West Ham Home - Post Match Thread (4-1)

[mabrah]

Jeez we look good. That is some of the slickest football you're likely to see. Simply dazzling. Movement, pace, options - Rodgers has got them doing it all.

 

We do struggle against the more physical sides but I guess we'll get better at that. Hopefully Mendy will be back up and running for the weekend, he did a superb job both defensively and getting forward. Nacho is coming good and looking a part of the unit. 

 

That performance, seriously, just trashes all my fears. We've got a bloody good team that knows how to play sexy football.

[foxfanazer]

Got a couple of the confused emote reactions for suggesting Kasper had a poor game. Just wasn't commanding his box and had a limp wrist everytime he tried to punch it, one which led to the penalty. I love Kasper but this wasn't his greatest showing

[trabuch]

2 minutes ago, dylanlegend said:

Worried more about Wolves than Man U or spurs

I'm more worried about Sheff Utd than Manu or Spurs! We shouldn't be guilty of what we accuse sky of - "big team" favouritism.

[Guest Electric Yetis]

16 minutes ago, EnderbyFox said:

Thank god that's over. Another 10 minutes of hearing the commentator say Iheanashio and I would've been out the window 

To be fair he spent most of the time waxing lyrical* about us. Saying how superb we were/are.

 

 

*First time I've ever used the term waxing lyrical and I'm not a fan.

[Suzie the Fox]

Do we know anymore on Mendy's injury? A real shame he went off as he was having a great game.

[foxes_rule1978]

Table looks better than it did after the burnley game, 8 clear of 4th, 14 of 5th, a dream position

[Zaid]

Fans were brilliant today. Evidently atmosphere affects our performance. 

[Cadno'r Cymoedd]

9 minutes ago, EastAnglianFox said:

Brendan says Vardy doesn't look to serious, early signs are a glute strain

So Vardy is a pain in the arse. Defenders have always known that. 

[Babylon]

So much better with the quick ball. Everything that makes going down fun!

[HighPeakFox]

1 minute ago, Zaid said:

Fans were brilliant today. Evidently atmosphere affects our performance. 

Correlation is not causation. 

[ARM1968]

Bollocks. I’ve got fuch all to moan about now. Wife is ill so I suppose that’s off the cards. Every cloud........

[Julian Joachim Jr Shabadoo]

1 minute ago, Babylon said:

So much better with the quick ball. Everything that makes going down fun!

 

Going down is a lot of fun

[mabrah]

23 minutes ago, EnderbyFox said:

Thank god that's over. Another 10 minutes of hearing the commentator say Iheanashio and I would've been out the window 

We've apparently got a player called Harry Barnes.

 

Did anyone cringe with the 'prayer mat' comment about the spectator?

 

 

[Babylon]

Just now, Julian Joachim Jr Shabadoo said:

 

Going down is a lot of fun

Not when we pass it to Evans 700 times a game.

[Guest Manini]

Tielemans performance was pure relief for me. To see him absolutely run the show again like that was brilliant. 
 

He has been poor recently, very poor. But he looked top top quality again tonight. 

[urban fox]

3 minutes ago, Suzie the Fox said:

Do we know anymore on Mendy's injury? A real shame he went off as he was having a great game.

Looked like side of his knee. hope he hasnt done a medial

[Marshall Cockney Fox]

No criticism to anyone. They all played well. To name a few unsung ones, I thought Mendy looked excellent for his 35mins & Youri was back in the swing.

 

But Barnes & Riccy P take top marks.

[vanity]

Harvey Barnes is starting to get it. He has what, 3 goals and 6 assists now? He was momentarily tied with Maddison and Ayoze for 2nd on the team in goals created (I mean goals + assists) w/9, but then Ayoze obviously pushed ahead with the 3rd and 4th goals. Still, an incredibly promising sign, both wings should be looking at 15+ goals created (frankly, the way Ayoze turns it up 2H, maybe he could get us 20+).  

 

I think our butts definitely puckered after their PK. We are so much more of an attacking threat when we relax, after we settled down a bit we played some great stuff, esp after we went up 3-1. Suddenly we were aggressive, loose, playing clever ball after clever ball. Obviously that is how we need to be playing at all times, but we need to see if this win relaxes us or if nerves will suddenly be a larger trend for the team to battle.

 

When Vardy is off the pitch, instead of trying to funnel the ball into him, we are much more multiple and varied in our attack. Suddenly everyone is a real threat to take their chances, and we are finding the back of the net. I am not saying "we are better without Vardy," obviously that is ridiculous. But I AM saying that our attacking players could do with being a bit less deferential to Vards when he is on the pitch. They are all great players who can score goals themselves, they need to have that mentality and consistently look to score rather than looking to feed our striker. 

 

Speaking of which Was surprised not to see much from Nacho today [Edit: I was overlooking his run that set up the PK, that was high quality]. Seemed a bit off it. When he is ready to play he is dynamic, but when he isn't best just to leave him off the pitch. Before we overspend for another striker, I'm curious to see what Ayoze looks like leading the attack.

 

Wilf looked a bit uncomfortable jumping for headers, leg isn't right yet, fortunately we have an easy game coming up. I know it is an easy thing to say in retrospect, but even if Mendy doesn't get injured, we should've had Hamza on the bench. If the plan was to play Ndidi for 30 min or so, this is his first game back from injury, what if he re-aggravates the injury? Then we what, put Albrighton at DM? IDK, I know Ndidi is critical to our plans though. We need him in if we are to have any shot at snaring 2nd. 

 

Which we can still do. Man City is going to drop points, they are only 3 up, and we still get them at home. We need to salvage some self-respect with a win there.

 

With Wolves playing Liverpool tmw and Man U losing 2-0 to Burnley at home, we should be 14 ahead of 5th going into the clash with Chelsea. If we can handle them (and they are swooning), we may well find ourselves 15+ up on 5th after Feb 2. 5+ games ahead with 13 to play? We'd make it exceedingly tough. FFS, we'd already have this locked up without twice crapping the bed the last couple weeks, we'd be 20 points up on 5th!

 

Well done today lads. Got a bit lucky we didn't concede a 2nd goal in that stretch after halftime, but Ndidi was a calming presence, and I noticed how much quicker he was getting the ball to an outlet than either Mendy or Hamza. Hopefully now we can rest him this weekend and he can be ready to play 90 min on Tuesday. Delighted with this win.

[Ric Flair]

I can finally watch our sky sports highlights and MOTD again.

[49er]

Vardy’s injury?

 

https://www.physioadvisor.com.au/injuries/buttock/gluteal-strain/

[bridport007]

Was it just the microphone placed nearer to Brendan tonight, or has he been listening to The Gypsy Kings?

[Bossman Blessed It]

15 minutes ago, foxfanazer said:

Got a couple of the confused emote reactions for suggesting Kasper had a poor game. Just wasn't commanding his box and had a limp wrist everytime he tried to punch it, one which led to the penalty. I love Kasper but this wasn't his greatest showing

Up against a very physical team and his height is something that played a factor today. They aimed to crowd him out. That said, he really didn't have a lot to do and his kicking seemed a lot better today. 

[Lesta2014]

29 minutes ago, EnderbyFox said:

Thank god that's over. Another 10 minutes of hearing the commentator say Iheanashio and I would've been out the window 

Glad I wasn’t the only one to pick that up 

[Dahnsouff]

There they are. Their all back 

Wow.

[Ric Flair]

1 minute ago, vanity said:

Harvey Barnes is starting to get it. He has what, 3 goals and 6 assists now? He was momentarily tied with Maddison and Ayoze for 2nd on the team in goals created (I mean goals + assists) w/9, but then Ayoze obviously pushed ahead with the 3rd and 4th goals. Still, an incredibly promising sign, both wings should be looking at 15+ goals created (frankly, the way Ayoze turns it up 2H, maybe he could get us 20+).  

 

I think our butts definitely puckered after their PK. We are so much more of an attacking threat when we relax, after we settled down a bit we played some great stuff, esp after we went up 3-1. Suddenly we were aggressive, loose, playing clever ball after clever ball. Obviously that is how we need to be playing at all times, but we need to see if this win relaxes us or if nerves will suddenly be a larger trend for the team to battle.

 

When Vardy is off the pitch, instead of trying to funnel the ball into him, we are much more multiple and varied in our attack. Suddenly everyone is a real threat to take their chances, and we are finding the back of the net. I am not saying "we are better without Vardy," obviously that is ridiculous. But I AM saying that our attacking players could do with being a bit less deferential to Vards when he is on the pitch. They are all great players who can score goals themselves, they need to have that mentality and consistently look to score rather than looking to feed our striker. 

 

Speaking of which Was surprised not to see much from Nacho today. Seemed a off it. When he is ready to play he is dynamic, but when he isn't best just to leave him off the pitch. Before we overspend for another striker, I'm curious to see what Ayoze looks like leading the attack.

 

Wilf looked a bit uncomfortable jumping for headers, leg isn't right yet, fortunately we have an easy game coming up. I know it is an easy thing to say in retrospect, but even if Mendy doesn't get injured, we should've had Hamza on the bench. If the plan was to play Ndidi for 30 min or so, this is his first game back from injury, what if he re-aggravates the injury? Then we what, put Albrighton at DM? IDK, I know Ndidi is critical to our plans though. We need him in if we are to have any shot at snaring 2nd. 

 

Which we can still do. Man City is going to drop points, they are only 3 up, and we still get them at home. We need to salvage some self-respect with a win there.

 

With Wolves playing Liverpool tmw and Man U losing 2-0 to Burnley at home, we should be 14 ahead of 5th going into the clash with Chelsea. If we can handle them (and they are swooning), we may well find ourselves 15+ up on 5th after Feb 2. 5+ games ahead with 13 to play? We'd make it exceedingly tough. FFS, we'd already have this locked up without twice crapping the bed the last couple weeks, we'd be 20 points up on 5th!

 

Well done today lads. Got a bit lucky we didn't concede a 2nd goal in that stretch after halftime, but Ndidi was a calming presence, and I noticed how much quicker he was getting the ball to an outlet than either Mendy or Hamza. Hopefully now we can rest him this weekend and he can be ready to play 90 min on Tuesday. Delighted with this win.

Iheanacho was quiet but then set up both of Perez's goals and ended the game all over them. He has end product and is our go to man.