It was very difficult to write an unemotional and balanced review of yesterday's game against while on the way back from the match, it was even harder having got back and having to read and see the 'dissection' of what had been a thoroughly entertaining game, for the NEUTRAL and for Manchester United fans from all over the land who never have and never will visit the cess pit that is urban Manchester.
It should have been easier to write up the fixture in the cold light of day, but there's the rub, it isn't. Perhaps it is an indication as to just how far the club has progressed under David Moyes that fans were so disappointed as to the outcome of yesterday's game.
The fact that a Hammers team devoid of their main striker was able to hold a full strength Manchester United team to a draw up until the 87th minute shows just how far the team have come from the Pellegrini era, the Chilean would have become greyer as he watched on helplessly as his team received another 4 or 5 nil gubbing!
Of course David Moyes' decision to bring Mark Noble on specifically to take the last minute of injury time penalty backfired badly, but it would be churlish to concentrate on that error when the team itself, bar one or two exceptions, was error prone to a previously unseen low.
Two elements to store into fans' memory banks from the game are possibly, (a) European competition exposes the paucity of 'thin squads and (b) Hammers HAVE to get an additional striker in, maybe someone like Paul Oneachu who has been on Moyes's radar for some time.
Hammers are in danger of putting an unnecessary burden on new signing Nikola Vlasic by expecting him to be an Antonio 2:0, that he is most definitely NOT! He is however a talented player with a good work rate who just needs a bit more time to get up to speed in what is the fastest paced and most demanding league in World football,that's why people queue up around the World to watch it!
Sunday's result was a setback whichever way you look at it, but it is not the end of the World, merely a learning experience on the journey to the next level. - LN
Comments
I agree. Vlasic is no Antonio
I agree. Vlasic is no Antonio but he is a class player in his own right and given time he will find his place in the West Ham setup. Let’s be patient.
I must have watched a
I must have watched a different match to everyone else ,i though we were lucky we were only beaten 1-2 ,we had two good spells of 5 minutes each ,the rest of the time we were run ragged ,ive allways said you know its bad when you seem to be playing against 15 men ,no wonder they were all creamed coming off,such was the Antonio effect ,he bring a certain confidence to the team that was lacking on Sunday ,i ,like a lot of fans thought we can compensate ,we have enough flair in atacking players like Benny ,Bowen ,Fornals and Rice ,but unfortunately Benny flagged early on ,Bowen ran his masive heart out ,same for 4candles ,im afraid it showed us up for the crazy situation of havin only 1 striker ,fact is no one else can play there ,least of all Yarmo .we've got to get one and very soon .
We've got a fine balancing act to play on Wednesday ,do we try and go for it or do we play a limeted damages exercise ,personally i wouldn't play Dec ,dont give them the satisfaction of saying " he'll soon be ours " lanz has to start ,also if Dawson starts keep him well away from the Portuguese protagonist ,give Ant another night off and say a novena to St Anthony that we dont get slaughtered.