Watford (H) Match Thread 10.02.18 15:00

EssexHammer

Jorderz_Moyes_will_be_Moyes said:

MrsGrey said:

Although, ... the fans had left in their droves before the final whistle.

Why???????

Stay and applaud the team, surely? They're (some of them) quick enough to moan and boo, saying it's up to the players to give them something to cheer about.

But when they do, the fans (some of them) have already left. ;angry

This is the saddest thing about the new stadium at the moment for me. So many empty seats before the end of the game. Can't understand it at all, especially when we're winning.

Even when Carroll scored the winner against WBA, the stadium was half empty by then. What kind of support is that?

I have to say, I haven't been to the stadium yet. Are people leaving early because it's a nightmare to get out? Nightmare on the trains/tubes unless you leave early?

Very strange otherwise.

I've only been to a handful of games there, but it probably is to do with getting out.

It's a fair old trek back to the station.

You have to walk a fair way and then double back on yourself and you have stewards with lollipop signs telling you to stop or go, presumably to control the amount of people in a particular area at any one time.

SuzanneClaret

It’s becoming quite annoying, the route changes and the stop go signs.

ianbishoplegend

I saw Mario stop tracking back a bit and completely give up before he was subbed. Gotta toe the line with Moyes!

Brother_Sledge

really enjoyed the game - good performances all round but Arnie had to be MoM for me.
Stayed to final whistle then on my toes to International station, which was ok, but so many head for the tube that it can be real nightmare.

# mystic Merse 2-0

chicagohammer

Adam - agree but I thought that Antonio or even Arnie was higher up my list as it looked to me that they were running out of steam.

EXETERHAMMER

Well done to the players and David Moyes.

These games, against teams in and around us are the ones that we need to win.

McHammer

Bald ginger pate
I would destroy that. And its friendlier than duck liver pate!

adecoker

EXETERHAMMER said:

These games, against teams in and around us are the ones that we need to win.

I don't think that we are in a position to pick and choose. It's the games against any of the other 19 teams in and around, above and below us that we need to win. Otherwise, Sheffield Wednesday here we come.

imagelost

Clean sheet today
Well done goalie
And the fellowship of defence

OldCastleSwift

I predicted a loss but very pleased to be wrong.

Arnautovic makes such a big difference to this team. Glad to have him back, and with Hernandez in form and Antonio and Lanzini coming back, we should have enough attacking quality to get the points to stay up.

Well done team, and well done Moyes ;clap

alderz

I think Moyes deserves a lot of credit for changes Arnie’s position. As they said on MOTD, at Stoke he would often go missing because he had to track back as a winger. Giving him that free role is a bit of a master stroke from the manager.

Huttonhammer

A very good result and Marco again brilliant he makes such a difference .
The tackle on him in the penalty area in most other places could have been a sending off the way their player nearly broke his foot and followed through ,amazing that it wasn’t even a penalty . Also Javier’s disallowed goal would have been allowed for Spurs etc Referees and linesmen are getting away with some really biased decisions against us in my view .
It happens far too often.
Mr Moyes is doing well but we must stop throwing in performances like the Brighton game.

alderz

Hutton

I don't think you can complain about the offside when it was offside. The penalty, yeah, although I have to say I didn't think it was until seeing the slowed down replay
so it wasn't an easy one.

IronHerb

It was in fact two pens. One for coming down on his foot and the second for wiping him out with the follow through.

Lukerz

Good result.

Delighted with the selection and what a nice surprise for Arnie to come straight in and play most of the game. Well done to Antonio for playing as a LWB and top marks to Moyes for coming up with a line-up that got them all in and as a cohesive unit. Zab was excellent too.

Arnie is such a big player for us and probably the most ‘West Ham’ player we’ve had for a while.

Irons

IronHerb

Lukerz said:

Don’t like that team.

Not going to do enough defensively against their playmakers.

Make your mind up Luke. Always easier with hindsight. ;hmm

Lukerz

Why do I need to make my mind up?

Was worried about the defensive side of the game based on it being a 4-2-3-1.

It wasn’t so I was ultimately pleased with the side and formation. ;ok

ianbishoplegend

I asked for 4 at the back and Moyes granted my wish, until Antonio was forced in left back!

grey_til_I_dye

Ibl

We played with a back 3.

ianbishoplegend

Looked like 4 at the start to me. I will call it a ‘false 4’!

ClaretandBlueforLife

I agree ibl Moyes changed it as required.

puddleglumhammers

Its funny how probably none of us armchair West Ham managers saw that selection coming - Antonio as LWB ! We have to give Moyes huge credit for doing this and sticking with the 3 4 1 2 which has worked so well for us.

whupathman

I forgot to post this earlier,happy happy joy joy

buffybegood

I missed watching the game live as I was at Twickenham. It seems Zabaleta had a good game (he made Garth Crooks team of the week, as a defender in a back 3 which strikes me as cheating), but, as I missed it, I'll continue to be very ;hmm about him.

MOTD highlights showed the defender marking Hernandez sat on his bum when the cross came in for the first goal, leaving a free header. Was more of this made during live coverage? What happened, was there any hint of a foul by Hernandez?

ianbishoplegend

Zabaleta was immense and the defender fell on his backside. There were a few man of the match performances, I would give it to Zabaleta, but it was a close.

Kuchinghammer

Arnie also made Daft Crook's Team of the Week. In midfield. Does he ever watch West Ham matches? Even the BBC's 'pick your own' had Antonio and Zabaleta as full backs. ;hmm . But they did manage to get Adrian as a GK ;ok . Well done, BBC...

grey_til_I_dye

buffy

Very little made of it in live comms.

I was worried it would be chalked off for a push, but it was simply the players getting their legs tangled, and Chico managing to stay upright after it.

IronHerb

To make it even better Pedro won BBC Goal of the Month for January for his goal against Spurs. ;bowdown ;clap

Vorselaarhammer

I missed the game as I had a freebie to Twickenham.

For Herenandez goal I noticed the marker was on the floor, I wondered those that watched it live, was it a slip or some striker dark arts...

Performance looked good.

Antonio on the left seemed to have a good game. I hope he can swallow his ego a little bit and accept a utility role as he can be effective in a number of positions...

Impressed that Arnie seem to slot straight back in the groove. great stats on motd.. Moyes has done wonders with hin.

IronHerb

Hernandez and the defender just had an accidental coming together which sent the defender down. If Hernandez had gone down we wouldn't have got a penalty, not that that would be a surprise.