[Archived] 2010/11 Match Report: West Ham v Rovers

[Tom]

Mercerman, before you were saying Brum were safe because they got the magic 39 points, now you're saying we need 40, make your mind up.

A West Ham win at Wigan next week means both teams will be pretty much unable to catch us now lets hope Blackpool only pick up 1 point in the next 2 and we could be safe before Wolves. Or it could stil all go wrong.

Well done to Samba today, immense by all accounts.

You the newest mod Hughesy?

[chris]

Can you justify having a £90k a week striker on the bench and not playing him? Roque is one of the best strikers to play the lone role, but he was a slacker when he came on.

As for Andrews... there must be some clause in his contract. That's the only conclusion I can come to as to why he constantly features.

Anyway, disappointed to lose the lead, but I'll take a point from Upton Park.

Holliet looked tired, it was a choice of Andrews, Formica, Ro-give-the-ball-away-china.

He was the best of a rubbish bench.

How sad is that.

[Mr C]

IF.......

Spurs beat Blackpool this evening.....

and West Ham beat Wigan next Sunday....

and Blackpool fail to beat Bolton next Saturday....

and we don't get a hammering from Manchester....

then we are just about safe - even if we don't get another point!

First job - come on you Spurs!!!

[deftangel]

Good result to get a point at West Ham given our terrible record there and current situation. Would have taken that before the game, as would most I feel. Any credit for Kean is somewhat mitigated by appalling substitutions, not for the first time.

Granted, West Ham went all in with four strikers but in removing Hoillet, he removed a player who could keep the ball and give them something to worry about, thus inviting more pressure on to the back four of which Keith Andrews made absolutely no difference save for one admittedly good tackle. If he's protecting Hoillet, then send on Rochina with simple instructions to be an outlet and retain possession. It's not hard.

Why did Robert's even need to come off and why not replace him with Benjani when Santa Cruz is so obviously dis-interested. Very sad. Much as I hate Diouf, his pace could have been an asset as West Ham over-committed. As it was, it wasn't used anyway.

In the end, we've a lot to thank Samba and Robbie Kean for.

Points mean prizes and to be fair, he's got one where most recent managers have failed. Very far from convinced he's the right man to take us forward, however.

[Paul]

Why can't this be part of the match thread?

[Hasta]

I don't get why people thought we were bad second half. We were the better team for about 75 minutes until the subs and Ba headed wide. Then it became backs against the wall.

What did worry me was the number of 3 V3 and 4 V 4 breaks we had that we failed to make anything of.

Thank goodness that old father time seems to have caught up with Robbie Keane !!!

[DE.]

What did worry me was the number of 3 V3 and 4 V 4 breaks we had that we failed to make anything of.

It was exactly the same last week against Bolton. We are beyond awful at counter-attacking.

[Gav]

Booth was bang on, the club was almost there, those subs changed the momentum of the game.

so yeah:

Stupid subs?

Of course. Kean's fault

I'm sorry Matty, you'll look back at that comment with some embarrassment later I'm sure.

We'd been hammered in terms of possession if the radio commentary is anything to go by, the substitutions made no difference at all as kean looked to freshen things up.

I think Nzonzi again gave the ball away in the lead up to the goal?? But the shot was unstoppable.

In the cold light of the day a point away at West Ham, with our away record and bogey ground, is a great result.

[chris]

I don't get why people thought we were bad second half. We were the better team for about 75 minutes until the subs and Ba headed wide. Then it became backs against the wall.

What did worry me was the number of 3 V3 and 4 V 4 breaks we had that we failed to make anything of.

Thank goodness that old father time seems to have caught up with Robbie Keane !!!

I cursed Keane, I said on Friday he would get 4 goals in his last 3 games.

[RibbleValleyRover]

I don't get why people thought we were bad second half. We were the better team for about 75 minutes until the subs and Ba headed wide. Then it became backs against the wall.

I thought we started to drop off and sit back after we had scored, West Ham then started to put serious pressure on us before HT but we held on.

Second half we carried on where we left off from the 1st half and we were all over the place, the sub changes then made it even worse and we were lucky to take a point.

I don't see how anyone can say our performance was great at any stage of the game, there was some great defending by Samba towards the end but that's about it.

[DP]

Much as I hate Diouf, his pace could have been an asset as West Ham over-committed. As it was, it wasn't used anyway.

Goes to show how terrible he is if you didn't realise he was playing

[Stonesrick]

RSC is a disgrace and I hope he his embarrassed when he checks his bank account on Monday morning.

Despite his one season wonder we must never contemplate signing this effortless excuse of a centre-forward.

On the other hand Chris Samba - what a performance!

[Gogger]

Holliet looked tired, it was a choice of Andrews, Formica, Ro-give-the-ball-away-china.

He was the best of a rubbish bench.

How sad is that.

I just wish Kean had some backbone and kept Diouf (at least until the end of season), he would have been the perfect substitution for Hoilett.

[Mattyblue]

I'm sorry Matty, you'll look back at that comment with some embarrassment later I'm sure.

We'd been hammered in terms of possession if the radio commentary is anything to go by, the substitutions made no difference at all as kean looked to freshen things up.

I think Nzonzi again gave the ball away in the lead up to the goal?? But the shot was unstoppable.

In the cold light of the day a point away at West Ham, with our away record and bogey ground, is a great result.

Don't think so.

I watched the game, we kept the ball much better in the first half, they were reverting to aimless balls forward in the second.

roberts was running himself into the ground.

Then the subs hapenned, we lost out in midfield, Santa Cruz couldn't be arsed and the ball kept going back to West Ham. They equalised and then we sat deeper and deeper, almost losing.

So yeah, fair assesment.

[OsloRover]

Good first half, faded badly trying to ride out our lead which we should have learned by now never works.

Kean - should get some credit for the tactics and team selection. Pobably won't on here though.

To say he has lost the team is just off the mark judging by all reports and team spirit shown on the pitch.

Subbing a relatively poor Hoilett for some (supposed) stability was probably right at the time. Wish we had better than Andrews but we don't.

The Roberts sub was unnecessary and I like many hope RSC never "plays" for us again.

Rochina was probably brought on to waste time and nothing else which is fine.

Rating 6/10

Robbo - Good when called upon 7/10

Emerton - maybe his best game this season with an assist and another very good cross, also good defensively 7/10

Samba - easily MOM 8/10

Givet - Solid as always 7/10

Olsson - not great, some unnecessary fouls but scared the hammers whenever he came forward 6/10

Jones - had a great first half and played his part in our goal but ran out of steam big time at the end 7/10

Nzonzi - solid throughout 6/10

Pedersen - decent game, didn't lose the ball as much today and some good deliveries 6/10

Diouf - Tracked back well, but is never going to make it at united with his finishing 5/10

Hoilett - average game, needs to pass the ball more 5/10

Roberts - didn't do much, but put the ball in the net when given the chance 7/10

[Exiled_Rover]

Correct. Kean costs us some more points. If he's still here next season we won't stay up.

We will need WHU to at least draw at Wigan, else we're probably going to need to get something at Wolves on the last day of the season. That's a scenario that could have been avoided if we hadn't allowed a poor West Ham team to dominate us in the second half of today's match.

Bang on the money, he needs to be sacked 15 minutes after the Wolves game. His substitutions and tactics in the second half were atrocious. You HAVE to get after a team like West Ham - their forward line is actually rather useful, it's at the back where they struggle.

Instead we just sat back and invited them onto us for 60 minutes. Once Hoilett went off we had no outlet.

[sijoco]

Boys done well for 75 mins and looked in control but they seemed to forget how to counter attack when WH had a top heavy attack. Thats why you leave Hoillet on, the perfect player for counter attacking football. Cruz didn't seem interested in chasing defenders down even though he'd have been the freshest player on the pitch. Saying that l'd have taken a point before the game.

Now come on Spurs (time to wash my mouth out)

[all you need is duff]

West Ham now 6 behind us, with 6 left to play for - with a 9 goal better GD.

Next week Wigan v West Ham - a draw would be perfect.

Surely a West Ham win would be perfect unless we lose by more than 4 against Manure?

[Hasta]

I thought we started to drop off and sit back after we had scored, West Ham then started to put serious pressure on us before HT but we held on.

Second half we carried on where we left off from the 1st half and we were all over the place, the sub changes then made it even worse and we were lucky to take a point.

I don't see how anyone can say our performance was great at any stage of the game, there was some great defending by Samba towards the end but that's about it.

I'm not saying we were great but over the course of the first 70 minutes we were the better side. We looked by far the more likely to score for most of the second half until (as ever) they scored.

No-one can say we played poorly today although I do see questioning the wisdom of bringing on Roque. His movement is non-existant, he appears slow and numerous times we played the ball to his feet in space for him to lay it off to either the guy that passed it or someone else deeper. Sometimes he needs to turn and look whats on going forward.

[Stuart]

Why can't this be part of the match thread?

I think it's due to the new match report feature. I understand the idea and I want it to work for the sake of the poor soul providing the write-up but it's a bit disjointing.

Let's give it a go though. I'm sure if it's not working, Venkys will come out and give it their full backing!

[Tom]

Oh and I take no joy at all but I said in the matchchat that Hitzelsperger would score, b*stard.

On that note the Match chat is great at the moment for away games, might even be good fun next season when we're not all almost in tears.

[Hughesy]

Why can't this be part of the match thread?

They way they want the site to work in future - is pre match thread, during match thread and then a post match thread - ideally with more news items such as match reports, halt time reports, and other news items.

[bennyboyt11]

Lucky to get a point, in the end.

Why of why would you bring on RSC though, you need someone to get at the tired defence (Roberts/Rochina/Kalinic) not someone who ponces about up the top.

[booth]

Stupid subs?

Of course. Kean's fault.

Beyond a joke. Fan of the club? Get an absolute grip. Pathetic.

Good effort from the lads. Would have taken a draw. Kean did as much as he could have, and dare is say it, Andrews wasn't that bad???

Did you even watch the game at all? Of course it was Kean's fault, are you absolutely clueless or just on the wind up? They were coming at us in the second half which everyone anticipated. We weren't as good as in the second half because of that, but were holding our own. The game swung totally in West Ham's favour after those substitutions. It put our defense under needless pressure and allowed them to come forward more.

Andrews was awful, skipping around and allowing West Ham to walk past him. Santa Cruz was even worse. Almost every time he got the ball he lost it. And not once did he run for the ball.

How could anyone have watched that game and say otherwise?

[Roost]

I thought Pederson did quite well today, put some good challenges in in the middle, especially in the first half.

Samba was exceptional.

For the life of me I cannot understand the two substitutions - we hardly touched the ball after that.

A great point.

PHEW!