West Ham’s first twenty five minutes against Newcastle yesterday was enough for most fans to shift, painfully, from ‘fragile hope’ mode to one of resignation. The worst traits of last year resurfaced as poor organisation, costly mistakes and a big tactical blunder took the game away from the Irons before the half hour mark.
Protective of his squad, West Ham’s boss refused to be critical of the performance when interviewed after the game. Perhaps it could have been better just to hold his hands up and ‘fess up to the tactical blunder that saw the trio of Mavropanos, Disasi and Todibo look like they were strangers to each other and to their allotted tasks.
Todibo has surely played his last game after his ‘attitude’ showed through when substituted early on yesterday
Last game in Claret and Blue | Few will lament Todibo’s sale in the summer.
What made it worse was that the back three had a week to prepare for this game: And it fell apart spectacularly before most fans had settled into their seats. Out of position, on the wrong side of defenders: How was this the same side that defended so resolutely against Arsenal just seven days ago?
Fans appear to have passed judgement – comments on forums all have the same fan reaction: This is not the manager West Ham need to take the Irons through a season in the Championship.
Nuno’s defensive instinct failed him and the club yesterday. He’s done his best and of course there’s still an outside chance of a miracle.
But Nuno has disappeared too many times down the Graham Potter rabbit hole of defensive, cautious selections and conservative tactics too many times to suggest he can inspire a new, unknown group to rise from the ashes of this season.
He’ll doubtless become another classic case of ‘failing upwards’ and go on to better things next season, as will most of the players.
‘Not down yet’, as my uber-optimistic son reminded me last night. In any case, some of my most enjoyable days were spent watching the newly relegated 2003-4 side try and learn -in vain- how to become a team. At least I didn’t have to queue for 20 minutes for a half time cuppa.
This season is just a pinprick in the fabric of Hammers history. We’ll get over it. Who’d want to be a Manchester City fan when you could have this emotional roller coaster? That’s what we all love our club. COYI!
Sorry, yet another comment. Fernandes has a burden of defensive responsibilities, yet he is our only attacking minded midfielder who opens up the game quickly and so easily – real talent in attack, could be pulling strings, but we rarely see it as he having to cope with defending the backline
Reminds me of Fornals, another skillful player, who became too much of a defensive workhorse to show his other strengths. Still managed to sneak in some great goals and moments, all the same. That’s all folks!
Newcastle have been poor under pressure and we needed points. I think we needed mobility and some flair, so you do not start with Wilson he comes on later if the game opens up and calls for it.
If you want to tweak the system, then move Fernandes our only flair player forwards a little and bring in a defensive midfielder (Kante, possibly Magassa or Potts) to play alongside Soucek. With Fernandes, Summerville, Taty & Bowen upfront you have flair, goal-scoring ability and plenty of movement. Fernandes backed up by Soucek & Kante would always apply pressure quite high, as this is their natural game, while Soucek & Kante also like to go forwards, while the other can cover. Plenty of goal threats in that kind of team.
If did not want to play usual 4-2-3-1 with Pablo, this is an attacking option which could have been practiced for months by now. We should have 2-3 well practiced alternative setups, while all we do is maybe put 5 at the back, or start Wilson and everyone looks bemused and unfamiliar with it, not sure what to do. For me this is a big failing in a relegation fight. Or was.
A season in the championship will do us good. Get new owners a proper manager and clear out all the overpaid players that just aren’t very good or try. Even Bowen needs to go, on paper we should be beating most teams, yet these just don’t seem to care or be bothered? When interviewed they will give it all the usual rubbish about upset they are and no one tried harder malarkey but the truth is they didn’t give it their all and they’re not bothered, soon they will be wearing a different kit. We only want players who give it their all, give me a grand a week and I wouldn’t stop running/trying, the away team would dread playing us as I would attack every single one of them every game, how much do our lot get paid? Not good enough, championship here we come….
And no VAR ! 🎵Always look on the bright side of life…🎵
Thanks Martin – its difficult to sugar coat the bitter pill of relegation – as far as Nuno goes he has lost three on the spin when we were in must win territory
The January window was critical – we seem to have got two right (Taty and Disasi) and two wrong (even if eventually Pablo turns into a star we needed someone this season)
I think that most are agreed that while a back five was justifiable for Arsenal we should have gone back to a back four with the Mavropanos-Disasi partnership yesterday
At least the team should show dignity and give the supporters something vs Leeds and then we can discuss how to move forwards next season
COYI
Well, that was a bit of a disaster-class. All basics of footballing selection when under pressure, at the sharp end of a long season, discarded.
NES came up with a very effective & mobile 4-2-3-1 setup which suits the team, so use it with alternative setups practiced and rehearsed for weeks and by now, months. Tweaks to your formation yes, but gambles no. Newcastle despite their squad, have been weak under pressure, or fragile, seeing how many leads they have given up. In their last match it showed, they were very open. Another reason to play the usual attacking WHU formation.
It is too easy to criticize and everything back-fired. Like watching an old Tom & Jerry where Tom tries new tactics to catch Jerry and gets a pie in the chops each time. So sorry for the lads and the coaches, who have been trying so hard.
The fat lady is back-stage, having a last quick gargle, soon to come on for her finale.
Why you would play three at the back and drop your main striker in a game you have to win totally baffles me. We were against a team with nothing to play for and in a match we had to win and yet we not only lost but lost so emphatically. This was no unlucky Brentford of Arsenal defeat, this was the performance of a team deserving relegation
Well said Martin and you’ve got Nuno summed up to a T! Not good enough for our club and I think a lot of the players fall into that bracket as well. Managers and players come and go, but the heart of our wonderful club remain , us the supporters. COYIs!
The blunt truth is we deserve to go down. Just 1 point in our last 4 games says it all. We ain’t as good as we’d like to think we are & that cliche “it’s the hope that kills you” rings true.
Nuno starting with 5 defenders in a game we had to win also says it all about our manager. He’s not the right man for the job. At least there’s no VAR in the championship. ⚒⚒⚒
At least we can get away from VAR for a season or two, doing my head in.
bring on millwall
At last somebody who doesn’t take it for granted that it will be only one season in the Championship. Beware Leicester City!!