A shambolic massacre; that’s how I would describe West Ham’s ‘performance’ against Chelsea on Saturday night; from start to finish the Hammers offered nothing and Chelsea were in complete control. They’re a great side (it’s hard not to be when a rich Russian plunders the best part of a billion into your football club) but more effort and fight was rightfully expected from Sam Allardyce’s boys.
The international break was supposed to give the Cockney boys the advantage going into this fixture; as whilst Chelsea’s incredibly expensive squad were globetrotting; the core of West Ham’s squad were supposed to be at Chadwell Heath for the past two weeks working solely on this fixture and yet somehow contrived to find themselves 2-0 down after only 34 minutes.
Individual errors are costing the team at the moment; last time out at Norwich City it was Jussi Jaaskelainen dropping what looked an easy catch and conceding a penalty as he attempted to make amends, on Saturday it was Guy Demel’s turn to make a shocking mistake and gift the opposition the chance to 1-0 up. What’s really worrying is that on both occasions after these gifts West Ham have offered nothing in terms of a response, heads are going down, players are hiding and confidence is at an all time low.
Losing is one thing, but the manner in which West Ham have gone down without so much as whimper in the last two fixtures is plain and simply unacceptable. I’ll even go as far as to say that for the first time since he was appointed manager Sam Allardyce’s position is under threat. The next two fixtures are every inch relegation six pointers (Fulham home, Crystal Palace away) lose both of those and Big Sam may well be on borrowed time.
The fact that Sam made two changes within the first half yesterday; sacrificing Joe Cole and Jack Collison for Mohamed Diame and Modibo Maiga was an admission that he went into the game with the wrong game plan; the truth is the 4-6-0 which worked so well against Spurs simply hasn’t worked since because the Hammers haven’t won since. Striking options are limited but Sam simply has to put someone up there if only to hold the ball up and allow others the chance to get into the game and make an impact.
Against Fulham in what is a game the Irons simply must win, Sam must ditch the 4-6-0 and play a striker; the fact the striking talent at the club is so poor is down to Sam, Gold and Sullivan; they’re all to blame. Sam never should’ve signed Stewart Downing when the squad was crying out for another striker and the owners failed on deadline day to bring someone in.
A plethora of mistakes have been made this season hence why West Ham are sitting precariously in 17th place. On Saturday at Upton Park these issues must be put to one side and for the first time since that glorious afternoon at White Hart Lane…West Ham have simply got to win.
Everyone is saying we shouldn’t have signed Downing, is he really that bad? He wasn’t the reason we didn’t get a striker, we tried & failed for Lukaku & Ba, both on the deadline, the Portugese fella who went to Spain, all were after Downing. The failure to get a frontman seems to be pushed onto poor old Downings shoulders, but the truth is, we had a lot more time, before & after to get a striker, but we either didn’t offer enough or went after unrealistic targets… Or the people we looked at just didn’t fancy playing for us. We can’t make the same mistake in January, we must make sure we only look to parties that will be interested & make sure we put forward the right offers. I think if we are looking where to lay the blame, it was that the likes of Vaz Te, Taylor & Miaga didn’t go, rather than who came in…
Totally agree. Downing has been one of the shining lights for me; one of the few players who has any idea what the word attack means. With a few more Downings and a few less under performers like Diame, Nolan, Vaz Te and Maiga, perhaps things would be looking a little brighter ?
The problem isn’t that we haven’t got a Striker, the problem is that Big Sam just won’t play one
Cahill and Terry must have thought they’d won the lottery yesterday, with Maiga up front !!!
Surely Carlton Cole would have been more of an ariel threat ?
Elliot Lee surely deserves a chance, he can’t be any worse !!!
As for Downing, he has some shots, and crosses the ball well, it’s not his fault he’s got no-one to aim at
Fulham next, then Palace, a Relegation Double coming up there 🙁
Jol or Allardyce to go, not long to see whose first to go, could be in the next 2 games depending on results
The club is in crisis. This fact has to be accepted unanimously before we proceed any further. With another 8 games to pass until after 1st January, before West Ham can realistically hope of signing new players in time to play for them, it could already be too late. A worst case scenario would be to only have 16 points or less by the end of the 20th game away at Fulham. That would be 7pts down on where WH were at last season when they proceeded to win 23 pts from the remaining 18 games. That would be a tall order for a team with only 16 points or less from the previous 20 games. After this 12th game against Chelsea, it is make or break it time now. They have to get 13 pts from the next 7 games before they go to Fulham on 1st January. Sign some players on loan, but do something. If anyone on this site has any sway with the owners then make your voices heard loud & clear NOW!!!
An opinion that needs to happen;
• 22 Jääskeläinen (bring in Adrian)
• 20 Demel
• 17 O’Brien (replace with a loanee)
• 16 Noble (make him team captain)
• 19 Collins (lacking pace, replace with loanee)
• 05 Tomkins (replace with loanee)
• 26 Joe Cole (start Diamé – 40′ & sub with Joe Cole)
• 10 Collison (replace with loanee) (Maiga – 40′ needs to be sold)
• 04 Nolan (Start Jarvis – 76′ & sub with Nolan )
• 15 Morrison
• 23 Downing
Substitutes
• 03 McCartney (stay on the bench)
• 07 Jarvis (needs to start every game)
• 11 Maiga (sell him)
• 13 Adrián (change & swop for Jussi)
• 14 Taylor (stay on bench)
• 21 Diamé (needs to start every game)
• 24 Carlton Cole (contract should not be extended after January)
Drastic changes are needed. Don’t wait till January. The team needs to bring in around 4 players on loan now!
Sam’s 4-6-0 formation is not working. Games cannot be won if the 1st & only strike on target does not occur until just before the final whistle.
And yes, I agree with you Kwame, because after 50 Premier League games in charge of the Hammers, Sam has never achieved back to back wins & the only team not to do so last season. If Sam can’t do his 1st double against lowly Fulham & Crystal who we play next then I’d say a change of manager is inevitable!
What can anyone expect when bfs puts 15m into an injured player? We could all see it coming, shame on you golds and bfs, 15 million eggs in one misfiring, injured and ill disciplined basket.