[PL] West Ham HOME Post Match Thread

[Lecter]

I'd be gutted with a top 4 position. Of course I'd take it, but we have a chance of winning it and arguably our best yet! It is frustrating.

I dont think we will win the league and any chance you think we might have is an enormous long shot

[Lecter]

I dont think the keeper is helping but I dont put it all on him

There has been a notable drop off in intensity (both in and out of possession) in the last 3 or 4 weeks

Some games we have won or drawn but still havent really been that great

So I think yesterday Karius could have done better for both the goals but really our defence should have dealt with them both before it came to that

The first one during their initial attack phase Lovren went to tackle their forward on the centre-circle. As the ball was received by the forward he inexplicably dropped off a couple of yards and allowed the player to turn (he had done something similar earlier and allowed the same forward goal side). He then put a poor headed clearance in and Lallana was going ape**** at him for that. Then the wall failed to do their duty properly with one player ducking (might have been Lovren again). Still Karius should have done better

Second goal was a mistake by Matip for me (it was one of them that happen odd ball that bounces weirdly) but again Karius probably should have come out more

Far more concerning for me is the drop off in intensity and this to me is where the crux of our problems are

We arent pressing the ball with the same intensity and probably even worse than that we arent winning enough 2nd balls. We barely won any 2nd balls yesterday.

In possession we want too much time on the ball. Firmino and Wijnaldum got caught numerous times in possession. I also think we arent moving the ball around in the same slick manner. We have gone back to the same plodding pedestrian style that we saw during the last 2 seasons of Rodgers tenure

I also find it infuriating how often our players turn back on themselves. Some of them need to grow a pair and take responsibility on. Yesterday the most threatening we looked was when we attempted to get to the byline and cross or cut the ball back. Mane got 1 on 1 with the fullback a few times but then turned back and passed to Clyne who crossed from the edge of the penalty box or further back

Also with regards to Wijnaldum why when he is passed the ball does he always let it run across his body. Few times Clyne passed the ball to him he let it run across his body only to then try and turn it back on to his right. Just ****ing hit it first time with your right foot

So I think we have come down with a bump a bit. I thought people were getting a little too carried away yes the performances were good but now we have hit a sticky patch. Hopefully our average performances are somewhere between this slump and our earlier scintillating form

[Buzzo]

That's a good post.

I definitely think everyone involved with the club (possibly with the exception of Klopp) was getting carried away, but the performances were allowing us to and we were media darlings for a while.

Now we know we are going to have to tough it out and fight for a bit, and it will be interesting to see how we cope. All of this has coincided with a load of injuries and high has exposed the depth of the squad a bit.

It's still a fascinating season and let's hope we can regroup and kick on.

[Lecter]

That's a good post.

I definitely think everyone involved with the club (possibly with the exception of Klopp) was getting carried away, but the performances were allowing us to and we were media darlings for a while.

Now we know we are going to have to tough it out and fight for a bit, and it will be interesting to see how we cope. All of this has coincided with a load of injuries and high has exposed the depth of the squad a bit.

It's still a fascinating season and let's hope we can regroup and kick on.

Injuries havent helped thats clear (I meant to put that in my post but forgot)

That said I think we have slowed down, the pressing and winning 2nd balls is massively important but so is moving the ball quicker and running off players

We have become a lot more pedestrian, and like under Rodgers we appear happy to play in front of teams

When we do play fast incisive football we generally cut through teams but in recent weeks thats been less prevailant in our play

Also a further point, within 5 minutes of us scoring I turned to my Mrs and said we wont win this match

At times to me it looks like we think teams will just roll over for us and we can take our foot off the pedal

[PTP]

re the intensity that's dropped off - I think this could show our lack of quality or strength in depth...

we know klopp plays a high tempo game - and a month or so ago when every was fit/fresh the intensity was there....

then we have two ****ing international breaks, ridiculous travelling for some players and we started to lose a few players to injuries and all of a sudden the intensity has dropped.

right now we are screaming for some fresh legs, bit of pace to be injected into the side, maybe someone to come on and do something a bit different but you look at whats available currently and the only option is to put three young lads in.

It's why Ings getting injured is so unlucky - him coming into the side right now, would give us that bit of energy and intensity and probably start making the space for the others to come alive in.

[frank the tank]

re the intensity that's dropped off - I think this could show our lack of quality or strength in depth...

we know klopp plays a high tempo game - and a month or so ago when every was fit/fresh the intensity was there....

then we have two ****ing international breaks, ridiculous travelling for some players and we started to lose a few players to injuries and all of a sudden the intensity has dropped.

right now we are screaming for some fresh legs, bit of pace to be injected into the side, maybe someone to come on and do something a bit different but you look at whats available currently and the only option is to put three young lads in.

It's why Ings getting injured is so unlucky - him coming into the side right now, would give us that bit of energy and intensity and probably start making the space for the others to come alive in.

Coutinho is a huge loss.

But the international break has killed us a bit. 5 points from a possible 12 - and to be honest I was expecting 10 or 12 points from those games going into the international break.

So although Coutinho and Sturridge are injured - and Lallana was too - it is almost like our team isn't as fit as it was - that a number of players are now playing at 85%. And it is very hard to play with such intensity when you have a few that are not 100%.

I would be tempted to put Lucas in as DM for a couple of weeks. I'd keep Henderson in the team but play him a little bit further forward. I know Lucas doesn't smack of being suitable to the high-pressing high-intensity game, but i think he would help organise the team defensively a little bit. And allow Henderson to forget about the defensive side for a few weeks and concentrate on pressing. Also, we could see if Wijnaldum can play winger in a front 3.

[PTP]

yeah it's a fair assessment the squad as whole does seem its at "85%" so to speak.

And we seem to have a few players or are in and out - Lallana, lovren, can, matip missing games and we don't quite have the quality to rotate.

I've no doubt that if we kept our strongest XI fit for the majority of the season we will be up there challenging.

but that's not likely to happen.

I really hope in January we go out and strengthen in two or three positions to give us that extra depth to push on.

[frank the tank]

i suspect that after the Sunderland game on the 2nd of Jan, then Klopp will give a lot of the squad 8 days or so off. Maybe a training camp in Dubai or somewhere like that so that we can refresh, take stock and have a good ****in go....

The only issue with that is that we have league games against Boro, Everton, Stoke, Man City and Sunderland before that. 15 points to play for that will make or break us.

[G]

Injuries havent helped thats clear (I meant to put that in my post but forgot)

That said I think we have slowed down, the pressing and winning 2nd balls is massively important but so is moving the ball quicker and running off players

We have become a lot more pedestrian, and like under Rodgers we appear happy to play in front of teams

When we do play fast incisive football we generally cut through teams but in recent weeks thats been less prevailant in our play

Also a further point, within 5 minutes of us scoring I turned to my Mrs and said we wont win this match

At times to me it looks like we think teams will just roll over for us and we can take our foot off the pedal

Some of our fans think that too, cos teams are in ****e form we just have to turn up and its job done. Never in this league.

[kubrickscube]

I'm still a bit confused about why we let Allen go. Yes, physically he could get out muscled, but he would fit into the high intensity pressing game Klopp likes.

[frank the tank]

I'm still a bit confused about why we let Allen go. Yes, physically he could get out muscled, but he would fit into the high intensity pressing game Klopp likes.

because he was approaching the last year of his contract, he wasn't a guaranteed starter, and he was on too much wages for a squad player.

I really rated Allen but i suspect that Klopp wanted much more physical midfield.

[redmike65]

He wanted to leave, that's why he left.

[kubrickscube]

Fair enough

[Fosterbloke]

Wilson, Ojo, Branagan and Gomez have been performing very well for the U-23s. Surely they can do a job for us during this busy period?

[Buzzo]

...And Grujic is injured. And Can.

We've just hit a heavy injury period, same as last year when every **** was doing there hammys.

Branagan, Stewart etc aren't good enough though.