West Bromwich Albion 0 Hammers 0
I won’t be waiting for the video of this game to come out!
It was about as dull as it gets but the upside first…it’s another clean sheet although it must be added that it was against a team with no real attacking ambition with their first shot on target coming in the 88th minute.
Sometimes – indeed usually – it ‘s much easier to be critical than positive and lets be honest there were’t many amongst us who wouldn’t have settled for a point before the game.
But my big worries from the game was the woeful crossing of the ball and the fact that with big Andy back we are looking more and more like a Sam Allardyce team.
It’s hard not to agree with those who are in despair that Chicharito is stranded out on the left and when replaced by a guy who is supposed to be a left winger – Marko Arnautovic – there was little or no improvement down that side.
At £24 million – and I accept it’s very early days – the Austrian international still has lot to prove for me and in general terms we still look dead short of pace.
Pedro Obiang provided the one moment of quality when he saw Albion keeper Ben Foster creeping off his line and lobbed him from just outside the centre circle to see the ball rebound off the bar.
Antonio with a great run and final shot on the turn saw the ball collected by Foster and that was about it on the chances front.
Foster was very fortunate later to escape with a yellow card when bringing down Hernandez outside the area when most good judges reckoned his high ‘tackle’ was a red.
But what was more worrying – after James Collins was injured – was the decision to bring on a naturally left sided player, withdraw Zabaleta to central defence and Antonio to right back whilst leaving Hernandez in the wide role.
That was a perfect opportunity to push Chicharito alongside Carroll but instead Sakho was introduced for the last 10 minutes which gave him no chance to make an impact.
OK, a point is a point and leaves us on four along with Everton, Leicester, Brighton and Swansea (this is being written before they kick off against Spurs).
But there are still questions to answer and my biggest is this one: Are we an Allardyce team in disguise with this enormous reliance on a fit Carroll.
Hernandez has been a Manchester United and Real Madrid player and is one of the finest goal poachers in world football. So when do we play two up – nothing else makes much sense to me!
COYI
Well put I very much agree. Game was our for the taking in 2nd half. Pulis knows how to play AC and has successful in last 5 games he played against thme w AC. But have Little Pea to poach or get behind might have been a better tactic. They were to far apart to link up well. Wasn’t sure of Arnie when we decided to go for him & we really need him to create from the LW… Yet to see enough of him tho.
But Obiang is taking his chances now and that shot was the most exciting part of other wise lackluster game but saw GK off his mark and took his chance few cms down and would have paid off.
Needed a win to get out of Drop zone but will take a Clean sheet
This is a worry thats a worry.Everything seems to be a worry for you Hugh.
I will take a clean sheet and point at WBA.
I think Bilic has to go, player’s out of position every game! …. We have cover in every position, so why is he playing Little Pea wide on the left?……we may as well have #FATSAMOUT back…..you never know Fat Sam may get us some good deal’s.😉
He has a real dilemma to sort out.How to accomodate both Carroll and Henandez.Surely they need to be played as a front 2 otherwise we will never see the best of Hernandez floundering out on the left.These 2 upfront and Lanzini providing the ammo but then you sacrifice something else in midfield and defence.We have some great players when they are all fit but its the managers job to find a happy medium.Spurs match looks pivotal now for Slav.
Nothing has changed my mind with the win and the draw to be honest we worked hard against Huddersfield but as we got lucky with the goal it looked like we we’re running out of ideas just before we got it ..its good having Carroll fit but straight away we are loing ball in it and when that don’t work there’s no plan b in my opinion.. We might of got an away point today but we looked poor again …not moaning but in my opinion we are just delaying the inevitable.. Unless there is a drastic change in the way we play And I just don’t see Slav having the know how ..
I think the real worry is that Chicharito will become frustrated at not being allowed to show his class by being played in his correct position. Why do we buy these players only to play them out of their strongest position?
Totally agree
Agree and he is the rated 5th in goal to min Ratio in PL and showed is poaching ability against Southampton. Seems a waste to bring in such a talented Striker and not use him correctly. He he will get frustrated AC looked raged being lulled of w 10mins image how Chica feels after I’m sure was told he would be first choice but wasn’t expecting wing
yep.
Chicharito, 39 out of his 39 premier goals in the box, Slav plays him on the wing. Enough said about player positioning
In both Madrid and Leverkusen he scored some good ones outside the box but he was never played as winger. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qugMqkTSzo
Oh come on that’s just over the top ..they right he is wasted on the left ..are you telling me we are looking good ..by the way I’m oin here all the time win or loose so grow up ffs ..