[Archived] West Ham United - Fa Cup 5Th Round

[Paul]

Which striker would you rather have Paul? A striker who does what a striker is supposed to do and score or a striker who never does what a striker is supposed to do ?

Would you rather have a goal scorer or someone with more red cards than goals ?

People are very blinkered about Rhodes. His only attribute is scoring goals. Much of the criticism in this thread can be said of Rhodes, it was often like playing with ten when he was in the side. Football is a team game and Rhodes doesn't contribute to the team.

Brown isn't the striker I want playing for us because he isn't going to score. The point is Lambert is using him as an outlet in the hope better players will get in to scoring positions.

I don't miss Rhodes one bit. He should have gone when there was £14m on the table.

[Proudtobeblue&white]

I went with no sense we were going to win, but I wanted some effort, and we got it until they scored. BUT after their goal we seemed to consider retreat was the norm. They completely outplayed us, and even when they went down to 10, played us off the park.

Taylor was pathetic and should apologise, Brown should be sold, if anyone will offer us at least a tender then go. Sorry to say it is getting worse, Fulham & Boro accepted, this season has been dreadful.

[Pedro]

I hope that performance stops any talk of playing Henley at left back. He is such a poor player.

We were absolutely battered and pulled left, right and centre at the back. We missed Hanley bug time BUT we were never going to win the FA Cup and have a backlog of games in what is almost a relegation battle. Perspective is needed - we have a very poor quality squad and West Ham are now a top side. The players brought in recently will improve the team and today we have conceded a 5th of all of the goals we have previously let in. It showed today that we need to let a lot of contracts lapse at the end of the season if we are serious about improving.

Onwards and upwards but that was undoubtedly a shocking performance today.

[Riverside67]

Got to say that was difficult to stomach today. One of the worst days as a Rovers fan in many years. Thank's Venky's and to some degree Lambert as well for playing a weakened side.

The Gulf in class was enormous once our midfield decided it was a good idea to let Moses have a free run at goal. Worst of all we did not learn the lesson and did a repeat of it in the second half.

Men against boys. There are two abiding memories with the performance of Payate and the Hammers fans singing you are F...ing sh@t for the most of the second half. How right they were. Several players were completely out of their depth. Taylor, Akpan, and Conway offered nothing. Henley was a liability all afternoon but I partly blame the manager for playing him out of position. Brown ran all day but offered not quality as did Jackson when he came on. Did Bennett actually play this afternoon.

If there is any solace form today is that I hope the owners realise how much they are responsible for that embarassment today.They sacked Allerdyce who went to West Ham and then went up as we went down from the Premiership. Sam laid the foundation at that club for what must be the best West Ham squad in years. Venky's should hang their head in shame to see the irony of that outcome today. Every time they turn up the poetic justice kicks in and reminds them that their own incompetence has put them on a world stage of humiliation. Interesting if Nicholas, Merson and Jim White ever acknowledge that Rovers fans may have known a thing or two right from the start when the Snakemasters ran the show.

[Spalding Rover]

People are very blinkered about Rhodes. His only attribute is scoring goals. Much of the criticism in this thread can be said of Rhodes, it was often like playing with ten when he was in the side. Football is a team game and Rhodes doesn't contribute to the team.

Wasn't he contributing with goals or did i imagine that??

Some people are so thick, how can Rhodes carry the blame for the rest of the team being so bad?!?!

RHODES DID HIS JOB HE WAS A STRIKER HE SCORED A HELL OF ALOT OF GOALS!!

Should of stuck Rhodes in goal to keep all the haters happy.

Now we have a group of crap players with out a decent striker and people are happy we had CHRIS BROWN upfront banging them in!!

[DE.]

I hope that performance stops any talk of playing Henley at left back. He is such a poor player.

We were absolutely battered and pulled left, right and centre at the back. We missed Hanley bug time BUT we were never going to win the FA Cup and have a backlog of games in what is almost a relegation battle. Perspective is needed - we have a very poor quality squad and West Ham are now a top side. The players brought in recently will improve the team and today we have conceded a 5th of all of the goals we have previously let in. It showed today that we need to let a lot of contracts lapse at the end of the season if we are serious about improving.

Onwards and upwards but that was undoubtedly a shocking performance today.

Last time we played fringe players in the cup we were embarrassed, and it was the same today. Our reserves are so poor they'd struggle in the league below, and our first team needs some serious work to remain competitive in this division. I don't envy Lambert at all, he has an incredible task on his hands here. Probably far greater than he anticipated.

[Stuart]

WHU fans in front of us (corporate) put £150 on their team winning 5-1. I was really naffed off with their £15,000 win.

Just summed up my day.

Enough to wish for an own goal at the death.

[chor808]

Just got home after driving half the dam day. I'm sure it has all been said but after all the build up to put that team out was an insult. It cost me 5 tickets, food, drinks and 350 miles of fuel to watch the second string. I just don't understand the 'fashion' of playing a weakened side in the cup. Really fed up tonight and now I can't be arsed going to Derby and might give my ticket away for next week.

I did not expect to win but at least try your best, rubbish.

[VinjayV4]

Enough to wish for an own goal at the death.

I remember a guy moaning once when Rovers were pushing for a 5th goal as he had placed a bet on 4-1. Nowhere near 15,000 winnings either! Maybe they will be nice enough to buy Payet something!

Maybe Rovers showing highlights from that 7-1 game prematch really @#/? them off lol.

[DE.]

I remember a guy moaning once when Rovers were pushing for a 5th goal as he had placed a bet on 4-1. Nowhere near 15,000 winnings either! Maybe they will be nice enough to buy Payet something!

Maybe Rovers showing highlights from that 7-1 game prematch really @#/? them off lol.

Payet is now on £125k p/w apparently, so not sure they could get him anything even with the entire £15k that would mean much.

[philipl]

Great to see Premier League quality football at Ewood again- shame it was only from the visitors but it reminded me how badly I miss seeing Rovers play like West Ham did today.

I have not read through the thread but I thought the ball control of Bennett and Akpan was often woefully bad and Steele had a bit of a nightmare.

We did knock it about sweetly at times but there was always a Rovers player who lost control or played a hospital pass and the chance was gone.

Good luck to the Hammers - they have not been my favourite team as people will remember my rants about the Tevez farce but they were a class above in support and football quality today. I doubt they will get a 7,000 ticket allocation for the visit to the new Gay Meadow in the next round....

[jim mk2]

Shearer on TV today questioned Man City resting players and pointed out Barcelona never rest theirs - the stars play every game. If Lambert really was resting some players today he's done a disservice to the competition, the club, the fans and the town - because everyone suffers when you take a beating like today. His strategy is more than likely to come unstuck against Derby anyway - we'll do very well to get a point.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Shearer on TV today questioned Man City resting players and pointed out Barcelona never rest theirs - the stars play every game. If Lambert really was resting some players today he's done a disservice to the competition, the club, the fans and the town - because everyone suffers when you take a beating like today. His strategy is more than likely to come unstuck against Derby anyway - we'll do very well to get a point.

Barcelona can afford to adopt that attitude, they only have two other teams to worry about back in Spain.

[jim mk2]

Something has to be done about clubs turning out below strength teams. Heavy fines might make them think again.

[yoda]

Shearer on TV today questioned Man City resting players and pointed out Barcelona never rest theirs - the stars play every game. If Lambert really was resting some players today he's done a disservice to the competition, the club, the fans and the town - because everyone suffers when you take a beating like today. His strategy is more than likely to come unstuck against Derby anyway - we'll do very well to get a point.

Why ? is he planning on resting players against Derby

[jim mk2]

Why ? is he planning on resting players against Derby

His strategy [of resting players to save them for midweek] etc etc.

Does that explain it better for you ?

[yoda]

His strategy [of resting players to save them for midweek] etc etc.

Does that explain it better for you ?

No

[jim mk2]

You must be thick then. It's been a very bad day - I'm not arguing with smart arses.

[yoda]

You must be thick then. It's been a very bad day - I'm not arguing with smart arses.

Contradiction from start to finish,

not like you Jim,

Much

[Ben-2000]

Approx 11,500 home fans in our standard crowd these days, not sure why people expected a lot more.

It's not as if West Ham would be a particularly desirable tie prior to the draw being made like say United, City, Liverpool would be.

Also the fact it was on live TV.

[BlueMonday]

Brought my 2 boys. After the final whistle I took them to one side, put my arm round them and said, if you two don't behave I'll bring you again.

[yoda]

Brought my 2 boys. After the final whistle I took them to one side, put my arm round them and said, if you two don't behave I'll bring you again.

1st game I went to was manure at home,

we got beat 1-5

[perthblue02]

Something has to be done about clubs turning out below strength teams. Heavy fines might make them think again.

Surely the FA have not got a leg to stand on after they themselves devalued the competition allowing Manure to chase the cash instead of competing in the FA cup a few years ago, with no threat to their entry the following years . If the FA try to impose anything like that the Premier League clubs will either happily pay the fine or turn round and pull out ( remember every club has to apply to compete in the cup, its not compulsary) and the FA will be left with a competition that is not worth ten bob in TV and sponsorship revenue, which will no doubt hit the blazers and FA ties free lunches

[oldjamfan1]

Are we all missing the obvious here? I don't normally subscribe to conspiracy theories at all (far from it) but what would be the best way of bringing to the owners' attention the fact that we seriously need some investment in the summer? Something that the manager has spoken about a few times this week.

By showing them, in a match beamed worldwide (including India), how poor we are in relation to a decent premier league outfit. The tinkering with the team ensuring that the opportunity to emphasis the gulf and need for investment was not missed.

Yours

JAL

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

''But in spite of all our quality, Blackburn are absolutely ****. A team going nowhere, bang average players at best across the pitch. You can see why nobody turns up to watch them''

Comment from Kumb.com

Hard to disagree.

I didn't think supporting a team was necessarily about the quality of the players - ask all those City fans that stuck through thick and thin prior to them getting to the promised land.