West Ham United V Newcastle

Sorry dudes. Can't get this right on my phone.  Will sort later.
Off to watch the lads ........ COYI 

despite the geordies good run of results i remain optimistic on getting all three points....

Without Valancia or Sakho and Zarate on the bench I think we may struggle to score.
I'd take a draw.

So 1:0 good stuff, Come on you Irons...

We actually won! wohoo

Happy with that result , much better second half from West Ham and what was that when Newcastles keeper and carrol

didn't sound very convincing to me, but a win is a win, thats 3 points closer to 40 points with a few key players set to return soon. 

First half was 50 / 50 , second half was West ham

Missed the game but was pleased when my Dad text me to say we had Won given the fact they were on a very good run of form and with us missing some key player`s !

What I`m pleased about is that we can still win game`s this season even with key player`s out , Has anyone got any idea how long Song, Valencia and Sakho are out for ?

Also was good see that Jarvis started today I had almost forgotten about him it`s been that long since he played a game , I like him as a player when he is Match fit and on form so hope that he gets a little run in the team

tried posting this several times today... was there a problem with the website?


not the greatest of games by any standards...

Carroll looked terrible

but at least we didn't resort to playing Cole - although why we waited around 80 minutes before giving Zarate a run out is anyone's guess.

still... we got the victory, which is all that ultimately counts, especially with all the absentees and poor run of results

we'll go into next week in 5th place... and only 19 points from hopeful safety

Arran H wrote:Missed the game but was pleased when my Dad text me to say we had Won given the fact they were on a very good run of form and with us missing some key player`s !

What I`m pleased about is that we can still win game`s this season even with key player`s out , Has anyone got any idea how long Song, Valencia and Sakho are out for ?

Also was good see that Jarvis started today I had almost forgotten about him it`s been that long since he played a game , I like him as a player when he is Match fit and on form so hope that he gets a little run in the team

You wouldn't have said that if you had seen him yesterday !

westhamonkey wrote:
tried posting this several times today... was there a problem with the website?


not the greatest of games by any standards...

Carroll looked terrible

but at least we didn't resort to playing Cole - although why we waited around 80 minutes before giving Zarate a run out is anyone's guess.

still... we got the victory, which is all that ultimately counts, especially with all the absentees and poor run of results

we'll go into next week in 5th place... and only 19 points from hopeful safety

HE looked Ok on the Sky highlights game I watched. Caused them loads of problems in the second half, is obviously not yet match fit, but still looked dangerous. Good win against a below par barcodes, but 3 pints is 3 pints!! Hopefully have Song, Sakho and Valencia back midweek.

I thought that Carrol had a great game, as did Tomkins.

I really wasn't expecting that from the 'B' team I have to say, so was pleasantly surprised.

COYI  

I saw a bunch of people posting on twitter and Facebook that they thought Carroll played well... and I'll concede he's almost completely match-unfit...

but I still maintain he 'played well' only if you believe Carlton Cole is a bustling, busy centre forward who worries the opposition and creates chances for the rest of the team...

I didn't see Carroll do any of that not that Cole ever does either...

Carroll's touches were poor to the level of piss...

If he's a big centre forward... or even just a centre forward... why is he hardly ever in the box?

Whether it's Carroll's fault or that we change tactics whenever he's in the pitch... it kinda doesn't matter.

I've missed one game this season, when Carroll plays we're lucky if we have one player in the penalty area looking to score... when we had the 'a' team fit we'd regularly have five players running in looking for a cross or a loose ball.

That can't just be coincidence.

It's not all Carroll's fault, and without the injuries to Sahko and Valencia, etc, who knows if we'd have seen him this side of Christmas at all...

but as an example... yesterday... The Toon attacked... Carroll was doing what he should and being in the heart of defense... we won the ball... we played it out... Newcastle were stretched thin... as the cameras panned up the pitch, I looked for Carroll to be running through the middle so we had a forward to play the ball to... nothing...

no sign of him... even when the ball went down the wing to be crossed into the box... no sign of him..

In fact... he didn't appear on camera again until Newcastle had won the ball back and played it all the way back to our half of the pitch... which is where Carroll still was...

That's not being unfit... that's not knowing what you're supposed to be doing or just not bothering.

Add to that his final touch... which is currently non-existent... and his lack of distribution and all you really have is a big bloke jogging about and getting pissed off every time something doesn't happen for him.

I know... I know.. it's a bit unfair to pick on any individual in a team game.. and we did win after all... but I whatever the reason, I just don't see Carroll as a good player or playing well at the moment.

If he's unfit and out of practice then why not play Zarate from the get-go and bring on Carroll for a decent sub appearance after 60 or 70 minutes like Sam said had been his intention before Sahko and Vaencia got injured...


anyway... them my tuppence h'appenny

Very unfair to pick on Carroll without looking at how we play with him in the side. He spent most of the game isolated up front without a supporting cast of midfielders. Jarvis and Amalfitano were anonymous. Downing did his best to support but that was about it. I saw plenty of occasions when the ball went up to him and the supposed attacking midfield 3 were on the halfway line with Noble and Kouyate. We moved the ball so slowly yesterday that Newcastle always had time to get men behind the ball and outnumber Carroll. The first half especially was too reminiscent of last year for my liking. Once Zarate came on it freed Downing and gave support to Carroll