Burnley (A) - Monday 3rd May 8.15pm

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Comments

  • whupathmanwhupathman
    this has the feel of the last season at UP, lack of investment in the squad cost us then as well , a finish above the two north London clubs will be a good season still
  • ASLEFshruggedASLEFshrugged
    The problem isn't a lack of investment, rather they allowed Pellegrini to spend too much and now Moyes is having to sort of the mess he inherited.
  • baracks_a_hammerbaracks_a_hammer
    I don’t think simply finishing above the two north London sides (who have been dreadful) makes it a good season
  • whupathmanwhupathman
    baracks_a_hammer said:

    I don’t think simply finishing above the two north London sides (who have been dreadful) makes it a good season

    depends if you work in north london or not :)
  • ASLEFshruggedASLEFshrugged
    In the 53 seasons we have played in the top flight since we were promoted in 1958 we have finished 3rd once (85-86), 5th once (98-99), 6th twice (58-59, 72-73), 7th twice (01-02, 15-16) and 8th four times (61-62, 68-69, 82-83, 97-98).

    Simply finishing anywhere in the top eight will be a good season
  • jay_in_cptjay_in_cpt
    edited April 2021
    For me personally and each to their own, I'm just happy we had no relegation fears this season, ( apart from after the 1st game ) but we are all allowed to overreact sometimes...

    Hoping just to finish in the top 6, that IMO would be a fantastic effort.

    Re this game, without being a downer, think we are going to struggle, Burnley at home seems to always be dodgy fixture for us, so hope to be proved wrong tho.
  • ASLEFshruggedASLEFshrugged
    We've won on our last two trips to Turf Moor, drew the one before than and lost three on the bounce before that.

    Burnley's home form isn't too impressive, W4 D6 L6 GF13 GA18 and just three clean sheets.
  • OldCastleSwiftOldCastleSwift
    If we're basing things on last season, anything above 10th is a fantastic effort.

    That said, I think with the players we've had this season, top eight should have been a realistic target.

    So if we finish 5th or 6th and get European football then it's been an excellent season; but it won't stop me being disappointed that we didn't finish 4th. Not that I expected it, obviously, but I think this season has been a huge opportunity to do so.

    I suspect Chelsea will be better next season under Tuchel. I'm sure Liverpool will mitigate the risk of losing their best players to injury having suffered this season. I can't see both Spurs and Arsenal doing as badly again. This has been a weird season for us (knocking around the CL positions for so long) and for Liverpool/Chelsea/Arsenal/Spurs (all underperforming) that it feels like it'll be a while before we get the opportunity again; which is why I think the club should have done more in January to strengthen the squad.
  • IronHerbIronHerb
    We have been in 4th place on only 4 occasions following the 33 rounds played so far so not sure we can say we deserve to be 4th. Saying that if we finish 4th then we will have deserved it.
  • FortuneseekerFortuneseeker
    ASLEF, we lost 3-0 last season & 2-0 the year before @ Turf Moor?
  • ASLEFshruggedASLEFshrugged
    edited April 2021
    Whoops, thanks Fortune, got it the wrong way round, we lost the last two, drew one but won the previous three.
  • claretandblueskyclaretandbluesky
    We really need Rice and Cresswell back for this in my view.

    We looked bereft of attacking bite against Chelsea which was due not only to Antonio but also Rice. He really allows Sucek to come forward and cause a bit of havoc, without which we are easier to contain. This is not even taking into consideration the cover he gives the defence and his breaking up play.

    Rice and Cresswell back = win
    otherwise Draw at best.
  • IronHerbIronHerb
    Chelsea had kept 8 clean sheets in the 11 games prior to Saturday, so scoring was always going to be tough.
  • Brother_SledgeBrother_Sledge
    Not much to base it on lately but for me Lanzini is just ahead of Benrahma. He knows how to finish and tends to make better decisions. Neither offer much in the pressing/tackling back dept. Surprised that Moyes puts them both on at the same time.

    We are definitely missing height up front during open play , Soucek is understandably less willing to get forward with Rice out. Diop had a bit of joy up front second half v Newcastle. With Noble playing deep maybe Diop could have licence to venture forward more?

    Fabianski
    Dawson , Diop , Ogbonna ,
    Coufal , Soucek , Noble , Fredericks
    Bowen , Lingard , Lanzini
  • jay_in_cptjay_in_cpt
    Fortuneseeker said:

    ASLEF, we lost 3-0 last season & 2-0 the year before @ Turf Moor?

    Thanks Fortune, was getting worried there, my memory doesn’t go that far back Aslef 👍🏻...
    Have to agree with Brother Sledge, would far sooner see Lanzini than Benrahma....
    Still not convinced with him , just my opinion mind!...
  • ASLEFshruggedASLEFshrugged
    Read somewhere that Rice isn't expected back until WBA or Saints
  • claretandblueskyclaretandbluesky
    Oh great! just give him a little game time to get match fit before sending him off to England so they can injure him again. Sully probably keeping him out as the FA will be paying his wages.
  • MIAHammerMIAHammer
    Any news on whether we are appealing the Balbuena red card? Couldn't see anything on BBC website.
  • Cuz1Cuz1
    Posted on another thread sky saying we are
  • MIAHammerMIAHammer
    Brother_Sledge said:



    We are definitely missing height up front during open play , Soucek is understandably less willing to get forward with Rice out. Diop had a bit of joy up front second half v Newcastle. With Noble playing deep maybe Diop could have licence to venture forward more?

    When Diop goes forward we are vulnerable to a quick counter attack. Look at the Chelsea goal. He was caught in their half and couldn't get back to help the defence out.
  • Brother_SledgeBrother_Sledge
    W
    MIAHammer said:

    Brother_Sledge said:



    We are definitely missing height up front during open play , Soucek is understandably less willing to get forward with Rice out. Diop had a bit of joy up front second half v Newcastle. With Noble playing deep maybe Diop could have licence to venture forward more?

    When Diop goes forward we are vulnerable to a quick counter attack. Look at the Chelsea goal. He was caught in their half and couldn't get back to help the defence out.
    In my line up we would still have two centre backs without Diop and in my opinion Soucek was at fault for the Chelsea goal as he stopped tracking Werner and just left him to move into the space.
  • IronHerbIronHerb
    Brother_Sledge said:


    In my line up we would still have two centre backs without Diop and in my opinion Soucek was at fault for the Chelsea goal as he stopped tracking Werner and just left him to move into the space.

    Soucek never stopped tracking back at all. He was just short of intercepting the cross!
  • ASLEFshruggedASLEFshrugged
    Agreed, Diop was horribly out of position, level with Noble and Soucek. Diop cannot play the Cresswell role.

    Oggy was marking Werner then went chasing Pulisic and was moving back towards Werner when he scored. Soucek and Balbuena both try to intercept the ball. Fredericks did his job by marking Mount.

    Start at 0:44

  • Expat_HammerExpat_Hammer
    ASLEFshrugged said:

    Agreed, Diop was horribly out of position, level with Noble and Soucek. Diop cannot play the Cresswell role.

    Oggy was marking Werner then went chasing Pulisic and was moving back towards Werner when he scored. Soucek and Balbuena both try to intercept the ball. Fredericks did his job by marking Mount.

    Start at 0:44

    This video has been removed as it fails to show a West Ham victory =)
  • alderzalderz
    edited April 2021
    What I don't understand about the past couple of games is the insistence on a back 3/5. Against Newcastle it was very clearly the wrong option, lacked attacking impetus, and ended up with our least talented footballers passing the ball repeatedly between one another and leading to a massive clanger. Against Chelsea I understand a bit more, but it's not worked against any of the Super Friends this season, even with suitable players for the formation.

    To me, given our available resources these last (and maybe next) couple of games, 4-2-3-1 is the ONLY tactical option for us. The back 3/5 system relies on attacking play from our fullbacks and getting crosses into the box. Doing that against Burnley will lead to Ben Mee and James Tarkowski having some paracetamol after the game but little else. Having 4 quick and nimble fellas up top will be far more dangerous for them.

    Fabianski; Coufal Dawson Ogbonna Fredericks (hopefully Cresswell is back); Noble Soucek; Lingard Fornals Benrahma; Bowen

    (I would accept Lanzini in for Benrahma, as I think he has looked decent in recent cameos and hasn't had much of a shot this season)
  • puddleglumhammerspuddleglumhammers
    I thought Fornals had a shocking game vs Chelsea, giving the ball away so often, and I am far from convinced by playing Bowen and Lingard up top. Lingard is better coming from deep as a 10 and Bowen is a winger. So why not play our in-form (and only) striker,Odubeko who has scored 5 good goals in 2 matches for the under 23s.


    Fabianski
    Coufal - Diop - Ogbonna - Cresswell/Fredericks
    Noble - Souček
    Bowen - Lingard - Benrahma
    Odubeko
  • alderzalderz
    IMO there’s no way he will be started, there’s no evidence to suggest Moyes will put him in. And I don’t think he’d get a sniff against Tarkowski and Mee, personally
  • ASLEFshruggedASLEFshrugged
    If Moyes thought Odubeko was ready surely he'd have made at least one appearance since Antonio got injured.
  • puddleglumhammerspuddleglumhammers
    He may or may not be ready but the 3 players who would play behind him arguably would play a lot better with a central striker ahead of them.
  • thornburyironthornburyiron
    He tried him against Man U in the cup, bring him on as a sub and then having to sub him because he just couldn’t get involved.
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