Sunderland v West Ham United: Match Thread

[Major]

Bill

I disagree on both counts, the support today was typical, nothing special; we always sing like that at away games. Don't want a medal or think we deserve a win.

I also thought all the players (apart from Vas maybe) worked very hard today, we just got beat, it happens and it will happen again more than once more this season.

I dont know what lessons you want us to learn? Same team that took the league leaders to within a minute last week, same system, we just didn't play well today, its football it happens and its definitely West Ham.

And i am off to "dream on" now I'm ****ed that was a long day...

[thejackhammer]

Moose saying on Twitter Collins has a Grade 3 hamstring injury... Very bad...

So he'll be back for QPR then?

[Westcliff Hammer]

watching motd on a larger screen rather than my laptop jussi had no chance with larrsons shot i said he should have saved that but i was wrong it was unstoppable BUT he should have helped Potts out and claimed that ball

[DustyHammer]

[quote="Major"]
I also thought all the players (apart from Vas maybe) worked very hard today, we just got beat, it happens and it will happen again more than once more this season.
/quote]

From what I saw, he was the only one willing to chase down loose balls on the wing. In fact, I think he was the only player I saw sprint all game for us, and he did it a few times to make sure he got possession back.

[ryanrc]

I hate to criticise Potts because he looks like a very good player but he has to improve his positioning. Looking at the breakdowns, the reason we had so much space is because he had pushed too far up and we were defending with three at the back. Maybe someone should have been covering for him though.

[w6hammer]

Watching the highlights on MOTD and we looked awful.Poor defending,positional sense at the back and defensive cover from midfield.Need a left back urgently,Potts is not ready for football at this level.Looked like too many of our players were off form.

[carugohammers]

very bad performance today. Non-existent midfield & Defence embarrassing, especially on the second goal. Collins and Potts were light years away from trial last Saturday

[the pink palermo]

That was a journey I wouldn't want to repeat .

We weren't very good today, nobody did well , and it's fair to say it was our worst performance of the season .

The worst part is it confirmed the stereotypical view people have of West Ham - up North, cold , etc, won't have fancied it etc etc etc

[thejackhammer]

If we lose to QPR, we can hit the panic button, I also don't want to lose to 'Arry. We weren't very good today, at all. MOTD didn't show Chamakh touching the ball, things can only get better? right?

[nickkarkie]

There is absolutely nothing wrong with our side, we have given everyone a game at home this season and we look excellent at times, it is when we go away from home that we change, playing too deep, no midfield support to the front man and no urgency. There is absolutely no difference playing away from home, it is all in sportmen's minds, the home team are expected to press you to appease the home fans, that actually makes it easier for you to get at them, it just doesnt happen though. Our midfield three play in a vertical line which is pathetic, they should be working together as a three.

I think the Norwich win last week will be the difference between us staying up and going down, i think that win was vital. We were also very lucky to catch norwich, qpr, newcastle in very poor form when we went to their grounds otherwise we would have very few away points.

[Any Old Iron]

Our abysmal away form is due to Allardyces extremely negative approach, summed up by himself on MOTD tonight;

"our work ethic away from home has to be about stopping the opposition".

What a truly depressing way of approaching a football match. What an oaf!

[irving boleyn]

Ay Old Iron...

How would you have lined up today to give us a better chance, presuming you are less of an oaf than sam.?

[AlfieG]

Our abysmal away form is due to Allardyces extremely negative approach, summed up by himself on MOTD tonight;

"our work ethic away from home has to be about stopping the opposition".

What a truly depressing way of approaching a football match. What an oaf!

He also said.

Its baffling for me......... it is about about earning the right to play and not going out believing its just gonna happen and thats how it looked today.....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20919220

A 3.36 min interview which is worth listening to....

[Westcliff Hammer]

Our abysmal away form is due to Allardyces extremely negative approach, summed up by himself on MOTD tonight;

"our work ethic away from home has to be about stopping the opposition".

What a truly depressing way of approaching a football match. What an oaf!

And that is 100% correct, Win you're home games, Draw you're away games a very famous Liverpool manager said that.

[Happyhammer52]

Our abysmal away form is due to Allardyces extremely negative approach, summed up by himself on MOTD tonight;

"our work ethic away from home has to be about stopping the opposition".

What a truly depressing way of approaching a football match. What an oaf!

So we can then play our game? Like most sides do when they go away from home...

[Singaporeiron]

As always only watching from the TV over here, a very poor game, second to the ball in midfield and crap defending and some shocking positional play from our defence.

Simple as that, a very bad day at the office and not a typical BFS sort of display. I agree with the poster who said once they walked over the white line a solid looking team lost its way, actually there was no leader out there.

Credit to SAFC they were eager and first the ball won the midfield battle. Park it move on, but now significant presure to win at home against an improving QPR

Absolute priority LB signing this week, and dare I say another decent CB and hopefully a fit enough Diame who we have missed and would have bossed that midfield

BFS won't but should look to drop Nolan, he has a problem looming in this area and Nolan is a weaker link imho

[hammerofthedogs]

Just got back after being caught at junction 48 on the A1 for over an hour and a half and had to endure probably 12 sports reports on 5 Live rubbing the result in...

I actually thought Sunderland played like we have this season when we have been on song - industrious, defended well (when needed - which wasn't much today), made use of the flanks and were fairly direct. We started ok but their scoring first with what looked like a pretty unstoppable shot (I haven't seen a MOTD to confirm this) took the wind out of our sails and we never really recovered. It happens.

Next game please and let us move on.

Been driving all night my hand's wet on the wheel....

[Chelmo Hammer]

Our abysmal away form is due to Allardyces extremely negative approach, summed up by himself on MOTD tonight;

"our work ethic away from home has to be about stopping the opposition".

What a truly depressing way of approaching a football match. What an oaf!

He's right though isn't he? How would you have approached it? Oaf?

[Ashtonthelegend]

Just got home. Thank **** most of you previous posters don't go to aways! I'd hate to be sitting next to you in the pub or train after, knee jerkers!

Overall bad day at the office. I still don't think Potts is good enough at the moment to be anywhere near the first team. Creativity is a massive problem for us. We're alright if we get a goal first, or play for the draw and get settled in. But when we go behind nothing seems to change.


Still i reckon we can get to pens on Wednesday.

[Westcliff Hammer]

Still i reckon we can get to pens on Wednesday.[/quote]

Thats the worst case scenario possible. We don't need it to go to penalties with a game against Q.P.R on saturday