Irons 1 Cherries 2
Personal circumstances have dictated that I have been unable to get to the London Stadium until today (Sat)!
I won’t go into the reasons for my absence other than to say they involved my wife who has since passed away.
Now I shall be making the near 500 round journey from Devon each Saturday we are at home despite what I saw this afternoon.
Let me get one thing out of the way immediately, I love the stadium and that comes from a guy who spent years watching at Upton Park.
As for the football that was on display, I thought in the first half there were clear signs of how the new man at the helm will be guiding the team as they pressed forward and showed the importance of playing a possession game.
It certainly wasn’t perfect but there was plenty to admire and when Arnautovic converted a penalty the game was there for the taking.
What happened at half time is a mystery because the Hammers came out like men who had fallen asleep and hadn’t fully woken up – the problem was it lasted for the entire 45 minutes and Bournemouth took full advantage with goals from Wilson and Cook.
The Cherries looked more together, more integrated and played some very good one touch football and it would be only the most narrow minded Hammer to deny them their win.
They were better than us and at the end of a four and half hour journey home I still haven’t quite worked out why.
Felipe Anderson at £35 million was a disappointment and clearly much is expected of him whilst Jack Wilshere showed some lovely early touches before fading.
Defensively we looked a mess and Fabianski – as he did at Liverpool – earned his money with a couple of great saves.
I’m sure this manager will get things together but as has been said many times now it’s going to take a bit of time and this – despite the disappointment – is still not the time to over-react.
A word for Zaba who I thought was special at times working down the right, defending well and delivering some dangerous stuff into the heart of the Cherries defence.
COYI
Game of two halves. Didn’t think we deserved to lose it but slow and ponderous defending once again let us down. Wilson running through when outnumbered five to one was criminal. The need for a solid and mobile defensive midfielder in front of the back four is as obvious as ever. Maybe Sanchez is that man. We seemed better when he and Yarmolenko came on. Bit late by then though and not aided by the usual give up too easy, half hearted, good time charlies that walk out with ten minutes of a game still to go.
Mo’re time do me a favour we got the same time as the other teams let’s not make excuses they are just gutless overpaid morons..I just watched it again if we had half the heart Bournemouth have got we might pick up a point.. ….. Utter utter rubbish
I agree 100% with the shout out for Zaba. Our player of the match in my opinion closely followed by Fabianski.
A disappointing result but it’s not panic stations yet. The team has a lot of talent but lack cohesion and fitness. Anderson was a disappointment and needs to have the hard words from Pelle to chase back. This team is a work in progress and realistically we should be looking for a safe season this year and a great season next term. COYI. ⚒
Sorry about your trouble condolences Hugh. Yep going to take a bit longer than I thought but I think eventually it will click . Pelle not come here to let his cv down for sure
Thanks Hugh
Due to domestic duties my first half “viewing” was restricted to checking the scores on my mobile phone – and I was optimistic when I saw that Arnie had put us ahead and then settled down in front of the TV for the second half – rather depressing viewing as we never really threatened the Bournemouth goal
I looked up Pellegrini and Avram Grant on Wikipedia – Grant was a title winner in Israel and also with Partizan Belgrade. Pellegrini’s record in Spain is impressive, but in the PL it is difficult to judge since winning the PL with a star studded team is different to taking on a struggling team like West Ham
I feel that unfortunately for Pelle and for us the summer has been over hyped – half the spend was on two players – Anderson (Tony Gale kept going on about the fact that he wasn’t willing to track back and generally jogged around) and Diop (who is currently an expensive sub yet to get onto the field of play)
After the last two seasons for me the next level woudl be mid table security without really having to worry about relegation (safe by the end of March) – two or three seasons of that and then we can think of challenging for Europe
Given our fixture list the question is will the board continue to back Pelle if we are bottom after 7 games – the Spuds fired Juande Ramos and called for “Arry” when they had played 6 games for 2 points
Hopefully we can pull out a shock result against Arsenal, Chelsea or Man Utd to calm our nerves and calm us all down
“Still not the time to over-react”, Maybe, but surely it IS time to react. Dismal defending against Liverpool & now, more of the same against Bournemouth. Three of our “defendere” don’t defend at all ! – Balbuena, Masuaku & Ogbonna. I feel that the much vaunted Pellegrini might just be another Avram Grant in disguise – just a big name who took over at a very established, successful club, winning the league despite himself ! Let us hope that I am wrong !
Hi Hugh
As a life long Irons fan brought up in Barking and now also living in Devon, may I offer you my deepest condolences to you and your family. I hope this season will soon kick off for our great club and bring you some joy as the campaign progresses.
Your account of yesterday is spot on as usual. Sadly once the equaliser went in there was only going to be one winner.
COYI
So MP still doesn’t know our best team and they are still suffering with a hangover from the days of David Moyes ! . Don’t know if missed it but , didn’t we sign 9 new players . And who locked Antonio in the broom cupboard ? . We can’t defend , our midfield has improved a bit but still not good enough , and we can’t create or score in open play . A £20m defender is warming the subs bench . We are firmly rooted to the bottom of the table after two games with an away game to Arsenal up next . Hard to be optimistic even given the fact we still need to Gel .( ah that word again ) Our goal difference is the worst in the Premiership with 36 games left to play .
Paints a gloomy picture right now with not a lot of promise to brighten it up . Even 13th looks a long way off and non-achievable given our state of play at the moment . It’s early days I hear people say but , good gracias something needs sorting out and quickly .
I expected a win against Bournemouth and after that penalty why not ? . Normally we make one or two bad signings but , nine is a new record . The only new sighning that shows promise is Wilshere . He had a good game in general whereas a lot of others were in dreamland . Zabaleta tried his damdest but to no avail .
A huge 200% improvement is required now if we are not to become a laughing stock and the team to play when three points are needed ., which brings back horrible memories of seasons past .
Sorry to add to the gloom but there was a season predictor in my paper yesterday, based on one of those computer predictions. We come out as fifth most likely to go down. It is based on results over the last two seasons, so on that basis we are more likely to be relegated than some of the sides we finished above last year. We have a 25% probability of the drop. The comment was that it reflects ‘more fundamental problems’ at West Ham than some of the sides e.g. Southampton that finished lower. It takes no account of new signings/new manager, but if they turn out to be damp squibs then that might not make a lot of difference. Early days,of course,but worrying signs….
The whole idea of Signing Pelligrini and letting him have full control over summer signings was to avoid the current scenario we find ourselves in . Not much point in trying to play ( and failing ) attacking football if we have a weak and slow midfield and pose zero threat on the opponents goal . I understand that we must integrate the new players and adapt to Pelligrini’s preferred style . The problem is that we haven’t as yet seen it . He was caught napping at City and it led to his eventual dismissal . Trying to hold a high defensive line is also a worry and doesn’t exactly suit an attacking style . Can somebody explain to me the reasoning behind leaving ; Cresswell , Antonio , Fredericks & Rice out of the team .? . If it is just to accommodate new signings I can’t see any improvement any time soon .
As for your comment on relegation , Hammer64 , although it is based on previous seasons it is nonetheless a bit of a worry considering we not getting any better . Obviously time will tell . The question is , just how much time can we afford to play like we are ? .
I’m trying to be optimistic and hoping for improvement but , when our manager says there is no trust and we are suffering from the Moyes era it does tend to dent one’s optimism .
Personally I don’t blame Moyes because he did his job , and without him doing that we would not be in a position to sign Pelligrini and a bucket load of players . Pelligrini is and has so far not proven to be any better than Moyes . Despite all the hype .
Post match analysis:
Fabianski- saved our blushes
Balbuena- needs time
Ogbonna- needs to wake up
Zabaleta- only good player we have
Masuaku- worst player on pitch
Noble- past it
Wilshere- (see Noble)
Snodgrass- grafter very impressed
Anderson- lazy
Chicharito- very busy did well
Arnautovic- isolated AGAIN
Yarmolenko- wanted to change the game
Perez- same as Yarmo
Sanchez- didn’t see enough to judge
Pellegrini- should listen in on one of Eddie Bowes half time talks because we were nailed apart in the 2nd half.
OVERALL- need to stop thinking 1 nil at half time means the game is won. Lazy lazy team.
Yeh , more or less nailed it , 79 . But playing with commitment and a desire to win is something Pelligrini has to address . That’s what his high wages demand . And of course the players themselves . Early days as they say . Would it hurt to sound out a few alternatives ? ., even at this early stage .
It is a process, we had the better quality players and over 60% possession most of which was very good. Eddie Howes team know his system inside out, that was clear from the first minute to the last, they picked two areas to exploit between Ogbonna and Masuaku and the area Noble was occupying they did nothing else and it created numerous opportunities from which both of their goals came in a 6 minute period. The difference between the teams imho can be mostly put down to that, they are all well drilled and had only one new player on the field, they used their team to its maximum to exploit our glaring weaknesses,we for a new team performed above average but we were second best, as MP said the answer is only time and trust.
Would like to add am not digging Noble out he tried hard and with someone athletic to support him we would not have got opened up down the middle so often, we didn’t adapt well enough but it’s lessons learned for all COYI !!
In Pelligrini we trust , hmmm . Let’s see if that’s still holds water after six more games .
I sincerely hope so . Tired of the same old same old West Ham . Tired of suffering the same thing year after year . I will always support west ham and never fail them as a fan . It is they who are failing us .
Hi Guys,
Very frustrating watch yesterday, can no none see big gap between the midfield and defence, it was exploited by Cherries yesterday. Looks to me like some players are being played out of position. Arthur can’t defend, Felipe isn’t a left winger and sorry everybody but i think Marko should be slightly deeper allowing him into the game. Yarmalenko is better on the ball than Snoddy and poor old Nobes who I love is becoming more frustrated and can’t keep up. Ogbonna looks nervous and Balbuena looks a bit lightweight. By the way I didn’t leave early, £110 for me and the lad I like to get my money’s worth!
More changes afoot I think
I was under the impression that when we signed Pelli that we were getting a top class coach …… however it is now becoming more apparent by the day that the high line he plays defensively is floored and has been a bone of contention previously in his managerial career. Several times again we were caught trying to play the offside trap and getting caught out and should have been punished more but for bad finishing and a good Fabianski save.
I am also bewildered why we paid £22 million for a player to warm the bench. Anderson looks very overrated so I am already beginning to doubt his credibility or ability to turn us into middle of table team.