This lad was imperious today - kept Tomkin quiet from set pieces and corners and his all round play was first class. Missed Hobbs today to deal with strength and height of Cole. Cooper did ok but was responsible for both goals. Decent cover at this level but need a Gerarrd player with experience at this level for the start of next season in Hobbs's absence. Much to admire in our showing today and generally all season but lack that cutting edge of a big quick player upfront to help Matty Fryatt.
Didn't see the 2nd goal, but to be fair to him the 1st goal I didn't think he did anything wrong. He kept with his man and challenged him in the air. It was purely his lack of size meant he had no effect. I know that means he was responsible in the instance, it just seems a bit harsh to pin it on him when the real reason is that we didn't have anyone bigger on the pitch to mark Cole.
Didn't mean to be harsh on him for the first goal - he just got outmuscled and lacked the height that Hobbs would have provided against Cole - definitely lacking for the second goal - Daws made him know that. That said playing games will only show if Liam is good enough at this level - at the moment he provides decent cover for us.
hope we get our young potential stars tied down for longer on better paid contracts in the next few days or so. the last thing we want is to have offers on the table for them with clubs offering to double their wages.
I thought Chester was marking Cole (after Dawson tried earlier!) but when it finally fell to Cole wasn't TC nearest?
It was the same player from begin to end of the play on the first goal. They started next to him, went a yard or so goal side when he made his move and then got back alongside as they went in the air for the ball. It definitely wasn't Chester, as without the commentary on (I had So'ton/Coventry on another screen) I went by the shirt number and was sure it was 34. I coud conceive of mistaking the 14 (Cairney) for the 34, but not the 5.
Sorry to be picky.. but just watched it again on Sky+ - Chester tracked Tomkin (as he did all afternoon) and Liam Cooper went with and got outjumped by Cole at the edge of th 6 yard line - Tom Cairney was actually on the post nearest from where the corner was taken. Don Goodman got Cairney (14) mixed up with Cooper (34) - thought so at the time. Also, he said it wa s mismatch - even if TC's probably as tall as Liam Cooper!
I'm glad you can confirm my eyesight isn't going. Cairney is 6'0 and 11st 5lb, Cooper is 5'11 and 11st 7lb, Chester 5'10 and 11st 11lb (all from our OWS), and Carlton Cole is 6'3" and 13st 2lb (soccerbase) so there was always going to be the mismatch. Other than the fact they don't tell you the player's height/weight etc I like the West Ham OWS profiles. Miles more detail about the players, season by season, international career seperately, and has a sort of trivia section. Cole's they tell us that he's a DJ in his spare time and what his twitter username is.
It also makes you realise how as a team we lack height, everywhere. We do look like a team of midgets.
At times Cole looks like he's got everything to be a top player except he's not a natural goalscorer. Hobbs would have been more than a match for him this afternoon. Allardyce played Cole from the off (having generally brought him on for the start of the second half after the likes of Carew and ANO had softened up the opposition in the first half) launching high balls into the box at every opportuinty and exploiting Liam Cooper's lack of inches and experience against Cole.
Bear in mind as well that Cairney would normally be on the bench with Koren starting, so in the first XI you've only got one outfield player (either Hobbs or Cooper) that's over 5'10.
Don't be too harsh on Coops, Cole is a PL striker & England capped, it's good experience for Cooper overall and he's nothing to be ashamed of as the result changed nothing, we're still 8th. Second goal he let Cole in behind him and the ball over his head.. Dawson could have given away a pen himself though with a dodgy tackle on Vaz Te. When Vaz Te & Cole came off we took over, Maynard & Baldock aren't PL class. Very pleased with the way we battled to the end, compare that to last season's game at Brizzie where we ended up 0-3 and a damb squib..
