In response to Claret and Hugh’s article concerning El HJadji-Malick Diouf’s record goal assists this season, one Hammers fan – a regular Claret and Hugh reader and contributor, has put pen to paper to highlight how key components of his game sometimes get lost and how many players suffer from over coaching: No doubt an advocate of the ‘keep it simple, stupid’ school which West Ham could do well to apply tomorrow night against the Red Devils.
Here is his guest post in its entirety:
Guest post from ‘Taffyhammer’
Really fantastic to see a cross like that on Saturday. It has been very frustrating to see players out wide going forward with no end product. Not just West Ham but football clubs in general.
Benrahma used to do it. Head down, one trick pony. Drives up the left wing. Our men in the middle left high and dry. Eventually, if we are lucky, comes back at the box and tries the shot into top right of goals. It worked a couple of times but we could not rely on a couple of goals each season to bring us success.
Forget possession. Forget training ground positional practice. Forget having to put a foot on the ball whilst looking up to check who’s where. Play instinctively. Get the ball crossed over into the mix where our advancing centres have the advantage over the opposing defence.
Yes, it won’t always guarantee a goal and we might lose possession more often than not. But possession is not everything if there is no end result. Opponents on the back foot and in chaos is the dream scenario for every match.
Just like the goalkeeper kicking the ball up to the front guys. Much better than pussy-footing around and losing the ball in our own half. Of course, the rest of the team can’t just take a time out, watch and wait for the inevitable return. They need to be aware and moving forward in support. England could have won a couple of World Cups with this kind of attitude. All too easy for Southgate to stuff the ball up his jumper and hope that possession will bring success. We suffered for generations with lost opportunities for players and supporters alike. Southgate could have stifled Lionel Messi and turned him into an international Vardy.
So, I am all for it, Diouf. Keep on crossing and encourage the other guys to do the same. Rest of the team? Expect this kind of play, get up there and take advantage.
As for the ‘dip’ in form before African adventure, that can be put down to nobody being quite sure of what they were doing in that period. Too many people giving conflicting advice replaced with no advice at all. Plenty of support but no definitive advice.
The last few games have shown that we may have hit on a theme which brings us watchable and exciting football. I hope so and also hope that it continues.”
Watchable and exciting football: Amen to that. For the first time since mid-Moyes’ era, West Ham offer occasional electric pace and fast passing. Finally it seems the fun is back; Now for the points.
Well said Taff
Good article. What I don’t understand is two defenders in the box when we take a goal kick and even worse a defender taking the kick passing to the goalkeeper let’s cut the middle man out get the ball up the other end as soon as possible. And Diouf crosses now working that’s because we have now got players in the box maybe wan is should do this from the other side by
Brian Clough had tremendous success His comment about football being played on grass not up in the air is just as relevant today
Couldn’t agree more back to the west ham teams of old
Defend from the front …It seems to me having no specialist CDM is working ..This means our CBs have to be alert at all times ..A CDM can lull them into a false sense of security..Sure we can use Soucek to be in the mix ..However i think this is why Mav and Todibo/Disasi are on their game…As soon as we retain the ball AWB and Diouf are on their toes going forward…With our front four creating chaos its game on…Wilsons intelligence is key now and for the rest of the season..He will pull defenders all over the park creating space….Simples.
Agreed to an extent. The difference is however is, the particular move that led to Taty’s goal had obviously been worked on in training. It wasn’t a run down the wing, cross and hope, it was all simply executed well.
I’d disagree to an extent with long hoof keeper kicks, as we’ve not got the towering target man to hold the ball up and allow time for the support to arrive. You could argue that it’s been exactly this tactic which has ceded possession repeatedly and put us under pressure in the past.
It could be down to personnel changes and a change in the team shape, workrate and dynamic, the integration of a proper no2 with coaching qualities, the confidence that a win brings within the squad or a combination of all elements that has led to our fortune no longer hiding.
What is without doubt is that with legs and dynamism in midfield (take a bow Mateus in particular) and forwards who can occupy the opposition and press from the front, alongside genuine options on both flanks, and the semblance of a defence we look like a team. Light years away from the misery of Potter’s clueless, porous, static 11.
Lets just hope that stirring from the nightmare we’ve slept through for reasons well documented over the past three seasons hasn’t come too late in the day.
Retaining the current squad with gems such as Bowen, Summerville and the imperious Fernandes with the ability to add in the summer would be some prospect. The alternative step towards oblivion doesn’t bear contemplation.
I only half agree. The trouble is we do this when we’re a goal or two up. We don’t even try to retain the ball, just drop back, deeper and deeper. The inevitable result is exactly what happened against Chelsea. It’s at these times that we absolutely have to keep possession. It’s really very simple. While we have the ball, they can’t score.
Excellent post from a regular sense-maker. Football is cyclical and crosses into the box from a player on the wing with his ‘good’ foot will be back in vogue soon enough. Maybe Nuno is just ahead of the curve on this.
Well said, Taffy