Premiership potential not WHU

[Tony Towner's Fridge]

As one of my work colleagues, who is neutral, stated this morning. There is only one team that played last night look to have the potential credentials to play in the Premier League. It was not WHU.

I think we look good but slightly lightweight and definitely need a midfield presence.

All in all though I love the style we are playing now and would far prefer to play in our current style than in the style of any other team I have seen this season. I have seen 7 matches so far, so believe I can speak with some authority on the matter.

Keep the faith chaps!

TNBA

TTF

 

[Richard Hebberd's Syrup]

West Ham with Allardyce will make the Premier League and stay there simply because of the way they play. He keeps teams in that league, fact

If we made it we would be a Blackpool/Swansea/Wigan, lots of plaudits for the way we play but ultimately that is not enough to stay there

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

West Ham with Allardyce will make the Premier League and stay there simply because of the way they play. He keeps teams in that league, fact

If we made it we would be a Blackpool/Swansea/Wigan, lots of plaudits for the way we play but ultimately that is not enough to stay there

That's a bit misleading, though. For a start wigan have spent a number of years in the premier league. Swansea are only in their first season, are currently not in the relegation zone and there's no way of knowing how where they'll be come may. It's only Blackpool that went down. And for all three they are/were competing on pretty small(for that league) budgets. I'd argue that that is a bigger factor in their relegation/struggles than the style of football they play. If Blackpool had the budget that west ham had/will have in the prem then I'm confident they'd still be a prem club now.

It's an interesting question whether the managers of Swansea, Wigan and Blackpool would get more out of the resources at Allardyce's disposal at West Ham than Alladyce is/will. And, conversely, whether Allardyce would have done as well at Swansea, Wigan and Blackpool as their respective managers have.

 

[Fitzcarraldo]

There was only one team on the pitch last night who would survive physically in the Premiership. It wasn't the Albion.

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

Only one team currently in the Prem who have never been relegated from the top flight...

 

[Gritt23]

There was a Brighton fan who called TalkShite last night, and was saying that he's is much happier playing our football, rather than West Ham's. When drawn on whether he'd still feel the same if it meant the difference between going up or not, he said "Yes." Totally agree. Go up the way West Ham play, and you would need MAJOR SURGERY of the team, and style of play to stay up, unless you just managed to to dig and scrap enough ugly results to achieve it by the skin of your teeth, and that wouldn't be much fun.

 

[Deleted member 18477]

wigan have stayed up for a few years playing nice football to be fair...

 

[Gus is god]

really bloody hell

 

[Fitzcarraldo]

Only one team currently in the Prem who have never been relegated from the top flight...

I didn't mean that we don't play the right kind of football, what I meant was that you have to win at least a few of the physical battles to be successful.

Arsenal aren't really a relevant example here as, impressive though that record is, they have not always been known as exponents of the beautful game and full of relativly lightweight players. You would have to have a very short memory not to remember the '1-0 to the Arsenal' era. Having said that, players of the ilk of Per Mertersacker and Robin Van Persie can mix it physically with the best of them whilst also knocking it around on the deck. We can only manage one of those.

We just don't have players capable of matching the physicality of the West Hams of this world and therefor are certainly not Premiership quality, yet.

 

[CBWHU]

Hammer here!

Just thought i'd point out that while yes last night we played a dogged Allardyce Bolton style last night, that's not the way we usually play

However any side in this divison missing Rob Green, James Tomkins, Guy Demel, Henri Lansbury, Matt Taylor, David Bentley, Gary O'Neil and Carlton Cole all out injured (who would probably all have started if available) is going to have to adjust it's style to fit the players left fit

Against Blackpool the other week we played some of the best football I've seen in YEARS at West Ham, scored 4 and it could and should have been 10

23 goals in 13 games shows last night was not our usual style

6 more than you've scored in fact

good luck for the seaon and I reckon you'll make the play-offs