West Ham (a) match thread

[Joe Strummer]

Mignolet has been so solid I'm struggling to remember his last cock up.

[1892-LFCWasBorn]

We should be asking the FA to switch the game to the Riverside.

[Carvalho Diablo]

Mignolet has been so solid I'm struggling to remember his last cock up.

Like a virgin, touched for the very first time...

[Captain]

He might not have been given credit (I haven't read the whole thread), but another who deserves plaudits for today's performance is Klopp.

 

The "no plan B" shout has been aimed at him a few times. But, he was ballsy today. Fair enough, you've got West Ham missing some bodies, but Klopp could've easily gone with the usual 4-3-3 and had us trying to grind out a 1-0.

 

But, in a very important game, he was brave. He went to the midfield diamond. He changed Coutinho's and Lallana's roles in the team. It was a fairly big gamble which could've left him with egg on his face if it backfired. But, he got it spot on. Coutinho shone in his deeper role. Can held with discipline and allowed Wijnaldum to get higher up the pitch.

 

The problem of our lack of width was actually improved by what, at first glance was a narrow midfield diamond. The fullbacks usually provide our width. They did again today. But, the formation allowed Lallana to drift into wide areas too. Sturridge and Origi could drift into the channels too. I was a bit harsh on the latter. His hold up play disappointed again, but he was unselfish in his running, often doing the donkey work to try and open up space for Sturridge.

 

I think the "no plan B" stuff is unfair on Klopp. He showed his tactical versatility again today. He's had us playing the usual 4-3-3 along with 4-2-3-1, a midfield diamond and 3 at the back.

 

I think his tactics should be acknowledged for their role in today's win. Maybe it's a system we can use in the future, with Mane at the point of the diamond or as the more mobile of the two forwards.

 

I agree with Klopp deserving praise today. Despite us being more or less shit in the first half.

[magicrat]

Just watched our game and the Manc highlights. Afternoon spent at Wembley watching Tranmere shit the bed. Promised some mates I would go if they made it to the play off final.

Gutted for them really. Forest Green were the better team for most of the match but they were fucking horrible in the second half blatantly time wasting with ref doing fuck all, Anyway I don't recommend watching National League football on a a regular basis, Fuck knows how bad it gets with the teams floundering around at the bottom

 

Thought we rode our luck today, How they missed that tap in at the end of the first half is beyond me and they should have had a pen but we deserved it. I am now counting lots of chickens and looking forward to the CL, Excellent that we finish above the Mancs who made two mistakes according to their manager,. I think the first mistake was employing him and the second letting him spunk a fortune on Pogba . Spurs ripped them a new one in the first half and should have buried the cunts. Apart from the Tranmere debacle a good day,

[Dave D]

A good win.

 

Amazing what an actual centre forawrd can do for your attacking play (I refuse to incluse Origi) 

 

Start the same side and we should see off Boro- as for this current group of players- Id still sell a fair few of them if the right offer came in.

[KevieG]

Have to be happy with all of that. I really didn't think they had that in them. 

[magicrat]

Mate of mine, big West Ham fan reckons they are in for Sturridge. Might explain his shop window display earlier,  Big smiles and laughing and joking with the manager, 

[Lycan]

Oh yeah, nearly forgot...

 

Andre, I Ayew one!

What a miss!!!

[Nolongerathletic]

Biggest game of the season, arguably our biggest domestic game since the chelsea game when we could have won the title. I think we will go there and do these cockney beauts 3 zip. Fucking come on red men come the fuck on.

Ahem

[G Richards]

Finally just got to watch the match. Mother's Day over here today, so a special meal for Mrs G and her mum too. It was all lovely, really was, and miraculously I managed to stay on radio silence and not hear the score.

 

Get in! 4-0 and we were really good for it too. Could have been a couple more. We got lucky with the double post thing that could have seen them go level, but apart from that it was pretty comfortable. About time!

 

One more game now. Need to do it again against Boro. Complacency is the enemy in that one, as everyone will have us winning the last game at home. Got to play it first, and we will need to show up and do what we need to do to claim the points.

 

Too many things to say about today. Lovely volley Gini. Unlucky not to score. And Sturridge looked good too. And Klopp sent them out fired up, with a good shape about them - not reckless and gung ho, but solid, and expansive going forward given the personnel available.

 

A very pleasing match, and result. Get in!

[Funkasy]

Brilliant win

[bonesman]

Boom.

[Harry Squatter]

Mate of mine, big West Ham fan reckons they are in for Sturridge. Might explain his shop window display earlier, Big smiles and laughing and joking with the manager,

30m quid minimum from you dido boys.

[G Richards]

I haven't read the match thread and don't know if anyone made the same point, but playing Sturridge and Origi up front worked a treat. Origi has strength and seems to take a bit of a battering most games of late. Sturridge doesn't have the body to do anything like that, but if he can get onto the pitch in a reasonably fit state, he has fast feet, a top brain, and a goal scorers instinct.

 

We've barely seen them play together, but when we beat Southampton 6-1 both were on the pitch and it looked really good. Today gave us a glimpse of what might have been.

[Arl arse]

I haven't read the match thread and don't know if anyone made the same point, but playing Sturridge and Origi up front worked a treat. Origi has strength and seems to take a bit of a battering most games of late. Sturridge doesn't have the body to do anything like that, but if he can get onto the pitch in a reasonably fit state, he has fast feet, a top brain, and a goal scorers instinct.

We've barely seen them play together, but when we beat Southampton 6-1 both were on the pitch and it looked really good. Today gave us a glimpse of what might have been.

Don't read the match thread G, Origi doesn't come out of it well.

[clangers]

That was alright.

 

Going for a wank in next door's bushes.

Is he home then?

[s(k)aturation]

Get fucking in, chuffed to bits with the 3 points and the clean sheet, especially after what looked like a nervy start. Once the second goal went in we played some nice stuff and could have scored more. Coutinho was ace, as was Sturridge to be fair. Wijnaldum and Origi are a pair of bottling fuckers mind, they did pick up a bit once we went 2-0 up and WH collapsed. Hopefully Firminho is fit for the Boro game, just slip him in instead of Origi and the jobs a good un. 

 

The missus's auntie was celebrating her birthday today and we were in an Italian restaurant. I asked the head waiter if the TV in the corner was a Smart TV and when he said it was I then asked if I gave him my log-in details for this streaming site I use he'd put the game, he obliged and told me he was a Juventus fan with a soft spot for Liverpool, all the other guests said it was OK and it was an ace atmosphere as they were all cheering on Liverpool along with myself and the waiters. They were also asking me about Klopp and how he is getting on from a fans perspective, great day, although I don't think Auntie Monika was impressed, hahaha, fuck her. 

 

Onto a home game against a shit Boro, bring it on. I bet Arsenal fans were gutted with the way WH played, despite Stoke and Southampton rolling over for the arrogant cockney wankers. Fuck you Alan Smith, Henry, Merson and every other bitter gooner, hope you fuck off into mediocrity ya cunts. 

 

 

Restaurants and rollicking good times in Germany are much under-rated, as we both know, G.

 

Nice one, mate, and for maintaining the faith.

 

Hopefully some great European nights in front of the Smart TV for you next term.

[s(k)aturation]

Stewart Downing to shush the Kop next week?

 

No.

[Carvalho Diablo]

This team next week against Boro. Just go out and kill them

This.

[Lee909]

The difference a striker makes

 

For all Firmino work rate he doesn't trouble defenders the wat a player like Sturridge can with his runs off the back of the last man.

 

A top quality forward would be high on my list of needs. You cant rely on Sturridge being fit but unless we got a offer of 25ml plus id keep him. Even just as a impact sub

[an tha]

The difference a striker makes

 

For all Firmino work rate he doesn't trouble defenders the wat a player like Sturridge can with his runs off the back of the last man.

 

A top quality forward would be high on my list of needs. You cant rely on Sturridge being fit but unless we got a offer of 25ml plus id keep him. Even just as a impact sub

Don't do it to yourself! He can't be relied upon even as a sub and certainly not when eating up 150k a week of our wage budget - that money needs releasing and paying to someone reliable who can contribute more or less every week not a handful of times a season.

[Rick Sanchez C-137]

Don't do it to yourself! He can't be relied upon even as a sub and certainly not when eating up 150k a week of our wage budget - that money needs releasing and paying to someone reliable who can contribute more or less every week not a handful of times a season.

 

This. 

[aRdja]

The difference a striker makes

 

For all Firmino work rate he doesn't trouble defenders the wat a player like Sturridge can with his runs off the back of the last man.

 

A top quality forward would be high on my list of needs. You cant rely on Sturridge being fit but unless we got a offer of 25ml plus id keep him. Even just as a impact sub

Agreed.

[Lee909]

Don't do it to yourself! He can't be relied upon even as a sub and certainly not when eating up 150k a week of our wage budget - that money needs releasing and paying to someone reliable who can contribute more or less every week not a handful of times a season.

We would either have to sell him cheap for someone to cover his wages or cover some ourselves. I also dont see Klopp not starting Firmino most weeks and not many players are going to be happy as back up