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

[PAFELL]

Who would you have brought on???? Formica? Rochina? Attackers when we clearly needed another body in central midfield?? Dont let this get in the way of your hating for Kean, but I would like to know what you would have done instead.

Hoilett had just returned from a hamstring injury. Do you think it would have been wise to keep him on past 60 mins when he'd had a relatively ineffective game?? Andrews didn't do badly. He's a very poor player but today he was alright and the reason for him being introduced was totally logical.

Replacing Roberts didn't make a blind bit of difference. RSC was ineffective but who the hell else were we to bring on?

As far as I am concerned the only bad player for Rovers today, was RSC. Liked him first time around, did good then. But Rovers cannot a foord to play a player who is just going to have a stroll on the pitch.

A point away v whu is a good result. We did that last season as well.

[Alan75]

Yeah, but I think you're the most balanced poster on here Gav.

Thats because he has a low centre of gravity.

[Bobby G]

Great point we'd all have taken before kick off, and if we'd come from behind to earn a point in the 76th minute everyone would be absolutely ecstatic but of course it's still a bit disappointing to be pegged back after being so near and yet so far from guaranteed safety.

As usual the criticism on here of Steve Kean is completely OTT - how many results have we got at Upton Park in the last 20 years? Is it one win in 1994 and two draws or something like that?

I managed to catch the last 30 minutes or so live and sort of got the impression that instead of trying to play our normal game we were trying to play well within ourselves as you would when you are trying to run the clock down for the last 5 mins etc. Nothing that unusual about that, I've seen us be too cautious and sit back too much on a lead under every manager we've ever had since I've been supporting us.

Strange keeping from the normally immaculate Paul Robinson for their goal, not sure if he could have got to it but he just stood and watched it go in without any attempt to save. He did the same with a couple of efforts which flashed wide as well.

Sensational block at the end and performance in general from Samba. What a man, what a player. When he shows that level of form he's the best centre half around.

I think its irrelevant to bring up the 30 year history when one looks at the second half and the catalogue of errors which cost us 2 extra points. West Ham was a beaten side with nothing to offer. We pulled back deeper and deeper and made subs to reflect that too. We had it coming.

[joey_big_nose]

I find it strange that Kean is getting little credit. We only looked so good in the first half (and against Bolton and Man City) because of the way Kean set up the team.

The substitutions, mainly bringing on RSC when Benjani was available, were daft and deserve a lot of stick. But we got ahead in the first place through Kean's selection and tactics, so I find it bizarre that people are being so aggressive in their criticism of the manager.

Lets try and be even handed here, eh? A point at West Ham is a good result for us and for 60 minutes we dominated and played some very good possession football. The subs were a travesty, but its not the whole story. Lets hope Kean can sort the sub situation in the same way he has improved tactically and motivationally.

[Mattyblue]

I agree joey, that's why I was so frustrated yesterday.

For over an hour we were well on top, yet almost lost the game.

I don't doubt Kean has some good ideas, but on the job management training has been our downfall too many times.

[Uddersfelt Blue]

Maybe kean had to justify his signing of RSC to the owners so brought him on

[rubecula]

I thought Samba was truly immense in the game, and he justifiably deserves MoTM. Some of his stops were unbelievable. But that is only my opinion.

[Gav]

Maybe kean had to justify his signing of RSC to the owners so brought him on

Maybe Kean, like the rest of the football ,world can't believe RSC has gone so far backwards in such a short space of time. He keeps giving him a chance, but Cruz does nothing, not a thing, week after week.

Even the most staunch RSC fan, of which I WAS one, cannot understand how its gone so wrong in a couple of seasons.

He looks disinterested and completely unfit, if Kean tries to sign the guy he wants shooting.

Yeah, but I think you're the most balanced poster on here Gav.

Another great post

[magicalmortensleftpeg]

I would have purchased someone other than Formica who could actually make a difference back in January.

Alternatively, as he didn't show the foresight back then and with that bench I would have moved Mame Diouf to the right, replacing Jnr, and so keeping some pace and brought on Benjani who for the last two games has looked our brightest forward. That would have maintained some continuity.

Santa Cruz was very poor, which isn't a surprise with his recent appearances. Whether he's unfit or just disinterested who knows, but Niko deserves that place on the bench before him. He won't get it because Kean has to justify wasting 90k a week somehow.

Andrews has just come back from injury and is a poor player anyhow as you said. A poor player and lacking match fitness to boot. By anyones logic it was certainly a crazy decision to make at a crucial time.

Andrews did ok. To put another body in midfield made sense. Hoilett wasn't having a good game and had just returned from injury. Andrews is a shocking footballer but yesterday he did nothing wrong.

RSC was ineffective. But I would argue that Niko and Benjani wouldn't have done any better.

The manager is meant to have lost the dressing room. Kean gets abuse. Clearly thats not the case.

Hoilet is meant to be feining injury in order to get a move away. Kean gets abuse. It appears that Hoilett played right wing yesterday.

Kean sets up the team with Olsson at left back due to injuries and he gets abuse. P.Jones pulls out with injury and we have no other left back in the squad. Olsson does fine throughout the match.

He also starts Roberts up front with Pedersen in midfield. He gets abuse. Roberts scores and Pedersen has a good game.

Hoilett, who has just returned from a hamstring injury is tiring, Kean replaces him with a central midfielder in order to try and solidify the midfield. He gets abuse regardless of the fact that a) Andrews didn't do badly and b ) there was no better alternative on the bench.

He removes Roberts with RSC who was poor. But when the choice was either RSC, Formica or Rochina I think on paper there was only one choice to make.

Kean gets abuse.

He brings on Rochina to waste time. Kean gets abuse.

I have no issues when people give the guy stick when its deserved, but to criticise him for yesterday is pathetic in my opinion. People are looking for any reason to stick the knife in. There were far more reasons to question Allardyce's tactics and teams but the level of hatred shown to Kean is on another level. If we lose, fine, clearly there are questions to be asked, but when we've taken 4 points from two crucial games, the guy, if anything, deserves a modicum of credit.

[philipl]

West Ham were abysmally bad but we could so easily have gifted them a win if Keane had not taken an air shot at the end.

Limping towards safety.

[OsloRover]

He removes Roberts with RSC who was poor. But when the choice was either RSC, Formica or Rochina I think on paper there was only one choice to make.

Kean gets abuse.

I agree completely with the rest of your post but Benjani was available and would have been a better choice.

[BlueWhiteDynamite]

He brings on Rochina to waste time. Kean gets abuse.

I have no issues when people give the guy stick when its deserved, but to criticise him for yesterday is pathetic in my opinion. People are looking for any reason to stick the knife in. There were far more reasons to question Allardyce's tactics and teams but the level of hatred shown to Kean is on another level. If we lose, fine, clearly there are questions to be asked, but when we've taken 4 points from two crucial games, the guy, if anything, deserves a modicum of credit.

At the ground there was nobody who gave abuse for putting Rochina on, We were very annoyed however at the ref, who for almost 3 minutes refused to allow the substitue on.

I dont think many on here are blaming Andrews, what they believe changed the game were the substitutions and the formation that followed. We lost momentum and it was clear after the Subs had taken place, West Ham were allowed in to the game, mainly because we lost all our outlets to attack. Therefore the team sat back and defended and the was no threat from Rovers scoring so West Ham could continually push on.

I'd have taken a point before hand and had a great day out, so I left the ground very pleased. It's a shame we couldn't hold on, but as said before our record down there is shocking and West Ham can no longer catch us.

[John]

Playing a West Ham side who have lost their soul/belief and completely lacking confidence, how many times did their mis place passses on their side. Heads were down from many in their team during the match.

Sadly, as we know, we lack the attacking quality to really punish teams and take advantage of their predicament. Also, as I have stated, the subs just seemed wrong at the time.

Just looking at Kean and observing him on the touchline, he simply does not look like man with any sort of control IMO (not just basing this on yesterday).

Overall a good point though but have the strong feeling it should have been more.

[Commondore]

Normal (Big Sam dare I say) season, that'd be a disappointing result. However given our circumstances and form, you have to be very happy with a point. Only Samba, Emerton and Roberts stood out for me today, with Samba being our best player by a mile. But at the end of the day we did enough to keep ourselves in the driving seat. Well done Steve, you haven't disgraced us for 2 games in a row!

Of course, "normally" we always get a result at West Ham right?

[Majiball]

I'm really quite amused at the sub comments on here as our bench was pretty poor.

SO what should he have done with what he had?

I can see one alternative that no-ones mentioned on here yet and that would be sticking Hanley in as anchor man and moving to a 5 man midfield.

[arbitro]

At the ground there was nobody who gave abuse for putting Rochina on, We were very annoyed however at the ref, who for almost 3 minutes refused to allow the substitue on.

I dont think many on here are blaming Andrews, what they believe changed the game were the substitutions and the formation that followed. We lost momentum and it was clear after the Subs had taken place, West Ham were allowed in to the game, mainly because we lost all our outlets to attack. Therefore the team sat back and defended and the was no threat from Rovers scoring so West Ham could continually push on.

I'd have taken a point before hand and had a great day out, so I left the ground very pleased. It's a shame we couldn't hold on, but as said before our record down there is shocking and West Ham can no longer catch us.

It wasn't the referee who delayed the substitution. Very few managers will make a change when their team is in a defensive situation. As West Ham had a succession of corners and free kicks Steve Kean was holding back until the ball was in a 'safer' area.

Not sure if anybody at the game noticed but West Ham operated a multin ball system but only in the corners. I'm sure this was to get the throw in taken quickly in attacking situations and catch us out BUT it is direct contravention of Premier League rules.

[CAPT KAYOS]

West Ham were allowed in to the game, mainly because we lost all our outlets to attack. Therefore the team sat back and defended and the was no threat from Rovers scoring so West Ham could continually push on.

This is the be all and end all imo - and there is only one person to blame in that - people can try defend the imposter but the guy clearly has to go.

As everybody states - most if not everybody would have taken a point from yesterday, but given that we could probably have made ourselves safe instead of virtually throwing it away yet again tells the story.

As for what we would have done - I would have left Roberts on and gone with a more 442 set up and left wham worrying about us rather than inviting the pressure that we did.

When the substitutes where made - you could see the only intention was to hold on to what we had which nearly cost us.

[John]

A point is really good however I did not expect West Ham to be so lifeless.

They looked completely demoralised hence the slight frustration in not picking up the win - oh well, on to the next game...

[booth]

At the ground there was nobody who gave abuse for putting Rochina on, We were very annoyed however at the ref, who for almost 3 minutes refused to allow the substitue on.

I dont think many on here are blaming Andrews, what they believe changed the game were the substitutions and the formation that followed. We lost momentum and it was clear after the Subs had taken place, West Ham were allowed in to the game, mainly because we lost all our outlets to attack. Therefore the team sat back and defended and the was no threat from Rovers scoring so West Ham could continually push on.

I'd have taken a point before hand and had a great day out, so I left the ground very pleased. It's a shame we couldn't hold on, but as said before our record down there is shocking and West Ham can no longer catch us.

Common sense! Well said and sums things up perfectly.

[Andy]

I think in the cold light of day, it's actually an excellent point against a team who desperately needed all three.

Combined with the win against Bolton last week, irrespective of how we've played in either match, probably just about keeps us up - and that's all that has mattered recently.

I think Kean must get some credit for the two results, just as he'd get dog's abuse for losing either/both games, but that said he still needs to be replaced as soon as relegation is a mathematical impossibility.

If we stay up, as looks likely now, he's still taken us from an established and safe mid-table side to one desperately scrapping against what would be disastrous relegation for a club like Rovers.

[cesus]

No issues with Kean in my opinion yesterday, Jones pulling out messed up our attack with pace policy that the Ollson/Hoilett combo gives us down the flanks. So we set up pretty much the only way we could. We had a decent first half playing on the break, West Ham were awful yet we didn't exactly have Green pulling save after save like Gomes had to at Ewood so I think people need to re-assess how 'in control' of the game we actually were. We soaked up aimless long balls and broke away without too much glory.

The subs ... Hoilett was nursing his way back in wasn't too effective replaced by Andrews, no issues with the sub or the performance of our cartoon villain. Roberts off, didn't do too much in the game aside the goal and RSC came on, in a past life this would have been a good sub but the man is terrible and as fans we don't expect much but just jogging about really doesn't cut it with us especially when you aren't bagging, West Ham virtually had set pieces to get the ball in the box with all the time Rocky gave them on the ball. RSC or Benjani though you could very well have endured the same performance so as we can't see into parallel worlds we will never have know what the different sub would have achieved.

West Ham came into this on the back of defeats but very promising performances, there for the taking? Hmm maybe but as I said earlier we didn't dominate the game nor did they, I still believe if our 2 on rushing blockers got in the way of Hitzels(whatevers it ends in) strike we would have strolled out of the Boleyn with all 3 points and the pie, mash and liquor (terrible stuff) would have gone down better!

[Rovers Gals]

Samba = best performance from him in some time, blocked two certain goals in the dying minutes and was solid the whole game

Roberts = Get rid

Andrews = Get rid

Diouf = Send home

RSC = Send home

Pederson = only useful now in deadball situations

Kalanic = GIVE HIM A CHANCE!

The manager = looks more out of his depth with each passing game, his substitutions again cost us and he continues to pick the players that brownnose in the media

It looks like we are safe with effectively 40pts when you count our GD against those below us, however if our chicken mongering friends fail to ditch kean in the summer and get a proper manager our relegation will have merely been postponed for a season, we MUST get this clown out the managers chair he's just not good enough to be a manager of any team

[jim mk2]

At the ground there was nobody who gave abuse for putting Rochina on, We were very annoyed however at the ref, who for almost 3 minutes refused to allow the substitue on.

I dont think many on here are blaming Andrews, what they believe changed the game were the substitutions and the formation that followed. We lost momentum and it was clear after the Subs had taken place, West Ham were allowed in to the game, mainly because we lost all our outlets to attack. Therefore the team sat back and defended and the was no threat from Rovers scoring so West Ham could continually push on.

I'd have taken a point before hand and had a great day out, so I left the ground very pleased. It's a shame we couldn't hold on, but as said before our record down there is shocking and West Ham can no longer catch us.

West Ham can catch us if we lose the last 2 and West Ham win their last 2. A nine-goal goal difference is not huge.

Thinking back to yesterday West Ham looked finished and bereft of ideas until Hitzlsp's bolt from the blue which no one could be blamed for.

After that however West Ham could have won the match but for superb defending by Samba and Keane's miss - how did he not score ?

Defeat for Rovers would have been very hard to take and after a superb effort by the players. Keane's substituions were understandable but Rovers should have pressed harder in the first half when we were on top.

I'm cautiously optimistic but we need West Brom to help us today and West Ham to win at Wigan next week.

[Exiled_Rover]

I'm really quite amused at the sub comments on here as our bench was pretty poor.

SO what should he have done with what he had?

I can see one alternative that no-ones mentioned on here yet and that would be sticking Hanley in as anchor man and moving to a 5 man midfield.

Hanley should have started at CB. We should have gone into this game with Hoilett and Olsson on either wing.

[47er]

Hanley should have started at CB. We should have gone into this game with Hoilett and Olsson on either wing.

Yes--completely agree. Olsson is a shadow of himself at left-back. Its a shame.