This is a quote from someone on the West Ham mailing list I subscribe to…
“Those who thought …
Losing 2-3 to Liverpool last week was a sign of us going down should
havewatched what they did to Hull.
Losing 1-0 to Wigan was the end of the world should take note of what theydid to Chelsea
The result against Spurs was shocking should see what they did to Burnley.”
Reality check, people. We may be third from bottom but have two games in hand. Don’t press the panic button just yet!
Iain
Great, so what you're saying is that we'll avoid relegation on goal difference…??!??
Matt Ryan
You’d do well to remember that everyone is entitled to an opinion the next time you post “what a load of crap” in response to a post that you don’t like.
Yeah and "What a load of crap" was MY opinion!
I didn't once say that you shouldn't post what you like! But If I think you are talking bollox, I will say so!
Simples!
Just back from a stag weekend and feeling pretty rough. On the plus side, a mate of mine from Manchester, who went to the wigan game with me, was there and reckons he might be able to get hospitality tickets for tomorrow nights game, if he does will be heading over to Manchester tomorrow afternoon.
I agree completely with the title of this threas, it is scant consolation, in fact I would say it is no consolation at all. Wigan beat Chelski because the showed more heart and courage in 90mins than we have all season. Yes they got a huge piece of luck in Cech getting sent off but I believe you make your own luck both in life and in football.
Hull getting tonked by 'Pool does nothing to surprise me, Hull have a history of cracking, as do a lot of other teams including Burnley, its not the first time it will happen and it certainly wont be the last time. For those teams who regularly occupy the last 8places in the league there is an inherent fear that they are not up to the job, that they are charlatans who have gate crashed a party they have no business being at and sooner or later they will be found out. Its this same fear that occasionally makes them play above themselves and pull out results like Burnley did against ManU. Play that game 10 times and United win 9 of them.
Our biggest problems this year have been apathy, for some reason it has infected almost the whole team at times. We dont have a strong voice on the ptich and that is very worrying.
The more I look at Parker the more I get the feeling that he thinks the club has bust a gut to get Upson into the England team and maybe have not done the same for him. His professionalism stops him from letting his own standards slide but he seems less involved in whats going on around him than he was last season.
Upson for all his qualities as a defender couldnt inspire a dog to bark. Cole is far too fragile mentally to ever be expected to be an on the pitch leader and needs to put all his energy into concentrating on his own game anyway. The rest of the team are either too young, too foreign or too peripheral to take on the role.
I know Sol Campbell can not sign for a club until January but he can certainly train with one. Having someone like him around the club would be a big help. From watching him in training to listenening to him in team meetings he could do a lot of good for the club.
Right now the player with the most leadership experience at the club is on loan at Scunthorpe!
So how do we fix it? Upson needs to decide if he wants to be captian because he actually wants to lead the team or because he thinks it will help his case with England. I can not shake the feeling that Upson is more concerned with England than he is with WestHam. He has to realise that all the captians armbands in the world wont get you into the national side if your club is languishing at the foot of the table. Someone said on here (forgive me but right now I lack the mental capacity to remember who) about Alvin Martin calling a team meeting as captain back in 86 for the team to get things off their chest and I think its a very good idea. As the old saying goes "either we stand as a team or we fall as individuals".
the case can be made that we didnt deserve to lose any of the games that we have in the league. The thing is we lost them because we didnt do enough to win them.
Seeing what Dux and Nani have done to help the club the players should be ashamed of themselves for their recent performances, for the cost of what it takes to heat their swiming pools for a week, the big earners in the first team could have covered Francos slary without even noticing it. I havnt had a chance to read all the threads that popped up while I was away but I am sure they are littered with apollogies from all of those who have slated Dux and Nani over the last few months!
Someone said recently that because we are WestHam fans we always get optomistic before a game but the things is that is because we are good enough to beat any team, or at the very least get a result. We are an extremely good side, make no bones about it, the fac that people are whinging because we didnt sign this player or that player makes me laugh when you think back to what dross we have been treated to over the years, remember trying to get behind the likes of Gary Breen? Brian Dean? David Connolly? Virtually every player in the side is an international. The problem is that right now we have a talented group of individuals what we dont have is a team.
so we either find away to come together as a team or we are in big trouble.
I will always get optomistic before any GAME but I will start to get worried about the SEASON!
"I am sure they are littered with apollogies [sic] from all of those who have slated Dux and Nani over the last few months!"
I recognise that. that's sarcasm, isn't it?
certainly is Dave. Its the only type of humour I can manage when I feel this rough after a weekend on the beer!
Can you 'nutshell' that post up for me please mate! I'm feeling crap and really wanna know what you said, but just can't read through all that! lol
Basically Matt I am saying that we have a team capable of troubling anyone in the league but we are suffering from a distinct apathy in the squad and a severe lack of leadership and until those are sorted out then we will continue to perform the way we have.
Ok thanks mate!
I agree on paper, we are a great team! But in practice we just haven't got it! And I'm sorry but I am having doubts that Zola is the man to bring about that confidence and ability! But I am willing to give a chance
I hope all those castigating Tomkins for being skinned by Torres took time to watch Collins' performance for Villa yesterday.
Ironically, Monday is a game where I would like to see us nullify Citeh by keeping it tight early doors and hitting them on the break. GZ has said he will take the game to them.
I expect Jiminez to come in for Noble (is Collison fit?) and Franco to start alongside Cole, preferably with Diamanti in the hole behind them.
i dont think tomkins deserves the stick he is getting. he is a very good defender, just had a few bad games. agree with CH on pretty much everything as well.
tricky times ahead for us. zola really needs to make a change to his 4-3-3. why did wigan beat chelsea? becuase their manager made changes to a complacent side who were beaten in their previous game. that is what a good manager does.
the team i expect to start will be similar to that against liverpool, only he will probably bring in jiminez and collison if fit in place of behrami if injured and hines. i dont think zola has the blls to drop cole or diamante.
To be fair Rob in a team with a lack of firepower, dropping the only two players to score in the last 4 league games isnt really an option. Diamanti is a threat any time he is on the pitch due to his ability with free kicks.
CH you have missed the point. imjust saying that i think zola will drop hines for jiminez if fully fit, and i would be disgusted if our best player against liverpool wasnt given a few games while he is playing so well
My team for tomorrow would be
GK Green
RB Faubert
LB Ilunga
CB Upson
CB Tomkins
DM Parker (and captain but thats not going to happen)
MF Jimmy
MF Behrami
AM Hines (the kid has goals in him)
AM Diamanti
FW Cole
I believe in 4-3-3 if for now other reason than you can not rate a system based on 5 games where in every game the better part of half the team were having an off day! When I see a full 90mins by the whole team then I will consider peoples criticism of the 4-3-3 system. In our last few outings we could have played 4-4-2, 4-5-1, 3-4-3, 118 and 121 and it wouldnt have made a difference!
Oh and the Hammers are 7-1 to win tomorrow night and its 4-1 for Diamanti to score at any point in the game. Have just stuck 200 on us to win and him to score! What the hell its only money! If I didnt use it to bet wildly on WestHam I would only waste it!
Celtic dont alway's agree with you, but I agree, Sol Campbell would be a good signing.
But 4 3 3 not for me sorry ,If zola says Franco's experience up front will be vital to us,then it has to be 4 4 2,cant see cole or franco out wide somewhere.
Chris one of the goos points for us right now is that as he isnt allowed sign for a club then we dont have to pay him! We can simply give him the benefit of training with a premier league club, in London where he still lives and we can get the benefit of having a player of his calibre and experience around the team. Now someone please correct me if I am wrong but under reserve team rules Campbell would be allowed to play for the reserves even if he is not contracted to the club.
I am pretty sure this is actually a loop hole and not the reason the rules were structured the way they are but if it is exploitable then why not do so. It would keep him match sharp and mean that if he were to sign in January he wouldnt have 6months of game rust to try and shake off. It would also be fantastic for the young players to get to play alongside Sol's experience.
Sounds a good idea CH because Campbell around training and reserve games would be excellent. But are we definately not allowed to sign him as a player if his contract has been cancelled by a non-Premier team? Surely he is an out of contract player in the same way as Franco isn't he?
Simples?
Jesus- if I had known I was wasting my time with a 12 year old I wouldn’t have bothered.
It's ok, you don't have to call me Jesus!
You REALLY are a nob aren't you!
Sounds a bit of a dodgy statement to me Bubbles!!
Is anyone actually going to watch the game tomorrow (on ESPN AGAIN!) or does anyone know of any decent streams (apart from Iraq TV and Justin TV)?
Matt install sopcast on your comp and then go to Myp2p.Eu, you can get some decent streams that will pop up in a window, they are the ones with mediaplayer next to them but usually the sopcast links are the more stable, even if they take longer to buffer.
Might be going to the game yet, will know tomorrow, could be a mad dash to the airport but will be worth it…………………..I hope
Thanks Celtic, I have SopCast mate! But can never seem to get it to go to any site! I tried that site you suggested last week and it just says MyP2P.Eu is not a valid sopcast site!
Matt dont enter it through sopcast, simply put www(dot)myp2p(dot)eu into your browser address bar, from the home page click on live sports, then click on football and scroll down to select the game you want. Click on the little TV screen on the righthand side. Then when you are on the game page it will give a list of the steams that are available. They will be listed on the left hand side. the ones that say mediaplayer will open the stream within your browswer once you click on play. The sopcast ones will open a new window and once it buffers it usually provides the best stream. If it asks you to log in it will allow you to do so as a guest so just click login
Matt i posted previously on this but for some reason it hasnt appeared. Go to www myp2p eu (with the dots), click on live sports then on football.
Scroll down to find the Hammers game and click on the tvcreen on the right hand side of the listing
Once on the game page there is a list of options of the various streams that are available. The type of stream is listed on the left hand side, if you click on the ones with mediaplayer will open a new tab or window and if the stream is any good it will play there.
The links for sopcast will open a box, it may ask you to log in but you can do so as a guest, it will then buffer for longer than browser streams but when it plays its better. hope this post goes up!
Thanks mate! I'll give it a go!
I am looking forward to seeing this Franco guy! And Celtic, I am beginning to kind of agree with you on Cole! I like the guy and I have seen a definite improvement! But I think this is it for him! As good as he gets!
I have always felt that there was too much effort involved in developing him as a player given what you would get in return.
Let’s get this right. Because you don’t agree with the current formation/tactics you want the board to sit down with Zola and tell him that things need changing despite only being a few games in? And you think that I’m the nob?
Get a grip.
I’d appreciate you taking these questions as rhetorical – I don’t want you bothering to answer them.
I won't bother with a reply to your pathetic posts! Can you go away now please!
And YES, I do think you are a nob!
erm a few games……..more like a year!
Thnaks Rob, someone with some sense! I didn't bother replying to blower as he/she seems like a moron! But you seem to see where I'm coming from!
It's still early days. I can't see us setting the Premier League on fire either, still reckon we're on for somewhere between 9th and 15th.
I also have sneaky feeling we'll get something out of the Man C game tomorrow. I don't know why and my gut feelings aren't usually great, but if we win i said it here first…
And try using the reply button to save the other users the embarrassment and pain of seeing your posts!
Ok lets see who wants this more. The club that needs to bounce back from a last gasp winner to stay in the race or the club that has to win to get out of the relegation zone.
It's an easy one so let's see if the team starts playing like a team that needs to get themselves out of the relegation zone. If we roll over and get a tonking it basically tells me they already have no fight in them.
http://theboleyninheritance.wordpress.com/
I can see Zola playing 4-5-1 tommorow on the road and setting up to try and take draw.
Franco or cole upfront on his. Hopefully steal a goal on a set peice then go home with the 3pts
Good luck Celtic with your bet I had the same money on us at Wigan and the ref Alan Wiley I think cost me my win money!
Food for thought!!!
just read this on another site
–WHUFC NEWS–
West Ham to finally be taken over by David Gold and David Sullivan with Michael Tabor becoming a heavy investor and Tony Cottee to also be involved behind the scenes. I would also expect Karen Brady to replace Scott Duxbury who will get the boot along with Gianluca Nani.
January ins–
Steven Taylor – 5m – newcastle,
Antonio Candreva – 2m – Udinese,
Joe ledley – 5m – Cardiff
Marouane Chamakh – 6m – bordeaux.
January outs–
Matthew Upson – 15m – Manchester City,
Mark Noble – 12.5m – Manchester United.
After the end of the World Cup if Italy don’t win it Marcelo Lippi will resign and no matter where we finish in the league Gianfranco Zola will leave us to become the Italy manager. Steve Clarke will become West Ham’s new manager and will be given 20m to spend by our new owners.
-COYI-
Watch this Space!Lol!!!
Fishy that looks like someone took every single Hammers rumour and put them in a hat, pulled out a bunch and called it a story!
If you put Sullivan, the Golds and Tabor together then you theoretically have enough money to buy the club without increasing the debt! Although I have no idea what use they would have for Cottee.
No offence to Karen Brady but she isnt anywhere near the calibre of CEO that Scot Duxbury is and any loss of a guy like Dux would consicerably weaken the club.
It is nice to see that who ever came up with this fairy tale thought that our new owners would start selling off the family jewels in january, taking in 27.5M and spending 18M!
I wouldnt go getting to excited mate, quite simply I dont see it happening.
Celtic, your comments are always down to earth, however i disagree with you re Karren Brady & Dux she has done extremely well at Brum and we are far better than them in going forward to the next level. As for TC maybe in some media type role as he does now. Only time will tell! LOL!!
Mr Fish, this is just wishful thinking mate!
"Wishful" thinking? Only if you're a m***w*** fan, matt, to me it looks like a bloody nightmare
"Wishful" thinking? Only for a m***w*** fan, matt, to me it looks like a bloody nightmare
Really? You think so?
I AM a Millscum fan! I just come here to spy! lol
I personally think ANY set-up could be better than we have now! Don't want Brown back though! lol
Matty, With the FA s report in today we have remain optimistic
otherwise we may as well pack our bags and go home. Lol!!
Tell me FISHY? Was this Football Rumours because it has taken all the WHUFC rumours and put them into one neat package as CH says. Also I agree that Duxbury is far too good a CEO to get the shove for Brady, although her tits outdo Scott's eyebrows every time! Most fans don't realise how good a CEO we have and blame him for everything under the sun.
Is Zola,s football and tactic,s better or worse than Curb,s if not WHY?
Aussie mate, doesn't make sense! Why what? Why isn't it better? Or why isn't it worse? Confused!
The upturn in the team’s fortunes will come. They are playing well and creating chances. I would be far more worried if there was no creativity, but that is not the case.
I reckon we need to set out our stall against Man City in much the way that we did last season in the away games against Liverpool and Chelski. Compete, soak up any pressure and hit them on the counter! We need to stop the rot and turn things around, a good point against City would do that, followed by three against Fulham!
From Sky Sports :-
Gianfranco Zola insists he is under just as much pressure as Manchester City boss Mark Hughes.
The West Ham chief comes up against Hughes' City on Monday.
And Zola is looking forward to clashing with his former Chelsea team-mate.
"Both of us are under pressure for different reasons. He knows with the budget and the team he has got he has to produce results," said Zola.
"But I have to produce solutions and that is a pressure as well.
"I am coping with the job and the situation is making me more creative, more responsible. It is a good challenge. A positive pressure.
"I like to work with the players and make them improve. And to build a team. I wouldn't mind some money to spend on a good player.
"It would make the process a little quicker. But I don't mind, I like what I am doing and this team has got a future."
Zola admits that he never thought that he and Hughes would one day be meeting on the sidelines after playing together.
"It was difficult for me to imagine myself as a football manager. Mark was unbelievable on the pitch in those days," he said.
"It was my fortune as a footballer to have him on my side.
"On the training ground he was the worst training mate I have ever had in my career.
"But he is doing very well in his job. He did well at Blackburn and when he was with Wales. I have only admiration for him as a footballer and a manager."
Did you see that silly story in the NoW that West Ham had been willing to sell Upson in the summer window for £6m! A current England International!!! To Spurs, a club we have a policy of not selling to!
Total nonsense!
SJ thats typical Redknapp, step one in unsettling the player by making him think that the club dont value him highly!
Yeah CH, that does appear to be part of Redknapp’s Mode of operation! I do not see how we can afford to lose Upson in January? As for talk of a £4-6m deal, what planet are they on? I would prefer to keep him and let him go on a Bosman than sell him for that sort of fee!
SJ, I'm not expecting a win on Monday but I will sleep easier if we put in a performance! One that will win us games against the less-able teams such as Fulham and Wigan etc…
I am resigned to the fact that we might have to sell Upson in January but please, NOT to Spurts! I can't bare the thought of that fat 2 faced tosser gaining any kind of benefit from our players!
I think that you will be spared that Matt!
Man City away is a tough match, but if we don't get anything up there, it puts big pressure on the home match v Fulham next week.
What I remember about the 2002/03 season is that the crowd started getting very nervous and anxious during the first half of matches if we didn't go a goal up – and that would transmit to the players.Then if went a goal down, the groans would begin, stray passes greeted with groans, sometimes boos, and more nervousnes.
One of he reasons for that was that fans' expectations were much higher, and the whole club – players, board, and fans – were not expecting to be in that situation.
This season, teams like Burnley, Stoke, Bolton, Wolves, Blackburn etc – well, half the teams in the league infact – have known from the very first kick of the season that their aim is to finish 4th from bottom, and they'll be up for the scrap.
Those teams lack quality, but they will fight for every ball in every match,and fans at Burnley, Stoke, Wolves etc are up for it aswell, getting behind their teams when they go a goal down at home.
My fear is that if we do get caught up in the relegation battle, then like 2002/03 we might not be prepared for it at every level – manager, players, board and fans.
(that's what happened to Boro and Newcastle last season, who started the season with the realistic aim of qualifying fot Europe)
So now I’m a moron am I?
You do nothing but moan about the team you supposedly support, and when you read something you don’t like you revert to childish name calling.
You come across as an opinionated knowall who revels in his role as a keyboard warrior. If insulting someone you’ve never met is your way of getting your rocks off then I’m glad to have been of assistance.
Now reading some of your drivel with an exclamation mark at the end of every sentence is not exactly the most productive way of spending my time so I think I’ll leave it there.
Give it a rest Bubbleblower. We have no idea who you're talking about so it's become a personal thing on a public forum. No point mate – walk tall but walk away.
Just on my way to work for a half day then it's off to the game with the boy's!!!
Got to get back for work in the morning hope we get a result,makes the morning tiredness a lot easier to cope with,COYI!!!!!
bloody bellars bet he score's,git!!!!!
Think the games on espn good luck all!!!!!!
Good luck to all the travelling fans tonight but I reckon a lot of the players we have are not match fit due to a few recovering from injury look at a fit Bellamy what we could have had if he could have been injury free I hope our defence can run fast Rio could not match him for pace so here is hoping.
win 2 games and were top half again!!!!! behave you lot were playing well and got unlucky in a couple of big games.wigan was the only poor result so 5 games in and it sdooooom were dooomed !!!???? anyway it doesnt matter what happens as were not going to stop suporting the club and getting rid of zola aint gona happen so please remind youreselves what the word SUPORTER actually means !!!
Lucash Neill has become the latest football victim of burglars!!! LMFAO
(He only moved to the North West 2 weeks ago)
Apparently the thieves stole jewellery, papers and personal belongings but thankfuly were unable to locate his professionalism or integrity,
Excellent Jolly! Excellent.
haha brilliant
Diamanti to score from outside the box tonight. I got 12/1 and 7/1 to win. Come on all you glass half full crowd here's to a win
I agree with Celtic's team posted on page 3. I definitely want Hines to start.
I believe the system we are playing has a a major defect. Far too much ground is conceeded between the half way line and our penalty area. Leaving too much for a lone striker to do, holding the ball up with three defenders when the midfield are still in their own half trying to make ground to support him. We play too deep, have not had any real ceativity since Yossi Benayoun left, and no width since Matt Etherington was unfairly sold. We were not scoring but the defence was sound with Collins, since he was sacrificed we have conceeded 3 goals from undefended crosses.
We have some great players, Ilunga, Behrami, Parker, but we won't survive with this system………. Paolo come home !!
I now believe it that Zola has taken direct charge of the defendersw. Absolutely woeful defending. Center halves (both of them) just have no idea. (We're 4 minutes in to this game, mind you.)
What a horrible choice to start Jiminez (who was simply awful) vs. Hines today. Again, very poor team selection by Zola…
When I looked at the fixtures at start of season,I thought we would have some trouble getting points on the board,but I never expected us to be where we are with only 4 points.
There are times (at home)when we look really good going forward,but we just don’t seem to be the same away.
I hope that we start to play and get some points soon as I couldn’t bear a season fighting relegation.
Zola has to do something fast.