Recently every time West Ham have had the chance to 'nail on' a European place for next season via the club's Premier League placement, fate and ineffectuality have conspired to blow the situation, none more so than Sunday's inept showing against London rivals Fulham.
There are those who would argue that the travails of playing Leverkusen on the preceding Thursday evening were just too much for what is a wafer thin squad, in a way they would be correct, but why is the squad so limited?
The last transfer window was an absolute disaster with the only significant arrival being a vastly over paid and extremely unfit Kalvin Phillips. Thank the heavens that the 'Steidtman' insisted that there be no obligation to buy as part of the loan deal!
Thursday's impending home clash against the German Champions is viewed by many as a dead rubber, with Jarrod Bowen doubtful, Lucas Paqueta and Emerson both suspended. The fact that Leverkusen have only just been confirmed as champions might mean they take their foot of the gas slightly, but you wouldn't bet you 'Ivan Toney' on it!
Sunday represented a genuine chance to firm up a place in Europe with other teams achieving poor results, but yet as before, HAMMERS CONSPIRED TO BE THEIR OWN WORST ENEMIES with a mixture of poor placement and profligate finishing in front of goal.
Big Mikey Antonio brings plenty to the table during matches, but a finisher he is not as was demonstrated by his inexplicable blazing over the bar when scoring would have been easier. It wasn't just Mikey, Vlad Coufal has NEVER scored in a league match and on Sunday he showed why as he too missed an absolute sitter.
It is quite obviously apparent that the entire squad need an extreme overhaul, Lucas Paqueta played like a man who has been 'turned' and was almost completely ineffectual, his buddy Emerson was also off his game and so were the rest of the team. The fact that Lukasz Fabianski was the best player on the pitch says it all!
Where does the team go from here? Unfortunatley the brutal answer is probably nowhere! Under fire manager David Moyes sent out a strong team, on paper but Fulham were able to 'pick player's pockets' with consumate ease and then exploit the vast tracts between Hammers attack and defence, they looked as if they were going to score EVERY time they went forward!
Next up are Leverkusen followed by Palace who shocked Liverpool at Anfield and will be buoyed up by their showing there. It will take a miracle or two to prevent Hammers ending up on a road to nowhere when there had been genuine hope of a positive progression and a fourth year of European competition on the spin.
As mentioned earlier, January's dreadful transfer window has come back to bite the club with vengeance. This is what happens when you have to 'appease' the manager in charge. Hopefully Moyes will move on at the end of the season and perhaps a manager who concentrates on the footballing side takes over. We live in hope, but fear the worst! - LN
Comments
Moyes has to go and go now!
Moyes has to go and go now! The board know who they want. If it is Potter. Get him in now. Give him the final few games to take a look at what he has and give him the summer to get players in and out asap.
As I've said before. Moyes is the issue. The enemy within.
No, no and
No again. Absolutely no. No. I don't want Potter any where near West Ham. Did I say no to Potter? Well I say No.
Fizzle out
Season appears to have just fizzled out, a bit like the fans, we are all just numb with watching the defensive dross strategy and even lost the desire for a debate.
Moyes is probably standing in front of the board telling them that the attacking high percent possession just doesn't work.. look I tried it against an average team like Fulham and look at the consequences!
That said had Antonio scored after 3 minutes the match complexion would have looked much different.
Moyes will easily get another job so why not stand up like a real man, make it clear he has no desire to stay at west Ham and go out with a real BANG!!
I must be crazy but I think we could still win on Thursday night but not the tie, I have placed a bet for 3-1
Your right Dartford,losing
Your right Dartford,losing the desire to debate.
Yep Essex
The Org is missing some of those past characters that may have inflamed some folk but at least provoked some reaction. West ham fans have never been so divided on the Moyes subject, not since the move to the BoM, yet its pretty quite here.....
Yes mate,i have noticed this
Yes mate,i have noticed this,where have the characters gone,Hammer65,what happened there,i do hope he is ok,there dosent seem to be the input that used to be,each day,it was packed,with some interesting stuff,across the board,but all just seems to be on the low down,even in the pubs its the same,everyone seems so pissed off.
Correct Essex!
Correct Essex!
Both goals conceded
Against Fulham started with Paqueta cheaply losing possession and to be honest my love affair with him has disappeared somewhat. I'd be amazed if he did actually go to Man City as has been wildly rumoured and if he did that sort of thing at City I wouldn't want to be facing Pep in the changing room and highly unlikely he get to start the next game. No,I won't really miss him.
That said, this team needs a total revamp for next season and a team should be built around Bowen, Kudus, Alvarez, Emerson and a new manager. We will/should lose Cornet, Ings, Antonio, Cresswell, Ogbonna, Zouma, Aguerd, Ben Johnson, and Mavroponas, all of whom need to be replaced with players able to hit the ground running.
Fabianski, Coufal, Soucek, Areola, Benrahma and JWP should all be retained as they would at least, be the backbone of a decent bench, something we don't have at all.
It would be nice to say we have kids in the wings who could fill some of these spots, but thanks to Moyes they've not been given respectable chances to show they're up to it. Mubama is an exception and hasn't impressed although that could have much to do with Moyes stifling tactics as opposed to any limitations of ability. I'll be honest, I don't know much about our current crop of youngsters as I don't get to see them. Certainly the ones out on loan don't seem to be setting the world on fire and neither have the ones I thought should have been kept and given a chance, namely Ashby, Babtiste, Longelo and to a lesser degree Alese.
The future is not looking bright, Of the clubs looking at relegation, I don't see any decent pickings, I don't see European football next season (which might not be a bad thing apart from attracting new players), I predict West Ham playing their usual summer transfer activity being finalised on the final day and if I'm perfectly honest could even see Moyes getting a new contract and Steidten going.
I do hope I'm wrong on those last counts.
PS> The positive part of me says we can beat Leverkusen, maybe even get it to extra time and penalties. But then, Moyes is still in charge.
Nice post DH
I cant see Benny returning, been too vocal on the negatives.
Agree about Paqueta, I think he's dreaming that Pep would be interested, said many times before he losses the ball too often and question the temperament. wouldn't mind a deal that involved Sqeelish moving in the opposite direction.
Correct that Paqueta was at fault for the goal which got me thinking... Imagine if that had been Phillips, the fall out would have been brutal!
Paqueta is definately a
Paqueta is definately a player that frustrates, but some of it can be balanced out by the utter lack of protection he gets from referees. He's targeted constantly and the refs seem more interested in whether he reacts so they can book him rather than punishing the foul. The one from Pereira bordered on red, but nothing and off he goes to score the goals
The problem is M2C that he
The problem is M2C that he now has a reputation for going down too easily and refs know it :o(
Certainly a double edged
Certainly a double edged sword. He's consistently fouled but the overreaction is something that's blighted the game since the Premier League's inception so the ref's don't want to give the softer ones, but then ignore some of the more serious ones
That's a long list of players
That's a long list of players, but replacing so many requires smarts and money. Sully has none of the first and prefers to not spend the second. The sooner that man is gone the better, but West Ham fans have been wishing for that for so long it seems Sully's biggest "quality" is stubbornness and a refusal to see the blindingly obvious. That he's an effing useless football club owner
As passionate as I am about
As passionate as I am about my club. Moyes has slowly and painfully sucked the life out of it. Dismal, dull displays. Dogmatic substitution policy every week. Same old same old.
I have no idea what is going to happen on Thursday. But if it is a loss. I don't see many more wins this season. Complete mediocrity finishing and petering out.
On the contrary Boogers, I
On the contrary Boogers, I see two victories ahead. Watch us beat City and Liverpool, lose the rest and hand the title to the Gooners.
I would love it if the
I would love it if the gooners won it .I fekin hate Shity even more than the scum ,they seem to give off this air of invincibility, their nothing but a pack of some of the best players in the world put together at a cost that means nothing to them .
No, no and no again
I so want Declan to go trophyless at Gunners.
No, no and no again
I so want Declan to go trophyless at Gunners.
I'm going out on a limb here.
I'm going out on a limb here. But with no Bowen, Ings has to be involved from the start. It's his kinda game. A couple of tap ins, he has to be involved. Danny Ings, Danny, Danny Ings....