‚ö? West Ham v Arsenal - Official Match Thread

[charleyfarley]

". ........... V London Stadium Sun 11th Feb 14:00GMT VAR John Brooks Craig Pawson: (11) - 53 3 Areola, Coufal, Johnson, Zouma ¬©, Aguerd, Emerson, ?Ålvarez, Souƒçek, Ward-Prowse, Kudus, Bowen Subs: Fabia?Ñski (GK), Mavropanos, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Scarles, Phillips, Cornet, Ings, Mubama Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Kiwior, Rice, ?òdegaard ¬©, Trossard, Saka, Martinelli, Havertz Subs: Ramsdale (GK), C?©dric, Jorginho, Elneny, Nketiah, Nelson, Bandeira, Nwaneri, Walters West Ham 9/2: Draw 16/5: Arsenal 8/15 ."

[Hammer and Pickle]

"We have every right to suppose he'll play Soucek and Coufal, use Johnson on the right and possibly drop Alvarez and Kudus"

[fraser]

Smallest squad in PL + 2nd oldest squad +Played most games... Not going to end well is it

[Nagel]

"Given that our squad has been managed so poorly and we have so few options at both LW and striker, I'm surprised that Moyes hasn't already tried using a 352 formation. Seeing as none of our forwards seem capable of playing as a lone striker without being isolated, a front 2 seems the best option. Paqueta would take the place of JWP or Phillips when he's back, rather than being pushed out wide. Cornet could act as LWB backup for Emerson (he played at LB for 18 months just prior to joining Burnley). ---------------------- Areola --------- Dino ---- Zouma ---- Aguerd Coufal ------------------------------------- Emerson --------- JWP ---- Alvarez ---- Phillips -------------- Kudus ------ Bowen"

[Mex Martillo]

"I don't think it was luck, we were defending well and scoring goals on the break with just a few chances they would go in. We were dangerous on the attack. No one was too good for us. That was just 8 weeks ago. But has to be said we are a different team now. Paqueta out, players returning from Africa not in form, Bowen not getting as good service and not playing his best. Phillips punishing us with his errors. But as others have said, it might come together again on Sunday, everyone lifts their game, inspired to show Arsenal. It'll be interesting to see how we turn up."

[RM10]

Sir Alf- have other managers managed to beat Arsenal three times? You like the West Ham way of losing so should enjoy this if we play well like Sunday.

[onsideman]

"Fucking train strife again on Sunday It's such a load of old shit No way into Hackney Wick so the grim Stop/Go shit post-match into Stratford, which is going to be hard to get to anyway. I'm already disincentivised"

[Sir Alf]

"0-3 sounds about right. Chickens seem to be coming home to roost for Moyesie :-( As others mention, he seems to be aware there is fan unrest with the way we are playing, and against the Mancs we did seem to try to keep the ball more and looked better despite the loss. Although there is also a suggestion that Ten Fags had the Mancs sit off and play us at our own game by countering thus allowing us more of the ball? We didn't get a home win against Bournemouth or Brighton or Bristol in the cup and Moyes knows he needs a result. He may well revert to full Moyesball but I think the luck or margins have turned against us. Even if we play better, scoring seems to be a problem now as he's playing Bowen, Kudus out of position and we don't have a striker. JWP and set pieces ? teams are obviously aware of and practicing drills for and we don't score from them anymore. As soon as we see Soucek and JWP in the starting 11, Bowen as central striker and Kudus out left I think most of us will expect the worst. Antonio will be brought on, unfit or at least not match fit, when we are chasing the game. Too late and just to give him some minutes. Regardless he surely has to start picking the better footballers who are at least comfortable on the ball and strong physically. It may still not get us a result but at least we might keep it better and not just defend deep and have no outlet and simply give it back anytime we clear from defence? Go with something like below?. Give Phillips another start because we have made a commitment financially and he needs as many minutes as possible IMO if he's to be of any value before season end. ------------------ Areola Coufal -------Dino ---- Zouma ------ Emerson -------Johnson ----- Phillips ------ Alvarez ------ Bowen --------- Kudus ------ Cornet Its still not ideal. I dont think JWP has been that good recently and would bench him and Coufal was poor at OT and struggles with pace which Martinelli will bring but Johnson should help with that. Kudus as central striker is not necessarily going to work but he is strong and has played there before so may be more effective than Bowen who just looks too lightweight. Aguerd seems to be weak aerially an positionally and Moyes got it wrong dropping Mavropanus IMO who was beginning to look more solid the 2 games previously. Cornet starts because he's the only naturally wide left forward we have. Phillips may be poor again and off the pace but I would place him deeper with the ball in front of him and allow Alvarez to be the player to carry the ball at this stage as he is good technically, strong and distributes the ball well and can withstand the pressing. Phillips may be able to take the role but he looks well off the pace at present. Of course, all the above is just hope and unlikely. I fully expect Moyes to start the same 11 as he did at OT."

[RM10]

0-3 the West Ham way

[northbankboy68]

Depends on whether Paqueta is fit

[1964]

"I've not written this off, you never know, it's a funny old game."

[Takashi Miike]

"yes, listen to the resident cozzer. a cսnt that admitted to not watching the games but every one else needs to 'man up'"

[twoleftfeet]

"Such depressing posts on here, sad cunts. We beat them 2-0, should have been 3, so that’s not lucky. Man up you fucking wank wipes."

[Side of Ham]

Isn't this one of the games where Pep expects Kalvin to do a job for us....and them.....hence the loan. All according to Gooners & Liverpool fans...

[Lee Trundle]

The only way we're winning this is by a massive fluke. We've had a few of them already this season so hopefully we can bang out another.

[Russ of the BML]

"Gaffer58: Sadly I agree. I think when we picked up points from some decent teams earlier in the season there was some momentum and buoyancy. As others have said, some of those results, I just don't know how we got the points. It seemed we were having a little purple patch of good luck and the ball bouncing in our favour, along with decent performances. Things just seemed to be working well. Now, I fear that the injuries have taken their toll and the performances do seem to be flat and without any proper intent and a clear and obvious loss of momentum. There's also negativity and a feeling of frustration from the supporters - What with a period of lacklustre performances and another very poor window. Football is a funny old game. But I am really struggling to see anything other than a drubbing for reasons above. I hope I am wrong."

[Gaffer58]

"Personally I feel we’re in for a right drubbing, yes I know we won at their place but the stats were absolutely astonishing, so I’m expecting much the same on Sunday, but as someone sad many years back “ football is a funny old game “. As for how well we played at Manure, I think that’s down to how shit Manure are at the moment, yes I know they beat us by 3 but if we’d had a centre forward then that game could have been won."

[Mex Martillo]

"I read your earlier post Sir Alf and I can assure you I will never undertake those literaturely works you referred to, absolutely beyond me. I actually think Aguerd is our best CB, but the Africa thing brought his game down considerably and he certainly needs to be dropped. I know Zouma is usually pretty effective, but the way he hobbles about is just astonishing. He cannot run, what on earth is that about. Johnson is a bit of a revelation, great to see him have a go to take risks and open the game up. That is what you hope for from the youngsters and I hope our established players take note. Paqueta does it all the time, often annoyingly, but we all miss him now."

[marty feldman]

Daft thing about Moyes from my prospective.Is .I was probably the 1st west ham supporter to have his autograph. My cousin up in Glasgow went out with one of his teammates when he played for Celtic. But gave the photo to a rangers fan . LOL .

[Willtell]

"I'm constantly torn by the desire to see us win every game and comforted every time we lose, to it getting Moyes closer to being fired..."

[Willtell]

"I'm constantly torn by the desire to see us win every game and comforted every time we lose, to it getting Moyes closer to being fired..."

[Sir Alf]

No worries Mex :-) U might find it worth a “warm up” by reading “War and Peace” or Websters dictionary cover to cover. That should just about get you set to get thru one of my posts :-)

[Mex Martillo]

"Cricky Sir Alf, I'll see if I have a spare hour later to read that. Just wanted to say we beat them in their place so this should be easy piezy. Thanks Charley HAMMERS"

[Sir Alf]

"Thing is Moyes does not see current form or potential. He appears to make his mind up at the beginning of the season or worse still he remembers a time in previous seasons when we were getting some good results and who was playing and sticks rigidly or as coose to that 11 whenever possible. New players slowly brought in or given just a few minutes so they have to impress immediately for him to replace one of his regulars. Cresswell was retained too long, Antonio too and even Benrahma not Cornet picked when it was coear Benrahma was struggling. Its like the opposition doesnt exist and we are frozen in time. Everything he says is a reference to the past. He still goes on ( yes i do too) about experiences with his players at Everton 20 or 30 years ago and applies them now. Talked about how Cahill and Jaglielka took time to step up from the Championship when explaining why Downes wasnt getting even a few minutes last season. Now hes saying Aguerd struggling to adapt to the Premiership as an excuse as a reverse argument for picking him last game. 19 months the bloke has been here. But he was a Moyes pick so hes’s going to keep playing despite it becoming obvious to everyone that he’s not good enough aerially and physically too weak in challenging and worse still. Drops Dino the Greek who was just starting to play ok imo The Greek was a Steidten choice what a surprise. Downes was a recommendation to Sullivan by Warbarton ( his daughter worked fir Downes agency too but Warbarton had seem impressive stats while in the Championship). Cornet was a Newman pick. The Czech lads like Aguerd, JWP, Zouma were Moyes choices and he personally scouted them, watched them like managers did before stats and DOFs etc. Antonio he loves because he decided to make him a number 9 and wont ever accept he isnt and he was wrong. Doesnt buy a striker to show hes right. Moyes ego, his fragile ego it must be said takes priority above whats best for the team. I guess his choices were for low block Moyesball tactics too so no wonder Soucek, Zouma and Coufal struggle to pass water let alone a football. We recently see , due to injuries, Johnson filling in and looking a decent player. Pure accident. Again, Moyes and / or his coaches cannot see his strength on the ball and the faft he was originally a winger and had a bit of pace. Maybe we are missing pace Mr Moyes? He played Fornals and Benrahma as wingers and even Soucek and Downes “He has eyes but he cannot see” as that character in an old storybook once said. My usual soul destroying diatribe to say that Moyes will try to play more expansively but with his players, the wrong players, many not in their best positions. We will lose Moyes cannot take us forward. Its blindingly obvious and i suspect the next 4-6 weeks will prove it detest Arsenal but they usually do us in league fixtures at our place *** returns to book “how to bore everyone to death ***"

[El Scorchio]

"Yes, I hope Moyes doesn't use the result against Man U to justify going ultra defensive. The score belied the more positive performance and intent in that game and we were well in it and arguably the better team until their deflected second goal which was a killer. We were just on the wrong end of luck, in my opinion. But still we were playing players out of position thanks to the state he's let the squad get into, which is incredibly frustrating. We are clearly missing a left attacker. Luckily things will be much better when Paqueta returns but even then it's still square pegs a little, due to the obsession with being 'solid' in the middle. Assuming Alvarez is a lock as he should be, then you're looking at Soucek, JWP, Phillips for two spots at the moment but it should be one when LP returns. Realistically it'll still be two spots. At the moment if Alvarez is fit and not being rotated, Phillips is odd man out."

[Fauxstralian]

After all their giddiness last Sunday it would be great to beat them again or even take a point and derail their title aspirations * grabs camera and takes photo of Arteta crying*