What is it with West Ham? Just as the club is on the cusp of greatness, it appears to be doing its level best to muck things up, kindly note that we used the word Muck! That sentiment might be shared differently by fans, but whatever your opinion of whoever is to blame, the fact is Hammers are in a downward spiral that shows little chance of ending in smiles.
Watching the team from the stands yesterday was reminiscent of the bad old days under Pellegrini, where there was hardly a plan A, let alone a plan B! The players looked devoid of energy and inspiration and were made to look lethargic by visitors Newcastle who were disappointed to leave with only one point, whereas they deserved ALL three points.
Is it fear of failure that is paralysing the team, or is it fear of success? Either way the season is in danger of ending anti-climatically with the added nasty caveat of potential player departures. We have always tried to maintain at least some modicum of positivity, but yesterday's 'offering' was the last straw.
The club's reluctance to 'waste' money during the January transfer window is having the serious repercussions that everyone feared, everyone that is except for David Moyes and the board, who developed collective blindness and amnesia to such an extent that they convinced themselves of the impossible!
We can only conclude that their denial of reality was 'induced' by the remarkable run of luck the club experienced, somehow convincing themselves that a wafer thin squad could mix it with the top clubs and come out trumps. Well the only trumps that Hammers have emerged with resemble the bloated dictator himself.
There was a Golden opportunity to break through the Glass ceiling, one which will probably not be available again for a generation. Sullivan & Gold will stay in situ until they can fleece the club and the tax payer for as much money as they can and then leave the 'Kretin in the Sky' to rue ever having been involved with such a bunch of greedy amateurs! - Ed
Comments
Worrying- Let it slip through our fingers AGAIN!
Went to the game yesterday and I predict we will lose against Wolves next week on that "form" Antonio just has not got it don't matter what number hes got on his back he just does his own thing playing out wide taking the throw-ins that he should be on the end of -I know Bowen also played in the middle. Don't get me wrong he worked hard but running all over the park don't win games- goals do! and the barcodes were there for the taking Maxima Wilson and Trippier injured but we started really slow. Fredricksanother one runs at 50 mph but no technique passes all over the place even Rice weren't that good. The worrying thing is that we have nobody on the bench, who do you blame, the board who we are all convinced are going to bail out at the end of next season. Moyes no one available he cant find anybody to replace Micky yesterday someone who can keep knocking balls into row Z and in the Leicester game He was Muckin awful and has been since he joined the Reggae boys. Why we didn't sign Origi I will never know, but this buying no players will come back and bite Moyes on the arse. When I walked to Stratford International 3 hours to get home I was asking myself why do I come here?? haven't felt like that for 2 years allways been buzzing on match day yesterday was like the WHU of old and even more worrying is that we play in Europe on March 3rd and all the players look tired physically and mentally, with no replacements on the bench. Bet he plays Antonio next week as well, think he ought to start thinking about Perkings and Ochoflex don't have nothing to lose but we need new blood from somewhere seeing as he can't find anybody in the whole world- he will have to play the kids cos that team looked tired and burnt out European Football next season Forget it, we've blown it for yet another season
The writing on the wall
The writing on the wall showed up as early as the Wolves game. Some lucky results and kinder fixtures since papered over the cracks which were beginning to appear. Those cracks have become monumental since.
The entire squad looks fragile. We need to shake ourselves down. Freshen up. Play some youth. Use the bench. For me anything less than 6th is a failure.
5 th in the league. Even if
5 th in the league. Even if we finish 8th that’s a good season. The expectations of people is ridiculous. Just few seasons ago we were in bottom 6 teams. We’ve got nothing in terms of squad compared to the big clubs, Spurs included. Yet all we can do is shoot the team and manager. Do we really ‘expect’ to be brushing clubs like Leicester and Newcastle away simply because we have overachieved for two seasons?
There is so much delusion on here, the Club has moved into a top ten club now and yet all we do is moan that we’ve blown it, we are putting in bad performances etc. Really? Are the likes of Behnrahma comparable to Harry Kane or mo salah?
We battle even when playing poor. A requirement it was always said that was ‘missing’ when we were a bottom feeder.
We got so far up ourselves that we think we should be strolling to 4 th place. We are lost in our overachievement.
Why cant we be top 6?
Why do you think that West Ham fans have to settle for less?
We are not shooting the manager, its the total set up starting at the top.
"We battle even when playing poor" did you watch the game yesterday? I was there and I didnt see any battle. I have in the recent past but its gone. Soucek epidermises that, so off form but one of Moyes favourites and will not be dropped. In the game he made just three tackle / interceptions and two headers. Hopeless and now... embarrassingly slow!
Dawson on the other hand was outstanding... as was Zouma even with the dogs abuse from the geordies.
Lol do you listen to yourself
Lol do you listen to yourself? I guess it proves the point when a club exceeds expectations, fans just demand more and expect more. Sadly life isn’t like that. Top 4? Really? Seriously? We aren’t abromovics boys, or Man U, or et al. We were simply doing great being in the mix. Yet that’s ‘not good enough’. After all we west ham fans are used to challenging the top 4 year in year out. Ok got it.
Oh and this total set up from the top got us from where to where? It’s so funny seeing so much whining about how bad the club is run and how poor the manager is and how shocking our players are. Yet here we are in fifth in the top league of the world. Bizarre. Must be me then, I’m used to actually getting behind the team , seeing the positives commending the good results. My standards must be so low to see this awful team so low in the table.
Yes, I love to listen to
Yes, I love to listen to myself, I hear great things….I have many faults but being wrong isn’t one of them :o)
But the club hasn’t exceeded expectations and the fans are entitled to more, why, because we have seen it in the past, we won trophies, made finals and semi’s we are not a small insignificant outfit.
You are correct with the sarcasm “used to challenging the top 4 year in year out” but why shouldn’t we? We have a huge fan base that just longs for a modicum of success and this group last season proved the point.
Total set up means a board without the ambition of its fans. Transfer windows are an excellent example. I think its now 4 since we sold our only “real” striker and still yet to replace him. That says lack of ambition and incompetence
As for “how poor the manager is” I think hes the best we have had for years and in so many ways suits our club.
Yes, we are fifth in the top league of the world and I hope we stay there. IMO we continue to play in this foam we wont be there for long.
I also get behind my team, I go to all the home games and I celebrate the positives. I except our standards and expectations are different, I wish mine were different… would be much better for my blood pressure!!!
Agreed
Mad Dog Moyes has done wonders better than disillusioned fat sam
It's all part of the
It's all part of the rollercoaster ride, anyone would think we lost yesterday. Who knows? We may spank Wolves and play them off the park. We've got 40 points so I guess we're safe at least.....all these balls of crystal!!! Well my balls are all gristle...
that Nev is the $64thousand question
But as its our board make that $6.40 with add ons
I think we have done well to
I think we have done well to be where we are,without the squad depth as other teams around us have got,money needs to be spent to stay where we are,or we will drop,Moyes has done wonders but without the cash,we will drop to mid table im afraid.....I didnt get there yesterday,no trains running from Clacton,didnt want to drive,as wouldnt of been able to have a few in the Carpenters,with the Lip up Fatty Crew.....But what i saw on TV in my opinion was a team gripping on the side of the Premier League cliff....I will be there next Sunday cheering on,but feel i will see the same team gripping on to part of the league that is above us at this stage with no investment, Europe has been a strain aswell,but then we are West Ham,and at least we are not relegation material,so all isnt bad,would love to win the FA Cup.
Spot on Essex. Sorry you
Spot on Essex. Sorry you didnt make it. I had similar train issues so drove which meant no visit to the supporters club and watching West Ham sober is very difficult :o)
Journey home was shocking which lead me to believe I put in more effort getting to and from the BoM than the players show on the park :o)
Thats it Dartford,its not the
Thats it Dartford,its not the going,its the drive home that would of done me also,what with the weather and how we are playing lately,would of of put me on a real downer lol.
Weather was synonymous with
Weather was synonymous with the team's performance, except at least the Storm was active!
West Ham has a wafer thin
West Ham has a wafer thin squad. Probably the thinnest in the Premier Division. However, in a way the fixture itinerary was cruel, as we have played around 3 games more than teams that have much larger squads. If You include the Europa Cup games then most of the players have put in the most shifts among those battling for the 4th spot. Hence they were the only team in a race for that spot, not to pick up 3 points in the past weekend. Newcastle looked the better team, but it is true that they hardly tested Fabianski. The goal that they scored was a joke due to the huge confusion following Rice's howler of a header. But we cannot fault him as football is a game that every footballer has a bad day. Cannot fully blame Antonio as at times he is not fed with any decisive crosses or through passes and so goes seeking the ball just to put in a shift. he worked a bit harder than usual, however he is our only centre forward. So when those rare crosses were put in the box, there was maybe one or two West Ham players that were always crowded out by the opposing defenders. But for free I can give Moyes this advice. Just stop allowing teams to dictate the pace in the first half hour or so, by sitting back to only defend, and looking very lethargic. When West Ham kick start the match it is so predictable that it will be to someone like Cresswell and all he will do is just kick it forward only for it to give away the possession rather than trying to hold on, pass it around and trying to boss the game. If they give up possession, then they should try to win back the ball with multiple players involved with backing one another rather than strolling back towards the usual defensive lineup deep in the West Ham territory. If the defenders are the ones always put under pressure throughout the match, it is easy to blame them for a let up resulting in goals conceded. Where has all that early season energy gone from the team? Last Season Lindgard brought that zip into the side, following the January transfer window. Why did we not have a similar signing this season? Soucek barely puts in a shift. He looks tired and jaded in the midfield, and at times just loses possession very easily. He is vital in the sense that he defends the corners / set pieces with some vital headers. That is the only reason Moyes puts him ahead of Nobel. I think that Moyes will discipline Benrahma after his altercation with him following his substitution after his poor shift. But the Hammers fans should stop booing Zouma as it impacts the whole teams performance. He has paid the price and now we have to move on if this top four aspirations need to come close to achievement. Otherwise, the rest of the squad will continue to look dispirited when the boos ring out of the home fans stands.
Coufal, Fredricks or Johnson
For me you could put all three togther and not come up with a player good enough for the premier league.
Coufal - Form totally deserted and too slow
Fredricks - positional play and lack of work rate, ability to tackle / intercept shocking
Johnson - little overlap, safe pass back... normally to a CB and put them under pressure.
rant over... what do I know.. I will be there again on Sunday, what a mug!
Time to move The Beast back to full back?
He's a lost soul up front and right back is a problem... just throw it in there folks...
So with all these poor
So with all these poor players and out of form ones you still shouting it out that West Ham ‘should’ be getting top 4 as anything less is doing the fans some injustice?
Didnt say top 4 ... have
Didnt say top 4 ... have another look.
The point Im making is why be satisfied with second bast? I can think of 60K reasons (plus 30K waiting) why we can be MASSIVE.
Huh? So now it’s not top four
Huh? So now it’s not top four? We are on course for 5-6 th. so why the moaning then?
Hmm sounds a little bit like
Hmm sounds a little bit like a DITM comment from the past!
What is that? Thought it was
What is that? Thought it was an open forum. My mistake then, must be a follow the leader type site instead where everyone must agree. I’ll be off then.
If you didn't know who DITM
If you didn't know who DITM was or the reference to him, why would you post the comment you just made?
With respect, Neville Nixon
With respect, Neville Nixon posted up a negative post. I’ve read over a few more too. So on seeing it, i read the replies. Came to conclusion everyone on here loves to criticise even though IMO this the best shape the club has been for decades.
That’s why I responded the way I did. Is that ok? Never mind though, I think I’ve seen enough.
Please
stay Mad Dog i agree with you mate
Because im a realist and top
Because im a realist and top four means replacing the Super Rich which is clearly not us. Yes, some season a team such as Leicester and I hope West Ham can prevent Man U, Arse or Spudz from that slot but for the foreseeable future City, Chav and Dippers will dominate.
Im not actually moaning, but to take your point, I dont see us making 5th or 6th on current form and my frustration is that same players proved earlier in the season, and last season, they are capable of much more.
Dont leave the site, enjoy the discussion, show / argue another point of view and for the record... I like people to be Optimistic and debate a reasonable alternative view.
Certainly stirring up healthy
Certainly stirring up healthy debate this one. I watched Wolves yesterday. They are not world beaters. But they are organised. Neto has come back at the wrong time for us however. I think it will be a close contest and one we definitely can win...
I watched the highlights
I watched the highlights Boogers and they are not World Beaters but did enough to scare me!!!
They are very disciplined at
They are very disciplined at the back, Coady is a force as a leader/organiser.
Moyes may chuck a grenade in. Noble, Rice and slightly advanced Soucek to combat Moutiniho and Neves. Fornals may sit this one out?????
Ben Johnson
Thought WHU were better with Johnson on in the second half as was said I think all of us are long-serving and suffering fans I was sure my uncle took me as some sort of punishment and at times I am still suffering and it doesn't matter if we were to finish 16thTH I'd Still support TheHammers and still moan about it, Every fan wants their team to win but every team wants to stay in the prem, of course, I'd like to stay in the mix for top 6 but as I said earlier but if we're in the top 10 it ain't too bad. Just cos you can't spell Armgeddon It ain't the end of the world! still, haven't forgotten the days of Avram Grant COYI
I think he was better Cast
I think he was better Cast Iron but lets be honest, anyone would have been better than Fredricks! Sorry but I still dont rate him for the attacking part of his game. On anumber of occasions he gets wide, collects the ball, gets closed down and makes the safe option of passing back to the CB's who by nature are not comfortable on the ball and again we are under pressure.
Totally agree with all your comments about being a West Ham fan... can be torture :o)
One thing i liked about this
One thing i liked about this site is that everyone with a view ,no matter how diverse is free to express that view ,we've all got our opinion of whats goin on at our beloved club ,for me i was posting about Ant 4 weeks ago ,and Souchec ,its relatively easy to analyse Antonios situation ,i rekon he got a typicle case of illuion's of grandeur, the way the media were talking him up he must have felt like " fukin ell i need international footbal
" so off he goes and joins Jamaca ,what possessed him I'll never know but the surprising thing is it seems to be with the clubs blessing ,utterly pointless exercise .
Souchec on the other hand is very much harder to figure out ,he's like someone that has a major medical issue ,his energy seems to have gone down the toilet with the weight he seems to have lost ,look up a few clips of him last season and even the early part of this one ,its like 2 different players .
Another factor is the players we bought in ,some of them just dont seem to be making the grade ,i was expecting more from the likes of Fornals and even Benny boy ,the other Chec mate Krass looks far removed from the prem ,Vlasic doesnt seem to have been given a chance and as for the Ukrainian well nough said ,my fear is the up and coming euro campaign, we cant possibly do well here and in the prem ,not with this thin squad ,
Lookat it was great while it lasted ,i enjoyed the ride anyway .
Spot on Burkie
Everyone should share their views and be tolerant of others opinions.
Not sure that Ant's illusion's of grandeur but handing him the No 9 shirt didnt help. He's still best out wide for me.
Spot on Burkie
We've probably over achieved & it was great while it lasted.Once your Westham your Westham for life,I'll leave the glory hunting to the Manc & Scouse 'fans'....
Agreed
there mate all the way COYI’S
Amused
By some of the comments on here. We've seen all this before. Remember when Moyes was at Everton? The only thing thats different is the colour of the shirts.
And he did
very well for them,as is now with little money Deluded,unlike Fat sam who never got the West Ham Way and by the picture took the piss out of the supporters
I try very hard
Not to be drawn in to any Big Sam debates as I have, as it happens, moved on. Comments like yours however do draw me back into the arguments and your one has successfully done that. If you seriously believe that Moyes has any better an understanding of The West Ham Way than Sam then clearly you and I are on different planets in understanding the West Ham Way as Sam or Moyes. Secondly, I actually was at the match where Sam cupped his ear at the fans and can say that truly, the fans deserved the piss take. Quite good at dishing verbal out but unable to take it, the first half was truly abysmal and stick, deservedly so. A half time "pep" talk changed the game and a win was dragged from the abyss. Not that the fans were in any mood to let up. Truth be known in that game, such were the fans hatred of Sam that they totally missed the true target of who the venom should have been aimed at. The players.
Deluded..
Im not getting into the big debate but very curious to know ...Who was the last Manger to understand The West Ham way?
Redcrapp
and look where that got us Dartford
Probably right NHH and
Probably right NHH and possibly a season or two from Pards?
Good
for you deluded so was i and they were fed up with his tactics,sorry take care
I was there too,and had a
I was there too,and had a bloody good day out lol!!!!
Also
fat sam got us promoted to the prem then always fighting relegation buying past it players selling our youth players and kick and rush,Moyes got everton into europe,saved us from relegation twice play’s our youth and got us into europe,who is the best Moyes simple