FOR ABOUT half an hour this evening, I was a believer again. West Ham starting on the front foot at home, clearly playing three forwards with a high press- and two advanced wing-backs pushing their opponents back: A refreshing high energy start and it took Chelsea by surprise. Fully deserved, the Irons early lead courtesy of Lucas Paqueta’s swerving left foot shot was fully deserved.
Even after Chelsea equalised, when Fullkrug rifled hime the Hammer’s second, for that sweet period before VAR intervened, we looked capable of competing toe to toe with Chelsea: Until Todibo’s toe got ruled off side . From that moment on it all became familiar, dropping deeper, first Wan Bissaka then Todibo switching off at crucial moments and suddenly the hammers were three one down and looking down and out at half time.
There were, indeed, some positives at half time, even as the Irons were being booed off. Malick-Diouff is one seriously quick player and has so much potential to become a world class wing back. The Hammers did look more organised, Fullkrug looking fit and feisty for his 45 minutes until substituted for Callum Wilson at the break: Freddie Potts also appearing at half time for his debut in the Premier League.
By 54 minutes, courtesy of a Mads Hermansen flap of the most excruciating type, Chelsea were four-one up, the home fans had already started to stream away and the game was long gone. Hermansen – blocked off and ineffective for the fifth – and my hand hovered over the ‘off’ button on the remote. You do have to feel for the young Danish keeper: I’m not sure he’d quite expected to walk into this.
Chelsea then cruised through the last twenty minutes- thank heavens- or it could have been a cricket score. The solitary second half positive was Freddie Potts’ debut: The young man looked completely at home and on that showing should be there every week- Unlike several others. And finally, can someone teach Aguerd, Kilman and co. how to head corners goalwards rather than ten meters over? When you’re four goals down at least hit the target. Craig Dawson they are not.
Hermansen did get the biggest somewhat ironic cheer of the night, safely catching a cross on ninety two minutes.
Where now for Graham Potter, I wonder. Rooted to the foot of the league, pointless and – apparently – still clueless about a remedy for West Ham’s woes.
A stunning goal from Pacqueta, promising wingplay from Diouf, disallowed goal from Fullkrug, plus of course Freddie’s debut but that was it! How the hell can a team concede 8 goals in their opening 2 games including a team playing their first game in the Premiership for 8 years, and only score 1 without serious questions being asked about the team’s set up and coaching? Despite the obvious weaknesses and dreadful defending last week particularly against headers, we still conceded another 3 goals from corners even with Cole Palmer not playing! How was 5 feet 9 inch Marc Cucurella able to flick on a corner setting up Joao Pedro’s equaliser against a team playing with 3 centre backs, when we have seen Chelsea do this so many times? We were clueless. Wan Bissaka completely oblivious to attacking threats and constantly out of position losing his man and responsible for 2 goals, Todibo was just Sunday league standard and as for Kilman, Soucek, Ward-Prowse and Hermansen where do you even start? End of the first half where midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo were allowed to exchange 7 short passes between each other on the centre line without being closed down, we didn’t even make a tackle all night, that comes from the players and coaches. Potter said last week that we didn’t do the basics, and we were even worse. We paid 18 million for a goalkeeper who has conceded 8 goals in 2 games and constantly flaps at the ball and looked like a rabbit in the headlights, biggest cheer was in the 92nd minute when he actually made a save, I am fuming!
Potter has to go, he has a worse record than Lopetegui who was sacked after 22 games, earning less than a point per game in his first 21 games. He had all of the close season to work on formations, player recruitment, tactics etc but this was just woeful. Where were the bloody leaders in that dressing room because they are invisible on that pitch? We can moan about Sullivan’s lack of investment backing until the cows come home, nothing will change. But even with transfer funds available no decent player in Europe will want to come to West Ham after seeing that s—- show!
Potter
“and – apparently – still clueless”. That Martin is so accurate, and the bit that puzzles me most. He really has displayed all the reactions and comments of someone who is absolutely clueless in the world of football management. His resume must be a classic example of why you should never read one. I hope they have a plan of corrective action that is a little more constructive than just “sack the manager”.
Aside from the obvious lack of pace right through the middle, the worst attributes are the ability to defend any form of cross into the box, especially and most alarmingly a set piece corner. No pace needed, just organisation, communication and some strength / height. We clearly have the last 2, we have big bodies in our line up but we clearly have no leadership or organiser both on or off the pitch that has bothered to work on our instruct them on who or how to collectively defend a simple corner. Likewise the very same issue sticks out when we get our own corner kicks, nobody seems to know what the hell is going on. I’ll give the Moyes era one compliment in that for a time we were always a threat at corners and could also seem to be able to defend them competently. So forget the shape in and out of possession or the lack of pace issues, concentrate on the fact that 50% of the goals conceded in this short time are totally down to the fact that we haven’t a clue how to defend corners out simple crosses. Something that can be sorted on the training pitch one would assume ???
Despite all his excellent skills, Craig Dawson also had his fair share of headers sailing ten metres over!
Setting aside for one moment the abysmal performance tonight, am I alone in noticing something about the team huddle before kick off? The player barking out instructions to the team wasn’t Bowen, it was Fullkrug.
Now what does that say about the captaincy I wonder? Bowen is a great player, we all know that, but is he the right one to captain the team?
You watched a different game to me tonight Martin .
I was at the game and we definitely didn’t play 3 up front from the start ?
Paqueta played in the no 10 .
We started ok and scored a great INDIVIDUAL goal .
But being at the game you sense the lack of belief and we immediately dropped off and went 3-1 down .
Our great one , Mr Potter , waved his wand and changed tactics to a 4-3 -3 ….in the sevind half ( as he always does when 2 goals down )
And when we went 4-1 down he changed tactics again back to a back 5 !
At 5-1 Chelsea took their foot off the pedals and allowed Wedt ham some possession.
Observations – Bowen looked so much better on the right wing in the second half which us fans know is his best position .
Back 5 in my view isn’t working – we are way too deep and something just feels so wrong in that defence .
Paqueta did want the ball all night but he can’t keep giving the ball away on the edge of our 18 yard box – they scored their first goal from this .
Our new keeper I feel sorry for . I saw him last year play for Lecuster and thought he looked dreadful .
He was appalling tonight .. at fault for at least 2 goals and his kicking was very poor .
Wilson did ok second half as did Potts and Walker Peters .
Goalkeeper , defence , midfield – problems all over the pitch !
Twice tonight I had heated discussions with fellow fans about Potter . “Yes we know he is rubbish but who would you replace him with “ they argued .
Ex Spurs Boss , Bileso , Aerola .. a manager that will entertain me , play exciting football , get the fans believing again !
Potter needs to go . Sure the board have made mistakes but Potter is the new Glen Roader .
Remember him not playing Glen Johnson until the last 10 games when we desperately needed a right back , and he had a young player all along ….
Ring any bells ?
We have a manager who played the majority of preseason with the same old midfield ….
Tonight he swapped Soucek for Rodrigous ….
He just doesn’t learn from his mistakes ?
He doesn’t give anymore kids any real game time , then drops them …. He has been so poor for our younger players !
I’m dropping my son off early in the morning and I so hope to see Potter all packed up too ….he needs to go now !!
I looked at the players’ stats and saw that one of West Ham’s best players that night was Ward-Prowse and one of Chelsea’s best players was Trevoh Chalobah. I looked at this defender and wondered why we didn’t buy him when he was available. We’ve been offered him many times but every time we chose anyone but this great defender. None of our defenders are worth the money we paid for them. Their level is not worthy of playing in the Premier League. Watching the summer transfer window, I am once again convinced that money is not the main thing. The main thing is to make the right choice at the right time. To spot talent. There is such an excellent central defender playing for the French club Toulouse Charlie Cresswell. His statistics of performances amaze with stable excellent data. Last year they bought him for 4.5 million euros. I am surprised that we did not pay attention to him and bought Jean-Clair Todibo for 42 million euros. I remember two great centre-backs at West Ham who weren’t expensive but showed consistent, confident play – James Collins, who was with us for a very long time, and Craig Dawson.
You for real? There were absolutely no positives out of that game.
Rob Green just called it, he couldn’t remember West Ham making a single tackle. West Ham started well but just fell apart they were absolutely pathetic. To concede 8 goals in the first 2 games is just Sunday league defending, midfield non existent and the defence and goalkeeper not communicating. Jarrod saying we got the basics completely wrong again after all the so called learning Potter promised from last weeks fiasco against Sunderland, and he is fuming. We don’t even compete, no press Fullkrug stood off opposing players on the centre line not even attempting to tackle in a bloody London Derby. We lose Kudus and what have we replaced him with – absolutely nobody. Wan Bissaka responsible for 3 goals, Todibo just out of his depth and Kilman non existent. Soucek and Ward-Prowse didn’t put in a single tackle and are so bloody slow it is embarrassing. As for the goalkeeper 18 million and just looked like a rabbit in the headlights just flapping at crosses and every shot and cross look dangerous. Potter has just continued the awful results from last season and should just go now as he is completely out of your depth, 5 wins in 21 games and the worst performing manager in our Premier League history except for Grant. We are a disgrace and every single player needs to look at themselves as they are relegation certainties if this continues.
I’m not angry..not annoyed.. i think i speak for many when I say that result was fully expected. The way the board has allowed us to be this position should be unfathomable but it’s not with our owners.i dont have faith in Potter and id say we are 4 or 5 quality players away from even competing with other premiership sides. Let’s be honest any available player worth their salt has moved to another club, plus who wants to train evertday at a run down training ground and play in a stadium a mile from the fans! It seems like Sullivans negotiation tactics over the years are now back firing on the club, Darren Bent told a story regarding nearly signing for us years ago only for him to.pull.out as Sullivans attitude was disgusting.
In countries where they take their football more seriously (e.g., Brazil), when this happens the fans show up at the training ground and harass the players and staff. And the owners need to go around with bodyguards.
I am suggesting an easier and more effective strategy. Stop showing up for home and away games. Without fans in the stands, the owners don’t have a business model and their shares are worthless. They will then be obliged to spend a small fortune to get the fans back or they will lose millions. The owners are incompetent about football, but not stupid when it comes to profits.
But many West Ham fans are like abused wives. They get beaten up and go back for more, hoping that things will improve if they keep trying.
Stop complaining and use your power. Or keep getting shafted week and after week. And, by the way, why did we get rid of a certain goalkeeper who was supposed to be “too old”? Who was the genius that came up with that idea?
The idea of not turning up and boycotting games is admirable but as a season ticket holder my seat is already paid so therefore only two people would be financially affected me and Greater Anglia.
I would say a silent protest, not that there is anything to currently cheer about, would be more effective.
The inevitable happened – regardless of the early promise. I was going to say that West Ham have a tendency to fall apart, but in reality West Ham DO fall apart. Why ? Because , apart from Diouff, Paqueta & Bowen ( Wann-Bissaka seems to have gone awol so far this season) & possibly Fullkrug & Potts, we do NOT have players who are capable of playing effectively in the Premier League.I feel sorry for Hermansen having joined such a hopeless shower; but on tonight’s showing, he fits very nicely into a team of incompetent players ! I have commented several times that there is something very wrong at West Ham; who can deny it after this lamentable show ? We need 6, or so players who are capable Premier League players, & who don’t get mesmerized by the opposition taking advantage of our general incompetence. One last thing; Callum Wilson did NOT look out of place in this team. In fact, I marked him above at least half of the side !
Dont know how many times I have to repeat myself please pass message onto sullivan and potter our troubles all start with Kilman No one commanding centre of our defence Imn paying good money to watch this ameaturist rubbish Its got to improve or imn out with thousands of others
Is Roberto or McKnightmare free to take over from Mads in goal
5-3-2 or 3-5-2. Gone through pre-season wanting to play a certain way and inside the first 120 mins of the season Potter has abandoned his beliefs.
Nothings working. Half hearted sack the board from the crowd and I hoped it might get louder but even that faded away.
Waste of time. Worse than anything I’ve seen in 40 years.
You can smell relegation a mile off. Irony is Sully only wanted to give Potter 6 months so this one’s on Brady.
Blimey you’re more upbeat than me Martin. Yes Diouf did look like he has something about him and what a nightmare for Freddie Potts to make his debut in. But I’m looking for a cliff to jump off as that looked like relegation fare.
How many games until Potter gets the boot because I don’t see us picking up many points on that showing.
We have well over £100m in transfer fees in centre backs on the pitch and they can’t defend and can’t head crosses at the goal.
As soon as Potter picked JWP and Soucek you knew the midfield was given to Chelsea.
These problems can’t be resolved without a lot of money and that ain’t happening.
We have good full backs, Bowen, Fullkrug (sometimes) and Pacqueta (sometimes) every other player isn’t good enough. Academy players excepted having not been given a chance.
It seems Potter isn’t good enough to the best out of our bad players and seems tactically confused. He keeps picking the same dud midfield we know doesn’t function and puts Callum Wilson on the pitch. Why not play the academy players – at least it’s different to wondering why we paid £30m for JWP.