No question about it – today’s was decisively one of the best displays we have seen from a very fine Hammers team for a long long time with another clean sheet the icing on the cake.
From back to front – as the ClaretandHugh ratings from over 400 of you show – everybody, with the exception of the two late subs – was way up there.
Defensively superb and outstanding in midfield with Mickey Antonio proving himself to be one of the best strikers around, we looked great.
Now on a night like this nobody needs a downer but it would be remiss not to mention it given all that has gone before on the recruitment and tactical formation front.
Our first team is clearly a real handful to any opposition but were there to be a couple of injuries or suspensions we would struggle.
Should either of Rice or Soucek be unavailable for example where do we go for a replacement – Wilshire, Noble?
What makes that situation more unacceptable is that many of us were calling for a defensive midfielder as cover for Declan during Pelllegrini’s days given that Noble as a replacement is like putting an Elastoplast on an open wound.
The situation is even worse a year on as we saw in the last five minutes against Leicester City.
At the back it’s clear we need defensive reinforcements but the same is true in every other area of the squad – a point proven by the inability of any of those involved against Everton in midweek to make any impact at Goodison or on today’s squad.
We have Monday and a couple of weeks beyond to bring in one of two of quality but I have the distinct impression we are likely to gamble on everybody staying fit and move in the winter market.
I love what I saw today. It was superb but the worries will go on until we develop a squad of real depth.
Agree with you about Noble, Hugh.
Is selling Cullen for £1m tantamount to sticking a knife into the open wound? I just don’t get it, unless we bring in extra midfield cover.
Agree. put Nobes upstairs now and keep Cullen. Which of course we won’t
The midfield cover situation has just been made worse with the news that Cullen is being sold for less than £1m??
Typical of this club… Oh we’ve won a couple maybe we dont need the extra cover. It’s pathetic.
I also agree Hugh that going forward the size and strength of our squad is a real worry. When the team for today’s match was announced, I looked at the subs bench and thought although there was a player or two I wouldn’t fancy getting game time, I equally thought that we didn’t have enough outside of that bench to change things or provide competition for the team due to play.
ALL of us as supporters can see this situation Looming Large, as I’m sure the manager and coaching staff realise also… But do the chairmen worry about this? Or do they think that we will have enough about us to survive in the EPL?
Elsewhere this Sunday will be remembered for a long time for the thrashings dished out today… It’s also sickening to see a player that we obviously wanted and should’ve got, in Ollie Watkins looking like at least a 20 goal a season man.
We will get injuries 100% if they dont strengthen that will mess up a chance of having a really good season..get it sorted for Petes sake , they have had ample time ..
I’ve been one of the many who have criticized so many aspects of how the club has been managed and some of the team selections and tactics employed. However, what I’ve witnessed over the last three games gives some hope that things on the pitch are now being sorted. The players now seem to know their jobs, they now look like a unit. (First time for ages) and there’s a sense of togetherness that’s been missing since goodness knows when. Agree with the worry about injuries but who would have foreseen a place in the team for Balbuena and Masuaku.
And the pop ups and constant page jumping and “you’ve won a prize” links are turning one of the best west ham sites almost impossible to use. I know the ads fund the site but pretty pointless when you can hardly read a whole report.
I am in the same boat. A true team and players who I had pretty much written off coming to the fore.
I totally agree with this article too. It is just so good to see the team improve with players who can also move around the pitch. Noble is a great servant of the club and he has been brilliant but since he has been out of the team we have just gone from strength to strength. We also have a RB that can actually play and defend – looks a bargain based on todays performance. We have a player in Fornals who is an absolute inspiration with his incredible energy. I also believe we have some world class talent ready to come in when needed in the form of Anderson, Lanzini and Haller. To really progress I believe we need a CH and a back up midfielder, if we get these on Monday I would be delighted. I would say we need to get rid of Wilshere and I think it would be great for Cullen to get a 3 year contract elsewhere.
I feel like Moyes is a magician and when he buys you know its good. I think it will take him three more windows to build the squad he wants because our board sucks, SHOW HIM THE MONEY!!!!!!
Let’s hope Coventry can step up if required, who knows, he is a DM. But your point is right, if that is the preferred formation we are dreadfully light in the Defensive Midfield if Rice goes down injured. Noble is a great club man and have always defended him against what I think has been some harsh criticism at times, but can see this season might be one too far unless he is just a real bit player. Let’s see what the next few hours hold in terms of players in and out and then we will know what we have till January.
Good points in the article and comments – and the real mystery / worry is why are we even thinking of selling Cullen? He would be perfect midfield cover and we certainly won’t replace him for 800,000 – unless as has been pointed out on here by others the manager prefers Connor Coventry
The league is now scary – will Villa become the new Leicester?
I know that we spent a lot last season – but so did Newcastle and Villa and both have gone out and spent again – and it seems to have improved them both – it is strange that two of the managers who were touted for us last season (Chris Wilder and Sean Dyche) now look like they will be involved in a relegation scrap
The real reason Cullen is being sold for £800k is because he has a year left on his contract – plus he’s essentially a ‘championship’ player at this stage so it’s probably a reasonable price? He’s certainly not worth millions to buyers at this moment in his career and Moyes clearly doesn’t think he’s good enough – let’s trust him.
I am far happier at this approach with buying players that fit in to a long term strategy, than the scatter gun approach of Sullivan. It’s this that’s left us with so much deadwood over the years. If we don’t bring anyone in, we’ll have to rely on our academy which will benefit us in the long term anyway.
Moyes has clearly stood up to Sullivan and that’s good to see. Hopefully we add a player or two today but if not, as long as any team we put out puts the same amount of effort we saw yesterday in, I’ll be proud of them regardless of the result.
I dont necessarily agree with Noble being a sticking plaster on an open wound, but he is coming to the end of his time as a player.
We’ve needed a decent CB, CDM and a striker for a long time now but I dont expect we’ll get them.
Agree with the article…. But so much supposed quality on our bench which we and everyone else knows isn’t up to the job… Somehow we need to get rid of those money grabbing slags before we can bring in some decent squad players who will push the first team
Cullen has the attitude but isn’t at the level, a £1m seems cheap, hopefully we have a a big sell on percentage maybe a season or two in Belgium will up his price. I hope we have Rueben Loftus-Cheek incoming on a permanent deal he could fill in for Declan or Soucek at a push and would be very useful when trying to shut teams out alongside both of them.