West Ham - Post match thread

[Bewar3them00n]

Pep makes some big decisions again, Bravo dropped, Aguero on the bench.
Sané was again, fantastic, Jesus a great debut.
Clean sheet, Vinny to come back, the seeds sown for next season, momentum regained, CL to come, Chelsea v Arsenal, Spurs v Liverpool, at the weekend, if we carry on winning, we will begin to move up the table.

 

[Otamendi's Beard]

To a man we were brilliant. Deadly, explosive, professional...

West Ham never got off the carousel.

 

[ChicagoBlue]

Thought it was really interesting to see how we went from the fullbacks coming into a narrow midfield in Pep's first game to sending the fullbacks long and Silva and KDB heading into pseudo-fullback positions to pick up the ball with room to play in this game.

At times, the fluidity is amazing to see, and on the break it is hard to know where the ball is going and who might score. It's like three card Monte with a potential goal under each card...Sane, Jesus and Sterling.

It is good to see the interplay, but every now and then, I would LOVE to see one of them be a smidge greedy and crack one in with his first or second touch, rather than always looking inside for a pass.

Last observation...even though the game was over before he came on, it felt very much like this team, and its movement, has bypassed Sergio. I would have bet money that he was going to be liquid gold this season under Pep, but he just doesn't have the fitness or workrate or maybe it is desire (?) to look anywhere close to the three Tasmanian Devils that have played on the frontline for the past few games. Average age...ALMOST 21!

Fucking scary to see what they might be able to do with the kind of service provided by Silva, KDB and Yaya and some games together under their belt.

 

[Neville Kneville]

Everytime something looked tight or went wrong, it happened around the fullbacks. And they both played well. Just not at that fluid standard.

There was a sequence where DeBryune dropped into RB, and linked up and passed out of the position with quick passes movement to re-recieve, with Yaya, Stones and Finally Silva I think. And I thought, that's what play should look like from that area. Not the tentative hesitations or telegraphed passes back to keeper that would normally have been the case with Sagna.

We really need to get players like Semedo and Bernat. Livewire fullbacks with natural passing ability. This team will be sick when those types arrive.

They did 'ok' not terrible of course, but the difference in quality between them & the front 3 is just too much & it's glaringly obvious we could & should be better in that area & as you say, there is another dimension we can reach.

 

[blue ranger]

Well that was an exceptional performance. Really impressed by our work rate off the ball and the front 3 were absolutely dynamite. Will always be a place for Aguero in our team but do think Jesus gives us something different in the way that he drops off and gets on the ball while also being able to play a killer pass.

Yaya rolling back the years, Silva back to his imperious best and KDB doing what only he can do. What a ball for the Sterling penalty.

Enjoyed everything about that performance except for Hoddle and McPointalot.

 

[stonerblue]

My motm even amongst all that exitement. Tracking back as well as running the game.

If that was Kroos signed for City, people would be wanking themselves into a coma about it. That's one of Yaya's best performances imo, like his Barca days.

And mine. Everywhere, and with beautiful balance and poise. Solid in the tackle and still pressing on the edge of theri box on 85 mins. Where the fuck he's got his fitness from is anyones guess but he ran the show tonight for the full 90mins. 10/10

 

[Jim Tolmie's Underpants]

 

[Mr HJ]

I think he may keep him for another season yet. We shall see. He offers so much more than Fernandinho for me
When on form.



He has been our most consistent player since the start of Dec for me. Absolute quality tonight and against Spurs. He just sees the pass so quickly and his goals are very useful.

Spot on but sometimes our weakness has been delaying replacing ageing players. We have in the past stood still and I think we must evolve all the time. Yaya and Sergio are fantastic players but when you see the impact of having two 20yr old forwards making the best forward in the league fight for his future it has to be a good thing for the club. Most importantly I am very happy that when he does leave it will be as a legend rather than how his dumb agent wanted by trying to push a big payday through via bad advice.

 

[Tricky_Trev]

You can tell the writing's on the wall for Aguero when Pep talks about our front three tonight. "So much pace", "Jesus is a fighter, he helps with our high pressing".

In contrast, Aguero is losing pace and is far too passive at times. I think if he isn't already, Jesus will very soon be our outright first choice striker. The all important breakthrough De Bruyne goal doesn't happen if Aguero's playing, because he would never make that return pass. Gabriel Jesus already has more assists than Aguero this season, not just in the Premier League, but all competitions too. We look much more of a team without Aguero.

That front 3 is unreal.

 

[Stevieatlasblue]

Jesus will become the best player in the world.