After watching the latest woeful West Ham home performance against bottom of the table Sunderland. I think now I can now suggest to Big Sam Allardyce, after suffering a series of dull, defensive minded efforts over several months now, that packing the midfield and sitting the defence deep on top of your own goalkeeper isn’t working for us. Furthermore, this will fail to produce goals for as long as this tired and predictable system is allowed to operate.
The way we play simply allows opposition sides a starting platform 20 yards closer to our goal, allows unemployed defenders to push into midfield and overload us, and forces us to defend for our lives for most of the match. We have neither the required pace or skill to counteract with any fluidity or regularity, and all we succeed in doing is isolating the poor individual who has been selected as ‘striker’ (that’s the bloke who is supposed to be scoring goals by the way), who we now require to make runs across the width of the field, find space against two or more defenders, control the ball, bring others into play and stick the ball in the net. Not much to ask then Mr.Allardyce?
Do you know I actually feel sorry for Modibo Maiga and Carlton Cole. Even the worlds best strikers would have their hands full as the lone man up front, and even then with the benefit of clever and frequent support from the midfielders. We are expecting journeyman players to do all of this with, at times, no support at all, or at best one player looking to help our overworked front man. It’s an impossible job Sam, and that’s precisely why we have such a shocking goals for record. Surely you can see that…because we can !
Sure, when (if ?) Andy Carroll finally makes an appearance we can give the system another go, but until then, please do us a favour…at least try two strikers…. one linking just behind the other, and see how we get on. Do you really think things will be any worse than they have been of late Sam?
When you first came here you put a lot of backs up by claiming the famed “West Ham way” was a losing way. Well that may well have been the case but at least we lost with some style my friend and us fans went home having seen some shots at goal. What exactly is the Allardyce way, Sam? Packed defence and midfield? Lone striker or even none at all? Wingers with no one to hit? The ball moving backwards or sideways, as forward options are hard to find?
They may have been happy at Bolton Wanderers or Blackburn Rovers to pay to watch this bore-fest, but as Hammers we expect and want more than we are getting. Start to think offensively because your way isn’t our way!
AMEN
well said
indeed i think a few other people are begining to think the same way and gaps are beoining to show on the terraces i dont mind if we lose as long as we have a @@@@@@@ go
Might not be the kind of thing West Ham’s management team wanted to hear right now with all the sackings but I believe it needed be said just in case they do not fully understand exactly how this hurts and demoralises the fans. What do you expect the fans to do, carry on obediently supporting the team whilst meekly sitting down and waiting until the end of the season to see if the manager can save the situation?
agree totally with this assessment.
that’s why i hope our jan signings also includes an attacking midfielder who can pick out our strikers with attacking passes.
Legends….that creative player making things happen could mean the difference between staying up or going down…its critical we get some skill in forward areas.
agree. …. Sam talks about “that bit of magic”, but i think he’s hoping for miracles. He sounded desperately short of ideas at the weekend.
it’s not magic or random ricochets in the box that unlocks defences time-and-time again. …it’s more often players with vision, skill and ability to coordinate attacks.
i think we’re on the same wave length. Let’s hope Sam/Sullivan get the point as well.
I don’t see the purchase (or more likely Loan) of a striker who has decided to move to WHU- (not getting a game therefore unfit) is going to make any difference to our results- Sam’s only plan was- get it wide, cross it, Andy to knock in our down for Nolan. we now have players out of position, demoralized, and most importantly no plan B with a crowd that has turned – why would any decent striker want to join us????
A new Manager is the only option if we are to attract new players in January- the reason we failed with the “apparent” bids for other strikers in August is because each of them assessed Sam’s plan and thought fu.. that dont include me- would you really chose North England over London as a wealthy young player- seems everyone we asked did !
Look at the big picture- Sam has now had approx 55 Games in charge of a Premiership West Ham- total points less than 55 therefore less than 40 a season- the benchmark to stay up, let alone top 10. Surely the Board (despite saving the 18 months contract money) can see we need a big change- or are Fulham, WBA, Palace, Sunderland all wrong- first sign of madness, keep doing the same thing and expect a different result!
I totally agree and I would go for lambert or defoe both could play in the hole and gives us greater attacking strength and both of these players are eager for regular playing time with the world cup looming. Don’t care what some might say about defoe returning because as a season ticket holder for many years almost anything would be better than the dross we are being asked to endure
Reading the title I was expecting the usual BS article and was going to block forever west ham for the nonsense but this is actually a constructive article thats attempting to improve us. Bravo,
Many articles on some sites are simply a rant that blames the manager for Joey Obriens show laces being untied.
Maiga works hard in my view and with another man could/should work a lot better. Give it a shot Wednesday, spurs defence looks worse then anyones at the moment
Thanks Hammersam. If an article is to be worthwhile then it must be constructive and be based on factual evidence, not just blind anger.
Very well put. He continues to commit management suicide. Carroll knock downs to Nolan is his only plan and our £10 million winger Jarvis who is painfuly right footed constantly being played on the left (wolves must of banked that cheque pretty quickly). Play the 2 forwards up top together and have a go at teams. 6 matches playing 4/6/0 he’s lucky he’s not been committed. With all this current match throwing going on you’d have him in for questioning immediately!
Anyone that doesn’t want a change only doesn’t because we dont know who the owners will bring in ( lets be honest how Avram grant got through an interview without them both falling asleep will forever be a mystery).
If the two David’s don’t wake up soon and realise the man is completely out of his depth we can only all prey that Carroll comes back lively and there are 3 teams worse!
With Stratford looming and this dross to watch , forget kids for a quid it may have to be families of 4 for a quid.
At least if things don’t work out Sam Allerderce may get a waiters job in the local Italian.
I agree with you, as I have been saying for the last few years we get overrun in midfield.
Is this because of tactics or is it down to the fact we have no real pace or bite in the middle of the park and players who don’t tackle and win the ball properly.
Consequently the midfield neither assist the forwards in particular or the defenders .
So I believe we need a pacey ball winner and a pacey constructive player in midfield.
Also another pacey forward.
All successful teams have PACE !!!
Not all this is down to S.A. as it is a long standing problem.
Allardyce’s tenure as WHUFC manager is like a disease to the club, destroying the joy of going to the ground, destroying the cells of the club’s DNA by not playing Tony Carr’s academy players and his belligerent arrogance over his ‘tactical genius’ as a manager.
Well the world can see what a genius he is now with his NOLAN OR NO-PLAN tactics IF and only IF Andy Carroll is fit. 40 million quid down the shoot towards relegation with Nolan, Carroll, Jarvis and Downing…
Looking at his 22 year managerial career he never NEVER won a trophy at the Premiership level – nothing.
The David’s have a terrible record of employing poor managers, Avram Grant included, from Birmingham to West Ham and Allardyce is their crowning glory of a bad appointment for WEST HAM UNITED.
Big Sam needs to walk he has no idea about managing a special footballing club like west ham , 20 years season ticket holder travelling 2 hours plus for home games . The kick ball is dire to watch and your weekend ruined spending 100 pound plus 2 watch well mainly nothing .nolan is awful every week Jarvis maiga total waste of money, Give the u21 players a game especially lee he even scores a goal or 2 or 3 or 4 ,if you don’t walk Sam u will get sacked anyway but please take Nolan with you .
Less than 32000 at the last game witnessed Sunderland creat more chances and play better than us says it all. Getting what we deserve. Sam got us up and should have gone.the dildo brothers need to get rid now not when we are down.
Its not a easy thing these days to get instant promotion after being relegated, Sam did. And what a great day that was for all us Hammers fans. Now we find our self’s in a tricky situation with only 3 wins after 16 games. Most Clubs would fire their Manger by now like poor Steve Clark this week. Seems like that’s the in thing these days NO loyalty when the chips are down. Lets see what happens after JAN we owe him that at least.
We owe him your really taking the piss eh? Taxi and jog on Sam.
I agree, first season promoted first time, second season finished 10th quite easily, first season that we have hit a blip yet everyone wants his head? Don’t hear the papers call for moyes head? I mean they won the league last year yet are like 8th? Stick by the manager get behind the team and big Sam Not on their backs! I love west ham and have claret and blue in my veins, give him until feb if after our new signing we are still a point away from the drop then I agree maybe we should do something.
play 442 yeah right this clueless clown of a manager only knows one formation im just surprised he has not signed kevin davies I know we will try 451 this week just for a change and shock nil nil AGAIN! for christs sake allardyce we are in trouble don’t you get it play 442 give development strikers a go its a n lose gamble even if they don’t score we are no worse off you cant do any worse than nil in the goals department every week!!!!
Nice piece mate won’t add anymore than Sam out now and the board next please.
Very good piece my man,could not have said it better myself,merry crimbo to all hammers and lets hope santa brings us a new manager LOL.
AVB? Let’s get him in and repeat the Curbishley days of West Ham Way – boring and hopeless – mediocrity at very best. Sam is the bloke we would need to get if he wasn’t there already. He’s no mug and will not allow us to drop. Things are as they are right now – circumstances – but come the nitty-gritty, we’ll get through. After survival, we can look at improving the play. It was going to happen this season – but as we all know!!!!
Stop moaning. Give it a chance. Get behind the boys and start kicking.
COYI
Well said mate! Some of the knee jerk reactions, constant moaning and inaccuracies are laughable and embarrassing! I’ve heard fans state that they would rather watch us lose every week and play well and that the fans are voting with their feet! Rubbish! Our attendances are still higher this season than the 2 years under Zola (when we played west ham football) and grant.
I’ve heard fans state how we would’ve been promoted with or without Sam, yet we finished 7 points adrift, were bottom almost all season and lost our 2 best players. We had more chance of a double relegation than promotion without a manager like allardyce. Many wanted Sam out last year Snd were desperate for di Canio to take charge. I’ve no doubt they would be the same ones crying and wanting a manager change when it all went wrong.
As for the David’s, they have saved our club yet some fans want them out? I now live in Portsmouth who were in a very similar position to us and know the turmoil that they have faced. Would we rather have Fernandes come in and do what he did to qpr? Many wanted that! Qpr are a ticking timebomb even if they do get relegated, financial troubles are still round the corner because the chairman is naive.
We ‘re west ham, we’re not a big team, we are still in the same position we have been in the 30 years I’ve been a fan. We need to stick with the manager till the end of the season as he is still the best man to keep us up! If anyone disagrees let’s have some realistic names?
A manager can only work who is standing in front of him. If the only players standing in front of him before team selection time have very little chance of getting goals, then he has to work with the best that he has got, and the best that West Ham have got at the moment are defenders and midfielders. Carlton has really gone off form, and Miaga? Well Miaga is still trying to find himself, so I understand what Sam must be thinking in that if he can’t win the game, then he definitely doesn’t want to lose it, and a bit of credit needs to be given to Sam in that West Ham still have one of the best away defenses in the Premier League, as there are only a couple of other teams who have let in 1 goal less than the Hammers, so with a current lack of strikers until Andy returns, his next best shot is to try & not lose the game, but I agree, in that I to, am as frustrated as hell with our current plight and that I do disagree with Sam in that I think the European possesion style that West ham are famous for is the ultimate in football. I just love how the Spanish are the absolute masters of possesion, and I wish that West ham would return to that absolute master class of possesion, possesion, possesion!
Nottingham Forest, who we play in the 3rd round of the FA Cup, are the most recent addition to the Champions club, when they became the most recent member of only 22 clubs who have ever won the old 1st division title &/or Premier League title. Nottingham Forest achieved this in 1978, but most importantly, is WHO? will become the next addition to this club of champions & WHEN? Will this happen in the next 100 years? Maybe or will domination by the big monied clubs remove all hope for anyone new to achieve this ? Big clubs who have never been champions include West Ham, who are the only one, of only 8 clubs, that have never dropped below the 2nd tier that have never been champions. West Ham have to be one of the biggest clubs never to have been champions.
All this talk of pace and dynamic football yet no one has mentioned how painfully slow Mark Noble is! Along with being the most negative player in our team.
Nonsense
Total nonsense. Noble is the glue that currently holds everything together.