Irons 1 Burnley 0
I’m trying desperately hard to find something seriously positive to say but a one goal win via the penalty spot against a bottom of the table team which played for an hour with ten men makes it hard!
However in our circumstances I suppose we can give thanks for that but this was no victory to set the blood racing.
Indeed, once Mark Noble had sent keeper Heaton the wrong with way with the spot kick, the game degenerated into a clash of two sides who really hadn’t much of a clue.
Apart from an Amafitano curler a the end of some clever play involving Enner Valencia, chances were few for the Irons although the visitors managed to create some decent chances.
This is an entirely different West Ham team to the one that started the season in such style.
There’s no panache or style. This was the performance of a team who seemed happy to hang on to what they had. Not good enough given the lack of any sort of quality in the opposition.
Danny Ings, now without a goal in 10, astonishingly headed over the bar after losing his marker in the box early on.
Two minutes later West Ham were in the lead through Noble’s penalty after Kouyate was brought down by Duff’s hanging leg after a jinking run into the Burnley area.
An obvious penalty but when ref Jon Moss decided to red card the offender even the most ardent Irons raised more than a surprised eyebrow.
Heaton, saved well from a close-range effort by Enner Valencia, before stopping smartly at his near post after a powerful shot from Morgan Amalfitano, to keep the deficit to just a single goal at the break.
It was mostly a performance of control from West Ham, who seemed more than happy for the most part to see the game out by a single goal.
Although they did have their chances through Amalfitano – who’s curling effort flashed just wide, then captain Kevin Nolan hit the keeper from 12 yards when he was completely free in the area.
Ings and Taylor also had opportunities to level for Burnley, but they were denied by the side netting and Adrian who stopped a close range effort with his feet.
In the end we were probably worth the win but against a team almost certainly doomed to relegation it could and should have been a whole lot more convincing.
But then we have become so used to unconvincing performances we are now grateful for any win. It wasn’t pretty, it wasn’t too enjoyable but the heroes of 1965 were in attendance so that made it worth the trip.
However, quite what Sir Geoff, Martin Peters ‘Ticker’ Boyce and all the rest made of the 2015 Hammers I don’t even what to think about.
Finally, the victory was conquered… Ahah, but I’m imagining hipposaurus post match interview… ” I’m happy for the clean sheet, we dominated the match against a wounded animal who had to win not to be relegated… we had many chances, but Valencia should have passed the ball to my little son Kev, the best of the match in my opinion. Anyway, I’m still the most sophisticated manager in PL, 47 points, I’m doing a great job and I’m glad my brilliant attacking football is giving fans joy. Besides, I’m paid for that reason.” Lol
fat sam out!
If you read some of the comments elsewhere it is like we have beaten Barca.We have beaten the team bottom of the table who havent scored for 5 or 6 matches,who had 10 men & we beat them with a penalty.Some of our play was so pedestrian it was untrue.Im really pleased we got the win,The Irons winning is far more important than any agenda against Allardyce,buts let get realistic,it was pretty ordinary again to say the least.
Just back from the match,there was a bit more huffing and puffing than previous games but once the ref made the awful sending off decision we should’ve but didn’t put them to the sword.
Watching it did make me think that the fat man is a secret C&H reader! He stood up for most of the game,he played young Burke (who didn’t make a mistake but had poor distribution,I think from fear of making an error near the box),he started Amalfitano (a vast improvement on Jarvis),gave Nene a run out (a way too short run out) and got Nolan to put in more effort than most games this season. If I didn’t know better I’d say he’s trying to win over the fans. As he’s a tactical dinosaur it won’t work and I pray his efforts are in vain.
Three more games and hopefully he’s gone.
COYI
We live in dreadful times. Whatever is said is weighed by the so called agenda for and against Allardyce. Nothing else seems to matter but that. Never has one person so divided thousands. It’s why he has to go. Give mr my club back Dave’s.
Honestly Hugh,i think we have been given such goddam awful football for so many months that people now except a very average performance as a world beating performance.This man has made us so inept & predictable that now we find people dancing in the street because we beat the bottom club with ten men 1-0 by means of a penalty.It is a sad picture painted as to were this man has taken us in recent times 😉
Anyway, I’ve got a little question for the Genius “Why little kev again instead of Nene? Nene did more in 10 minutes than your son all the season” lol
Ahah… I love the football aesthetes on wetpants.com… They emerged from their bunkers… Lol
Yep Matte,you have just got to love all the experts on there saying whats wrong with our team,individual players performances,how they would improve it,lmao.Its comedy gold.Everyone of them a Prem manager on the keyboard:D
Ahaha… I Know chicken… And I noticed some stats too… Lol
Is it me Matte or is that Rolfe on there a total muppet? Whenever i venture there he is always on about trolls,asking for people to be blocked or trying to talk down to people.He seems a total idiot! 😉
Ahaha… Yeah! He’s their stats Man! Lol
Lol,i just noticed some guy had a go at him,love it,funny,he deserves it.Idiot!! 😉
Ahah… I read his comment about trolls… Poor troll rolfe… Lol
Fat man out
Just got home from the match, thank god for the ref sending off their player.
Uninspiring bland football served up again, if this were a restaurant id send it back
Lol…
Yay,we won a game,lets all do the conga!!!,lol,i have nothing to say,just got back,if i say anything i will be called anti-sam,i have had a few beers & dont want an arguement,haha.All i will say is this,Hippohead! How about trying 70 or 80mins of Nene & bring on Nolan if you need to replace Nene,he showed more in 10mins than your little boy did in the other 80.Just a thought,i dont want to undermine your great tactical awareness & ability to be flexible 😉
So we are dancing in the streets ?
The problem now with these results is one more win and BFS gets his 50 points and the other at the others are performing we could end up in 9th place ?
All targets met except good football, I getting the sinking feeling when I should be happy,
I am glad I am not a Newcastle fan they are in the crapper,
But as a ancient troll I might pop next door and play
BFS OUT
Haha,good on you bubs,lol,no dancing in the streets,dont panic,hippohead is going,i told you,keep the faith Grandad Troll 😀
Rads the only troll I know is chasing billy goat gruff,when my grandsons called this woman a troll I thought they were talking about her looks,
Well, I posted before the game that I expected we’d win but what kind of win was another story. Now we know.
I am puzzled about the comment we had few chances. According to the beeb’s stats, we had over twenty shots. The problem was, all but a handful were either missed or blocked.
We seem to have reverted yet again to our old, old problem. We seem to sign good strikers only for them to either suddenly become accident prone or their goalscoring touch to vanish into thin air.
In the long time past, going back to the sixties and seventies when I regularly visited the chickenrun,after the match ,reading reports in the evening news!it was a different game? Full of lnacuracies and ********!! Is the same thing happening???.
In the long time past, going back to the sixties and seventies when I regularly visited the chickenrun,after the match ,reading reports in the evening news!it was a different game? Full of lnacuracies and ********!! Is the same thing happening???.
That’s the reports for yesterday I flicked from bbc min to min reports and the sky one you would think you were watching different games,
But I glad I was not there for the most but would have liked to see Nene so I could have made an opinion on him.
My blood aint racing,its barely pumping.Arrgh,what a hangover,lol.Ok so we won,that was nice,had lots of chances,that was nice,actually saw Nene who looked top draw compared to Nolan,that was nice.But at the end of the day we played well in the second half against the bottom team,10 men, who have scored once in god knows how many matches,7 or 8.So lets keep this in perspective before everyone thinks we are now turning into Bayern or Barca & Allardyce is now a genius.About 280 minutes of Allardyce crap left to endure,cant wait for it to come to an end.Its lasted one seaon too long at least,jog on Hippohead!