West Ham Utd 1 Middlesbrough 1 (20/03/12)

[Up the Junction]

Mate...its not you who should be doing it. I'm fully aware his ego wouldn't be able to handle a question from a proper fan...and you wouldn't be invited back.

The only journalist who's stuck to their guns this season was Andy Dillon of the Sun with the Scouser at Southampton. The questions are rarely insightful. Pretty sad state of affairs really.

[the pink palermo]

I bet Curbs will be up there too ?

Strangely enough , he is

In this league, with these players....even Roeder and Grant would have pi$$ed it by now.

Roeder , probably , because he knew how to set up a defence as well , and some of the soft goals we have been conceding all season may not have been scored .

Not that im interested in percentages but his draw percentage must be pretty high eh ?

Generally , I'm not either , but I was responding to a specific point about the number of wins .Your comment about draws is probably closer to what people are getting cheesed off about : the unwillingness to risk defeat in order to get even more wins .The home fans appear not to be counting the away wins as they haven't seen them - they are simply airbrushed out of history .

What i must add...I think the away performance at Blackpool was the best i've seen from a West Ham team in 20 years.

Fortunately , some posters are fair enough to credit the Manager with some good away wins though My own view is that has as much to do with the oppositions Manager as ours .Ian "suicide defending , and cluless" Holloway is always good value - for a quote and 3 points .He'd be a super Manager for us by the way - goals galore I suspect , lose as many as we'd win but be great to watch .Blackpool will sack him in the summer .

I'm not a Nolan hater....but it does seem odd that our best run was when he was out suspended.

Two draws and a win ? Or the defeat at Derby for his previous suspension ? I tend to agree we were better to watch , certainly against Millwall , but I have to say , he took up some superb positions last night , as someone said last week , he thinks like a striker should ......it's not hard to see why Sam picks him .

[upton o'good]

I was itching to ask why he persisted with Tomkins as a fifth defender when we needed a goal ... or why Maynard was predominantly employed out of position on the right ... or why he took both strikers off the minute we scored a goal.

Not that easy though mate ... if you did, chances are you wouldn't get invited back.

I know this won't matter to many but I saw a different side to Allardyce last night. It was the first time I've seen him look - and sound - genuinely troubled.

Everyone has a different opinion: I thought Tomka was playing as a defensive midfielder (and apart from some overambitious passing / shooting) did well - and supporting the more advacned midfielders well. By comparison, Noble looked out of sorts, and knackered by about 65 minutes. So I would have taken him off too, probably rather earlier than 85 minutes.

What I fail to understand is more the Maynard wide, when he is clearly not a winger. We could easily have gone with collison or lansbury - who would have been (a bit) more comfortable in the role. And then Carew replacing Cole, with our tactics remaining punting it long. Carew looked utterly out of his depth in the role, his match fitness must have gone through the floor. If Cole needed to come off, why not give Maynard some time centrally, and move to playing the ball more to feet to accomodate him. We needed to find a way to play on the break and take pressure off once we were a goal up.

I can understand that at times going direct works, but when it clearly isnt why are we so unable to move to plan b. A goal up we should surely be trying to retain posession. (I recognise that asking THAT would just lead to trouble)

And isn't Sam's focus on a relatively low level of vocal booing contributing to the way players seem scared to play?

[the pink palermo]

Can I just say that i had a pair of Oliver Sweeneys on yesterday...and they are defo not chav.

I totally disagree with that name for the fine people in the corner

No offence to anyone , referred to it as that to be consistent with what it has been referred to , almost daily , for as long as I've posted on here .

I'm a Clarks Commandos kind of chap myself - I like the compass in the heel and all that .That is, when I'm not in my Dunlop Green flash .....

[Tonto]

"Roeder , probably , because he knew how to set up a defence as well , and some of the soft goals we have been conceding all season may not have been scored ."


Oh Dear the mist is descending.......

I seem to remember goal after goal being conceded for game after game because that dick roeder would not put a defender on the post at set plays. That is what got us relegated that year. It took months for the penny to drop by which time it was too late. As for curbishly he is just a thin sam who had a huge transfer kitty. Out of the three i will stick with BFS.

[Romford]

I'm a Clarks Commandos kind of chap myself - I like the compass in the heel and all that .That is, when I'm not in my Dunlop Green flash .....

Sir Trev's fav trainer...

[Major]

Romford i usually agree with what you say, however this time i think you have it completely arse upwards.

Our home fans are an embarrassment, the amount of managers we have had over the last few years is an embarrassment and shouting the Italian twats name is an embarrassment. Like i said as soon as that chant went up i left and i won't go back for a while, i had a proper row with a so called fan on Tuesday and i don't want to do it again.


Oh and Sweenys are definitely Chav!!

[RM6]

Our home fans are an embarrassment, the amount of managers we have had over the last few years is an embarrassment and shouting the Italian twats name is an embarrassment. Like i said as soon as that chant went up i left and i won't go back for a while, i had a proper row with a so called fan on Tuesday and i don't want to do it again.

I'm not against PDC getting the job. I'd have done it after Zola if I'm honest but not right after Grant.

You knew he was either going to be a complete train wreck or a genius at management, so far it looks like the latter but it's early doors. I think he'll succeed because he's too f*cking stubborn not too.

Singing that was bad form though.

[Romford]

Romford i usually agree with what you say, however this time i think you have it completely arse upwards.

Our home fans are an embarrassment, the amount of managers we have had over the last few years is an embarrassment and shouting the Italian twats name is an embarrassment. Like i said as soon as that chant went up i left and i won't go back for a while, i had a proper row with a so called fan on Tuesday and i don't want to do it again.


Oh and Sweenys are definitely Chav!!

Every team has muppets in its support...and i have personally hit more of our fans than the oppos.

BUT

Currently...i think its unfair to blame the supporters especially last night.

It was 100% down to the Dudley Dinosaur...

[upton o'good]

Bit tough watching on the laptop but what exactly did we change at half time ?????

Am I missing something ?

That is a question I do think could reasonably have been followed up on in the interview - even by the UTJ, in a neutral way. hearing a bit more about what it was that Sam wsa intending that we should eb doing would be most interesting.

At a guess Id think he mihg tbe referrring to Maynard playing more up front, but couldnt say i really saw much evidence.of that. I would guess the point about subs was that collison changed the structure...(but since I didnt think Maynard pushed on that much...).

[Denbighammer]

What i must add...I think the away performance at Blackpool was the best i've seen from a West Ham team in 20 years.

Agreed, although that night we played Tomkins DM, allowing Vaz Te and Faubert to give us a bit of width and pace. Something we sorely lacked last night, particularly down the right hand side.

[midlifecrisis]

The home fans have taken quite a bit of stick from many quarters even the manager himself. Its my belief that its a bit quiet and tense because theres often not much to cheer about, but when things liven up theres plenty of support. To me the players do appear to freeze a bit but maybe their unhappiness stems from elsewhere in the ground.

[Up the Junction]

You've read the controversial parts already but here's Mowbray's presser in full:

http://www.kumb.com/story.php?id=126108

[Tonto]

You cannot blame the fans for last night. We put out an unbalanced predictable team. How would the fans have reacted to lansbury noble and collison behind morrison and baldock behind maynard? The fans would have rocked the place. I do not mind draws so long as they are not bore draws. I like being out thought even less than being out fought. I might think BFS is one of our better recent managers but he let us down last night......but not as much as roeder.

[Up the Junction]

I seem to remember goal after goal being conceded for game after game because that dick roeder would not put a defender on the post at set plays. That is what got us relegated that year.

If it were that simple how was it that we finished seventh the season before?

Actually, don't answer that ... I think we may have done this to death (several times)...

[freddies shears]

You cannot blame the fans for last night. We put out an unbalanced predictable team. How would the fans have reacted to lansbury noble and collison behind morrison and baldock behind maynard? The fans would have rocked the place. I do not mind draws so long as they are not bore draws. I like being out thought even less than being out fought. I might think BFS is one of our better recent managers but he let us down last night......but not as much as roeder.

eres tonto never had the chance to show off my spongdoolish

[midlifecrisis]

RE Mowbray interview.
final paragtaph

We have different aspirations but we both want to get promoted out of this league. I think West Ham are desperate to get up, I read in the program tonight that it's not an option not to get up is it, at this football club? At Middlesbrough we're trying to build something, a foundation that we can put in place for a lot of years. If we do get up this year we would know that we're not quite ready - but you would have a great go at it.

Is that alright? Plenty of copy! Thank you, cheers


HOW BLOODY REFRESHING

[upton o'good]

Some good points. I don't rate Collison. Not sure what he brings to the team. He just looks like an average player to me.

Maynard does look isolated. He toils away but not sure he gets the type of service that he needs.

I think the experiment of playing Tomkins needs to end - how long can you play your best(maybe second best) defender out of position for?

i've criticised Jack in the past but (for me at least) I thought he did well in the time he had available. In particular he showed more discipline tactically than Ive seen recently.

One big disappointment for me was taking maynard off, without giving him a go up front. We could have put both Jack and Lansbury on for Cole and Noble (who for me looked tired). Probably with Jack centrally, lansbury wide. Moving Maynard central instead of subbing him, would have given us more effective striker than Carew, asssuming we were prepared to switch to playing it to feet. Fresh legs for Noble would have helped too - Noble has good skills (best passer in the club) but a goal up we needed someone with a better engine alongside Tomka.

[hadleighhammer]

Can I just say that i had a pair of Oliver Sweeneys on yesterday...and they are defo not chav.

I totally disagree with that name for the fine people in the corner

So you're the inappropriately dressed one amongst us.

[hadleighhammer]

I was sat in the BML and it came from my left - I thought it was Chav Corner as well, but might well have been the Rio!

Definitely from my left at the back of the STBL. We were saying what a load of old b*llocks it was and was the complete opposite of what we needed.

Not saying I can't understand the frustration. Last night was **** and, like those supporters singing PDC's name, I pin that on BFS and his "4-3-3"