Hard to take doesn’t begin to describe it!
Some may not have been, but many will have been entirely shocked at the quality gulf between two teams that once operated at the same sort of level.
As a former midlands football reporter for national newspapers, and having seen the Leicester of the past regularly, their emergence to the sort of level we saw last night was mind bending.
They are a much much better team than the Matt Elliott, Robbie Savage, Neil Lennon team of my time and which contested Europe under Martin O’Neill.
What hurt to was watching a player who could have been ours two years ago – Kelechi Iheanacho – producing a proper striker’s performance following Jamie Vardy’s injry, looking incredibly comfortable on the ball. So far this season has a total of six goals from 10 games in all competitions.
Just eight of those have come because the PL and shows the patience employed at a club which has risen to the heights.
We had the chance to sign the lad from Manchester City who at the time wanted a buy back clause included which we refused – maybe understandable – but it was clearly a big mistake.
We were also allegedly keen on James Maddison but the previous Hammers regime preferred Pablo Fornals who played a bit part last night under Moyes.
We expected defeat last night so we chalk it off but you looked at Leicester’s youthful effervescent approach alongside us with the likes of Zaba at 35, Snodgrass (now injured) 32, Noble 32, the now seemingly entirely gone Lanzini and despair is not far away.
We have been writing all season that we need power and pace in our midfield but with 10 days left of this window we are still no closer seemingly to getting anyone.
I was told at the start of the window that such a player was an entire priority – we’re still waiting and it’s not good enough.
Should we not find such a player – or someone close to it – it will represent epic failure and it doesn’t matter a flying toss who it gets put down to – the board or the manager.
The blame game gets nobody anywhere except leaving us livid over something about which we can do nothing. That doesn’t mean we don’t care. It’s just reality.
It’s been as clear as day for months what we need and if we don’t get the player we want and manage to keep Antonio fit there is huge trouble ahead.
If money isn’t found or the manager can’t make up his mind who he wants the term ‘dicing with death’ doesn’t get close to our situation.
I said yesterday we could stay up. I still think it may just be possible but if we don’t overcome Brighton we can start preparing ourselves for the EFL.
There could be an horrific tragedy unfolding and with the right signings it could all have been avoided.
Moyes will need to be the Messiah or miracle maker some touted him as on his arrival to halt this slide. He didn’t look much like one last night.
He needs to decide on signing and however much it takes the board needs to dig up the dough and FAST!
There can be no more excuses!
How many Supporters have been saying this for month.. You are exactly right. No more excuses. None of this “we might get one or two players”. We need a least four and we need the pockets of the Board to open and buy class that will keep us up. Like they did at Birmingham on one occasion. Buy them today not Deadline day. No more excuses please.
Same old same old. The board need to go and quickly. Contrary to what many others say, I don’t think they’re really in it for the money. I think they genuinely love West Ham but they simply don’t have the business acumen to run a club of our size or the financial clout even if they did. We’ve never moved away from trying to pick up past its on the cheap. It’s pathetic and is just a waste of money long term. I mean they’ve actually spent a lot of money by WH standards but just so poorly deployed. They’re dinosaurs who don’t understand the modern game. Please just sell up and end this misery.
Completely agree. The board are a complete joke & have tried to run the club on a shoe string budget for far too long, while try to convince the rest of the world that we are a massive club, but we are just an average team playing in a big stadium. There is no ambition from the owners at all & if we had built on that final season at the Boleyn & acquired more players with the ability of Payet, we could be sitting in Leicester’s shoes right now, but we are in a real dog fight & would question if we have the players with the fight & desire to get us out of it. I’ll be preparing for the worse case scenario, as think the other teams around us, have got more fighters. Bring back Dicksy !
There are many things that can be blamed on and attributed to a bad manager/coach, but a football club like any business should be a closed-loop, as with ANY well-run business. Our owners who have already experienced relegation with our club should be competent enough to see the warning signs and be decisive enough to make the decisions to arrest any potential relegation threat. This is even without putting a robust infrastructure, modelled on successful clubs in place, to enable growth and prevent such a threat from ever occurring.
I’d like to know what exactly does Karen Brady do as sporting director? In her capacity does she visit successful clubs in England or Europe and bring back the successful models which we can model our club on? Maybe she spends too much time raising her own profile for her business ventures, to put in the necessary effort into what should be her bread and butter job.
What about Sullivan and Gold? Surely as competent businessmen, there would be a business plan to work from tirelessly. Whether they do this personally or task a competent team to carry this plan out, is neither here nor there. On their parts, it has been a dereliction of duty and this business model is rudderless and almost upon the rocks. They seem like deer caught in the headlights frozen by inaction. As much as it pains me to say and see it, the spuds Daniel Levy would never in a month of Sunday’s end up in the same position as our pair of del boys because regardless of how we feel about our neighbours, we are chalk and cheese in the way our clubs are run.
I Love West Ham, but all I’ve ever known is short-sighted chairman at this club and like most supporters we live in hope, but some things are so hopelessly and visibly wrong, that we have to make a stand and I guess our voices need to be heard. My stance has changed on this point because some things can no longer be ignored or swept under the carpet.
I grew up being told many common-sense sayings that you never quite understand at the time, but as you get older, you come to realise the significance of those sayings…….. and the saying that springs to mind is, “The Hinge that Squeaks gets the Oil!”
Change has NEVER (or very Rarely) been achieved by staying silent. Which is why we as supporters have to make ourselves heard. Many may disagree with me, but this is my view and the way I see things and as a supporter, I feel my opinion is valid because it is in no way destructive.
By the way, I wrote this BEFORE the Leicester game.
The fact that we NEED players have come as a Surprise to None of Our Supporters and I know that the manager’s job is to Talk Up our situation…… but there cannot be any hiding place now.
Exactly right – no more excuses and it genuinely does make you wonder why the board (as supposed business people), don’t see the logic in needing to spend c.£30m now to save themselves, potentially, hundreds of millions in the coming years?
From a footballing perspective, it also begs the question on why on earth aren’t we recalling Diangana?! I’m not saying he’s the answer to save us from relegation, but we badly need pace to add balance to the team and he has it? So why on earth are we leaving him at WBA? The same goes with Cullen, may not be a Premier league superstar, but he’d the desire and motivation to earn himself a place in the team (with the added benefit of being able to give Rice and Noble a rest).
Diangana hamstring JB
Hi Hugh,
Appreciate he only picked up another hammy in WBA’s last match, but even if he’s out for 4-6 weeks, we’d still have him as an option for the remainder of the season? Interested to hear your opinions? Surely we need him more than the benefits of leaving him at WBA? (assuming he’s injury free soon)
It had to be done between the 1st and 14th of the month JB – clause now closed
Hugh
Can we recall Josh Cullen ?
Played the full 90 minutes yesterday and put a good performance again.
He’ll surely be a better bet than Sanchez.
I’m sure that we could then send him back to Charlton for the rest of the season still as he hasn’t played in the Cup. I’m certain we did this several years ago when we were short of a player or two. We brought him back for a Cup game then he continued his loan after the cup game. Similar scenario.
.
Nope could have had him back between the 1st – 14th sliding
Oh, I thought it was for the whole of the window. So No to Diangana even if he was fit ?
Sadly no but Moyes had 2 weeks to make that decision
Every thing this season has been I.M.O 4 weeks to late, Pellegrini was sacked after Leicester’s reserve team beat us at home? He should have gone earlier! Now nearly 4 weeks into the transfer window and remember from the 1st of January there were five or so games to play for? We’ve settled for what we’ve got! Barring the goal keeper it’s a farce !! IF G.S.B value one of there accets as being West Ham, they are going to have to speculate or accept all the hype they’ve put out over the years as being not worth their effort to us the supporters with what they’ve actually put out to believe in what they’ve said? Going down would be hard to take personally for me but I’ve been there a few times already, but going down for the owners? Well because they’re watching and waiting on the transfer market till the last day could prove castraphopic for them financially ? I personally won’t lose money. But I bet the owners will ?? All these young new supporters won’t go to the new ground they’ve recruited, because they are used to the premiership? I’ve seen it before at Upton park the grounds gets half empty in the championship?? Even kids for a quid didn’t fill Upton park then and it won’t fill the new place next season that’s if we go down ? How I view going down is we get rid of the over earning dead wood and start again.!! But to avoid the unthinkable G.S.B you need to play your hand and not wait for a bargain deal or a freebie in the market another day longer because as I stated earlier if you wait much longer you’ll end up losing much more than anyone else??? Help Moyes to get who he thinks will make the squad stronger and better or face the consequences Millwall next year??????? That’s of course assuming G.S.B read these articles and blogs!!!
To be honest I am struggling for words to that “performance ” in the first half and later on in the second half.. and it’s all well and good saying sign him or him or some one ..as previously mentioned who and what QUALITY players are available in the January window fiasco??Ross Barclay is the only one that resembles quality imo that we have been linked with or POSSIBLY the fella fromAC but tobh I don’t know anything about him.. and as I previously said we are on the brink!! Iam sorry that I can’t remember the name of the poster who asked “on the brink of what” I am sure that now you can see what.
Religation my friend and the financial conclusions that comes with it ..and the likes of Declan Antonio Oggy on their toes who can blame them.and I wouldn’t think that the London Stadium would ever be any more than 2 thirds full
at the best in the Championship! !
*Madison signed for Leicester in June 2018. Fornals signed for us 1 year later. We probably could have got him in January 2018 however the price I imagine was deemed to high.
while we all agree reinforcements are badly needed, what we dont need are more bad players a la sanchez. ALWAYS remember that the Jan window is famed for the last minute nature of its protagoists needs and wants. There are selling clubs and buying clubs. We are a buying club. The selling cubs will always hang out to the last minute in Jan and the brinkmanship on both sides is immense. So dont fret that activity appears quiet – as it is with every club – i think well find that come Jan 30/31st there will be a lot more happening. This board do NOT want us to go down and will spend the money where it is needed. But why buy a right back now when in a few weeks well have 3 fit and available? Its the CDM and strtiker areas that need sorting. We all know that. Hang on in there folks…and dont go to bed to early (even tho the window closes rather boringly at 5pm now)
Marc- I think I will go to bed at 4.30pm then! I remember the window two years ago when I watched & waited expecting good news -which turned out to be Jordan Hugill! I went to bed in a right strop & couldn’t get to sleep. I admire your confidence that the necessary spending will be done. Have you just heard that Sullivan has won Euromillions???Just hope you are right….
Its the seeming lack of activity in this transfer window which makes supporters climb the walls especially after last nights game which clearly highlighted how deficient we are all over the pitch against a team we we on a par with when both were promoted.The Maddison decision to not buy when he was clearly available from Norwich rankles me every time i watch him play and only brings me to the conclusion that we the supporters are for more clued up as to what this poor club needs than the owners and their advisors.Mark my words their reluctance to buy say Berge from Genk or Bowen from Hull will haunt us just the same in the future.