Hammer and Pickle 10:37 Mon Aug 8
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Man City - Official Match Thread - Preview

Looks like we have a board-level clinch; pretty much everyone seems to hate Sullivan except his cronies and he has dug his heels in. This of course feeds directly into transfers and, since we're in dire need of new personnel in key positions (left back, midfield), performance and fitness levels are well below par. The rot set in with the January transfer window and it's unlikely we'll see it sorted before this one closes.

Sir Alf 10:25 Mon Aug 8
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Man City - Official Match Thread - Preview

Based on 2nd half last season, preseason and yesterday, it confirmed the need for a rebuild in midfield, a new left back and another CB in the squad with pace ready to replace Oggy or Dawson who are in the twilight of their careers.

What is obvious to me is that midfield though. Not mobile or physically strong enough as a collective unit. 2 of Lanzini, Soucek and Fornals should not be first choices any longer. Cornet will hopefully address the left side but an upgrade to Soucek is now a priority along with left back too. The number 10 role goes to Fornals or Lanzini

It was not as bad a performance as some make out. The effort was there and 2nd half we tried to have a little bit of a go but the the lack of pace, strength and technique ( passing / control ) of a few players ( previously mentioned) meant we just couldn’t compete with a City side that will IMO win the league again.

Moyes knows he needs to continue to rebuild and I can see why he was not willing to give Soucek a pay raise.

Let’s see who we can get in by end of the window before panicking but we look mid table at best currently

southbankbornnbred 10:10 Mon Aug 8
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Man City - Official Match Thread - Preview

Our pre-season has been a disorganised mess and it showed yesterday.

We didn't really land our main targets, not even close, and clearly the team is not as fit and focused as they should be when the season starts. That situation with Diop yesterday was unforgivable at a professional club and meant we had to play our seventh choice centre half, who is really a full-back, when there had been absolutely no plan to do so - and against the best young forward in Europe.

The players we've signed will, I hope, be decent players for us - so I'm not unhappy with them just because they are not first choices. That happens in football. But it's obvious that we wanted Lingard ahead of Cornet and Broja ahead of Scamacca - among some other signings. So we're having to blood other players even after the season starts. No excuses for that - we should have sorted transfers sooner.

We've been a bit of a club-wide shambles since May. I hope yesterday was a wake-up call. My guess is that it has a lot to do with the fact that we currently have two sets of 'owners' prancing around and putting their two-pennies' worth in on everything, making any decisions painful and protracted.

Can see this season being one where it all feels like a very long handover to Kretinsky next summer.

Manuel 10:02 Mon Aug 8
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Man City - Official Match Thread - Preview

It's been pretty clear for a while now that Moyes has given up on a few players and wants fresh faces, and plenty of them. That's good in one way, but what if he doesn't get them? No way you can have a manager at this level who isn't giving 100% and doesn't believe in his players.

Keep dreaming 9:57 Mon Aug 8
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Man City - Official Match Thread - Preview

Scamacca was the only player looking fit.
And Moyes told us he wasn't ready.
It's called dementia

Sajmo1 9:44 Mon Aug 8
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Man City - Official Match Thread - Preview

Of course he is, he's playing with Soucek and Coufal on that right hand side. Messi would struggle to keep possession with those 2

Kelly Smunt 9:40 Mon Aug 8
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Man City - Official Match Thread - Preview

Although we were appalling throughout, the most worrying thing for me was that Bowen appeared to not want to be there (here?). Didn't have his usual workrate and appeared to be whinging at team-mates all the time.

Please tell me I'm wrong - I hope I am!

aldgate 9:40 Mon Aug 8
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Man City - Official Match Thread - Preview

West Ham are passive

Side of Ham 9:39 Mon Aug 8
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Man City - Official Match Thread - Preview

Crotchless knickers can’t be soaked?

yngwies Cat 9:34 Mon Aug 8
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Man City - Official Match Thread - Preview

One game in... against City and listen...to the squelch of multiple crochless knickers being soaked..

Mex Martillo 9:31 Mon Aug 8
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Man City - Official Match Thread - Preview

Hard to look good when your not getting much ball. We are still on for getting our usual haul of points from City. Could easily be worse, had a few thrashings over the years. They strengthened quite a bit and we haven't even incorporated our new players, more players, I hope so... Areola was disappointing with the penalty and second goal. Well all was disappointing.
I'll see a few games before I get too worried though.

Rossal 9:31 Mon Aug 8
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Man City - Official Match Thread - Preview

Biggest summer we've had in years, huge chance to cement top 6 etc with a few quality additions and we end up with Johnson at CB and looked like we've gone backwards.

Shocking performance, never in the game. Looked like a team that hadnt won a game all pre season. Couldnt get out of our half, kept booting the ball back to them. No quality from anyone. A real poor poor eye opening performance. No one was over a 5/10....the ONLY positive was that it was only 0-2.

Few of us got called knicker wetting for spotting it 2-3 weeks ago how we were shaping up. You simply arent going to win many matches with Fornals LW and Lanzini and Soucek adding nothing going forward. Creswell again looked poor, we need some quality additions asap or going to be a long season ahead.

Forest sunday is a big game now after that performance

Takashi Miike 9:24 Mon Aug 8
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Man City - Official Match Thread - Preview

he (Moyes) desperately needs to pull his finger out, ditch the sentiment and move on Cresswell, Diop and one of Vlasic/Fornals/Lanzini. I don't care about what 'Cress' did in the past, he just can't handle the physicality of the PL. Diop hasn't wanted to be here for months yet he's still hanging around like a bad smell. the three so called no10s can't play either side out wide so you're paying three players for one position. I don't want the manager sacked but he needs to protect his position quickly by getting the players in he needs, a LB (or 2) that can run & defend would be a good start

Sajmo1 9:20 Mon Aug 8
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Man City - Official Match Thread - Preview

This team is bottom half quality if we're being honest. There's a reason Moyes is looking to bring up to 6 new starters

moorethanjustananon 9:19 Mon Aug 8
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Man City - Official Match Thread - Preview

That was a pretty poor display with a number of players looking well off it.

Always find it hard to know how much of it was us and how much of it was City, the way they can keep the ball sometimes makes players look nowhere near it.

The next 3 league games will be a better gauge of where we are at so I hope we look fitter and better next week. Also praying for a few more new players to freshen things up.

Scamacca looked decent when he came on and Cornet will be a massive improvement down the left. Bowen hopefully can’t play that badly too often and a new left back and a midfielder who can get hold of a the game with the ball would make all the difference.

13 Brentford Rd 9:06 Mon Aug 8
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Man City - Official Match Thread - Preview

"our season starts next week"
The only question is which minute Lingard scores in.

Moyes saying Scamacca wasn't fit, well he looked fitter and more effective than Antonio.
We have 5 centre backs, where the fuck are they?
Why are we picking up so many injuries before a ball has been barely kicked, and why is the team so unfit?

Pathetic!

1964 9:04 Mon Aug 8
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Man City - Official Match Thread - Preview

The subs on 92 minutes had a purpose and were deliberate. Moyes message to GSB that I am still short of experienced quality and splash the money for fucks sake.

LeroysBoots 8:32 Mon Aug 8
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Man City - Official Match Thread - Preview

Can someone explain the point of Coventry and Downes coming on ??

british is best 6:43 Mon Aug 8
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Man City - Official Match Thread - Preview

We were dreadful. No way did them players give 100% watch the performances against man city in the 2 previous seasons and that tosh .

Manuel 6:31 Mon Aug 8
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Man City - Official Match Thread - Preview

CHL - Nah, I'm not having any of that. First of I think you are giving Pearce way too much credit, and I highly doubt he left because of ''morals'' . Think you are looking for something that's not there, and way overthinking things.

COOL HAND LUKE 6:01 Mon Aug 8
Re: ⚽ West Ham v Man City - Official Match Thread - Preview

Sajmo1 9.32
*It's pretty pointless analyzing this game imo. Half of this players won't be starters in couple of weeks time...*

And THAT, in a nutshell, is what is already a problem, before we even kicked a ball. The real difference between WHU and the 'really big clubs' is their strong culture in being able to manage new arrivals and still get top attitude and maximum effort from the incumbents. This is not the first time we have brought new bodies in and seen existing players slip into laissez faire behaviours.
And WHY do we have piss poor fitness levels - the exact opposite of what we have traded on over the last couple of seasons..? Has the fitness regime gone down the road with Pearce? WHY did he leave? What did he know (or suspect) that we are not party to..? Or is this another example of what happens when Moyes is left too much to his own devices?
It would be stupid to ignore what we saw yesterday. Some heads need banging together, for certain.

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