PL: West Ham h Ratings & Reactions

[villadale]

Gabby holds the ball up well and runs the chanells but we really need that "fox in the box" to actually fashion chances.

I agree. We dont need a big man alongside Gabby anymore as has grown in strength. We need a creative spark palying off him or just a poacher.

[Jez]

Some players have just had 3 or so weeks off!

Laughable MON to use tiredness.

[villadale]

And if Petrov was man of the match by a mile, then I must have been watching another game

He battled well in midfield against a West Ham 3 with not much help from Milner.

[villadale]

Fair enough but I don't remember any clear chances apart from Gabby skewing horribly over and cocking up again in the 92nd minute

Good save 1st half from Gabby's turn and shot, Milner start of second half just wide, Collins free header 1st half, Carlos over the bar albeit came at him quick, + plenty of crosses/corners that just didnt fall for us or were good enough.

[villianusa]

I just hope MON doesn't come out with "We were tired after Thursdays game and it showed."

He went and said it. :shock: :?

[tommo]

And if Petrov was man of the match by a mile, then I must have been watching another game

He battled well in midfield against a West Ham 3 with not much help from Milner.

Not much help from Milner????!!!! Milly was knackered because he had to do all Stan's work. Stan is good with the ball at his feet, that's it. He does nothing else. Nothing that Delph or NRC could do just as well or better imo. I'd agree that he was one of the better players today. It's up to MON to counter that 3 then. He didn't. It was a pi$$ poor performance all round.

And he's blamed fatigue...that's simply laughable.

[villadale]

Not much help from Milner????!!!! Milly was knackered because he had to do all Stan's work. Stan is good with the ball at his feet, that's it. He does nothing else. Nothing that Delph or NRC could do just as well or better imo. I'd agree that he was one of the better players today. It's up to MON to counter that 3 then. He didn't. It was a pi$$ poor performance all round.

And he's blamed fatigue...that's simply laughable.

Yes milner does work bloody hard but normally by getting forward in wide positions. Thought Petrov won alot of ball today and used it better than Reo-coker ever could, not sure about delph yet. Ive seen it alot worse performances than this so piss poor is harsh

[rendelc]

I am a muppet because today was rubbish.

Yeah you are mate. On another day we score one of the chances, West Ham then have to attack us as they just packed midfield all game and we go on and score a hatfull. It just didnt quite happen today, one of those things. really bloody productive just dismissing it at rubbish aint it? Muppet![/quo

Ok . It was'nt very good. Muppet.

[beasley14]

We don't build through the middle, we don't play through balls, we don't keep possession and break teams down and if we can't beat you with crosses then 80% of our threat is gone.

West Ham deserve some credit, I thought Upson was excellent and I thought their midfield did very well. They benefited from a slightly card shy referee, but I don't think we can hold it against him.

We defended well and I think we look as solid as we have for a while, but until we produce another option to score goals, we'll have days like this.

It's an opportunity missed and one that makes Wednesday's game even more important, if we can beat Blackburn then 6th will almost definitely be a European place. On todays form, that might prove to be just as important as a trip to Wembley.

I agree, its pretty shocking we don`t have another way of scoring seen as we have had this problem for the last 2 years at least. It will keep happening too untill we mix our play a bit and sign someone who will score when those chances come.

[villadale]

Ok . It was'nt very good. Muppet.

I will just about accept that lol.

[tommo]

I would say that the management was piss poor, and he let the players down. And I haven't witnessed many worse or unproductive performances this season at least, maybe Wigan at home and burnley away first half, west ham away 2nd half, and blackburn (league) 2nd half.

[villadale]

Downing is top of the man of the match at the mo. I dont see that. thought he did ok but nah not MOTM

[sellyoakvilla]

Downing was the best player on the pitch today by a mile. Dissapointing performance, can't really be arsed to add much else.

[villadale]

unproductive performances

over 13 shots + 15 ish corners + being camped in their half apart from a 10 min spell 2nd half. We should have won today and on another day would have. Yes with more quality in midfield/attack we could win but every team out there needs more quality.

[villadale]

Downing was the best player on the pitch

what did he do? He did pick up ball and run with it a bit which was good but what did he create? Average at best

[Foxy1]

We don't have some divine right to beat teams like West Ham who come to VP and defend well.

We will have better days hopefully starting Weds. Clearly we would all like another striker (I started the 'can't shoot' thread) however such players are like gold dust esp during Jan.

[andym]

We don't build through the middle, we don't play through balls, we don't keep possession and break teams down and if we can't beat you with crosses then 80% of our threat is gone.

West Ham deserve some credit, I thought Upson was excellent and I thought their midfield did very well. They benefited from a slightly card shy referee, but I don't think we can hold it against him.

We defended well and I think we look as solid as we have for a while, but until we produce another option to score goals, we'll have days like this.

It's an opportunity missed and one that makes Wednesday's game even more important, if we can beat Blackburn then 6th will almost definitely be a European place. On todays form, that might prove to be just as important as a trip to Wembley.

I agree, its pretty shocking we don`t have another way of scoring seen as we have had this problem for the last 2 years at least. It will keep happening too untill we mix our play a bit and sign someone who will score when those chances come.

yep, and the sad thing is on the few occassions we do get it down, pass it around and look to play through the middle we look miles better and create chances.

why we keep reverting back to hoofball and crossing i dont know. heskey is better with ball into feet, as are gabby and carew. gabby is also wasted chasing down aimless punts down the line. none of them are that good at winning headers from long balls, and in any case with 2 wide players we never have anybody to collect knockdowns.

young and downing dont seem to be that good at crossing, but they are better at moving inside and finding space that way, and with milner getting involved and them all swapping around it creates chances.

1st half thursday we did this and looked great. the second half and for a lot of today we went back to direct style and looked poor. it makes no sense

[tommo]

unproductive performances

over 13 shots + 15 ish corners + being camped in their half apart from a 10 min spell 2nd half. We should have won today and on another day would have. Yes with more quality in midfield/attack we could win but every team out there needs more quality.

only two of them were genuine chances. And the 'on another day' thing doesn't wash with me. Results happen for a reason. The reason today imo was that MON was too stubborn to try and combat Wet Spams 3 man midfield with something different when his teacher's pet first 11 weren't producing. 'On another day' we'd have been beaten 5-1 at Manchester United. They failed to take their clear chances fortunately.

[villadale]

We don't have some divine right to beat teams like West Ham who come to VP and defend well.

Well said. Albeit we just about did enough to do so today it just didnt quite happen. People should be more patient and remenmber when it REALLY Was piss poor in previous years.

[villa4europe]

downing at least seemed to be trying, crossing wasnt very good but better than ash's, he also switched the ball very weel IMO, warnock looked knackered and didnt run past him as much as he usually does which was a shame, but downing also had 2/3 runs where he cut inside going past their midfield before having to cut back and pass backwards cos nothing was in front of him