I believe that Hull City away was the third time this season that we have thrown away a two goal lead. That must be a worry for Zola and Clarke because, lets face it, it’s not exactly professional is it?
Lets look at the Hull City match. We raced to a 0-2 lead inside the first 15 minutes and should have grabbed a third. Hull then scored a very lucky goal against the run of play. What happened then? Did we put our foot on the ball, retain possession and kill off a potential Hull resurgence? No, we started making the wrong decisions right across the park and collapsed, conceding a a further two goals in the final two minutes of the first half!
Yes, the first Hull goal was fortune, the free kick for the second was probably played for by Mendy, the penalty decision for the third was an absolute joke and we were then denied a reasonable penalty appeal ourselves. All very true and unfortunate for us. However, there is a degree to which you make your own luck in these situations. Why did we start to wobble so badly and give away so many cheap free kicks around our penalty box after they got their first goal?
In addition, how many times this season have we struggled against 10 men? Da Costa pulled it back to 3-3 in the 69th minute, that means that we failed to make our numerical superiority count in the final 20 minutes of the match!
Actually in truth, we would have won if Stanislas, Jimenez or Collison had taken their chances in that final 20 minutes, which raises an issue that has concerned me for some time. Our midfielders need to weigh in with more goals. They need to support the strikers, get into the box and be far more ruthless in converting their goal scoring opportunities.
The current situation is frustrating, because the team is playing consistently well, but sloppy mistakes are costing us dear. In the summer I warned that it was crucial that we retained last season’s defensive unit and postulated how ironic it would be, this coming season, if we started regularly hitting the back of the net, only to start leaking goals at the other end!! And that is pretty much what has happened so far.
I believe in the quality and potential of this West Ham squad. We have a core of quality, experienced players, supplemented by some top class youngsters. We may need to bring in one or two additions in January, particularly to improve our defensive options. However, to begin turning things around in the interim, we need better organisation, we need to defend as a team higher up the pitch and we must be far more ruthless and clinical in punishing teams by taking our chances, especially from midfield.
In the latter respect, I really hope that Diamanti is fit for the Burnley match and Zola plays him at the point of the midfield diamond. Diamanti could prove to be our Frank Lampard Jnr, in terms of grabbing an important quota of goals from midfield. Failing that, lets hope that Kieron Dyer is able to follow up his excellent mid-week reserve performance and play that role against Burnley. Dyer is undoubtedly a class player and it is so frustrating that we cannot get him fit enough to make that class tell in the first team. Lets hope that he has finally won his fitness battle, at least for the rest of this season. That would be a massive bonus.
In short, we need to start being more professional defensively and ruthless in killing teams off when we have them on the canvas. Lets not continue to regret lost opportunities and dropped points. We need professional, cohesive and clinical team performances to turn it around and turn it around now, starting with Burnley at home and Birmingham City away.
The players professional pride should demand nothing less of themselves! Do they really need to be reminded of that? I sincerely hope not. We shall see come Saturday in a match that they must and should win.
SJ Chandos.
The real truth lies in the fact the defence has become our weakest link and Zola is ultimately responsible for the team and it,s performance,s so therefore if we cant win a home fixture against Burnley Zola should be given some help.
Guus Hiddink is looking for a technical position in club management and Zola mention,s the major input Nevio Scala has etched in his brain so someone like Hiddink could help him quickly iron out the deficiences.
The acid test is always getting the winning result in most businesses so obviously the penny is not dropping currently so it has to change the focus and want to be the best of which with the exception of Russia ,Hiddink would provide the ingredients to get that organisation we badly lack.
We as a side have potentially some great players who are probably just short of top 4 promise so we need to recruit bigger and better in all parts of our great club from management to the 11 that represent us weekly.
Yes, Aussie you are quite right we really need someone of Hiddinks calibre to give GZ the additional nous he needs to put right and get us into winning ways
We vare not far short of getting there as we are scoring goals but turning the draws into wins needs that little bit more nohow and we will continue to struggle unless this happens
Great Idea Aussie – Would love to have him at the club. Maybe we'll find it a bit tough matching his current 9M per year contract though?
We have no chance of getting Hiddink. If he goes to a club it will be as top man at one of the big boys.
I had doubts about us winning against Hull and frustrated that we could not turn the initial advantage into three well needed points. Looking at our goal difference tells an important story – we are not getting turned over, we are scoring goals but defensively we are leeting in some sloppy goals, as highlighted by SJ. Every game is a must win now, regardless of who we play because we now need to start putting some distance between ourselves and those teams who are going to be in a relegation battle for the rest of the season. As is mentioned again and again – the formation is crucial and we have players who can fit into the diamond behind our strikers and talent to push other teams and take advantage of forced errors. But, if that is true – then we need to see it. In all honesty though, we need a settled team and an injury free period and I am sure we will see results going our way. Whatever happens, without some sound investment in the team during the January transfer window we could see ourselves fighting must win games every week.
At 0-2 against Hull I sent a text to my brother saying even we couldn't throw this one away! Even after 40 years of following West Ham I still haven't learned my lesson. It was unprofessional and I said so after the game. I was also furious that Zola conducted his post-match interview with a great big smile on his face. There are times when playing the nice guy sends out the wrong signals.
I tell anyone that cares to listen that full backs should be higher up the field. When you stand in a line of 4 at the back on the 20 yard line, the full backs aren't picking anyone up. Teams then break from midfield or defence. in the case of teams with attacking backs leaving you continually with 2 on 1. There's nothing easier than running at a backpedalling full back, especially when you have support inside or outside.
This is why I have suggested in the past, that with our personnel, 3-4-1-2 would probably suit us better. People have argued that no one plays this way. Didn't they say the same about Ramsey when he played without wingers?
Play to your strengths and let the oppostion worry about you – not the other way round.
5-3-2 is similar to what you're describing, I think, DevoDevo, whereby the 5 at the back is really a 3 (central defenders) with the 2 fullbacks pushing on to supplement midfield and greet their oncoming opposite numbers higher up the field, as you suggest.
My beef with the current defenders is that they watch the ball too much. If they were tracking their players more closely rather than looking at the ball they would always be in a position to get the vital touch ahead of the forward receiving the ball or get in a decent block if an opponent is shaping to shoot or cross.
The really good defenders just concentrate on keeping their body between the player they are tracking and the goal. So often you just need to be an obstacle, and a lot of the time the opposition will run out of room or ideas and simply give the ball back to you (much as our midfield and forwards do at the moment).
We're simply not stopping things at source (crosses, shots, etc). Silly free-kicks given away cheaply are also proving costly, as someone else mentioned earlier in the week. I really think it's time to get defenders focused on the simple things in life. Going back to basics is a real cliché, I know, but it's hard to argue with.
I mentioned the silly free kicks before the Hull game, Graybo – how many have we conceded this year (and last) that resulted in goals?
I agree it is all about basics. The defending at the top level is the worse I can remember, which is why so many goals are being scored.
Your mention of poor defending gave me a flashback to last season when Parker did his laughable skip and a jump in front Giggs when ManUre beat us. It would have been comical had it not been so frustrating.
Us Hammers fans are used to wry smiles, though, otherwise we'd be crying all the time.
You're right Graybo. Some of the best defenders go through whole games without making a tackle because their positioning and "jokeying" mmeans they don't have to. They rely on being able to nick the ball away or wait til the attacker loses it.
Interesting points about Hull and the defensive formation Devo. Just a quick question. Do you feel that the team are sitting back after going in to an early lead (kind of like England were under Sven and McLaren)?
Yes, Gav – I don't think we are alone in committing this sin. Strangely, it was the opposite against Hull, we tried and should have scored the 3rd but were undone by the silly free kick. After that we completely lost our shape (confidence?) and the rest is history.
I dislike it when in tough situations the players are blamed for not getting results. For me it is always down to the management. Now if you don't have the quality then there is only so much a manager can do, also luck – especially when it comes to injuries to key personel, plays a part.
Our team currently lacks a toughened backbone. We have some conidence in our ability to play quick passing offensive football, but as a unit we capitulate as times which is unforgivable. This is down to the manager. I agree with Devo when he said how annoyed he was to see Zola smiling after the hull match. We should of buried them and when we were two nil down I honestly thought we would win 4-0, 4-1.
There's no steel in our side. I know it is young and there are some softer characters but I can't see Zola whipping them into a frenzy at half time or before the match. His appraoch means the players have to take on all the responsibility to get themselves mentally right. Very few players are natural leaders.
I agree that the management shold take blame for results, but it's also down the players mate! A manager can only manage a man that wants to be managed!
There is no doubting the skill the team has at the moment! Probably one of the most skillful in the premiership outside the top 4!
But mate, it's the players that are out there on the pitch and they must take part of the responsibility.
Just my opinion
Agreed Matt. With some people you just can't change attitude or give them backbone.
Well put SJ, great post. Your comments, I'm sure, echo the sentiments of us all.
I think Zola has backed himself into a big corner that will after saturday make him or break him.
The team he puts out there must put in a shift of all shifts because other than a convincing display he may be a dead man walking.
Lovely man but are they to nice to be winners at Premier league level?
I think his long honeymoon soiree is over and the wrath of the Upton Park fans is different but similar to the way fans at Real Madrid wave the white hankies to dismiss a manager although does he deserve it, well we do expect big things and it is unsure how well the players are now responding to him.
Time is no longer on his side so it is D-Day for Zola to deliver and survive you would presume.
With tomorrows game becoming a must win 3pointer we see that Upson is out with thigh injury and diamanti is still not yet back from the hip injury.
GabbidonIllunga & Noble should be in contention along with Dyer & Tomkins. we just hope that when we score those much needed goals they will be in the right net and little or no free kicks are awarded to Burnley to give them a step back into the game
A real helping hand to not get us a winning result is the fact Super ref who wrongly sent off Scotty Parker against the Arse is none other than the delightful Chris Foy who will be sending Zola to the dungeon far quicker if he comes up with the normal comedy of errors he usually dishes up when reffing us,HELP!
Aussie – I just noticed that. Let us not forget it was Foy in charge when we had a perfectly good equaliser for 2-2 ruled out against Citeh when Cole was adjudged to have fouled Lescott!
I wonder what he will have up his sleeve tomorrow?
Well the good news is (for me anyway) that it looks like Upson is out for the Burnley match and a few weeks after with a Hamstring injury recieved in training!
So we will see exactly how influential he is!
Hopefully Zola will hand the arm-band to Parker and he can prove me wrong!
We've talked about so many 'turning points' and 'make or break' games this season, but wouldn't it be great if this could be the start of a long run in the team for Dyer. I'd love to see Dyer, Cole, Franco and Diamanti (when he's up to Prem match-fitness) ripping into teams.
Agreed, Graybo. What was that game when he came on as sub this season and runwith the ball at pace for about 60 yards. The crowd were on their feet – it almost reminded me of Devonshire.
I'd love to see Dyer stay fit for the remainder of the season. If he did, he might even have a squeak of making the world cup squad – first things first, though.
With Dixon still progressing well, there is cause for optimism:
Off the topic and back to potential targets Bougherra is in line with Faubert as makeweight.
Wait and See!
Not a lot of weight there!
Make or break for Dyer. If he breaks down or goes missing again then give up chaps. Fantastic potential…would love him to prove it in our shirt. Time will tell, everything crossed! If he can recover, there'still hope for Deano??? Or am I just being ridiculous now.. its late after all !
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