Liverpool vs WHUFC -- monday, February 24th, 2020

oh how we laughed... laughed and laughed and laughed...

we're terrible... we're the worst... not just the worst we've been but possibly the worst there is... and so this is a must win game... a must win game against Liverpool... AWAY against Liverpool... even a draw helps us not one bit... we need the victory, the three points... and all we have to do is... play Liverpool, the strongest Liverpool team in decades... in their home stadium... coming off their first loss in over a year...

oh how we laughed... and laughed... and laughed...

Let's check out the tale of the tape shall we...

Liverpool are unbeaten in seven league matches against West Ham (W5, D2).

The Reds scored four goals in four of those seven matches.

West Ham have won only three of their 57 top-flight away matches against Liverpool (D15, L39).

West Ham have lost three of their past four league games.

They have also lost their last four away league fixtures. They last lost five in a row between November 2013 and January 2014.

The Hammers have picked up just five points from eight Premier League matches, fewer than any other top-flight side.

West Ham have lost a league-high 19 points from a winning position this season.

Jarrod Bowen has finished on the losing team in all eight of his Premier League appearances, seven of which came for Hull City.

David Moyes is yet to win an away match against Liverpool in all competitions (D7, L8), losing the last three in a row.

West Ham full-back Ryan Fredericks is out with the shoulder injury he sustained against Manchester City in midweek, so Pablo Zabaleta is likely to step in again.

Andriy Yarmolenko remains out, with Jack Wilshere also a long-term injury absentee.

Michail Antonio has scored in four of his five Premier League appearances against Liverpool.

okay... monday is upon us... ten minutes until kick-off. Let's look at the line-up.

1 Fabianski
52 Ngakia
23 Diop
21 Ogbonna
3 Cresswell
41 Rice
11 Snodgrass
28 Soucek
16 Noble
8 Felipe Anderson
30 Antonio

Substitutes

4 Balbuena
5 Zabaleta
10 Lanzini
17 Bowen
18 Fornals
22 Haller
35 Randolph

I mean... it's a pretty good position to be in to be able to 'rest' 91m on the bench... although, most of that 91m was pretty poorly spent.

6:15 until they kick the ball competitively... so we're still in it. The players are in the tunnel waiting to head out onto the pitch.

Several GSB Out signs in the ground, people dressed as clowns in the crowd...

for some reason in the tunnel there's only 4 West Ham players lined up.. oh no... 5 players... we can't even get the whole team to get in line...

oh here's the rest of them as they all head out onto the pitch...

we're playing a 4-5-1 formation... you know... the one we always play and that never fupping works...

fupp me... what is it going to take to get M*yes out of the club and bring in someone with just the slightest clue of how to play the game?

you know how we like stats around here... well stick this one in your pipe...

Liverpool have won 76 points in the Premier League this season, as many as West Ham have won in 2018-19 and 2019-20 combined.

we're playing in white and kicking off playing left to right...

I guess at least Adrian isn't playing... it would just be heartbreaking to have him score against us - and don't say it couldn't happen.

christ on a bike... noble is playing in the No: 10 role behind the striker... fupp me... how incompetent do you have to be to succeed at West Ham?


Liverpool corner.

another Liverpool corner... how many times will we defend with 8 or 9 players and still manage to leave players unmarked on either side of he penalty area...

Now Fabianski and Diop conspire to almost give Liverpool a real soft opener... but the ball deflects did of the goal.

we're already down 73-27 in possession...


"6 min: Fabanski nearly has a howler! A heavy touch means his subsequent clearance is blocked by Mané, with the ball just flying two yards wide of the open goal!"

wow... antonio is 1 goal in 14 appearances...

8 minutes gone and we're 0-1 down...

Liverpool just play the ball around in our penalty area as if we're not even there... then the ball gets crossed into the 6 yard box and - how many times have I written this......... a free header into the back of the net.

ooh... 2 corners in a row for West Ham..

and a third corner back to back and this time Snoddy actually gets it onto the head of a West Ham player... Diop nicks it straight into the bottom corner...

1-1

Rice gives away a free kick just outside the area... 2 man wall...

ball cleared... Strolling anderson won't get to the ball

Fabianski tips over from Salah.

GOAL - Liverpool 1-1 West Ham
Issa Diop
West Ham are level almost immediately. West Ham have a corner which Liverpool put behind to deny Tomas Soucek.

And from the following corner, the Hammers score. it's another header and more questionable goalkeeping.

Issa Diop gets his head to Robert Snodgrass' corner at the near post and heads it down low and powerfully. Alisson gets a touch but he can't keep it out.

we're playing a little better than usual... not a lot and there's big holes, a lack of pace and just a general gulf in terms of skill level... but we're not playing as poorly as we usually do.

22 minutes gone... another Liverpool corner...

it's pretty much one way traffic...

that was a bit exciting...

Noble hit the ball out of defense... Gomez actually made a mistake and allowed Antonio to get in behind him but Antonio over hit the ball and the keeper got to it first... but a moment of 'ooh, that possibly exciting'

no matter how much we defend, Liverpool almost always seem to end up with the ball.


'Bubble's can be heard in the stadium.


Anderson is poor... at best.

we get into a good position down the wing... the ball comes to Rice who looks like he's not going to get to it in time, his 'ross' doesn't make it past the side netting but Rice then clatters into the barriers and holds his leg in pain...

he's back playing but that was a moment of worry...

offside from a corner but we got into a possible goalscoring position... so there are a few signs of encouragement...

Pat Nevin
Former Chelsea and Scotland winger on BBC Radio 5 Live
I am very impressed by Jeremy Ngakia and Robert Snodgrass on the right-hand side so far. They're up against extraordinary players in Sadio Mane and Andy Robertson. They both show intelligent movement, sometimes they swap positions and they'll always put crosses in but the West Ham players so far they've done well against wonderful players who both look up for it tonight.

Anderson getting lots of negative press on social media - and with good reason... he's bloody useless.

Liverpool free kick...

looked like a mis-step on the way in... ball goes through the wall, hits antonio's arm as he jumps and the deflection causes Fabianski to dive to his post as the ball scuttles just wide...

then Liverpool go close from the following corner...


there's not a moment to let your guard down or drop concentration in this game - making it even less suitable forsomoene like Anderson.

three minutes to go...

almost don't want the half to end because we're not out of it and you worry that Liverpool will re-group in the break and come out stronger.


Ngakia is doing very well - which makes his omission form the squad in the last game all the more baffling.

I'd take off Anderson and bring on Fornals.

Othe than that, everyone is doing well enough to keep going.

Anderson just gave the ball away again to allow Liverpool to counter...