Just back - Dont blame Hughes for the loss, blame Diakite.

[Stanley]

Although I only watched on T.V. I have to admit that Park did not look that good; everything else you said Stan, is spot on.

Stanley always respect your opinion but am struggling with this post. West Ham cd have been out of sight by half time. We were atrocious. Yes Diakite must take a fair amount of the blame for his groundhog day sending off but in truth although we cd have snatched a point if Diakite had stayed on we wd scarcely have deserved it for being played off the park in the first half by a very workmanlike side. Hughes must take at least as much blame for weird formation and inexcusable slowness to change round what clearly wasn't working.

And am totally mystified how any intelligent, thoughtful and observant fan such as yourself cd see anything at all that Park offered.

Park isn't a creative player. He's a workhorse, he breaks play up, tackles and has a high accurate passing ratio albeit he never makes worldy passes but just keeps things simple. For those reasons he slips under many people's radar. Furthermore it wasnt helped by being played on the left where he's less effective - there was an improvement when he moved inside in the 2nd half. I would concede that he has perhaps lost half a yard of pace since his younger days. And I do agree that MH must burden some of the blame for his tactics, however you could palpably feel the momentum shift in our favour after Adel's goal and I do believe we'd have got at least a draw had it not been for the entirely avoidable sending off - the crowd were just starting to lift the whole team...

[jaejaxon2000]

Park isn't a creative player. He's a workhorse, he breaks play up, tackles and has a high accurate passing ratio albeit he never makes worldy passes but just keeps things simple. For those reasons he slips under many people's radar. Furthermore it wasnt helped by being played on the left where he's less effective - there was an improvement when he moved inside in the 2nd half. I would concede that he has perhaps lost half a yard of pace since his younger days. And I do agree that MH must burden some of the blame for his tactics, however you could palpably feel the momentum shift in our favour after Adel's goal and I do believe we'd have got at least a draw had it not been for the entirely avoidable sending off - the crowd were just starting to lift the whole team...

What are your thoughts on playing Zamora up top with Adel right behind in an attcking mf role with park playing right?

[Wolfy]

Hughes is to blame as his tactics were poor and he made the decision to put the reckless Diakite on and to leave him on after the first yellow. It was always going to happen, the red card. The lad shows promise but we cannot rely on him staying on the pitch

[MattyRangers]

That was a pleasure to read, very thoughful and more or less accurate.

I would disagree with Park though, I thought he was just average, and offered very little attacking wise.

This.

Also have to admit the 2nd goal was def Cesars balls up. Dont get me wrong, he saved us with his save later in the game & Im not getting on his back 1 bit he is class, but nobody is beyond critcism where its due. If Green was in goal for their 2nd people would be calling for him to be hung drawn & quartered.

Other than this near enough agree totally - especially regards Mbia & Nelson - think Mbia has the making to be a top player. Loved his nutmeg on Carroll

[stainrod10]

Park - another reliable performance

Really? Woeful/average at best (again) When was last time you saw a captain taken off who wasn't injured?

[Busheyboy]

lots of people on this thread are talking about the 2nd half and what might have been. Diakite's *****ic tackling probably ending up costing us. We were in the ascendency and he looked more like the player we saw last year marauding forward.
However, WE SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN IN THAT POSITION IN THE FIRST PLACE
Outmuscled and outnumbered in midfield in the first half, that's where the game was lost. I've supported Hughes up until now but think he has to take the blame for this one.
Allardyce has obviously watched out 2 boys n midfield and played 3 against them, denying time and space to dictate. Why hasn't Hughes watched West Ham and seen how they play and had a plan to nullify them?
Park has had 2 shockers but I think it's wrong to be on his back

[stainrod10]

Not on Park's back but can't accept the praise for him.

[Busheyboy]

certainly not praising him but there are worst culprits IMO

Not on Park's back but can't accept the praise for him.

[stainrod10]

Except he's meant to be the inspirational captain and leader. Seen no evidence of it and even Hughes saw fit to take his captain off.

[Stanley]

What are your thoughts on playing Zamora up top with Adel right behind in an attcking mf role with park playing right?

I'd agree with that but might push Park into CM and play SWP on the right. I'd also consider benching Granero as I feel last night's game was lost in CM and Granero played worse than Faurlin. Nelson and Mbia had better games than the two CM's which backs up my point. I'd then start Hoilett on the left. Diakite apart from his two bad tackles was excellent although he did sloppily concede possession on the edge of their area which almost led to a counter-attack goal. So its a toss-up between him and Park for a CM place now IMO.

As for the defence Nedum must definitely be dropped and should only be used as CB backup from now on. Tackling, strength and pace are his attributes but not as a FB. If Dyer is fit play him at RB, if not play Harriman who looked good in pre-season. Traore is on his way back now so play him at LB. If WBA is too soon for him then Hill again or possibly Ehmer who has strength, pace and can actually run with the ball (possibly as a WB).

So I'd go with something like:

-------------------------Cesar---------------------------

Dyer/Harriman---Nelson---Mbia---Traore/Ehmer/Hill

SWP----------Diakite----------Faurlin----------Hoilett

-----------------Taarabt---------------------------------

-----------------------------Zamora---------------------

[Stanley]

This.

Also have to admit the 2nd goal was def Cesars balls up. Dont get me wrong, he saved us with his save later in the game & Im not getting on his back 1 bit he is class, but nobody is beyond critcism where its due. If Green was in goal for their 2nd people would be calling for him to be hung drawn & quartered.

Other than this near enough agree totally - especially regards Mbia & Nelson - think Mbia has the making to be a top player. Loved his nutmeg on Carroll

Matty, the ball took a horrible deflection of Mbia's shoulder for their 2nd completely changing the ball's direction so I wouldnt blame Cesar for their 2nd personally.

[Geng]

We didn't lose in midfield because Faurlin and Granero played badly. It was because it was two against three, their three were very good at pressing us intensely and cutting off our passing angles, and our two strikers offered nothing in terms of movement and the wingers were scarcely any better. What were the CMs supposed to do, exactly? They got let down by their manager and their team mates.

Dropping Granero because of that would be daft. And that formation would leave Zamora too isolated, like Blackburn away towards the end of last season. It's the problem with playing Taarabt as a second striker in Hughes' 442 rather than Warnock's 4231.

[Geng]

(last post was a response to Stanley76's post)

[Johnnykc]

Park 'another good performance'?? Christ alive..... The only contribution he made was leaving the pitch to allow Adel on.... It was shameful that he wasn't pulled off at half time.

They say that you should abstain before a game so I'm not sure how giving him a tug at half time would have helped.....


Stanley.....The Diakite situation was not ideal but it was not to blame for the outcome of that match.

[80sCasual]

And i also blame Park for me not being able to get a ticket where i want as without him we wouldn't have all these screaming Koreans (just an observation by the way). Now i've got that off my chest, he was diabolical on the pitch. MH must start wih Adel and Hoillett in my opinion.