It was all a bit ridiculous – not to mention embarrassing – that there had been those among us who believed the Irons team of 2014-15 were Champions League contenders at best and top six as a fall back position.
For at the Emirates this afternoon Arsenal showed Sam Allardyce and the Hammers fans what sort of team we support – a group of triers who on occasions and independent of each other can be excellent – think Sakho, Kouyate, Cresswell, Collins, Downing and the missing Jenkinson and Reid.
Adrian and Collins were our two best players this afternoon in a game which we had all approached more in hope than expectation. At the end of it only five words required: Arsenal were just too good.
We didn’t help ourselves with some pretty shoddy passing at times and I’m afraid Alex Song was again guilty of what the stats will probably show was a very poor pass completion rate.
Joey O’Brien was surprisingly decent on the right side, Kouyate did well at the back and showed lots of energy getting forward whilst Collins was brilliant defensively at various times.
However, unsurprisingly, neither he or the others could do much against the quick one touch stuff that undid us three times with such ease.
Thirteen goals in five games under a manager who prides himself as being something of a defensive formation expert tells its own story.
This is a team suffering under a manager who on the face of it looks to be running out of ideas on how to arrest the decline. Warm weather training didn’t work too well did it?
Sunderland next and a likely three points. After that I see no more than nine available against teams with much to play for at the top and bottom.
It all looked so promising once upon a time – now it’s becoming clearer with every game that change is required.
I think we will get it but who is to become West Ham manager No 18 remains anyone’s guess!
Funny how all the so called experts & pundits have now stopped squawking that BFS should be offered a contract straight away like they were a couple of months ago & the sam lovers have stopped asking for it all on the strength of the arguement that pundits were saying he should be offered one so we must give it to him.If he is still manager in august it will be because the board bottled it,certainly not on the strength of his managerial skills.Middle of the road,mid table,mediocre manager.If thats all we aspire to be then give him a 10yr contract.
Last week someone was telling us all we did not need Jenkinson because Demel was a better right back why did he not tell BFS ?
And I agree we can play with a diamond without having to search high and low,
Adrien,Demel,Collins,Cresswell,
Song,Poyet,Noble,Alfitano,Downing,
Sakho,
Bench Jarvis,Oxford,Boothe,Nolan( if needs)Henry( ops not here) Zarate( ops not here)
Lee(ops not here)Potts( ops not here)Ect Bfs ect
BFS OUT
He is sure all out of ideas, WHY even when we have injuries , can he not still play the diamond which was so instrumental in our early season form.
Yesterday he could still have oplayed it with this team ADRIAN, DEMEL, COLLINS , KOUYATE, CRESSWELL, pOYET ( in Kouyate position, he is a defensive midfielder afterall ) NOBLE, SONG, DOWNING ( at the head of the Diamond where he is most affective ) NOLAN & SAKHO.
NO what does he do , he plays Downing out wide with Jarvis the other side as wingers, doesn’t work anymore, the diamond is the way to go.
Early in the season the players were happy and comfortable with the system , playing with the diamond and getting results, then along comes Nolan & Carroll and the whole system is changed to accomodate them, WHY ?
The players who were then played out of position start to lose form and heart, no wonder we have plummeted down to 10th, players no longer know where they are to play, too many defensive substitutions when we are ahead and defensive line ups when offensive play is required, you cannot play defensively against the top teams , they tend to crucify defensive teams, you must attack them, what happened when we attacked Man. City & Liverpool, we thrashed them, they didn’t like it.
Sam must go and we must get back our belief , our winning mentality and go onwards and upwards to the OS .
COYI Europe beckons
We only have 3 or 4 good players.What a load of pony.We got to 4th in the league half way through the season on the strength of 3 or 4 good players.What a load of crap.
ok maybe we have 6 or 7 but you need 11 in a good team and 16 in a squad so at least you rest players, if not, they burn out by January, which basically is what as happened, you only have to look on the top 5s bench to see any of them would start in a West Ham shirt
Any manager we get has to have a couple of hundred million to spend because
A/ they won’t take the job
B/ you can’t make a good tactical team/squad with 3 good players
When we are going well you cant keep him out of the media with his self promotion & gloating about how wonderful he is.It is his mouth that has people believing he is something he isnt.If you look at his managerial career it is mediocre & trophyless.He has achieved nothing of distinction.It is his bs that has folks believing he is a great manager & indispensible if we want to go to the OS as a premier team.Its all just smoke & mirrors with him.Portraying himself as something he never has been & never will be,a top class premier manager.
Taxi!!! And not showing up for press conference – his arrogance defies belief!
I would certainly not give him a pay off but I would now put him out on garden leave on full pay, and give one of the coaches the remit to bring in some of the younger players. We are all fed up with his negative and uninventive management style. The chairmen have been brilliant but in this situation they have disappointed a lot of fans…
I suppose I am lucky not to have paid for a season ticket but if I had I think under the trade discription act I could ask BFS for my money back,
The 2 Daves haven’t let us down yet they just did not want to give BFS a pay day he did not deserve,
But if they don’t let him walk out at the end of the season then they have let us down
No new contract.
BFS OUT
Right again Bubs,Tyson Jeff and John.I can only wish for happy days next season under new management.
Sakho made some great runs but had no support up front to pass to. The first goal knocked stuffing out of us, but we did have a decent patch in 2nd half.
The two Arsenal goals that followed just made us look stoopid and yet again the subs were too late. Nene should have been on from start supporting Sakho tbh. Jarvis did ok but is not worth the money we paid for him!
Youth players is nothing we will ever see under BFS sadly.
Roll on next season, change of personnel and hopefully play a brand of football that will give us fans hope! Coyi!
Btw,this team we have when full fit & set up properly with decent tactics are more than just a team of triers.You dont play half the matches in the season & be in the top four with a bunch of triers.Burnley,Hull,Qpr,they are triers.We have the ability to be far better if managed properly.
It’s an absolute disgrace, the chairmen have let the fans down.. Brilliant with their signings but desperately weak when it came to going with their gut feeling last summer and sacking this manager. I believe he and he alone is responsible for our demise. Today again his team selection is shocking, instead of giving youth a chance he continues to play Nolan, O’Brien, Jarvis so on… Puts our most energetic midfielder in centre half – his negativity is just unbelievable – BFS has no imagination. How much more do the fans have to put up with – I really mean this it is beyond a joke…
I agree with you but only to a point. The Gullivan Bros have saved this club from administration to playing in the Olympic Stadium in 16. That’s not letting anyone down. They were loyal to a man who got us up from the Championship, as you would expect. I also believe that because of our Christmas position, BFS got a reprieve. However the team He put out yesterday, leaving out Amalfitano & Nene beggers belief. Not facing up to the media, well there may be a good reason. I have said on this site a couple of times Song is not fit, I am sure he has knee problems. His passing stats were poor again. The truth is as you say the youth team has not been part of Allardyce’s remit, so we are very weak in that department. Now looking forward to the close season so I can shake of the melancholy feeling about our very poor second half of the campaign. Gutted really.
He has had his time.He can give us no more,well apart from the stability his minnions crave.Stability,too stand still is what some want for fear of going down under a new manager the season before we move.The way things are panning out Sam could do a decent job of being the one to take us down on current form.We would win 3 or 4 games next season if we continued at our current rate.Just jog on Sam you have done what you can now naff off.