West Ham v Everton

[Whitechapel]

Match day chat.

 

[SALTIRE]

1 - 1

 

[claret50]

0 - 0 with everyone being overly nice towards each other topped off with 3 cheers for the jolly Mr Allardyce......we know how to get into Europe!

 

[Smudge]

0 - 0 with everyone being overly nice towards each other topped off with 3 cheers for the jolly Mr Allardyce......we know how to get into Europe!

From what Ive seen, you are miles ahead of us anyway, even before the last 2 results taken into account. It would take a freak for us to overtake you anyway.

Still, hoping you go all nicey nicey and pussyfooting around anyway, because thats the only chance we stand of beating anybody the way we've played the last 2 games...

 

[Pickleman1967]

Set your Sky box for this battle of mid table mediocrity, 10th place is at stake! Everton's form has picked up second half of the season, while West Ham have been poor to say the least. On that basis I'll go with the Toffee men.
West Ham 1 Everton 2

 

[Smudge]

United and Newcastle at home aside, we've been shite all season. Our recent good run was helped enormously by Southampton, Burnley and QPR being particularly bad and not being able to hit a barn door.

 

[Pickleman1967]

United and Newcastle at home aside, we've been shite all season. Our recent good run was helped enormously by Southampton, Burnley and QPR being particularly bad and not being able to hit a barn door.

Think you've suffered from 'Europa-itis' like Spurs, the stats are stone wall, play in that competition and surrender points in the PL.

 

[Smudge]

Too easy an excuse. Our worst run of form all season coincided with the Europa League winter break. Between sealing qualification in Wolfsburg in November, and playing Young Boys in mid February, we won 2 games.

 

[Pickleman1967]

Yep, but the effect is cumulative I'd say, fatigue and injury play a part. There is more than just a 'gut feeling' at work here I'd say.http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/31470797

 

[Smudge]

I just dont buy it. Players feel like shit after the Europa League and get progressively worse because its all mental. When you have the press, managers, coaches, ex players, Sky TV, UEFA, the whole world basically telling you that this competition is shit and makes you tired and is a waste of time, people start believing it. In the same way our own fans now accept mid table mediocrity without demanding any more because we had 10 years of being told we were plucky little Everton punching above our weight. Why players these days claim they're tired when they play 2 games in a week when players in the 80s used to manage just fine with smaller squads, no sports science, getting drunk and shagging about every night of the week, and deling with multiple replays. Because modern players have been told all their careers that they are tired and need a rest.

As Ive said a few times this season, we have a small squad with quite a few players in their 30s, which has played a big part in us being so bad this season. But there have been plenty of opportunities for us to utilise the squad and we have done it badly. Playing a full strength side in the second leg against Young Boys when we had a 1-4 lead for example. Resting players against Crystal Palace at home, then playing a second string a Swansea in the Cup but still bringing on Lukaku. Playing Gareth Barry in every single game he is available when he's about 45, while Mo Besic sits on his arse. All this has very little to do with the Europa League, its poor management, and a shit attitude from the players.

 

[claret50]

Still, hoping you go all nicey nicey and pussyfooting around anyway, because thats the only chance we stand of beating anybody the way we've played the last 2 games...

We don't intend to be that nice, and seeing as it's our last home game I'm going for a 2-1 win with Nolan getting his 100th goal before disappearing off into the sunset.

 

[Smudge]

Ick...hate that horrible Kopite, cant be doing with him scoring against us! So now he probably will!

 

[Smudge]

Galloway makes his debut at left back. That's bye bye Garbutt then.

 

[Super_horns]

Late score for Everton.

Big Sam pretty much gone then.

 

[Smally]

Poor defending for Lukaku's winner but I'll take that

 

[Scumarmy.]

Galloway makes his debut at left back. That's bye bye Garbutt then.

How did he get on? I am surprised at how quickly he has progressed considering he was struggling to get in to our first XI when he was sold.

 

[Smally]

He struggled first half against Downing. Infact Downing got the better of him for the West Ham goal. However Kouyate was playing on the right for most of the second half and Galloway came out on top. I get the impression he's a centre back or centre mid but he got better as the game went on

 

[Scumarmy.]

He struggled first half against Downing. Infact Downing got the better of him for the West Ham goal. However Kouyate was playing on the right for most of the second half and Galloway came out on top. I get the impression he's a centre back or centre mid but he got better as the game went on

Yeah, he got game time as a CM for us (although very limited, partly due to a certain Dele Alli) but I believe his favoured position is at CB.

 

[Smudge]

How did he get on? I am surprised at how quickly he has progressed considering he was struggling to get in to our first XI when he was sold.

Looked like a player playing uncomfortably out of position. As much as I appreciate Martinez trying to make a point leaving out Garbutt, I dont think its fair to give a kid his debut in a completely unfamiliar position when you dont have. Not like we had an injury crisis and he needed to play there, Barry has played there for example. We didnt really have anyone on the left in front of him either, so very unfair to give him his debut so exposed like that.

Turned out alright though! I dont know what it is about West Ham, when you've got a jinx, you've got a jinx. I said on another forum last week about how poor we have been this season, how we are so poor when we go behind, we're not finishing games strongly and have rescued very few points in the last 10 minutes all season...what happens? Boring as hell game going absolutely nowhere, we go behind on the hour, then suddenly come to life in the last 20 minutes, score our first last minute winner of the season, and win the first league game all season that we have gone behind in! If we're counting the Cup game this season as technically a draw, Ive only actually seen us lose at the Boleyn once in 10 visits, and to make that even odder, West Ham scored the first goal in 9 of them! Osman scored his 5th career goal against the Hammers, while Lukaku scored in his 6th game against them in a row playing for us!

 

[claret50]

Well I got the score right, but the wrong way round! well done you toffees, I haven't seen the game yet but have it recorded and with luck it'll be the last time at the Boleyn with BFS in charge.

 

[Smudge]

He was getting absolutely slaughtered on Five Live on the way home. God knows why the press and co just love to go on about how great he is and how ungrateful Hammers fans are for wanting him out. A decent first 3 months of the season cant really disguise a pretty average season, not like its even likely you'll finish top half now.

 

[Smally]

West Ham have been quite poor since the turn of the year. I think I'm right in saying they got their best results of the season playing with a diamond midfield and Valecia & Sakho up front, but as soon as Carroll got fit it was back to 4-5-1 hoofball to the big guy up front. Allardyce will keep teams up but has limitations getting them high up the table

 

[Smudge]

And given they're moving to a ground with nearly double what they currently hold, newbies arent going to pay £50 a game to watch that rubbish.

 

[claret50]

I agree that since the start of the new year we have been dreadful, whereas according to the fat one in his post game interview on motd earlier, he considers this season to have been a success!
Ps, Boleyn capacity is 35k.........new stadium is 54k

 

[Smudge]

Ah I thought it was about 60K. It's still a lot of new fans to find.

I don't mean new as such, but new regulars. It's one thing to turn a casual few games a season fan into a die hard, especially playing the Allardyce way, so I'm not surprised really that the owners are apparently letting him go.

Edit what's the nearest station to the Olympic Stadium btw? Is it Stratford?

 

[Cardsfan]

Ah I thought it was about 60K. It's still a lot of new fans to find.

I don't mean new as such, but new regulars. It's one thing to turn a casual few games a season fan into a die hard, especially playing the Allardyce way, so I'm not surprised really that the owners are apparently letting him go.

Edit what's the nearest station to the Olympic Stadium btw? Is it Stratford?

Yeah, 10 minutes from Stratford which is very well connected so *should* be a decent advantage for attracting floaters I'd imagine.

 

[Smudge]

Yeah I was looking at the map on the Tube yesterday. Won't take any longer to get to than the Boleyn from central London, so on that front at least not much will change. I'll miss the Central though, one of very few pubs left in the Prem that are so big and accommodating for away fans.