PL L FA Premier League

West Ham United 3:2 Manchester United

Post-match discussion


Tue, 10 May 2016

Completely agree, can you imagine Roy Keane, Scholes, Butt, hell even a Neville acting like that so soon before our biggest game of the season? I certainly can't as they'd be mentally focused on the match, not lying on the ground taking "selfies" like children. I can imagine a real captain having a word with the young players acting like that too, telling them not to be distracted.

The fact that these videos were uploaded before kick off infuriates me, who the hell is more concerned with social media than the match we're about to play? If they can't focus on the match they're about to play then ban phones from the team bus, dressing room etc. If they're going to act like children then treat them like children.
If a new manager comes in the first thing I would do is ban phones before kickoff. What was LvG and Giggs doing while they were carrying on like this?
 
Our midfield was again piss poor. I've been saying all season how poor our midfield is. It seems to me that our midfield is getting progressively worse every season for a while now.
 
I'm hurting just as much today as last night. Why I got myself invested in this team again, I don't know.
 
The problem with most footballers, especially I would say English players is that they are not allowed to grow up properly. They are mollycoddled from an early age, have everything done for them, treated like royalty. No wonder they are so childish.
 
Completely agree, can you imagine Roy Keane, Scholes, Butt, hell even a Neville acting like that so soon before our biggest game of the season? I certainly can't as they'd be mentally focused on the match, not lying on the ground taking "selfies" like children. I can imagine a real captain having a word with the young players acting like that too, telling them not to be distracted.

The fact that these videos were uploaded before kick off infuriates me, who the hell is more concerned with social media than the match we're about to play? If they can't focus on the match they're about to play then ban phones from the team bus, dressing room etc. If they're going to act like children then treat them like children.
Absolutely spot on. And then after every loss the first thing these players do is go on social media to make canned, cliched posts about how "we have to bounce back and play better next time".
 
Missed the game as I'm on nights. I have to say when I finally checked the score that it was an overwhelming sense of deja poo. The only surprise LVG is incapable of now is fecking off into retirement. Much appreciated and all that, of course.
 
And now they blame the turnstiles not functioning for late kick off after blaming Utd for late kick off.
After it turns out that we were only 100metres behind the West ham coach, who ironically didn't turn up at 4pm
 
xe1JcJC.jpg


The philosophy at work in a must win game.

Someobdy fecking send that to Ed!
 
Probably not. Why you ask?

Because, if you think that Leicester players would not have made it in to ours, yet they went on to win the title with players what we considered to be worse off than "our bang average players", how come they did it?.
 
Because, if you think that Leicester players would not have made it in to ours, yet they went on to win the title with players what we considered to be worse off than "our bang average players", how come they did it?.
Because they had the right manager. Play 4-4-2 but press like crazy and had no injuries.
 
Because, if you think that Leicester players would not have made it in to ours, yet they went on to win the title with players what we considered to be worse off than "our bang average players", how come they did it?.

A little bit of luck that they didn't have significant injuries for one but you do need that.

A belief and commitment to a system that worked for them.

An unbelievable work rate and spirit.

A manager that they had faith in.

It was enough, as the rest of us continued to embarrass ourselves with shoddy performances
 
Goals happened. Yes Fellaini was missing, but I think it now emphasises how much DDG has done this season, that the defensive figures are not as impressive as they seem. Could you imagine Bruce/Pallister or Rio/Vidic would defend like that. We defend by keeping the ball, but if we don't do it as well it exposes what is not a great defence.
Exactly. Why we play an average sized DCM at centreback is beyond me. Our side lacks height but the one place you would expect it is the two centrebacks.
If we go into a game against a team that has a height advantage over you don't concede free kicks around our penalty area.
 
A little bit of luck that they didn't have significant injuries for one but you do need that.

A belief and commitment to a system that worked for them.

An unbelievable work rate and spirit.

A manager that they had faith in
.

It was enough, as the rest of us continued to embarrass ourselves with shoddy performances

Because they had the right manager. Play 4-4-2 but press like crazy and had no injuries.

There we go. Good managers add atleast 10 points to the team. We keep talking about the players being Average, but you have to ask yourself, even if they are average ( which I dont agree with), is our manager getting the best out of them?. The bucks stops with the manager.

It has been one of the craziest seasons. We have played absolutely shit throughout this season and yet could possibly have sneaked into Top 4. I would argue every team bar Leicester have under performed. So I wouldn't draw any conclusions about any team's squad just based on this season alone which I consider to be an outlier.
 
Exactly. Why we play an average sized DCM at centreback is beyond me. Our side lacks height but the one place you would expect it is the two centrebacks.
If we go into a game that has a height advantage over you don't concede free kicks around our penalty area.

Course you don't. We have been in that position ourselves to be fair. If you have a Beckham or Ronaldo in your side the other side shouldn't concede freekicks round the box, but they did.
 
Exactly. Why we play an average sized DCM at centreback is beyond me. Our side lacks height but the one place you would expect it is the two centrebacks.
If we go into a game against a team that has a height advantage over you don't concede free kicks around our penalty area.

I understand the sentiment and we all do think that. But I cannot think of a way how you can tactically prepare for that?.

"Right lads, if he is anywhere close to our goal, let him through, don't try to tackle and concede a free kick".

We had to go for the ball and sometimes mistackles do happen and thats part and parcel of the game. You just have to move on and defend the set piece...
 
I understand the sentiment and we all do think that. But I cannot think of a way how you can tactically prepare for that?.

"Right lads, if he is anywhere close to our goal, let him through, don't try to tackle and concede a free kick".

We had to go for the ball and sometimes mistackles do happen and thats part and parcel of the game. You just have to move on and defend the set piece...

Every team gives freekicks away, it is how you deal with them after that. The giving the freekick away was an honest mistake, someone trying to do something.The defending after that was terrible. We have always given freekicks away, what we had in the past though, was a brilliant defence. As though players in the past won 100% of their tackles, they didn't. What they did most of the time was make sure nothing came of it.
 
Every team gives freekicks away, it is how you deal with them after that. The giving the freekick away was an honest mistake, someone trying to do something.The defending after that was terrible. We have always given freekicks away, what we had in the past though, was a brilliant defence. As though players in the past won 100% of their tackles, they didn't. What they did most of the time was make sure nothing came of it.

This. Just look at the way Leicester defend set pieces. Vidic and Ferdinand were superb at set pieces.

Fact is we don't have the CD partnership at present. Smalling has been brilliant but Daley isn't a CD, we know it but LVG still persists in playing him there
 
Anyone looking back through my posts would note that I've been more than ready to back players and point out Van Gaal's inability to improve or use them in the last year and a half. I've even supported fellas like Di Maria, Memphis, Evans and Rooney when they were getting roundly slated.

But last night was the first time I felt really let down by the players themselves. The reaction to the antics on the bus was childish and unprofessional. Yes they are young but they are paid a feckload of money to play professional football and the single only thought in every one of their minds as they were delayed going into that ground, should have been "Feck this shit. This is affecting my preparation for this game". They should have been raging and used it as rocket fuel to hit the ground running. Champions League qualification was in their own hands and it felt like they couldn't give a shit about what that means to their club and their own careers.

Instead, they were rolling around giggling like school girls and strolled out onto the field to be bullied for the first 30 minutes. Imagine a Cantona, Schmeichel, Keane, Robson, Ronaldo led team being treated like that and then playing so meekly in the first half? Which senior player was shouting down the back of bus, telling young fellas to cop on and then reading the riot act in the dressing room?

I like Herrera a lot, but he was a disaster last night. Total nonentity in the first half, then after what I imagine was a bollocking off Van Gaal at halftime, he went out and proceeded to give away about 15 stupid, stupid fouls in the second 45. He should have come off at the break, and to leave him on past the hour was a disgrace which probably cost us the game.
 
You may be right. It was just that when we gave those two free kicks away last night I knew what would happen.
I am more p'd off than I have been after any game this season.
Like people keep posting its the hope that kills yah.
Then you get mad because you built your hopes up for 4th place. We should never be happy with 4th it shows how far we've fallen.
 
On BBC now, they keep saying it was only 10 people throwing bottles :D Seriously lads, what a joke. There were hundreds of bottles flying.

Different angle - watch from about 1 min 55sec



I was standing on the other side of the road, where the bus is approaching into Green Street - atmosphere was nuts, unlike anything I've ever experienced at a football match - and not in a good way. It was very aggressive, too much drunken testosterone everywhere.

Would have been very very unsettling for the players in the bus: I think Lingard's VDO just shows how they coped with it: with childish humour and that a OK, we all deal with stuff differently.

But I can't see how it did not affect them - and first half was evidence of that - our team totally wilted in the toxic atmosphere.

I was pretending to support West Ham, bought a cheap t-shirt to prove it! would have gotten killed if I didn't!
 
Last edited:
Because, if you think that Leicester players would not have made it in to ours, yet they went on to win the title with players what we considered to be worse off than "our bang average players", how come they did it?.

In fairness there are certainly Leicester players that I would take now. I, along with many others, didnt realise the ability of the likes of Mahrez and Kante. If we were offered Kante in the summer (as per your original question) I wouldnt have taken him, but I certainly would now.
On an individual level, there arent many of Leicesters side that I would call above average. They are a mix of players from the lower levels of the prem and the lower leagues. They won the title by having an amazing team ethic and a manager who knew what he was doing. It is a team game, after all.
 
Different angle - watch from about 1 min 55sec


Were they setting off smoke bombs/flare/fireworks? They were really spooking those horses. They do this sort of stuff without thinking of outcome. What if a horse had gone off into the crowd, what if the coach had gone into the crowd?
 
Were they setting off smoke bombs/flare/fireworks? They were really spooking those horses. They do this sort of stuff without thinking of outcome. What if a horse had gone off into the crowd, what if the coach had gone into the crowd?
Yes, loads of smoke bombs and flares - must have counted at least 10 in a twenty min period before I run inside stadium. Kids were crying and many people eyes streaming with tears because of allergic reaction.

Worst bit was when there were huge rumours that Millwall Firm were arriving on Barking Road: the normal fans like me felt scared and tried to get inside stadium; but suddenly loads of scar faced blokes, all with massive arms, beer bellies and skinned head turned up from nowhere all ready to fight. Im guessing they we're all West Ham ex ICF. They were spoiling for some hooligan fighting last night: I'd imagine it happened at some place after the game.

I hate football hooliganism and aggression but these cockneys really put on a show of intimidation and force last night. I wont forget that in a hurry!
 
Last edited:
I am no fan of Van Gaal but last night was the first time it sunk in how toothless the players have become. Ironically I remember after the last WHU game when Noble carried Herrera off the pitch there was quite a lot of talk about how nobody fears us and we need a more no nonsense approach.

Across the park WHUM must have loved playing us because they know they can bully the majority of our players off the ball. Not only that but the fundamentals of competitive sport, desire, passion, tenacity just don't seem to be there. I hate buzzwords but we just lack 'character' #brendanrodgers

WHUM are are very physical, dangerous from set pieces but we should be able to deal with them. If you can't deal with physical teams you will never get close to winning the EPL. Case and point: Arsenal squad post 2004.
 
Were they setting off smoke bombs/flare/fireworks? They were really spooking those horses. They do this sort of stuff without thinking of outcome. What if a horse had gone off into the crowd, what if the coach had gone into the crowd?

If these people had the capacity to think, they would have considered the 30 odd bottles that missed the bus and rained down on their own fans on the other side.
 
If a new manager comes in the first thing I would do is ban phones before kickoff. What was LvG and Giggs doing while they were carrying on like this?

LVG was saying "it shall be like that" so he did wank all. Giggs was busy sexting.
 
I really think Smalling is a bit overrated. If you are that good, you shouldn't to hold on to players during set pieces and corners. He will be called on it sooner or later. If Martial, Rashford, or even Rooney had the chances that he and Blind have given players to go one on one with the keeper, they would have put them away vs. lesser keepers.
 
West Ham are quite an imposing athletic team aren't they apart from Lanzini & Payet - if you're not the absolute top level, it's a classic example of how to assemble a very formidable XI. Did you see the header the RB scored with?

Comparison with us for physique & mobility is a pretty sad one. You have to have it somewhere - usually both CBs as a minimum. And a guy on the front post at defensive set pieces, used to be the 'big' CF usually.

Tough team to play & more difficult in the circumstances. One of our good teams would have struggled.
 
Yes, for all the deserved stick LVG gets I wonder how grim things would look without DDG & this conservative possession approach the Manager has used to cheese us all off so much. I don't see us suddenly having scored loads more playing more attackingly but this quite low number of goals conceded could be +8-10 without the GK & a few more again with the defence wide open to being attacked. And I think we've been lucky, some of the chances teams have missed vs. us. Last night was different in that we got punished off the set plays. I couldn't understand how we got to be 2-1 up, tbh.

Terrible buying of players the last 3 years.
 
West Ham are quite an imposing athletic team aren't they apart from Lanzini & Payet - if you're not the absolute top level, it's a classic example of how to assemble a very formidable XI. Did you see the header the RB scored with?

Comparison with us for physique & mobility is a pretty sad one. You have to have it somewhere - usually both CBs as a minimum. And a guy on the front post at defensive set pieces, used to be the 'big' CF usually.

Tough team to play & more difficult in the circumstances. One of our good teams would have struggled.

But we don't play that way.

It's one reason they are where they are, and moving forward are unlikely to progress much further.

This was the same West Ham that gave up against Swansea.The only reason for the commitment was because it was their last game and they wanted to make amends
 
But we don't play that way.

It's one reason they are where they are, and moving forward are unlikely to progress much further.

This was the same West Ham that gave up against Swansea.The only reason for the commitment was because it was their last game and they wanted to make amends

We are neither one or the other, atm. Failing both ways around. But a minimum of physical presence would help a lot.
We look like we are expecting that to be Fellaini, on his own, when he plays - which we don't want him to.

Not quite sure what I'm trying to say but I don't think the complaints about tactics & attitude are being directed at the heart of the problem which is mismanagement in getting hold of players who aren't good enough and neglecting to get absolute basics of squad structure right.

If it were a game of cards, we've dealt ourselves a shit hand.
 
We are neither one or the other, atm. Failing both ways around. But a minimum of physical presence would help a lot.
We look like we are expecting that to be Fellaini, on his own, when he plays - which we don't want him to.

Not quite sure what I'm trying to say but I don't think the complaints about tactics & attitude are being directed at the heart of the problem which is mismanagement in getting hold of players who aren't good enough and neglecting to get absolute basics of squad structure right.

If it were a game of cards, we've dealt ourselves a shit hand.

Said it in one! I doubt if anyone would disagree.

The structure of the youth and u21 set up looks good with some great talent in there but we have to get rid of the poor coaching/management
 

Man of the Match

Anthony Martial image Anthony Martial 94% of 647 votes

Runners-up

Player Ratings

4.6 Total Average Rating

Highest Rated Player

Lowest Rated Player

Compiled from 442 ratings.

Score Predictions

286,84,94
  • Man Utd win
  • West Ham win
  • Draw

Detailed Results

  • 28% West Ham 1:2 Man Utd
  • 20% West Ham 0:1 Man Utd
  • 13% West Ham 1:1 Man Utd
  • 6% West Ham 2:1 Man Utd
  • 6% West Ham 0:2 Man Utd
  • 5% West Ham 2:0 Man Utd
  • 4% West Ham 0:0 Man Utd
  • 3% West Ham 1:0 Man Utd
  • 3% West Ham 2:2 Man Utd
  • 3% West Ham 1:3 Man Utd
  • 2% West Ham 2:3 Man Utd
  • 2% West Ham 3:1 Man Utd
  • 2% West Ham 0:5 Man Utd
  • 1% West Ham 3:0 Man Utd
  • 1% West Ham 0:3 Man Utd
  • 1% West Ham 5:0 Man Utd
  • 0% West Ham 1:4 Man Utd
  • 0% West Ham 3:2 Man Utd
  • 0% West Ham 4:5 Man Utd
  • 0% West Ham 0:4 Man Utd
  • 0% West Ham 4:0 Man Utd
Compiled from 464 predictions.
Show more results Score Predictions League Table

Match Stats

  1. West Ham
  2. Man Utd
Possession
41% 59%
Shots
20 3
Shots on Target
6 2
Corners
6 2
Fouls
6 18

Referee

Mike Dean