Mark Noble knows the team has to up its game against Chelsea tonight (Mon) after Everton but isn’t unhappy with the season as a whole.
Writing in his London Everning Standard column he said: “Our performance at home to Everton was way short of good enough and we know we need to up our game on Monday. We were beaten by a better side but it was painful to watch.
I still say, if the chairman had been sitting in his office after four games with nil points and you had promised him 42 points with six to go, he’d probably have said you were crazy.
I’m really not disappointed in the season. We had a new manager with another way of playing, a new staff, loads of new players and sometimes that takes a couple of seasons.
We had developed a good home record and maybe everyone turned up for the Everton match thinking it was a given, we were going to get another victory when really we should have heeded the warning from the Huddersfield game, where we came back from 3-1 down to win.”
ClaretandHugh says: It’s all too easy to knock the comments of players after bad defeats and we are as guilty as anyone else for doing so. But on this occasion it’s reasonable to take Noble’s comments on board because as we reflect on a strange season it’s very easy to see where he’s coming from. It’s always going to be an easy game from the stands but we really do need to remember that Pellegrini has brought a tactical approach to West Ham we haven’t seen in years and it surely is going to take a while for the players to get it. I’m not sure that explains the inconsistencies but some players need to sort out in their heads on that one or find themselves on a departure short list. Injuries have taken a toll but not once has it been used as an excuse. The Hammers have a great opportunity to show us they have learned lessons starting at Chelsea tonight and in the meantime I sway towards the skipper’s view and have everything crossed for the last few fixtures.
We should not care so much about what players say since they should record the speech and just replay it.
You should not try to impose a playing system on a group of players not fit for purpose.
This group, for whatever reason: talent, injuries, age, the latest buzz-word: Mentality, are certainly not fit for the system. Full-backs (remember them!?) bomb down the wing, lose the ball, can’t get back, goal conceded. That’s in just the first 5 minutes of many games.
In which case, the system should surely be adapted to fit the squad.
Not there yet, but Watford and Wolves are!?
Why do you think that is?
Over recent years, recruitment has been dire; from Arnautovic who is a well-known money-grabber to Anderson who was already known to be extremely moody.
Fredericks?
Wilshere?
Hernandez?
PEREZ?
Zabaletta?
Nasri?
Apart from maybe Free-Fredericks, they are all short-termers, obviously paid a fortune to either stay injured or not get picked, anyway.
As stated elsewhere AND before the start of the past few seasons, get the best home-grown coach available and put a stop to these delusions of grandeur. That is the owners, not the fans.
Pellegrini: I try to instil a BIG club mentaility!?
That really worked!
Having bought into that philosphy, these players believe they only need to bother when the OPPOSTION is a BIG club.
All the apologetics in the world do not change the facts.
A bad attitude begets bad results. This year, we are just lucky there are a few sides which were always going to be on more of a hiding to nothing..
After 55+ years of following (and being involved at West Ham), home, away, abroad and at different levels, I will say what I like……..
Anyway, football merely reflects our society.
Some very good points there 4ff I agree with most of it
I can’t disagree with any of that 4FF.
If someone had said at the start of the season that West Ham would finish 11th – only two places higher than last season – after recruiting Pellegrini as manager and some very good players in Fabianski, Diop, Balbuena, Wilshere, Anderson, Yarmolenko, Sanchez and Perez…… I’d have been very disappointed. However, once again West Ham have been desperately unlucky with the number of players injured from week one. For tonight’s game, there are seven experienced players not available for selection. I still think we can finish higher, even though to finish in 7th place might need Wolves to slip up badly. Three points for ourselves against Leicester at home could happen and Watford will have their thoughts on the FA Cup final on the final day when we go to Vicarage Road. Everton still have Spurs and Man United to play (as do West Ham) ….so anything can happen.
I’d rather there wernt any PR phrases about the Everton game! it was truly disgusting but I agree that Huddersfield game papered over the cracks before it happened.