It’s the ultimate football cliché but it really does sum up the game at Carrow Road on Saturday night…truly it was a game of two halves. In the first half West Ham were in complete control, stylishly knocking the ball about in the manner of a continental champions league team and carving Norwich open at will; culminating in Ravel Morrison putting the Cockney boys 1-0 up. It could and should’ve been more as The Hammers spurned several opportunities to wrap up the game before half-time.
West Ham were in complete control of the match up until a disastrous moment in the 2nd half when Jussi Jaaskelainen who’s been exceptional this season dropped what looked a routine catch and fouled Gary Hooper as he attempted to make amends, now in my humble opinion this single error which lead to the Hooper equalising from the spot changed the whole complexion of the game; West Ham’s heads went down and Norwich’s collective chest puffed out.
Suddenly it was Norwich dominating possession and creating chances and West Ham were desperately hanging on in a complete reversal of the first half’s proceedings.
There’s a reason that before his injury James Collins was dropped and that reason was there for one and all to see as he gave away the needless free-kick that lead to Robert Snodgrass clinching Norwich’s second. (By the way what is it with West Ham conceding from direct free-kicks this season?) Last night’s defeat means that yes the club are firmly in the midsts of yet another relegation battle and without a decent striker it’s going to be one hell of a slog to escape from the clutches of the Championship. This West Ham side is filled with quality except up top and as much as I’m a fan of Sam Allardyce…just what was he thinking signing Stewart Downing when clearly another striker was what was needed?
Next up for the Hammers is Jose Mourinho’s men at the Boleyn…a tricky fixture to say the least but after the Billionaire’s from the Kings road come to town 2 very winnable matches loom as West Ham take on Fulham at home and Crystal Palace away and they’ve got to be targeting 6 points from those two games.
The most frustrating thing for the fans in my opinion is that they can see there is talent in the side; it’s just unbelievable to think that David Gold, David Sullivan and Allardyce between them didn’t sort adequate cover for Andy Carroll; especially seeing that he was out for the vast majority of the previous campaign.
They have a chance to make amends in January…here’s hoping the situation is still retrievable by then.
I wrote a comment on here in August saying I would take 17th in the league as the transfer business was dire, especially as I can see no goals in the team and got slaughtered by everyone… Oh I wish I was wrong.
There are more than a few questions to answer.
1. if we are tied financially by fair play, what makes anyone think we will sign anyone in Jan?
2.How can we get over run by Norwich in the 2nd half with 6 in midfiled?
3.What exactly is the skipper offering to the team at the moemnt, he is being carried.
4.What the hell has happened to Mo Diame this season?
5.Jarvis £12 signing is dropped for £5m signing Downing ?
6.James Collins is a liability and Tomkins also looks half the player with him alongside, watch us leak the goals now with Reid out until Xmas.
7.Why does our keeper refuse to dive at free kicks, his footwork is appaling for a top keepere?
8.Do we have a player who can get a free kick over a wall at the club? when was the last time we hit the target from a direct free kick? Do they practice in training?
10 points from 11 games.
Not played Arsenal, Man u, Chelsea , Liverpool or Man city A. Thats 10 games Nil points.
Leaves 18 games needed 30 points, so will need to win over half of them.
Get the gist, we are royally fu…ed.. !!!
9.
Dave I agree with all your saying, and myself worried for the future, I dont even know how to write what I want to say as there is so much I want to talk about? easy games what easy games have we got to get points?
There are more than a few questions to answer.
1. if we are tied financially by fair play, what makes anyone think we will sign anyone in Jan?
Sell players / increase income
2.How can we get over run by Norwich in the 2nd half with 6 in midfiled?
Sat too deep and heads dropped
3.What exactly is the skipper offering to the team at the moemnt, he is being carried.
Not a lot in his current position (striker)
4.What the hell has happened to Mo Diame this season?
Always been inconsistent when his bad he is bad at moment he is BAD
5.Jarvis £12 signing is dropped for £5m signing Downing ?
Jarvis not worth 12m in first place.
6.James Collins is a liability and Tomkins also looks half the player with him alongside, watch us leak the goals now with Reid out until Xmas.
Agree with exception of Tomkins comment
7.Why does our keeper refuse to dive at free kicks, his footwork is appaling for a top keepere?
Agree also why does wall refuse to jump? We have conceded 4 goals Baines x 2 pennant and snodgrass
8.Do we have a player who can get a free kick over a wall at the club? when was the last time we hit the target from a direct free kick? Do they practice in training?
Yes RVT, Downing but obviously not
10 points from 11 games.
Not played Arsenal, Man u, Chelsea , Liverpool or Man city A. Thats 10 games Nil points.
Leaves 18 games needed 30 points, so will need to win over half of them.
Get the gist, we are royally fu…ed.. !!!
5 wins 3 draws will do and is achieve able however under stand concern
9.
problem is sam he wont drop Nolan so we are playing with 10 men,his selection yesterday was poor left diame,jarvis on the bench,should have left Nolan and j cole on the bench,sam has no plan b he can only play if he has got a big striker up front,sorry but he has got to go strikers wont play for us they know how sam plays and don’t want to play for him,they will sign if they are past it just to get another payday.
I can’t remember West Ham ever having a player who offered any threat from free kicks. As for practicing, I wa behind the goal at Hull and watched Vaz Te painstakingly practice direct free kicks for about 15 minutes. Every one went into the crowd, as did the one he took in the game.
I agree the point that when we needed a goal scorer he sighned a very ordinary player in downing and to be quite honest if you have a look at our team downing collision vaz te taylor and especially Nolan they are simply not good enough and as for 4 5 0 well appalling time to step down allardyce do us all a favour!
At least we haven’t put all our eggs in one basket and paid 15+ million for an injury prone striker.
I have been banging on all season that with bloody Nolan swanning around doing nothing we are playing with a man light. BSF is taking the mick now by playing him week in week out. Nothing will change until Nolan takes his rightful position…ON THE ******* BENCH !!!
How can you blame Collins . The free kick came about because Noble , yet again lost the ball in midfield . Tomkins looks like half the player because he is half the player . Reid covers his mistakes . Time for Nolan to have a rest and what is wrong with playing Downing who is doing ok when £12m ??? Jarvis would struggle to get a game over the Marshes . Noble wastes every free kick and corner . Cole will be our saviour !!! he was crap 75% fit what does that make him now . We are rapidly becoming a joke .
‘How can you blame Collins?’ Easy he gave away the free kick that lead to the goal. It was needless, Norwich weren’t gonna score from there.
He was running backwards and didn’t even know he was there . I know he needs eyes in the back of his head covering for Tomkins errors but Sam hasn’t managed that yet . Noble was to blame , again , for giving the ball away .
I’m unsure how January will work out, due to our apparent lack of adequate finances, but it’s clear that the majority of our eggs were placed financially in Carroll (obviously) and also someone like Downing, with the hopes that downing would be crossing the ball straight to Carroll, and we’d be in a MUCH better position than this.
Let’s face it…None of us (when all players were healthy before the seasons started) that we’d be where we are now.
If something doesn’t change….we’ll be looking forward to playing games against Millwall next season, and have to worry about what players will want to leave a club that will be getting relegated. (Thanks again, Parker!)
Fact is Jared that all players were NOT healthy before the season started. Carroll was already injured and most were predicting that he would not be able to get through the season without further injury. Why the powers that be couldn’t see this is beyond me. It’s gonna be a long hard season!
Total ineptitude on the management’s part. This isn’t hindsight as most of us were saying it in August. In fact, Sam was saying it first, then bought Downing and started banging on about new salary rules so they couldn’t get any more players. Then had a mass panic on the last day where Chelsea had the freedom to up their demands for Ba and Lukaku. Then the desperation really kicked in with Petric and Cole when we all realised Maiga wasn’t up to it at all (well not Sam style anyway).
I am totally fed up with Carroll injury update reports. He will not be properly fit for quite some time, playing catch up for the rest of the season but anyway there is every chance he may go straight back out again.
We need fit decent two strikers, as we did at the end of last season. As we always do.
I’ve read some ridiculous comments about Jussi over the weekend (not this report). Along with Noble and Reid, he has been the star of the season. Mistakes happen and the rest of the team and Sam need to react the right way.
Jussi and Reid yes … Noble definately NONONONONONO
i have had enough disappointment year after year and no longer care for WHU.
look how far southamptom have come and they dont have supposedly big name players. WH players are over rated and BFS has no idea on how to play modern day football. noble is seriously crap, no playmaker midfielders and no decent striker wants to play for us because of our antiquated tactics. Look at the number of strikers BFS has signed and all of them never get a run or just end up playing like crap due to our game plan. boring boring boring West Ham,,,,,,goodbye and good luck! a second rate team trying to become something, what a freaking joke. stay in the championship where you belong
Hmmm another bitter spurs fan
How sad
idiot ! never a Hammers fan .. get back to your own blogs … pathetic moron !!
Sam needs to realize his boyfriend Kevin is playing shite and that he needs to drop him for a proper center forward (even the young boy Lee who is currently out on loan will do) and then stop this ridiculous rotating midfield formation that worked ONLY once against Spurs. As the results have proven we are not Barcelona and the personnel we have does not lend itself to this tactic that caught the scum of guard, for what I would say will be the only time this season. You have to wonder why a top class center forward was not our priority over another winger. Yes every name was thrown into the ring but whoever dropped the bollock of not ensuring we had good cover for Carroll should be horse whipped! Ladies and Gentleman we are now in a relegation dog fight….once again. Hey Ho!