Category: Lists

A Win and Three Points

In context of ending a run of five consecutive defeats and putting a little distance back between ourselves and the Premier League trapdoor it was a ‘fantastic win’!  There are never any circumstances where I want to see West Ham lose a game even if the consequences were Tottenham winning the title or Millwall avoiding relegation.  Even though I don’t believe the manager has anything to offer in taking the club forward, losing Premier League status would be a stupid price to pay for being proved right.  At least Slaven Bilic acknowledged that the current predicament was the fault of the management and players and there was, for once, a general and welcome display of effort, even if it was short on quality.  The celebration at the end was over the top in the circumstances but it was an enormous relief.

The Greater of Two Strugglers

As a spectacle in what is meant to be the world’s elite football league it was an extremely poor game.  Both teams were disappointing and West Ham got their victory because they were the least worse of the two sides.  Captain Mark Noble was quoted as saying that the win was the “biggest in a few years” which seems somewhat of an exaggeration despite the pressure release of this laboured victory.  Noble added “it was not pretty but the only thing that matters was the three points. There’s no point in us playing like Real Madrid and losing 2-0.”  Mark, there is no chance of us playing like Real Madrid; otherwise his comment bore all the markings of a classic ear-cupping Fat Sam-esque statement, for which he (the Fat One) would have been justifiably slaughtered.

A Goal To Win Any Game (even a poor one)

Paradoxically a disappointing game was won by a super goal from Cheikou Kouyate.  Even the build-up had shades of Barcelona (rather than Real Madrid!) but the strike from Kouyate was majestic, sublime and sumptuous (© Sky Sports) all rolled into one.  I am a big Kouyate fan due to the power and athleticism that he brings to the team but recognise that he has his shortcomings that prevent him being the target of bigger teams; for example, poor final passes and long range shots.  Yesterday we witnessed something that may never be repeated but was, at least, worthy of winning a game.  The goal also credited Robert Snodgrass with his first contribution in a West Ham shirt as he enters the record books with an assist.  I still regard the ‘assist’ as totally subjective but I would grudgingly award him half an assist for his neat pass.  Apart from the goal there were two occasions where Andre Ayew could have done better in front of goal plus a mesmerising Lanzini step-over where Calleri was unable to play for a lucky deflection and the ball crashed into the side netting.

The Benchmen

Jonathan Calleri must be some player in training in order to keep getting a seat on the bench.  With Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho sitting alongside him even he must have thought he was only there to make up the numbers.  Surprisingly he ended up with a personal best ‘minutes on the pitch for a league game’ when replacing Michail Antonio in the closing stages of the first half.  Some say Calleri ‘puts in a shift’ or that he is simply lacking confidence but I have yet to see anything that suggests that this is a top level footballer.  In other substitutions replacing Snodgrass with Sofiane Feghouli is not too dissimilar a move from replacing Julien Faubert  with Pablo Barrera.  Something I had hoped we wouldn’t have to see on the next level was this a pile of workmanlike dead-wood that we have once again assembled.

The Rest of the Season

One win doesn’t mean safety.  A repeat of the five match losing sequence would put us right back down there with the strugglers and stragglers.  On the other hand just one of those twenty points we have lost from winning positions would have put is in the top half, so compressed has the lower mid-table section become.  Things could be a little clearer next Saturday where the fixture computer has come up with a set of matches that only die-hard fans of the clubs involved could be interested in.  A win at Sunderland would, I believe, make us effectively safe.  Of the at-risk clubs (I have written off Sunderland and Middlesbrough who can wave to neighbours Newcastle on the way down) Hull and Swansea have enough winnable home games to survive and it is Palace who have the toughest run in despite their two games in hand.  Personally I have no particular preferences other than we can scramble to 40 points before the end of the month and a tricky last few games.

No Surprise: Defeat by Arsenal

Considering the game in isolation, a defeat away at Arsenal (any defeat by Arsenal) is nothing unusual.  It is what happens most of the time when we play them.  In the context of the season, however, five Premier League reverses on the bounce and a growing realisation that we are feasible relegation candidates, another three points surrendered is a major concern.  At one point it looked like the night could turn out a whole lot worse as Hull, Palace, Bournemouth and Swansea all took the lead.  In fact we should give thanks to our friends from White Hart Lane for their late, late come-back in South Wales (hopefully denting Swansea’s confidence for the weekend) that our plight is not even more desperate.

Banking on a Clean Sheet?

Plan A at the Emirates, as far as it went, was to choke all life out of the game by defending in numbers and having Antonio and Ayew protecting the full-backs.  There seemed little pretence that we would do anything with the ball when we got it; those very moments that Slaven had described as being when Arsenal were at their most vulnerable.  In terms of its limited aspirations the first half worked reasonably well but it was all change after the interval when Antonio was withdrawn due to injury and replaced with Snodgrass.  Arsenal raised the tempo after the break but still did not look convincing until the gift of a goal relieved the pressure, from whence onwards it was men against boys.  The opening goal was a sloppy all-round effort by West Ham; Fonte failing to clear and Randolph allowing the feeblest of attempts by Ozil to elude him and nestle in the back of the net.  Complaints about offside merely intended to hide the embarrassment of another Randolph blooper.

Anyone Got a Plan B?

The tactical switch after the goal was to replace Carroll with Sakho, exchanging one man receiving no service with another, but with no discernible variation to shape or formation.  It was pretty much ‘shit or bust’ after the Arsenal goal went in and so was probably worth 30 minutes or so of Carroll and Sakho together to see how it worked.  From the opening of the second half had begun it seemed that the wide players had given up on tracking back and, for the most part, the ball was given away quickly and cheaply those few times we won possession.  The goal galvanised the Gunners and it became a case of how many they would score; and with a different referee they could have added a few penalties to the haul of three scored from open play.  We did manage two shots on target in the closing stages; decent strikes from Lanzini and Fernandes but both comfortably saved by an otherwise redundant Martinez.

Slow and Static Doesn’t Win The Race

When you look through a team-sheet that includes players such as Fonte, Collins, Noble, Snodgrass and (probably) Ayew you will find some of the slowest players currently operating in the Premier League.  I’ve not yet decided whether Ayew is simply slow or merely lazy!  Who thought it a good idea to fill a side with players so lacking in pace (and movement it has to be said)?  Occasionally a player of sublime skill can overcome a lack of pace but, in the modern athleticism of Premier League, pace has become a prerequisite for almost any player.  How can you play a game relying on breakaways when the team is so collectively slow?  Why are other teams always on the move, creating space and anticipating the pass while our players remain static until they receive the ball?  Despite significant expenditure on the squad we are largely back to a position where a major overhaul is required, not just the odd tweak.  We are nowhere near one or two players away from a great team and the notion of signing players close to or over 30 is horrendously short-sighted.

What Next?

We now have two defining fixtures, home to Swansea and away at Sunderland, where a minimum of four points are required, preferably six.  We are on our worst run since Avram Grant took us to the next level in 2011.  Can we do it?  Difficult to say based on the evidence of the manager’s poor decision making and selections of the past and the questionable pace and fitness of the players.  We do have enough potential to see off both Swansea and Sunderland, subject to Antonio’s fitness.  Antonio and Lanzini are our best hopes for survival and more game time for Fernandes would make sense.  I am hoping that Swansea’s failure to beat Middlesbrough and their late capitulation to Tottenham will work to our advantage.  I will spend the next few days looking for other straws worth clutching at.

The Next Level

There has been a lot of talk about the club moving to the next level but not many have until now considered that the new level could be downwards into the Championship.  Yet another abject performance and the surrender of a further three points from a winning position leaves West Ham just six points away from the last relegation place.  By Wednesday the gap may well have narrowed to three.  With Leicester and Palace on an upward trajectory the number of teams that we now need to outperform are becoming fewer.  Although another three or four points may be enough for survival, current form makes it difficult to see where these might be coming from.

Another Fine Mess

Once again there was scant evidence of shape, tactics, organisation effort and fitness from the boys in claret and blue.  Hull were not much better but they had spirit, work-rate and determination, particularly in the second half.  Even with the injury situation the team selection was difficult to understand.  A lack of pace throughout the team and little protection in midfield for the ageing centre back pairing was an open invitation to the opposition.  One assumes that Bilic has had a falling out with Nordtveit who despite failing to impress seemed to be the obvious choice for a defensive midfield role, particularly if Noble was deemed not ready to return.  Missing three weeks with a dead leg appears curious and suggests our treatment room is on a par with the training ground for effectiveness.  Expect Manuel Lanzini to be ruled out for the season with a paper cut next.

Bits and Pieces Players

While other teams in the lower reaches of the Premier League rely on cohesion and hard work it feels like we expect to coast through games in the mistaken belief that we have better players who don’t really need to try too hard.  The squad is being filled with an assortment of players of ordinary ability who fail to complement each other in any way.  Feghouli is definitely not a Premier League footballer; he has no powers of anticipation and simply reacts should the ball come in his direction.  Snodgrass is a luxury free-kick specialist who has now lost that spark of enthusiasm that he first arrived with.  Ayew has managed to get in good scoring positions but makes little contribution in all-round play; whatever his best position is we have yet to find it.  Randolph is not a Premier League Number 1.  Even now we are being linked with even more players aged 30 and over which, if true, suggests a very worrying limited and short term view.

Can We Fix It?

There are different schools of thought as to where the blame lies for what has turned out to be a dreadful season.  It is either the fault of the Board, the Stadium, the Manager, the Players or it is merely the West Ham way to be average, disappointing and under-performing.  Of the above there is limited short term room for manoeuvre.  The Boleyn has gone and, like it or not, the London Stadium is home for the foreseeable future.  I can accept that moving to a new ground can dissipate home advantage but it doesn’t explain poor performance.  The Board are the owners of the club and are going nowhere soon.  The Daves have their faults but it is wrong to suggest that they have not backed their managers in the transfer market.  At this stage of the season there is no quick fix to the playing staff and may, in fact, require several windows to shift out the latest collection of recently acquired dead wood.  That leaves the choice of doing nothing (because it is fate) or replacing the manager.

Goodbye Slav (and thanks for some great results last season)

I think we can all agree that Slaven Bilic is a great bloke and has oodles of passion.  He may even ‘get us’ whatever that means.  I cannot, however, think of any footballing reasons why he should be kept on as manager.  We have become a team that lacks a clear style of play or formation; that is short on tactics, fitness, pace and mobility; and that is stumbling from one disaster to another.  There is no vision, plan or strategy to build for the future.  A good manager makes the best of the resources that he has and Bilic has been unable to create a team unit that is greater than the sum of its parts.  Past results unfortunately mean nothing as has been demonstrated by the situation at the resurgent Leicester.  Even assuming we do manage to stay up with Bilic in charge then I can only see a repeat next season.  The club needs a manager with ideas and with tactical and organisational excellence.  This is not unfortunately Slaven Bilic.  As much as I would have loved to see him succeed the wise decision now is to dispense with his services now rather than having a dead man walking until the end of the season.

Hammer House of Horror

Once again West Ham were accommodating hosts to a team looking to end of dismal sequence of results.  Leicester got their first away league win of the season and maintained their record of not losing points from a winning position; West Ham maintained their average 2 goals per home game against the Foxes.  The second half performance was possibly one of the best 45 minutes of the campaign.  Such a shame, then, that the first half was down there with one of the worst.  Has there been a consistent positive showing over a full 90 minutes this season; home or away?  The opening 10 minute period was abysmal.  Cresswell’s reluctance to stay close to Mahrez was negligent but Randolph’s attempt to save was awful.  Time to rotate the gloves again, I think, and give Adrian another run.  The defending for the second goal was collectively appalling; a total lack of organisation allowing Huth and a couple of his colleagues all the space they could ever want at the far post.

Is There Even a Plan A?

Many fans got the starting eleven that they wanted with Byram in at right back, Ayew in for Feghouli and Kouyate partnering Obiang in central midfield.  Unfortunately while introductions were still being made we were two goals down and Reid was lost to injury.  The relative roles of Lanzini, Antonio, Ayew (and later Snodgrass) was never really obvious to me.  Maybe Bilic has a vision somewhere in his head of a fluid retro ‘totaalvoetbal’ approach but the players either don’t understand it or are unable to execute it.  Antonio occasionally gave the impression of being the left sided midfield player but only for brief spells, otherwise it was a no-wide-man-zone.  Leicester had a shape and game plan which they stuck to throughout whereas West Ham’s organisation was close to anarchy, particularly in the first half.  Sometimes I wonder whether the team talk goes beyond fist bumping.  The thinness of our squad was also apparent by a comparison of the two benches.  Leicester had Slimani, Musa and Gray to call on as attacking options, West Ham had Snodgrass.

More Injuries

West Ham ended the day with injuries to Reid and Obiang both of which looked bad by anyone’s standards but judging by West Ham experience look like at least 6 weeks out .  Antonio also picked up an injury that will keep him out of the England squad and the opportunity of a first cap.  Reid and Obiang have been two of our best performers this season but neither had great games yesterday before going off.  Like most I expected Ginge to be the like-for-like replacement for Reid but moving Kouyate back was probably the right decision in the circumstances with Vardy’s pace to cope with.    No arguments either with Fernandes on for Obiang.  Although he is not a holding midfielder Fernandes give the impression of an accomplished and intelligent player always looking to do something meaningful with the ball rather than simply playing it to the nearest teammate.  His introduction did coincide with Leicester tiring but nonetheless was still an encouraging performance.

Holding on to The Jewel

Having gone two goals down we didn’t really threaten until Lanzini conjured up a little free-kick magic in the 20^th minute.  For a while it looked like a lifeline that we could turn to our advantage but hope was dashed by the third Leicester goal.  Carroll, normally one of our most reliable defenders at corners, completely missing the ball with is head and Vardy scoring a poachers goal in the ensuing scramble; something our own strikers were unable to emulate later in the game.  Lanzini has emerged from the shadows to become a quality creative force in midfield; always positive, looking to go in the right direction and posing problems for opposition defences.  Very quickly he has risen to the status of far too good for a team in lower-mid table and it would be no surprise if someone came in to steal The Jewel in the summer.

How did they do?

Ayew scored his 4^th goal in seven games when he nodded home West Ham’s second yesterday but his performance will be best remembered for the shocking miss late on from Antonio’s pass.  With the whole goal at his mercy and the keeper stranded he inexplicably went for power and blasted over the top.  I would have to think very hard to remember an easier chance being squandered; Carroll came close in added time but you have to give Schmeichel much of the credit to  for that one.  Despite the goals I am still to be convinced as to what Ayew brings to the team with his all round game.  He is another with the inclination to play one touch lay-offs/ passes much of the time rather than getting involved in build up play.  While Ayew, glaring miss apart, did OK, Snodgrass was a big disappointment.  Played on the right because he doesn’t have the pace to go round the full-back, he continually abdicated responsibility to Byram to get a cross in.  Byram himself had a decent game and must surely have warranted a run at right back to prove himself.  Fernandes should also be given more opportunity than the usual 5 minutes at the end to show what he can do.  There was also an encouraging cameo from Masuaku which could allow the under-performing Cresswell to pack his suitcase and join Noble at the seaside for a few weeks.

Ratings: Randolph (4), Byram (7), Reid (5), Fonte (5), Cresswell (5), Kouyate (5), Obiang (5), Ayew (6), Lanzini (8), Antonio (7), Carroll(6) Subs: Snodgrass (4), Fernandes (6), Masuaku (6)

Wish You Were Here

So that is 1 point out of a possible 9 since the warm weather jaunt to Dubai where the boys apparently worked on their defending as well as getting involved in a spot of team bonding.  The value of these trips in the past has always seemed rather dubious but this time around there should be some serious questions asked judging by the results, performances and defensive displays since the return.  An all-expenses paid holiday as a reward for getting knocked out of the cup early is a really strange one.

The Insanity of Slaven?

It is said that doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is a sign of insanity.  If that is the case then perhaps our manager is a raving lunatic!  He may well be cool, know West Ham (whatever that means), have a good sense of humour and be the sort of bloke you could imagine going down the pub with but a deep thinking manager he is not.  Last season he introduced some much needed flair to the team; a refreshing change to Fat Sam’s attritional style  of play but which exploited Allardyce’s organisation legacy to secure some excellent results particularly against top 6 sides.  This year not only the swagger has gone and also the organisation.  I can understand how a side can be a work in progress but right now it is difficult to see which direction we are meant to be heading in.  Tactics, selection, recruitment and organisation are all over the place with no discernible style or strategy .  This is not he astute full of ideas younger manager that I thought we were getting.  The last time he did something innovative was to play Reece Oxford against Arsenal in the first game of last season.  Maybe he is an upgrade on Allardyce but he is no Pochettino or Koeman.  Sorry to say but we need better.  Early cup exits and a bottom half finish would be a relatively disastrous season.  Yesterday we were very lucky to come away without a substantial hammering.

Captain Mediocre

Mark Noble has served West Ham well in his 10 plus years at the club.  On MOTD yesterday Motty posed the question “what price loyalty?” when observing that Noble had made close to 400 appearances  for the club but had recently been criticised by fans on social media.  There is, of course, no connection between the two facts.  Noble like any other player should not be in the team if he is not performing well enough.  What he may or may not have done in the past is purely sentiment and not a justification for selection.  All careers come to an end.  Unfortunately Noble slows everything down due to both a lack of pace and slowness of thought.  His first instinct is to play a first time short pass backwards or sideways as if it were an extended game of one-touch.  The game is played at speed these days and you need to be an exceptional talent to survive without pace all around the pitch.  That we have several other plodders in the team only makes matters worse.  I admire loyalty up to a point but he has make a good living at West Ham and I doubt that any bigger club has ever come courting; Palace or Stoke perhaps.  Bilic says his role as captain is vital to the team and that he gees things up when things are not going well.  Is that really enough?  Perhaps he can come good again but right now I don’t understand how he keeps making the starting team-sheet.

Right Back Where We Started

The right back situation is a farce.  Who next after Antonio and Kouyate?  Why not give Adrian a try?  Or how about giving Sam Byram a decent run; an actual right back who defends at least as well as Cresswell and can also offer something going forward.  For reasons best known to the manager he would rather play others out of position than employ a specialist.  Is it to give his favourites a game or simply stubbornness because Byram was not his transfer pick?  Some say that Bilic will have better knowledge because he sees the players in training every day but this is the same manager who didn’t really fancy Antonio and Obiang; arguably our best two players now.  In his post match Bilic was suggesting that Byram was at fault for the third goal but in reality it was Ayew who screwed up.  A case of getting his justification for next week’s selection in early?

The Deadwood Stage

There is a cycle at West Ham.  The squad is littered with dead-wood, jobbing footballers.  Every now and then there is a clear out with cut-price transfers and contracts paid up only to fill the space created with more of the same bench warmers.  It is just like the process of clearing out your attic.  Look at the January transfer for example.  What was the point on spending the best part of £20 million on Fonte and Snodgrass when we could have made do until the summer with Collins and Feghouli/ Ayew?  Neither are bad players but both have their best days behind them.  The absence of a long term transfer strategy worries me.  The names that we are being linked with (while many may be pure rumours) make me shudder.  Players such as Sagna or Zabaletta at the end of their useful careers and looking for a final payday.  Or even worse the woeful Benteke.  Scouting needs to go up several notches to focus on hungry young talent.  It is no point pretending to compete for established players who will in all probability end up at Champion’s League clubs and then being forced to do your shopping from the bargain basement.

There Are No Easy Games?

Observers like to say that there are no easy games in the Premier League and, in fact, Slaven Bilic said exactly the same in the build up to the visit of Chelsea on Monday night.  Yet from Chelsea’s point of view this was much of a stroll in the Olympic Park.  Sit back and absorb the expected early pressure, do what you’re good at and hit on the break, once in front take the foot off the gas, give your best players a rest and coast to a comfortable victory.  In the record books the result will have the look of a closely contested game but in reality it was far from that; there was only going to be one winner the minute Eden Hazard tucked away the opener.  Of course, money plays a big part and Chelsea’s squad strength bears no relation to our ramshackle collection once you get past a competent dozen or so.  But what Chelsea have under Conte this season is remorseless organisation that allows flair players opportunity to flourish; something that had been lost under Mourinho.  Organisation, preparation and motivation are as important managerial attributes as are tactics and selection, and remain part of the reason that I continue to have reservations about our own manager.

Oh So Predictable!

It is true that the absence of Michail Antonio left few viable attacking options and it was a case of a return for a rusty Andy Carroll whether he was ready or not.  In the more recent games where Carroll has played with Antonio just behind we have been able to mix play up a little but on this occasion, particularly in the first half, we were back to the agricultural tactic of lumping long hopeful high balls into the area.  If we felt that this ploy would come as a surprise to Chelsea then we were sadly mistaken.  Space on the flanks was effectively kept to a minimum and wide players rarely got behind the defence into those areas where crosses are more difficult to defend.  As it was Chelsea’s central defenders were able to deal with the threat with ease and probably had enough time to send the odd tweet in the meantime if they really wanted to.  The game was effectively all over early in the second half and although, to the player’s credit, no-one gave up Chelsea rarely needed to get out of low gear.

Square Pegs and Round Holes Again.

Once again team selection has the look of choose the favourite available eleven players and then decide how to fit them in to some semblance of a formation.   The need for specialist full-backs has long been a West Ham blind spot and the current management appear to have the same blinkers.  It is a scenario that you might expect in Sunday morning park football but this is supposed to be the world’s elite league competition.  Is there any evidence to suggest that either Kouyate (or Antonio before him) were effective in this position?  I know some supporters don’t rate Byram but I would think, injuries permitting, he should be given a run in the side to prove himself or otherwise, there is not now much to lose.  He looks as capable a defender as Cresswell to me even if he hasn’t demonstrated too much going forward yet.  I can view the selection as putting off the difficult decision in central midfield now that Pedro Obiang has cemented his starting position.  One of Noble and Kouyate has to be benched (Noble in my opinion) although Slav may have a ‘get out of jail card’ with the injury to Winston Reid.

Ambre Solaire Time

I have already sensed an end of season unwinding feel in recent matches and my fear is that it will only go one way from here.  We do not look the fittest or most motivated of teams at the best of times and it would come as a surprise to me now if we ended the season in the top half.  Despite West Brom’s defeat at the weekend they are still some way clear and I reckon that both Stoke and Southampton will finish ahead of us.  A 7^th or 8^th place finish is a reasonable benchmark for a club of our size and so anything less looks like underachievement.  There have been some positives for the season but overall it has been disappointing and if the club wants fewer white seats to turn up to games next year they need to address the disjointed team issues as a matter of urgency.

Squad Renewal

In an after match interview David Sullivan was quoted as saying that ‘we are a few players short of a very, very good side’ or words to that effect.  I can only hope that he was either misquoted and purposelessly putting out misinformation.  You could argue that, in the unlikely circumstances of everyone being fit, we could field a decent starting eleven but after that it the squad has the familiar bare-bones look to it.  After the failings of the summer transfer window (and the gap-filling nature of the January one) the squad needs a major overhaul rather than a few tweaks if we are serious about challenging for greater things.  The squad lacks quality, depth and pace.  It would be comforting to think that we had a style of play in mind and recruited players to fit that style but I don’t see that.  Our approach appears to be an opportunist one that recruits players in isolation rather than considering how they are going to fit into a system.  Not everything is the fault of the manager and the lack of a longer term vision is worrying.  The reported new one year rolling contract for Bilic feels like a hedge play.  He is either the right man (not just a good enough one) for the job or he isn’t.

Ratings: Randolph (6), Kouyate (5), Reid (6), Fonte (5), Cresswell (5), Noble (5), Obiang (6), Feghouli (5), Lanzini (7), Snodgrass (6), Carroll (5) Subs: Byram (6), Ayew (6), Fernandes (5)

A Game That Lived up to its Billing

I wonder how many neutrals made it to the end of this televised game? It has always seemed an odd to time to show live football to me and whoever thought this game might turn out to be a spectacle has to be a seriously optimistic individual. I think even a re-run of Noel’s House Party would have been more entertaining.  It is still February and here were two clubs with almost nothing to play for, and it showed. As much as they talked up the ‘looking over their shoulder’ on the commentary it end of season fare being played out well before the clocks have changed.  Probably the early goal had an impact on the structure of the game but it was disappointing that the spot-kick was the only noteworthy action of a limp first 45 minutes. The second half was better, but only in comparison with the first, as West Ham upped the tempo in search of an equaliser (with Watford happy to defend their lead)  but once the Hammers had secured the deserved equaliser they gave the impression of job done.  In fact after the goal Watford showed a little adventure of their own and might have snatched a winner with the very last kick of the game.

Slaven Gets Animated

The one person who did seem to get worked up by events was manager Slaven Bilic whose remonstrations in the technical area resulted in several terse conversations with the fourth official.  If you had pressed me to describe Slaven’s normal match-day demeanour I would conjure up an image of a slightly stooped figure, hands resting on thighs and looking mostly impassive except where celebrating a goal.  Recently he has morphed into a character very much wearing his passion on his sleeve. Perhaps he has been taking animation lessons from Conte or Klopp.  Or maybe there is truth in the rumour that only a top eight finish qualifies for automatic contract renewal and that anything less requires entering the play-offs with Roberto Mancini. It could, of course, be that Bilic has guaranteed improved results after the warm weather break in Dubai or else he has to pick up the tab. I certainly didn’t spot the promised renewed vigour from watching yesterday’s performance but I may be expecting too much.

Refereeing Decisions

The subject of Slaven’s ire was mainly the refereeing decisions of Craig Pawson. I noticed some online concern with the announcement of Pawson as referee but I can’t say he has ever come onto my radar as particularly bad or with any previous as far as West Ham are concerned. By modern standards and interpretations it is difficult to argue against the penalty award where the mystifying criteria of ‘he’s entitled to go down there’ is known only to former players. Without a doubt players actively play for penalties and Zarate had only that in his mind when going down in the area from Kouyate clumsy attempt to track his run. Interestingly there was a very similar incident at the other end but with Antonio staying on his feet in an attempt to score no infringement was signalled. No wonder that players dive and I got the impression that all it would take was a stiff breeze for the Watford to go to ground, as befits a team with an Italian coach. Apart from the odd disputed corner or throw-in I can recall very few really contentious moments to consider.

The Strange Case of the Team Selection

They say that doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is a sign of insanity. Naturally there are many variables in football but it is easy to wonder whether our management and coaching staff ever learn from past experiences. Once again there are so many questions about the selection decisions yesterday. Why stick with Kouyate as emergency right back when Byram was fit? Why put Lanzini out wide when the positive impact of moving him to a central role was so evident in the previous match? How did we get in a position where one of our most dangerous players (Antonio) is rarely played in his most effective position (wide right) and now plays as a lone striker after it was discovered that he wasn’t a right back? What is the point of bringing Fernandes on in the 89th minute every week; is that meant to be developing young players? What is the point of Jonathan Calleri?  To the outsider it appears that team selection is based on trying to keep a select group of players happy by giving them a game somewhere rather than taking the difficult decisions. It is still uncertain what style of play or consistent approach we are trying to create as a club and the team remains more a collection of individuals rather than a cohesive unit. Good enough to bob along in mid-table most probably but no better.

My Kingdom for a Striker

With Antonio’s red card making him unavailable for the next game at home to Chelsea it is even more crucial that Andy Carroll is fit if we have any hope of giving the league leaders a decent game – or did Antonio get himself banned on purpose to make sure his next employers maintain their runaway lead at the top? It was good to see Ayew get on the score-sheet (and no assist for this awarded to Antonio I believe) but do not see him as being able to offer much in the lone striker role. If the alternative is Calleri then we may as well not bother. It is bewildering that a club (and the 18th richest in world football at that) playing in the most elite league on the planet are so poorly prepared and equipped.

Ratings: Randolph (5), Kouyate (5), Reid (6), Fonte (7), Cresswell (7), Noble (5), Obiang (7), Feghouli (6), Snodgrass (4), Lanzini (6), Antonio (8) Subs: Ayew (6)  

That’s Entertainment

Who would have thought that a game against a Tony Pulis side could be so entertaining?  For long periods in the second half West Ham played some of the most enterprising football I have seen from them for a long time.  Suddenly we were passing the ball quickly, intelligently  and there was good movement off the ball for once.  To a large degree the early lead for Albion and their willingness to sit back and protect it helped our players to grow in confidence which, in turn, spread to the supporters.  It is interesting how the mood at the end of the game is affected by the sequence of the goals.  Having given Albion the lead I would have quite happily taken a rescued point at half time but to take the lead and then surrender it left a severe case of disappointment at the final whistle.

The Referee & The Manager

Much of the post-match chatter focused on the manager and his frustrations at the decisions made by referee, Michael Oliver.  I do admire Slaven Bilic’s passion even though I believe questions persist about his decision making and tactics at times.  It was a big blow to lose Carroll and once again it exposed the lack of balance and striking weaknesses in our squad.  Too often we field a  team of square pegs in round holes and although some are enforced others seem to be by management design.  Credit to the manager in that he did eventually change things around for the better, notably by releasing Manuel Lanzini from his initial left-sided isolation, but better not to make the mistakes in the first place.  Having had the opportunity to watch replays of the controversial decisions I am not sure, in the cold light of day, that there is too much to feel aggrieved with.  Possibly there was a foul on Feghouli for the first goal after the ball had been played but it was borderline and Antonio clearly impeded the keeper in the prelude to the Feghouli offside goal.  None of the penalty appeals had much merit even for a ref inclined to award so many as Mr Oliver.  The one wrong decision that had the biggest impact was the throw-in just prior to the Albion equaliser.

Concede Nothing

So often the goals we concede seem to be built on a series of events that could have been prevented at various stages in their construction.  As mentioned above the equaliser stemmed from an incorrect (in my opinion) throw-in decision.  Already into injury time I thought we were rather lax in regrouping to defend the throw and not preventing the ensuing corner.  As for the goal itself it is puzzling what Randolph was trying to do by running in to his own defenders.  It looked like panic had set in and confirms what I have felt about his lack of conviction in the air.  Normally Randolph is a first class shot stopper but he also could have done better with the opener, but then so could Noble, Feghouli and Kouyate.  It was a dangerous pass by Noble, Feghouli was weak despite the challenge and Kouyate was too easily beaten before the ball slithered through Randolph’s legs.  As is the way with football the early reverse and the injustice felt by the disallowed goal served to inspire the greater things that came in our second half performance.

The Strange Case of the Assist

Of all the football statistics, it is the ‘Assist’ that I find the strangest.  For our first goal Lanzini did superbly well to create an opening before letting loose the thunderous goal bound shot which was touched onto the bar by the keeper before Feghouli rolls it home; no assist fro Lanzini!  For the second goal Feghouli plays a simple sideways pass to Lanzini in a position of no particular threat before the Argentine again does very well to create his own space and place an excellent drive into the corner of the net past a stranded keeper; an assist for Feghouli!  It doesn’t make any sense to me.  As it turned out Feghouli, who had a very fine second half, after a very poor first one, ends with a goal and an assist to repeat Obiang’s achievement from the previous week.  Lanzini’s performance deserved the same honour; he looks on great from and is the one player capable of creating something unexpected.

Wot – No Striker?

The lamentable striker situation was clear for all to see again.  I admire Antonio’s endeavour and adaptability but using him as a striker is not playing to his strengths.  It was yet another game that he finished a match having played in three different positions, which cannot be right except in an emergency situation.  Although the need to put a striker on at half time was obvious the choice of Calleri was baffling.  He doesn’t look to have any of the attributes required to be useful striker in English football; no pace, no strength, no movement and no eye for goal.  I can’t believe he has any future beyond his current loan period so why bother with him in preference to Fletcher.  He must be some different player in training to keep getting the nod.

Player Ratings: Randolph (4), Kouyate (6), Reid (7), Fonte (7), Cresswell (5), Obiang (8), Noble (7), Feghouli (7), Lanzini (9), Snodgrass (7), Antonio (6).  Subs: Calleri (4)   

Hitting The Heights

A very satisfying first ever win at the St Mary’s Stadium which elevates West Ham towards the upper end of their probable finishing position for the season, somewhere between 8^th and 14^th.  Next week’s match at home to West Bromwich Albion potentially giving a clearer indication as to whether the Hammers have already peaked or not.  Some commentators are suggesting that away form is now better than at home, but this is not the case, at least in absolute terms, where we have collected 14 points away compared to 17 at home.  In relative terms, however, we are performing better away (as we did last year); league tables based solely on either home or away games would have us 15^th and 6^th respectively compared to 7^th and 4^th respectively over the course of 2015/16.   Comparing the overall record at this stage of the season (after 24 games) we have won just one less game but have lost 6 more giving a total of 7 less points.  If you constructed league tables, for the whole of last season, based only on games against top half sides you would find West Ham in top spot; this season we are next to bottom just above Crystal Palace.  The equivalent table for matches against bottom half sides would have us 11^th  in 2015/16 and 6^th in 2016/17 to date.  Proving perhaps that lightning doesn’t strike the same place twice.

When a Plan Comes Together

Even though the daffodils are not yet out the match had the feel of an end of season game for me, although this was largely down to Southampton’s subdued approach.  Maybe with key players missing and an EFL cup final on the horizon their minds were elsewhere.  Having now lost 6 of their last 7 league games and with signs of life among the bottom dwellers Southampton might be advised to take a quick look over their shoulder.  In the after-match interviews, Slaven Bilic claimed that West Ham a game plan and that the players had stuck to it.  I’m sure that plan didn’t include going a goal down early on but the team reacted well where you might have expected heads to have dropped in the aftermath of the midweek experience.  As they say in football, ‘you can only beat what is in front of you’ and West Ham were worthy of this competent win despite not dazzling.  Although Southampton were credited with 21 goal attempts very few of these created real threat to the West Ham goal.  I still think that Gabbiadini was offside for his goal but that when he we was pulled up later in a similar position he was not; the swings and roundabouts of refereeing decisions.

Cotton Wool Striker

It was another well taken goal by Andy Carroll to make it a total of 6 for the season from 12 appearances, including 3 substitute appearances.  All being well, Carroll is on target for his best ever haul of Premier League goals in a single season which currently sits at 11 with Newcastle and 9 with West Ham.  This week’s goal was a controlled right foot finish following a ‘slide-rule’ pass from Pedro Obiang (I wonder how many supporters know what a slide rule is let alone have ever used one?) It was interesting that he was once again withdrawn as a precaution once Bilic felt that the game was won.  In the scheme of things I think that not making rash purchases in the transfer window was a sensible course of action but how a team in the world’s ‘elite’ football league got themselves into a position of being so short in a number of key positions remains staggering.  With no natural ‘trusted’ replacement to lead the line West Ham effectively surrendered the initiative in the final half hour and invited Southampton to come at them.  Although you could argue that the result vindicated the decision this is an outcome bias and we could easily have been in trouble had the Saints pulled one back (e.g. Gabbiadini’s skyer).  Keeping hold of the ball is always the best defensive tactic in my opinion and our ball retention dropped alarmingly after Carroll’s withdrawal.

Snodgrass Puts in a Shift

I didn’t really notice Robert Snodgrass much during the first half and his main contribution appeared to be at free kicks and corners.  In fact if his stats are to be believed he didn’t do much at all and only Feghouli had fewer touches (41 versus 40) over 90 minutes.  But we all know that the stats do not tell the whole story and, as well as earning the free-kick that led to Mark Noble’s goal, he put in a tremendous amount of effort during the second period and particularly when it became his turn to fulfil the lone striker role.  Not only did he cover a huge distance but he did so at pace and did not allow the Southampton defenders any time on the ball.  It was one of Michail Antonio’s quieter games but, not for the first time, he ended up playing in three positions in one game.  As with the ‘Cheikhou Kouyate at right back situation’ you can understand the emergency use of a player out of position but to have it happen so regularly has an air of disorganisation.

No Way, Pedro!

Without doubt a man-of-the-match performance from Pedro Obiang.  Great work to set up West Ham’s opening goal and then a superb moment to open his own goal-scoring account on the stroke of half-time. [Not such good news for our regular betting thread which has backed him to score in almost every other week before this.]  If team-sheets really are completed in descending order of your best performers then surely Obiang’s is almost the first on it every week at the moment.  Add in Reid and Carroll and these three create an excellent spine to our team in the majority of games.  Better performances this week from captain Mark Noble and Sofiane Feghouli although we should still be scouting for better and faster alternatives.  Good to see Noble get on the score-sheet although I was convinced it would be given as own goal – shows what I know about dubious goals!  Feghouli was more involved than usual although he played very narrow (possibly under instruction) and did not offer temporary full-back, Kouyate, much protection.

Ratings: Randolph (6), Kouyate (6), Reid (7), Fonte (7), Cresswell (6), Feghouli (6), Obiang (9), Noble (7),  Snodgrass (7), Antonio (6), Carroll (8)  Subs: Lanzini (5), Collins (6)