Apologies that I omitted to post the Man U player performance results earlier.
And apologies that I missed out Mido from the Bolton game players. Not that he would have troubled the scorers very much 
Apologies that I omitted to post the Man U player performance results earlier.
And apologies that I missed out Mido from the Bolton game players. Not that he would have troubled the scorers very much
James Tomkins – Consistency needed?
Tell you what Hull are atrocious so we will stay up Burnley and Pompey down.
To many of our players take things for granted and just strut around like catwalk dummies your lucky Zola.
Graham you right,thank god!
Lucky Zola?Graham he's gone mate,no chance him being with us next season.
…………………Kovac………………………
….Behrami..collison Parker…Diamanti
………………..Cole…………………………
I reckon we will see the return to 4 5 1 in the next 2 games coz our defense is useless,so expect this team with dyer as an impact sub when we are 2 nil down,defense who knows?
Chris ,because the other teams below us are so poor we are probably safe on 27 points.The only impact Dyer ever makes is to his bank balance the 2 Dave,s are not amused,mind you ljungberg milked the club for more, shows you why Iceland is in poor shape,any rumour that Terry Brown lives there?lol
Chris – considering you asked what Kovac was for in an earlier thread it's surprising that you have shown that you are aware he's a holding midfield player.
Tomkins MOM against Manu. At fault for all 3 goals. Is is April 1st? :p
I'm staggered Devo, not sure who voted on the night but I suspect there were quite a few beers involved in their journey home…
Devo, someone was having a giraffe mate …. Fergie sussed us out that night and made Owen Coyle look good … GFZ obviously never learnt the lesson on the night … cos I'm sure it was like groundhog day on saturday
2 wins, followed by 2 losses. What went wrong in those two games as opposed to what we did right in the previous two? It is clear that the team will be overhauled come summer, whatever league we are in.
Bob, I think it came down to attitude… we played like a team in the 2 games we won…with consistent performances from all players.. Saturday, we had 4-5 players that were way below average…and I think that was down to attitude, not ability…
Bob, if it means relegation to clear out the money boys then I'd rather that than put up with prima dona's giving it large and proving nothing … how Cole is in the England set up at present is beyond me … and Upson is walking a fine tight rope .. both have been shocking on return from England duty
zola simply does have a clue…. zola out
Mediocracy not meritocracy will save us! (Mediocracy of the teams around us and the entire EPL for that matter)
The Wolves game is shapping up as our Cup Final.
As with many others I beleive Hull and Burnley will go down with Portsmouth.
It is a disgrace to the Great Escape team, that we must rely on the other teams to keep losing to retain our status.
Unfortunately our goal difference could come in for a hammering in the next two games:-(
The best we could hope for is a 3-1 defeat from both, if Tomkins has a mare it could be much worse, could be time to put De Costa in, what do you think?
Bookies this morning have us 6th favourite to go down… in order its:
1) Pompey
2) Burnley
3) Hull
4) Wolves
5) Wigan
6) West Ham
And bookies are never wrong, right…
rather hulls run in than ours, anyway if cant beat wolves and wigan we dont deserve to be in this league.
As Diamanti seems like the only player who can score,reckon we might see a return to 4 4 1 1, with 2 solid banks of 4,collison back on the left,if there is a return to this we must must must have a left footed left back at least.
Has Zola clocked on that everyone's targeting spector?? thoughts anyone.
I think Spectors being unlucky cos its Diamanti thats really being targeted… and if Upson/Tomkins were only half awake last Saturday, we'd probably have won the game… even with 2-3 others playing crap…
I think whatever shape we have, Diamanti has to stay in the team… worth tyring in a 4-4-1-1 maybe, but I don't like experimenting with unfamiliar formations this late in the year…
Sunderland are on a terrible run of form – I reckon our chances of staying up are better than theirs.
Which ever 3 go down will deserve it – with so many other poor teams around.
I reckon it will be Pompey, Burnley and Hull although I agree with you Goatygav, Sunderland could be the surprise team – there is often one – that gets the drop.
As I thought we have the hardest run in, only possible wins…wolves sunderland wigan stoke.
The big worry is will Tomkins be tuff enough against the big forwards of Wigan and Stoke,I'm worried guys bigtime.
I'll need to look at the games Chris, but bookies will give you 8/1 against us being relegated… if you had a spare 4 million quid, it could cover the cost of relegation if it actually happened…
As I see it at the moment the inbalane in the starting 11 is causing us problems trying to pay 4-4-2.
In the last few games we have had no pace at all on the left either at full back or in attack. No criticism of Spector here as he is playing out of place, but Diamanti is a show pony akin to a place kicker in american football. Doesn't/can't/won't tackle and rarely takes any one on. Only looks good from set plays and is woeful away from home.
The right side is slightly better due to Faubert overlapping but you have to question playing Behrami on the right because he goes wandering to often leaving Faubert exposed.
If we are to persist in this formation, one which I personally like, we have to play with pace on at least one side of the pitch. As Diamanti is even worse away from home I would drop him from the next two games and play Stanislas on the left. I would also away to Chelsea and Arsenal leave Franco on the bench and play Dyer on the right of a five with Behrami tucked in the middle. This allows us to play a flexible 4-4-4 or 3-5-1 depending on if we have the ball or not
None of this is ideal but if we go away with such a slow frontline we will never get out of our half.
you want to drop the only player who looks like scoring and is a real danger at free kicks….sorry mate COMPLETE TOSH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If he hasn't got the ball he won't score and if you have seen him away from home you will know how much of a liability he can be.
We need to scrap and win games not struggle to get out of our own half as we will do playing the same 11 that started on saturday. If he plays it has to be in the centre so that we can get some pace in to the forward line down the flanks
Mate,most games at this level are so tight and you need players like diamanti who can get you a goal out of nothing,I agree left wing is not his best position but if we play a rightfooter there we're back to the same old problem,I could swallow collison there just as long as ilunga or Deprela are behind him.
As for all this defensive talk regarding Diamanti tracking back,I thought the reason you play 2 holding players like parker and kovac is so your wide players can push on alot more.
Parker was playing as a holding player, Chris, but when Kovac plays he gets forward more so we are not playing with two holding players at all.
Nasher, I love it… lets play 4-4-4…. would anyone notice I wonder????
oops!
Iain and Chandos
As the season draws to a close in the next few months, I want to know your thoughts, do you think Zola and Clarke are the way forward,i feel you have been quite recently on this topic.
Certainties to stay up Zola/Clarke certainties to go,why?poor tactics playing to many people out of position and Dont know what they earn,sure!Goons go back to West London!
Lads I have been forced to take drastic action. The tickets for the Wolves game arrived this morning and the flights are booked. Should I bring my boots just in case?
Yeap wellies will be fine.
the facvt that the past two games matty upson has been as spinless as well thought he could stoopp that low to have tomkins who is hardley out of nappies in terms od centre backs just like i said james collins wiped his backside for him and can not wait for him to go would of taken the captaincy off of him a long time ago . as for zola/clarke my heart says stick with them but having seen a lot of sullivan and gold at brum (have good friends who are hard core brum fans) there not there type of management set up . I guarentee you now we will stay up because west ham always do it the hard way , then in the summer either the money we get wil be used to pay them off thats if they have not walked out because of the way sullivan is dealing with certain players (green,cole,collison) and mark hughes will be installed (thats if he aint got a job some where else). sorry guys .
dear god.im watching it for the first time as i spent the whole weekend with mr fosters and mr vodka.
This is unreal !!!! what was tomkins up to? no idea and miles of the pace.zola and clarke have to take ownership of such a poor performance.the gaps at the back are gona give drogba a real worry as he will think hes playing on his own!!!
im sorry but for me were down.that was a shocker of major proportions !!!
re the zola debate .i am very interested to know who you all would like to be installed as manager,serious realistic names only haha.curbishley and obviously pardew are not allowed for the simple reason they are cack.i am a supporter of zola but i believe that mr gold and the evil pixie want him out,nani i gave mixed feelings about but i think the savio buy did for him,anyways looking foward to some suggestion.chrischris sorry mate i disqualified pardew but he is a championship manager imo
you know my answer why ask me?
the trouble i think with pardew was he go lost int the furore of being our manager.he got far too close to the playersand reo coker anton etc got big time charlie syndrome.saying that i loved his passion .ive been waiting for someone to put paul ince foward haha.good luck mate
I'd like a manager who is prepared to insert his foot into a few arses. I get the impression that if you play badly under Zola he'll give u a big cuddle and tell you everything will be ok.
if not Hughes id take steve coppell or Sean O'Driscoll
its not easy is it.there are not to many good uns about.odriscoll is getting good things said about him.coppell and hughes have experience,maybe with a younger man as no 2
Pj I said from Nov 2009 Zola had to go but people slated me.
I've not posted anything before now because I was so angry that I thought I'd calm down a bit and not make any rash judgements. However I'm still fuming about the result. Worst I've seen us play in a long long time and its the first time I have EVER booed the team (and im a big believer of never booing your own).
Quite simply we were awful and in the summer I would like a change in management and personnel. I've always been a big supporter of Zola and Clarke believing that they were very skilled coaches who were unlucky with injuries and financial constraints. But now I am convinced that they are tactically inept!
I used to like the fact that the players want to play for Zola but now I don't care if they all hate the manager, as long as he gets the job done, who cares.
We have no back bone, no leadership and no organisation.
I'm not a fan of mark Hughes but at least with him at the helm we wont have such a spineless team. we are so light weight its a joke.
and why was a defender not bought, loaned or signed in January?
Upson's obviously got a move on his mind as well as the world up so you wont see him put it in where it hurts.
Last Season I couldn't go wrong with the games I went to at Upton Park. We played superbly well, against Hull, Man City and Boro, and won all three. With benefit of hindsight I wouldn't have taken my lad to the Bolton and Blackburn games for his first two home ground visits. Despite this he still had a great day on both occasions and was excited to see himself on tele when they replayed the two Diamante free kicks in the first half.
My pre-season prediction, of a top half finish, that I held on to for so long is now completely out of the window.
The second half was marginally less frustrating than the first on Saturday. Anything resembling a threat on their goal broke down in the final third whilst Bolton bossed it in midfield for the vast majority of the 95 minutes. Their time wasting tactics served to add to our frustrations. Jaaskelainen should've been booked a long time before he did.
A bad day at the office for the team. I agree with many of the comments here that not one of the players had a good game. I disagree about Diamante being amongst the worst – at least he managed to put a few decent balls in from the flanks and scored a decent goal – even if his mistake played a big part in their first goal.
For their part Bolton played well – but not so well as to make us look bad. I think our players were mainly to blame for that poor performance and not the fact that we were played off the park.
Agree mate. But how different would we all feel if that stanislas shot went in?
I cant believe the first games you took your kid to were Bolton and Blackburn, what had he done to deserve that?
I think the Wolves game is a cheap one for kids….hopefully it will be a much better game.
Apart from Fulham they were the other two games included with the Youth Academy Membership Chris.
He plays the game himself and brought a smile to a few sitting around us when he offered his services as a Centre Back in the second half. Given the performance maybe not such a ridiculous idea.
Gav, the Wolves game will be different… I brought my workmates to 3 games so far in the last 12 months, and we won them all… and we plan a return for the Wolves game, so its a home banker for me…
IF we must start with Diamanti then wide left is NOT were he should be, don't track back don't tackle don't take anyone on hardly a wide player ?
I would think now looking at the players avaliable 3-5-2 would fit better.
——————————————— GREEN ———————————————-
_______________Tomkins——–Da Costa——-Upson—————————–
Faubert ————– Behrami ——- Parker ——–Collison ———Daprela —–
————————————- Diamanti ———-Cole—————————————
If we are going to have a statue on the pitch he may as well be up front, Zola does'nt seem to pick a team that plays to our strenghs, as much as I hate to say it maybe we need a change ? and come the summer one hell of a clear out !!
Devo are you still looking at 8 as being the nearest to a first 11, I am having a problem getting past 6 ?
Hi E1 – I'm assuming you are addressing me in your last paragraph, but I haven't a clue what you are asking me!
sorry Devo, some time back we were saying that we only had 7 maybe 8 first teamers in the squad and I was refering back to that.
Oh right!
On current form, we have less than 6 genuine first teamers. On paper, our side is better than at least half of the league, but as others have alluded to, the attitude is rarely evident, leading to sub-par performances.
I genuinely like Zola as a man and perhaps he should be retained as a personal coach, but we need somebody with a little more nous in charge and that man is not Clarke.
Personally, I wouldn't give Hughes the time of day. My favourite managers are Hodgson & Moyes and we ain't got any chance of luring one of those down to the Boleyn.
In fact, I can't think of another industry where you can repeatedly fail at your job and still be rewarded with new lucrative contracts.
So far as Zola and Clarke are concerned I think the two Davids want them out. I'd rather they stayed.
I wouldn't Zola's not ready at this level yet.
I am with you Goatygav
i agree,i believe that individual errors have cost us and thats out of his control
So Gabbs played for an hour,that's good enough for me,he goes straight into the team,and so does Deprela.
Not so sure about Gabbs, cos he's as prone to lapses in concentration just as Tomkins is… but having read some of the media statements from Zola after the game Saturday, its looking like a certainty Tomkins will be left out…
So, unless he's planning to play Mido at centre-half, Gabbs it probably will be…
Cahillcc he does have his moments but his solid in the air.
Apart from a couple of games earier in the season when he didn't play well, Gabbidon has been out for too long. Won't cut it in the PL now.
Mido at CH might not be such a bad idea. He could sit on the strikers in Sumo fashion – I think he could cover a front two on his own.
Faubert Upson Gabbidon Deprela
Dyer Behrami Parker Collison
…………………Diamanti……………….
………………….Cole………………….
If Zola goes at the end of the season, I'm sure Mark Hughes gets the gig.
It would be Bilic for me, though, although we all know he's staying with Croatia for another two years. Shame.
If Zola goes I don't think it will be to easy to get anyone in, who would won't it at the moment ? No money to improve and a poor squad. If we stay up this season it will only be for a season unless we can sell and buy were we need to. I can only see max 7 that we can call first teamers. Without money ther is no quick fix and changing the manager IMO aint going to help, even if I think we should.
E1- thats what you think now because come the summer and we get the insurance of least one more season in the prem the tv money will come and contracts will be offered to the right players ie behrami,collison,cole,green,parker yeah and mark hughes has worked with less than that at wales then blackburn plus and car what sullivan says he will give him some money , i would love zola to turn it around and be a david moyes but the sad thing is he aint done id graft as lower league manager or a coach to a prem manager and west ham will never break the mould .
So our youth/reserves just lost against the San Jose earthquakes 2-0 although if you read their site or the MLS site they make it out to pretty much be our first team that took a walloping from their allstars.
Just watched the robotic performance again of saturday,s debacle and honestly Diamante would be the only player who at least had a go the rest were awful I hope in the off season half of them are sold because they cant cut it at this level.
Another worry was Gold and the rest of his entourage are in the same clobber as they have worn for every game have they got any other stuff to wear? it would pong a bit a row back,pass the deodorant Dave.LOL
I feel after watching young Victor Moses play tonight 2 million on him would have been a much better buy than Fat arse Mccarthy 32 year old has been v an 18 year old Champ ,good work the 2 Dave,s eye for a good buy,if you like old has beens over the young guns.
Don't get me started on the whole Victor Moses thing I'm still seething over it.
Figauaro and n zogbia will do from wigan aprox £17mill the pair.
Can't see wigan going down
Sell Behrami to finance the deal?
No, its us wolves or hull with ports and Burnley.
Really concerned with our defence its utterly shocking.
Fauberts out so expect the useless spector over there,personally I would play behrami there.put collison in the middle.
On the plus side, chris, it should mean daprela gets another chance on the left and Faubert can replace Spector on his return.
The whole team needs a shake up. And I agree with you, how can people talk about dropping our only creative player?
Devo sorry mate but if we keep playing Diamanti wide left he becomes a liability if played up front behind cole I agree we should keep him in, but he gives nothing unless we get a free kick or he gets the ball in space, when we are on the offenceive he hides.
if portsmouth and wigan can take 3 point off liverpool why can we??????
what do you guys ot there think?
Because Wigan players want to play for their club,and half of West Ham players think the're too big and too good to be playing for West Ham,and the other half think they will be sold off,and not be there next season any way!!!! All thanks to the new owners,most of the staff in the corporate sells have had there mobile phones taken off em,so l think the cost cutting will go right though the club,l bet that's great for morale!!!!
if thats the case and our players dont want to play for us then we desearve to go down , and as far as having there mobiles taken off them then if that hurts there morale we have a club , team and staff with as much spine as a garden worm . mrDET you only have to look at the performance of matty upson in the last two games to see that if thats OUR captain shirking responsibilty and giving it to a centre back who is still in nappies as far as centre backs are concerned then we have no chance. To be honest i think zola's a dead man walking anyway if he doesnt walk then he will be chucked in the summer when we get the tv money to pay him off and i will have a bet with anyone on here now that mark hughes will be installed .
I can't see Mark Hughes wanting to come to us. Why would he want to? He doesn't need the money, probably doesn't want to live in London and maybe doesn't want to work for the two Davids. His name is only being bandied around because he is available and hardly anyone else of any standing is.
I think Hughes is more likely to end up at Liverpool.
Take 3 points off Liverpool, after Saturdays display I doubt we could as a collective take 3 points out of a dart board!
To many if's and buts about our football and management at the moment to predict results.
I agree…i'm fed up of seeing teams with players who are supposed to be worst than ours getting point in grounds where we only dream of taking a point.
Can anyone name me how many new regimes at clubs have kept the management team on longer than 1 season at least ? …i can name one and he has just one 32 cups or somthing close to that .
ITS SIMPLE, WE LOOSE AGAINST WOLVES WE'RE DOWN.
and wolves are playing really well.
I have always wanted Zola sacked and even more so now,infact I would sack him before the wolves game and look to get that boot up the backside reaction,
I dont think zola has the tactical know how for the relegation battle ahead,he gets outfoxed by the experienced managers.
Most our winnable games are against the wrong kind of teams stoke wigan etc….infact I fancy us against arsenal more than Wigan.
we need a back 4 of strengh and grit for this run in.
Behrami Upson Gabbidon Deprela(6 footer)
Dear Upson.If your reading this your recent performances have been shocking,you have shown no effort in trying to rescue a situation,i e when Tommo was making mistakes,dont think just because your playing for England at the moment you've got a move,,,,,,your far to slow on the turn these days for champions league.
I've gone though all games of the teams lower then us,and if at the end of the season we get just 6 more points we should end up 4th from the bottom, the way l see it finishing up will be, Portsmouth ,Burnley ,Hull,West ham, Wolves, Sunderland, obviously, l hope that we do a lot better than this, but that's the worse case scenario!!
l'd like to see what other people's opinions are.
Interesting… as a matter of interest, out of Burnleys next 2 home games (Stoke and Wolves), how many points d'ya think they will get?
Cos this weekend, there's a danger they could be above us…
we should swap Berami for Faubert at right back and push Fabs wide right, Di costa in for Tomkins he needs a rest Upson then Deprela for specs on the left with Illunga in front of him on the left. Parker and collison centre mid and Diamanti behind Cole up front.
At the end of the day what have we got to loose we carry on the way we are then points are just going to get harder to get. I still think that we would be better playing a 3-5-2 but 4-4-2 looks like the way we are going to stay as long as Zola is calling the shots we will stay up but next season will be a different thing unless we have a good clear out and bring some quality in. We shouls have been clear of trouble by now IMO, it has been a right cock up !
COYI !!!!!!!!!!!!
See everyones not posting no more,feed up i guess.
No one is posting because they dont want to openly admit if we lose to Chelski and Arsenal we may be in very deep so let us see if Zola can work some magic to get some results but the trouble is when you have Spector,Noble,Faubert,Mido,either unfit playing out of position or useless you just look at what the playing staff is there is no match winner with maybe Diamante who can lift their game when we go behind or an inspirational figure like Parker to drive em forward we lack a fighting spirit somewhat.
Da Costa is another who maybe not be good enough,if we survive we need to get rid of half of the shite!
16th now
Heres a post for ya Chris…
Sunderland 4 Bolton 0…..
Guess that shows us how good Bolton really are, eh…