Losing to Tottenham hurts. Leaving White Hart Lane, feeling like 4-1 was a lucky escape is just embarrassing. There’s not much that can be said about yesterday afternoon’s performance. In fact, the less said, the better. After looking forward to the fixture all day, I sat down with my notepad in hand, eagerly anticipating a decent game of football. In what was a dull, yet satisfactory opening twenty minutes, I’d only managed to scribble a few lines. After fifty minutes, both my pen and notepad were thrown across the room and my fingers were itching towards the remote to turn the TV off and end the misery. I’m not going to deny that it was an incredibly frustrating game to watch but it’s one we need to learn from, not moan about.
Yes, Bilic got the tactics wrong. Leaving Andy Carroll up top, when trying to soak up pressure and hit them on the break was never going to work. We can all have our say and pick holes in the performance, but it’s in the past. It may well be that the system and tactics implemented under Sam Allardyce would have made for a different game but I’m quite happy to take the losses that will inevitably come in our transition away from the previous approach that many were so unhappy with. Some will say we should pick and choose when to use such a style of play but unfortunately, we can’t have the best of both worlds. We’ve now got an important fixture against West Bromwich Albion to look forward to and a chance to see just what the squad and staff our made of.
I’ve previously spoken about how big an impact a disappointing result can have on the week that follows a West Ham fixture and this one is no different. Well, it being our worst performance of the season and against our bitter rivals does perhaps make it slightly different, but you know what I mean. Although it’s an incredibly bitter pill to swallow, it’s one that comes with an antidote. An antidote that can be provided with a return to winning ways against West Brom next week. We only need to remind ourselves of the dire performance against Bournemouth to see how quickly things can change. With criticism flying in from left, right and centre, we went unbeaten in seven league games, beating Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea along the way.
I’m fully aware that if the team and tactics used on Sunday were to be used for the next seven games, we could see ourselves tumbling down the table at a rate of knots. I’m sure (and hope) there are many that share my faith in Slaven Bilic and the squad at our disposal having the ability to figure out a way to right the wrongs we all had to witness yesterday afternoon. I appreciate that after such a shocking display as the one we saw against Spurs, sometimes a good vent of frustration is needed. The time for that has now passed. The club is still in a very good position (if I was offered 6th place in the table and 21 points after 13 games, I’d have taken it without a moment’s hesitation) and we should be looking up, rather than down, forwards instead back.
I’d like to think the majority are like myself and let optimism prevail over disappointment. From some, the negativity will stream forth until they have no other option but to be positive and that really doesn’t bother me. What I can’t understand is the onslaught of criticism for players who are part of the club we all love so much. It was hard to watch Andy Carroll practically walk around the pitch and struggle to have any input, I know. For me, he still doesn’t seem fit. He doesn’t move in the same way. He doesn’t play with the intensity we all know he can but does that really mean he should be shipped out and forgotten about? I might be in the minority but I truly believe he can still do a job for the club. We may have paid over the odds for what could now be considered an ‘impact sub’ but he’s still an impact sub that can really make a difference in games when we’re running out of options, one that I think would be sorely missed later in the season if we were to let him go.
Mark Noble is a fan favourite in more ways than one. The local lad, adored by so many, is often the first port of call for those looking to dish out some criticism. There’s no room for sentiment in football, I know that. I might have grown up watching Mark Noble play, hearing of the potential transfers that have never materialised due to his commitment to the club but that isn’t why I like him as a player, it’s because of his ability. He might not be as nippy as some fans think is necessary for his role but he does what is asked of him and to a standard I believe has a positive influence on the team. I know they’ll be a stream of comments that counter that claim and feel free to do so, I’ll just have to save the full scope of my opinion for an article in the future.
They’ll be people out there that have to deal with the aftermath of yesterday’s result for the remainder of the week and unfortunately, I’m in the same boat. At least the boat we’re in isn’t sinking. It’s one that can be patched up and prove the doubters wrong next week. We have the opportunity to show that we can perform without the likes of Payet and Valencia and I firmly believe it’s an opportunity that will be taken.
COYI