When your teenage daughter is able to cut through the truly neurotic thinking that is part and parcel with being a football supporter, you’re probably in a pretty weak position debate-wise.
“Dad. There were no games last weekend. You were pretty calm, didn’t go through any f-ed up mood swings. Things were good. But this morning you’re a wreck again and yet you say you’re happy it’s back. How on earth is that healthy”?
Pause.
“Did you do your Spanish homework”?
It’s become virtually cliche to call a game like this crucial. Mathematically it wasn’t. Psychologically it was pretty damned important. The stats showed that starting Carroll would be a good move, with Burnley giving up more corners than any team in the EPL thus far. They also have given up more total shots than any other side, but a large percentage of them have come from outside the eighteen yard box. So a poacher like Hernandez would be sensible at the very least. But we’ve seen how Bilic handles having those two on the pitch together, and needless to say the reviews have been Luke warm. But with Lanzini in the starting eleven along with Arnautovic and Antonio, it had to be called a positive lineup from our manager.
The first five minutes were a punchfest. Too bad I don’t write about ice hockey because that wording could have been fun. West Ham won a corner thanks to Lowton’s face, but after taking it short the ensuing delivery into the box was punched away by Pope. A moment later Hart showed his version of Football Fisticuffs when he punched away a cross from Defour. I had a feeling we would see a lot of this today.
In the thirteenth minute, Burnley likely should have opened the scoring when Wood lost Zabaleta on a run into the West Ham penalty area. Lowton sent a deep cross that found Wood all alone in front of Hart. Left would have scored. Right would have scored. But straight ahead was an easy save for Hart.
You cannot teach pace. I don’t know who said that, but I know it’s a sports cliche. In the 19th minute, Hart intercepted a long cross. He took one look and saw Antonio off to the races. The ball landed at the right foot of Mee, but he couldn’t control it. Yes, that will go down as a mistake by the Burnley defender. But Antonio stayed with it, touched it around Pope, and slotted it home.
Burnley 0
West Ham 1
In the span of seconds, West Ham’s day went from promising to dumb. Andy Carroll went up for a header against Tarkowski, and caught him with an unintentional elbow. Atwell showed him yellow. It could be argued that Carroll did catch him in the face, so intention isn’t as relevant. But the second one was pure knuckleheadedness. Carroll flew into Mee, chasing a long ball, and flattened him. NFL scouts would have been impressed. You didn’t need to wait for Atwell to reach into his pocket to know what was coming. The lack of discipline from Carroll, knowing he was on a yellow, was as infuriating as the idiocy shown by Arnautovic at Southampton.
I guess we will see Sakho and Hernandez against Brighton on Friday.
The day should have gone from very bad to incredibly awful in the 32nd minute when Brady threaded a ball to Wood, who had split open the West Ham defense. Hart dove out to meet the ball, met Wood’s feet, and a penalty would have been no surprise. But Atwell pointed to the corner instead, and West Ham could be thankful for the charity.
The first half carried on as one would expect, with Burnley using the extra space on the pitch to dominate possession. The moved the ball side to side, but The Hammers back line did their job well. Burnley couldn’t manage anything other than a few long range shots that didn’t find a target. In fact, West Ham had what could be considered the best chance of the half post Carroll lunacy when Arnautovic and Lanzini combined at the top of the Burnley area but The Jewel’s shot was deflected harmlessly into the waiting arms of Pope.
Halftime
Burnley 0
West Ham 1
The second half started with a sensible substitution. Arnautovic and his 25 million pound price tag gave way for Obiang and his, what was it, four million pound receipt? Even though that was a defensive move, West Ham started the second half on the attack and came inches from scoring a second. Hernandez rolled a perfectly weighted pass for Lanzini in the box, who then whipped the ball across the face of goal where Antonio just missed it at the far post.
A few moments later West Ham again showed more endeavor with ten men when Zabaleta, Lanzini, and Obiang worked the ball well at the top of the Burnley eighteen yard box but Obiang couldn’t get much power into his shot and it floated softly into Pope’s arms.
Burnley had a chance to level the game in the 55th minute when Fonte gave up a silly foul twenty five yards from goal, giving Brady a chance to show what he can do from a set piece. But the West Ham wall showed what they can do and West Ham averted danger.
The 57th minute brought us the best bit of football West Ham have shown all season. A back heel pass from Obiang set off a series of quick passes that culminated with Pope making a diving save on Antonio. Moments later a long cross from Defour somehow eluded everyone in the West Ham penalty area, including a diving Lowton and went out for a goal kick. Minutes later Brady sent a beautiful ball in between Reid and Fonte that Vokes chased down, but there was nobody there to poke it in. Minutes later Gudmundsson fired a long range curler that beat Hart, bounced off the post, and landed right in front of a grinning Hart. Two minutes later Defour tested Hart with a long range shot, and the England number one handled it easily.
Burnley had another chance handed to them by Atwell in the 71st minute when they were awarded a free kick from thirty yards out. The ball bounced off the wall, and the rebound shot went off Lanzini and out for a corner. West Ham handled it well, but all they could do was hoof it down the pitch and wait for the next Burnley onslaught.
Bilic removed Hernandez in the 74th minute and inserted Sakho. Hernandez was clearly angry at the move. Ian Dowie on television thought it was the correct move. I would have taken Antonio off, both because he looked spent and because Hernandez had shown what he can do in a ten man setup at Southampton. That’s not a criticism of Bilic. Just an opinion.
My goodness, Obiang has a longer name than I was aware. Pedro Mba Obiang Avomo. That’s what the FotMob app calls him. Very formal app I must say.
Burnley continued to search for a late equalizer, and they finally got it in the 85th minute when Gudmundsson beat Cresswell down the right and sent a terrific cross into the box that Wood headed past a helpless Hart.
Burnley 1
West Ham 1
The announcement of four extra minutes could not have been met with joy by the visitors. It was likely very easy for West Ham supporters to visualize a late Burnley winner. But despite the disappointment of Wood’s late goal, our version of Claret & Blue held on for the point.
Final Score
Burnley 1
West Ham 1
Mitigating circumstances. Other than stupidity, that’s the term that will dominate West Ham’s thinking. It’s hard to judge how much we have improved since Newcastle. The results absolutely indicate an upward trajectory. But the performances have been mixed. But had Carroll not….OK, no more pejorative adjectives about him, I think we would have won. But you never know.
At the end of the day, with the still fragile state we are in as a club, I’ll stay satisfied with the point.