The Hammers ⚒ v The Peacocks 🦚 - Sunday 16th January, 🕑

OutcastLondoner

Yeah maybe he should've attacked Ayling. It was initially Antonio who was with Ayling though and then drops off to someone else, so Ayling is directly between Dawson and Diop. Maybe he could do better but we've heard plenty of times on comms how hard it is for the guy in the standing position against someone who's got the run on him. He could do better but I think it's really harsh to say he's at fault for the goal.

I agree about defence. And I think when it comes to the defence being this bad, it's also about other things happening around them. We improved our defence last season (even before Dawson came in) and end of the season before without really bringing new players in. We had a more solid structure overall.

Barney

I think Leeds energy, getting 2 players on to our when we have the ball and swarming forward was too much for us - we could not deal with it. we do seem to struggle when teams press us. Most of our players had a poor game and we had little on the bench to change it.

BubblesNeverDies

Outcast, re. the second goal, check out MOTD, at around 15.03. Diop looks like his feet are stuck in concrete, he makes no move to the ball and allows Ayling to get his header in and actually shies away from the ball.
The pass to Vlasic was also too risky given the distance and the fact there were 2 Leeds players close to Vlasic who had time to close him down.

OutcastLondoner

But when the ball is headed almost exactly to where your standing, how much can you move towards it?

The pass to Vlasic was risky for sure but have a look again at where all the potential receiving players are standing - all of them are risky passes. Not being a natural LCB has trapped him in the Leeds press. If he had been calmer then he could've got on his right and opened up more options. But we've clearly tried to play out from the back during this game and in this case no one has helped him with an easy option.

alderz

OutcastLondoner said:

We improved our defence last season (even before Dawson came in) and end of the season before without really bringing new players in. We had a more solid structure overall.

I think this point is important. We are playing out from the back a lot more, we have two centre midfielders who are quite adventurous, we have four attacking players, and our fullbacks are pushing right up a lot of the time.

Yesterday we were so open it was like we’d watched how Leeds defend and copied it. For me, we need one or more of the factors I listed to change, or we need to accept that we won’t keep clean sheets very often, and will need multiple goals a game.

IMO, we need the fullbacks to rein it in a bit, and we need a minimum of one of the CMs to actually hold their position.

IronHerb

OldCastleSwift said:

IronHerb said:

OldCastleSwift said:

Lukerz said:

I must admit I find this selective transfer strategy a bit odd. I am all for not signing players for the sake of it, but we’re not the number one club in world football, global superpower. We must be able to identify a couple of players in defence & up front, in world football, who can improve us.

On this issue, I've just read this quote from Moyes about Antonio and now I'm angry all over again:


“He is one of our key goalscorers. We were chasing the game from 15 minutes in and it was really difficult to change him. He was out on his legs after the game but again what can we do?”


What can we do?! Replace Haller in less than 12 months, for a start. Having one senior striker at the club wasn't forced on him, or the club, and yet they entered a four-competition season with just that.

Or get Antonio fit maybe.

By that logic we only need eleven players in the squad. Just keep them fit for 40+ games a season.

The point is that Moyes appears to be saying that we have no choice but to play Antonio every game. Like it's been forced on the club. Between them, he and the board could have mitigated the need to do that by signing competition, and they chose not to. You can't go into a season with one senior striker and then complain when he's fatigued.

Of course not, you will always get injuries.

OldCastleSwift

IronHerb said:

OldCastleSwift said:

IronHerb said:

OldCastleSwift said:

Lukerz said:

I must admit I find this selective transfer strategy a bit odd. I am all for not signing players for the sake of it, but we’re not the number one club in world football, global superpower. We must be able to identify a couple of players in defence & up front, in world football, who can improve us.

On this issue, I've just read this quote from Moyes about Antonio and now I'm angry all over again:


“He is one of our key goalscorers. We were chasing the game from 15 minutes in and it was really difficult to change him. He was out on his legs after the game but again what can we do?”


What can we do?! Replace Haller in less than 12 months, for a start. Having one senior striker at the club wasn't forced on him, or the club, and yet they entered a four-competition season with just that.

Or get Antonio fit maybe.

By that logic we only need eleven players in the squad. Just keep them fit for 40+ games a season.

The point is that Moyes appears to be saying that we have no choice but to play Antonio every game. Like it's been forced on the club. Between them, he and the board could have mitigated the need to do that by signing competition, and they chose not to. You can't go into a season with one senior striker and then complain when he's fatigued.

Of course not, you will always get injuries.

Injuries and fatigue. And drops in form. And unfortunately we haven't done anything to mitigate those in a key position.

Yes, Bowen can play there, but then we lose the best of him, IMO. Plus it means having to play Yarmolenko on the wing, or Fredericks out of position.

All because Moyes and the board can't compromise enough to bring in a striker.

thornburyiron

I always thought that when a game was postponed the two clubs agreed a mutually convenient date to play it. I wasn’t aware the PL just order clubs to play on a certain date. It will be interesting to see what they do with the 4 games Spurs have to be rearranged.

Hamstew

What's with the break of fixtures after next week's games?

thornburyiron

It’s yet another international break

Jorderz_Moyes_will_be_Moyes

No, I think it’s the winter break.

Fortuneseeker

On the subject of World Cup Qualifiers, Antonio is scheduled to play for Jamaica on January 28, 30 & February 3 2022 when he is in need of a rest and has three other games over a short period at the end of March on the 24, 27 & 30. These games won't be a problem for us as we will have a proven striker to allow him to have a break upon his return even if he isn't injured won't we?

Bazshuayi

I understand the frustration after a defeat that, on paper, at home to a team very under strength that we beat very recently, we were all hoping (maybe expecting) to beat leaves a bad taste in the mouth.

I also think there are things that we've repeatedly mentioned in terms of squad and certain position depths that can make it feel that much worse too. I even thought, after just posting the Benteke comments, that we should so be aiming higher than that!

However, whatever the reasons are, my main frustration is not particularly over a single game. As I mentioned fairly recently, its the grasping of a chance that may not come around for a long time (maybe ever, maybe a short time, who knows). We are forth, had the chance to at least have 5 points in hand for all the games in hand Spurs and Man Utd now have on us but now thats not happened.

This, for me, was the defining game that told me it will now be very unlikely we will hold on to forth (for all my hopes and dreams that we could).

Identifying specific targets to strengthen us prior to the January window opening had extra importance purely because we were forth and if ever there was a time to try and push on it was now!

Three or four players to hopefully propel us, let us rotate, cope with injuries and fight on our fronts was well worth the outlay and planning. You cant tell me that Newcastle havent been trying since day one for different reasons. Yes there's a financial difference but we aren't broke and I wouldnt expect stupid money to be spent.

We had the chance to be pro active and fight for players/bring them in right at the start of January and it just feels like that opportunity has been spurned for me.

So yes it was annoying yesterday but its bigger picture I am more down about.

P.s Rice may not have been as disciplined as desired yesterday but when youre as good as he is and the people in front of you and behind you arent doing it, then you probably feel the need to do everything everywhere you can to try and make up for it! I dont blame him for trying to carry the game to them singlehandedly when we were searching for a way back. Maybe if we pulled our fingers out offensively and defensively he wouldnt have felt the need to take everything on his shoulders

OldCastleSwift

Spot on Baz. Given we knew Ogbonna was ruled out for the season in November, and given we had nearly a year to identify a replacement for Haller, I too had really hoped we'd have a couple of players lined up for 1st January.

whupathman

another reason to hate Leeds, back in the office today and one of the guys was at the game, apparently a large number of their fans were in the west ham stands and all of a sudden started punching everyone around them, families present, one fan was badly beaten, no sign of any stewards and they all ran off. Many fans just headed for the exit at that point taking their children with them.

buffybegood

OldCastleSwift said:

Spot on Baz. Given we knew Ogbonna was ruled out for the season in November, and given we had nearly a year to identify a replacement for Haller, I too had really hoped we'd have a couple of players lined up for 1st January.

We just don't move early in a window, as a better deal may be had later (that's the barrow boy attidue of G&S regardless of whether it costs us points in the meantime).

Fortuneseeker

buffy, Someone ought to advise them that points win prizes.

PrestonHammer

Nothing in this game for 2 in a bed.

Bazshuayi

(hushed voice) Listen to Tony, listen to Tony

Pearces_Left_Foot

I think any decent player will leave moving until later in the window as their agent can wait for more offers and get their client the best deal. Very few deals get done early in the window unless the buying club is throwing money at them (Newcastle/Villa) or is one of the big boys who can cherry pick players from smaller clubs.

ASLEFshrugged

Daily Express regurgitating Nat Phillips and Ben Brereton Diaz rumours

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