How important yesterday’s big defeat against Brentford turns out to be will only be clear later on today, once the result from Aston Villa v Spurs is known.
Luck certainly was not with Nuno’s side yesterday as the posts, cross bar and questionable decisions combined to send the Irons to a crashing defeat which, on another day could have been a 4-1 win.
The reality is that West Ham now have their future in Aston Villa’s hands.
Tottenham can overtake the Hammers and climb back out of the relegation zone should they achieve an unlikely win against the Villans – who will be playing with one eye on their Europa League semi final second leg tie next Thursday.
VAR and Craig Pawson combined to condemn the Hammers to defeat
West Ham’s head coach firmly believes the battle for survival will go all the way to the last game.
The Hammers have the daunting prospect of Champions – elect Arsenal next weekend and in truth it is difficult seeing any points coming from that game, however, Nuno was upbeat as he faced the press last night:
“We have to understand that we must react from a setback like today, a tough day. It’s up to us now to react, to react, knowing that it’s three games to go, it’s going to the last one”
And on the dramatic first half – second half contrast that saw the Irons’ performance fade as Brentford ran away with the game:
“We are disappointed, of course. First half was good, really good, really positive. We conceded from a cross, but we reacted well.
“We played good, the game was flowing, we were in control, we created a lot of situations, hit the posts, all these details.
“So at half-time we were positive that the game is going to change and things will come to us. But overall, it’s a tough day for us.
The super optimists will keep the faith until the final day: The majority of seasoned West Ham fans will be looking anxiously at the score from Villa Park this evening (it’s a 7pm kick off) knowing that the Hammers future – probably – hinges on their biggest rivals’ points tally.
If Spurs do get ahead again with just three games to go, it’ll be a mountain to climb for West Ham but absolutely typical of our club to go and beat Arsenal next weekend, completely against every form guide and pundit opinion.
2007 all over again? Why not. The Hammers won their last four games of that season culminating in an unlikely 1-0 win at Old Trafford on the last day to secure survival. It feels like it’ll take something similar next weekend.
Can’t believe that we are saving ourselves for a big effort against Leeds. It will be all over after Tottenham beat Aston Villa. Three more points won’t help.
Looking forward to next season already.
Is a solution not really looking at us right in the face and start to go three at the back disasi, mavrapanos, todibo wing backs diouf and wan bisaaka, midfield of fernandez and kante or souchek front three of summervile, taty, bowen and i would leave hermansen in goal
It was all VARs fault and the bad luck and the referee wah wah wah😭, the reality is we are not very good and haven’t been for a while,if this is the new level we were promised, even if by some miracle we escape relagation, you know it will be much the same next season , pundits etc, desperate to keep up the excitement in the drab continual drivel, perhaps culminating in our exiting escape from relagation, suppose this will be moderated again….!
Mate, really, if you find it all so drab and ‘drivelsome’, please, don’t read it. It’s not like you paid for it or are being forced to click.
It only gets moderated if it’s rude, defamatory or derisory TBH.
Bowen is no captain/leader and I think the pressure is getting to him? Strip the captaincy and let him just play football as his last few games have been awful? Has he already got his sights on a new club? He definitely ain’t playing like he cares? We were awful yesterday and just relying on Villa beating the enemy tonight? Arsenal and Newcastle will destroy us if we play like yesterday? WTAF happened to us? No fight, no desire, no clue? Nuno is not a premiership manager.
The penalty lost us the game. Only an idiot slides in inside the box, especially when the attacker isn’t going anywhere dangerous. All of the noise about Diouf going to Utd is welcome, they can have him for double what we paid in my opinion. A great left foot but a defender’s first job is to defend and he isn’t any good at that. At 1-0 we had every chance of getting something but at 2-0 we had to push forward which left gaps at the back. Forest really have 4 points on us with their superior goal difference and if Spurs are ahead of us before the last game we’re doomed. How quickly things can change…
We were definitely playing to win that game and not draw, which is commendable. Unfortunately though we don’t have the quality in attack to score goals too often. Brentford’s game plan was to stifle our attack any way they could, and they seem to be masters of the dark arts. And, alas, we seem a little naive in our game management. In the end, despite our guys trying so hard to get on the score sheet, it just didn’t go our way. It’s extra sad that captain Jarrod is just woeful now. He actually did try to cut in for a shot with his left foot but it was a pathetic effort which Kelleher gathered comfortably. I wonder if there is more to do with Bowen’s very poor form than what we see on the pitch. We became so used to him bailing us out of trouble with his wonderful goals and assists that we took it for granted. Oh for the Jarrod Bowen of seasons past!
Martin our defending was abysmal Simple as that No excuses We have to improve or we are done
At least pablo and tatty are ready made championship players already along with the rest of the team may lose a couple of players but the rest are of lower league quality that loss just sent us down as spurs will or should have the bit between there teeth let’s hope villa do a job today or it’s wolves away next season
Pablo isn’t even League One quality…
We were on better form than Brentford in all of the last 4,6,8,10 and 12 played tables.
We should not have been getting less than a point yesterday, certainly not a 3-0 defeat.
That was a poor result, we blew out, and that cannot be afforded.
Very disappointing – but we just have to hope for a shock against Arsenal and Newcastle – who both found some form yesterday
VS Arsenal I think we need to play Wan Bissaka against Sako and I agree with Martin perhaps we bring back Areola – shot stopping will be crucial
My line up 3-4-3
Areola ; Todibo, Mavropanos, Disasi ; Walker-Peters , Soucek, Fernandes, Wan Bissaka; Bowen, Taty, Summerville
COYI
On a slightly different topic I think there is a real case for referees to protect Summerville a lot more. Every game he is kicked, shirt tugged and cynically fouled. One day he will hobble off or worse.
You see their players running in from 5 yards out, smacking into him. They are sure not to show studs as that incurs an automatic sanction and they take turns fouling him, to avoid a red card being shown. S, is being subjected to this every game. They’ll end up shortening his career one day.
We all know game is meant to flow and not stopped for every physical contact but this is the wrong side of the rules. Before, if yet another Brentford player hacked S, down, he’d be on the receiving end of a crunching tackle himself (Not inferring this was better). That does not happen anymore and the referees needs to step in and take care of this, not rely on VAR, because do not want VAR intervening all the time.
One verbal warning once only to for the 1st cynical foul on S, to the Brentford team as a whole, then immediate yellow card to ANY individual from then on. Referee should even warn opposing captain/manager in advance that he’ll show less leeway on cynical fouls to S when he is up and running at their defence.
I didn’t see the game, only the highlights on MOTD I also listened to it live. Looks like we did well first half and poor the second. I personally always thought we would lose yesterday but hoped for a draw and I couldn’t understand a lot of people’s optimism, Brentford are a really good side. I can’t see us getting anything next week either. I am sure he will replace Pablo with Todibo and try for a draw. But I do feel we will win our last 2 matches. It just depends how spurs do. I think today they will draw against Villa today, but hope they lose.
In those days we had Tevez. He could score goals, make assists & create chances out of nothing, dribble past 2 players, yet he remained a team player & was always an intelligent footballer.
Certainly not giving up hope till the fat guy sings on the last day, after the last minute is played and for good reason as the team are fighting. These are tense times for the whole group and credit to them for getting stronger as a team, even if they did not pull off the hoped for result.
i’m scared
😬🥺🫣
This isnt a premier league club lets be honest. If you run it like a lower league club then in the end it becomes a lower league club. Im looking forward to championship football. The long throws and VAR delays have made prem games a horrible watch. How nice is it going to be to watch proper games again without the fixtures being planned to suit the top clubs. Hopefully the players who think they are better than they are will jump ship asap.