This from-the-heart blog from Claret and Hugh Facebook member David Brown gets right to the heart of what we saw at the London Stadium yesterday and it’s hard to disagree with a single word.
By David Brown
Painful to watch!
I am so glad that most posters on this forum do actually see what I see.
So often I think I watch a different game but I think this time we are universally in agreement!
I know that being a West Ham fan for over 50 years has meant more pain than joy but it’s who we are that defines us. It is a sad indictment when I see highly paid professional players have no clue on the pitch.
Where to start as far s yesterday is concerned?…. I thought Rice was brilliant, Noble great. and Antonio a game changer. The rest……shameful.
Yarmo is one paced…slow. Tries to be clever and fails. Anderson is painful to watch, lightweight, passionless and disinterested. Haller is off the pace. He did nothing yesterday.
Only when Antonio entered the fray did the others wake up. I like Fredericks but for 70 mins, he like the rest (minus the three already mentioned) were clueless. Heartless and truly awful. So what do we do?
All these players can obviously play so what is missing?!?! As if by magic a switch was flicked and for the last 15 mins we looked top notch. I noticed Pelle did not come into the tech area in the second half until Antonio scored. I believe we have a team who can play.
Just a few short weeks ago with the same players would could have gone third! I don’t think Pelle gets it or maybe doesn’t really care.
Either way I hate to say it but we need a new driver of the bus. But who. Whatever will be will always mean I am a West Ham fan first.
COYI
Agree with comments but add snodgrass to that good list never stoped working
Everything is distorted by the exceptionally poor goalkeeping performance. Agreed that Haller and Yarmolenko were uninterested yesterday, and I wonder if they are losing heart. Certainly Diop looked that way. But the team cannot be properly judged until something is done about the man between the sticks who has been at fault for so many goals since the Bournemouth game. There are not picking Martin to replace Roberto for a reason – presumably, he is even worse. Why we have got ourselves in this state is a moot point, but the fact is we are where we are and nothing is going to be changed before Fabianski comes back. And then we can see what really is at the heart of the problems – look at the early season form and take encouragement.
We have to stick with the squad; they are not going to change much in the January window except buy a better back-up keeper. The rest is cloud-cuckoo land stuff.
I thought it interesting that at Burnley Noble won the toss and had the team kick towards the away fans in the first half, presumably to take some pressure off Roberto so he could build confidence. As we know, it didn’t work but it shows how the agitation in the crowd is affecting the whole team.
My sentiments exactly Dave .
I have been on the roller coaster since 1958
but now my god this is beyond the realms of all.before ..with the injection of the financial pressure now in this “business ” and not a sport to be enjoyed on a Saturday or a mid week game by us long serving fans it is just so depressing to see what is happening to our “INSTITUTION “
Totally agree …A new manager who will drop under performing players.
Anderson and Yarmelenko are just pulling a wage with no input…
There is and always has been a stigma around the club where you can get away with minimum effort if you have the quality…
Its like two teams at the moment…..Noble Rice Snodgrass Antonio Ogbonna … put a shift in without being fancy….The others feel they dont have to because of this group.
It will take a brave manager to drop the majority of the team…MP is not that man.
Snodgrass always gives effort but unfortunately sometimes this may not be enough, I like the effort but in this division we need players with a tiny amount of skill, pace and guile and currently our squad is palpably short of pace… Unfortunately most of the squad are “plodders ” at best except when Antonio builds up a head of steam… Frederick’s has pace but not evedint enough,do think he maybe better as a wing back home n a 3 5 3 formation but Pellegrini dose not know what this means or is simply to stubborn too try… Thanks for coming MP… on your bicycle please into the sunset NEVER TO BE SEEN AGAIN
The sight of Anderson and Yarmolenko ‘bottling’ out of challenges was shameful – their effort was non-existent – the fastest I saw Yarmolenko move was when he got ‘dragged’ after 55 minutes – he galloped off the pitch like he definitely didn’t want to be there! 🤨
I think Haller can also be added to the list of non triers but his probably become disillusioned by being isolated and not supported – He’s probably just got the hump and has given up! 😳