‚ö? West Ham v Sheffield Utd - Official Match Thread

[charleyfarley]

. ........... V London Stadium Sat 30th Sept: 15:00 GMT Darren Bond Graham Scott: (x) - x x Awaiting team news Awaiting team news West Ham 9/20 : Draw 7/2: Sheff U 11/2

[Westside]

"All those that are thinking that Moyes is doing a wonderful job and getting his tactics spot on are deluded. We are more defensive than last year and anyone who thinks we were more attacking last year is again deluded. So what do you put our best start to a full season after 7 games under Moyes down to? And after 7 games last season we'd scored 3 goals, this season 13."

[Manuel]

"Kylay - Yep, we are stronger for it, was just making a point that we now have one less creative player on the park than last season, not that Benny seemed to create much anyway, but believe his stats were OK"

[Full Claret Jacket]

"I'm not sure Moyes is really a Paqueta fan. He criticises his giving away the ball which for sure is frustrating but often he is trying to force something to happen as we are very static and position oriented and aren't great at making space for ourselves. Soucek has been decent this season as has Coufal. I even remember a decent cross in for Antonio which was harder to miss than get on target and our only centre forward missed the target. I've not changed my mind about Moyes, I think we have so much talent in the team and I'm sure we could be more expansive than we are to trouble sides and not just trying to nick a goal from a set play even though we are good at them. If we win the Europa though then I'll just have to accept he is the new Mourinho and admit his style has worked."

[kylay]

"Manuel 2:05 Mon Oct 2 Whether you want to say Alvarez, Soucek, or Paqueta is replacing Benrhama, there is no question we are stronger for it. While all 3 are more defensive minded, we don't have someone running into dead ends and losing possession every time they receive the ball."

[daveyg]

Ludo Tatters dfo. That was a pass to the right flank. Paqueta's pass was inch perfect at the right pace to beat the offside trap or were you not watchindo. Are you saying Soucek is a better passer of the ball than Paqueta. Seems l?¨e it

[ludo21]

daveyg - yet Soucek played a sublime first time ball to Coufal for the Bowen goal which rather tears your argument to tatters?

[daveyg]

"All those that are thinking that Moyes is doing a wonderful job and getting his tactics spot on are deluded. We are more defensive than last year and anyone who thinks we were more attacking last year is again deluded. Antonio is playing deeper and is having to run more to get in attacking positions. Soucek will have more chances in a game than Antonio. Soucek is further upfield. There is no way Soucek would have laid on the ball for Bowen to score the ECL Winner. By having Soucek,Alvarez and JWP in the side it stifles Paqueta our most creative player. Some folks were saying Rice stifled Soucek but without Rice we would have been relegated. The evidence was there in the 2nd half. Terrible football and we gave them to many chances. Sheffield Utd were still numb from their defeat. We carry on playing like we have and our luck will go against us. Tapioca were to defensive and if they had gone for it properly they would have achieved a better result. If Frieburg go for it I feel we may be surprised. A bonus is that this looks an ideal game for Mavropanos"

[Eerie Descent]

"""I'm not one of those dreadful people who thinks changing their mind on an anonymous internet forum is akin to being publicly fucked up the arse by a carthorse."" Hahaha! I mean, fucking hell. You have to be the worst culprit for that on the entire internet, you just didn't have any wriggle room on Emerson as you absolutely savaged him. You clown."

[SurfaceAgentX2Zero]

Eerie Descent 2:18 Mon Oct 2 'I think a better question would be to ask you if your view on Emerson has changed?' He's improved a fair bit. I'm looking forward to him playing well for the rest of the season. I don't know why you think that's a good question. I'm not one of those dreadful people who thinks changing their mind on an anonymous internet forum is akin to being publicly fucked up the arse by a carthorse.

[RM10]

"Don’t agree, time will tell."

[Hammer and Pickle]

"ludo I think you’re right about Paqueta and Kudus; in Moyes’s horrible gnat-arse tight football world, there is not space for both and one must be a replacement for the other. This is why we have absolutely gone as far as we can with Moyes but hopefully not with Paqueta and Kudus."

[RM10]

Moyes gets a pass- deluded

[Eerie Descent]

"SurfaceAgentX2Zero 12:25 Mon Oct 2 Pretending? He was fucking diabolical over the last 2 seasons, this season he has been ok. Nothing more than that. I think a better question would be to ask you if your view on Emerson has changed?"

[Manuel]

"Whether you rate Benrahma or not, he has made way for a defensive player, or at best a conservative one. We now only play with three attackers and one of them is now out of position, it's bollocks. That said, in the main, Moyes gets a pass right now due to the good start, and it has to be said that Soucek has justified his selection."

[fraser]

"Kudus shouldn't be a bit part player he should be in instead of Soucek, fuck his defensive work, we have 4 defenders and a DM who can do that, not to mention Paqueta who has the best stats in the league for defensive midfield duties. We need attacking flair, pace, someone who can carry the ball and beat the press Kudus does all of that and scores.. No way should he be a bit part player"

[ludo21]

"Alvarez is excellent and cannot be dropped IMO. As others have said he is a calming influence and helps to hold everything together. Soucek has played very well so far this season. I still maintain that a lot of his defensive work goes unheralded but he is also regaining his potency at the other end. His goal on Saturday was excellent, as was his pass to Coufal for Bowen's and header in the EL. He also played very well in attack for the Czechs recently. The fact is that Kudus was bought as a Paqueta replacement. Paqueta will either leave in Jan / next summer or be banned. Until then (or injuries freeing up space) Kudus will be a bit part player in the PL getting game time in EL and cups."

[Manuel]

"He's a good player, just not convinced he's top draw. You don't always have to screen the defense, not all sides play with a DM, what if he got injured? We could have left him out on Sat, no problems. Defenders are there to defend, I think DM's need to be able to play a bit too, but like you say he's not bad, just not that great."

[fraser]

"Alverez has impressed me a lot, very cool head and looks for a decent out ball most times. I wouldn't be happy for him to make way, who would screen the defence, Soucek can't."

[Manuel]

"I'm not convinced that Alvarez is anything special, yes he's a DM etc, but if Moyes was to leave one out now to accommodate Koudus (yea right) I wouldn't have a problem if Soucek stayed in on current form."

[Hammer and Pickle]

The infuriating thing is Soucek does have a positive role to play coming off the bench around the 70th minute. Moyes knows this perfectly well and is now just being a total cսnt.

[fraser]

"Soucek has without doubt been better this season, though it was a very low bar. Paqueta, JWP and Alvarez are all better than him though and all playing better. There should only be room for three of them but Moyes would rather have one less attacking player and play our best central player out of position to accommodate him. I can see the logic even if I don't agree against the likes of City and Liverpool, but at home to Sheffield it's just bollocks Yes he scored but so could another in his place."

[fraser]

"Soucek has without doubt been better this season, though it was a very low bar. Paqueta, JWP and Alvarez are all better than him though and all playing better. There should only be room for three of them but Moyes would rather have one less attacking player and play our best central player out of position to accommodate him. I can see the logic even if I don't agree against the likes of City and Liverpool, but at home to Sheffield it's just bollocks Yes he scored but so could another in his place."

[SurfaceAgentX2Zero]

Are we all still pretending Soucek is no good?

[fraser]

"Second half was weird over there, like sitting in a restaurant all I could hear was background chatter as everyone was having conversations, me included with the bloke next to me.. Nobody was focused on the game."

[Manuel]

"It is very irritating that Moyes is such a dinosaur and so obsessed with safety first, even against that lot on Saturday. It's no coincidence that out of the summer signings a DM in Alvarez and a steady Eddy in JWP are shoe in's and another non attacking CM, in Soucek, is undroppable. He could have easily left out Soucek (who played on Wed) or Alvarez and gave Koudus a start, but he declined to do so."