I stopped myself from writing this article immediately after the match, afraid I would have created new words to describe what I thought of Sam Allardyce. Now that I have had time to calm down, here are my ‘5 things we learnt about West Ham from the Spurs game’.
1: There is still a lot of dead wood in the first team. I was disappointed, to say the least, when I saw the starting line-up. When I got over the disappointment, I thought it would be good for Ricardo Vaz Te to get a start and minutes under his belt, because he was actually in good form last season before his injury. I quickly realised that he is nowhere near good enough to start in a Premier League team. He had at least three clear cut chances, and should have scored one, on a bad day!
James Collins had a poor game as well, and that was epitomised by his red card, whilst Carlton Cole did nothing to write home about. These three players could definitely make way at West Ham, and the money brought in could be reinvested well before the end of the transfer window, even if it’s another couple of loan signings!
2: Some surprise packages. Before the game, people were disappointed with the fact Joey O’Brien was starting ahead of Guy Demel. Maybe it’s because I’m Irish, but I think that O’Brien actually had a good game down the right, and linked up very well with Stewart Downing, before he was taken off in a very strange substitution for Demel.
I have to also give credit to the captain. Kevin Nolan was good today, and made some imprtant tackles. He wasn’t as prominent in the final third as he could have been, but he set up Downing brilliantly in the closing minutes, only for Hugo Lloris to make a fine save. Whilst he did look a broken man after 80 minutes, it was because he got around the pitch well and made some good tackles.
4: The new boys. Cheikhou Kouyate and Aaron Cresswell were both outstanding today. Kouyate has an amazing work rate, can break up play really well and is a powerful runner with the ball at his feet. For me, he was the Man of the Match. Cresswell also played really well. He wasn’t afraid to get forward, and make a vital interception in the second half, stopping Lennon from scoring. Both will have long, bright futures at West Ham. As for Enner Valencia, he didn’t get enough of a run out to be really judged, however he showed good determination to win a corner from a seemingly hopeless ball when he came on, and also looks to be quite quick.
5: Big Sam isn’t brave enough! I was shouting at the screen after half-time, praying Sam would bring on a second striker to finish Tottenham off, something he has even admitted we didn’t do enough of last year, but for some reason he brought Demel on for O’Brien. Then when it was too late, he brought on a striker for a striker, which is fair enough when you are down to 10 men, but the game should have been dead and buried by then! The frustrating thing is that we did look to be playing a nicer, more appealing style of football, but Sam lacked the commitment to the cause to really grow a pair and play two upfront. Sam missed a very, very big opportunity today to show the board and fans that things really have changed at West Ham, but unfortunately he let the chance go.
Why were you shouting at the screen and not there?
Not that I disagree with what you’re saying 😉 in the most.
i’m in barcelona at the moment and i live in ireland so its pretty hard to get to matches without spending a fortune!
I said on a similar thread posted that a fantastic signing for WHU would be;
Kouyate.
Already he has shown that not only he is a class act but given the right opportunities and handled in the right manner he will be a FANTASTIC investment. Finally a player (if it comes to it) that has re-sale value.
Plenty of fodder in the final 3rd, Zarate unlucky not to get a start let alone minutes. Carlton is not good enough, Vaz Te is a classic case of too good for Championship, not good enough for PL.
Ravel Morrison will be given an opportunity. I’m a fan of Ravel, but I’ll
fu@ked if I can put up with his misdemeanours.
Why have the club not imposed curfues, limitations etc on his existence outside of football is beyond.
I will be a hammer til the end. But everything rots from the head.
I couldn’t believe my ears when told the line up, why oh why did we play VAZ TE, COLE, COLLINS & O’BRIEN, all should be shown the door.
Is it , you wonder, that Sams trying to push the owners into firing him so that he can pick up a few million and to hell with the team ?
I think that is why he picked the team he did and now that TONY PULIS is free we could employ him immediately or MOYES , but I would prefer PULIS.
I have supported the IRONS for 55 years and am so saddened by Sams attitude towards us, he should never have been given the job in the first place and now is the time for him to go , before it is too late to recover.
COYI
Big Sam looks like he is playing for a big payoff. Played nearly all his old Bolton cronies ahead of new signings. Lucky we don’t have anymore. Carlton leafing d line 12 months after Sam said he wasn’t good enough was giving the Club d fingers. Nolan was knackered after 80 but then it was d first decent effort he has put in in 12 months! Was it worth £77?
Totally agree with avery thing you said.. I was at the match after a 5hr drive from corwall. thought we showed some good periods of play. im not an o’brien fan but he did fairly well today. Do think it showed sam wont change ( and im not a sam outite) But time is running short for him. There never seems to be a plan B ! I have been a Ginge fan but his legs have gone and we cant afford him being sent off. It was a long drive home after losing to the spuds.
1. Your shit
2. Your shit
3. Your shit
4. You know you’re shit.
5. You will have the best ground in the second division.
Great grammar, dickwad.
Fucking big nose flid piss off..!!
LOL I bet you’ve been waiting since the 2012/13 season for the chance to say that to us, loser! Pity you couldn’t say it at any of our matches last season, eh? Good job you had loads of extra time or else you wouldn’t have scored! Tottenham Hotspur are one team that nobody fears to play. We’ll see you for our win at the Lane. Are you still upset that we got the nice big stadium and you didn’t? Awww. Don’t worry, by the time we get to play there, you’ll have had another three managers.
how can a striker who was sold and then re-bought as an emergency backup be still leading the line in the opening game of a new season? please explain!
Agree what you said I was at the game, and was really impressed with Cresswell and when Valencia came on at last he showed speed and initiative look forward to seeing more of him. The starting line up was a complete surprise not sure what Big Sam was doing, or did he. Tottenham did not deserve to get a goal because they seemed lack luster and not did not create a great deal
COYI
Sam is a one trick pony. Always has been, always will be. Outdated, with a team built around Andy Carroll and Kevin Nolan we are going nowhere and we will fall asleep on the nowhere journey. We should have got rid in May and now will have to put up with him until S&G feel they can be seen to have given him a chance. O Joy.
IM just glad thoughts north London pricks were just as shit as we were on Saturday lucky goal, lucky.
I agree with almost all of your points. I saw enough of Vallencia to see that (unlike virtually every other member of our team) when he receives the ball, his instinct is to turn *quickly* and run forward. Revelatory stuff!
I disagree with you about Nolan, and it would be lovely to see some stats to find out which of us is right. It seems to me that when we attack he is behind the play, and when we lose the ball he is too far forward. Whatever his position is meant to be (and I am not at all clear what it is Sam wants him to do, although apparently he considers him utterly indispensable), he is often out of it.
And now the usual complete drivel in the papers from our ludicrously well-paid manager. Buckle up: I fear it’ll be a bumpy season! COYI!!
I think it’s a bit harsh to criticise Allardyce for his Demel/O’Brien switch. At the time, Spurs had just brought on two places who play effectively down the left, and O’Brien was beginning to tire, so the fresh legs of Demel would help counter their change.