It’s Monday and I’m still fuming, even after having two nights sleep after the Wolves game, trying to digest it all and put it into perspective, weighing up the positives against the obvious negatives and so forth.
But I am still spitting fire and not just because we lost. I know we were reasonably close to a goalless draw, but I won’t even blame Sanchez for losing the ball late in the game in an impossible position close to his own penalty box, allowing Wolves to nick the game in classic daylight robbery style.
It is very rare that I agree with a certain Alan Shearer, but this time I couldn’t help it. He complained about West Ham players’ body language. I concur.
He mentioned complete lack of effort. Walking. Jogging. Yep, that’s what I saw, but couldn’t quite believe either.
No intensity whatsoever. If you perform like this, you’re going to get nowhere. Yes, I seem to have bought my crystal ball from the same shop as Mr.Shearer because mine is saying exactly the same.
Call me naive or call me hopelessly old-fashioned, but the very least I expect from every player putting on the claret and whatever blue is left on the shirt is effort, desire and the willingness to leave everything out there on the pitch after 90 minutes plus stoppage time of Premier League football.
I do expect that especially from professional players who do this for a living and are being paid very handsomely for the privilege.
I am fully aware that we are in for another transitional season, I expected us, at the start of the season, to finish slightly higher than last season, but not a lot, between 10th and 12th probably. I stick to that prediction. But the cold hard facts are that we have played four games now and have yet to win a single point. And we have some very hard fixtures lurking after the international break, so it may indeed be quite a while yet before we should begin climbing the table from rock bottom upwards.
Please be so kind and explain this to me Mr.Pellegrini:
We have played only four league games so far this season, the new campaign is still young. Yet our players already look as if they can’t be bothered to play football. Why is that ? Too knackered still from preseason ?
The league game should be the pinnacle of every footballer’s week. Showing tricks and flicks or busting a gut in training is nice of course, but out there on the pitch on matchday is where it counts. Where your character and application as a ball-playing athlete matters.
At this stage of the season every player should be itching to put on the West Ham shirt and get the home crowd off their seats with a scintillating performance delivered in front of a full stadium. And impress his manager too in the process.
And I’m afraid having to admit that I see more effort in every single game that even the Concordia U23 lads (amateurs) play than what our boys did against Wolves. Losing a football game is one thing, losing without looking remotely interested is a different matter altogether.
I heard an interesting quote from, sorry, the Concordia first team manager who has brought in a few more signings before the local transfer deadline, why ? Because he felt some players, maybe subconsciously, felt too secure of their position and role in the team due to the overall (decent) quality.
He said that if a player, nevermind several players in the same team, decides to put in only 70 or 80% effort instead of 100% because there are other quality players around him to mop up any shortcomings, well, that’s when you are just missing out by inches (or yards on winning a challenge, a tackle, an interception during the game.
So as manager you do want the players to know that they either have to put in a proper shift or their shirt will be worn by another player for the next game who is indeed willing to leave blood, sweat and tears on the pitch for the sake of the entire team, the club and the fans.
Against Wolves I saw too many West Ham players pointing out mistakes to their teammates, shrugging shoulders, shifting blame left, right and center. Of course you need a general or two on the pitch who direct, encourage and yes, also get out the hair dryer for their teammates if need be, but every single player needs to put in a shift. Preferably without having to be told so in advance. Again, they are professionals.
That’s the only way you can or will win games in the Premier League.
I have no doubt that Pellegrini is a very good football manager, so I am confident he will address his team in the right manner after the Wolves (non) performance.
If all players put 100% in, we should be a match for most teams in the league and I include opponents like Everton, Manchester United or Spurs here.
We can beat these teams, we have quality players in our squad, however, not much is going to change if only three players put the effort in with the rest of the team merely practising their ball-watching as pedestrians and passengers.
I wonder how our upcoming training sessions will pan out, I surely hope MP will put the players through their paces and demand a proper reaction for the next game.
West Ham fans are a bunch that’s accustomed to seeing our team lose games. We are used to seeing blunders and gaffes. We are used to seeing the lads snatch defeat from the jaws of victory and still we always forgive and come back for more.
What we don’t forgive, in my experience, is players who show a lack of effort and desire. Players who perform like they just don’t care or can’t be arsed.
West Ham fans do like a battler and a trier though. The 2018 version of West Ham need to try harder. COYI!!!
Hamburg football update: St.Pauli lost a wild one, 3:5 at home against Cologne. Hamburg SV’s game on Saturday was cancelled at short notice as the county of Sachsen couldn’t provide enough staff to police the game in Dresden due to a high number of ad hoc protest marches after the shenanigans in Chemnitz earlier.
You may have heard that there is a growing mob of right-wing protesters/neo-nazis here in Germany taking to the streets, showing ever more confidence and anger, causing quite a stir, especially in certain parts of East Germany. Let’s hope enough people in my country have learned our lesson from 85 years ago…that’s all I’m prepared to say at this point…
Both Concordia teams won their fixtures, the first team on Friday, 2:1 at home against Niendorf and the U23s on Sunday afternoon (4:2 win), away, in the middle of nowhere beyond the south-easterly outskirts of town (60 mile roundtrip). The stadium was surrounded by meadows, with cows and horses on them, you get the picture…