We saw some genuine class in our midfield against Brighton – possibly for the first time this season!
His name is Tomas Soucek and we had better hope to God that somehow or other we can escape relegation otherwise he is gone.
He is on loan until the end of the season with an obligation to buy should we remain in the Premier League .
He showed great ability and can find ways of getting into scoring positions – he looks to be everything you could want from a player.
Having not seen him before he arrived the stats seemed surprising given he is described as a defensive midfielder who had scored ten goals for Slavia Prague. It became a lot clearer after yesterday’s 90 minutes.
Yesterday, despite the result, the game looked easy to him and given he has not played for six weeks because of the winter break in his own country. Frankly he looked a future skipper.
Please God we can stay up because if this is the level of performance he can produce after a lengthy break, goodness knows how much more there is to come.
If such a bet were possible I’d have a few bob on him becoming the next Hammers skipper should we stay up – yes I was that impressed.
It doesn’t matter though, relegation is certain now after that defeat. it was a must win game to stay in the premier league.
We failed.
We will be 6 points behind everyone in the next two games with know hope of coming over.
He wont stay in the championship.
**** it, bring on millwall
If I can put my 2 cents in.Both Soucek and Bowen weee not available at the beginning of the transfer window to be released by their clubsI think we are Damn lucky to have either of them at this time.We all know that the January transfer window is usually not that good and the only players available are ones that their clubs want to move on.BUT and I say this with huge respect and optimism to who was responsible for this amazing bit of business,We not only have acquired the best player ( midfielder ) in the Czech Rep , BUT also lured Bowen,the top goal scorer from the Championship.Thiis was an incredible bit of business.Who cares if it was late.Its better than not happening at all.And despite our league position,I would say this was a mastermind that it happened at all.Yes we are fckd and with these 2 new players, it gives us more Hope than before,to us staying up and at this point We do need to scrap out some draws and a few wins and what we need are goals and this is what Bowen and Soucek provide.I believe we will stay up,even if it is by 1 point.West Ham are used to this,but next season after a few more players are added and the dead wood is gone,we will have a better team.BUT for now,Let’s survive the drop and I believe We can.
🛠🛠🛠
Me too Hollywood we have the makings of a top side when the dead wood has gone and I’m convinced with these two quality signings we shall be fine. Also Anderson returning and Antonio’s enthusiasm all’s that’s needed is some luck for a change and confidence all round even with moyes in charge and making some real stupid substitutions that are not helping .
My concern for Haller is that he is already thinking he will be going if we are relegated. He is clearly not showing that he can do what’s needed of him, for that reason, I hope he gets dropped for the next game at least. Obviously we showed improvement against Liverpool and Brighton, hope that continues.
Well now its down to the team – 13 games left to get 16 or so points – it will go down to the wire and then we can have an inquest. Apart from our fellow strugglers (Norwich, Watford, Villa, Bournemouth and Brighton) I feel that Newcastle are quite poor – which makes the three points that we gifted them even more disappointing
Its now up to the players and Moyes – we can only support them (and will be justified in having a pop at the end of the season if we go down)
As for the owners, they may be West Ham fans, but they really don’t have much of a clue when it comes to getting a clear managerial plan (Zola, Avram Grant, BFS, Slav, Moyes, Pelle, Moyes) is quite a merry go round for 10 years
We shall stay up I’m convinced on that when Bowen and su get going and Antonio Anderson and snod keep their form. Problem is haller looking disinterested and I would give ajeti or one of our youths a spot dropping him to the bench as for sure his input to the team is zero. Partly because he needs someone to play alongside his not a target man but still brings nothing to his game like actually fighting for balls and tackling which would at least stop people having a pop at him.
It would help to get some of the injured players back and football fit before throwing in the towel on survival.
The lack of service for the striker(s) needs to be addressed as much as the poor defending and individual mistakes…
Soucek was one of the few positives to take from the game and hopefully Bowen will bring the same drive.
But, barring some extraordinary results, I fear that yesterday was our resignation letter to the PL.
Jarrod Bowen whilst not possibly being a skipper looks to have the attitude to make things happen and pitch in to dig us out. We have an interesting 3 months ahead but I am upbeat that with Bowen and Soucek alongside characters like Zaba, Snoddy, Noble, Fab, Oggy, Rice and Antonio we will turn things around, we probably need 5 wins and we have the capability to do that, let’s hope we can get Anderson fit also as he gives us an extra dimension in attack chin up, COYI!!!
But no mention of Haller? Am I the only season ticket holder that thinks he is a petulent waste of space? He ambles around, rarely sprints. He stands next to his marker and rarely pulls away into space or splits the central defenders and is usually found hugging the touchline and he is unlikely to score from there.
If we had taken 3pts yesterday it would have been over the next couple games been like drawing 3 games ect 1pt Brighton 1pt city 1 pt Liverpool ? Sadly not the case.! On looking on future fixtures that could be winnable for us only gives us 37pts! assuming we win those games? The target is 40 pts ? That means we need to get some results from some of the top 6 teams ? Have to say Hugh my glass is looking half empty rather than half full at the moment ! And the thought of playing teams like Millwall next season are looming nearer!!!!
I honestly think we will get out of this Dusty.Yes it was a downer yesterday,but then i looked at Bournemouth,Brighton,Watford,Villa, and their fixtures to the end of the season are as tough as hell too plus one side you never expect always plummets down and goes.Get Man City and Liverpool out of the way and the rest are matches where we can get enough points especially with Soucek and Bowen on board .U23s played a blinder last 10 minutes today 2-1 down then 3 goals in 5 minutes with Xande Silva and Mesaque Dju turning the game on its head so its not all doom and gloom and remember if Fabianski had not tipped Marches free kick over in the last minute we would have lost yesterday.
” … plus one side you never expect always plummets down and goes.”
Yep, you’re right. But it looks like it’s US …
We are too fragile at the back, irrespective of whether Antonio is up the park. I hope DM goes back to 3 at the back as even Ogbonna has made ‘old-Ogbonna-style’ lapses that have cost us in the last 2 games. But Cresswell (or maybe Johnson if fit) would have to play left wing-back. If Masuaku is ever allowed on the pitch again, he should only be carrying on the oranges, or perhaps never be allowed south of the half-way line as his ‘defending’ always cost us dear. I agree that the Antonio substitution was the sea-change in the match, but it just shows the lack of depth in the squad. I sais earlier in the week how much we were missing Anderson – we all would like some more end-product from him sometimes, but he’s always a threat to opposing defences. Saturday was the first time I thought we were likely to be relegated. But I am still hopeful, rather than expectant. Soucek looked good but we will now need some luck to go in our favour. 16 points to go. COYI.
I am reapeating myself here but if the incompetent owners had acted earlier at the start of January with him and Bowen I don’t think we be in the position we find ourselves in now,the fact moyes felt he had to take Antonio off yesterday and brought on the useless masuku which basically cost us the game,even if they got Bowen done and dusted before Friday deadline, he would have kept us on the front foot and would been a better option of the bench
Do upi not understand how agents work and why so little business is done til the last day?
Hugh, why do you feel the need to belittle people and constantly argue with them?
As soon as someone slags off the board you jump in to defend them no matter what.
I argue when I, Sean or the site are attacked personally. You clearly haven’t seen my various criticisms of the board and that is not meant to belittle you. If people are going to attack me as is often the case I will answer and if the remarks deserve a ‘belittling’ so be it. We are in the relegation zone, there are no buyers or investors thus I find the idea of the board sacking itself absurd in the first place and something that won’t happen anyway. There has been a serious lack of vision and we need a proper director of football. To say I support all the board does is simply not true. There have been many many many comments made against the board which I have not bothered to respond to because they are well argued and well put. Abuse etc is a no no here
And where in the op comments did he attack you or the site that warrented your reply to him saying what part don’t you understand?
Your suggestion implicitly was I do it all the time – it now seems you are talking about a particular comment. If you point it out i will explain as there may be history of which you are unaware on the basis that there have so far been just five comments from you. Not BELITTLING – asking. In any event this is a football website not a place where people can expect a discussion on my attitude but on this occasion let me know what you are on about and I’ll take a look
Of course I understand how agents work, my point is why leave it till the last day when its obvious players were needed from the moment the window opened because of injuries, 33 year old noble playing every week and 35 year old zabba playing more games than he should ,a lack of pace in whole squad bar Antonio , but our penny pinching owners would rather see how it goes before doing anything and so we find our selves in the bottom 3 , but if that’s ok with you fine, while you flip flop with your opinion on the owners for last few weeks
The reason it happened at ours and every other club on the last day is because the agents know as the minutes tick down they can get more dough. That’s it!
Agreed Hugh. The transfer window is a game of poker and everyone holds their hand until the last couple of days.
Lots of other clubs has the same problem and it all ends on manic activity at the end.
The structure of the window is the issue.
It should be reduced to a week and even then all the business will be done in the last couple of days once all the cat and mouse and smoke and mirrors nonsense is done
Agree with that JK
Only thing I would say is the Soucek deal seemed to come together very quick and they didnt seem to be playing much cat and mouse.
Maybe we had other targets before Tomas, but suspect that was one that could have been got over the line earlier.
The Bowen one I agree as they were looking for an auction!
3-1 up 20 minutes left. Takes off Antonio fair enough but replaces him with a left back, not just any left back but the most clueless footballer I’ve ever seen. Therefore we have no outlet so it’s just a case of here you are brighton see what you can do in the last 20 minutes. Then tries to blame individual errors to mask his total ineptitude. Were down
As someone mentioned yesterday on here. The decision to move Noble further forward in 2nd half after Soucek had done so well there in 1st half was baffling. Mark also had a better 1st half than of late and to change formation was another sign Moyes us totally out if his depth