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Given our injuries, the fact that we were mostly outplayed and Swansea could have had a penalty,
I'll take the point
An outstanding display from Collins in defence he made so many last ditch clearances,his blocking is second to none.Another solid performance from Adrian,he really is proving himself a top goalie.
We don't look like scoring at the moment and it is painfully obvious Westham need some pace up front.
Jelavic up front ,try as he did ,was about as effective as playing Carroll or Cole up front,it doesn't work..none of them have good movement to play that role....when will Bilic see this.We might as well be playing with 10 men a lot of the game,they look isolated.Thats no fault of these players ,its the style and set up doesn't suit these players.To me ,it seems Bilic isn't willing to change the system from a 4-2-3-1 /4-3-3.Why doesn't he make the best of what he has and use Valencia and Zarate up front ,not out wide? These guys are strikers for goodness sake,stick them up front .....The board have got to dip into their pockets and splash out on a quality striker with pace,because this long term injury situation is really going to have a negative effect on where we finish up the end of the season,cause Westham don't look like scoring from open play.
I'd like to see some of the young lads given a chance against Villa. Samuelsen(when he gets back from his loan spell)and Cullen might energize our midfield because there is not a lot happening going forward,only the predictable runs of Zarate and Antonio,who both done okay.Yet having said that they all did their jobs well defensively.
The first impressions I got with this game from kick-off was that Swansea were quicker ,their movement and pressing the ball, they were excellent at closing down,gave Westham very little time on the ball,which affected Westham's normal passing game,unsettled their flow.Thankfully Westham did finally wake up and start to take the game to Swansea.But the team is struggling without the likes of Payet,Lanzini,Moses and Sakho .Any thoughts?
Think the statistics say it
Think the statistics say it all:
Westham 27.2% possession,11 shots(2 on target),passing 66.5%,dribbles 25%,corners 9,tackles 78.6%,blocks 11,clearances 29,headed clearances 21
Swansea 72.8% possession,21 shots(2 on target),passing
84.7%,dribbles 62.5%,corners 8,tackles 63.2%,blocks 3,clearances 18,headed clearances 10
We lost the midfield battle
We lost the midfield battle so our attacking players we totally nullified as a result. To critise them is irrelevant the real critisism should be to bilic for not doing anything about it on half time. Formation or otherwise.
I said before the game
That id prefer zarate & valencia up front,jelavic might as well not be on the pitch,he offers nothing!Valencia as soon as he comes on is attack minded,although zarate can be frustrating (bit of a hogger) at least these 2 will run at players & have a pop at goal...
Whilst I agree Valencia
Whilst I agree Valencia should have played from the start but with what scraps that were available not sure many players could have scored today. The jelavic v Williams tackle was reminiscent of a poor mans pele v Moore tackle in the 1970 World Cup. Jelavic does look like his legs are as good as gone but still offered more than Carroll, which is shocking. Kouyate was anonomous today and noble didn't do enough to win the midfield battle and that's why we couldn't get a foot hold in the game. If bilic had done more to rectify this at half time we could have been better. Thought our last chance to score went with zarate being subbed, but he did at times drift out of the game or became reluctant to pass.
What could he have done Red?
What could he have done Red?
The midfield were playing so far back that Jelavic,Antonio and Zarate had to drop to almost their own 18 yardcline to get a kick!!
I doubt that Kouyate and Song achieved 500m between them and were absolutely shocking!!
That's not Bilics fault.....that's just 2 extremely lazy players sadly!!!
Wouldn't have made 1 iota of difference if Ibrahamivic had been up front today.
These 2 caused our problems!!
I agree it would not have
I agree it would not have made any differance who played up front Spurs, that's what annoys me when people make jelavic a scape goat, yet continuously give kouyate a free pass when he has coasted thro the last half a dozen games. What could he do Spurs? Are you asking my opinion wanting to know what I would do or were you saying he had no choice? If it was the latter then we all know he had all sorts of options (not guaranteed to work tho) he could have changed formation. He could also have swapped kouyate and noble for obiang and Oxford to break up play whilst pushing song further forward to probe things with his passing. Played a more narrow midfield so they were stifled creatively. At least depriving them of so much possession . It kinda is bilics fault that kouyate and song didn't move 500m in the game, because if they are being lazy he has a bench full of players that may do a lot more. It's upto him to not let it carry on.
First time I even saw kouyate
First time I even saw kouyate on the screen there was 18 mins on the clock! And even then it was for losing the ball.
If you can't win it, make
If you can't win it, make sure you don't lose it.
Jelavic, the legs are gone. A
Jelavic, the legs are gone. A few years ago he would have had a shot on target or even scored with that last chance. Brilliant defensive display, attacking options were limited. It would be nice to get three points against Villa and break this drawing rut that we're in. Happy Christmas everybody.
It said " Kouyate tackle rate
It said " Kouyate tackle rate amongst the highest in the Prem".
Where is he doing them?
Certainly not on the football field!!!
Kouyate high tackle rate? You
Kouyate high tackle rate? You sure the stats are this years Spurs? I'm asstounded
Just my thoughts. What's
Just my thoughts. What's going on with Kouyate? He just seems to be strolling around. He looks interested only if the ball is in his feet and he wants to go head in and charge forward. As soon as the ball is lost so is his interest. Reminds me of Diame's one and a half season after the Chelsea and Pool games in 2011/12 (was it then?). Hasn't been useful at all seemed like that against Manure Stoke and WBA as well ( of the reent games which i recall).
For me gerus kouyate has been
For me gerus kouyate has been like that since the Norwich draw. He equalised but was shocking
Dont tell me im in for
Dont tell me im in for another 7 years of continually highlighting inadequate strikers ,i was watching Jelavic for the most of the game ,at least Carroll crosses the half way line and lends a hand in defence now and then ,the put through was a golden chance and he totaly F I U ,there isnt a hope in hell of him contrebuting anything to the side ,if it wasnt for the fact that they were crap up front we'd have been on a bit of a spanking , make a bid for Charlie while he's off the radar