You are here

Radio Gago-You Pay Peanuts-You Get Roberto!

nevillenixon's picture
Submitted by nevillenixon on Sun, 10/11/2019 - 12:21

Hammers penny pinching finally came home to roost, big time, against Burnley during Saturday's lamentable performance, which ended in a 3-0 defeat that could have been far worse from a scoreline point of view, but could not have been much worse from an injury and performance perspective.

Mark Noble's early injury probably spared the Irons captain from a savaging by the Press for his team's performance, that injury was early doors and was a portent for what was to come. Hammers 'one time' talisman, Manuel Lanzini, was stretchered off with a suspected fractured collar bone, the medical staff having to use an oxygen mask on the clearly distressed Argentine player. This is Lanzini's third serious injury, those with a gallows sense of humour will say "at least he was playing for West Ham when he got injured", others might say " He is scheduled to be out for three months, but did he ever return from his previous injury?"

Lanzini has been, to put it mildly, inconsistent since returning from the horrendous injury he sustained while training with the Argentine national side, an injury that kept him out of the team for three quarters of the season! 'Manu' has not had enough integrated game time to bring him back up to full match fitness this season, and has been thrust back in to a team which is apparently devoid of any meaningful or purposeful creativity.

Hammers have been without the services of Michail Antonio, but the loss of one player shouldn't be so extreme that the team cannot cope without them, normally fringe or youth players are expected to fill the void, and usually they grab the opportunity with both hands of establishing their first team credentials. In the past West Ham have brought forward many players in similar circumstances, Rio Ferdinand, Joe Cole and more recently Declan Rice, have all been fast tracked when needs must, however, there is one position that is under the spotlight like no other, that of goal keeper.

The injury sustained by last season's Hammer of the Year, Łukasz Fabiański, has had a devastating effect on match outcomes and team morale in equal measure, his loss has been catastrophic, but could the club have done better than signing Roberto Jiminez Gago as back up? The club also signed David Martin, son of Alvin, as back up to Gago, there is also young Nathan Trott out on loan at AFC Wimbledon as well as the superb U-23 keeper Joseph Anang. Surely one of these alternatives can be used in place of Gago? They could hardly do worse, and don't forget that the next fixture following the International break is against Tottenham, whose players will be relishing the thought of filling their boots with goals at the expense of the hapless Hammers keeper.

Roberto Jiminez Gago is an easy target, and the rest of the team will be thankful that he is taking the flack instead of them! Having had a 'mare' on his last three outings it would seem prudent to take him out the firing line and bring in Martin or even Anang for the remaining fixtures before the beginning of December, when Fabianski is pencilled in to return from his successful hip surgery.

The reason Hammers find themselves with such a goalkeeping situation is that they were unable to retain the services of Adrian San Miguel who, having been snubbed by the arrivals of Darren Randolph, Joe Hart and eventually by Lukasz Fabianski, decided he would rather warm the bench at Anfield than at the London Stadium. Fabianski played every minute of last season's Barclays Premier League campaign, so why wouldn't Adrian leave? On the basis of the year before Adrian would only play Cup games, and if he was only going to play cup games this year, then why not bench warm for a team in the Champion's League and one that will undoubtedly progress well in all cup competitions?

No one envisaged the injury to Fabianski, but surely those in the know must have looked at the Polish keepers stats? He was one of the best shot stopper and keepers out of all the top European Leagues last season, and as such really difficult to replace. Bearing in mind the importance of his role, it would have been prudent to have ensured that his back up was up to scratch.

Some people religiously insure their assets, others don't, and it doesn't take a genius to work out which camp West Ham United and it's hierarchy are in in does it? Thank God for the International break, at least the families of Hammers fans won't have to put up with the misery and fall out of yet another defeat! - Ed

Share

Comments

mcbikeman's picture

He was going on about how bad they are and should of lost to the blunts yesterday and the players walking around not really bothered....sounds just like us only we are worse i said...both laughed and said we shall see who is right in a couple of weeks time......it will be interesting to see how up for it our players are.

up
47 users have voted.

I have just watched wolves beat villa.I tell you what forget about spurs,thats just a case of who can play shit more than the other,but wolves i reckon will take us apart,they play as a team and happy to do so, you can see it in their faces,the pass and movement,very balanced,full of energy and know their jobs,everything we havent got.

up
71 users have voted.
metbobby1's picture

Why is everyone making HIM the scapegoat??? Our bad run started with Pellegrini’s stupid decision to field a weakened side in the Cup game against Oxford, thus halting a winning run.
He also can’t be blamed for the DROSS playing in front of him!!!! EVERYONE from the board down should shoulder a portion of the blame.

up
53 users have voted.

Roberto was (and has been) sub par on a number of goals lately. But he has also made many good saves one vs one etc, the issue is up the field. HOTY being Fab suggests he was making too many saves, Roberto has had too many to make also so that’s 18 months of teams getting too many chances against us. Pellegrini thinks big clubs attack, believe and win. Our talents are not yet that of a big club and Haller has no support so even though we’re theoretically putting out attacking squads we don’t do it effectively. How about not letting every other manager work out our game play and mix it up (Rice is seeing half the amount of ball he was), rinse and repeat will lose more points going forward. Flick Yarmolenko up top with Haller, 4-4-2 two blokes with touch and an eye for goals

up
70 users have voted.
metbobby1's picture

Just that little tweak would work wonders. By the way....Fabianski was top of the league for saves....so HE wasn’t getting the defensive cover that Roberto isn’t!!

up
47 users have voted.

I agree he may of made a some good saves,and the team as a whole isnt playing well,but he does make howlers,out of position that will cost us games.Take the Newcastle game,the second goal,if you come out that distance,you have to make sure you get the ball,he was never going to get it,and where i sit in the ground,near the Bobby Moore Stand, i was right in line with the ball,and saw it clearly get headed into an open goal,and it was that second goal that sunk us even more,we was never going to come back from that.

up
56 users have voted.
hammergirl's picture

And every player along with the manager and coaching staff are culpable for that but does anyone really think we will see a different approach against the spuds in two weeks? personally i do not

up
64 users have voted.

But that 3rd Burnley goal is a classic!also the other goal where hes thrown it out to rocky is comedy gold from both of them,feel sorry for the westham fans travelling up there to see that shite!!also i wouldn't be surprised if we beat the spuds it's about the only game our players are up for...

up
48 users have voted.

Rumour has it that Roberto was a first choice keeper for Pellegrini and Mario even before Fabianski had joined West Ham. Hope that is just a rumour. But he was at fault for 2 goals. Why on earth can he not catch that ball from a routine cross instead of palming it away. Then that horrific palm into the goal. Yes Balbuena was at fault for that second goal. Bring back Ogbonna as he seems to win those headers that The Hammers are becoming second best. Is Reid match fit as yet?

up
56 users have voted.
cast iron's picture

Listening to the match on Saturday against Burnley and he said Sean Dyche does not allow any of his players to train in tracksuit bottoms, snoozes or gloves makes you wonder Lanzini and Anderson had gloves on at the end of September and about the time WHU form started to dip was the start of the colder weather and we have a lot of players that are used to playing in a warmer climate Balbuena, Fornals, Roberto , Lanzini and Anderson I know its a bit of the wall but just a thought- probably end up with double pnumonia anyway

up
68 users have voted.

I dont think that is the case,we are harbouring a bunch of nancy boys,if they cant handle the climate dont come over here.The top and bottom of it is sub standard not sub temperatures.

up
56 users have voted.

Next Fixture(s)