West Ham United (A) | PL | Post-Match Thread

[Lovebitesandeveryfing]

He is staying behind after training to do speciality work.

A priority should be heading, he is bloody awful at it.

It seems nuts to be expressing any kind of reticence about a guy who has now scored eight hat tricks (Shearer got twelve in his entire PL career) and has scored more individually than any other entire team this season!
But the heading is really something he needs to improve. Then his figures would simply be from another galaxy.
Honestly, I thought he'd corrected it. It's the timing of his leap. In the first match this season, he got it exactly right, and I thought “Ok, the problems of last season are over”. Yesterday, though, I think of that ball that picked him out perfectly in the box — not a defender near him — about six yards out. The leap was timed wrong, apparently just that millisecond too late, and he sent his header sailing over the bar.
I think it's something he will improve, because that can be coached. Not so sure about the first touch. He doesn't have a great first touch, and I suspect he'll never have it, but it doesn't seem to matter.
What I appreciated most yesterday, I think, was seeing him race many yards back get to give Kova a hand in dealing with Antonio (I think it was) and taking the ball off him. He's doing more and more for the team. And by the way his lays-off are getting better and better.
We don't need to talk about putting the ball in the net with his feet. There's nothing like it in Europe.

 

[The Lightbowne Cowboy]

To think there's people out there that still won't rate Erling

Probably the same not rights that think fake Ronaldos better than Messi.

 

[Lovebitesandeveryfing]

3 games without Rodders and 3 wins. Kovas been instrumental in these wins. I feel so much better about this season now. :)

I genuinely think we're a stronger team, at least as strong as the treble team, for one simple reason: Kova, Gvardiol and Rico have now come fully into their own as compared to last season. Everybody else has stayed at their imperious level, apparently. Kev looks fresh and hungry, above all he looks as though he's enjoying his football again. Actually, I see that I've just given several reasons…
I've maybe got a slight worry about Rúben, if anyone. He's still playing at a very high level, but it seems to me that he's not quite as absolutely dependable as he was a couple of seasons back. That own goal surprised me a bit yesterday. No West Ham player near him. I'd still have him in my team, probably, because he's an organiser, and a leader.

 

[Blu3m00n91]

That first half performance was exceptional

 

[r.soleofsalford]

No Savinho, no Rodri, no Foden, no Stones, no fucking worries.

 

[robbieh]

Our best xI will be

Ederson
Akanji
Gvardiol
Dias
Rodri
Lewis
De Bruyne
Bernardo
Foden
Haaland
Savinho

And that's one hell of a team

 

[kinky's boots]

Bollocks. Great voice …

Whiny shit, awful band

 

[yeah whatever !!]

 

[Gone for a Burton]

There’s a rule: Give players new to Pep’s methods two seasons to show what they can do.

He looked fitter,stronger and sharper,his shimmy & pass for Brauts third was technically perfect.

Tougher tests to come, so he must contribute when he gets his chance.

 

[Lovebitesandeveryfing]

There’s a rule: Give players new to Pep’s methods two seasons to show what they can do.

Remember what was being said on this very forum about Rodri after a few matches in his first season?

Gundo too, and by God, not just in his first season, but after two or three seasons here! And it wasn't just criticism about this or that match (criticism which can always be justified, of just about every player) but about not being convinced about him as a player in general in our set-up.