Guest Post by Jessica Ufton
Happy 5th of July – A look at Seattle Sounders vs West Ham by a sleep deprived Forever Blowing Bubbles.
The fourth of July is a holiday we Brits don’t really seem to understand. What we understand a lot better is the aftermath. The fifth of July. The day beset by hang overs, sleep deprivation and a never ending pile of washing up to follow the party the night before. These are things we are familiar with, no matter the holiday. It seemed to me these are things that our beloved West Ham team became all too familiar with as well.
A team made up of both youth players, new players and first team regulars flew off to the states under a star spangled banner of excitement and expectation but come the fifth of July they were left jetlagged and fatigued with barely a handful of days of training under their belt and a 3-0 loss to Seattle Sounders their first result of preseason – a result that means either nothing or everything to varying Hammers fans. If you believe the locals in Seattle before the match, you would find they were experiencing a reversal of this 4th/5th July pattern. On the fourth, despite the celebrations of their holiday, local media were apprehensive, sighting the match as a complete waste of time for their team. Seattle are after all in the midst of their competitive season, fully fit, with an important game to LA Galaxy I believe it was up next weekend. The last thing they needed was a friendly right in the middle. By the end of the game on the fifth of July they were jubilant at the prospect of taking such an ‘important win’ against a premier league side into their next game. What a turn around.
I must interject at this point to say that I am not American, nor do I live there, and I’m sure there are many fellow Irons in the states who actually made it to the match and will have a different point of view to myself. My viewpoint was from Kent in the South East of England, at 3:30am, when a recurring illness of mine kept me up in the early hours uncharacteristically. It was at this point in my sleep deprived state I remembered that the Hammers were playing so I shuffled over to the laptop to find to my delight that the official Seattle Sounders facebook page was streaming a good quality uninterrupted video link of the live match. I settled down to watch and soon even found myself taking copious albeit basic notes on how each player performed in an attempt to keep my mind off how ill I felt. The result of which – although I’ve never done anything like this before – I offered up to Iain like an unworthy sacrifice, in case any of you who were quite rightly asleep at 3:30am were interested in hearing.
I will say please take the rudimentary insight below with a pinch of salt, as I tried to bullet point the pros and cons of the players I witnessed last night. However, severe lack of fitness considered the good points may all at once be fluke or barely a hint of the supreme quality to come and the bad may be both a poor day at the very lethargic office or a sign of inbuilt bad habits that may or may not change over time. Either way I am definitely not one to hold any of the particular cons against players, with preseason in mind, but it does present a talking point that takes us temporarily away from the international football of the Euros and firmly back in the much anticipated domestic football season we all can’t wait to see start.
So then. Despite what was expected, due to their other fixture commitments as I have already mentioned, we did not encounter a full strength MLS side. Instead it was much like our own: a mixture of youth and experience, the latter gaining important minutes on the field to worm their way into their managers plans. The only difference between our two teams then, was one was fully fit and the other still remembering their summer hols…how nice that beach was and how even nicer their wags looked in their bikinis. A huge difference then in terms of potential quality and focus.
Of the available team taken to the states, we were told in pre-match build up that likely every player would see game time. This proved true, every player in fact got at least 45 minutes. I won’t give you a rundown of exactly the match as it happened – those will exist, probably on the official site for one – and to be honest with you it was pretty dull and each half almost mirrored the other. West ham start well then drift off into the distance after about 15-20 minutes when the Sounders sensed the soporific nature of our performance and took advantage.
First Half
Backline
Adrian GK
Pros: solid as usual with some good saves, acted as a sweeper for much of the game.
Cons: gave away a penalty by not reacting quickly enough after coming off his line, got none of the ball and a lot of the man. This led to goal numero uno.
Page LB
Pros: a potential deputy to Cresswell now that Hendrie has joined Rovers on loan. Made some good runs and looked secure in possession.
Cons: didn’t rip up any trees but then again no one did really. He doesn’t look the full package yet and like other youngsters will not be knocking on the first team door any time soon.
Rice CB
Pros: very young player, did the basics well, distributed safely and covered in a capable fashion.
Cons: kept forgetting he was actually playing (no names on backs of shirts) and he was largely overshadowed and kept from danger by Winston stood next to him who shut out most issues before he could even get to them.
Reid CB
Pros: started as he meant to go on, well focused under the unfit circumstances, could be seen organising the backline well as usual.
Cons: something you will see me repeat for many of the senior players that’s fitness related – nothing particular, the odd loose ball and lapses of concentration leading to poor control.
Byram RB
Pros: was looking forward to seeing him play as I felt he should have come in for Antonio in his position once he was fit again at the end of last season. Made some top quality interceptions and attempts at bombing forward. Positional sense seemed good.
Cons: perhaps the reason he didn’t come back in for Antonio? Or maybe again making too much of things due to preseason, but boy did he lose the ball a lot. I seemed to notice mistakes from him more than any other “senior” player. He didn’t always look confident, after a while I noticed I did not feel secure watching him on the ball as if he was going to give something away at any moment. Not the best quality in a defender. Pinch of salt…pinch of salt.
Midfield
Noble DM/CM
Pros: Mr West Ham. In many ways it was as if he never left after the end of last season, still had an eye for a good quality pass and was one of only two players who really looked like they did not want to lose this game. It was more than a friendly to him that’s for sure.
Cons: see Winston Reid.
Poyet DM/CM
Pros: never saw him play himself into trouble – doesn’t mean he didn’t, it was 3:30am after all and there was no timer on the screen so who knows I may have drifted off temporarily! ;) – good range of passing.
Cons: similar to the Rice and Reid partnership conundrum. I’m not convinced that much of his good work wasn’t down to Noble shielding him from danger. Either way he didn’t do anything to force his way into Bilic’s plans as yet, especially with 4 other higher quality players vying for the same position arguably.
Makasi RW/LW
Pros: Seemed to have a good understanding with Samuelson as to when to swap sides to confuse the opposition. Good pace. Was the only player to last out 90 minutes and not look too tired.
Cons: was one of the players I was most disappointed with. For some reason rightly or wrongly I do expect better sharpness and fitness levels from the youth players and although I know they only have had the same time to train as everyone else they are less likely to lose as much match fitness as the older players. In addition, one would hope they would go all out to put themselves firmly in Bilic’s eyeline. Makasi showed neither of these things, despite playing the entire game. He played one half as a winger and the other as a right back. He was marginally better as a winger, attempting some good runs but nothing really came off for him. He was poor defensively at right back and when up against a fast youth team winger for Seattle allowed vast arrays of space for their young man to run into – one leading to third goal. To be honest he was put in the shade very much by Seattle’s youth player in this regard.
Samuelson RW/LW
Pros: Who doesn’t love this lad. Works so hard. Never lost the ball in close control, good eye for a pass. Still very worthy of being in and around the first team this season.
Cons: – Something you wouldn’t expect. Saw very little if any of his dazzling runs at the defenders and his quick feet. Not sure if Bilic was nervous of an injury and advised against it or just lack of fitness.
Carroll ST
Pros: Held the ball up exceptionally well and distributed it well in turn. Has a tendency normally to head balls on to nobody as he doesn’t look up but saw no evidence of that this game, which I was pleased about. All balls received were brought down first on his chest the either headed backward to safety or passed forward more accurately with feet.
Cons: I’m not a Carroll fan anyway, but to be honest even despite the fitness question I did expect more of him from this game. He didn’t have a single shot on target. Whether you can put that down to service or not is debatable but against a largely 2nd string MLS side he should have had a field day.
Browne ST
Pros: hard worker, industrious. Very clear he wanted to prove himself and was often either asking for the ball or forcing himself onto the ball. Good trickery to get past defenders and good shot on target at one point.
Cons: So desperate to show himself in a good light he often did the opposite. Lots of fouls, many rather too much for a friendly game. Did not endear himself to the home fans in this regard and looked a bit of a loose cannon for us as well in addition to being a bit selfish on the ball.
Second Half
Wholesale changes in the 2nd half, except Makasi as I already mentioned who moved to RB so will not mention him again. The new players and the flair players arrived in this half to spice things up a bit and we certainly looked more dangerous. I really did feel we’d score this half, maybe even go on to win it at times, but once the second goal went in it all fell to pieces.
Speigel GK
Pros: good distribution and shot stopper and I get the sense he could be a top goal keeper someday. Was not afraid to come and collect the ball. Can also be pronounced Smeagol or maybe that’s only when I’m watching him play. Never a bad thing, my precious.
Cons: has a tendency to parry balls back into the danger area. This facet of his game almost caused a 4th goal but for the intervention of Burke. At first glance it also looked as if it had previously caused the second goal, but that would be unduly harsh. He managed to put his chest in the way of an unexpected shot from close range which he wouldn’t have had much chance of gathering in all fairness, which fell right at the feet of Seattle’s young striker, Morris, who went on to score the third with a good piece of skill later on.
Cresswell LB
Pros: was given the captains armband and looked very much a vice captain in his organisation of defence in Reid and Noble’s absence. He was very vocal and he was the only other player, aside from Noble as I mentioned previously, that looked really bothered by the fact we were going to lose our opening preseason game. He was often seen shouting with frustration when good build up toward goal ended in a damp squib of a pass that caused goal kick after goal kick for Seattle.
Cons: was not exempt from a bad touch or bad cross himself and looked just as angry with himself for it as he did at other players. Otherwise see Reid and Noble.
Henry CB
Pros: I had high hopes for this lad. He looks so commanding in the air and has a whiff of James Collins about him at times. On the end of many a block and heading danger away.
Cons: don’t know if this was a one-time thing due to fitness – as I’ll keep saying to save the inevitable cries of “its only preseason don’t be harsh!” – but his positional play was poor. He was equally at fault as Makasi for the third goal and was very slow in reacting to get back into position when play inevitably broke through toward our goalkeeper due to this. He also committed a totally unnecessary two footed tackle on one of the Seattle players who was very luckily alright.
Burke CB
Pros: the prodigal son arriveth. Much is being made of this being Burke’s breakthrough season following the departure of Tomkins. And while I actually believe allowing Tomkins to leave was the wrong decision (assuming he wanted to stay which is not confirmed of course) as I don’t feel he is as incomplete a defender when compared to Ogbonna and Reid as many would have you believe, Burke did all the right things to prove that he is the readymade replacement. Positioned himself well, made attempts to bring the ball out from the back without fear, some good passes and plenty of interventions. This makes him sound spectacular I realise, he wasn’t really, but with regards to how poor many were due to fitness levels I would say he was on a par that evening with the likes of Reid and Cresswell in defence so that can only be a good thing going forward.
Cons: see Reid/Noble/Cresswell. How his performance will translate to premier league defences is another matter. We shall see.
Quina CM/LW pretty much everywhere!
Pros: the surprise of the evening…or morning as the case may be. What a player this lad looks to be…pinch of salt pinch of salt. Looks to be another Reece Oxford and only 16 I believe. If he carries on the way he played against Seattle he will be another knocking on the door of the first team and with good reason. He was full of running and he looked so very comfortable on the ball even the Seattle commentators who of course were mostly talking about their own team commented on him. His close control was top draw and almost all of his passes came off.
Cons: bit rash with the tackle. Again as with other young players could be down to a determination to impress. Doesn’t always know yet when to let go of the ball at the right time.
Obiang DM
Pros: I really hope this guy doesn’t leave. I think he’s quality. One of the few bright sparks of the evening…pinch of salt. Good interceptions, great range of passing. Got up and down well and even had a couple of shots on goal which is more than Carroll managed. One headed attempt that looped over and one shot that dragged wide. He’s still relatively young and should really be challenging for a first team place as he has the skill for it. Even if he’s not playing in the premier league games week in week out, with the Europa league and the cups next season we really should be utilising him more often.
Cons: Nothing particular, lost the ball a few times due to poor close control. The usual fitness stuff.
Nordveit DM
Pros: Finally, we get onto the first of our big new signings. I knew nothing about this fellow so was keen to watch him. He marshalled the line in front of the back four like a pro. He seemed to know where everyone was and could pass equally well with long ball and short ball. Seemed to strike up a good partnership with Obiang almost instantly. A safe pair of hands and, although I was a fan of his, an upgrade on Alex Song. Brilliant business on a free.
Cons: didn’t see him making too many if any tackles. This could be down to cautiousness, preseason and all that (read “and all that” in the style of Slaven) and the fact that Obiang seemed to be in charge in that area. He also didn’t do anything that particularly set the world alight but that doesn’t mean he won’t. Early days.
Feghouli RW
Pros: bags of potential for the premier league. Faster than anyone else in our team on the day. The only player who played in a wing position to make darting runs and take on defenders who he beat most of the time. Some lovely crosses and some good shots and a brilliant pull back at one point in the penalty area, sadly only Quina was on the end of it and the young man panicked and sliced at it. Cannot fault his work rate considering this was a friendly.
Cons: preseason game pinch of salt pinch of salt. He didn’t seem to me to be an upgrade on Antonio in any way, his qualities were much the same. Unpredictable, fast and powerful. Can only assume he has the potential to get even better with improved fitness, which is fantastic. Also not sure yet on his ability to track back to defend.
Lanzini CM/CAM
Pros: the little Ferrari is back. Alongside Obiang he ran the length of the pitch in the second half, picking up the ball and distributing it well. Passing of good quality as ever. Looked dangerous every time he had the ball.
Cons: didn’t shoot or make attempts on goal as he usually does. Would have liked to see more of that and maybe we would have nicked something. He seemed to be playing more playmaker, but there was no one of good enough quality for him to do that with on the night unfortunately.
Martinez ST
Pros: interested to see this young man. Overshadowed slightly as the new young player of the evening by the supremacy of Quina. However, he looked to be a good striker for the future. He seemed to be in all the right places, ready to poach something should it come his way – unfortunately we were a bit toothless when it came to the final decisive pass so it never did. He was quick footed and provided some good passes to play in the likes of Feghouli at times and was much more a team player than Browne earlier on. I felt he was an upgrade on him.
Cons: was not able to impose himself on the game. Easily knocked off the ball at times by the Seattle defenders so may be currently a bit lightweight from the premier league but hey look at Lanzini, you never know.
In summary the high points of the night were the debuts of Nordveit and Feghouli who look to be very capable first team players and will provide Bilic with a bit of a selection headache when fully fit. It is very clear to me even from this early game that we are well stocked with midfielders of all kinds and should have very little issue in that area even if we get hit with injuries as we did last season. In addition to this some of the young players excelled and gave a good account of themselves even in what was a rather poor game. The likes of Burke, Martinez and particularly Quina – although I knew nothing of him previously – who looks like an absolute steal from Chelsea (I think…2 hours sleep), like Samuelson from Man City before him, who is following quite clearly in Reece Oxfords footsteps in terms of a young player who will not only come good but who will likely be a first team regular in a few seasons if he continues such a startling level of development. And finally Andy Carroll didn’t get injured – wahey! (Yet.) In terms of the poorer displays. All that glitters from the academy is not gold. Those who play well for the development squad will not always cut it at the top level as many before have shown – Elliot Lee, Freddie Sears etc. Again not wishing to write them off so early on as there are many more chances and opportunities to be had but Makasi and Browne don’t quite look the real deal to me. On others like Page, Henry and Rice, the jury is still out. And finally the right back position is still proving an issue, with Byram not yet showing much worth in the RB position and no one else suitable waiting in the wings – early days pinch of salt! – I am still very nervous we will see Antonio playing there again next season which I still believe is a waste of his talents. I would have liked to have seen us buy the likes of Van der Wiel before he left PSG for Turkey or another top quality right back to compliment Cresswell on the other side. I still have a feeling Byram could be that man but he needs more game time in that position before we can see the truth of it.
So 3-0 loss to start us off then. Does it define our upcoming season before its even started? Or mean absolutely nothing at all? Hopefully it will spark a debate at the least. I personally have an inner pessimist when it comes to West Ham and sometimes life in general. It whispered to me to entitle this attempt at an article “The American (Bad) Dream” but I managed to keep it at bay. The problem is as a true fan we want our team to win every game and are quick to criticise when we don’t. However, when we come to rationalise and take stock of all the facts we tend to come up with a more even handed approach. This was just a friendly. The first of the new season. The players were barely fit enough to even play 45 minutes against a competitive team. However, on the flip side one must wonder at the decision to play such a game so early on. We have been told that the idea of this American Tour – the shortest tour ever of only two games! – is to build the West Ham “brand” across the Atlantic. Well, by playing a game after only two or three days training on either side of the ocean and getting roundly beaten despite all the rational reasons I mentioned above does not seem like a good attempt at business. With such a performance I don’t think we gained ourselves any new fans in the states. Surely it would have made more sense to hold off perhaps an extra few days and get a full week’s training in and maybe we would have seen a different result? That win we as fans crave, or perhaps just not to lose. After all despite the nature of the friendly this score line will be beamed all over the world and maybe then, as we try to build ourselves ever higher as a “big club” with a brand spanking new state of the art stadium and growing fan base to match it becomes more important than just a training game after all. All things to ponder.
All I know is, the fourth of July tends to be about considering the past, but for West Ham fans the fifth of July was our first glimpse at the future. Of this season to come and the seasons beyond and the players who might grace them in the Claret and Blue.