Tomorrow's game

[Dirk]

I am going to rule. That is all.

[coop]

Bellamy should stick that flag up the linesmans arse. Someone tell him when your level you are onside.

[tokyojoe]

Alan Wiley is a twat. Discuss.

[Dirk]

Alan Wiley is a fucking absolute wanker.

[Momo Is A Beast]

Alan Wiley is a twat. Discuss.

 

discussion over.

 

He's a twat

[Momo Is A Beast]

happy days, 3 points, getting better, kuyt looks good, ref... twat

[tokyojoe]

Three points, that'll do. Could (should, if not for the ref) have been more. The 'Ammers will be a difficult proposition this season.

[1892-LFCWasBorn]

3 points in the bag. Sorted.

 

Bit disappointed we didn't get that 3rd goal. Could have come back to haunt us.

 

Thank fuck it didn't.

[Son of L8]

We made that hard on us, didn't we... Rafa won't be happy with the way we lost our composure towards the end. Still, can't complain about three points and a couple of cracking goals.

 

What is it with us, West Ham and dodgy goals? In two games, they've scored four goals against us from two mishit crosses, an own goal and a schoolboy goalkeeping error. Fortunately we scored five top-drawer efforts in response.

[9999]

I thinl it has just been fantastic that other teams have scored against us first. There's been no panic, and are confident of getting two back. Last four out of five games, opposition's scored first.

[Gumsy]

Good game by new boys Pennant and Agger. Kuyt looked promising as well. Linked up well with his new teammates.

 

And now we have a couple of weeks to prepare to twat the bitters...

[BatChainPuller]

At times in the first half I thought we looked superb - high tempo one touch football at pace. We've got so many attacking options now that its difficult for the opposition to know where the threat will come from - you can't even afford to give our centre backs time on the ball now !

 

The skill level throughout the team has improved vastly from the Houllier team Rafa inherited - the work ethic is very impressive too. There are very few players who aren't multi-skilled eg Gonzalez defensive work and excellent tackling. Kuyt was very impressive - a complete player.

 

I'm more excited by this team than anything since Kenny's Barnes/ Beardsley team. I think we're going to be fucking sensational when it all clicks properly.

[Paul]

At times in the first half I thought we looked superb - high tempo one touch football at pace. We've got so many attacking options now that its difficult for the opposition to know where the threat will come from - you can't even afford to give our centre backs time on the ball now !

 

The skill level throughout the team has improved vastly from the Houllier team Rafa inherited - the work ethic is very impressive too. There are very few players who aren't multi-skilled eg Gonzalez defensive work and excellent tackling. Kuyt was very impressive - a complete player.

 

I'm more excited by this team than anything since Kenny's Barnes/ Beardsley team. I think we're going to be fucking sensational when it all clicks properly.

Completely agree. I'm trying to temper my excitement with some reality at the moment (because it hasn't clicked yet, after all), but I do think this team has the potential to play some amazing - and winning - football.

[Captain]

Three points in the bag, job done. We sit above Chelsea in the league table. Is it a sign of things to come?

 

We started brightly today, but that fluke knocked us out of our stride. Fortunately we got back on track in time to come back and score two goals before half time. Agger's strike was a rocket, no chance for Carroll. Crouch's goal was a beauty too, he took it really well. The pass from Luis that set him free in the box was pure class, great vision and execution from the little one.

 

We could easily have lost points here, though. West Ham had two of the greater chances of the game, with Bowyer missing the biggest of the lot. That said, we should have had a penalty early on when Crouch's shirt was almost stolen from him.

 

Alonso disappointed today, the quality of his passes were way below his high standards. He was the one player I thought who played well below his usual level of our lads.

 

We're up and running in the league, and that feels good. Bring on the blushite.

[coop]

Three points in the bag, job done. We sit above Chelsea in the league table. Is it a sign of things to come?

 

We started brightly today, but that fluke knocked us out of our stride. Fortunately we got back on track in time to come back and score two goals before half time. Agger's strike was a rocket, no chance for Carroll. Crouch's goal was a beauty too, he took it really well. The pass from Luis that set him free in the box was pure class, great vision and execution from the little one.

 

We could easily have lost points here, though. West Ham had two of the greater chances of the game, with Bowyer missing the biggest of the lot. That said, we should have had a penalty early on when Crouch's shirt was almost stolen from him.

 

Alonso disappointed today, the quality of his passes were way below his high standards. He was the one player I thought who played well below his usual level of our lads.

 

We're up and running in the league, and that feels good. Bring on the blushite.

 

Yep, pretty much agree with all of that.

[Paul]

Three points in the bag, job done. We sit above Chelsea in the league table. Is it a sign of things to come?

 

We started brightly today, but that fluke knocked us out of our stride. Fortunately we got back on track in time to come back and score two goals before half time. Agger's strike was a rocket, no chance for Carroll. Crouch's goal was a beauty too, he took it really well. The pass from Luis that set him free in the box was pure class, great vision and execution from the little one.

 

We could easily have lost points here, though. West Ham had two of the greater chances of the game, with Bowyer missing the biggest of the lot. That said, we should have had a penalty early on when Crouch's shirt was almost stolen from him.

 

Alonso disappointed today, the quality of his passes were way below his high standards. He was the one player I thought who played well below his usual level of our lads.

 

We're up and running in the league, and that feels good. Bring on the blushite.

What do you say to my point about us bypassing him a bit as we adapt to our new width, Captain? Instead of allowing Xabi to dictate play, the ball was going wide from the back today (as it did in the week), rather than via him. He was used as a mere defensive player for much of the match, in my view.

[MLB]

I don't think we had any more width in the team today than we did last season when we had Gerrard on the right and Kewell on the left. I just think Alonso is in the midst of a bit of poor form at the moment, but I'm sure he'll get better as the season goes on - and particularly when Momo comes back.

[BatChainPuller]

Completely agree. I'm trying to temper my excitement with some reality at the moment (because it hasn't clicked yet, after all), but I do think this team has the potential to play some amazing - and winning - football.

 

Rafa's masterpiece is nearing completion - gotta love the man's vision. This won't be a great team, it will be three great teams.

[Captain]

I agree on that, Paul. But, the extent of which the ball is played wide from the back four is somewhat dictated by how tightly Alonso is marked by the opposition.

 

That doesn't excuse his poor (by his standards) use of the ball when he had it today.

[Paul]

I don't think we had any more width in the team today than we did last season when we had Gerrard on the right and Kewell on the left. I just think Alonso is in the midst of a bit of poor form at the moment, but I'm sure he'll get better as the season goes on - and particularly when Momo comes back.

That's true, but we are clearly looking for it to go wide at almost every opportunity. I do agree that Xabi is looking a little rusty too, though.

[Zippy]

What do you say to my point about us bypassing him a bit as we adapt to our new width, Captain? Instead of allowing Xabi to dictate play, the ball was going wide from the back today (as it did in the week), rather than via him. He was used as a mere defensive player for much of the match, in my view.

 

Some truth in that but that IMO is a good thing as it means the opposition can't just focus on one player to significantly reduce our threat. The teams level will hopefully rise to the point where the contributions of the likes of Alonso and Gerrard are integrated into great all round team play. I think we saw some signs of that today. I think Alonso will be back to his best soon he just seems to start seasons a bit slowly.

[BatChainPuller]

I don't think we had any more width in the team today than we did last season when we had Gerrard on the right and Kewell on the left. I just think Alonso is in the midst of a bit of poor form at the moment, but I'm sure he'll get better as the season goes on - and particularly when Momo comes back.

 

There were a couple of sensational balls from Gerrard to Pennant in the far corner tho' - generally when they tried that last year the wide player didn't have the skills to control it or use it. I expect to see a lot more of those diagonal balls, particularly when Xabi has got his eye in. With the pace of Pennant and Gonzalez, and Bellamy to get on the end of it we could do anyone.

[Paul]

There were a couple of sensational balls from Gerrard to Pennant in the far corner tho' - generally when they tried that last year the wide player didn't have the skills to control it or use it. I expect to see a lot more of those diagonal balls, particularly when Xabi has got his eye in. With the pace of Pennant and Gonzalez, and Bellamy to get on the end of it we could do anyone.

It'll certainly be interesting to see how we perform against the real big guns, both domestically and in Europe (hopefully), later in the season once we've fully clicked.

[RedKnight]

Crouch was starting to get some stick from parts of the crowd before he scored. Saying that, I was sitting in the upper anny road and it isn't something I want to repeat. Full of knobs who wanted to chant 'Who are ya?' at the West Ham fans.