[Archived] West Ham Preview

[brightonrover]

The effort from the players yesterday was absolutely exceptional - you could see they gave it everything to get the much needed three points.

The football we played however was absolutely awful - relying on long throw after long throw into the box isn't enough to break most teams down at this level. I'm putting up with the long ball rubbish because it's needs must at the moment and, if it keeps us up, then fine. On the other hand I don't want to watch this kind of tripe next season either in the Championship or in the Premiership - but of course will as a season ticket holding supporter - but not without complaint.

Stauart Hall's match reports were spot on yesterday, there was no guile or imagination to our play when the likes of Tugay (at least for 15-30 mins) might have given us the extra two points which we may well need at the end of the season.

West Brom are pretty much dead in the water now but every other side continues to pick up points so it could well go down to the wire.

[ABBEY]

right ive calmed downish....1ST HALF AWFUL AGAIN.2ND HALF WAS BETTER AND SHOULDVE WON.THAT REF WHAT AN ABSOLUTE jj*&^%gbtrrr%ty

WEVE DROPPED /DROPPING TO MANY POINTS AT HOME ,IM GETTING A BAD FEELING.

[modes98]

I thought we had a good first half and a cracking second half. In the second half I could count the amount of times West Ham had the ball in our half on 1 hand. The pressure we put on them was fantastic, the only shame was that Diouf didn't have the ability to look at his surroundings and think to stand on side for either of the goals.

We deserved the 3 points and they looked a poor team. The area for us to work on yet again is Corners!!!. Get the ball in the air, at least then you can have someone at the far post to recover it if it goes over the top. The short chip offers very little apart from an easy chance for them to clear.

[roversmum]

I noticed there wasn't anyone on the far corner for our corners, but lucklily one of the Sham players made up for it by giving the ball to Andrews.

Cracking shot, Keith, lad. Well done. He has been vilified on this board, but he popped up when needed and I thought he did okay as a makeshift right back too.

[grizfoot]

I noticed there wasn't anyone on the far corner for our corners, but lucklily one of the Sham players made up for it by giving the ball to Andrews.

Cracking shot, Keith, lad. Well done. He has been vilified on this board, but he popped up when needed and I thought he did okay as a makeshift right back too.

Agreed he's definately an improvement on Simpson in that position. Put in a Emerton like performance from RB yesterday got forward a lot and offered an outlet on the right.

[thenodrog]

Actually, in the end we're kind of lucky to get a point as it was a definite penalty when Samba dragged Dyer to the ground.

I went to a wedding yesterday and have had to make do with MoTD highlights. Imo that was not a penalty. If looked 6 of one to me and no matter Zola's remarks he'd have been livid if it had been awarded against WHU.

[grizfoot]

I went to a wedding yesterday and have had to make do with MoTD highlights. Imo that was not a penalty. If looked 6 of one to me and no matter Zola's remarks he'd have been livid if it had been awarded against WHU.

I like the fact they should thier penalty claim on MotD but didn't show the one we should have had, when the ball bounced up and hit the West Ham defender in the arm.

[Anti-Dingle-Brigade]

The only "blatent" penalty I saw was the pass/shot that cannoned off a defenders arm from pretty much point blank range. I would have been annoyed if that was given against us.

[thenodrog]

Does Stuart Hall dislike Rovers or does he dislike Sam Allardyce ?

He did not have a good word to say about us in any of his reports.

Who cares? He's showed the early signs of senile dementure for some time now and imo is an embarrassment that the Beeb could well do without.

[gumboots]

I went to a wedding yesterday and have had to make do with MoTD highlights. Imo that was not a penalty. If looked 6 of one to me and no matter Zola's remarks he'd have been livid if it had been awarded against WHU.

That was pretty well what i said to my husband about it too. As with Zola's remarks about us being physical. And they weren't?!!!!!!

[thenodrog]

Our desperate lack of creativity since the unforced and unwise sale of Bentley has resulted in a woeful home record as so many teams come to sit deep and play on the break, on the flip we do so much better away from home when the opposition commit themselves to a more attacking outlook.

I'm sure that most people and SA too view yesterday as 2 points thrown away .... again!

[Eddie]

I didn't say that. I said we had unexpected wins which meant that we were ahead of our predicted points tally for this point in the season. I expected us to get two draws and a win giving 5 points, but we got two wins and a draw, giving us 7. This is what I meant by a cushion.

I was hoping we would get 9, seeing as we don't have that many easier games left. These were all very winnable matches and we need to be picking up wins. We played well in the second half yesterday, but worrying to see us put in another poor first half. We certainly don't have a cushion.

[Anti-Dingle-Brigade]

For crying out loud.

WE HAVE A CUSHION OF 2 POINTS IN MY (PERSONAL, ME, MY OWN) PREDICTIONS. WE ARE 2 POINTS BETTER OFF THAN I THOUGHT WE WOULD BE. It was a personal observation. If you expect us to smash the 50 barrier at a canter, then you'd be saying we don't have a cushion. The cushion, or lack thereof, based on predictions will vary from person to person.

[ABBEY]

The only "blatent" penalty I saw was the pass/shot that cannoned off a defenders arm from pretty much point blank range. I would have been annoyed if that was given against us.

what about samba having his shirt pulled and the goalie barging diouff over .There "could have " been 5 or 6 pens in that 2nd half.(should of been 2 defo!_)

[Anti-Dingle-Brigade]

The goalie barging Diouf over would never be a foul as Diouf was blatantly standing on Greens toes all day.

[ABBEY]

The goalie barging Diouf over would never be a foul as Diouf was blatantly standing on Greens toes all day.

he pushed him the back for christ sake.

[Anti-Dingle-Brigade]

The boy who cried wolf? Diouf was backing into Green all game.

[philipl]

The Jammy hammers get outplayed by Rovers, the officials had a nightmare, so what's new?

Well for the first time in 8 attempts against the Cheats we didn't lose.

A stupid goal to conceed- wham walked through us- even though they were offside by 200 yards we really should have handled that an awful lot better. After all wham were so toothless it was the 82nd minute before they got a corner.

Rovers were on top from the kick off- we had 4 chances in the first ten minutes. Problem was Neill was having a blinder with some excellent blocks whilst it seems we just lack belief when in striking positions. Worst afflicted is MGP who actually played well except when within sight of goal. Benni came much moreinto it 2nd half and the interplay with Diouff was great at times.

Samba was immense (not just big!) and he is increasingly looking very special indeed.

Yes it was hoofball but when you have a central midfield as inadeqate as our's the only option is to by-pass it. I'd be worried if Sam were as direct if we had Messi but we don't.

So 13 games under Sam and we have gained 8 points the last relegation slot. Sam is right twice over- our record since he arrived is Europa League qualifying form (the crud we were playing yesterday are in line for that disgracefully) and these draws are going to cost us. I think it is increasingly clear they are going to cost millions in prize money rather than Premier League status.

[ABBEY]

The boy who cried wolf? Diouf was backing into Green all game.

so? he got blew against didnt he? so its ok to push a player now is it?

[ABBEY]

just googled chris foy...theres page upon page with it reading along the lines of "controviasial goals",,,,,,hes not good enough ,always thought he was a city fan but hes an everton one.

[grizfoot]

I also remember the West Ham defender who had two full hands worth of Samba's shirt at a couple of the set pieces towards the end of the game.

[American]

After a half time brew,the game resumed with Andrews replacing Ooijer, I mean he had been really awful in the first 45 minutes, his heart clearly in Holland as he prepares to move back across the North Sea to the land of daffodils and tulips, windmills, dykes and prostitutes.

Completely disagree with that, I thought Ooijer was our best player in the first half - both chances came from the other side of the pitch.

Also, I can think of at least 4 times that handball could have been called, but most were outside of the penalty area.

[Neil Weaver]

Completely disagree with that, I thought Ooijer was our best player in the first half - both chances came from the other side of the pitch.

Don't know if I'd go that far American, but very solid I thought. We were pushing a long way forward (more so in the 2nd half, but 1st half too) and it meant when WH broke, which they did a few times and were pretty rapid, we were reliant on whoever had hung back a bit. Ooijer a few times, with Bert or Andrews at RB in the 1st half I'd have backed WH to get another goal. I wondered what the hell was happening when Ooijer went off and Andrews went to RB but it worked out well (well done Sam) but if he'd have been up against a conventional left winger he'd have got ripped to shreds.

[modes98]

The goalie barging Diouf over would never be a foul as Diouf was blatantly standing on Greens toes all day.

That's irrelevant. Diouf stood as the ball came in, not backing in, and green ran straight through him. They are never given but that was a foul. Keepers get free run in the premiership, if they run into someone then the outfield player has automatically fouled them.

Imo the only one diouf backed into green for was the offside first goal. The majority of the time he just stands there, which is good as it stops the keeper seeing.

[Anti-Dingle-Brigade]

But it means that if we do get a chance and the keeper is being barged around, the referee is much more willing to blow his whistle.