Win four in a row…then lose three in a row…it could only happen to West Ham. The defeat against Manchester United was so poor I barely know where to begin. Last season at Upton Park West Ham twice gave Man United a fright in a couple of very entertaining 2-2 draws in league and cup.
This season however…no dice as the Irons lacked everything a good performance requires like for example the ability to pass the ball to a team-mate. The game was practically a training match for the worst Manchester United side 20 for odd years as they easily defended the home side’s endless long balls and crosses.
When did we become so one-dimensional? For the entire game all the Hammers did was float balls up to Andy Carroll and it wasn’t proving fruitful, but it was literally as if this sacred ‘game plan’ was the only conceivable way we could play, no variation was offered up whatsoever. It really makes you think; what do they do in training all week? I’m genuinely worried if having analysed the way the opposition play; their strengths, their weaknesses etc. the best we can come up with is a succession of long balls and crosses to our big Geordie front man.
Where was the tempo? Where was the urgency? The results certainly went for us earlier in the afternoon with virtually every side below us in the league losing. A victory would have virtually put us in unassailable position from the bottom three… yet West Ham set about the game like a side with nothing play for, with players already thinking about their holiday destinations because certainly none of our lot we’ll going to Brazil this summer; with Roy Hodgson witnessing the debacle from the Upton Park director’s box. I cannot believe Roy left the Boleyn enamoured with any of our England hopefuls.
I don’t believe we’ll go down as it’s looking increasingly likely the current bottom three will drop through the trapdoor; Sunderland may yet escape but Fulham and Cardiff City will definitely go. However a ‘performance’ like the one offered up by Big Sam’s gang against Man United does leave fans wondering…is he the right man to take the club forward? Is he the right man for the long term?
Sam has done a great job since he rocked up in the manager’s hot seat; delivering promotion and survival in his first two season’s; the question that needs to be answered by the board and fans alike is do we want the relative stability of Sam Allardyce? Or do we want a complete revolution in style akin to Mauricio Pochettino at Southampton?
Stability or flair…wouldn’t be nice if we could have both?
I totally agree with every word you say,and if Sam knows how to spell the word tackle why
does he not use it in his team talk.
The problem with our team is no bottle.
I absolutely agree to but I think the problem with the team is BFS and his one dimensional game play and every premier club know it’s coming, it seems to me he’s game play is a wing and a prey , so end of season BFS go please just go forth and multiple.
I have been a season ticket holder for 30 years but i am so bored watching the football bfs makes us play we need new ideas with a new manager play good football would be a start i am seriously considering not renewing my season ticket next year
Yes, Sam’s obsession with AC is unhealthy, and it’s no coincidence we won all 3 games with AC not in the side during his ban, as whenever AC returns, then so does West Ham’s one dimensional game return. I really do think it’s time for both BFS & AC to be shown the door, but knowing West Ham, we’ll keep them both & will just grind out 1 or 2 more wins with this Neanderthal style of play & narrowly escape relegation, as with Sunderland’s 2 games in hand being at Anfield & the Etihad, then we may be let off because them, Fulham & Cardiff may not get more than 34 pts apiece, so even if West Ham just win 1 more game, we may be saved by others bad results, which if that happens will be no testimonial for Sam to continue. If he does then it sounds like half of us will be walking away from our games, as yes, when BFS’s darling AC was banned Sam had no option but to change things, & it worked. Sam can’t see past AC, so the pair of them will have to go, or we as fans, will be leaving in droves by the sound of it.
There are so many of the Hammers faithful who just want to say cheerio to Allardyce but I can’t see it happening and frighteningly I reckon he’ll get a renewed contract. The quality of football we have to witness is appalling, it’s difficult to comprehend how deluded the owners can be. Our players, almost to a man, show amazing ineptitude when attempting the real basics of football, first touch, vision, passing a ball 15 yards, crossing a ball accurately, it’s f**cking pathetic to watch. How can Gold and Sullivan have watched the likes of Jarvis and Maiga and think that 15 million quid of their money has been well spent. If we somehow manage to stay up this season it will be due solely to other teams being even more shite than we are. Get rid of Allardyce for the sanity of the fans and bring in Hoddle for the start of next season.
get the season safe then get rid of sam get a manager that plays football we are so predictable all we did was hooof up to carrol with no one surporting him so horrible to watch
I agree.Have been a season ticket holder now for 20 odd years and have never seen such negative football.We have no idea how to change a game.Yesterday against man utd there was no passion from the players or the crowd and u sensed everyone knew we wouldnt get nothing from the game as was the same for all the home games so far against the so called big sides.If sam stays in charge will seriously think about not renewing next season as i cant bear to see us playing so poorly and hearing the same excuses all the time blaming everyone bar himself.Gold and Sullivan have got to sort this out before people start turning their backs on our great club !!!!
It wasn’t a good Man U performance. But there was no danger from West Ham. It’s wing, cross or punt from our own half. I was shocked at how poor we were. But, from a business sense the directors know that with Sam – We will stay up this year, we will spend £20 million plus on players this summer and we will enter the new stadium as a premiership team…..
And that is all that matters to the Davids.
A new place to play, then new owners, followed by a new manager is all we can hope for.
But, it’s going to be a touch couple of years. Best get in a couple more rounds in the Boleyn before you take your seat
Well you have saved me putting together an article because I would have written exactly the same! We are boring to watch even when we win it is boring, being a hammer has certainly brought plenty of lows but in all my years of watching us (since mid 80s) I have never been bored!
Agree with all this. I was gonna travel up again for one last time this season but having witnessed that display on the TV I am not willing to spend around £350 for me & the Mrs to travel up from Exeter to watch poor football. If I wanted poor football I could stay & watch my local club Exeter City & it would be a heck of a lot cheaper but thinking of it I probably would be entertained more.