We have to see a reaction on Sunday – we need to see lessons have been learned not only by the squad but by the manager too.
I honestly can’t remember a situation where the boss of a Premier League team has put himself under as much pressure as Slaven Bilic managed last weekend when admitting that the team lacked intensity.
Something needs to change and it will be as much about the attitude and performance as it will the result for the Hammers this weekend at Anfield.
There can be no humiliation . The team has to compete and at the end of the 90 minutes the fans will make their judgement. If they all give absolutely everything that will be acceptable. We aren’t supporters who expect miracles.
One problem we have that hasn’t been mentioned in any discussion this week is that Mark Noble’s game has not been what we might have been hoping for us this season. He seems to be popping up in places where he’s not required and isn’t the quickest across the ground anyway.
I believe that his place is in question but with Cheik Kouyate the natural replacement now being in the back three or five we are seeing Mark holding his place.
This week I want to see far more discipline from him and hope that he anchors himself in front of the defence rather than turning up on the right wing and at left back.
Mark isn’t the most athletic player and beyond that also needs to be having a major influence on the dressing room. If none of that is happening you start to wonder about his position.
The team also has a potential problem in the fact that Payet, Lanzini and Ayew all like the ball to feet when what we really need are a couple more like Antonio who will run all day and cause trouble with pace and power.
Having said all that on our day we can be a handful but if Carroll plays we will be moving towards our own half again rather than getting in behind which is what Sakho gives the team.
Our only way of getting behind it seems to me lies with Cresswell and Antonio which is a big ask at Liverpool – the size of the task is very big but you never write a game off and it’s certanly not inconceivable we can get something.
How will that happen? I expect Slaven had Liverpool scouted at Bournemouth where they were undone by set pieces. They were fine with the first balls but constatly failed to get the second and that’s where we could do them with players like Payet, Carroll, Antonio and Lanzini around.
It’s going to be a very tough afternoon and I’m not going to give you a scoreline because it’s all attitude and performance before we move on to the very winnable games that follow.
COYI
Question Captain Slow? Surely that can’t be right what with him passing the ball 3 feet sideways and backwards at a 95% pass accuracy rate! I mean who needs a captain or MF that busts a gut getting forward or passes the ball forwards when we’ve got this magician playing for us 🙂
I agree Leroy it is all about attitude, if that isn’t there on Sunday despite the chairmen’s assertion Slav is safe the bookies have shortened his odds to 2 – 1 from 11 – 1 which is a big leap, I suspect they have information that his dismissal is at least under consideration and are thinking if Liverpool tear us to shreds it may be sooner rather than later. I am not confident at all of a change to the normal results at Anfield but as Greavsie used to say “it’s a funny ole game” I live in hope COYI !!!
Yes 32 I meant Noble in a previous blog. Nolan was just as quick as Noble.lol Noble’s accuracy has dwindled from 3 yards to 3 ft according to GW but the accuracy is still 95%.lol
Set pieces might be our answer too BUT the delivery and quality need to be improved. I cannot remember seeing a corner actually find one of our players in recent times and this is key. Perhaps it would be good if things were switched around a bit so that Payet doesn’t take them all with the same results to date. Equally the free kicks from outside the box are becoming quite predictable. Yes I know Payet hit the bar last week and there was a short pass in the box for another, but in general everyone knows what they are going to get. We need more variety and perhaps someone to have a go from the penalty area instead of trying to walk it in.
I do still beleive we will get out of this rut and where better than at Anfield
COYI