Things I learned from West Ham v Liverpool

1.     Di Michele is just not good enough – I’ve given this guy enough free passes to last him a very long game of Monopoly, but still he manages to mess up the very simple things.  No need to keep him beyond May.  See point 3....

2.    We’re good but we’re not that good – as this game and the one against Chelsea illustrated, we might be top half, but we are a long way off top four.  No one has claimed that we are, I’m just saying the gap is huge and is something that will take a few years to close, if at all.

3.    Unleash the hounds – Sears and Savio may be raw, but they have hunger and they can run all day.  I’d especially like to see more of Savio in our last couple of games, show us some of this potential that we paid £9m for

4.    If we want to finish above Spurs, we need a point at least this weekend – Liverpool were certainly our toughest of the final 3 opponents and with Everton having an eye on the FA Cup, we need to do something we don’t do at Goodison Park that often and sneak a result

5.    When we have our squad back, we will be strong again – yes it poor against Liverpool but we had our moments and with Parker, Behrami and Cole back, things may well have been different.  We’ve been slightly spoilt by doing well in a run when key players are injured and we can certainly look forward to them coming back

Comments

[iron man]

Agree with all of the above going to Goodison on Saturday with a Toffee mate will have to keep quiet if we score as I will be sat with him. I think next season will be a lot better. A couple out and three decent players in plus players returning (hopefully) then we should be able to push on.

[CelticHammer]

I think that while the final score more than flattered liverpool the game still showed that we have a lot to do if we are going to start taking points off the top 4.
Any team would struggle against a top side with the injury list we had. Zola and Clarke didnt want to unsettle the side any more by making wholesale changes. Tristan was always going to struggle with the pace of the game against liverpool but next weekends trip to Everton should suit him better. I have huge reservations about Cole finding any sort of form in the remaining two games of the season given how long it took him to do so when Zola arrived.
I do think we can take 6 points from our last 2 games, Everton quite rightly have their focus on the FA Cup final and could possibly rest some key players. That said we need to take a much more attack minded approach this weekend.
I agree with playing Savio and Sears from the start, they have bags of pace and trickery which we will need to unlock Evertons defence. I would play them behind Tristan and in front of a 3 man midfield of Nobel, Kovac and Collison as always the back 4 picks themselves and Greeney is a given.
The early goal last saturday killed the game for us as any plan would have focused on keeping them scorless for the first 20mins before playing our way into the game. We simply do not have the available playing personnel to chase a game against a team like liverpool. That said I do think that we needed to work their fullbacks more but due to Stan constantly cutting inside and LBM simply wandering around the pitch kicking people we never exposed what i feel is a defensive weakness in their fullbacks.
The Boro game should be a formality as they will probably be down at that stage and we may even be able to improve our goal difference.
If Dyer is fit I would start him on the right of a 3 man midfield with Noble in the holding role and Collison on the left. Savio and Freddie can drop back to support the midfield when we lose possession and then push up to pick up knock downs from Tristan. We need to dominate the half way line and play the game in their half. Last weekend out midfield spent most of the game 20yeards inside our own half which made it almost impossible to play our way out of defence as the area was congested with players. When we did get the ball forward our front 2 were completely isolated and surrounded by liverpool defenders.
I think Europe is in our hands as we can win our last 2 and I dont see any of the others picking up 6points from their final 2 games.
Keep the Faith

[Plaistow54]

I thought we played well against Pool considering the players missing. The referee was biased first half & we don't take chances as the top teams do. Refer your point 1. We had a lot of time in their half. We need Carlton. Yes Savio could make a difference, Sears maybe, not yet. We need to win both games. Possible. Zola will attract some good signings. Top 4 quicker than you think. Otherwise ditto.

[Jack]

I see that Lucas Leiva was very slow. He could not keep the ball. He passed the ball poorly. He could not stop the striker of West Ham. He simply didnot make any impact on Liverpool team.
He even cannot be compared to United's Rafael at all. Why on earth is he called in the first lineup again and again? Rafa should send him on loan for two years to a team in Africa or South Korea or Laos before calling him back again.

[ollief]

1. I said after his very first game against Newcastle (when he scored twice and some deluded fans were calling him the new Di Canio) that Di Michele was not good enough, and he's only succeeded in proving me right. I have nothing but the utmost respect and praise for what Zola has achieved, which makes me even more astonished how he can not only defend the guys performances (when they have been worse than shocking) but also continue to start him in every game. Even with our injury problems we still have better options than Di Michele. Honestly, I'm flabberghasted how he's even at the club.

2. I don't think anyone would argue we are anywhere near the top 4, but we certainly are improving, particularly since Zola took over, and with a fully fit squad for the whole of next season we're capable of fighting it out for 6th/7th spot, for sure.

3. I think definitely Sears and possibly Savio could benefit from a 2/3 month loan spell with a championship club at the start of next season. Look what the experience did for Tomkins at Derby, and Noble the year before at Ipswich.

4. I think to finish above Spurs and get 7th spot, we have to win this weekend against Everton and also beat Boro. If Cole is back and firing this weekend we may have a squeak against Everton, but it's going to take a might performance.

5. Agree entirely - all of our injuries are to key, key players and I would argue that we've missed out first choice midfield and attack for huge amounts of the season in Parker, Behrami, Collison, Dyer, Ashton and Cole. Fully fit, these guys, playing in the same team, would've made a massive difference to our season... and I think it is possible we could've been giving Everton and Villa a run for their money in 5th/6th position.

[Stanley]

Pool fan here, I like West Ham always have done and I don't know why. Like you even more now with Zola and Clarke... So many injuries but how many times does he gripe about it ala Allardyce? Never. You played well and 3-0 was a bit flattering but we were just more clinical whereas you struggled to get through the defence, but many teams have. Noble, and the young centre back had a good game (can't remember his name for the life of me) had a good game and liked the look of both Sears and Josh Payne when they came on - still one of the best academies around!!

To the guy talking about Lucas - he did his job and recently has played very well - why compare him to a RB in Rafael? Compare him to another midfielder - £18m Anderson who's done sod all for man u - still to score or do anything of note!! And Nani - £17m was it??? Before commenting and just jumping on the bandwagon regarding Lucas how about you watch him play... against man u at OT he had man u's multi million pound midfield in his pocket!!

[StonyK]

Thought you guys play great football and at times were capable of passing the ball very quickly through the Liverpool Midfield, but it seemed to me that it was about all your team could do. Finishing the move is obviously the hardest part, but you can see the basics are all there ready for next season. Top 4 team though, never I'm afraid, until you get new owners/stadium etc. Just the way it is.

[Dominic]

Fulhams last game is against Everton so I think we can forget Europe

[Simon]

I don't think the result flattered Liverpool. West Ham although had plenty of the ball didn't hurt us. There is a making of a very good team and I was impressed with Noble who I gather, from West Ham forums, is apparently overated? He looked pretty good to me on this performance. Of course Boa Morte was unlucky with the Mascherano foul but he should have kept his head and there wouldn't have been a penalty.
If West Ham had scored Liverpool would have upped there game. Although admittedly, Lucas doesn't give us much. He would struggle to get in any premier league team except our own!!!

[Englands number 6]

i am getting sick of zolas after match excuses, recent form is poor, we should be going to places like everton expecting to win. But we wont win we will get dicked as usual, and it wouldnt suprise me if boro turn us over on the last game..if the kids are good enough then f#*king play them, boll#*ks to europe we dont need it i hope we finish 8th or 9th.