IntenseDebate - aj

16 years ago @ West Ham Till I Die - Tevez: I Will Play for... · 0 replies · +1 points

I like your thinking.

Having wider right (and wider left) players that are ball players makes us stronger going forward as well as giving something extra defending - a la McCartney/Etherington.

It could benefit his game to come in now, too. As a future centre back seeing Upson/Tomkins/Da Costa at close quarters will, I'm sure, be an experience he will learn from.

16 years ago @ West Ham Till I Die - Tevez: I Will Play for... · 0 replies · +2 points

Gav, West Ham website suggests it was planned for him to play half a game and the medical team were happy with his progress - good news for him and us all I think.

To be fair he looked good and by the way he was twisting a turning I'd say it's match fitness he needs now and the ligament seems okay. Who knows, with Collison out perhaps we could see him soon.

As there's only one more reserve fixture left he may not have the chance to be re-introduced gradually with Dyer's team. I agree with you, though, this is by far the best way bring a player back.

16 years ago @ West Ham Till I Die - Tevez: I Will Play for... · 2 replies · +1 points

Hi Devo, Spence looked calm & cultured – more Rio Ferdinand than John Terry – clearly a good footballer. His experience – with club and country – showed. Wolves, with a strong team featuring several full internationals did a lot of pressing. There were several passages of play early on were Blake, Vokes and Keogh put our young defenders under a lot of pressure. Spence (captain) seemed very comfortable on the ball under this pressure, didn’t go hiding and showed a good range of passing and distribution. Callum McKnaughton seemed to be detailed with coming to meet the aerial threat with Spence dropping off slightly. It’s difficult to gauge his tackling ability on this performance alone but I was impressed overall.

Conceding 4 goals would suggest we struggled at the back but this doesn’t tell the whole story. Their 3rd and 4th goals went in during the final 15 minutes – after Brown’s injury led to his departure (all subs being used).

Dixon looked okay but a long way from the first team.

16 years ago @ West Ham Till I Die - Tevez: I Will Play for... · 4 replies · +1 points

Nevermind, perhaps next time, Shropshire.

I always enjoy a West Ham game, even a 1-4 defeat... well sort of always. It was nice to see quite a few hammers fans at the game. It was interesting that Wolves reserves all had first team experience and 4 or 5 were first team regulars. The only player we had with regular first team experience was Boa Morte. We played the final 20mins with only 10 men, too.

Edgar, Montano & Lee all looked sharp - tho' sadly not all at the same time.

16 years ago @ West Ham Till I Die - Tevez: I Will Play for... · 6 replies · +1 points

It would be nice to see the great man back. I think he's one of the few sportsmen that might make a decision not based on the financial implications - there's no way we could afford him, surely.

Re. season run in: I hope we don't experience a Dennis Law moment during the last game of the season and Tevez has a hand in sending us down.

Slightly off theme here, but is anyone going to the reserves game tonight? I'm likely to be slightly outnumbered.

16 years ago @ West Ham Till I Die - West Ham 1 Sunderland ... · 0 replies · +1 points

Just in from the game - it's so nice to come back up the M1 and not have to dodge opposition fans at service stations for fear of their gloating.

Great result. We have to build on this in the next game though. I felt only Noble (MotM for me), Behrami, Faubert & Da Costa excelled. Green was good - but he wasn't tested too much - fortunately & Upson was okay.

I really think Spector is struggling. Nothing is coming off for him. With a balanced and fully fit squad I don't think he'd feature.

Stanislas was quiet but playing on the left, where we are so weak, I don't think he could 'push on' with any real confidence.

Ilan deserves a run in the team. He didn't do enough for me, at times, and this could be down to fitness. We need to see more of him - if only for the 'lucky talisman' effect.

Typical we're last game on on MOTD.

16 years ago @ West Ham Till I Die - Vote: Player Performan... · 0 replies · +1 points

If Zola connot develop his leadership style beyond focusing inwardly when our players are out performed he must step down. A good coach and a talented, technically gifted man at the helm is not what football teams need.

We need someone who is hard to please, ruthless. Someone who, when his team are 5-0 up against Burnley, gets pitchside and shows even more hunger , desire and passion, someone motivates his players afterward in preparation for the next game, and faces the media making it clear there is still work to be done.

We don't really need a manager with a high profile. We need a manager who doesn't like to lose and who will put the fear of god into the players if they don't deliver - in the way our boys haven't delivered.

16 years ago @ West Ham Till I Die - Vote: Player Performan... · 0 replies · +1 points

My fear is that we are developing some great players for the future who will go on to leave feeling they have a lot to prove – they will feel more inclined to prove this back at West Ham with future clubs – a la Carrick, Defoe etc.

The policy with bringing in older players, who would ’mentor’ these youngsters on and off the field, can be a good one. It is in danger of backfiring, though, as the core of any squad needs to be both experienced, capable, and time served. The ‘revolving door’ practice gives the imbalance of senior players having fewer games and less time at the club than the players they are mentoring. Obviously the dynamics of the mentoring role are seriously undermined as a result.

I do wonder whether Zola is the right man for management. Not because of the results that leave where we are, but because if you look at successful managers, they are nothing like Zola. He is really nice bloke. A manger, any manager, needs to be a blend of things and ruthless comes first, nice bloke is not on the list.

16 years ago @ West Ham Till I Die - Vote: Player Performan... · 0 replies · +1 points

I Iogged on several times yesterday to post comments but just couldn't bring myself to such was my disappointment.

Going right back to the sale of Ginge, the failure to make signings, the poor balance of the team, the seemingly inflexible and predictable tactics, and the lack of guile I think we all saw this battle with relegation coming.

We are renowned for discovering and developing fresh talent through our academy. However, this season like, the relegation season of 2002, too much has been expected of them too soon. When Hines, Stanislas, Tomkins, Edgar, Nouble, Sears and Deprela came into our side this season it was not because they were ready, it was because we had no better option, no strength in depth.
I know people will argue if your good enough your old enough but these lads have been expected to do a job beyond what would be expected of them at many other clubs.
I think the same is true of Zola. They have all been hurled in at the deep end. The purchase/loans of older players, last year (Tristan, et al), was clearly to help nurse through some of these young lads – it had limited success in the eyes of some because we only finished mid table.

16 years ago @ West Ham Till I Die - West Ham 1 Wolves 3: M... · 0 replies · +1 points

I feel your embarrassment and humiliation Headmaster.

Not only do I travel back up the M1 & M6 to get home after games - often dodging opposition supporters at service stations - I live near and work with so many Wolves supporters it is frightening.

The aftermath of this game has been almost too painful. The only saving grace is that getting home at 2am left me too tired on Wednesday to care what most people said.

Isn't allowing children to support Millwall a form of child abuse?

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