Match Day Thread West Ham United vs Southampton 25/09/2016 4pm Kick-off

Yeah, starting to get frustrated with Cedric now. The left side has been much better than the right.

He really had no angle for that shot, nor the time to set it up. And we just saw what Austin can do if you give him half a chance. Just an extremely poor play. I think he saw Austin, too. Just didn't want to pass.

 

I really don't understand why is Claude so insistent on playing Austin on the wing. Meanwhile Redmond is playing through the middle. Wouldn't he, as a more mobile and quicker player, be better suited for tracking back, and Austin more suited to stay centrally? I'm baffled, I really can't get my head around it.

 

Not great from Southampton but comfortable at the back so far and Saints now they have the lead can exploit the space West Ham will have to vacate to try and gain an equaliser.

 

I could watch that goal all day

 

Not a good game. Great goal though.

I can see a soft penalty being awarded against us here, so really need another goal.

 

For people moaning at Cedric, Fonte has been worse.

 

Agreed but didn't he do superbly well, you know... Like a centre forward ... Hold on to it, hold the defender off until somethings is on... Nothing on.... Keep hold off it and get your body between the defender and the ball.... Then buy a free kick. Just what a certain other centre forward wouldn't do!

Well done Charlie!!

 

Puel did the same thing with Tadic just a few weeks ago. Think it may have been the first 15 minutes of the second half against arsenal - although im not 100% sure. We had Tadic through the middle and long out wide. Bizarre!

 

The longer the game remains 1-0, the more useful Long can be as a sub.

If only we had Lostin (Long's running and Austin's finishing).

 

Cuco in that position and we would've scored

 

And I don't buy that we're playing poorly. There are two teams on the pitch. One's not even looking to attack, they just sitting back with eleven players behind the ball. Man City would struggle to break that, I'm not surprised we're not creating chance after chance. They'll now have to drop their guard, and we'll start to become more dangerous.

 

The trouble with Cedric is when he marauds up the wing and get the ball, your automatic reaction is "crap cross incoming", so I dread to think what the strikers are imagining!

Bertrand our best player, along as ever with VVD. Strange performance in that we're playing like the team all has a hangover, yet we're winning, which doesn't say a lot for the Hammers.

 

Shame he isn't played in the middle tho.

 

A lot worse, even Davis has been worse than Cedric, only just though.

 

Please Puel, take Romeu off. No silly fouls around the box either in the second half Saints. Do not want to give Payet a chance.

 

I'm not sure anyone can. It's not even like Puel seems to be learning his lesson. It's almost just a case of musical chairs as to whether an attack of ours will include in the box. Look at the EL game, less than 10 mins after scoring his second, Austin found himself back out wide, playing LB.

 

For someone who's always having a go at moaners, you moaning awfully lot about Fonte.

 

He wasn't out wide all that long. It's fairly fluid up top.

 

West Ham had 11 men behind the ball, so slowing down the tempo was the right thing. Spent the first part of the half sending in low percentage long balls and crosses trying to get in behind the defense, but it wasn't going to happen. Not with Austin instead of Long. Second part of the half was better. Admittedly boring, but better.

Once you get the first goal, then they get nervous... and they have to push up now to try and get the goal back. Then you can open it up a lot more.

 

Yeah we've been so bad at the back only Fraser has kept us in it.....oh wait

 

Always having a go at moaners? Since when have I moaned at people for saying players have played poorly?

Now people moaning at the board etc is a different story.