Everton (A) - 16 Sept 18 4pm ko - Match Thread

WHU_Champo_league_in_7_years

Rice and Obiang were immense in the middle and while Balbuena & Diop had a shaky moment or 2 thought they were very good

Yarmo - Arnie - Anderson looked so good today, hope they can get a run of games together and hope Arnies injury isn't serious

Expat_Hammer

Rocky_BazBuena said:

That aside, woo hoo!!!! So glad Niasse was playing hit the crossbar challenge or it would've been even nervier.

Me too, I'd have lost £3 @ 28/1 for the right score ;biggrin

Bazshuayi

Manuel says no (re Perez), so I am glad I said 'allegedly'.

Jorderz_Moyes_will_be_Moyes

Pelle says that what actually happened with Perez is that he wanted to send Perez on for Arnie, but looked around and saw Perez sitting down and Antonio warming up, and decided to send Antonio on instead because Antonio was ready.

Cuz1

I hope that helps with your depression Steve

ASLEFshrugged

Rica and Obiang with Noble as the link up man.

Also Everton were pants.

OutcastLondoner

Obiang's energy and ability to choose a pass quickly makes a massive different and I think it helped Rice a lot. Rice was so composed on the ball, playing some very nice passes and always making the right decision. Exactly what we need in that position.

Based on that, Wilshere and Noble will have to fight for the same role because Obiang and Rice put in the best midfield showings we've seen this season.

There's something quite nice about Anderson's style of play. He's got the flare but he saves it for when it's useful, not for extravagance.

Diop looking better with every game as well, I think. And we've got a bit more solid since he came in.

MrsGrey

Jorderz_Moyes_will_be_Moyes said:

Pelle says that what actually happened with Perez is that he wanted to send Perez on for Arnie, but looked around and saw Perez sitting down and Antonio warming up, and decided to send Antonio on instead because Antonio was ready.

That's plausible. Maybe the pics of one of the coaching team sitting talking with Perez on the bench was of him explaining the decision to Perez:- it needed to be a quick substitution because it was an injury (and we don't want Arnie playing on for 5 minutes while someone gets warmed up, imo!) Also fits with the idea that we probably wouldn't be planning to bring Noble off and putting Perez on at that stage of the game, d'you think?

MrsGrey

PS, Perez says he isn't averse to being locked in a room with suz for 5 minutes.

;biggrin

grey_til_I_dye

Watched the game with a very good mate who is a Toffee.

The art of gloating without gloating...

steve

Cuz yes it does plus the pills and wine ;biggrin

whupathman

happy happy joy joy

Lukerz

Fantastic result & a very efficient performance. Still things to work on but amazing how a few tweaks in personnel means you can look a lot more balanced. A different level of intensity from the Wolves game.

Yarmolenko was fantastic & only really looked 60%. Got fantastic feet the way he keeps the ball. Not very quick but very assured in possession. Two fantastic finishes.

Glad to see Obiang get a start as I thought he was decent in his Wolves cameo. Although his passes can be erratic, he moves the ball very quickly & played vital roles in two of the goals. Him & Rice were excellent & both shielded Balbuena & Diop. Pelle is going to have to accept that two of Sanchez/Obiang/Rice are going to be required in this formation for it to work. Otherwise we can't justify the creative options.

Anderson was excellent. Plays the game in gear 2 & then jumps straight to 5 in the blink of an eye. Made all the right decisions, ghosted past players & got us up the pitch. Other than that stupid dive he was very good.

Arnie was Arnie. Another massive performance from him.

Thought the full-backs were both solid (big thumbs up to Zabaleta who I am often critical of). Diop played well too. Still not sold on Balbeuna but I suppose you need consistency in the CB area.

And Nobes being back in the middle makes a massive difference. We countered very quickly. Definitely going to get a lot of points on the road with those options. I think we have the attacking players to outscore most sides away from home, if we are 'on it'.

Delighted with the win. Takes the (ridiculous) pressure off Pelle & gets that monkey off our back. Really felt we'd fold after 1-2 but fair play to the lads.

MrsGrey

From the post-match interviews:

Everton defender Mason Holgate on Match of the Day: "It was massively disappointing. We went in expecting to win so it's three points dropped.
"We started well and then they scored and after that we were shaky. We would have expected to create more chances, too.
"Losing 3-1 at home is never good enough for us, especially, with respect, against a team who didn't have any points yet.

madridhammer

Not much else to say except that I'm absolutely delighted. I think we'll be ok long term because we've got goals in us but the defence still worries me at times. Onwards & upwards & of course, Come On You Irons!!!!!

Cuz1

It’s nice to have some positivity on here for a change think now the monkeys off our backs we be fine, the only way is up

Fortuneseeker

Glad I was proved wrong in that I thought we would have nil points after seven games. ;doh ;whistle

To add to the celebrations today on a personal front mini me scored and captained his team to their first league win of the season. SNAP! ;biggrin

welovethehammers

I'd like us to stick with the same team in future with the exception being Cresswell coming in for Masuaku.

Adam

Personally, I feel we need one quick full back, i.e. Masuaku or Fredericks. They help to get us up the pitch. Masuaku helped today offensively.

Having both Zabaleta and Cresswell is too restrictive, imo. Fredericks had one of the worst games I’ve seen a West Ham player have in a long time against Wolves, so he’ll have to improve/gain confidence if he plays and Masuaku doesn’t.

chicagohammer

So many positives to take from that result and performance - but seriously, how good was Declan Rice, he put on a masterclass that was way beyond his years.

Pretty certain he has secured his name on our first team sheet after this afternoon.

Coyi

jay_in_cpt

My 2 stand out players were Anderson & Obiang...
that sounds wrong when a player scores 2, but these 2 impressed me the most.
certainly we needed those 3 points & against Everton is always a bonus IMO..
As for Perez, if true, he needs to change his attitude or sold in Jan.
And yesterday was my 4th week of non smoking, didn't even have the urge,
thanks West Ham!

Bazshuayi

;smoking

Yeoldhammer

Got to get Rice a new contract

TheMadcapLaughs

I`m sorry, but far too many times yesterday we were looking to pass the ball forwards. Moyes in.

;scarf

MrsGrey

Arnie picked in Garth Crooks' team of the week.

heathrowhammer

It's great to wake up feeling positive.
The team looked balanced and a great effort all around. Our fans were fantastic.

Cuz1

And still believe there’s more to come also when they’ve played together more, thort rice was superb marshalling the defence and to be fair the defence did get the blocks in and looked a bit more organised

BubblesNeverDies

Great result. The only thing that disappointed me was the reaction of some posters on here to Perez "refusing to play", it being based on a Sky (read: fake news) commentator's opinion. Talk about lynch mob - ;nonono

MrsGrey

to be fair, it wasn't an 'opinion'.
The Sky commentator said he'd 'been told'. So it was incorrect information he was given. Nothing wrong with passing that on imo, particularly as the post-match interview tried to clarify whether or not it was accurate info.

puddleglumhammers

At last Pelle knows what we all suspected - Rice is our best option as holding midfield and, sorry to go a bit biblical, upon this rock he can build his side. Obiang and Noble played so much better with Rice behind them. Dare I say Rice has a touch of the Bobby Moore composure about him. Early days but he could be a really good player.