Town at West Ham match thread

EastLondonTerrier · 12-09-2017, 09:43

They largely just pumped it up to Carroll as first tactic St. Not knocking it, it was bloody effective and our centre-backs struggled to cope but it is what it is. We were poor tonight let's make no bones about it. Billing and VLP in particular were shocking. VLP just ran into blind alley after blind alley or lost the ball in possession. Billing did nothing apart from some easy 10 yard passes sideways. One of the players DW was referring to when not being brave enough. Too many challenges we backed out of or were not committed enough to. Rare I say that. Antonio was different level and Lowe had the most torrid time I've seen him have. Couldn't do anything right. Both goals were jammy but no less than they deserved and they could have and should have been 2-0 up at half time. Next week let's play Ince in his natural position, give Sabiri a start and play Kachunga RW. Williams at CDM or Hogg if fit and Malone at RB. We need to freshen it up.

**Lord Snooty** · (This post was last modified: 12-09-2017, 10:07 by Lord Snooty.)

Just saying, SCO, it reminded me of our matches with you last season. Only tactic seemed to be pump it to Carroll or con the ref into giving a free kick in dangerous areas.

Although Mooy played well, they knew he was the danger man and made sure he had no space when he had the ball. I like Billing, but I wish Hogg would hurry up back. Missed him most of all last night.

WakeyTerrier · 12-09-2017, 12:02

Ok it was a jammy goal that eventually got them on the way but all in, they deserved the win. Town struggled at time to keep possession in the first half and gave the ball away all too easily when we needed to take the sting out of the game.
Hard to really judge the game when you are sat in the front row of the away end with f*cking bubbles blowing in you face for 5minutes after every kick off/goal scored but the first half was definitely hoof it up to Gypo Carroll and hope for the best. Nothing wrong with that when you need a result. Somehow we managed to get through to half time at 0-0 thanks to West Ham smashing the bar when it was harder to miss the goal.
Second half we started brightly and worryingly the game opened up but the manner that WHU was gutting. 2 deflections to sneak inside the post! From that point the game was effectively over IMO. West Hams tails were up and it was only a matter of time before the second arrived.
Yes some Town players looked to have a off day but at times you have to give the opposition credit, they pressed us,they were physical and they made life hard for us. Nothing to worry about, we move on to Saturday and the Foxes glacier mints team that will hopefully melt in front of our noises home support

jjamez · 12-09-2017, 13:01

Just a few questions elt, would you want a left back in malone at right back or was that bit a typo? If you meant left back then yeah I could sort of understand it, but that was lowes first poor game and arguably the first time he's come up against a proper quick winger, didn't help said winger also has the strength of an ox.

Second question, what is inces best position? I think he's ineffective on the left at times because he hasnt really got blistering pace and he prefers cutting in onto his left foot from the right.

One thing for certain is rajiv has got to be the most frustrating players to ever play for town. So much ability but five year olds have a better footballing brain than him. Constant wrong decision after wrong decision, the only thing is, he's also one of our best counter attacking out balls. Be interesting to see where kasey features now. Didn't even make the bench yesterday with sabiri getting ahead of him. But in all fairness we kept players on for too long. Billing should have been off earlier and rajiv should have been off instead of kachunga.

EastLondonTerrier · (This post was last modified: 12-09-2017, 13:30 by EastLondonTerrier.)

Yes sorry JJ meant at LB. I still think Lowe is the man but he just might need a mental rest after that game. Antonio was of course different level but rotation couldn't hurt him. I understand both options to keep him or rest him though. He looked really sharp last night and his pace really frightened them. He's quicker than Kachunga and there was a few instances where West Ham got lucky with their passing as he was snapping at their defenders heels. Kasey was injured in fairness.

Rajiv doesn't seem to know yet that those little turns he did to get out of trouble work on championship defenders but not on premier league ones and he lost the ball in stupid positions several times because of it yesterday. I don't know whether its no footballing brain or just selfishness to hang on to the ball longer than he should but if I was his full-back, I think I'd have two fights a game with him lol

*Ince I should have specified there. He was probably our best player along with Mooy. Allowing him to cut in with his right will let him shoot more and get more goals and assists which our wingers currently aren't doing right now.

sloppyattheback · 12-09-2017, 14:00

Just got back

Was all a bit too much last night - we never got going awful passing, not strong enough in the tackle, no flair so got exactly that - 0.

VLP to be benched for me, just no end product or belief he can hurt the opposition put Malone there with Lowe behind ( Lowe had a poor game but 3 super efforts in the games before) funny old game. Billing didnt do enough and no service to Mounie, Kachunga again ineffective and Ince only in it in parts but does look lively and needs to get off the mark.

The result could have been 3 or 4, defensively against their pace and height that tactic worked well for the Hammers, Schindy was immense and can see a January window bid coming in from somewhere if he performs like that most week.

We weren't brave enough, gave too much respect but if you cant pass and win tackles you're always gonna struggle.

Hammers to our right on leaving some applauded us for the support others keen to say we were heading straight back down, on that performance I agree but thats not been the picutre so far. Lots of replays and re-runs required with the squad between now and Saturday, Leicester have their own style to combat with a robust defense.

The almost sell out suppprt was right behind them to the 94 minute, but it didnt sound loud in the ground, the high roof just seemed to take the volume up and out, split over 2 tiers the upper singing their own and below something else- perfect scenario for the home side.

Disappointed on the night but enjoyed the day/stay, lots of Town in Cafe Football in the Westfields before, plenty of locals happy to chat.

Hope those travelling back by the late trains made it in time and the M1 which was shut from late afternoon at MK didnt disrupt the journey home too much.

jjamez · 12-09-2017, 14:43

i agree elt that ince would be better on the right, think that he played there for derby quite often too.

malone on the left is an interesting one, just wouldnt want him to get lost as it could destroy him in some town fans opinions, sabiri could be an option out there but i think he's a central player, could be worth putting kach out there for the same reason as ince with sabiri or palmer behind mounie.

billing did a typical billing that i think we thought was behind him, immense so far this season and then just has a complete brain fade of a game, maybe the yellow card hampened his game and he was afraid of getting sent off, he probably should have come off at the same time as lowe did. we would have had some bite in the middle then.

think for the sheer simplicity of west hams game plan, it showed what sort of player andy carroll can be/is. he's a monster in the air, be it with the additional fouls or not, theres not a lot of players like him in the league or probably the country outright. if it had been a spanish or italian ref last night he'd have been ineffective. we lack that andy carroll esque striker, depoitre will be a sam voakes sort of targetman, mounie is more of an all round package and cant be used as a proper target man. on saturday we face a different package in vardy who is sheer pace, something we lack up top and i am sort of surprised wagner didnt go for someone with a lot of pace as a striking option for the bench.

WakeyTerrier · 12-09-2017, 15:22

(12-09-2017, 14:00)sloppyattheback Wrote: Just got back

Was all a bit too much last night - we never got going awful passing, not strong enough in the tackle, no flair so got exactly that - 0.

VLP to be benched for me, just no end product or belief he can hurt the opposition put Malone there with Lowe behind ( Lowe had a poor game but 3 super efforts in the games before) funny old game. Billing didnt do enough and no service to Mounie, Kachunga again ineffective and Ince only in it in parts but does look lively and needs to get off the mark.

The result could have been 3 or 4, defensively against their pace and height that tactic worked well for the Hammers, Schindy was immense and can see a January window bid coming in from somewhere if he performs like that most week.

We weren't brave enough, gave too much respect but if you cant pass and win tackles you're always gonna struggle.

Hammers to our right on leaving some applauded us for the support others keen to say we were heading straight back down, on that performance I agree but thats not been the picutre so far. Lots of replays and re-runs required with the squad between now and Saturday, Leicester have their own style to combat with a robust defense.

The almost sell out suppprt was right behind them to the 94 minute, but it didnt sound loud in the ground, the high roof just seemed to take the volume up and out, split over 2 tiers the upper singing their own and below something else- perfect scenario for the home side.

Disappointed on the night but enjoyed the day/stay, lots of Town in Cafe Football in the Westfields before, plenty of locals happy to chat.

Hope those travelling back by the late trains made it in time and the M1 which was shut from late afternoon at MK didnt disrupt the journey home too much.

We were pretty much one of the last fans out of the stadium last night, caught the fast train from Stratford International back to ST P, back in for about 11pm so anyone booked on the 23:30 would've been fine.

**Lord Snooty** · (This post was last modified: 12-09-2017, 15:59 by Lord Snooty.)

The London Stadium was like a library on telly. The only sound you could hear was an occasional "Huddersfield, Huddersfield".

As for Schindler, everybody saying he was immense and I agree, but the stat on SSN this morning said that he won the most aerial battles than anyone else in a Premier League this season. Just shows how effective their main tactic was.

jjamez · 12-09-2017, 16:25

we used the underground to london bridge and then onto kings cross st pancras and made it with ages to spare too