Newcastle v West Ham Saturday April 17 @ 12:30 (on SKY )

Hamstew

What a shame. A couple of the players really let everyone down today I think. But we've still had a great season. Our squad is really suffering atm.

jay_in_cpt

Nil points, Pride intact as per Mr Beglin on co comm's...have to agree...
Already said , our defending has gone a bit downhill, and if Lingard is now injured....not good...

Lukerz

Can’t be unhappy with the spirit shown. Deserved a point out of that 100%. Played miles better today than our last six games.

baracks_a_hammer

Too many key players out and it has caught up with us

Still think we could do with looking for a new number one keeper

ScotHammer

To look on the bright side were all over them in the 2nd half with 10 men. I personally will be happy to see Balbuena back - feel morale secure with him and Ogbonna .

alderz

I still think the biggest mistake of the game was the initial tactic. You saw in the second half what happens to Newcastle when they’re put under any kind of pressure, so to play the first half so passively was a huge mistake by the manager. Obviously he can’t account for those mistakes, but we were never going to win with that approach

Lukerz

alderz said:

I still think the biggest mistake of the game was the initial tactic. You saw in the second half what happens to Newcastle when they’re put under any kind of pressure, so to play the first half so passively was a huge mistake by the manager. Obviously he can’t account for those mistakes, but we were never going to win with that approach

Yep, once we took out one of the 3 needless CBs (well Dawson did it himself) we were miles better.

Lukerz

I also think Fab should have done better with all 3 goals.

OutcastLondoner

The tactics meant it was a matter of time until a mistake or moment of brilliance from ASM. Hopefully Moyes learns from that and after Cheslea we use Benrahma or Lanzini to get the ball moving more incisively. Lingard doesn't offer that.

Hamstew

Next week is going to be tough. Players out, the rest playing all over the shop, defence looking iffy. Not good.

Jorderz_Moyes_will_be_Moyes

Should have kept me on match threads. This is very messy football.

Lukerz

Fab needs to save that third goal for me

jay_in_cpt

Lukerz said:

Fab needs to save that third goal for me

Fab needs to save that 2nd goal I think...

baracks_a_hammer

Sometimes you need your keeper to come to the fore and help preserve point(s). I can’t remember the last time Fab actually did that for us.

Brother_Sledge

Fab dropping the ball for the second was horrific but the corner came because the ball hit the corner flag and went the wrong way - small margins make footy the game I love and that was an exciting watch. Great effort from our boys - so much better than damage limitation - just not our day, but we have had a few this season.

Hamstew

I thought we'd lose to Leicester and beat Newcastle with Europa being our more realistic target so meh. Our injuries and poor defending is more of a concern for me.

jay_in_cpt

It’ll be so sweeter beating Chelsea than Newcastle anyway 🤪🤪⚒️⚒️

Fortuneseeker

alderz, the same passive approach DM used v Manchester United at Old Trafford twice this season! The season so far has been a good one, can’t assess it properly until it’s completed. I would like to say more but am very disappointed and will feel even more so if we throw away a golden opportunity to achieve something by being typically “West Ham”.

Lukerz

I think that Dawson moment has been coming for a while. He has got away with it previously but there were signs. He has been excellent given his ability but there have been signs of an error for a while & today it basically cost us the game. Think Ogbonna will be back in now & Diop may well keep his place longer term if he does well against Chelsea.

Yeoldhammer

Not convinced by Johnson doesn't seem prem standard to me.

claretandbluesky

I think this was the match the injuries told. I don't feel that performance or result would would have been what it was were Rice and Cresswell playing. Cresswell maybe missed more than Antonio even. Johnson has potential no doubt but he is not ready yet, he is a sub not a starter.

It's not lost yet but it does mean Chelsea is a must win when really we needed the win today to allow for the result going against us next week.

The pace of Maximin was too much for Dawson and we needed Rice to match class for class. Now Ogbonna is back I am not too sad about Dawson not being available next week as I think a quality team like Chelsea would give him another dose of today. He has stepped in brilliantly and let no one down, but I feel his limitation has been becoming more apparent these last few games.

Let's see what we can come up with by way of response next week.

Cuz1

The header for the third goal was a direct result of Johnson not up for it but it’s easier to blame fab though after earlier mistakes, bad start up tactics, bad day at the office but because Newcastle below us doesn’t mean today’s game was a shoe in,

Lukerz

End of the day, Chelsea will beat Brighton, so even had we won today, it would come down to us getting a result next week. A loss to Chelsea would put them above us even if we had won today. That game is now the key game & I feel we’re going to need to ensure we get a point from it at least.

Lukerz

But overall, poor first half which culminated in sloppy errors from a sloppy performance all round. Great character & quality second half & deservedly level at 2-2. Then more sloppy defending after we got level. We move on. We’re still 4th for now. 6 games to go.

Slacker

That’s why I rarely post until the games over.
We weren’t that bad in the first half apart from the two defensive clangers and in the second we were really unlucky to lose after a great comeback with ten men.We showed a lot of fight for a team without two or three of our best players to get back to 2-2 and it was a real kick in the guts to concede the third. Coufal was my m o m.

Lukerz

Our final 5 games give us every chance. 15 points to play for in those, plus a bonus game of Chelsea next week. We’ll have Rice back for a few of those final 5, plus Masuaku & Cresswell. Hopefully Antonio too.

MunichHammer

Tbh I thought we were due a defeat, riding our luck for the past 3 games and I would rather it came v Newcastle than a direct competitor.
Chelsea and Leicester still play one another so we still have everything to play for. Don't lose next week and then kepp a push going.

Diop has now scored 3 goals in 2 games, 1 disallowed, 1 og and one for us. Does that count as a perfect hattrick?

yoyo

There was always going to be a slip up before seasons end. Most of us didn't necessarily see it being this one. A win against Chelsea and we're back in it. A few childish mistakes is really all it was. A lack of a cutting edge up front maybe, but next game now is massive. Keep the faith ( although admittedly mine waned a bit at 2-0 )

Jorderz_Moyes_will_be_Moyes

When I had the Champions League pic we conceded 3 goals without reply. When I had the Europa League pic we scored 2 without reply.

I'll take the blame for this one, guys.

Yeoldhammer

Might be without Lingard / Antonio / Rice / Cresswell / Masuaku for Chelsea.