Well deserved point, which could have been a victory. Clayton excellent and clear man of the match, with White a close 2nd. Very concerned about Kisnorbo, he's too slow, out of position, lacks the quality required and makes the other defenders have to do his work. Why can't we jump? If you study our players, they don't jump for headers, they simply stretch or just keep their feet on the ground, hence we never won any headers in the crucial areas. McCormack played well and showed what he is, whilst I felt Keogh was nowt, poor touch, poor effort and very slow. Still great result and some really quality football for period from the players, so can't really grumble!
What a difference a sensible referee makes! He could have spoiled it by throwing cards around but he chose to communicate with players and we ended up with an entertaining game and a fair result.
how times change... go to 'the academy' play all the football and nearly get done by hoofball. Can anyone remember the last time we had a team that looked like they could defend corners? I was wincing every time they won one. Apart from that thought we played great. i'm with the keogh did well camp.... held the ball up well, worked hard, brought players in. He's clearly not a big goal scorer but thought he did a good job today.
Sorry but that is complete nonsense, he did back heel for the first goal but everything else was slow and obvious. Just watched Kisnorbo's game again, j'sus he was awful and should have cost us a penalty in the opening minutes. He can't kick the ball and anyone with ability would have kicked the ball with their left foot, not the right that lead to the own goal, he even tried to do it again later in the game.
Great result. 2-2 a seriously good result. Still could do better, but Southampton suddenly seems a long time ago. 442 & no OB. Things are coming together nicely
Paddy is a ****ing amazing defender, he had an off game, but he's looked great compared to the rest of our defence the previous games. Every player has an off game, Max Gradel, Snoddy ect all had off games. No shut and up and support your team.
Today will only count for something if we now go & hammer Donny & Ipswich later this week. Also probably worth starting with Nunez & Sam on Tuesday to give Max & Snoddy some rest
Great performance. Not just in the result, but we out played them for large parts of this game. We actually didn't defend all that badly apart from the 2 goals, which is annoying that it's stupid mistakes again. Please keep 4-4-2, so much more stable. Aidy White and Lonergran stood out in the defence, White looks to be improving as a leftback and as shown once or twice, his attacking play is quality as well. Clayton is brilliant. A battler, gets stuck in but also plays some fantastic passes. Great to see him score and he outclassed Parker buzzing all over the pitch - great find by the club it has to be said. Howson put in a typical performance for him. People always say he goes missing in games, but usually it's just he doesn't take a starring role. He rarely gives away possesion, plays some good passes and when he gets forward he can be lethal. He's vital for us, and I'd rather see Clayton and Howson as appose to Brown. It just shows it wasn't a DM we needed last season, but just some mobile centremids who can tackle. Gradel and Snodgrass were great, causing all sorts of problems as usual. They work in a 4-4-2. Keogh impressed again, his link up play is great and it gets the best out of McCormack as Becchio would too. Keep the same team for next week. Good call by SG to be brave and keep an attacking line up. I honestly don't know how anyone can complain about this result. Yeah, we made mistakes and should have won, but on another day West Ham would have turned up and played really well. A point away at Upton Park, what team in this league wouldn't take that?
When we played route 1 football it came to nothing, but when we passed the ball we got 2 great goals. We should have won the game but WH are 'favourites' to win the league.
Ratings Lonergan: NINE - couldn't do anything about either goal and made several fantastic saves. Always stretches right out to save even those shots that are going over. A safe pair of hands. White: EIGHT - continually put the tackles in and although he gave away what should have been a penalty, he had a good game. His passes met their man 90% of the time. Kisnorbo: TWO - terrible game with little to highlight on the good side. Terrible body shape for the own goal, gave away what should have been a penalty and seems reliant not on tackling and heading, but on shirt-tugging to continue his hard man veneer. Either unfit or past it. Either way, Lees and O'Dea should be the centre back pairing from now on. O'Dea: FIVE - average. Lees: FIVE - overall average. Might have done more with Carlton Cole for the first goal, though sometimes it has to be conceded that an attacker's just done bloody well to score the goal. Another great cross from the right which provided the spark for our late leveller. I'd rather see this lad at centre-back though, no reason why Connolly shouldn't have kept his place at fullback. Gradel: SEVEN - kept West Ham busy all the time with his tricky feet and pacy runs. A couple of great shots on target too, but he should be very disappointed with the penalty considering he scored every one he took last season as far as I can remember. Howson: FOUR - anonymous in central midfield. Quelle surprise. Clayton: NINE - superb box-to-box stuff with tackling, passing and shooting all very impressive. Snodgrass: SEVEN - very creative as per usual playing a vital part in the second equalizer, and an excellent simmering shot earlier on which reminded me of his goal at Leicester last season. A good game overall. McCormack: SIX - does what he does. Scores a goal. Could have put more of a shift in though. All the stuff we generally say about these players like Somma and Beckford. Personally, I don't see a future for that, but it seems to be a workable solution at the moment. Keogh: SIX - won an awful lot of headers and completed most of his passes. Good pressure most of the time which was nice to see. Scuffed a decent chance wide under a bit of pressure. You feel that McCormack/Keogh is like Becchio spread over two players. I'd rather just cut out the middlemen and have the lone striker myself. Nunez: FIVE - didn't do much except for a respectable shot and a couple of neat passes. Should have started to link up midfield with attack and help us finish those chances we kept promising to create. Ref was OK. Penalty shouts from either side which pretty much rule each other out. The game should have been a draw, and I found the hoofing from both sides pretty boring. Like McAllister said, the pitch looked really dry and obviously that's a Big Sam ploy to get the opposition to play him at his own long-ball game. Anyway, we still managed to get passing in the end and if we can replicate those attacking performances, hooray. If we replicate the ****ty defensive ones (particularly from corners), boo hoo. Same old story really and we needed better leadership at the back.
Keogh had a poor touch? His touch and link up play was quality. The only reason McCormack has started playing well is he's got a good link up striker next to him. It's brought out the best in him.
Hardly anonymous. The problem for us is when we attack all our midfielders fly forward. Howson showed discipline and stayed back. He battled for possesion, played some good passes. He didn't show off his attacking qualities because he to get a result, we needed to have someone staying back. How does our midfield match West Ham's yet Howson doesn't do anything?
Leeds 18 Dnt think u Wer watching properly, snoddy was pretty quiet how's did a job, keogh is refreshing! Whufc r brutes tho
I can't remember a decent creative pass he made. Spread a couple of square balls, sure. He made a few interceptions which were down to decent positioning (and poor West Ham passing), but he's not the man to partner Clayton. He belongs behind the striker. As captain, he tries to put a shift in but simply isn't cut out for defending and plays unremarkably in the deep role. Even if he's trying his best and running like a madman, I don't want an unremarkable player in that most vital of positions. I want a leader. For effort, he can get a seven or eight. For his performance when I think about it coldly, I'd give him a four or five. I wouldn't say our midfield 'matched' West Ham's particularly. Much of the game was composed of head-tennis and long balls over the top, but generally when one side had it in midfield, they got it straight through to the forwards who were then rebuffed. It wasn't a dazzling midfield performance by either of the Uniteds. Whenever Snoddy had the ball, he made something of it. No more you can ask from a winger. He played a big part in the creation of the goal and his crossing (including from set pieces) was much improved. Would have liked some more shooting from him, but like I say, we tended not to use that side of the pitch as much.
Howson was pretty anonymous. Hardly noticed him but I guess we'd have noticed if he'd not been there. As for Keogh, get him bought and move Paynter on. No brainer. McCormack will make double figures this season playing alongside Keogh or Becchio.
Take away the Southampton game, I think we will just put that down to a slow start....(and I have to grudgingly admit, that they do look a strong outfit for this season). But we do actually seem to be coming together well now. Keeper looks good, got some steel in the team and some threat. Still to be a contender we are definitely a few players short of a very good team. Unless a couple come in, I dont think we will be consistent. But at least I am more optimistic now!
