only get better, IMO.

Sir Tedward - shut out with consummate skill. Pearce knows Teddy's game inside out, and it showed today.

Marlon - Should have had several decisions given in his favour, but never looked like scoring anyway. Just wasn't his day.

Bobby Z - two utter howlers of attempts, followed by an absolutely perfect conversion. This man is going to keep us guessing all season. He's 'proper' West Ham though, so it's hardly a surprise...


All in all, a bit of a wake up call - we are not going to win the prem, or probably even finish top half, but the blind optimism of the last few weeks has at least been fun, and the memory of that Villa game isn't going to go away in a hurry. It would appear that we have now been 'found out ' - the bigger clubs will be able to deal with our attacking, fluid-on-a-good-day ways with ease, BUT the middle/lower half clubs are going to have a problem with us all season long. Even after today's defeat, I defy anyone to say we are certanties for the drop, or even likely.We need to consolidate, then move on. And I, for one, have every confidence in Alan Pardew that we will do just that...

[Dwight1970]

Some of you can be really negative at times.

Be fair we have just lost and the last two performances have been way below the standards we have set for ourselves.

The truth is that the season so far has exceeded most of our expectations and many fans seem to have got carried away.

I don't see today as a reason to be negative but a bit of reality should be brought into our season and that there are players in our side who will proved not be good enough this season.

The negative thing will be how we react as fans to poor performances, I would like to think that we will have learnt from our past experiences so will back them all 100% at each game and confine the criticisms to the pub and forums like this.

[Southend Hammer]

Now that i have gotten over the disappointment. It is true that we can't come down too heavy on the team. 9th in the league with a game in hand on many teams is pretty good and if we ended the season that way I would be extremely happy.

Still think this is the time to put pressure on for some places in the team. Give one or two others a run out and increase the competition and spiwit for the whole squad.

Bring on Middlesbrough...let's ave em.

[bonehead]

disappointing that both goals were down to elementary mistakes........Gabbodon should have gone with Cole as he ran through for the first goal.....simple defending........and Mullins was far too casual for the second

talking of casual.......it's about time Etherington was dropped

I wouldn't have expected us to win up there so all is not lost......just hope Pards does the right thing in the next game......Sheringham and Etherington warming the bench

[stockwell pete]

Bobby Z - two utter howlers of attempts, followed by an absolutely perfect conversion. This man is going to keep us guessing all season. He's 'proper' West Ham though, so it's hardly a surprise...

Yes that's true, but I thought his movement and link up play was generally excellent . . . as it usually is. I still think he has a very good chance of making it in the Premiership with us.

[GreenWitch Hammer]

We were extremely poor today and I thought Repka, Mullins, Etherington and Sheringham put in disgraceful performances. What struck me was our inability to find a team mate with a pass over even 5 yards and our inability to close down the Man City players when in possession. The huge difference between the two teams was that they didn't give any of our players any time on the ball and this perhaps showed up where we're lacking in a bit of quality. When you're being harried so tightly and quickly having a good first touch, one touch football and moving into space become so important and we simply weren't good enough to do that.

Having said all that however, we have had a good start and hopefully this has just been a 2 game blip. A bad day at the office, now lets move on. If we were beginning to carried away then I think today will have reminded people what (in our heart of hearts) we knew all along and it's that this will be a long tough season. So we move on to Boro where we'll all be right behind the boys again and hopefully walking away anothe 3 points closer to survival, for that after all is the aim!

[TommyRepka]

Not having too much of a dig for the people who turned up, I was one of them after all, but I do find it puzzling why people would travel all that way and stand like statues for the whole game though. IMVHO I thought MOST (not all, there pockets at the back and in places towards the front of the lower tier) of our support today was pretty embarassing in all honesty!! Group of us tried for the whole game to get some singing going and most of the time we got looked at as if we mad!

CIty's was nothing to right home about either apart from the northern monkeys sitting next to us.

[WHUFC TILL I DIE]

Not having too much of a dig for the people who turned up, I was one of them after all, but I do find it puzzling why people would travel all that way and stand like statues for the whole game though. IMVHO I thought MOST (not all, there pockets at the back and in places towards the front of the lower tier) of our support today was pretty embarassing in all honesty!! Group of us tried for the whole game to get some singing going and most of the time we got looked at as if we mad!

CIty's was nothing to right home about either apart from the northern monkeys sitting next to us.

Absolutely agree! although we didnt have much to shout about, it started from the 1st whistle - everyone around me sat down which is pretty much the death knell of an atmosphere(almost all out support in the upper tier sat the entire game). I prefer to stand, but not if those behind me are sitting. Away support was bad considering how good it usually is. Hopefully it aint like this at Anfield, or else it isnt going to be worth going.

Yeah your right a few Shiteh next to us did try to get an atmosphere for them - but did anyone else notice the crowd segregation was to leave a gap of about 3 meters between the fans! I remember thinking this could end in tears, but luckily most of the West Ham near them seemed to be the well behaved types. a couple of minutes into the match and some fat manc still hasnt shut up calling Sheringham a "Munich twat", which at first was funny, but the 1st 3 or 4 times only. To be honest I enjoy having opposing fans right there for some banter. But it did seem like asking for trouble!

Regarding the match - although we deservedly lost, we actualy had the chances to get something out of it, City didnt look that great at the back. It would have been a travesty if we'd nicked a draw though. Hopefully we will live & learn form this

[Alf Garnett's (Ex) Missus]

disappointing that both goals were down to elementary mistakes........Gabbodon should have gone with Cole as he ran through for the first goal.....simple defending........and Mullins was far too casual for the second

talking of casual.......it's about time Etherington was dropped

I wouldn't have expected us to win up there so all is not lost......just hope Pards does the right thing in the next game......Sheringham and Etherington warming the bench

Spot on Mr BH - Yossi ran his little legs off and looked for much of the game the only one who gave a **** - that fella covers some ground. Reo-Coker looked knackered and out of sorts, and the two young CB's looked a little naive at times with the movement of Cole and Vassell. Old Ted did little, Marlon had little or no service and as for Matty and Repka....

It took us nearly 60 minutes to have a shot on goal ffs so something was wrong - we flattered Citeh IMHO with our inability to pass a ball to another C&B shirt - wonder if it was the shitty looking dark shorts and socks that put them off :roll:

[Shminky Malinky]

Spot on Mr BH - Yossi ran his little legs off and looked for much of the game the only one who gave a **** - that fella covers some ground. Reo-Coker looked knackered and out of sorts, and the two young CB's looked a little naive at times with the movement of Cole and Vassell. Old Ted did little, Marlon had little or no service and as for Matty and Repka....

It took us nearly 60 minutes to have a shot on goal ffs so something was wrong - we flattered Citeh IMHO with our inability to pass a ball to another C&B shirt - wonder if it was the shitty looking dark shorts and socks that put them off :roll:

Absolutely.

[norfolk_hammer]

When we play teams with very strong attacking line-ups away from home, shouldn't we be playing a bit more defensive formation. I was suprised by the team AP played cos I was expecting to see maybe Newton in midfield sacrificing Teddy and using Yossi as the extra forward behind Marlon. If we try to play too open in these away games we will get the same results.

Also, is Collins injured cos he looked really good when he came on for Wales against England at RB.

[dmyeo66]

I am a Repka fan normally, but yesterday he was shocking and then Dailly came on and was as bad. Our passing was .........well a disgrace. Yossi seems to be the only one up for it at the moment. Tackling back, runs forward passes to the correct team!! Matty needs to be dropped with Tomas for a few games. Possibly bring in Ward or Collins for super Tom by moving Anton over to the right as he has a little more pace. Matty well I go for £10k but he is not the future is he? Whats happened to Noble? We need a lift and quick before we start to slip. That is 2 really poor games on the bounce and against teams that we should get at least a point from.
Its not all doom and gloom as we have another batch of kids comming through so lets get them on the bench or put them into the squad and put pressure on the first team.
To finish...........Teddy.............mmmmmmmmm maybe just an impact player now? He was terrible and if we dont have the ball what does he do except walk about waiting.

[Post Horn Gallop]

CARROLL; some great stops but he doesn't command the area as he should Verdict; not the complete package.
REPKA; goodbye and thank you
KONCHESKY: 100 percent everytime
MULLINS: still looks like a championship player
REO COCKER; great engine but can.t pass a ball
ANTON FERDINAND: beginning to play like his brother, far too casual needs a kick up the backside.
GABBIDON: we would be in deep ***** if it wern't for this fellow, brilliant.
YOSSI : Has got to play central behind the front two, build the team around this player.
ETHERINGTON: see MULLINS Not up to premiership standard.
SHERINGHAM: Thanks for your help and advice, goodbye.
HAREWOOD : See MULLINS AND ETHERINGTON. Ist touch bloody useless cant head a ball.
ZAMORA: Give the kid a run I think he will prove to be a great centre forward, with Yossi behind him.