5 things we learnt from the West Ham game

[Behind Enemy Lines]

Much, much better tonight. We're going to be fine even if we lose on Saturday. We are a work in progress. Tonight's thoughts:

1) We lack creativity and guile against the top teams. Vicente is already a very important player for us and was missed tonight. He might have unlocked a very stubborn West Ham defence.
2) We are still not playing to CMS strengths. Can we not put a little though balls through to him more often? He thrives on running onto forward passes. Currently, he's operating at about 50% of what he can do.
3) Reyes is a class act. Got up and down well and can pass. What future Calderon though? Something has happened between him and Gus...
4) Craig Noone needs to take a second and have a look at what is happening around him & who is on for a cross/pass. He's been brilliant this season but needs to sort this out when others are in better positions.
5) Harper is a fitting goalkeeper for us in The Championship. We need to get him signed up for the rest of the season asap with "a view to a permanent deal." Has easily got another 3 or 4 years in him.

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

Stop FANNYING about. At LEAST three or four times a game we do it and its costing us. X 13 games well you do the math. Against Yeovil fine. Against top class champ teams

 

[Tooting Gull]

1) We are not scoring when playing well - which all teams at any level have to do. Combine that with individual errors costing us goals, it's not a good combination.
2) For all the pretty football, the lack of a cutting edge is hurting us so badly. At one stage last night I thought I was watching Arsenal.
3) If the players cannot be coached to make better decisions/produce a decent final pass in the final third, then we need different players who can.
4) Good debuts. Reyes showed up Calderon's shaky recent form, class act - and Harper generally did well for a debut, although you could argue that he should have done better with the goal, certainly with his positioning.
5) To finish on a positive, we outplayed the title favourites, they didn't deserve to win, I would rather we played Poyet's style than Allardyce's every day of the week, he is a clueless dinosaur preaching ugly, anti-football hoofball.

 

[Brovion]

1) We are not scoring when playing well - which all teams at any level have to do. Combine that with individual errors costing us goals, it's not a good combination.
2) For all the pretty football, the lack of a cutting edge is hurting us so badly. At one stage last night I thought I was watching Arsenal.
3) If the players cannot be coached to make better decisions/produce a decent final pass in the final third, then we need different players who can.
4) Good debuts. Reyes showed up Calderon's shaky recent form, class act - and Harper generally did well for a debut, although you could argue that he should have done better with the goal, certainly with his positioning.
5) To finish on a positive, we outplayed the title favourites, they didn't deserve to win, I would rather we played Poyet's style than Allardyce's every day of the week, he is a clueless dinosaur preaching ugly, anti-football hoofball.

I agree with all that, especially the 'Arsenal' comment as I said exactly the same thing to my mate! However apart from the result (and the rain) I really quite enjoyed last night's game; we played some good football notwithstanding the limitations you've described.

 

[Stumpy Tim]

Reyes was our best player. I can't see why he wasn't pushed into midfield. He's exactly what we lack in there

 

[Brimmermusic]

The main down side with our passing game is as soon as we get the ball we slow it down, allowing the opposition to regroup. From there we just knock it about at the back with no real threat. 70% possession at times but the players on the ball the most were probably Greer and Dunk, look what happened tonight whilst knocking it about at the back, that mistake was always going happen at some point. I wouldn't compare us the Arsenal they play with the ball higher up the pitch.

When receiving possession we need the ability to counter attack at pace otherwise we completely lose CMS's worth. During our recent run he always seems to receive the ball deep with his back to goal. Something is not right in midfield, that's where we lacked against West Ham.

 

[Shooting Star]

Another reason why we're finding it hard to unlock CMS is that we only play on one wing at the moment, meaning Barnes has to cover a quarter of the field and play two positions. Really wanted to see Vicente and Buckley start yesterday as it would have given us the killer edge IMO.

 

[magoo]

Sometimes, I'd rather win ugly than lose pretty.

 

[Brimmermusic]

I agree about Buckley and Vicente, hopefully they will feature at St Andrews.

As for Barnes, he's been terrible during this run. I find watching him so frustrating. I watched the game on TV after going to the match and he was even worse in glorious HD.

 

[brunswick]

i am positive - the jigsaw is getting there.

with vicente we would of maybe won last night.

we are just always at the same pace is seems.

 

[Icy Gull]

Last 20 mins was the most disappointing aspect for me. We seemed to run out of ideas and they defended against our pretty football easily. In fact they ended the game more strongly than we did. We really do need to learn to attack at pace and move the ball much quicker as we do so. We are not that far off being a good side imo but we are now lacking confidence and need a win badly.

 

[Deleted member 2719]

Much, much better tonight. We're going to be fine even if we lose on Saturday. We are a work in progress. Tonight's thoughts:

1) We lack creativity and guile against the top teams. Vicente is already a very important player for us and was missed tonight. He might have unlocked a very stubborn West Ham defence.
2) We are still not playing to CMS strengths. Can we not put a little though balls through to him more often? He thrives on running onto forward passes. Currently, he's operating at about 50% of what he can do.
3) Reyes is a class act. Got up and down well and can pass. What future Calderon though? Something has happened between him and Gus...
4) Craig Noone needs to take a second and have a look at what is happening around him & who is on for a cross/pass. He's been brilliant this season but needs to sort this out when others are in better positions.
5) Harper is a fitting goalkeeper for us in The Championship. We need to get him signed up for the rest of the season asap with "a view to a permanent deal." Has easily got another 3 or 4 years in him.

I am not going to say my opinion on this as YOU have just said it.

I can only assume you played a few games yourself.

 

[The Large One]

Stop FANNYING about. At LEAST three or four times a game we do it and its costing us. X 13 games well you do the math. Against Yeovil fine. Against top class champ teams

Be quiet, Ady's bitch.

 

[The Large One]

Much, much better tonight. We're going to be fine even if we lose on Saturday. We are a work in progress. Tonight's thoughts:

1) We lack creativity and guile against the top teams. Vicente is already a very important player for us and was missed tonight. He might have unlocked a very stubborn West Ham defence.
2) We are still not playing to CMS strengths. Can we not put a little though balls through to him more often? He thrives on running onto forward passes. Currently, he's operating at about 50% of what he can do.
3) Reyes is a class act. Got up and down well and can pass. What future Calderon though? Something has happened between him and Gus...
4) Craig Noone needs to take a second and have a look at what is happening around him & who is on for a cross/pass. He's been brilliant this season but needs to sort this out when others are in better positions.
5) Harper is a fitting goalkeeper for us in The Championship. We need to get him signed up for the rest of the season asap with "a view to a permanent deal." Has easily got another 3 or 4 years in him.

Spot the f*** on.

 

[DarrenFreemansPerm]

Sometimes, I'd rather win ugly than lose pretty.

Very much this.

 

[Brian Riggs]

Much, much better tonight. We're going to be fine even if we lose on Saturday. We are a work in progress. Tonight's thoughts:

1) We lack creativity and guile against the top teams. Vicente is already a very important player for us and was missed tonight. He might have unlocked a very stubborn West Ham defence.
2) We are still not playing to CMS strengths. Can we not put a little though balls through to him more often? He thrives on running onto forward passes. Currently, he's operating at about 50% of what he can do.
3) Reyes is a class act. Got up and down well and can pass. What future Calderon though? Something has happened between him and Gus...
4) Craig Noone needs to take a second and have a look at what is happening around him & who is on for a cross/pass. He's been brilliant this season but needs to sort this out when others are in better positions.
5) Harper is a fitting goalkeeper for us in The Championship. We need to get him signed up for the rest of the season asap with "a view to a permanent deal." Has easily got another 3 or 4 years in him.

Spot on. Top post.

 

[pork pie]

I agree with all that, especially the 'Arsenal' comment as I said exactly the same thing to my mate! However apart from the result (and the rain) I really quite enjoyed last night's game; we played some good football notwithstanding the limitations you've described.

Yes, Arsenal is a very good example - they f*** about too much with the ball and win nothing! Oh, and they have no plan B.

 

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

Reyes was our best player. I can't see why he wasn't pushed into midfield. He's exactly what we lack in there

Agree with that.

When Dicker went off, I would have put Reyes in there, and Calderon at right back.

But then again I would have started with Hoskins too.

 

[pork pie]

Last 20 mins was the most disappointing aspect for me. We seemed to run out of ideas and they defended against our pretty football easily. In fact they ended the game more strongly than we did. We really do need to learn to attack at pace and move the ball much quicker as we do so. We are not that far off being a good side imo but we are now lacking confidence and need a win badly.

We also need a target man to hold the ball up and bring others into the game. CMS is just being wasted at the moment. Oh for someone like Bobby Z at the moment!

 

[Hotchilidog]

Much, much better tonight. We're going to be fine even if we lose on Saturday. We are a work in progress. Tonight's thoughts:

1) We lack creativity and guile against the top teams. Vicente is already a very important player for us and was missed tonight. He might have unlocked a very stubborn West Ham defence.
2) We are still not playing to CMS strengths. Can we not put a little though balls through to him more often? He thrives on running onto forward passes. Currently, he's operating at about 50% of what he can do.
3) Reyes is a class act. Got up and down well and can pass. What future Calderon though? Something has happened between him and Gus...
4) Craig Noone needs to take a second and have a look at what is happening around him & who is on for a cross/pass. He's been brilliant this season but needs to sort this out when others are in better positions.
5) Harper is a fitting goalkeeper for us in The Championship. We need to get him signed up for the rest of the season asap with "a view to a permanent deal." Has easily got another 3 or 4 years in him.

Good to see a positive and constructive post after a defeat. We have to persevere with this style of play but it is going to take a while for it to be effective against higher quality opponents. I agree with all the above points and I think there were plenty of positives to take from the game.