Be Careful What You Wish For Toon Vs Hammers

If West Ham had played a full strength team against Newcastle in the Asia Trophy Cup and ran out comfortable winners, fans would have said "So What, it's only Newcastle". Paradoxically by playing a weakened team Manuel Pelegrini has been roundly criticised! In case it has escaped the cognosenti, these Asia Trophy matches are warm up games for the Barclays Premier League 'proper'. The games are a focal taster of what the best league in the World can offer, and as such are friendlies with a bit of bite.

Pellegrini elected to make seven changes from the previous line up that featured in the match against Manchester City, these changes were for a reason, several fringe players were playing for their time at the club to be continued and on the face of it few excelled. What looked like a lack lustre performance was strangely reminicent of Hammers teams that regularly turned out under Sam Allardyce, slow, boring and predictable. Undoubtedley the manager was trying to allow players a second chance, but on this viewing most of the fringe players need a haircut!

This match probably threw up more questions than answers, Newcastle were at full strength and playing for the first time for new manager Steve Bruce, if this was their best shot Toon fans will be fearing the worst for the coming season. For West Ham fans the game was a stark reminder of how bad the team used to be, and how one or two won't be around in the next fortnight.

The last time West Ham won all their pre-season games was when the Undertaker, Avram Grant, was in charge, in case anyone needs reminding that season ended with the Hammers being relegated! Be careful what you wish for - Ed

Comments

Says everything for me Nev

Pre - season friendlies are just that

Exactly,they went to win

Exactly,they went to win,thats why it was a tournament after all,small or not,otherwise we could of gone there ,been filmed training,and brought back some snaps of the squad dining out.

New signings to gel

Other players to come back & others to hit form...nothing to worry about

The usual rubbish from the

The usual rubbish from the usual source.

How's it going len

Hope your on the road to recovery

How are Len? Hopefully fit

How are Len? Hopefully fit enough to meet up at the LS for a drink, we are now in the bobby moore upper block 250 row 56

lessons will be learned

Is that what you are trying to say Nev?...i felt sorry for young Cullen starting in a midfield with Lanzini and both players struggled badly against the Toon side today....putting Cullen alongside Noble or Wheelchair may of seen him fair a little better but i reckon the Lad will be sold to Charlton or another championship side..Yarmelenko looked slow but just getting over that bad injury he gets a bye for now although if little improvement in the next 3 weeks i would start Snodgrass instead the mans work ethic and attitude deserves to be made into a dvd and shown to all Academy players of what a proper professional footballer needs to be doing....Anderson and Cresswell looked like they were meeting for the first time the amount of misplaced passes and link ups that failed were ridiculous and i see Arthur taking either of there places..Zabs is what he is i am afraid a journeyman coming to the end of his footballing days and Fredericks and Benson should be ahead of him...Benson is a raw talent but he has to be exposed to the real world sooner rather than later...ogbonna/chicarito any takers then get rid of both Sanchez jeeez what can you say about the bloke other than please F**k off and don't ever comeback..Antonio well he is not a striker sorry El Pel however much you try and kid yourself he just is not that kind of player....i would rather Hugill been given those two games against citeh/toon see what he had to offer as the poor bloke through no fault of his own was given no time to show what if anything he could do and though probably limited in his ability being a striker is his natural position so please no more square pegs in round holes this season El Pel.....as for our new reserve gk Roberto i hope he stays like that and Fabs an ever present...he looks to have a weak arm when shot stopping and yet to be convinced on him coming for crosses but we shall see.....spleen vented for this weekend!

i think

reading all the comments on here one thing stands out and that is Sanchez needs to be sold you can't all be wrong c.o.y.i

seen a lot of backlash from

seen a lot of backlash from fans about the merits of the friendlies in terms of actual results. Loosing to Man City is normal but to the Bar codes? I just believe that all sports athletes must surely want to win every event? And what about the suckers that paid good money to attend the games?