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Time for a change at West Ham and we aren’t talking about Big Sam

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Carlton Cole It’s time to realise that when Carlton Cole is leading the attack, that it isn’t going to be a successful attacking day for West Ham. 

 

First choice Andy Carroll is forever injured. In comes Mauro Zarate and Enner Valencia for around £20million combined. But still the height and weight of Carlton is favoured. Zarate scores goals. Enner may well do. But when you see Cole up top, you never get the feeling that we’ve got a goalscorer forward on the pitch. 

 

Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy with the loyalty of Carlton, but he was released and we couldn’t find better (somehow?!). He’s a decent squad player and off the bench he can sometimes shake it up, but can we please have a different “type” of forward start upfront? 

 

I don’t necessarily want two up top, but I don’t want Carlton anymore. Our style doesn’t need to change to suit a different mould of forward as you can’t be as ineffective as Cole is for the majority of a match. 

 

Plan A is Carroll as target man – that’s fine. However I don’t want plan B to be a lesser version of plan A. Something different please?

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43 comments

  • Sam says:

    I’ve always loved his loyalty but the only reason we resigned him was because no one wanted him not even a championship side.. Has to be 2 up top or 1 but with a proper number 10 which unfortunately isn’t Nolan.. Always been a big noble fan but feel he’d be best served as a back up to kouyate and Poyet in midfield.. Need another striker & an attacking winger who scores goals… COYI..!!

    • philtheiron says:

      Unfortunately the fact is neither cole or Vaz te Re good enough to play in the premier league!
      Even one half decent striker would have buried woeful spuds yesterday.
      Even though cole had one of his “better” games he never looked like scoring.
      As for poyet, I see him as a long term successor to noble.

      Meantime our midfield would be better served by playing a central three of kayoute, Diame and Noble complementing attacking wing backs Cresswell and Jenkinson.

  • Arnie says:

    Cole had a good game yesterday, but with no one to support him. Change (plan B) won’t happen with Big Sam. Saying “please” won’t help either….why do people find it necessary to say “please”. “Oh yes, now you’ve asked nicely we’ll make a change”. The prem gets tighter every year, but we won’t go down. The problem with us is we really aren’t as good as we think we should be. What we do have more than most teams, however, is passion. Passion is awesome when it comes to our West Ham, and how we support them no matter what. Passion is bad when it blurs our opinion of how good we are. We’re no where near the level of the top seven. Then there’s he mid table Southampaton (maybe no more), Newcastle, Stoke, Swansea. Could we beat all of them every time we play them? If not, that puts us bottom half. Also, we hardly ever beat the top teams. I think we were the better side yesterday, but we did learn (even if it only takes one second) we aren’t as good as we think. Frustrating aye? COYI!!!!!!

    • Simon says:

      You have to be kidding right – CCole was awful, Downing and Obrien gave him plenty to play with, his control let him and us down yet again, he continually proves that he is incapable of playing the front man role to any degree of consistency – i have to say that when i see CCOles name on the team sheet i cringe – but lets not forget the inclusion of Vaz Te either, as a wide player he didnt provide one cross, in fact he was obsolete except for one chance he should have put away – you have to question Sams selections, when Diame is fit but on the bench, Zarate should be aggrieved he didnt get a game considering how Vaz Te and CCole were performing – but its the decision to sub Obrien for Demel that was even more astonishing, i seriously dont have a clue what Sam was even trying to do – the game was there for the taking and thats the tactical change he makes – Vaz Te had to come off, CCole should have been off before the hour, Collins gets stupidly red carded and Sams now in a pretty pickle, Ponchietto took full advantage and put spurs on the front foot, we lose in the dying seconds with a big hole left in CD – Frustrating doesnt come close to what could and should have been – on the plus side Kouyate and Cresswell were excellent and Valencia looks full of energy – but if west ham want to really progress then Vaz Te, CCole and Demel need to be offloaded asap, we need better quality options than what these three offer. COYI!!!

      • Arnie says:

        Vaz Te was easily the worst player on the pitch, shouldn’t even be here anymore. He should’ve at least hit the targeted, probably scored……I think Downing should have too if I remember correctly! Downing has nothing in the final third, his crossing was often too long. Cole did everything he’s been instructed to do. Win air challenges, hold up the ball, win free kicks etc….but for who? Every time he wins a ball, there’s no one there!!! Everyone is still waiting for the short ball deep in our own half before ginge has a go for goal! You have to blame the tactics. I know he’s not prolific or ideal. But, with the tactics, he, Valencia or Zarate have no chance. Valencia put himself about, winning challenges deep in there half, but for who? Do we expect him to win the ball, take everyone on by himself and tuck it away? And we can’t expect the same with Cole. Two up front is the only way, not simply swap one striker for another. And with only one striker up front Cole is more suited, Valencia and Zarate will become bewildered. Kouyate was good, but probably could have done more to try and prevent the goal.

  • hammersdog says:

    Fat sam needs 2 go and nolan . Nolan is a total waste of a playing position its like playing with 10 men every week .sams loyalty 2 nolan should see him sacked . picking your mate even thou he is shit is sunday morning management .time for a new manager and captain

  • mt says:

    Yesterday was disheartening to say the least,Cole,o’brien,vaz te all starting against spuds first game of season was bfs giving a big up yours to everyone,if it was Bournemouth we was playing in the championship maybe but you would still worry the managers arrogance and ego should not override the benefits of the team

  • Brian McFlipper says:

    Defeat down to ONE MAN…the appallingly useless Allardyce. How can you start Vaz Te, Cole, and Nolan in the first place, leave new PROVEN goal scores on the bench, and then sit and do nothing to gain the advantage once Spurs went down to ten men. Allardyce is tactically clueless and an embarrassment. He alone cost us three points, not the poor quality players on show, not Mark Nobles unusual penalty miss. I despair.

    • ian says:

      Brian mcflipper,you are spot on mate.Was at the game,allardyce is hopelessly rubbish and negative.Spurs were there for the taking and he did NOTHING.Zarate won’t get a look in under fat sham,2 strikers is the ONLY way to see goals

  • Dave says:

    Carlton is not and never will be a player to score enough goals to justify wearing the number nine shirt. Nice bloke and loves West Ham,but his control, touch, aggression and heading ability in the final third contribute to his poor goalscoring record. Kevin Nolan ‘s touch is good but he no longer has the speed needed to support a loan target man, Sam must change the front two or we will certainly have a repeat of last season.

  • Neil says:

    Will you lot get real cole has been earning good money from us for to many years his job is to score goals which he has proven he cannot do consistently how msny timez has he got into double figures ? As a forward that is his role but he has failed miserably on all counts yes he might be a good bloke but sorry he has not done his job he cannot control the ball he falls over all the time and his perfetict t efforts to jump and challenge for the ball are embarrassing if I performed like that at work I would be sacked ! So get serious he is shit and always has been otherwise he would be at another club shen he got rdleased

  • Neil says:

    Sorry about spelling keypad on mobile to small and eyes to old lol

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