West Ham’s first half against Brentford was as bad as anything we have seen this season. Poor planning, poor squad selection, playing to the other teams advantages, midfield capitulation – all the things we’d witnessed under Lopetegui as we squirmed in horror watching the carnage unravel. Make no bones about it that should have been another four goal thumping.
There are several take aways from that game as a spectator. Whatever anyone says, I will never be convinced that Edson Alvarez is a Premier League quality midfielder. He doesn’t have the pace. How many times was he left trailing in the wake of a fleet-footed attacking Brentford player, lurching along trying to catch up – frequently fouling. Wild eyed and gasping for oxygen.
Alvarez and Soucek – double the trouble. Too similar defensively ( that means slow), Tornado Tom has a goal threat in him, at least there is that to offset the lack of pace.
Alvarez, Soucek and Soler – today anonymous, ineffective, as bad as Rodriguez was ever. Until that trio is disbanded permanently, the Hammers will keep shipping goals with no screening for the defence, and zero creativity going forward. You could have Ronaldo, Messi and Erling Haaland playing up front but with ‘that ‘midfield they’d never get fed the ball.
At least with Ferguson entering, Paquetá was restored to number 8 role so in the second half there was a little creativity. Graham Potter ignores that at his peril.
Thirteen more games with ‘that’ first half midfield will be tough ask. Lewis Orford, please, as soon as you like Mr Potter. At least he can run and pick a pass. Which puts him well ahead of that three in the middle today.
Well said , if paqueta plays football instead all the theatrics and stayed upright , he might feed some balls forward . Very bad choice putting him upfront . Kudus looks like his mind is elsewhere , Alvarez and soucek haven’t got a run in them. I love this club⚒ . Buts I’ve never seen a worse performance than yesterdays first half , there’s only 3 players that shouldn’t be embarrassed pickin up there wages. Put your heart in it or don’t bother pulling on the shirt. We don’t care about winning anything . But for god sakes try . 🙏
In the short term Potter clearly needs to be realistically bold and drop some ‘names’. No to Alvarez, Rodriguez, Mavrapanos, Emerson, play Scarles, Todibo, Orford, also Casey if three at the back, Irving and/or Ward-Prowse. We must be more athletic and quicker in front of the back line, and sadly it looks like playing Paqueta and Kudus together is losing us possession too quickly. Both of those try dribbling or tricks just in front of the back four and it’s a disaster.
Did Potter not sit down, and learn from the Moyes and Lopt mistakes, and pledge not to do the same?
Well, a new manager and the same mistakes again.
So yes, can he not see what you again point out about the weak midfield, yet when Irving played last match the team performed much better. So why drop him, and leave JWP on the bench, when you saw his performances on training.
And sadly in the 1st half every WH attack, with Bowen spearheading was total senseless, no idea to it, and no result.
Just drop the over rated + over paid celebrities in this team, and play the diehard Hammer warriors, and see better performances and results.
Onward we go. Coyi !!! – God bless West Ham.
Whist I agree and we should go into each match to at least to complete, give our best.I feel we also must understand Potter can not make a silk purse out of the pigs ear he has inherited. Perhaps now is exactly the time to try players in different positions and formations, maybe, going forward, a central midfield player who can not left or right mid field. This way he will know for sure who to keep and who to move on come the summer.
I agree with comments that the first half was dire – it does take time and Potter does seem to have an idea – we now just need to make sure we avoid relegation
Remember that the current flavor of the month manager Iraola took about 9 games before Bournemouth won for the first time – so hopefully we will come good under Potter
COYI
Apart from Wan Bissaka, Bowen, Sommerville, & the lads from the U21s Scarles, Orford, Earthy, Potts & Casey I ain’t bothered if the all of the rest go on frees – they ain’t Prem quality – Kilman must be the biggest waste of £40mil in history – Lopetegui’s finest crowing turd in the eiderdown and one we will be paying the price of for years.
Looking back 50 years seasons with 5/6 in them have been by and large pretty good
75/76 – Cup Winners Cup Finalists
85/86 – 3rd in the League – nearly winning it and 6th Round FA Cup
95/96 – Fist top half Prem Finish and some great football
05/06 – FA Cup Finalists – all but won it!!!!
15/16 -Payet in his pomp – 6th round of the FA Cup – cheated out of it by the refs against Man U – qualified for Europe playing some great stuff
25/26 – Duck me we deserve some decent football to look at
Not forgetting ’65 and the Cup Winners Cup (I know, 55 years but had to give it a mention).
Over to you Mr. Potter.
Mbuemo Brentford’s biggest danger man left unmarked. No excuse for that.
‘ Won the transfer window ‘ , that statement seems laughably bad now . Yes the old crocks need to go , old players and old owners . Potter will not succeed with old meddling amateurs picking the signings . Bowen and Wan Bissaka are both fair value signings , but everyone else ranges from overpriced to overpriced and useless in the Premier League . What teams are worse than Westham right now ? No team is paying much for anyone other than Bowen and Wan Bissaka and so no money for the rebuild . Westham are 10 points clear of Ipswich and Leicester and still might get relegated and next season is going to be worse .
Starting to feel uncomfortable about latest results and performances, need to turn it round quick, getting to close to that relegation zone
calm down and behave yorself
Had to remove my Claret and Blue glasses during the 1st half. Rob Greens commentary on Optus sport verging on near obscenity. Such was his gushing approval of Brentford. Every touch by Brentford greeted by a superlative, every Irons touch greeted with a sneer.
But, that aside, you’d be hard pushed to pick too many positives from the first half.
Potter really needs the rest of the season to work out the dead wood that needs trimming and what positions he needs to filled with home-grown talent or purchases.
No need to mention names, every post, every comment post game has done that already.
This season is a write off in terms of trying to achieve positions, I don’t think they’ll change much, but it’s not to be wasted building towards next season.
Have to agree loved Rob Green complete dork now, but his comments were true
Never mind the midfield what about the defence?We were like statues.Mavropanos is absolute S**t and should be got of rid of asap.
I just don’t know anymore…no matter what we do or who is in charge…we are just ****e …would like to know how many goals we have let in ..in the first 5 minutes of games this season…shocking again…given up
That’s the 10th time we have conceded a goal in the first 15 minutes and we have not won a single game this season after shipping the first goal. What really annoyed me was Brentford scored against us after 38 seconds in our last match, and we still don’t learn!
Reality check is needed
This West Ham team is very poor
We need the following
New keepers
New centre back – malvapronos isn’t premier league
New midfield – Alvarez , paqueta , Rodrigeous, soler – all have to go
Been too much talk about the strikers but with that midfield we are just too slow
It’s time for potter to show what sort of team he wants
He had enough time before the took the job to surely see he can’t keep playing that midfield
Potter has to be brave …..
30+ year olds are not the answer and need to be ruled out from any further discussions regarding signings.
How many times could we not deal with oppositions pace.
Look at Brentford and Liverpool regarding quick breakaways from fast throw outs by goalkeeper.
It is early days for Potter but needs to instill some winning ways urgently and that means pace, pace, pace.
Have to agree Martin. The midfield is sluggish and incoherent, which leaves the defence under pressure, and the attack with poor service. Take Paquetá out and there’s very little left. I would be happy to see a clear out of all the midfielders who play regularly for the club, and that includes cashing in on Paqueta, though he’s the most gifted of this underwhelming group. Positives from today: Ferguson, Wan Bissaka, Areola and Mavropanos, who all had some excellent moments.
Thoughts pretty much the same and you can only hope all Potter is doing is looking at different formations and how players can or cannot adapt and making definitive decisions about who will be part of his plans and who is going to get shipped out… so we are going to have to suffer the rest of the season in the hope of a better future to come
Billy Bonds, Alvin Martin, Tony Gale.
My God, our centre backs don’t compare!
Football is ruined . If billy , Alvin and galesy were still playing how many yellows would they get , footballs like a game of chess now it’s complete b.ll.cks you can’t tackle from behind you look at a player he falls over . Our last final with England rice never played one forward pass, they don’t care about paying fans no more, it’s getting worse when your young fans saying players will get you free kick instead beating beating a defender , premier league and tv have totally f.cked our beautiful game 😡