Spandex Sidney 3:44 Sun Sep 11
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Watford - The Official Match Thread FT 2-4

I don't see the problem, swap Ogbonna for Collins and Obiang for Noble. Obiang will hold a lot better with Kouyate than Noble does and the two of them will protect the CBs much better.

Ogbonna will cover the ground much better than Collins if they ever do get caught out. Arbeloa needs to get match fit asap, we need him.

Noble needs dropping, sorry but he does.

Lily Hammer 3:28 Sun Sep 11
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Watford - The Official Match Thread FT 2-4

Despite the clear warning signs at 0-0 and at 1-0, I am still in deep shock. At 2-0, I was sure we would win. At 2-1, I was pleading with my stream to not concede any more, especially before half time, as our second goal deserved to win any match. Now, it seems like a sick joke of a goal.

With all the added grief of in house fighting and bans being thrown about like rice at a wedding, I'm struggling boys. This is a real downer.

Texas Iron 2:40 Sun Sep 11
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Watford - The Official Match Thread FT 2-4

Well said old sport...
Abundance of options...maybe...

...but lacking in class and quality in too many key positions...defence...MF...obviously...

Tough season...and can Bilic do it again...

Interview yesterday was poor and defeatist attitude came through...

Bright sparks are Antonio Arthur...Payet getting better...
The rest...need much improvement...
Sad to see Tomkins leave...Bilic pushed him I'm sure...

Sir Alf 1:55 Sun Sep 11
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Watford - The Official Match Thread FT 2-4

Missed my first game for a long while yesterday (thankfully) and the concerns about defensive midfield and now the back four is being realised much to eveyone's disappointment.

Teams are built from the back and are built on work rate in the Premiership. We have been falling short in this area.

The lack of a truly commanding and natural defensive midfielder has been dogging us from the time Beharami left IMO. This Nordveit might help but early signs are not great.

Then there is the back four. Ogbonna is our best CB by a mile, Tomkins was the next best but Bilic made the wrong call. Perhaps because of Reids protracted deal at the start of last season and the long 5 year contract he got?

For me, I would be looking at getting Burke back asap or accelerating Oxford's advance.

But the midfield's ability to defend has not been good enough for a while now. It seems after the early success of last season where we looked to beat teams on the counter, Slav has been trying to make us better in possession and more of a passing team. But we are struggling in that transition big time. We do not have the legs up front or in midfield.

We have an abundance of options now too. Bilic needs to start using them.

Long old season ahead I suspect. :-(

Admiral Lard 1:48 Sun Sep 11
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Watford - The Official Match Thread FT 2-4

well you can understand the anger, it was abject. Killed our club? What a load of bollocks....

it was a very bad day at the office, not dissimilar to last season 3-4 defeat to Bournemouth last season.

The rest is guff, talk of the WHOicider..

Private Dancer 1:46 Sun Sep 11
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Watford - The Official Match Thread FT 2-4

''We are a top-tier club pay top wages 4 players and manager so there are no excuses for things like yesterday and back-end of last season''


Agree with that Tex, but somehow I can't ever imagine us having that top club mentality, it's simply not in our DNA. To lose at home to the Gypsies, then to lose 2-4 to Watford is quite franky a fucking joke. The question is what is Bilic going to do about it?

JayeMPee 1:46 Sun Sep 11
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Watford - The Official Match Thread FT 2-4

Read somewhere, whilst away this past week,
that Fernandes was probably our best signing of the summer yet not even listed as a sub!

Seems to me we put quantity over quality this last window presumably because of our interest in the Europa League, so that worked well then!
Agree with those who ask why the hell we sold Tomkins, he was cover for both rb and cb and above all a true Hammer.

Bilic needs to sort his team out pretty damn quick because we are not a top half side at present, top six looks way off.

Texas Iron 1:18 Sun Sep 11
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Watford - The Official Match Thread FT 2-4

Longtime supporter since 1957 albeit away since 1977

I DO ucking wish some of you lot would stop saying things like it's the West Ham way good Old West Ham what do you expect from this club etc etc

We are a top-tier club pay top wages 4 players and manager so there are no excuses for things like yesterday and back-end of last season...
BILIC is believing some of his own BS great as a pundit needs to deliver on the pitch 4 West Ham
Sullivan was right not to give him an improved contract and more money...needs to sort it out squad...fitness...tactics...preparation...motivation etc...NO excuses...

Yesterday was not down to the players only bilic had a lot to do with it he needs to get it fixed quickly

DutchCourage 12:53 Sun Sep 11
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Watford - The Official Match Thread FT 2-4

The most worrying thing for me about yesterday was the 11 selected to start. G&S have been harping on about 13 new arrivals. Well most are fit now and only 1 was deemed good enough to make the starting lineup. The 1 that did make it didn't pull up any trees. I know it's early day and all that, but it must be a concern that we've spent the summer improving the squad but not the first 11.

zico 12:52 Sun Sep 11
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Watford - The Official Match Thread FT 2-4

DocMarten 10:56 Sun Sep 11

From what I can find The Boleyn pitch was 110 x 70 yards and the London Stadium dimensions are 114 x 74.

Half the problem is IMO it's probably a nice stadium to play in so teams will enjoy playing in it rather than be intimidated.

Eerie Descent 12:47 Sun Sep 11
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Watford - The Official Match Thread FT 2-4

Kouyate and Ogbonna at centre back. Reid is shot, I always thought he was overrated by many, but he has been rubbish since he came back from injury last season. Collins should be a 4th choice, it is fucking astounding how Bilic has made him first choice this season.

Once again, is pointless saying it as it's been done, but it was fucking stupid making Tomkins the disposable one of the lot, imo he was our best all round defender last year when he played, is the youngest, homegrown, and can cover 2 positions. We've now got a busted flush and someone who's past it who both hoof the ball too much.

i-Ron 12:34 Sun Sep 11
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Watford - The Official Match Thread FT 2-4

To be honest we were lucky even at 2-0 as they had some good chances

Collins mistake totally fucked us though. Different game at that point.

Had he not done that we'd have won. No doubt about that.

Alvin 12:26 Sun Sep 11
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Watford - The Official Match Thread FT 2-4

Seems like Bilic has discovered the West Ham way! Allardyce wll be smirking.

13 Brentford Rd 12:13 Sun Sep 11
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Watford - The Official Match Thread FT 2-4

"One bad game"

Only one?

nychammer 12:01 Sun Sep 11
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Watford - The Official Match Thread FT 2-4

One Bad game? Wake up call? Are we just getting used to our new home and bedding new players in? Will we improve or could the unthinkable happen as only it could at west ham. We have a run of winnable games now, I'll reserve judgement until after that run, but certainly that was not the hallmark performance of a team ready to challenge for Europe again. Deeply disappointing start.

, 11:17 Sun Sep 11
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Watford - The Official Match Thread FT 2-4

Let me assure fans that last season's performance was atypical of WHU since I've supported them with the possible exception of the Cottee/Frankie Mac season. Last term we bettered the top teams and had we backed this up by beating Swansea and Stoke at the end we would have pipped Man City for a CL spot.

Getting beaten is one thing but the nature of yesterday's defeat was worrying insofar as we could have come away with a heavier defeat and it would not have been unjustified.

jack flash 11:12 Sun Sep 11
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Watford - The Official Match Thread FT 2-4

Noble & Kouyate were way off the pace (& more worryingly we have nobody else to graft in midfield) leaving a weak back 4 hopelessly exposed

Only Arthur looked up to the job out of our back 4. Reid had a stinker by his standards but then he's not played well for a while

The ageing Collins, for all his effort, is getting shown up more & more for his lack of pace

What the hell is Ogbonna our best & most reliable CH doing sat on the bench?

Why the hell did we sell Tomkins?

Byram is still a rookie at this level, and has every chance of improving. He had a poor game.

But why the hell did we leave it till deadline day to sign a RB when it was blatently obvious to all & sundry that we needed one urgently, long before the end of last season?

DocMarten 10:56 Sun Sep 11
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Watford - The Official Match Thread FT 2-4

My understanding is that the pitch is considerably larger than UP, not that I've fact checked it.

Could it be that the larger pitch at the OS is causing unforeseen issues in terms of space around any set up we play?

My concern is similar to a point made by a few others, the poor form at the tail end of last season is being carried over into this season. This rarely ends well for the teams involved.

There's a lot of pressure on the coaching staff. Payet's performances, some of the results we picked up last year and Bilic being a pundit in the Euro's, all really raised the profile of the club. Throw in the new stadium and words from the owners about kicking on into consistent European football and this years expectations are probably the greatest I've know in my 40+yrs of supporting the club.

I have faith in Bilic and don't think we'll be in trouble at the bottom come season end, but after the highs of last season, this could be a reality check and one were we simply tread water and acknowledge that growth will not be in a straight line.

Romfordboy 10:52 Sun Sep 11
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Watford - The Official Match Thread FT 2-4

I went and was completely dismayed by the collapse... I just don't understand the mentality really!!

We are 2-0 up against Watford at home put your foot on the ball keep possession and force them to come at you and make mistakes...

Instead we are trying to play like Brazil still going for a third and they are walking through our midfield running at our defence... You can blame the defenders all you like but if your mids and attacking players just go forward always looking to score instead of keeping possession you are inviting trouble!!!

Payet and Antonio never tracked back noble and lanzini were great going forward but were no where to be seen when Watford steamed forward...

DJH 10:45 Sun Sep 11
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Watford - The Official Match Thread FT 2-4

Yesterday reminded me a bit of West Ham under John Lyall so maybe nothing has really changed that much.

Pagey 10:44 Sun Sep 11
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Watford - The Official Match Thread FT 2-4

I love Bilic but I think he's got a bit carried away with all the plaudits he received as a pundit in the summer and has taken his eye off the ball with us a little.

We don't seem to be as organised as we were last season, not as fit, not as hungry and definitely lack motivation. Hopefully it's just a blip and we can turn it around.

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