Please use this thread to comment on the match as it progresses.
UPDATE: The team selection is about as strange as you could have imagined:
Green
Spector Upson Gabbidon Daprella
Ilan Parker Kovac Behrami Dyer
Mido
But the bench isn’t bad!
Stech, Cole, McCarthy, Tomkins, Collison, Diamanti and Stanislas
Another corner..hold fast boys
Anyone else notice the irony in the fact that Chelsea is doing almost all of their attacking down our right side, when we have an 18-year-old at LB?
Ilan and Mido are trying..fair play
carlton for ilan at half time anyone?
I'll talk anyone for Ilan. I'd actually prefer Diamanti and allow him to play in a second striker role, I think.
Yes Oliver, all the attacks on the left. Good spot
I mean right
Half time 1 all
If you're not watching the game you should be at http://www.hammerstv.com – FREE!!!
COYI
Mido & Ilan off. Stanislas & Cole on.
agreed Devo. I think Mido has actually done Ok but Ilan has been very poor.
agree – Mido is a handful, even if he is congenitally offside – but Ilan, what the hell was that?
yeah, maybe diamanti on 60mins, if it's still 1-1, get him to rele test turnbull
Mido's not doing so bad, Devo – although he doesn't seem to understand the offside rule…
1 – 1 half time and Parker has been superb.
2-1 to the Hammers at full-time… OH YES!
Come on West Ham ;o)
1-1, half time… who'd have though that when we saw the teamsheet… or when we went 1 down…
Empty the bench after 60 mins… then who knows…
Green playing well, Parker outstanding & I still really like the look of Daprela.
Daprella hasn't had to defend more than twice and hasn't had the ball more than once.
if zola keeps it 1-1 then he has my vote for one more game !!!!!!! then bring on the hughes
Our half-time expert here in Singapore is Carlton Palmer! Any thoughts on that anyone?
Lovely score at half time.
Positives.
1. The score – obviously
2. Performances of Parker(as always) Green, Daprela and Dyer. Dyer really has done well today and our left hand side has looked fairly secure.
Negatives
1. Right back spot. Spector is having his worst game so far. I would consider putting Collison in Behrami's position so Behrami can sit into right back spot. Every time Malouda attacks Spector isn't within 4 metres of him. He needs to get a lot tighter.
2. Ilan. Terrible miss and completely ineffective.
I'm really hopeful now because I feel we hold more of the aces.
Cole on for Mido. Diamanti on for Ilan. Stanislas or Collison on for Dyer as he will no doubt tire into the second half.
This game is reminding me a little of the Man Utd away game in the sense that Valencia was putting in cross after cross after cross unchallenged. Zola just did nothing tactically about it. Either Spector gets tighter or he should be pulled off.
Great Rodney Marsh story – his last game for England, Sir Alf says " you need to play better or I'll pull you off at half time". Rodney says, "Blimey, at QPR we just get a cup of tea and oranges".
that's funny
….pulled off, meaning substituted, not the other meaning. He hasn't played well enough for that
Come on guys, give the guy a break. We all moan we he makes no changes and likewise when he does.
Tony Gale said earlier that Cole was struggling to fully recover from the knee injury.
Think the 5 across the middle is spot on at Chelsea, as is not starting with Diamanti. Dont think he is the right player for this match.
Would LOVE to see Stanislas on far right for Ilan.
Speed and flair on both wings and very solid in the middle.
Could always adapt by bringing cole on for Kovac if we are chasing.
Sweet strike by Parker, he has been outstanding for the last 2 seasons.
Must go to SA
Yes, time for Junior
Ilan off Diamanti on. We need his impact. It’s the only way i can see us winning
deprela is going to be a good player …..wont stay with us probally be at united within two years
what ever the score ive seen enought to know that zola needs to stay with this formation and i really think upson needs dropping and give the captaincy to scotty .
definitely – I can't see what Upson offers, definitely not leadership
Hello from the states, celebrating st pats here, hoping and praying for a win, COME ON YOU HAMMERS!
OK let's get Ilan off.
Agreed. He's really, really bad.
Well done Greeny
deprela , does well ……why sis we see this against arsenal but zola does not until he is pushed to by the fans
keep it together boys .. keep your heads up you are doing well
dAMN
Truly extraordinary how awful Upson is. He really doesn't have a clue how to defend. That was so easy to just stay with Drogba instead of ball-watching!!!
OK we didn't deserve that. Keep it together and bounce back in a few
2-1 down
(
http://www.hammerstv.com
2-1 down
(
http://www.hammerstv.com
Terrible defending by Upson and Daprela.
England's Number 1 – all things considered
Malouda again – Malouda is being the equivalent to Valencia. Left all alone to cross.
No tactical nous again. Shame as collectively we are defending very well – just the right back position.
Can we have a couple of changes now please Zola- before we go 3-1 down. Freshen it up for chuffs sake. Get Cole and Diamanti on now!
Christ, get Ilan OFF!!!!!
We are still having a go
Any top manager would have brought Ilan and Mido off by now. He is waiting for us to go 2 goals down again before doing anything
Andy, why aren't you a manager? You seem to think that you're better than Wenger and Ferguson combined.
so you would leave Ilan on would you?
Ilan needs to come off NOW if we are to get back into this game!!
Yesterday
this time we agree – half an hour to go – time to get on with it
COME ON ZOLA!
Any chance we could get Joe Cole next season? No trnsfer fee so maybe we could afford his wages..he would be perfect for us…
green is capello's number 1 ……anyone want any bets that cole did somthing wrong this week …..i remember him turning up at half time for a game …… theres no reason why he would not have played from the start
Either his knee or his terrible, disinterested performance last week.
iam wrong he's on lol……..
AT LAST! Come on you Irons!
ne1 got a workin stream
streams are cr*p today for some reason mate
go to http://hammerstv.com/livestreams.html hemel
The immediate difference these two have made is incredible. As is the fact that that wasn't a foul on Ivanovic.
series question anyone ……i know these next two games are void as such ( hopefully draws or low scoring against us ) but how long do we give zola ………till wolves or stoke or just stick with him till the end ?? we have played well today to keep up wth chelski
I don't see the benefit in firing him before the season is over.
Let shope the new boys on can make a difference
COYI
http://www.hammerstv.com
C Cole should have done better there…
Naive, and that's it
keep it together 3-1 ….respectable lol.
3-1 all over?