West Ham (H) - Premier League - 31/10/20 - 17:30

[Jordy Brouwer]

2 minutes ago, Nummer Neunzehn said:

Okay first half, mistake aside. Need an improvement second half. 

That's a charitable view. It was poor - very little created and a load of toothless possession football. First 10 minutes were OK and a bit after our goal. 

[rubble-rouser]

That was shite. Jota and/or Minamino.

[3 Stacks]

Naty P. has been as good as we could realistically expect. Gomez on the hand, is a fucking time bomb. West Ham have been shite but there's the vibe that they'll make something happen every time they get forward. 

[Mark M]

Firmino doing a good invisible man routine tonight - quite apt for Holloween

[Stickman]

If we go on and win this I’m sure that pen will be dissected from every angle possible on MOTD and yet when Sheff Utd got that ridiculous one last week the BBC webpage basically laughed about it 

[Jordy Brouwer]

Just now, 3 Stacks said:

Naty P. has been as good as we could realistically expect. Gomez on the hand, is a fucking time bomb. West Ham have been shite but there's the vibe that they'll make something happen every time they get forward. 

The Titus Bramble comparison struck a chord with me and not in a good way. Gave a Halloween shiver. 

[J-V]

3 minutes ago, rubble-rouser said:

That was shite. Jota and/or Minamino.

Why would you replace a player that offers fuck all with another that does the same.

[Numero Veinticinco]

Just now, Jordy Brouwer said:

That's a charitable view. It was poor - very little created and a load of toothless possession football. First 10 minutes were OK and a bit after our goal. 

Like I said... it was okay, we were in complete control, if we went in 1-0 up it’d be fine. Not great or exciting but they’re stacking the defence. Its no major drama like a few of the drama quims on here are making out. Not great, obviously. 

[Josef Svejk]

Jones ain't equipped to play in our midfield three. He doesn't have the mobility, intelligence, or discipline to play there. Which is why he looks completely lost out there...

[J-V]

1 minute ago, Mark M said:

Firmino doing a good invisible man routine tonight - quite apt for Holloween

His Halloween must last 18months then

[dockers_strike]

It must be hard for the players in this situation, these games must be like glorified training games for them with no crowd roaring them on. I can only think actors playing in an empty theatre, it doesnt really matter if you get your lines wrong because there's no fucker there to know never mind be bothered.

 

Good job we got the pen because we just didnt look like scoring. Love Bobby but he's just gone very ineffective. Sadio is almost the same and mistiming his runs and touches. Once again, Mo looks the only one giving it his all. Gini having a good game. Get the ball pinged into the box because this keeper will flap at the ball.

 

No doubt Joe will get stick for their goal but it came to him at the wrong height to play it with his feet and had to result to a stooping header.

[s(k)aturation]

7 minutes ago, The Golden Eel said:

Well, it's clearly a foul and it's in the box so it's blatant by definition. 

 

I'd have harboured a little query if it had been given against us.  

 

John Barnes just called it "a little bit soft", which I'd go with rather than blatant.

 

 

[bizzle10]

Bobby offers us nothing bring Jota on not sure about the pen but ill take it

[Jordy Brouwer]

Not sure the reason for all the anti-Jones stuff. Not saying its wrong but I think he's been about average by our standards that half. 

[DJLJ]

Micah Richards didn’t think it was a foul, so just by that definition it was a clear pen. He just seems to never ever be right about anything he comments on. Terrible ‘pundit’.

[TheHowieLama]

Just now, Jordy Brouwer said:

Not sure the reason for all the anti-Jones stuff. Not saying its wrong but I think he's been about average by our standards that half. 

Yeah he has - saw way more of the ball then Gini, has kept it well and his first look is always forward.

[Special K]

My personal highlight of the half was Carragher claiming a West Ham free kick in the centre circle was a great opportunity to go 2-1 up

[Daisy]

1 minute ago, DJLJ said:

Micah Richards didn’t think it was a foul, so just by that definition it was a clear pen. He just seems to never ever be right about anything he comments on. Terrible ‘pundit’.

He is fucking atrocious 

[niallers]

It's hard to give out really. Wey've lost our best defender and next best is always injured, 2 of our best midfielders,thiago and fab, and ox and Keita and we're getting shafted by var every week. 
No fans affects us more than every team. And every other team is having a proper fucking go off us. We're going to lose at home sometime, but please not to gollum, I explore ye lads

[A_S]

2 minutes ago, Nummer Neunzehn said:

Like I said... it was okay, we were in complete control, if we went in 1-0 up it’d be fine. Not great or exciting but they’re stacking the defence. Its no major drama like a few of the drama quims on here are making out. Not great, obviously. 

They've had 1 shot on target with 24% possession. No surprises there with a Moyes team at Anfield. 

 

They've been very lucky defensively though. 3 major errors at the back, yet only been punished once, while Liverpool's single error gave them their only shot!  They can't exactly claim to be deserving of a lead. 

[Joey8FrogsLegs]

2 minutes ago, Josef Svejk said:

Jones ain't equipped to play in our midfield three. He doesn't have the mobility, intelligence, or discipline to play there. Which is why he looks completely lost out there...

Well I dont think Henderson and Wijnaldum have been any better. And they definately weren’t any better when they were his age. I do agree he’s struggling in this formation, a bit like Shaqiri also does they’re maybe a bit similar type of players. But then also the team could be set up to suit them better when they play.

[Ne Moe Imya]

All of our problems, oddly enough, come from this midfield.

 

People hate Keita, and I agree on the eye he doesn't do much but then when he goes off on 75 minutes you look down and say "oh, wow - he had 4 interceptions, 3 successful tackles, and 2 key passes?"

 

Without him in the side, we need a Thiago to help the fullbacks to get the ball into the box. We know what happens when we get the ball into the box to one of the front 3 - if we do it enough, they score hatfuls. The problem is when we're one-dimensional, like we are here. Trent is getting the ball into the box some. So is Robertson (as he did for the penalty).

 

But the midfield just isn't doing it. We look really sterile in possession, we need a player to pick a lock every now and again with a great ball (Thiago) or one to take on a defender, put them under pressure and then pick the right pass (Keita). Without either of those two we are lacking something in midfield on the ball.

[joe_fishfish]

Don't think Jones has been that bad at all, some nice passes and he takes up much more attacking positions than our other midfielders. West Ham are a classic Moyes / Allardyce / Pulis style side, only they've got internationals in their side instead of shit English journeymen, they were always going to be tough to create against.

 

We'll need to improve for the second half but I'm confident we will. Would be great to see Thiago come on if he's on the bench, he'd be pulling their defence all over the place.

[John102]

1 minute ago, Special K said:

My personal highlight of the half was Carragher claiming a West Ham free kick in the centre circle was a great opportunity to go 2-1 up

Haha. I had sky go on while I walked home from bus stop. Was listening to it rather than watch it. When he said that, I got the phone out my pocket to watch, thinking it was on the edge of the box or something. 

 

He really does say whatever pops in his head, which unfortunately, for him anyway, is a load of shite. 

[therevivalist]

Our midfield cannot move the ball, our Achilles Hill. Hence spend our time pinging the ball left to right, and then back. Alacantra was supposed to be the solution but he's is joining Keita and Ox. The sooner we sell the latter two and buy one dynamic midfielder.