Burnley (H) - 3pm, 16th January

OutcastLondoner

OldCastleSwift said:

Yeah, we won't get away with too many of them. Think back to Man U; we had so many chances to kill them off by half time and ended up losing. Bowen, as much as I like him, makes the wrong choice so often in the final third, and the same goes for Yarmolenko. Really need to be more clinical than we have been of late.

Surprised Benny got the hook when he did. Really felt he was the most likely to create a second. In fact, he was clean through at one stage but Rice made the wrong pass and the chance was gone.

But the positives are plenty too. Ogbonna is hands down HOTY as it stands, Dawson has been so much better than I think any of us thought he'd be, Antonio made it through another 90+ minutes and another three points and clean sheet.

I only hope now that Sullivan doesn't sit back on this start. We're in no danger of going down this year, so the temptation may be to stick with what we've got, but we have a great chance to challenge for Europe now and this needs to be aided by strengthening the squad.

The good thing is I felt this was the first game since Man U where we had that many chances to waste. (Maybe Leeds as well but I missed that game)

MrsGrey

baracks_a_hammer said:

I don’t know how (or if) it’s possible to check this, but has any West Ham player every registered 4 clean sheets in their first four starts for the club?

I think Aslef's at work at the moment...

buffybegood

A couple of things, nice that all of our front 4 were involved in the goal, lovely ball from Benrahma finds a great run from Bowen, nice layback and decent delivery by Fornals even though Antonio could never have dreamed for such a tap in from it.

Thought Benrahma had a decent game tbh, although maybe guilty of some poor decision making early on. He's lively, quick, and likes to get forward; I think there's a lot more to come from him. A goal will hopefully see him relax a bit and help him fulfil his potential.

thornburyiron

baracks_a_hammer said:

I don’t know how (or if) it’s possible to check this, but has any West Ham player every registered 4 clean sheets in their first four starts for the club?

Yes Craig Dawson. 😐

Cuz1

Lukerz said:

One for cuz

We don't win that with Haller up top...

Only you would say that and as he wasn’t we will never know but Ay keep it going, can’t wait for your knew found love of Antonio go sour when he hits a bad patch 😂😂

Fortuneseeker

Lukerz, shouldn’t that read we don’t win that game 1-0 with Haller up top? The margin would have been greater!

claretandbluesky

What a good performance that was.

Burnley are not bad at present but we made them look very limited. We looked hungry throughout and in all areas of the pitch, it looked like we are very fit and covered a lot of ground today. It's true we could have got punished for not putting the match to bed but that aside we dominated the match from start to finish aside from maybe ten minutes in the second half.

Ogbonna, superb
Dawson, not as polished but every bit as committed to the cause.
Bowen, must go home and fall into bed, runs so much and with real intent.
Rice, seems to be everywhere and the foundation of it all.
Coufel has been a superb signing but his crosses are lacking pace on the ball, needs to whip them in more.
Soucek and Rice are a bit of a dream team.

Pearces_Left_Foot

Like the fact we are beating teams we usually lose against Everton and now Burnley well done Moyes and the team

EXETERHAMMER

We are 3 points better off now than after 18 games in the 2015/16 season under Bilic😯

whupathman

Happy happy joy joy , now Fulham to beat the chavs fat frank to get the tin tack and that should see rice stay with us hopefully.

steve

so good to win that ,Hope Burnley go down ,Love that we seem to work so hard as a team ,No drama queens just hard working Guys who seem happy to wear the shirt

baracks_a_hammer

EXETERHAMMER said:

We are 3 points better off now than after 18 games in the 2015/16 season under Bilic😯

And even better, it isn’t all revolving around one key player

IronHerb

baracks_a_hammer said:

EXETERHAMMER said:

We are 3 points better off now than after 18 games in the 2015/16 season under Bilic😯

And even better, it isn’t all revolving around one key player

I thought we were in trouble without Antonio and Masuaku. OK that's two. 😁

Cuz1

The amalfitano derby

alderz

Nice little stat from BBC

BBC said:

Antonio became the fourth player to score 40 Premier League goals for West Ham, after Paolo di Canio (47), Mark Noble (46) and Carlton Cole (41).

BubblesNeverDies

Another one for Cuz


Winning, it's what Moyes does.

Sorry Cuz

adecoker

OldCastleSwift said:

One for alderz. Looks who's back in training

Something mighty this way comes.

Blotting out the sun

And smiting all that stand in his path.

puddleglumhammers

So refreshing to have a striker who actually pressures defenders and the goalie rather than slouch around waiting to get the ball. Defending starts with the centre forward and Antonio does so much more harrying work.

Benrahma could become an excellent player, wide or as a No 10. And glad to see he looked disappointed to be subbed.

Now to sign a striker, a solid, back-up midfielder and a decent winger, as Yarmo looks past it and Lanzini is better inside. Love checking the top half of the table these days !

Hamstew

Yeah I think that Benrahma was good today. Fornals was great too.

Cuz1

BubblesNeverDies said:

Another one for Cuz


Winning, it's what Moyes does.

Sorry Cuz

No worries 👍

buffybegood

Maybe Moyes isn't as smart as we give him credit for:

"You always have a chance of picking up a point if you don't concede a goal, and that was very good."

I'm pretty sure you're guaranteed to get a point, if not all 3, if you don't concede 🤔🤔🤔

I'd be pretty gutted to keep a clean sheet and not get any points.

Pengeman

I don't know why some social media sites https://www.footballfancast.com/west-ham-united-news/said-benrahma-let-moyes-down-burnley-bowen-antonio-opinion are having a go at Benrahma. I though he played well and was threat. Often he is a move ahead of some surrounding players who don't anticipate or move quickly. Maybe Moyes brought him off to save his energy for the next Tuesday's game.

I thought the whole team played well against Burnley today, one of our bogey team in recent years. It was a dour game, but they have to be won.

Lukerz

I thought Benrahma played well. His involvement in the goal was what made it. Without the ball in behind Burnley’s defence, we don’t score.

IronHerb

Its just one guys opinion.

claretandbluesky

I think Benrhama is doing ok. I think these flair players need be judged on end result as we know they look good on the ball and can play passes in tight areas but decisive passes and goals are what count. I think Benrhama will come good in that respect soon, he already looks to provide more end result than Anderson did even if they are not quite coming off yet. He is no Payet but I think he will prove better than Anderson and Lanzini would be my view.

Cuz1

I agree he’s doing ok and the ball played through was defence splitting but I expect more over 90 mins than that I’d have gave him a good six rating today but needs to improve his end product imo

Cuz1

And before anyone says he didn’t play 90 minutes I know that and it’s probably why he was substituted because he wasn’t producing much

WHU_Champo_league_in_7_years

End of the day, before this season the highest level Benrahma has played at is the championship

Similarly to Bowen, think Moyes has tried to ease him in, and I think he's doing well....and I think Moyes is starting to trust him, 5 starts out of our last 8 games

He never going to get double figures for goals and assists like he did in the championship for his first season especially for a new team

Obviously there is talent there, and while we are doing very well we aren't a high scoring team (especially from open play)

I've enjoyed having him here, hope he gets better and better, as he will have to start chipping in with some goals and assists

Think Bowen is the best of our attacking midfielders, then Fornals likely is second choice due to the energy he brings (and quality)....then Benrahma and Lanzini are fighting it out for the 3rd spot behind Antonio with Yarmo a sub option

EXETERHAMMER

I think Benrahma is getting better. But just like every player in our team other than Antonio and Soucek, he needs to learn how to put the ball in the back of the net or pass to the player who is free on goal.
We should have scored 3 or 4 yesterday.

ASLEFshrugged

.

WHU_Champo_league_in_7_years said:

End of the day, before this season the highest level Benrahma has played at is the championship

Not quite. Benrahma played 29 times in the French top flight for Angers and Nice although most of those were as a substitute. Scored 4.

Ligue 1 might not be Premier League level but it is higher than the Championship.