Hugh has the shocking job of rating the West Ham players – let’s get this over FAST
Hart: Isolated for first by some shocking defending , beaten – perhaps a tad too easily for the second – and spot kick sealed his awful night 4
Zabaleta: Until a wild challenge led to the late penalty he was the best Hammer on the pitch – kinds summed up the night – everything went wrong 5
Reid: As the leader of the defence he has to take full responsibility for a horrible performance at the back 4
Fonte: Awful night for him and the rest of them 4
Masuaku: Dreadful performance and even when attacking couldn’t get a cross on the money 3
Kouyate: Went absent without leave – dreadful 3
Obiang: Shots from distance the main ‘contribution’ but without any real impact whatsoever throughout 3
Antonio: The only threat, or should it be one who looked as though he may make something happen, but even he looked to have had enough towards the end 6
Lanzini – Tried hard to thread those little balls through but he’s clearly not match fit after one game so excused 5
Arnautovich: Utterly dreadful – a player without a clue. Walked around in useless positions, couldn’t cross one decent ball and no threat to anyone but himself 1
Chicharito: Wholehearted but a couple of chances off target and without the service he thrives on nothing is gonna change 5
Subs:
Ayew: When you see him arrive as a possible match saver you know you really are in trouble. Just ran around a lot 4
Fernandes: Late arrival – changed nothing 4
Bring noble back in…we need passion back in this team and quick…
Hi Hammersone..
Noble is not the total answer.
Bilic failed the team before the game started by employing a formation (4-2-3-1) which has been a proven failure with our present squad. Our best performances have been the 3-5-2 or the 4-4-2, when we have more solidityi n midfield and greater potency with 2 central strikers.
A very sad day for West Ham!
I was just going to say the same bring Noble back…why on earth Martinez wasn’t on the bench I don’t know….
I dont know what was worse the match or Carragher’s scouse negative drone ….
I can’t remember a time in recent memory when I’ve felt so depressed after a West Ham performance… but it’s the whole feeling of the club that’s so depressing…the stadium isn’t West Ham, the lies by the board and the way they can’t keep their gobs shut. The clubs not right from the owners down..
I thought the crowd did everything to lift the team, we were really noisy at points, the manager and the team gave us sweet fa, as for Noble I have watched him play in games like that his face goes vacant and his shoulders drop, we probably would have got opened up even easier with him in the squad, Zabaleta should be captain, he may have conceded a soft penalty when he was left exposed by the lack of team in front of him, but he didn’t go missing unlike Reid for all three goals, somebody needs to grab that team by the balls and twist them so hard they wake up from the Bilic induced slumber and put the United back into our performances !
Don’t think Obiang and Fonte did too much wrong. Lack of creativity within the team, especially when no aerial presence up front, tactics were all wrong. Not sure Lanzini is this type of creative player that would suit a system with Chicharito upfront, in no way is he a replacement for Payet- which we really need. Arnautovic has a lot of work to do to redeem himself. Embarassing.
I agree with these assessments, although I think that you’ve been a bit generous with some of the players! Only Antonio & Zabeleta can hold their heads up. The rest were awful. On paper, the names are good. On the pitch, the performances are abysmal. There is something VERY wrong at the club. Bilic MUST resign – before he is sacked. He just does not appear to know what he is doing. Something drastic has to change now, before it is too late. If you doubt that, we have just lost 3-0 at home to Brighton. And they thoroughly deserved their victory !
Aside from the player ratings, let’s give an objective assessment of our manager’s performance.
A soon as I was alerted to the decision to start the game with a 4-2-3-1 formation, I felt very negative about our prospects..
This formation requires strong lone-wolf striker, like Kane or Lukaku; Chicharito is a potent ‘in the box finisher’, but does not have the stature or strength to muscle his way past 2 defenders.
In addition, this formation exposed Obiang and Kouyate when the midfield lost possession.
Surely, Slav should have learnt the lesson that he needs to play with two central strikers.
Arnautovic may have been far more useful as a joint co-striker. Martinez should have been given his chance, as well. Even Ayew could have played with Chicharito and caused the Brighton defenders more problems. A 3-5-2 or 4-4-2 formation would have got a lot more out of our players, who all seemed to be lost out there on the pitch!
I feel that Bilic had a lot to do with this loss; seems like he has lost his tactical wisdom.
Congratulations go to Chris Houghton- seemed so much more organized!
Don’t understand how Antonio gets a 6, after he went down injured inthe first half, he was pathetic. He never got into a sprint for the rest of the game, whenever the ball came to him he took one touch and then lumped it into the middle regardless if there was anyone in the box. I’d like to give him the benefit of the doubt and say he must have been injured, if that’s so why did Bilic not notice, or why did Antonio stick his hand up and say get me off ?.
He was a total waste of a shirt in the second half.
I thought the same Alan, it looked like he was carrying an injury the rest of the match and he tried but although beating his man a few times didn’t deliver a meaningful cross or shot.
Bye bye Bilic . Resign or be resigned .
Either he resigns tomorrow or the board sack the manager now. There are no other choices.
The whole thing was a shambles – it’s difficult to think of any positives. I feel sorry for Zabaletta, a true professional in what looks like a bunch of amateurs who’ve never met before.
My bugbear is Ayew, I can’t find any saving graces in his play – I suppose he runs around a bit but doesn’t do anything – the ‘Invisible Man’. But a new villain has come onto the scene, Arnautovic is so full of himself he feels like he doesn’t have to work – we’ve got a real dud there. Chicarito is so lightweight, no wonder he was shipped out by ManU. Lanzini – another lightweight – neat on the ball but no fight in him!
It’s so depressing – something is drastically wrong with this bunch of wasters – Bilic just seems clueless to me, he doesn’t know what he’s doing and has obviously lost the players – a total shambles!
Not one player comes out of this debacle with any credit, even Lanz and Chic were very poor. Then there is Arnie who is looking like he just doesn’t care, Arthur forgot how to cross, Antonio gave up at half time and all the Zabba fans need to take a breath and start counting the silly challenges in the penalty area. As for Chec, well somethings gone seriously wrong there. We are ponderous beyond belief, we cannot press outside of possession, lack energy and commitment and make the most basic of errors in defence. That first goal was beyond belief and Obiang needs to take a good look at himself.
I have no idea where we go from here. Bilic,s number is up but judging on last night, so is 9-10 of the players. As a pro you give your best, even if you can’t stand your boss, and last night they looked like they couldn’t care less. Only soliace was how Fonte spoke after.
Spot on mate.
Some of the ratings were generous. That’s got to be up there with one of the worst performances in a while. Awful in every department. Hart – England’s number one? Dicks and Bilic were top defenders but we can’t defend – totally disorganised. Hernandez isolated again. Arnoutavic thinks himself as a world class player just strutting around (£24m) Ayew – I can’t believe how bad he is (£20m). Antonio has been very disappointing – picking up regular injuries and doesn’t seem to be the same player since signing the new contract.
The propaganda wagon keeps banging on about the U23s. If any of them are that good why don’t they get a sniff of the first team.
I like Slav but time for him and the board to go.
Carroll is critisized constantly by supporters on here ( me included ), but we needed him for this game as someone who could knock holes in a packed defense.
Noble is also slaughtered by supporters here ( me not included ), but he offers more than either Obiang or Kouyate. Kouyate has been almost ineffective since the start of last season, and Obiang had a few good months last season, and a few highlights this season, but they never win when playing together, in central midfield.
I usually moan about Masuaku as a left-back, but he had not much to do against Brighton, and it’s a pity he could not take Arnie’s place, because of Cresswells sickness.
Antonio was probably feeling the effects of the tackle where he was injured, What came out of his mouth at that moment was very worrying. He and Lanzini were hardly in the game.
My player of the year so far Zab had his own nightmare giving away the penalty, but the first 2 goals were not defended at all.
Bilic can go tomorrow but who will replace him?
i said this would happen to my pals yesterday.
the danger is the some (fans / media) start blaming the players. whilst not immune from criticism, they are good players and we are in danger of losing them.
hernandez is the best striker we’ve had at this club for a while and we may lose him because fans are critical of his performances. it isn’t his fault. the same applies to may of the other players.
the manager and his coaches have turned us into a terrible side who can’t do basic stuff right. we haven’t for almost 15 months.
I critisized some players but you are 0of course right that the basics have been too often absent since the start of last season.