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We played a very well organised side who barring an injury nightmare I think will do well this season. Big Sam got tactics spot on and his side followed it to the letter.
However would be wrong to label last night a disaster, a disappointment certainly but no more. Both goals were lucky. The first meant as a header acrosss goal, the second a slight deflection right in front of Cesar. On another night we may well have claimed a point or even more had luck been on our side. We wouldn't have deserved it but football can be like that. Look at Spurs the other week.
Granero and Faurlin were outnumbered which knackered our engine and ability to play with any kind of shape. I like SWP but he couldn't get into game last night, again very effectively marked, and same with Park who overall I have been impressed with this season. Hughes would have been crucified had he played one up front so went with attacking 4-4-2 but due to midfield being packed by Hammers little decent service. Main criticism I would make of Hughes is not changing things soon enough. Fact is he did make the change and were well on top prior to Samba being sent off and even with 10 men we looked lively. What the sending off did was it allowed them to pay Taarabt more attention and limit his impact after his explosive start.
A positive thing it showed me was the options we now have on the bench. At times last season we could barely get a bench of players together! Also thought defence looked a lot better. Hill got hammered for pace and Nedum bit pedestrian but big improvement from Mbia in only his second game in the country so promising. Once we have more of our first choice defence back that part of the team will be fine. Few murmurs about Cesar but as said above both their goals were lucky and he made some good saves, one or two world class.
It would be wrong to get rid of Hughes now. Half the players we have signed if not more would not have joined without him. He has a good track record in this division and remember the slow start he had with Foolham season before last before turning it around? Perhaps most importantly though the club's infrastructure is being rebuilt and some of that is focused around Hughes. I was gutted last night but am still confident that long term we have made huge progress on and off the pitch and that will hopefully soon start to translate into results. People also need to remember these players are still very new to each other and some to this country and league. When Hughes does find his best 11 I think they will be good.
Well done 'ammers but I do hope we get a win soon. It's starting to grate!
However would be wrong to label last night a disaster, a disappointment certainly but no more. Both goals were lucky. The first meant as a header acrosss goal, the second a slight deflection right in front of Cesar. On another night we may well have claimed a point or even more had luck been on our side. We wouldn't have deserved it but football can be like that. Look at Spurs the other week.
Granero and Faurlin were outnumbered which knackered our engine and ability to play with any kind of shape. I like SWP but he couldn't get into game last night, again very effectively marked, and same with Park who overall I have been impressed with this season. Hughes would have been crucified had he played one up front so went with attacking 4-4-2 but due to midfield being packed by Hammers little decent service. Main criticism I would make of Hughes is not changing things soon enough. Fact is he did make the change and were well on top prior to Samba being sent off and even with 10 men we looked lively. What the sending off did was it allowed them to pay Taarabt more attention and limit his impact after his explosive start.
A positive thing it showed me was the options we now have on the bench. At times last season we could barely get a bench of players together! Also thought defence looked a lot better. Hill got hammered for pace and Nedum bit pedestrian but big improvement from Mbia in only his second game in the country so promising. Once we have more of our first choice defence back that part of the team will be fine. Few murmurs about Cesar but as said above both their goals were lucky and he made some good saves, one or two world class.
It would be wrong to get rid of Hughes now. Half the players we have signed if not more would not have joined without him. He has a good track record in this division and remember the slow start he had with Foolham season before last before turning it around? Perhaps most importantly though the club's infrastructure is being rebuilt and some of that is focused around Hughes. I was gutted last night but am still confident that long term we have made huge progress on and off the pitch and that will hopefully soon start to translate into results. People also need to remember these players are still very new to each other and some to this country and league. When Hughes does find his best 11 I think they will be good.
Well done 'ammers but I do hope we get a win soon. It's starting to grate!
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