Good writtern article! I concur with everything said! Up the hammers .. hope they beat the injury hex..
tampasoccer
· 1 year ago
Very balanced analysis. If, as you said, they start well, the early momentum can see them finish as high as 8th. Bottom line, they will be somewhere in the middle-between 8th and 13th place.
Chairboys
· 1 year ago
Thanks for all your previews - nice work! Just a note that Freddie Ljungberg has been released from the club.
Michael
· 1 year ago
Yep, I just read that right now, and I'm in the process of editing this post as I type this.
Stephen
· 1 year ago
Nice review, although you won't get many Hammers fans agreeing with your midfield line-up (what a surprise!). I think Scott Parker will start ahead of Mullins and we might see Etherington instead of Boa Morte.
Michael
· 1 year ago
Stephen, you could be right about Parker, it just all depends on him staying healhy.
The thing with Boa Morte is he played more up front last season than he did on the left wing, but with Bellamy back, that leaves three players ahead of Boa Morte for two spots. Because he can also play on the left side and did so last year, I think you'll see him get a chance out there again. You can't really convince me that Etherington is a better player than Boa Morte, who offers more on the field.
Dan
· 1 year ago
I think Behrami may feature as the left mid, and Faubert as the right. And Parker is definitely starting in the middle assuming he's healthy.
Fair article though.
Michael
· 1 year ago
That's the thing, it's at a point with Parker now where you can't assume he's going to be healthy anymore. Faubert is the same way, he couldn't stay healthy either even when he recovered from the Achilles problem.
Behrami is a nice add because as I said, he can play both wings, and even fill in in a pinch at right back. He may interchange wings anyway when he's out there.
dustin
· 1 year ago
well ,i guess you had not heard that bellamy is injured AGAIN.what a suprise.we are in for the same type of year again. parker will start 10 games or so the rest he will be on the sidelines witth knee flare ups.
Gaffa
· 1 year ago
Obviously u guys watched no west ham games last year.. For starters a fit scottie parker is better then a fit Hayden Mullins.. so he'll start alongside Noble. Also Boa Morte is possibly one of the worst players i have eva seen put on a Claret and Blue shirt.. he tries his hart out.. but hes absolutely useless.. either Behrami or Ethers will play on the left imo... Also whys Faubert not mentioned? He'll be starting on right wing.. hes flying in pre-season atm. UP THE IRONS..
Ben
· 1 year ago
Curbs need's to sign at least 2 more players if we are going to do anything this season. Gaffa your right, Boa Morte is one of the worst players ive ever seen in the premier league let alone a West Ham shirt.
GoatyGav
· 1 year ago
Much of what you've said here is true. Your analysis is purely from the perspective of the coming season. No mention is given to the "Academy" players who you will start to see introduced throughout the season. James Tomkins is already pressing Anton Ferdinand and Matthew Upson very hard and there are many more who are coming through with Tony Carr's Tutelage.
There is a long term plan at the club to develop youth talent and then, contrary to past strategy, keep them at the club to be integrated in to a well established team that will have a good understanding of each other. This is the plan.
Just one question for you. You mentioned several times in your piece teams that are "Taken Seriously." Is your only success criteria winning the league? I can assure you that the other 19 teams in the Premier league take West Ham seriously. Mainly because they realize that on their day they're a match for anyone but also out of respect for a team with home grown talent and an proud and long history for playing enterprising, attacking and entertaining football.
Increasingly football is about money. The more you have the more success you can buy. There is, however, a more admirable way than just buying success. What West Ham are trying to do is build on strong foundations.
I sincerely hope it goes to plan.
Outside of this you've listed a very weak first eleven. I would be more inclined to go: -
GK Green LB Behrami CB Tomkins CB Upson RB McCartney LM Etherington CM Parker CM Noble RM Faubert CF Ashton CF Cole(Bellamy when fit)
Neill and Boa Morte were atrocious last term and Mullins has to move up a level to come up to Parker's quality. Faubert simply scares the living daylights out of opposition defenders. He's West Ham's one to watch this year.
You may be in for a surprise - if your well made point about staying fit and injury free comes true.
COME ON U IRONS!!!!!
Michael
· 1 year ago
McCartney started every game at left back last season, so I can't see him moving to right back, and especially not to accommodate Behrami, who is a winger first, right back second, left back never.
I understand Parker is a better player than Mullins, but Parker is NEVER healthy for any length of time. You know his track record; it would be foolish to rely on him to start more than 20 games this year.
My criteria for success isn't winning the league, it's based on a couple things: consistent top-10 finishes, qualification for European competition, and deep runs in the domestic cups. Like I've said, West Ham is always good for pulling off an upset or two, but it doesn't mean anything to me if they can't consistently play well against the teams they should beat. They step up their game against United and Liverpool, but overlook their next opponent so much that you wonder if you watched a completely different team the week before.
To add one more academy player to your list, Freddie Sears is one that will get also get some time up front.
Kennyhammer
· 1 year ago
Well thought out article, I hope LBM leaves the club in this window. He has performed well at his previous clubs but, he just doesn't seem to fit our system of play, choosing the wrong pass or shooting when the better option is to play someone else in. It appears that AC has less say in transfers and he only targets players he would like then leaves it to BG ,SD and Nani. This must be better to help stabilize the club. If AC's Charlton credentials are correct his sides always start the season well and tail off after Xmas so our fixtures would favour this. I hope we can improve this year with players fit but I fear we will end up 10th or worse, we are becoming the new charlton of the EPL, safe but unattractive to watch, after fifty nail biting years as a supporter I don't like this. At these ticket prices I can stay at home and be bored sh**less looking at the wife. Wherever we end up in the league let's play some entertaining stuff not negitive football like last year. Let's blow some bl**dy great bubbles and finish above Sp**s!
All Comments
The thing with Boa Morte is he played more up front last season than he did on the left wing, but with Bellamy back, that leaves three players ahead of Boa Morte for two spots. Because he can also play on the left side and did so last year, I think you'll see him get a chance out there again. You can't really convince me that Etherington is a better player than Boa Morte, who offers more on the field.
Fair article though.
Behrami is a nice add because as I said, he can play both wings, and even fill in in a pinch at right back. He may interchange wings anyway when he's out there.
parker will start 10 games or so the rest he will be on the sidelines witth knee flare ups.
For starters a fit scottie parker is better then a fit Hayden Mullins.. so he'll start alongside Noble.
Also Boa Morte is possibly one of the worst players i have eva seen put on a Claret and Blue shirt.. he tries his hart out.. but hes absolutely useless.. either Behrami or Ethers will play on the left imo...
Also whys Faubert not mentioned? He'll be starting on right wing.. hes flying in pre-season atm.
UP THE IRONS..
There is a long term plan at the club to develop youth talent and then, contrary to past strategy, keep them at the club to be integrated in to a well established team that will have a good understanding of each other. This is the plan.
Just one question for you. You mentioned several times in your piece teams that are "Taken Seriously." Is your only success criteria winning the league? I can assure you that the other 19 teams in the Premier league take West Ham seriously. Mainly because they realize that on their day they're a match for anyone but also out of respect for a team with home grown talent and an proud and long history for playing enterprising, attacking and entertaining football.
Increasingly football is about money. The more you have the more success you can buy. There is, however, a more admirable way than just buying success. What West Ham are trying to do is build on strong foundations.
I sincerely hope it goes to plan.
Outside of this you've listed a very weak first eleven. I would be more inclined to go: -
GK Green
LB Behrami
CB Tomkins
CB Upson
RB McCartney
LM Etherington
CM Parker
CM Noble
RM Faubert
CF Ashton
CF Cole(Bellamy when fit)
Neill and Boa Morte were atrocious last term and Mullins has to move up a level to come up to Parker's quality. Faubert simply scares the living daylights out of opposition defenders. He's West Ham's one to watch this year.
You may be in for a surprise - if your well made point about staying fit and injury free comes true.
COME ON U IRONS!!!!!
I understand Parker is a better player than Mullins, but Parker is NEVER healthy for any length of time. You know his track record; it would be foolish to rely on him to start more than 20 games this year.
My criteria for success isn't winning the league, it's based on a couple things: consistent top-10 finishes, qualification for European competition, and deep runs in the domestic cups. Like I've said, West Ham is always good for pulling off an upset or two, but it doesn't mean anything to me if they can't consistently play well against the teams they should beat. They step up their game against United and Liverpool, but overlook their next opponent so much that you wonder if you watched a completely different team the week before.
To add one more academy player to your list, Freddie Sears is one that will get also get some time up front.
If AC's Charlton credentials are correct his sides always start the season well and tail off after Xmas so our fixtures would favour this. I hope we can improve this year with players fit but I fear we will end up 10th or worse, we are becoming the new charlton of the EPL, safe but unattractive to watch, after fifty nail biting years as a supporter I don't like this. At these ticket prices I can stay at home and be bored sh**less looking at the wife. Wherever we end up in the league let's play some entertaining stuff not negitive football like last year.
Let's blow some bl**dy great bubbles and finish above Sp**s!