West H@m @ Tottenh@m @ White H@rt L@ne C@r@b@o Cup Qu@rter Fin@ls @ 19:45 22/12/21

Hamstew

Tbh I think we played quite well all things considered. We dominated large parts of that game. Game came at the wrong time for us unfortunately.

thornburyiron

Trouble is we are constantly having to try to score at least 2 to have any chance in games because of our defensive errors.
Spurs weren’t all that but they didn’t have to do much to win that game as they knew we’d gift them chances and they took two of them. We had 8 attempts to their 3 but they only gifted us one

OldCastleSwift

Lukerz said:

Disappointing, again, teams have sussed us, sit back & wait for West Ham to give it away

Seems to be a distinct lack of Plan B, in terms of players and tactics. No cover or competition for Antonio. Nor for Rice and Soucek, it seems. We're good on the counter, but as you say, teams have sussed that and we don't offer a great deal in terms of breaking teams down.

Feels a bit like the wheels have started to come off a little bit. Injuries and a collective dip in form have started to hurt us, but the biggest frustration is that we didn't do enough in the summer to mitigate it, knowing it was likely to happen.

Slacker

Pretty decent overall considering. I just hate losing to that lot.
Oh well another year and another cup gone.

Pengeman

Played well and did not deserve to lose. Spurs goalie was the man-of-the-match. We just could not get past him. Would have been nice to win a trophy and now it is to the FA and Europa cups and some new players I hop.

alderz

We were decent, but whenever they came forward we looked very vulnerable, and for all our possession second half we didn’t create any clear opportunities. We really need a striker, or at least another goal scoring attacker. Bowen’s the biggest threat and he has 5 in 25 this season.

Lukerz

It’s why Coufal - Zouma - Ogbonna - Cresswell are our first choice back four

That back five is not good enough & let us down but to be fair it’s all we have & they all tried their best

Not enough chances creates apart from that five minutes of madness which is the issue, we need reinforcements at both ends of the pitch in January or this season is going to fade away

thornburyiron

I can’t fathom why we had umpteen players go off on an international break in fine form but come back with a distinct drop in form collectively.
The more this dip goes on the more difficult hanging on to Rice gets. That’s one cup we’re out of and the Leeds game won’t be a pushover.

PrestonHammer

I'm over the moon. Went downstairs to make a cup of tea and what was in the cupboard? Only a big box of luxury gold M&S teabags. 240 bags of golden loveliness, yippee

Hamstew

How bad is Arthur at crossing btw. Cresswell is a huge loss.

Lukerz

Only question I have, what the hell has Cresswell done to his back

thornburyiron

Liverpool and Chelsea both through so the 4 teams expected to go through are all through.

Hamstew

How good is Rice btw

Lukerz

Hamstew said:

How good is Rice btw

I was thinking this but I do feel he lacks massively defensively for a CM

I also am waiting for him to single-handedly win us a game

whupathman

want liverpool spuds as Klopp angry

OldCastleSwift

Anyone else think there's an obligation to buy Kral with a certain number of appearances?

I just can't see how he doesn't get more time with Soucek so out of form. Moyes just doesn't seem to fancy him at all, so I'm wondering; is there an obligation that he doesn't want to trigger and lose £15m of his summer budget on a player he doesn't actually want.

Fortuneseeker

The Semi-Final draw has generated a few fixture scheduling issues. I look forward to the broadcaster’s resolving them.

EXETERHAMMER

Frustrating to watch. We played well overall and deserved another goal.
However, we are letting in too many goals. Defensive errors are costing us.

Hamstew

Lukerz said:

Hamstew said:

How good is Rice btw

I was thinking this but I do feel he lacks massively defensively for a CM

I also am waiting for him to single-handedly win us a game

I think he pushes on because others are not creating. He absolutely does enough defensively if he's asked to I think. That's up to Moyes though.

Jorderz_Moyes_will_be_Moyes

OldCastleSwift said:

Anyone else think there's an obligation to buy Kral with a certain number of appearances?

I just can't see how he doesn't get more time with Soucek so out of form. Moyes just doesn't seem to fancy him at all, so I'm wondering; is there an obligation that he doesn't want to trigger and lose £15m of his summer budget on a player he doesn't actually want.

This theory comes up with every loan player. I don't buy it. I think if Kral was doing enough in training then he'd be coming on for Soucek.

Nobody is coming on for Rice.

Hamstew

Surely I get the award for worst thread run. A postponement and a loss.

PrestonHammer

Have you had 5-0 drubbing in a one game run?

alderz

Lukerz said:

Hamstew said:

How good is Rice btw

I was thinking this but I do feel he lacks massively defensively for a CM

I also am waiting for him to single-handedly win us a game

I think it’s his role in the system. When he plays as a DM he’s one of the best. But he doesn’t for us. If he’s got 3 CBs behind him, he shouldn’t need to be snuffing out everything. Our CBs got drawn out of position so easily today. That was the issue.

And I think he’s won us plenty of games. He’s driven us forward, he’s dragged up other people’s performances. He makes the rest of the team far better than they are, and that’s how he wins us games.

claretandbluesky

I think the difference in our recent form is our defence, Dawson and Diop both excellent back up but not good enough together, we need Zouma or Oggi alongside either Arthur is good going forward but a poor defender, we need Cresswell back, Johnson had a poor game in my view and his use of the ball was poor at times, great prospect but Coufal for me at present.

The situation for me is this. We have started brilliantly this season and now at half way through we don't have the personal to continue challenging the quality of teams we will need beat if to achieve what we would like. We must buy or loan a quality first eleven centre back and a striker in early January. Should we fail to do so I can only see us sliding down to mid table and failing progress in Europa the moment we meet a half decent side. In what is most likely our last season with Rice I hope we can give it all we have on the pitch and in the transfer market.

PrestonHammer

Anyway we could be Leicester, 3-1 up and then lose on penalties. That would be heartbreaking.

Dodger58

On Arthur, I don't think he is good enough going forward either. It may 'look good' when he's dribbling round in circles, but his head is down and he doesn't see what is going on, so misses the opportunity to pass too often. His crossing is also woeful (even against Chelsea).

I thought Johnson did reasonably well, he was playing in a new position (in the match anyway) and just back from injury. His main outball was a (very good) young player starting for the first time at this level. So Johnson was also marshalling Ashby whilst playing a new position. There were some misunderstandings, but Johnson generally read the game and played well - in my opinion.

I think Dawson and Diop are still a good enough pairing, BUT without a decent left back/wing back, Diop becomes uncertain. So another reason for me that Arthur's time is up.

If Cresswell is unfit, please give Longelo a run.

whupathman

apart from the obvious gloating got a text from a spud I know who was at the game, raving about Rice and how he was comfortably the best player on the pitch, seeing him live made him realise what a talent he is.

IronHerb

thornburyiron said:

I reckon Spurs will bring on Son second half because they’ll see that he will have the freedom of our final third so we need to shore up our midfield somewhat.

So how did that work out?

thornburyiron

He messed up his big opportunity when he was out through.

claretandbluesky

whupathman said:

apart from the obvious gloating got a text from a spud I know who was at the game, raving about Rice and how he was comfortably the best player on the pitch, seeing him live made him realise what a talent he is.

There are not too many pitches he wouldn't be the best player on.... world class