07/02/2010

Bad coaching - hard times ahead!


I'm the hardest Zola fan in history. Like a retarded believer from a small Free church I still think Zola and Clarke will be a good solution for West Ham. But lately a small irritation has set in in my belief, and yesterday - against Burnley - I would say that even if Upson has a role to play here - it was Zola's fault that we did not stand up to fight the way we should be in an important game like this. Few but Cole fought the way they should do in a "war" like this. They were not prepared enough!
And even if we went 442 Cole was once more isolated up front, even if McCarthy was with him. There was an ocean between our two attackers and the midfield, who brimed with caution and fear. Yesterday's game showed that few of our players thought that offensive was the best defence. They waited for Burnley to play their game and they certainly did. I think it's the manager who has to take the blame when the team do not show that they are ready for the fight. When there was a gulf between the midfield and the strikers. When we had an unbalanced midfield (once more) and no width at all (until Stanislas came on).
We can not wait to play until we've conceded a couple of goals. We can not let the opponents decide how the game should develop.
In the end, if you see how the play shaped up, we were not worse than Burnley, and we should at least have had one point with us. But that is not enough, as we now have a huge fight to stay up. We should want to win this game, and it should be seen on the pitch from minute one. The result will, I guess, give us the hard task to win some points from the top four as well. As we need it. Funilly we seem better to do that than take them from lower opponents.

So nothing good yesterday? Well, yes there was. Cole was terrific and the newcomers Mido and Ilan impressed and looked like they will be important contributors to our team. McCarthy and the other two had great chances to score. one of them did while McCarthy went out with an injury. I guess he will be ready for the game on Wednesday though.

Green 6 - You can ask if Green was misplaced at the free-kick which gave Burnley a 2-0-lead but it was a perfect kick. I do not consider it Green's fault and beyond that Q there was no mistakes.
Faubert 5,5 - As opposed to other's he started fighting well and during the game he gave us some relly nice crosses but blinders as well. Fought hard defensivly, lost some won some. Needs to ber more consistent.
Tomkins 6,5 - Another solid game. One dangerous mistake, but covered well and took responsibility look like the senior in the middle of defense nowaydays.
Upson 4,5 - Seemed extremely naive (and foolish) when he lost the ball to Nugent to score. From there there was a high mountain to climb, not only our captain himself but for the whole team. Must do better.
Spector 5,5 - The first half was dreadful and he and Collison gave Burnley a motorway to work on at their flank. In the second half he did much better, helped out and raced a bit forward (Guess he was told to). I still see the American as a good player to have on the bench, hardly anywhere in the starting lineup. Ilunga time on Wednesday?
Noble 5 - Fights for the team and tries to be involved. Tries to find solutions, but: Slow! (have we written it before?). Some bad shots.
Behrami 4,5 - Invisible.
Scott Parker 6 - A unusual uninspiring first half. Stood up much better in the second and was more of his usual self. Which did not help this time.
Collison 5 - Really weak defensively, some good efforts going forward. But he does not give us the width that Stanislas do when he came on. Sorry to say: I would sacrifice him in the silent shape he is right now.
Cole 7 - Our best performer of the day. Still never close to a goal. Too isolated once more so there were few opportunities for him, but - as he had to step down and collect the ball - he did what he could and wanted further down in the field.
McCarthy 6 - They can't do it all from the start. But could - like Cole - hardly impress when he so seldom got the ball. I guess he couldn't believe that his great effort was blocked on the line by Cort. Taken off at halftime, with a slight (?) injury.

Subs:
Mido 7 - This guy did what we hoped for in advance: wanted to show what he can do. And even to selfish (not so strange during the circumstanses) sometimes in his fist game he really made an impression. Was very close to give us a point with a post-shot. When he finds out how this team work he can do a lot more.
Stanislas 6,5 - A moment of fresh air when he came on. The width is there, the speed is there. Should have been given much more time.
Ilan 6,5 - Came on late and scored on his debut. Great. I liked his moves into the box where he was all the time... and with better passes he could have scored even more. Impressed during these few minutes. I would like to see him start soon.

While we were lucky last round, as the other bottom teams lost, there was not the fortune this time. Hull beat Man City for instance. We got to show a strong carachter during the fortcoming games. Birmingham next!







7 comments:

Unknown said...

I agree with alot of what you wrote apart from Spector and Behrami, I think Spector played pretty well on a hole and I think Upson wasnt that great, Behrami at least tried pushing us forward, Parker, superb as always and what ever he's getting paid aint enough, i know tons will disagree, but I would be quite happy if we sold Green and got James in, Green is one of the best stoppers in the world but he aint as good as he thinks he is and both those goals in myu opinion could of been saved he was caught flat footed on both and he often panics whent he ball is played back to him although he is gettign better at it, and that game against bolton I think it was when he tried to play football was woeful and nearly cost us a goal, when were fighting relegation what the fk does he think he's doing? also for the love of God, why does noble repeatedly take corners and free kicks when he is absolutely shit at them? I really can't understand why he is allowed to continue doing this, take penalties by all means but please give up with your corners and free kicks cos your shit, he also need to learn to stop getting booked, lastly certain players seam to back pass all the time in our area which Im sure the oposition love each time they put us under pressure, unless it's a last resort they should always be passing to the side or forward not back at every given opportunity and sorry Collinson, you are shit as a winger, Zola if you can't play him in the middle loan him out until you can, cos he is an exciting prospect absolutely wasted on the wing

Joppe - said...

I need to figure out why I want Zola to stay. Or do I? To me it seems as if the players are not really sure of their roles.
Maybe I like Zola because of the football he says he wants us to play rather than the kind of football he gets the team to play.
That's a preview of the "bandwaggon" post I have comming up soon

Unknown said...

I've been saying for months we are heading for the fizy pop and nothing I've seen in the last weeks makes me change my mind.

Cole says he's getting fed up with losing - so are we !!

To see Upson make the school boy error letting the first goal in says to me Zola is incapable of reving the team up and they are so casual against the 'lower ' teams; as if WH can just walk around to get a win.

Curbs made sure WH had points in the bag in the early games not like now when we just hope the other teams drop points and that we will some how scrap home on the last match.

The table does not lie - we are a very poor team with players heads in the clouds thinking of counting their wages instead of getting stuck in from the first second of the game to the last.

Not much to ask for 90 mins is it?

I hope they prove me wrong but I'm not holding my breath.

We all like Zola but thats not enough, he has to speak his mind to these dim players so that they respond with maximum effort other wise he might as well clear off to sunny Italy. ( I'm over there in 2 months so I'm sure he'll be glad to see me!)

Keep the faith. COYI's

Anonymous said...

if i was a center half playing in a pl team and the new owner went to the media and said he was going to sell me at the end of the season..i don't think i would be bothered too much if my team stayed in the division or not..my name is matty upson and im going to the world cup.

Prince H said...

I'm with you there Anon. Stupid owners should keep quiet.

Anonymous said...

the thing that worries me is that there are a number of weeks left to play out this season..and mr sullivan ..the excitable puppy that he is...is quite capable of undermining the team morale even more than it is at the moment...im sure he means well but as we have all discussed in previous posts..and i think we all agree on this one, silence is golden..anyway lets get positive about wednesday night!..whoever your god is hopefully he will deliver 3 points ...im going for a 2-1 win for the boys in claret and blue

Joppe - said...

Anon:
2-1 win for the boys in claret and blue - it worked last weekend!