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Odds:
West Ham: 3/1
Draw: 9/4
Everton: 29/25

Pre-Match Press Conference:
Official Press Conference

Tactical Preview: 
Babbling Irons

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twoleftfeet wrote: ↑15 Mar 2025, 08:25

THUNDERCLINT wrote: ↑15 Mar 2025, 08:07 The tedious brand off shoe gazing football served up recently by Graham Plodder will likely see Moyes looking forward to this one.

They'll sit deep in their lines waiting for a loose touch as we aimlessly dick about with the ball in the false belief a goal is awarded for every hundredth sideways pass and strike when the opportunity presents itself (if  craPaqueta starts everytime he pointlessly showboats) with the aim of countering ruthlessly.

On Monday night our attacking penetration was as limp as wet spaghetti don't see that changing today. A 1-0 defeat is as likely  as a 4-0 it all depends on how early they get the first and how far our heads drop.

Desperate to see a performance if not a result butI just don't think Plodder has it in him. 




 

You really don’t understand football do you? Potter has inherited a piss poor squad that was leaking goals, his first job was to stem that which he has. Everyone wants instant success, it seldom happens.

Judge Potter after a year.

0-0 today, last game on MOTD

 

The presence of Alan Irvine cannot be undrstated imho. Even that Gonzo fella noticed it on Hammers Chat so it seems to have merit?

Irvine’s full time to 2 days a week and then full exit seems to line up closely with Moyes “losing the plot” at West Ham.  Reminiscent of Peter Taylor stepping down as Brian Clough’s assistant. Clough never won a thing afterwards and his teams drifted into mediocrity.  

Not to say all the success was down to Irvine but he was the coach who was closest to the players in implementation of training drills and methods. Moyes also lost Nevin, Pearce, Warbarton after that.  His departure may have been the cause and then the others and Moyes looked broken, we were getting regular tonkings which Moyes teams typically didnt suffer. 

He then tried to implement more possession in response to the “lack of entertainmemt” criticism and his low block tactics being sussed and we got even worse as he just didnt know how to do it.

His tenure had to end as he then tried to deflect blame to everyone else like Steidten, which maybe was not helping,  but it was not the primary cause imo. 

Today ? Hmmm, think we will struggle as they will let us have the ball and play to their stremgths on the counter.  We, like them, are best suited to sitting deeper and having a team commit lots of players forward to break us down and hitting them with fast counters. 

Our midfield is key again. The match up of Alvarez, Soucek and JWP to Tonali, Linton and Bruno G last game was a real mismatch in terms of pace, physicality etc and they dominated, pressed us high and we couldnt get out of our own half. 

Doucore, Gaye and Garner or whoever not such a mismatch but again they will press and look to dispossess us for fast counters or look to get balls into  Beto.  They are faster and stronger and we have to run amd work as hard as possible in that area not hope to pass it around slowly sideways and expect to open them up.

So a draw at best imo but he has to drop Soucek at least from the starting 11 and use Paqueta or Soler in a deeper role to provide a link from the back 5 to the forwards.  A target man if possible would be good if we are forced to play long although Ferguson looks well off the pace and a shadow of the player he was? Not sure he will be giving Tarkowski or Braithwaite too many problems?

Yep the more I think about it, a draw at best and a defeat no surprise.  The central midfield squad options ( Soucek, Alvarez, Soler, JWP, Paqueta, Irvine) just not balanced, no pace and not enough legs / physicality to compete with many Premiership teams. 

THUNDERCLINT wrote: ↑15 Mar 2025, 08:07 The tedious brand off shoe gazing football served up recently by Graham Plodder will likely see Moyes looking forward to this one.

They'll sit deep in their lines waiting for a loose touch as we aimlessly dick about with the ball in the false belief a goal is awarded for every hundredth sideways pass and strike when the opportunity presents itself (if  craPaqueta starts everytime he pointlessly showboats) with the aim of countering ruthlessly.

On Monday night our attacking penetration was as limp as wet spaghetti don't see that changing today. A 1-0 defeat is as likely  as a 4-0 it all depends on how early they get the first and how far our heads drop.

Desperate to see a performance if not a result butI just don't think Plodder has it in him. 


 

The tedious brand off shoe gazing football served up recently by Graham Plodder will likely see Moyes looking forward to this one.

They'll sit deep in their lines waiting for a loose touch as we aimlessly dick about with the ball in the false belief a goal is awarded for every hundredth sideways pass and strike when the opportunity presents itself (if  craPaqueta starts everytime he pointlessly showboats) with the aim of countering ruthlessly.

On Monday night our attacking penetration was as limp as wet spaghetti don't see that changing today. A 1-0 defeat is as likely  as a 4-0 it all depends on how early they get the first and how far our heads drop.

Desperate to see a performance if not a result butI just don't think Plodder has it in him. 

 

So the day has come when the Moyes In'ers and the Moyes Out'ers will inevitably renew hostilities, unless a dour Draw sucks the life out of even the most fervant fans.

Moyes comes into this unbeaten in 8, manager of the month, and on his uppers...almost unthinkable when his gurning grin was seen post-Dyche in the worse kept secret since Lopetegui got his (belated) marching orders.

And today Sullivan's latest underling heads to the home of the former favourite turned villain. Was it all Irvine? Had it run it's course? Did he secretly loathe us all? Or was he a misunderstood genius we should have backed to oblivion?

We'll never go (but on a personal level I'm glad he's gone). #MoyesOut

Anyway, predictions and team:

I can't see beyond a draw here. I think we'll get something, and their unbeaten run can't go on for ever, but he'll have them up for this. Will he be Voldemort to West Ham's Potter? Hopefully not, and right now I'd respect the point.

Prediction: 1-1

Team: Hopefully with the 'can't change a winning side' no longer on the table, we either see a striker in the line up, Paqueta returned to the side, or maybe both. Anyway I'd go for: Ferguson's cameos have done nothing for me so far, and Paqueta is simply the better player. Kudus displays haven't yielded the goals but his performances have been getting stronger so he keeps his place. If we're only having two in midfield, Alvarez and Soucek give us the best balance of presence and aggression with discipline, as well as aerial presence...harsh on JWP...but Paqueta is just a better player.

I'd be looking to get Fullkrug on the pitch for the last 30...for all Ferguson's ability/promise, Fulle is our player and has shown he knows where the net is. If I had to place my house on one of them to stick a goal away....Fullkrug all day long.

Anyway...hoping to leave Moyes gurning after this one, but suspect an honours even outcome that leaves the Moyes debate rumbling on will be order of the day.

C.O.Y.I

1-0 West Ham, 2 half decent defences against teams that don’t score much, Soucek with the winner