West Ham United (A) | Sun 7th Aug | Post Match Thread

[bluetonium]

Great stuff, and for me it is pleasing that compared to last year's draw here we have obviously evolved. Moyes employed similar tactics to last time, and fair play he has verycapable players and it could have come off, but even playing that game ten times the most pleasing thing for me was that we looked like a different proposition, and i don't think many teams will be able to live with that this season.

That is because we still have the posession and technicality of a pep team, the experience of this city team, and now the different aspect to our build up. For game 1 that was so promising - KDB found Haaland after one game, fun starts now.

I also can't believe how much i underestimated Haaland's pace. Shielding the ball just doens't work again him, he's fast and strong, and a 5 yard head start even from standing is a mismatch.

 

[bondsman]

Looked a different side to last week. Rodri bossed midfield ably assisted by Gundo. Magic pass from KDB when the game needed killing and Haaland simply looks scary. Made WH look poor and don’t think we got out of 2nd gear.

 

[The perfect fumble]

 

[bluemoon32]

Why the comparisons between Haaland and Sterling ?
Sterling wasn't a main striker ffs, he still did a bloody good job for us over the years though & that shoudn't be forgotten.

 

[Makanaky90]

Jack was very good today kept the ball well and always open for the pass. .. but haaland is a fuckin beast! Come on you blues

Contributed nothing. Just hold the ball. Oh I missed Sterling incisive runs. Cole palmer should replace grealish

 

[SamBlue]

Just back home from that scorcher. That was a game run almost like a basketball or NFL game by the prodigious manager. I don't know how it looked on TV, but seeing Kyle and Joao running DM was fun to watch in real time. Jack and Phil were pure facilitators doing things on the sides and sacrificing themselves for action to develop elsewhere. Joao was outrageous at everything he has done and Rodri made himself worth £600 mil if Declan is £150 mil player. Gundo almost blew it with that automatic 'pass' in the second half, but apart from that I don't see the best 11 without him in the squad, he is actually running the whole game. And how even to comment KdB and Halland, just ridiculous, you know it is going to happen. But for me, Joao was head and shoulders above anybody else on the pitch, £7 pint of beer is worth for watching a player like him for 90 minutes.

 

[simon23]

Fucking shithouse question from Shreeves, Moyes did well to keep his cool

What was the question?

 

[BlueAnorak]

Noticed that Cancelo and Walker barely overlapped at all today and were both playing the inverted full-back role which allowed Gundogan and De Bruyne to play higher up. Coincidentally (or maybe not) both goals came via through balls from Gundo and KDB.

Looks like this might be Pep's solution to not having the natural width from a left-footed LB that he was expecting to have with Cucurella, i.e., to allow both number 8's more freedom to create.

Pretty much stops the West Ham counter attacks that hurt us last season though.

 

[its a Barm]

Why the comparisons between Haaland and Sterling ?
Sterling wasn't a main striker ffs, he still did a bloody good job for us over the years though & that shoudn't be forgotten.

Correct but how many one on one's did he mess up just an honest assessment

 

[mancityscot]

cancelo, rodri and gundo were fucking superb.

 

[coolcity]

Guys stop bringing up Sterling as a comparison to Haaland. One is a wide player and one is a centre forward.

NOBODY IS comparing them, we're just saying we now have a player who is more likely to score those chances, like the 2nd goal today. We know Sterling isn't an out and out striker and never will be.

What I will say is would you rather we'd kept Sterling instead?

 

[bluemoon32]

Correct but how many one on one's did he mess up just an honest assessment

Oh agreed on that bit, i wouldn't have bet 50p on his one on ones

 

[Tokyo32]

Great start, not a spectacular performance by any means but that’s not an easy place to go on the first game of the season.

There’s definitely better to come from some players but solid performance.

Haaland showed how deadly he is and it’s great he’s off the mark already, now he can just get on with banging goals in.

Don’t think you can do too much, west ham didn’t want to play first half and it is hard to break them down.

Second half when they had to try, we got more chances that we didn’t finish. We controlled majority of the game

 

[standupifyouhatemanu]

Pretty much stops the West Ham counter attacks that hurt us last season though.

Exactly what Golum said in his after match interview

 

[domalino]

Would have been nice to give Wilson-Esbrand a chance off the bench in a dead game given Lb is our biggest position of need.

 

[HelloCity]

NOBODY IS comparing them, we're just saying we now have a player who is more likely to score those chances, like the 2nd goal today. We know Sterling isn't an out and out striker and never will be.

What I will say is would you rather we'd kept Sterling instead?

Fuck off.

 

[coolcity]

Why the comparisons between Haaland and Sterling ?
Sterling wasn't a main striker ffs, he still did a bloody good job for us over the years though & that shoudn't be forgotten.

Your question has been answered half a dozen times. Appreciate you can't read every post, but we're just saying we have a player who isn't as likely to miss the one on ones. We're not comparing like for like skill sets.

 

[simon23]

Nice one Pep put the **** back in his box.

what did Pep say and to whom?

 

[Impeccable One]

Can I just be honest, I’m still not convinced with Haaland.

I’ve seen Mahrez score that type of penalty, and Sterling bury those one on ones with the keeper.















[emoji23] fuck … just couldn’t stop myself laughing at my own post.

 

[coolcity]

Would like to see Haaland and Alvarez have a run in the same team at the same time.