Ratings and Reactions: West Ham 0-0 Villa

[AVTuco]

I love our away kit. It's really classy.

Our game in it though...

I thought we played well 20 minutes on both sides of the half time. Ending was embarrasing, but we didn't lose!! I was really relieved.

Guzan and Baker our best players, and our full backs played well also.

I don't agree that Sanchez was especially good, he made so many mistakes, but better than before. Slowly, hopefully, he'll be ok.

I only wish Andi's shot went in...

[foreveryoung]

Why hello there. I often read these boards .... but then feel like jumping off a bridge with all the negtivity.

 

Here is a supposed impartial, journalists view of the match:

 

I don't know if we're all hoping that after 6 losses, we will suddenly come out and play like Real Madrid. but the below doesn't seem to be that bad. We all know that putting the ball in the back of the net is our problem.... dare say that it keeps Lambert up at night as well.

 

 

Charlie Nicholas’ verdict

In the initial 20 minutes, Villa looked really nervous at the back and managed to get away with a lot of situations but they gradually crept into the game. The big problem for Villa is expressing themselves. They have got to have better quality when they get the ball because it’s hard enough to get it. They had no Christian Benteke and Gabriel Agbonlahor never really threatened much, but he should have scored in the first half. In the second half they had great spells in the game.

West Ham made plenty of opportunities. Sakho didn’t get many opportunities until the final 20 minutes and Guzan had an absolutely outstanding day. It was a thoroughly enjoyable 0-0, it really was. It was a very exciting game with plenty of chances created and Aston Villa should take a lot of credit. It was an enjoyable point for Paul Lambert, but Sam Allardyce will be frustrated.

Charlie Nicholas knows Lambert personally as a friend, so your never gonna get a negative report from him, same when McLeish was here, he blamed the fans.

[Neil]

We are a disgusting team

 

Disgusting is certainly one way to describe that performance.  Awful display, two shambolic teams going at each other as if they were playing any game but football.

Lambert bringing on 2 defenders at the end to hold on for a 0-0 with Wet Spam...jesus I'm so glad I made the trip down, worth every penny (actually some truth in that but only because of the company).

[AVTuco]

We are a disgusting team

 

Disgusting is certainly one way to describe that performance.  Awful display, two shambolic teams going at each other as if they were playing any game but football.

Lambert bringing on 2 defenders at the end to hold on for a 0-0 with Wet Spam...jesus I'm so glad I made the trip down, worth every penny (actually some truth in that but only because of the company).

I'm not a Lambert fan, but that's a bit too low. Senderos came in because Baker was injured, as you well know.

[srsmithusa]

Guzan looked great at the end, but not so much earlier.

I rather liked our opening tactics. The midfield and forwards were very fluid and rotating nicely. Much more movement and passing in the middle than we've had before. Clearly, too many of those went awry but west ham had just as many go awry and they are doing fine in the league.

I had Baker as MOTM until he went off. Sanchez still makes to many mistakes, but I like his movement and vision. More impressed by him at each outing.

It seemed in the first half we had much more of our players giving each other grief for mistakes than I've seen before. I actually like that.

[Mantis]

Stopped the rot. Must progress from here.

[osmark86]

 

 

 

would've called for Lambert's head if they snuck one in there at the end.

but that shouldn't be the basis for sacking or backing him....its just giving vent to your feelings ( which is understandable)

well yeah, obviously. that was posted roughly a minute after the full time whistle. ^^

either way I find it harder and harder to support him considering how he seems to have such a hard time responding to changes in games. also I think that we are far too inclined to wait and see what the opposition does instead of tactically trying to control/change a game ourselves.

To be fair, in today's game there wasn't anything on the bench that could've helped us today. And with them bringing on Carroll and Cole we needed Senderos and Clark so Lambert made the right decisions in my opinion.

 

 

I disagree. For the most part it was a game that either team could have taken. I saw their changes as being more aggressive in that they wanted to make the most out of the situation and try and win it. I think our changes, when they finally came, was more reactionary to the rising pressure they were putting us under and that Baker got hurt. Basically we allowed them to steer the game in their favor and we got lucky in all fairness to get a point out of it. Had the game gone on for 5 more minutes, I suspect they would have finally netted due to the sheer amount of chances we allowed them to create.

 

Maybe we could have given Bacuna or Grealish a shot instead of Weimann for a change? It might have worked or it might not have worked. However, we'll never know if we never try to change things up.

Edited November 8, 2014 by osmark86

[terrytini]

Watching us has always been such a huge part of my 'quality time'..a real escape. Not just the matches, the build up, the stats, the soap opera,the motd,the sports section of the paper, looking ahead at 'if we can beat them and so and so draw we can go up three places ' etc.

Now it has gone. All gone. Can't bring myself to do any of it except reluctantly try and watch games to the bitter, dull, insipid,rather embarrassing,end.

And so it was again today.

Utterly unwatchable tripe.

A big part of my fun, totally gone.

And listening to his comments really is adding insult to injury.

And I really dont think anyone could care less.

Really really really fed up sick and tired.

I will take relegation if we could only play something vaguely resembling football.

Any chance Paul ? Could we at least die with our boots on ?

[terrytini]

And yes I am well aware that for a brief period or two we did OK.

Wow.

[momo]

Happy with a point. Party time!

[terrytini]

Who is "over the moon" or "delighted"?

Regardless; we stopped the rot and got a hard earned draw away to one of the form teams in the division. Not a bad day at the office.

So when we were losing to Everton etc it was understandable as they were the top 6. Even though when we played some of them they weren't. With QPR it was 'they had to come good eventually '

Now we play someone like west ham and as they are a ' form team ' we like a point.

Exactly which type of team in what state will we actually be justified in expecting and getting a result ?

I don't have an issue with your post in itself but it just seems that as a whole there seems to be no limit to the justifications given to Lambert.

[villa4europe]

Who is "over the moon" or "delighted"?

Regardless; we stopped the rot and got a hard earned draw away to one of the form teams in the division. Not a bad day at the office.

So when we were losing to Everton etc it was understandable as they were the top 6. Even though when we played some of them they weren't. With QPR it was 'they had to come good eventually '

Now we play someone like west ham and as they are a ' form team ' we like a point.

Exactly which type of team in what state will we actually be justified in expecting and getting a result ?

I don't have an issue with your post in itself but it just seems that as a whole there seems to be no limit to the justifications given to Lambert.

It's coming..

Burnley away, palace away, Leicester at home, baggies away

Probably missed a game out but that's our run, absolutely no excuses left after them games, as we are unfortunately looking at the team we played (inc Southampton) makes for an easy excuse, ignore performances because we're playing "top" teams

Saw this week on SSN lambert already blaming the fixtures, the problem with that is what's your excuse when the fixtures come to an end

[Kingman]

In life you tend to find that, You make your own luck and Your only as good as your last job/game!

Can someone write this on a paper airplane and throw it over the fence at Bodymore Heath on Monday morning.

[Rugeley Villa]

pro's and cons to take from the game, not a great performance and should of got beat but we stopped the rot and kept a clean sheet. really need to start winning though.

Edited November 9, 2014 by Rugeley Villa

[tinker]

 

No plan and no leader on the pitch to calm us down, the defense just got deeper and deeper and the players just seemed to get drawn to the ball like 6 year old kids. At set pieces we seem to have no clue at all.

 

We did match West Ham though for large periods of the game, who are in still, imo, a route one team.

 

We had to defend, what 14 corners? Harsh on the team to say they had no clue at set pieces. 

 

I should have made it clearer, we defended set pieces well, its the corners and set pieces we have ourselves that we don't seem to have any plan, I suppose that's our problem in general though, when we are attacking we seem to lose our way with the final ball. We get ourselves in promising positions check back, pass sides ways or just lose the ball, its frustrating to watch.

[Richard]

I wonder what this thread would have looked like if we had lost like the majority were predicting? We didn't we got a point against one of the form teams at the minute with us being on the poorest form . Good point

[DCJonah]

I wonder what this thread would have looked like if we had lost like the majority were predicting? We didn't we got a point against one of the form teams at the minute with us being on the poorest form . Good point

You seem to want to have a go at people based on their prediction for the game. As you predicted a win should you not be unhappy and angry with the manager for failing to deliver this?

[terrytini]

In normal circumstances I'd agree Richard.....it should be seen as a good point..as west ham are doing well just now.....but it is hard, and IMO now unrealistic, to view individual results outside their overall context.

Same as not scoring....in any one game it could be acceptable for all sorts of reasons, but as part of an overall pattern it is so much worse.

That, I fear, is where we are now...I know I am.....part of the price for such a long time with such poor returns.

Same as the quality of entertainment, anyone can watch some dull games, but a half decent one now will feel less acctable than it would if there had been more to be happy about in the first place.

But yes, seen in isolation, as for example the manager has to portray it, it is a fair point.

[chappy]

Happy with a point because West Ham looked very good. Stopped the rot. I see a lot of negativity in this thread but didn't most people predict a defeat?

Motm between Guzan, Baker, Vlaar and Sanchez.

[matrim]

The problem with the sub's for me is that they were either forced or reactionary. Lambert doesn't seem to have a plan of his own

Baker had been injured for 60 minutes and looked unable to run for about 5 or 10 minutes before he couldn't continue. Instead of taking the initiative Lambert waited until he was forced.

Clark did well when he came on and made some good blocks but it was reactionary.

From about 85 minutes Gabby stopped chasing down because he looked wrecked. Why not bring on someone with fresh legs to put pressure further up the pitch and stop our retreat into our box.