This in a nutshell.
Having a plan b is a pretty basic fundamental of being a top level coach. RDZ has been around a while I can't see him reaching the upper echelons of management and being successful and winning stuff. Interested to see where he goes next.
West Ham are a pragmatic low block team and were in a relegation battle last season with a £400m squad and double our wage bill. This season they’ve arguably had more luck than any side in the league.
Two or more things can occur at the same time. I can be frustrated at the things I see on the pitch, appreciate that RDZ has been dealt a poor hand and that injuries have ravaged us, and still appreciate where we’ve come from and how we’re probably overachieving given the above. I’ve said as much in other posts too.
I’m not slagging him off. I actually think he’s working miracles in many ways. I just think he needs to learn when to adapt tactically ie when he has too many injuries to be able to play his natural game.
I think he did try to change things, but sadly the intensity of the occasion led to some individual mistakes on the night.
Not half bad ..I agree....but we have reached the stage now...in our 7th PL season...when we should be competitive in nearly every game. There will always be the occasional pounding, it happens but this season there have been too many. Teams know we are vulnerable early. We try and settle into our risky play from the word go...demanding absolute accuracy from players feeling their way into the game. Its too much pressure too early. We only have to make one mistake within 30 yards of our goal and we are in trouble. Time after time we concede early and are regularly two down at HT giving ourselves too much to do 2nd half. It feels like we are chasing games too often. Like a boxer losing the first 6-7 rounds on points and then trying to storm back, needing a knockout. I am not convinced RDZ wants to change. He shows a degree of stubbornness and arrogance in refusing to adjust during games that suggest he won't. It doesn't have to be major surgery. It's just giving the players a bit of early breathing space. Don't commit everybody up in the early minutes. Try and take the sting out of the game, at least in the first 20- 30 mins. Once settled and more importantly, still in the game, we can start passing the opposition to death. I believe he is demanding a bit too much at the moment. Our play needs to be slightly simplified. Too much overplaying. Trying to do too much on the ball and losing it..e.g Enciso and Buananotte last night and Dunk trying to be too clever rather than doing the simple thing and averting danger.
The same West Ham that were 0-6 home to Arsenal with 1 shot in answer? No guarantee you can just play a low defensive block and not conced. Frieburg a very different beast to Roma.
Dunk’s mistake and Enciso’s performance weren’t tactical unfortunately - Enciso he’s young, just back from injury, but his touch deserted him. There were mistakes that got punished severely.
I think there is a level of frustration building up. All we hear in the media is that we have a brilliant manager destined for the very top who is ripping up trees at our club and its only a matter of time before he moves on.
I think the stubbornness is a real issue. We’ll probably go into Sunday playing the same way as well. Forest are undoubtedly the weakest team we’ll have played in this current run, but I can see us being beaten again without a more pragmatic approach and recognition that we’re not firing on all cylinders right now.
But we are seeing these type of mistakes every game. It's overplaying when simplicity is called for.
It's been the same for some time. No real defensive structure. Doesn't feel like there is a desire to change it.
There is absolutely nothing the club, RDZ can do about the speculation or lauding by the media.
Not sure I quite agree with that. Yes going forward we do score a fair few but no more than last season. It's the drop off on goals conceded that is the worry to me.
| For | Goals per game | Against |
| 1.81 | This season | 1.63 |
| 1.89 | Last Season | 1.39 |
I think Adingra is a winger, and a pretty good one.
We’ve basically taken MacAllister, Caicedo, March and Mitoma out for all or most of this season. On top of that, Colwill went back, and we’ve had injuries to Pervis, Veltman, Milner, Lamptey, Webster. The stats actually hold up pretty well all things considered.
