Match Day Thread WHUFC vs NCFC
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not taking chances when battering them, and letting them score for minimum pressure. Gutting. As always, 2 signings missing to make that a comfortable victory. Like the last 4-5 seasons.
Gutted their second equalizer came from a set piece, even more gutted that it wasn't a foul in the first place! 
Mike Dean strikes again!
Mike Dean strikes again!
Four goal thriller and a cracking game. Odds of us being second last on match of the day? Even we are more glamorous than Stoke Bournemouth
You could see the equaliser coming a mile off. Ruddy can't do it all on his own. As soon as they had sakho and caroll on, with payet delivering, I said to the people watching with me, we can't give away stupid set pieces and space around the box..then, like Stoke.... Gutting we don't learn.
You are right. I consider myself quite a rational person but that goal feels like a swift kick in the happy sacks tonight. I have seen it all before, many times, but it still bloody hurts a bit.
Ratings:
Ruddy - 7. A couple of excellent saves, but also should have done better for the second and flapped at a couple that nearly left us in a mess, which stops him getting an 8.
Whittaker - 6. Much improved against last week, excellent going forward in the first 30, had a shaky patch where he looked like he wanted to get red carded, but then settled.
Bassong - 6. Solid defensively, but his passing was woeful at times, not int hat it didn't find the man, but because it left the man about to get tackled.
Martin - 6. Also solid defensively, but not as clinical as usual with a couple of good opportunities from set pieces. Excellent defending when one on one after Hoolahan gave the ball away.
Olsson - 4. Obviously not up to speed, and really struggled. Constantly out of position and passing poorly.
Tettey - 7. Excellent performance from Tettey, disciplined and bossed the midfield. No yellow?!?
Dorrans - 6. Solid, but quiet. Also guilty of getting caught on the ball in the middle period when West Ham dominated.
Howson - 7. Quite a quiet game when out on the right, but solid as ever, crisp passing and unlucky not to hit the target early on, plus drew a good save from Adrian. Still looks more comfortable in the middle.
Hoolahan - 6. Looked a threat, and some excellent through balls as ever - essentially an assist for Redmond's goal. Gave the ball away in some very dangerous positions.
Brady - 5. He was on fire for the first 30 minutes, with an excellent finish to boot. But after that I don't know what happened. Ball given away, terrible passing, topped off with an air shot just outside our area. O'Neil will get rightly criticised for that stupid tackle, but Brady was guilty for their first and giving the ball away in the build up to the second. I don't know whether it was Olsson making him nervous, but this was not normal from Brady. Good set piece delivery as ever though.
Jerome - 6. Might sound harsh, as he did work hard and was often isolated, but he should do much better when put through. Unlucky to score when KOing Adrian though.
Mbok - 5. Isolated, touch didn't look great and doesn't press the defence as much as Jerome. A bit of nice interplay, but I felt he didn't really offer a threat in the box by dropping too deep and was well-shepherded by the West Ham CBs so we didn't have an outlet when we needed it.
Redmond - 7. Great when he came on, scared the West Ham defence and a fantastic goal.
O'Neil - 4. Unlucky perhaps, as Dean was very quick to penalise us every time a West Ham player fell over, but that was a really poor foul at a bad time.
MOTM? Probably Ruddy again. Or maybe Tettey.
Neil - 7. An away point against a team in West Ham's form is not to be sniffed at, and he'd obviously done his homework - if we'd gone two up in that dominant first 30 we could have had a comprehensive victory. I don't know whether he could have reacted better to West Ham's change of shape after 30 mins (you remember Pardew did the same in the first match against Palace?) but really we need to massively improve our set piece defending (another goal from one!) and he needs to work out a way to get our players to concentrate more consistently.
Overall, I don't think we played all that well again, and to come back with two points from tough away games having not played well is, frankly, brilliant.
Ruddy - 7. A couple of excellent saves, but also should have done better for the second and flapped at a couple that nearly left us in a mess, which stops him getting an 8.
Whittaker - 6. Much improved against last week, excellent going forward in the first 30, had a shaky patch where he looked like he wanted to get red carded, but then settled.
Bassong - 6. Solid defensively, but his passing was woeful at times, not int hat it didn't find the man, but because it left the man about to get tackled.
Martin - 6. Also solid defensively, but not as clinical as usual with a couple of good opportunities from set pieces. Excellent defending when one on one after Hoolahan gave the ball away.
Olsson - 4. Obviously not up to speed, and really struggled. Constantly out of position and passing poorly.
Tettey - 7. Excellent performance from Tettey, disciplined and bossed the midfield. No yellow?!?
Dorrans - 6. Solid, but quiet. Also guilty of getting caught on the ball in the middle period when West Ham dominated.
Howson - 7. Quite a quiet game when out on the right, but solid as ever, crisp passing and unlucky not to hit the target early on, plus drew a good save from Adrian. Still looks more comfortable in the middle.
Hoolahan - 6. Looked a threat, and some excellent through balls as ever - essentially an assist for Redmond's goal. Gave the ball away in some very dangerous positions.
Brady - 5. He was on fire for the first 30 minutes, with an excellent finish to boot. But after that I don't know what happened. Ball given away, terrible passing, topped off with an air shot just outside our area. O'Neil will get rightly criticised for that stupid tackle, but Brady was guilty for their first and giving the ball away in the build up to the second. I don't know whether it was Olsson making him nervous, but this was not normal from Brady. Good set piece delivery as ever though.
Jerome - 6. Might sound harsh, as he did work hard and was often isolated, but he should do much better when put through. Unlucky to score when KOing Adrian though.
Mbok - 5. Isolated, touch didn't look great and doesn't press the defence as much as Jerome. A bit of nice interplay, but I felt he didn't really offer a threat in the box by dropping too deep and was well-shepherded by the West Ham CBs so we didn't have an outlet when we needed it.
Redmond - 7. Great when he came on, scared the West Ham defence and a fantastic goal.
O'Neil - 4. Unlucky perhaps, as Dean was very quick to penalise us every time a West Ham player fell over, but that was a really poor foul at a bad time.
MOTM? Probably Ruddy again. Or maybe Tettey.
Neil - 7. An away point against a team in West Ham's form is not to be sniffed at, and he'd obviously done his homework - if we'd gone two up in that dominant first 30 we could have had a comprehensive victory. I don't know whether he could have reacted better to West Ham's change of shape after 30 mins (you remember Pardew did the same in the first match against Palace?) but really we need to massively improve our set piece defending (another goal from one!) and he needs to work out a way to get our players to concentrate more consistently.
Overall, I don't think we played all that well again, and to come back with two points from tough away games having not played well is, frankly, brilliant.
A point at Liverpool and a point at West Ham? My glass is half full tonight mate. Would have taken that all day long!
Disappointing yes, but a fair result at the end of the day. With 15 minutes left if offered a draw I'd have grabbed it. West Ham will be kicking themselves for Redmond's goal which was very poorly defended. Four matches unbeaten now - I'll take that.
A pretty fair assessment Rob and even I am struggling to find fault with the exception that Brady did come back in to the game later on. It would have been better if he did it for 90 minutes mind 
100% - and I am wondering if this guy will ever get i to the box and actually be a threat? Not sold on him so far.
100% - and I am wondering if this guy will ever get i to the box and actually be a threat? Not sold on him so far.
A pretty fair assessment Rob and even I am struggling to find fault with the exception that Brady did come back in to the game later on. It would have been better if he did it for 90 minutes mind
100% - and I am wondering if this guy will ever get i to the box and actually be a threat? Not sold on him so far.
It was a tough match to come on and do much - when we went ahead through Redders it was always going to be a case of him getting by on scraps, but there was one break where Redmond had the ball with just two defenders left and he had to stop and turn - I thought where the hell is Mbokani? Probably defending, but still we needed him up there as our number 9.
I say poor touch - it was just variable. There was some nice interplay too with him and Howson I think. He obviously needs time to get used to the league, but definitely isn't ready to replace Jerome yet (if ever) as our starting striker IMO.
Evening guys apologies that there was no MDT today, long story but I've had one hell of a week. Thanks Cromer and Mulder for stepping in.
Gutted about that late Wet Sham equaliser but I think most of us would have taken a point prior to kick-off. Got a ticket for next weeks game and I've been somewhat of a lucky charm these past two seasons so you can all look forward to three points this time next week
Gutted about that late Wet Sham equaliser but I think most of us would have taken a point prior to kick-off. Got a ticket for next weeks game and I've been somewhat of a lucky charm these past two seasons so you can all look forward to three points this time next week
Don't get me wrong, I am happy with 2 points from 2 away games. We got away with it to an extent at Anfield thanks to their woeful finishing, and today we shot ourselves in the foot with the same woeful finishing so it has kind of balanced itself out. All the same, to throw away 2 points with less than 2 minutes to go is still a gut-wrenching feeling for this otherwise rational being.