[Archived] West Ham United V Brfc 3 - 1 Wham

[dillo_dillo]

What the hell is going on?

..... intense dejection ....

We NEED CB!!

[rover6]

We need a central midfielder, but we won't

Reid is a good box-to-box player and if we could have a holding midfielder who's intelligent with the ball alongside him we'd have a perfect combination.  Savage is just impossible to put into a pair, his positioning is too erratic to be a holding player and he's not intelligent enough to be the forward running one.

338752[/snapback]

Couldn't have put it better myself. Having said that, there are other areas that require urgent attention, namely, right wing and left back.

Edited August 13, 2005 by rover6

[krislu]

if nelsen or toddy get injured we will have to endure most games like that!  Not a good day! 

338761[/snapback]

IMO Todd has a way to high status among the supporters, some people on this board even thinks he is among the 4-5 best defenders in the league...

[adopted scouser]

Season starts next week, screw it.

Drinking in Darwen tonight, should be interesting.

[Mr. E]

what the hell happened the 2nd half ? We fell apart completely. And IMO, the first substituion was where it went all wrong. Kuqi and Bellamy were doing the 1st half, I saw no reason for him to be substituted. We lost any attacking edge we had and started these pointless slow short passes in the middle of the field with no idea what we were doing. West Ham simply got on with the game and logically scored their goals, and when finally we remembered that we had to actually attack the opposition, it was too late and we didn't do much. Worst player - Todd. He got the goal, but defensively that was probably the worst I've ever seen him. He made many mistakes and was constantly out-paced. Pederson's accuracy was terribe as well. Overall a massive screw-up in the 2nd half, we must do much, much better than this.

[LeChuck]

Good managers don't make the players adapt to their system, they build they system out of the players they've got, and that's what Hughes did last season. So the options are simple...go back to 4-5-1 or get some better players in.

338753[/snapback]

I disagree completely...just look at Jose Mourinho. He sticks to that 4-3-3 religiously, which included turning Gudjohnsen into a central midfielder to fit into the team, it worked excellently. He also turned Joe Cole into an effective winger.

To be fair, I think Hughes has done this to a certain extent, he adapted Steven Reid to be the type of central midfielder he likes (almost like Gary Speed was for Wales). Mokoena also said he'd never played midfield before (although you'd think he'd never played defence before too).

[James No. 7]

IMO we need a left back who can defend, a centre back who can defend, and a creative midfielder like cahill who can play just infront of our midfield in a 4-5-1 formation.

We can NOT play with to out-and-out strikers who offers nothing in defense, we just can't..

338743[/snapback]

I watched the match live as well so let me disagree with you on one point (well, two points...

I disagree with needing a new left back. I think the left backs we have now are good. Matteo can do a halfway decent job there and Gresko just needs a bit more time to get into the swing of things.

Today was just a bad day at the office, and in reality a case could be made for investments in almost every position on the pitch according to today's performance, so that is why I think it is important we do not jump on the back of the likes of Matteo and Emerton too quickly, much as we are all fuming (I certainly am... just wait for my player-for-player analysis!).

Anyway, if we get new signings, I don't think left back is in need of an immediate overhaul. Like you say, a creative midfielder or an attacking midfielder really needs to be on the cards, but Reid can do a job there too, on his day, and he will really need to step up.

In addition, I do not think we need more investment in a new centre back, despite the poor showin today. Who are we going to be able to get anyway? Whoever we sign will probably just be only good enough for back-up.

I most certainly agree with the rest of your analysis, though, and especially in your saying that we cannot play with two strikers. We can play alright with two strikers at some times, but we cannot sustain it for 90 minutes.

But we have to keep in mind financial limitations and the poor market this summer. Hughes must really be frustrated at the tight budget at the moment, and being unable to get rid of the Souness deadwood.

Now I'm off to do my analysis and drown my sorrow with a bit of a drink...

[LA Rover]

I disagree completely...just look at Jose Mourinho.  He sticks to that 4-3-3 religiously, which included turning Gudjohnsen into a central midfielder to fit into the team, it worked excellently.  He also turned Joe Cole into an effective winger.

To be fair, I think Hughes has done this to a certain extent, he adapted Steven Reid to be the type of central midfielder he likes (almost like Gary Speed was for Wales).  Mokoena also said he'd never played midfield before (although you'd think he'd never played defence before too).

338769[/snapback]

But look at the team/players you're talking about...just a tad more talented than the lot we've got, eh? And if those moves didn't work out, how long do you think it would've taken him to go out and buy someone to fill those rolls? You can gamble a bit when you have limitless resources to play with, don't you think?

[Bobby G]

How the hell did we sign Mokoena as a central defender I dont know!

Unless he played in a back three, I cant see him ever playing well at the back.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

I most certainly agree with the rest of your analysis, though, and especially in your saying that we cannot play with two strikers

Please dont,its so depressing!!!

[rover6]

How the hell did we sign Mokoena as a central defender I dont know!

Unless he played in a back three, I cant see him ever playing well at the back.

338772[/snapback]

Well, that's what we thought after his horrendous first half display in last season's win over Norwich.

Edited August 13, 2005 by rover6

[LeChuck]

But look at the team/players you're talking about...just a tad more talented than the lot we've got, eh? And if those moves didn't work out, how long do you think it would've taken him to go out and buy someone to fill those rolls? You can gamble a bit when you have limitless resources to play with, don't you think?

338771[/snapback]

Yeah, that's fair point.

What I will say though is that I believe every single one of our players is capable of consistently playing well in a 4-4-2, apart from Mokoena and Savage. Like I said earlier, I just hope we don't push the panic button and retreat to a 4-5-1 and hope to scrap some 1-0's, especially not until Nelsen returns and Bellamy is fully fit.

[RoverJoexx]

Disappointing performance from the lads , but the home side look decent with a mixture of young guns and old heads. Am impress by reo coker.

The wet pitch doesn't help to our 'hardman' style of play too leading to dickov sending off.

We definitely need to reinforce our defence which look so nervy without nelsen around.

Positive taken out from this game, our set piece play did look pretty dangerous thanks to pedersen which did well tonight. His delivery of crosses is spendid.

Would love to see him with gresko working at left hand side next week.

Am not panicking as yet being it our first game, as I have faith in Hughes and his staffs to work hard on training grounds making sure those mistakes made tonight will not repeat next week.

[Bobby G]

Interesting fact:

West Ham the only home team to win today.

[sumps]

Mods, unfortunatly it was 3-1 not 2-1 as the title says

[Shevchenko]

I think Hughes may have something to answer for. He changed the formation to 4-5-1 from 4-4-2 when it was 1-1 and it worked so appallingly badly that he reverted back to 4-4-2 by taking Mokoena off.

338759[/snapback]

The thing is, if you had seen the game even you would have seen that Hughes HAD to do what he did at that point because West Ham were running rings round us. They totally dominated our midfield and we needed an extra man in there to win that battle. Problem was that Mokoena had an absolute stinker. Reverting back to 4-4-2 was only natural as we needed to equalize.

The whole team was a shambles. Passing was terrible so hardly surprising that Bellamy was hardly seen. I'm really concerned about the lack of balance in midfield though. It's a case of back to the drawing board for Hughes I think and possibly another go in the transfer market.

[philipl]

How do the Rovers manage to make me feel ashamed to be a Rovers fan quite so often?

Dickov and Emerton were utterly unprofessional.

[LA Rover]

Yeah, that's fair point.

What I will say though is that I believe every single one of our players is capable of consistently playing well in a 4-4-2, apart from Mokoena and Savage.  Like I said earlier, I just hope we don't push the panic button and retreat to a 4-5-1 and hope to scrap some 1-0's, especially not until Nelsen returns and Bellamy is fully fit.

338776[/snapback]

I'm reserving judgement, but it's extremely frustrating to get off to such a poor start. But, in general, I find it odd that most of the supporters were completey despondent about our lack of transfer activity and saying how many holes we had in the team, then once we signed Bellamy, people were predicting a top 7 finish. Er, what?

[Rovers_4_life]

West Ham - Rovers is game of the day on football first

[blue phil]

I think Hughes may have something to answer for. He changed the formation to 4-5-1 from 4-4-2 when it was 1-1 and it worked so appallingly badly that he reverted back to 4-4-2 by taking Mokoena off.

I

338759[/snapback]

Disagree . For ten - fifteen minutes or so the new system worked well and we started to get back into the game .

What went wrong was the failure to close down the attacker on the edge of the 18 yard box before the ball went loose to the eventual scorer - in other words , a silly defensive error . The same with Emerton later for the third - daft defending .

Prior to all that , you can't say that the 4-4-2 was working - it wasn't . The formation wasn't wrong - it was the personnel at the back who buggered up.

Hughes did well to change the formation - a bold move . What he needs to do now is teach the defenders how to defend.....How we missed Nelsen !

[RevidgeBlue]

Also watched the game live on foreign TV and on the evidence of today's game disagree with those who say we must play 4-5-1 - that's where it all went pear shaped today IMO.

West Ham are not a great side and for the first half hour we were well in control of proceedings. We then gradually let them back into the game and poor defending immediately after the half time break gifted an equaliser.

West Ham then built up a head of steam and what we really needed to do was try and retain possession better and ride out the storm for 10 minutes or so. Instead I felt Hughes panicked by pulling Kuqi off after just 55 minutes, this effectively signalled to West Ham we had given up any notions of trying to win the game and gave them even more impetus.

The situation was then exacerbated by a poor piece of defending from Mokoena and at 2-1 down the decision to pull Kuqi off then looks foolish. Hughes was eventually forced to revert to 4-4-2 but is undone by a suicidal piece of play from the woeful Emerton.

Game over but to rub salt in the wound that is immediately followed by another ludicrous and completely unnecessary challenge from Dickov.

Overall desperately disappointing to finish well beaten by a side that will be down amongst the dead men at season end - especially after looking in control for much of the first half.

If any evidence is needed of how important Nelsen is, here it was. Todd and Mokoena had very poor games. Matteo was back to his sluggish early season form of last year and Emerton and Bellamy were both completely anonymous.Bellamy has a bit of an an excuse after missing pre season but the Aussie must surely be in last last chance saloon.

Hopefully today's reckless lunge will be Dickov's last act in a Blackburn Rovers shirt.

Huge improvement needed for the two home games coming up, and Mark Hughes needs to be more positive with his game plan.

[LA Rover]

Passing was terrible so hardly surprising that Bellamy was hardly seen.

338780[/snapback]

You could put Shevchenko and Adriano up front in this team, and they wouldn't get a sniff of the ball. No service = no goals.

[sumps]

[

Todd and Mokoena had very poor games. Matteo was back to his sluggish early season form of last year and Emerton and Bellamy were both completely anonymous.Bellamy has a bit of an an excuse after missing pre season but the Aussie must surely be in last last chance saloon.

Although I didn't watch the game, i disagree with saying Todd had a poor game. Towards the end of the 1st half it sounded like he was keeping us in the game and stopped it from being even more of an embarressment!

[pick32]

im a shamed to be a rovers fan losing 3-1 to west ham that just shows how much we miss nelsen hopefully there will be some more sinings caus we need back up for nelsen going of the first game im predicting a tough relegation battle you might say it was only one game but it doesnt look promersing there must be something going wrong in the dressing room because there were no convidence in the secound half cant wait to hear what hughes says

probably something along the lines of we were unlucky today with missed chances and looked sloppy at the back and craig wasnt fully fit we just need to get into the swing of things (witch is absoulte crap)

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Hopefully today's reckless lunge will be Dickov's last act in a Blackburn Rovers shirt.

Agree there Rev,the team/club/fans cant afford and dont want this reckless @#/? anymore...it will cost us dearly in the long run.