31 Comments

We’re truly back on the West Ham Way

west_ham_way1-300x203It’s called the West Ham Way and sometimes it ain’t pretty which a few are finding out for the first time.

I feel as if I’ve been travelling in a time machine this season as the Irons have truly resurrected the days when it was a case of you score four and we’ll get five – sadly that hasn’t happened.

Last season was amazing – this one so far has been absolutely terrible from every point of view – that too historically has been the West Ham Way!

The obvious and predictable response will be to call the manager out – indeed there are some who are already screaming for him to be sacked. That’s social media for you.

Knees are jerking all over the place and that’s to be expected when a team doesn’t start playing until it’s four down with individual errors of such a basic nature causing the problem that you are left shaking your head in total disbelief.

The warning signs were there before kick off when  a man reputed to be our best defender – Winston Reid – was missing. Dropped or inhured? Who knows but a holding midfielder in Havard Norveidt was inolved at RIGHT BACK.

The outcome? Masuaku gives away a penalty, defends generally like a guy who has just started playing the game and Ogbonna and Collins contribute to another before finally we start playing when the game is lost.

The right back problem has been there for a long time and hopefully Álvaro Arbeloa will solve that but there are other issues to address because there’s been a loss of drive and passion.

Far too much went from side to side and the defence is worrying in the extreme when individuals are making so many basic errors.

Do we blame the manager? You can if you want but I’m not ready to do so. He needs a bit of time – he’s earned that at the very least. In the meantime look forward to a ride down the West Ham Way.

It’s us but it’s not always what it’s cracked up to be and can be a hugly frustrating and worrying journey. Trust me!

 

About Hugh5outhon1895

Hugh Southon is a lifelong Iron and the founding editor of ClaretandHugh. He is a national newspaper journalist of many years experience and was Bobby Moore's 'ghost' writer during the great man's lifetime. He describes ClaretandHugh as "the Hammers daily newspaper!" Follow on Twitter @hughsouthon

31 comments on “We’re truly back on the West Ham Way

  1. Nearly every team has one good season, one bad season, it’s why the title is very rarely defended, the fact that we are completely woeful defensively is partly bad defending by the defenders but also bad defending as a team, early last season we attacked in packs without the ball and that worked, we won the ball high up the field and attacked in numbers, this season we are not pressuring the ball, at opposing throw ins, goal kicks, free kicks there is no press and it’s easy for the opponent to find a free man, the team needs to get back to what they did well, earn the right to play and fight tooth and nail when they lose the ball. If Pep Guardiolas teams can win the ball back within 6 seconds then that shows what is possible if you defend and attack as a team. There is no reason we shouldn’t try to do the same, if you look at Pep’s teams the other thing you will notice is triangles and diamonds, the midfield can sometimes look like Jagged teeth all the time the team are moving making themselves available and at the same time forcing the opponents players in positions they don’t want to be in. We had 72% possession but very little of it was useful and that as well as the defending is where we need to improve. I know Slav can get it right, this will be as difficult a second season as could be imagined, with the move an entirely new team of recruits to forge into a team and the fact teams know how to defend our strengths, we are West Ham though and although fortune may be hiding, we will find it I am sure COYI!!!

  2. Having just got back from the game I find myself more confused than annoyed. The defending was terrible. Masuku had a shocker but he has been pretty good so far. The problem is every defensive mistake we make is resulting in a goal but were not doing the simple things well. For the first time today I thought we looked better without Noble. Today I thought we really missed Carroll both in attack and defence. I’ll just say Zaza isn’t match fit yet and leave it at that.

  3. Back on the West Ham Way?? That’s a complete over-reaction with only 5 games gone, Hugh. Just like there was last season from many on here after we lost at home to Leicester and Bournemouth early on.

    For various reasons, West Ham had Reid, Arbeloa, Byram, Cresswell, Ayew, Sakho and Carroll not available today, plus a right-back who isn’t one, a young second choice left-back who is still finding his feet in British football…..as is Zaza, who is clearly not match sharp. Feghoulli played his first 45 minutes, Payet had his first start and Lanzini, his second. In a week or two, Reid and Arbeloa will be available, as will Carroll, Sakho and possibly, Cresswell. I accept that Byram may not start for a while and Ayew won’t be back for a couple of months.
    Judge us on 12-13 games, with a third of the season gone, eh? West Ham will be fine.

  4. In another thread, Slav said we did enough in attack but I am not so sure. We were clearly playing without a proper centre forward and the attacking midfielders had preciously little outlet. Yes, there was Antonio (thank God for that) but you can’t expect a wide player to carry the team every week.

    Where was Zaza? I’m sure I’m not the only one asking. Just like against Watford, Zaza was so effectively marked out of the game that he might as well not be there. For a supposed fox in the box, he was so static that you wonder how he ever managed to shake off defenders in Italy. There must be more to Zaza than that, one hopes.

    • Well it is only his 2nd game of the season,he is probably missing match sharpness & as we know China Doll is allowed half a dozen matches to be allowed to be up to Prem fitness levels so maybe we should cut Zaza some slack at the moment.Though im sure some won’t.
      This is all too knee jerky but there is something kind of comforting about knowing the West Ham we all know & love is still lurking under the surface ready to rear its inconsistent self lol
      Last season I thought I had lost the West Ham I have always supported & it has nothing to do with rebranding.My frustrating West Ham on the pitch is still alive & kicking lol

      • Half a dozen Rads? The China doll gets as long as he wants doesn’t he? I mean for his 80 weeks of missing games he’s only cost about 8m in wages so he obviously needs to be given the benefit of the doubt 🙂

    • Let’s hope we find out how good or bad Zaza is before the 15 games are up and we have to buy him for real.

  5. What ever it is that motivates players and gives them a sense of urgency has gone missing.
    That togetherness and support for each other seems to be seriously lacking . You can’t just blame terrible schoolboy defending . There is a case for critizing Bilic as well . Somewhere between Manager and team we seem to have gotten ourselves lost . All roads are pointing south and it’s time to break out the map , turn around and head north again . That’s where communication takes the drivers seat , and the driver is Slaven . I have seen those tweeting twits calling for Slaven to be shown the door . There is only one word for those idiots ( non permissible to write it ) .
    We will get it right , but it’s painful to watch at the moment because there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel . Maybe Wednesday at home to Accrington Stanley will provide that much needed bright light and kick start our season . It’s a great opportunity to start getting things right before our next league game . COY Hammers .

  6. These comments are like a sanctuary after seeing everything else that’s being written so, thanks fellas. Seems there are a lot of people with very short memories and not much in the form of loyalty.

    • You are so right Fairweather.When I first started using this site I heard a few bad things about the guys on here but they are some of the most level headed,philisophical boys around.Some sites are poisonous but these lads always find a humourous way to look at things instead of throwing a paddy about everything.

      • Eddie you may as well have a laugh mate especially after today. It’s better that then creating 2 profiles both as boring as the other and being a opinionated **** ? Ain’t that right fishy cometh chippy moments 🙂

      • No we are just Rabid inarticulate pigs & dogs Eddie,you have us all wrong lol
        Hmmm GW now where is Cometh The Battered Haddock tonight,breaking into the salon perhaps 😀

  7. If you can’t handle a few bumps,well hundreds of bumps in the road then supporting the irons really ain’t for some fans lmao.We have all seen it for decades & really should know better than to overreact or go on a wobbler.

  8. Lets see how things go against Accrington on Weds.The team is very unsettled at the moment with lots of players still injured and some just coming back from injury and the euros in the Summer.Add to this a large number of Summer signings and there is very little stability and the team changes from week to week.Lets give it a few more weeks and then pass judgement.Its anybodys guess as to Slavs best 11 at the moment.

  9. The deepest concern is that there has not yet been one impressive performance in all the games since pre season. That drains confidence and starts making players over think rather than letting inbuilt instinct control matters.

    Add to that the fact that the whole team looks listless and lacking in match fitness and individual effort, which the stats are reflecting as the team is bottom 3 for mileage covered, when to show willing in a miserable and confidence sapping start to the season they should be top ten in extra effort.

    Finally the passing has been abysmal despite decent possession and that has to be sorted if improvement is to take place, otherwise it’s going to be an increasingly tough season that may become a rut no matter how good individual players look on paper.

    • Yeah what you say has much truth in it Spy but bring on The Saints,we are going to whip their sorry asses.Well maybe not but you have to keep the faith sometimes 🙂

  10. Now then my little Cockney Sparrows, how’s life? The weather is beautiful in Liverpool and the atmosphere was perrrrrfect in Goodison this evening. What the hell has happened to Payet? And that Zaza looks absolutely poo. I was listening to talksport and even the Moose thought he was garbage. You have a tasty player in Antonio I must say, you’ll might find it hard keeping hold of him, I hear Burnley are interested. Have you seen our little pocket dynamo Gueye? He is mustard, check out MOTD tonight, you’ll be green with envy. Can’t stop my little cockney friends, have to pack my suitcase, off to Toronto in the early hours toodle pip.

    • So you are so f#cked in the head you get banned yesterday but you make another account just to use another teams site.You have mental health issues pal.

    • Are you Gary Lineker in disguise Paco, you are certainly a smug c@nt just like your jug eared nomark former player, do one back to your toffee mates. Oh hang on no you don’t have any do you not in that padded cell you inhabit, sleep well when the tranq’s kick in.

      • The geezer is a sandwich short isn’t he.He gets banned by Hugh but has multiple accounts for another teams fan site.It ain’t normal surely if you have everything right up stairs 🙂

  11. Another poor pre season certainly looks like it has caught up with us. Things are said very easily in hindsight but things would have been a lot better outside of the Europa league. Perhaps our transfer policy would have been more about quality or quantity. We needed a Gueye/kante type centre mid, RB, Centre half and 2x forwards. Our chairmen should not have come out saying we needed a new 20 goal a season striker to unsettle Sakho (and probably the other forwards at the club) and our manager shouldn’t have tried playing our best winger at RB. Maybe the changing room has lost a bit of confidence in the manager and the club … who knows.

    I don’t think the number of players coming in has helped matters. You look at teams and they are solid with 1, 2 or maybe 3 stand out flair players to go and get the goals. Our problem is that we are top heavy at the moment. I don’t think you can pick a team with Payet, Lanzini, Kouyate, Antonio, Feghouli, Zaza all involved …. where are the grafters in that lot!!!!! Last season we built from a strong spine. We don’t have that at the moment. Our transfer policy over the summer has cost us.

  12. I don’t want to be negative but we have lost to and shipped 8 goals from Watford and WBA. Personally not interested in another season of survival – just, hoped we had moved on from that.

  13. On the plus side we are scoring every game, I would like to see us play some games without Noble and with Arbelloa, also try playing Zaza with another forward, either Fletcher or Callieri or Martinez, what I have seen from Zaza are lots of good runs but no one releasing passes, today you could see how frustrated he was, he could have been played in through the middle several times. Instead our midfield want to run around making sideways passes and keeping possession it drives me mad too, surely they will take some gambles and pass the ball forward every now and again…

  14. Totally agree with comments on ” The West Ham way ” having supported West Ham for 57 years I am used to their little foibles, they used to play well & contribute to a entertaining match but still manage to lose, but now they do not seem to be trying. Something has gone seriously wrong perhaps the preseason tour did not help also Payet playing in the Euros seems to have drained him, I remember whenever Brooking played for England after he would have a quiet game for West Ham. Also the injuries to Cresswell & Lanzini have undermined the stability the team had, they now seem to be copying the England tactic of sideways or back passing, there are no players willing to try to beat a player or make a run with the ball. Most supporters do not mind if they try but come unstuck.That is one reason the fans are upset. Since the centre backs are off form what about playing Oxford ? Let’s hope his contract talks are not interfering with his selection

  15. What’s gets me worried is that there’s a big thing made about West Ham having signed thirteen new players and quite honestly I can’t think of any of them who have actually improved the First Team, ok we’ve had a bit of bad luck with injuries but that’s par for the course – it’s what happens!

    The worrying thing is we look weaker than last year – all the teams know what Payet’s all about and can counter it – we look poor in defence, weak in midfield and have no discernible attack!

    Apart from that everything is hunky-dory – oh, and we’ve got a crappy new Stadium!

    As Hugh said – typical West Ham!

  16. On the positive side. I thought we played brilliantly second half. If payets free kick goes in which it deserved to its 4-3 and any things possible. What a comeback story that would have been. Payet knows he has another assist if he aims for Antonios head. That’s a bonus. In Antonio we have found our twenty goals a season striker. Feghouli looked good. We have a real player there. I thought we played really well to be honest – apart from the four goals we conceded.

  17. I accept Zaza is not fit BUT from 5 years old you are taught to trap the ball, Chest the ball,Put your body between the defender and the ball,
    He must have been taught to sulk,not put in any effort and generally not contribute to the side,
    Noble for England,what a joke,he gets in the way slows the game down and tales the momentum out of our game,
    Where as Lanzini picks the ball up and keeps it and never looks back wards,
    Poyet has been double marked and left out on the wing and his corner kicks are woeful,
    We need to cancel Burkes loan and get him back alongside Oggy or Oxford and sooty Hugh can’t agree about Reid,
    Kouyate for the first time looks out of sorts,head down and lost where he is playing,
    We need a ball winner like Obiang and not for half a game or 1 game,
    Every team has worked it out defend against our good attack and destroy us on the break,just like we did last year,
    Also I have never seen Slav look so down beat and lost for an answer,
    But hay ho that the life of a hammer fan,
    Give Oxford ago now and Obiang Calleri Feggolui they can’t be any worse and we could just find the solution

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