West Ham vs. Aston Villa - Team and score predictions

[Come On You Irons]

"Team, for me: Areola Wan-Bissaka Todibo Kilman Emerson Paqueta Rodriquez Kudus Summerville Antonio Bowen Score prediction: 0-2 Villa."

[mallard]

Rossal 4:02 Tue Aug 20 I wrote that with satire

[Sir Alf]

"Soucek stayed on for 90 mins is the only concern? Hopefully because he was deemed fitter ( played most preseason ) or a chance be might get on the end of something ( he did but kept up his 1 in 5 ratio missing at the end as his beanpole stature and lack of agility didnt allow him to get over the rebound ) But theres the issue again. Moyes would retain him for defensive heading a olity at set pieces, getting a last ditch tackle and getting on the end of things from crosses into the opposition box) . But the trade off is a player who cannot press ( too slow ) , create space and pass crisply and accurately. 10 touches of the ball in games is awful and while he maks space he cannot get near teams like Villa that move it quickly and makes fast countrrs. Moyes could not see that him not being able to contribute to keeping the ball and pressing in midfield outweigh those last ditch clearances , aerial ability and notching a goal now and then. If we could keep the ball better, pass it better, press better we would t need his last difch long leg tackle or header at set pieces. He would be used only as an impact dub if we switch to going direct when chasing a game. JWP aint much better. A set piece specialist in the morern game. He also is anonymous in midfield as we try to press, keep the ball, pass and move at speed. He’s like the “kicker”device in subutteo you used once or teice a game :-) Once Soucek, JWP, Coufal and Antonio no longer start I will see that as facilitating progress from low block, long ball Moyesball. Might not work but with these players trying to play it we look as soft as custard in the midfield and unable to play thru teams wiyhout turning it over. Just hope Loppy has not got the same blindness with Soucek that aMoyes had."

[Fauxstralian]

"It was obvious that Soucek was bypassed and jogged past, Antonio would have struggled to trap a bag of cement while strolling about and Coufal was run ragged. JWP & Ings were never the answer as subs"

[Rossal]

I think dropping Paqueta back alongside Rodriguez is an option for Palace. Put Summerville on the left and then Bowen and Kudus behind Fullkrug in either configuration. The concerns are though can Paqueta be good enough defensively to do that job as an 8. If he is then can he do it without being booked.....spending 40-60 mins on a yellow in that role will be tough for him. I think there is a case to drop Paqueta and play JWP alongside Rodriguez....and have Paqueta to come off the bench 2nd half

[scott_d]

Agree that Soucek gives the ball away far too much that it's not worth having him in the team to attempt to win it back! With him and Paqueta in midfield we just can't keep the ball. I wonder if we'd a better Paqueta with a more capable midfielder alongside him?

[Lee Trundle]

"It surprised me he did miss those chances. Because that's the only thing he excels at,really. Being a lamppost that gets on the end of things in the 6 yard box."

[Rossal]

"mallard 3:48 Tue Aug 20 No it didnt, it came from Kudus. Soucek was the one who completely fucked it up not once ....but twice missing an open goal the second time round Worst player in the league, wouldnt get in any other side in this league. fact"

[Far Cough]

"Who, Spongebob Square Foot Soucek?"

[mallard]

Our last minute chance for an equaliser came from Soucek

[Lee Trundle]

"“But out goal came from Soucek?” You should have told them there was little point in spending all this money, and getting a new manager in, if all he wants to see is us kick it up to Soucek in the hope he scores a header, or wins a dodgy penalty. He completed 10 passes all game, and he played ALL of the game in the centre of the pitch."

[Ron Eff]

"There will always be people who judge a player purely on stats. Someone next to me on Saturday asked what I’d change at HT. I said Antonio and Soucek off for Fullkrug and Summerville. “But out goal came from Soucek?”, like that’s the only thing that matters. Completely oblivious to his failings elsewhere."

[Rossal]

"""Trouble is, we kept on losing the ball and Villa kept on hitting us on the break. They were slicing through our midfield like a hot knife through butter, and we lacked the pace to keep up with them."" That again is due to the useless waste of space that is Soucek. When we get the ball he is too scared to show for it or get on it. He just goes up to their centre backs and stands next to them hiding. When an attack does break down he is then the wrong side of the ball to defend their attacks and hasn't got the pace to get the right side of it. Worst player in the whole fucking league, its like playing with 10 men. Give Orford or Potts a chance over him, 10 passes in 90 mins at any level is embarassing"

[fraser]

Romano has said Alvarez will be in the squad for Palace

[scott_d]

"I'm quite willing to accept we are in a period of transition. We've brought in a new manager and bought 8 new players and most of them for the first team. Lopetegui has not a full squad for most of pre-season due to internationals and he's still trying to bring players in by the looks of it. We were never going to be the finished article on day 1 and defeat is not the end of the world. The good thing for me is that he does not want to wait, he wants to build a squad NOW that can compete. It might not happen overnight, but he doesn't appear to want to sacrifice a season for this transition period, he wants to get this club moving straight away. But that still might take a little while so I'm willing to afford him that time."

[Iron Duke]

"From watching the extended highlights, it looks like we were at least trying to make things happen and play in the other team’s half. Trouble is, we kept on losing the ball and Villa kept on hitting us on the break. They were slicing through our midfield like a hot knife through butter, and we lacked the pace to keep up with them. Their game plan was spot on. I’m not sure what our strategy was. Having a slow team is a worry."

[violator]

twoleftfeet 4:01 Mon Aug 19 Re: West Ham vs. Aston Villa - Team and score predictions What I learnt from Moyes was be solid at the back Blinks

[southbankbornnbred]

"Have to start AWB, Todibo and the big German next up, surely? At some point they have to be integrated into the side, and Saturday's ""ease them in"" approach meant we started a few too many players who are clearly going to become back-ups under the new manager. Just blood them. Apart from a few deranged loons, nobody thinks we're winning everything this year. Let's just get what looks like our strongest XI playing regularly whenever they're fit. Frustrating result on Saturday, of course. But I'm still looking forward to watching some of these new players. Just play them."

[Takashi Miike]

"""What I learnt from Moyes was be solid at the back, have 30% possession and steal the win."" we let in 74 games in the league last season, just stop watching football you clueless cսnt"

[stewie griffin]

"""Either way, any variation of the 2 sides we have named will do, as long as we don't see Antonio, Coufal & Soucek in the starting 11"" this"

[El Scorchio]

"ludo21 4:03 Agree. Rodriguez wasn't terrible and of course needs a little time to adjust. Definitely when we need to be stout, him and Alvarez is the combo. Summerville will be the one to miss out and that's about right. He's the one with basically no prem experience and should sit behind the better players just for now and sub them. He'll be much more effective by the looks of it in the last 30 mins of matches anyway rather than from the start. Alvarez Rodriguez Paqueta Bowen Fullkrug Kudus is how I'd go. Antonio and Summerville are good options off the bench. Antonio just has to not sulk and be disruptive if he's not first choice any more."

[ludo21]

"I don't think that Guido and Paqueta would be an issue against 'lesser' teams. Against better teams it probably needs to be Alvarez (once fit) and Guido. Rodrigez just needs to get up to speed, I didn't think he was as bad as many have made out. He kept possession well and passed out better than we are used to. I think him and Alvarez will make a good midfield pairing but if that is the case one of Summerville, Paqueta, Kudus or Bowen sits on the bench unless Bowen plays as striker."

[ludo21]

"I don't think that Guido and Paqueta would be an issue against 'lesser' teams. Against better teams it probably needs to be Alvarez (once fit) and Guido. Rodrigez just needs to get up to speed, I didn't think he was as bad as many have made out. He kept possession well and passed out better than we are used to. I think him and Alvarez will make a good midfield pairing but if that is the case one of Summerville, Paqueta, Kudus or Bowen sits on the bench unless Bowen plays as striker."

[twoleftfeet]

"What I learnt from Moyes was be solid at the back, have 30% possession and steal the win. It worked for a period of time. I am merely saying that under Loppy we should do something different. I fully expect KD and his boys to start up a Loppy out thread by the end of September."

[Keep dreaming]

"""attack is the form of defence......"" Did you learn that from your posterboy Moyes?"

[Lee Trundle]

"Didn't you get the memo, DukeofDevo? We won the transfer window, we had the best transfer window we've apparently ever had. All the manager needs to do is pick some of those players. I'm sure we'll be alright."