The SkySports pictures have just been turned off by the irate landlord of the pub, a lifelong Hammer, where I , along with 20 or so other fans have witnessed what can only be described as a disaster in the Capital One Cup. With the match fresh in my mind, what have we learnt about West Ham?
1) We learnt that Manchester City strolled to a Wembley final without so much as a whimper of protest by their invisible opponents.
I struggle to recall a West Ham team putting in such a pathetic excuse for a performance in all my years as an Iron, or ever having felt so helpless as goal after goal flew into the net, each one appearing more effortless than the last, as if some form of light-hearted end of training session shoot in had been ordered by the City coach.
The only things missing were a red carpet laid out for the City lads by the West Ham players who clearly just felt honoured to be sharing the same pitch as the City stars, and a guard of honour for them as they left the field. It was clueless, gutless, thoughtless and leader-less.
2) Any remaining doubts that some supporters may have retained about Sam Allardyce being a good fit for our club must surely have been blown away into the cold Manchester air tonight.
This is an incredibly well paid (over paid) man who is presiding over what I can only describe as an on-going shambles, based upon whichever criteria you like to select. The man is a one-trick pony who cannot live with more clued up, sophisticated and adventurous managers.
The Allardyce myth has been well and truly smashed to pieces after a season of sub-standard performances, culminating in two of the most cringe worthy defeats I can remember. Perhaps part of the Hammers kit this season should include white handkerchiefs.
3) We learnt that despite facing a team of supreme talent that cost millions and millions, there is absolutely no excuse in the world for not gritting your teeth, running yourself into the ground and competing to the very end even when you are unable to match the opposition on the skills and technical ability fronts.
To witness Manchester City working twice as hard as every one of the West Ham team, even when five goals to the good, made things so much worse for us supporters, and brings into sharp focus just how far morale has slumped and leadership has failed. Both management and players should feel truly ashamed after surrendering like sheep in a cup semi-final. It looked more like a pre-season friendly.
4) It is apparent that the team is shapeless, and most worryingly for me, seemingly lacking in the basics when it comes to school-boy matters like defending, closing space, support play, passing…I could go on and on.
What exactly are the players being taught and coached? To defend like we did revealed so many basic errors and lack of judgement it was staggering. Where was the cover for the first goal? As one long ball beat two defenders, both holding a line instead of actually marking the dangerous Alvaro Negredo (did Sam mention him in the team talk do you think ?) One marks, one covers…rocket science? Not really.
Then we saw Roger Johnson retreat…retreat…retreat…retreat and look puzzled when Toure, after running half- a marathon with the ball at his feet entered the box and almost passed into the net. This retreating without challenging the danger man on the ball was a feature all night, so what drills do the side practice for gods sake?
The midfield were caught time and time again in a straight line as city played one pass through them and took three men out of the game as the receiving player took the ball in acres of space as no one had either stepped forward from the back, or dropped off in the midfield to mark or pressurise. All such basic stuff its untrue. Passing was just woeful.
5) We learnt that the last two performances, to worldwide audiences, on top of an awful season to date, have made us a laughing stock. Last night’s radio commentator told the listeners that he was sick of talking about West Ham, so disgraceful was their effort (not performance) that he preferred to dwell on City and their style and quality. That’s hard to take.
The two Davids are busy looking at pictures of a full Olympic Stadium, and checking the revenue figures, Karren Brady sits there dreaming of becoming a tory MP and polishing her new gong, and all whilst the team under a beaten and spent manager (now clear for ALL to see) go from bad to worse, and last night was worse than I dared to believe it would be.
To the hardy souls who braved yet another trip north I take my metaphorical hat off to you all. You deserved so much better my friends. I really am not sure where we all go from here.
Another problem is you dont sign good enough players, and keep getting mediocare Championship ones like Roger Johnson and he has just walked into the starting 11 ! hasnt be been relageted 3 times with 3 different teams ? Big Sam Need to buckle up his ideas , or move over to some one with a bit more of a drive
As a City fan, I know the Hammers are better than that. I hope you stay up and Sam had told the lads to concentrate on the Prem.
Why oh why do the chuckle brothers keep faith in BFS ? Obviously haven’t learned any lessons from the Avram Grant days we look like a rudderless ship with a blind drunk skipper at the wheel
Sam has to go …. People keep saying you cant just blame the manager but its his tactics his players and his dressing room and in my eyes his lost the lot including all us fans were all sick and tired of being a yoyo club gold n Sullivan …. Bring back harry
Can’t understand how he could pick maiga after sundays performance. There seemed to be a total lack of organisation, no spirit or energy and as for downing…. is he endorsing divers boots this season?
I feel for you lot an im a Spud!!! Youre in the same position as we was only a few weeks ago. We sacked wassisname…..STI…no …std….no……avd…no….oh yeah….avb, and now we start winning 3 out of 4 games! Cardiff is gonna be big now. What the fak gold and sullivan thought they were doing signing up for Pikey Stadium now looks like some really clouded thinking!!! Clouded by delusions of grandeur. Next season you lot MOVE OUT of the Boleyn Ground, and you aint OWNING Pikey Park, youre RENTING IT!!! So youre phukked if you go down to the Chumpionship AND youre just about to move into Pikey Park. Its almost like a Hollywood comedy script…and the same was going on at WHL (Shite Fart Drain). We was gettin dished up the most AWWWWFUUUUULLLL Shite on the pitch, follow ed by the same old wind from directors and manager while it was all going down the Drain! Are Gold and Sullivan making a mistake trying to show unity and sticking with Sam, after the Avram season? Levy is responsible for what is going on at Spuds, and Gold and Sulllivan at WH. If you lose the next 3 on the trot then what? oh well, have fun trying to work it out before you get relegated, and Spurs wont have any fans left by then either. I definitely prefer watching Man City play than the Shite in N17. #:)
Oh yes we are learning, that all the links to signing good players in the transfer window come to nothing and we will end up with cast off’s and out of contract players, Championship here we come. If we wait long enough Sam will leave of his own accord as he’s never had a team relegated while he’s been manager you know.
There is not much more any committed supporter can say except perhaps that our problem now is not so much fat Sam but the deadly duo. There is something fishy here as any intellegent, commercial-minded, enthusiastic, forward-looking football director would have taken action weeks ago. What is holding them back? A recent report impliied that a pay-off for sam and his cronies would cost £6,000,000. How does that compare with a suggested loss of 50,000,000 if we go down! As for Camerons favourite I would have thought we already have a couple of mediocre right-wingers at the club. Too upset to think about the Man.City shambles at the moment except to remind any doubter who will listen that in O’Brien and Taylor we have arguably the least talented players ever to wear the blessed shirt. Joe Cole is past it, Diame has lost it and Maiga never had it. Death where is thy sting.
sting.
There’s not much we can do in is limited transfer market get a few average players in on loan and hope we can pull out of this horrendous mess. If we do survive we need to completely rebuild, the only players I would retain would be noble, Jarvis, downing and Adriane, and a new manager.
Manchester City – Ruining football since 2008 pre-season signings so far have cost over £90+m. This isn’t sport. This is money ruling the day!!!
They are trying to buy major honours again. Is this legal? This is what really angers me about this sport, while people around the world are starving. How can this be financial fair play???
They’ve even got Jesus playing for them. How can they lose? The clubs funding increase started when the former Prime Minister of Thailand, Mr. Thaksin Shinawatra fled Thailand after being ousted from power in a military coup in 2006. Reports claim he money laundered and embezzled over $2,000,000,000 KNOWN FUNDS? From Thailand when he fled, and is in exile from Thailand of where he faces a jail term if he returns for being convicted of corruption. A large part of this money was invested in Manchester City football club. On 21 June 2007, now out of office, he bought Premier League club Manchester City for £81.6 million. He became briefly popular with fans, especially after appointing Sven-Göran Eriksson manager of the club and bringing in prominent players. Eriksson was later critical of Thaksin’s running of the club, saying “he [Thaksin] didn’t understand football – he hadn’t a clue. He sold the club to investors from Abu Dhabi United Group in September 2008 for a reported £200 million.
After selling Manchester City football club, Thaksin was nominated as “honorary president” but does not have any administrative responsibilities. However, he was later dismissed from ¬honorary club president after the club decided to take a position against him following his conviction and his currently “on the run” from Thai Authorities. Manchester City football club started their run of success from money taken from one of the poorest 3rd world countries in the world, so do not be ashamed West Ham FC at being humbled by the money of a club. This being money that was taken from some of the poorest people in the world & from a people, some of whom do not know where their next meal is coming from. As I watched Negredo, Dzeko & Touré smash in their goals against us, my mind flashed back to where the money had originated from to buy a club & players like this. It feels ironic. I do not glorify them. In fact I despise them for what they stand for. Yes, Manchester City FC, ruining football since 2007, not 2008 as one Man City fan states, who kindly put in a comment on this website before Wednesday night’s game.
Hi JB. Some great points here which most of the Prem.supporters of those lower end clubs struggling to keep up with the money boys will agree with mate but lets be clear. Im not ashamed that we were beaten 6-0 by a brilliant team, but I am ashamed we surrendered without so much as a whimper with a gutless performance watched worldwide. Which player of any worth or note would even consider coming here in the transfer window after that advertisement for our club ? It wasn’t the result per-se (Arsenal and Spurs both shipped 6 goals there) but the way our great club was represented in such an embarrassing and inept manner. Unforgivable.