West Ham United FC V Norwich

It will be interesting to see if SB gives Carroll a start in front of the faithful - I think he might, but he'd better perform.

Got offered tickets for this one but am working. Bugger. 

im a Carroll fan, but I think I'd still be starting with sakho. Impact sub.

Running hot and cold about today's game.
Just don't know how our lot will play in midfield.
Will be pissed off if we don't win.

This is a should win, must win game to keep us in the very top bit of the table..........


C ~ O ~ Y ~ I  

Looks like Spurts are going to beat Man City, so if we win  and Man U don't, we could end up top!

(I know, I know, and IF my auntie was a bloke she'd be my uncle.....)

Anyway, first things first, let's see a good thrashing of the yokels this afternoon.

COYI!!

Adrian
Jenkinson
Tomkins
Reid
Cresswell
Noble
Kouyate
Lanzini
Payet
Moses
Sakho

Subs:Randolph, Carroll, Zarate, Obiang, Collins, Jelavic, Antonio

Best line-up we've got IMO, and lots of options from the bench. Now make it work Mr Bilic!!

1-0 down already

Not very happy with this result , some poor marking and another sloppy pass from our captain to gift them their two goals ......Carrol done -nothing and I really dont see the point of having him in the team any more ........ I expect more from West Ham especially at home , I know we have done well so far away and need to step up against the likes of Norwich . We done well to get the 1-1 before half time and for 20 mins in the 2nd but let them back in the game again . Must do better at home WH

2-2 - fuppin' disappointing. We have to figure out something better at home, can't just rely on mugging people away. At least it will stop (most of) us getting too excited about our prospects this season, Norwich are NOT major players and if we can't beat them at home then neither are we.
AND them slimy Spurts have nearly caught us up too, grrr....

It's getting ridiculous now ......... There are no easy teams in the prem West Ham. So have a bit of respect for them all, home and away 

Got to say it I think Bilic has made a major mistake in picking Noble as captain.
Cannot pass a ball if his life depended on it.
Cannot see how he warrants a place in the team.
Very disappointed with some of our play today.

Nothing to add to what's already been said, accept that in the end I was extremely grateful to rescue a era Something in tha at least. A desire to play for the manager to the final whistle.

Very disappointed with our home form. Yet again yesterday we did not play at the same tempo and intensity that we do away from home. Why?

I am not a Noble fan as some of you know. He is an average player. Nothing more. If he was not "one of our own" etc etc and we had paid £5m-£8m for him then I suspect that others with C&B tinted glasses would have a different opinion of him

Away from home we play 4-3-3 and his shortcomings are masked by having a 3rd midfielder alongside him. At home Bilic insists on playing 4-2-3-1 (which is supposedly more attack minded) which exposes Noble's lack of discipline and pace. I watch him closely every game. Against Man City his job was to mark Kevin De Bruyne. Watch Man City's goal. Noble switched off and left De Bruyne. Yesterday his job seemed to be to mark Wes Hoolahan. He rarely got near him all game

Noble runs around a lot, pointing at others, yet actually marks no-one. He fools a lot of people by running around a lot. It is wasted energy and achieves little if the running around is not focused on closing down an opponent. When we lose the ball I watch Kouyate look for his man and get tight to him. Noble just points. This means that at home our midfield is bypassed far too easily and exposes our defence far too often. He has little pace but doesn't make up for it by positioning himself properly. Average midfield players just drift past him with ease. Nathan Redmond showed this for the second goal yesterday. He dawdles in possession and takes far too long to play the obvious pass; giving the opposition time to get behind the ball. The pass across our back for Norwich's first goal was not only suicidal but was inept. Yes, everyone makes mistakes but there was no need to attempt the pass in the first place

Now that he has been made captain I am not sure that Bilic has the balls to drop him. When Obiang/Kouyate/Song are all fit I don't see a starting place for Noble I am afraid

Tony P wrote:Very disappointed with our home form. Yet again yesterday we did not play at the same tempo and intensity that we do away from home. Why?

I am not a Noble fan as some of you know. He is an average player. Nothing more. If he was not "one of our own" etc etc and we had paid £5m-£8m for him then I suspect that others with C&B tinted glasses would have a different opinion of him

Away from home we play 4-3-3 and his shortcomings are masked by having a 3rd midfielder alongside him. At home Bilic insists on playing 4-2-3-1 (which is supposedly more attack minded) which exposes Noble's lack of discipline and pace. I watch him closely every game. Against Man City his job was to mark Kevin De Bruyne. Watch Man City's goal. Noble switched off and left De Bruyne. Yesterday his job seemed to be to mark Wes Hoolahan. He rarely got near him all game

Noble runs around a lot, pointing at others, yet actually marks no-one. He fools a lot of people by running around a lot. It is wasted energy and achieves little if the running around is not focused on closing down an opponent. When we lose the ball I watch Kouyate look for his man and get tight to him. Noble just points. This means that at home our midfield is bypassed far too easily and exposes our defence far too often. He has little pace but doesn't make up for it by positioning himself properly. Average midfield players just drift past him with ease. Nathan Redmond showed this for the second goal yesterday. He dawdles in possession and takes far too long to play the obvious pass; giving the opposition time to get behind the ball. The pass across our back for Norwich's first goal was not only suicidal but was inept. Yes, everyone makes mistakes but there was no need to attempt the pass in the first place

Now that he has been made captain I am not sure that Bilic has the balls to drop him. When Obiang/Kouyate/Song are all fit I don't see a starting place for Noble I am afraid

Agree with every single word. As part of a 3 man central midfield he just about gets away with it. His tackling is only second to Paul Scholes (though Scholes' other attributes far surpasses Nobles)

It'll be interesting and frustrating to see how this develops. We've got play our best 11 and I have never seen Noble as in it (other than his early seasons) We have a better midfield work horse in Kouyate and Song, better skills and technical players too.