2012 Championship

Normally the end of the season is warm, sunny and a bit of a laugh. Yesterday the weather suited the mood, wet, windy and downright miserable.

Hull bought a few and we had filled every seat.

We got of to a flyer with CC winning everything, and Vaz Te getting on the end of a few. Then news started to filter through, that southampton were winning, and that was that. The game was effectively over, whatever the score. But the hammers persevered, and Carlton Cole took a header from a corner well, to send the hammers in one nil up at the break.

5 minutes into the second half CC doubled his tally, with an excellently controlled and executed goal. Then we took off CC and Vaz Te and really sat back, which then inspired Hull to turn up, and after some false dawns, the Tigers clawed back a goal on 81 mins, and threatened to draw level, but the Hammers held out, for another win, although a bit of a hollow one to be fair.

So we move onto next Thursday and Cardiff in the play off semi first leg. Hopefully our proven quality outside of UP, will extend the away record, and make bank holiday monday a formality. Hopefully Blackpool will come to Wembley to meet us in the final.

Don’t forget i predicted us to go up through the playoffs at the beginning of the season. !

Off to the Players Awards ceremony tomorrow, so hoping for some good photos.

MOTM . Carlton Cole

Leicester City vs West Ham United 23/04/2012 Championship

After Southampton threw us a lifeline by losing the Middlesborough, we go to the Walkers (now King Power !) stadium, full of hope, on St Georges day. Being in front of the telly means i can blog as its happening, so apologies for any opinions that might not pan out, eg we are going up whatever, etc ! This game at the start of the season, was supposed to be a celebration of both teams being promoted, but with Leicester out of the playoffs by some distance, it was far more important for the Hammers.

Sam selected a attacking formation, leaving Taylor at left back, and pushing Vaz further up top with Cole. 2 up top ? Wonder where that came from 🙂 , so did the Foxes, with Nugent and Beckford up top (and Vassell, aged 100 on the bench).

The game kicked of to a half empty ground.

Within the first 5 minutes, Jack Collison find himself with two shots well saved by Kasper Schmeichel. Bearing in mins some of the struggles we have had with defenders this season, why didn’t we get Konchesky back.? He is far better than any full backs we have.

Nothing else to report for the first 15, except Carlton Cole seems to be on top, and has started lively. That said he was clear on 15.5 and was caught and excellently dispossessed by Wes Morgan, when he should of took on the shot. Captain Wellens appeared to take a freak knock from Nolan, and it looked like he was coming off, but he struggles on. On 21 Beckford got on the wrong end of a Demel 50/ 50 and startd hobbling as Wellens does get subbed. Dirty West Ham ??

That said he didn’t appear to be hobbling on 25 when he met Dyers cross and put it just past Green’s post. A couple of mins later Nolan was unlucky with a trick volley from distance, after a rare forage forwards from Demel, but the first half hour was honours even in everything including the score. Gary O’Neill took one for the team with a professional foul on Dyer to get the first yellow card of the game.

On 33 minutes, Marshall left Taylor for dead (on his arse actually !), and placed a lovely cross onto the head of Darren Beckford to open the scoring. One nil Leicester (Southampton ?).

West Ham respond well immediately but cannot get a shot off. Taylor should of crossed into a crowded box but was too relaxed by far. But on 38, he overlapped well, and did get the cross in for Winston Reid to connect and equalise. Game on. 1-1.

Vaz Te had a long ranger blocked on 40 by Wes Morgan. Tompkins had a trademark back post header just go wide, just before half time.

The second half begins with 45 minutes for West Ham to define their season. Noble takes an out of the box chance that nearly troubles the post, after a corner. Cole had been quiet since the early parts of the 1st half, and almost looks disinterested. Demel and Taylor spent the first 5 mins of this half camped in the Foxes half.

On 56 Nolan snatches a great through ball from O’Neill , and puts it over the bar, when on target should of been the minimum. This is forgotten when Jack Collison bangs in a half volley from 25 yrds +, and Kasper is close but no cigar. 2-1 West Ham. They then pile on the pressure, but Jack’s next shot deflets off a defender for a corner.

The next 15-20 nothing happened as i had to pick up my wife from the station 🙂 Oh and Faubert came on for Demel. Then CC came off on 80 mins for Danny Collins. This is not a good move as far as I’m concerned. Too defensive, and we do like to let in a late goal. But Collins has pushed into left back and Taylor moved forward avoiding 5 at the back.

With 5 to go, Shaun St Leger nearly helped out with an own goal for the Hammers, and Collison was replaced by Landsbury. All action in the last couple as Green had to make a point blank save, and Nolan was greedy and should of passed to Landsbury for an easy 3rd.

Another win for the hammers on their record breaking season away from home.

We move onto the finale on Saturday with West Ham playing Hull, and Southampton playing a dead and buried Coventry. Southampton should go through, and fair play to them and Reading, but we can dream…………….

MOTM : James Tomkins.

WHUFC vs Brighton and Hove Albion – 14/04/2012 Championship

After the Reading and Southampton game the previous evening, it appeared that WHU’s chances of automatic promotion were slim if not gone completely. With this in mind, the fact that we had a near full house surprised me. Over 32000 came to watch a game between two now playoff hopefuls. Once again the cold set in, and i expected yet another draw for Big Sams team. It was refreshing to see that Vaz Te was allowed to play up front with CC, in a near 442 formation. Also coming in for a second time in just over a week, was Guy Demel, making a welcome run in the team post injury.

The two up front strategy seemed to work as we hit the bar in the first minute. Then out of nowhere Vaz Te banged one in from range, leaving the keeper like a Coldstream guard, one nil 3 mins. By seven mins he had doubled his tally with a header for 2 nil. Brighton had no response and by 10 mins Nolan had got onto the end of a Tomkins back post header to tap in the 3rd.

By this time Hamers fans were dreaming of record wins, and closing the goal difference on Southampton. And then BFS switched to one up front again, and Vaz was restricted to shots from distance which i assume was team orders as Brezovan, the seagulls keeper, didn’t like to catch and kept punching out, giving forwards who follow up some sort of chance. Half time came and went, pretty quietly, as did the first 20 mins of the second half. The we moved to two up front again, and Vaz Te took a stunning bicycle kick to get his hattrick, and celebrate his change (not BFS’s in my opinion) to go back up front.

This reopened the floodgates, and CC got his first of the day with a hard shot that deflected off Lansbury to go 5 nil up. CC by the way had his worst day bar none, missing nearly all balls hit his way, but he didn’t give up and got his reward. Just when things couldn’t get any worse for Brighton, in came a Noble corner, which hit the back of the calf of Dicker for an own goal, and the last of the day.

West Ham win 6 0, but it’s all a little late, we need Southampton to lose at least one of their next 2 games. We have to win all of our games, and it really didn’t need to be this way. Once again, 2 up top is the solution, and Sam should be by now getting disciplinaries from the board based on this omission. Even today it proved the difference for probably two more goals. Speaking of which Lansbury should of got one, when he blazed over the bar from about 8 foot. This was a player who i thought would make the difference, and always scores for the under 21’s, but looks terrible for WHU. Where does he need to play, Centre Mid ? Would you drop Noble, or introduce some sort of xmas tree formation?

Apparently Morrison in injured. Or apparently Ravel has had a tiff with our own Kevin Nolan, and is currently on suspension from the club. This of course could be nonsense, but not surprising.

One other thing i heard is that if we dont get promotion, then Kevin Davies is on his way this summer. Really ? To replace who, Carew? Baldock ? or someone else who hardly plays.

We have Bristol City on Tuesday, in a game to extend our away record and close the gap on Southampton. We drew at home, in a dire wet evening game, lets hope Tuesday is better. Then Leicester away on Saturday. By then, realistically we will know where we are in relation to a straight promotion.

Fingers crossed and 2 up top.

MOTM: Ricardo Vaz Te. who else.

WHUFC vs Birmingham City 09/04/2012

After the hiding we took at our last home game against Reading, WHU today set sail to beat two objectives. First off the home record and secondly 3 points to apply pressure on Reading and Southampton for automatic promotion into the Premiership.

Neither was achieved honestly. WHU dominated the first half and found themselves 2 nil down by the half hour mark, due to two bad errors by the team when trying to push out. A goal back by Vaz Te, should of got WHU back in contention for half time, but a further goal by Burke about a minute afterwards left WHU struggling 3-1 down at half time.

This was now shit or bust time, and as much as we pushed nothing happened apart from the atmosphere got better and better. once again a crowd that has been treated to some dire football this season got behind a team that frankly dont deserve it.

Carlton Cole has been a much maligned figure the past month or two, but showed his class on 70 minutes, by actually being allowed to use his feet and dropping off the play to smash home a second for the Hammers. Then it was really game on, with more and more pressure. With a minute to go , Chris Burke handled and Vaz Te equalised from the spot, which Birmingham probably thought was a disaster but on reflection was about the right result.

One player who has been praised greatly this season is Rob Green for giving international performances every game. This was his worst by a mile. He didn’t move at all for the first goal. If he wants to play for his country, he has to be at the top of his game every week, without fail.

It was nice to see two up top, but Gary O’Neill was played out of position and it showed. Why Morrison or Landsbury cannot play 90 minutes is down to Sam I suppose.

So, we can take the point bearing in mind where we were at half time, but Reading need to drop points against Brighton tomorrow. In reality, we still have the play offs to look forward to, but lets hope we dont meet Brum again along the way. We played them 4 times last year, and could do without 4 times this year !

As a side note, I think it was the first time this year both myself and the two Johns made the pub prior to the game. Sounds like Aus John had the better trip home taking the self named “Stella Express” home across the Essex countryside.

MOTM: Vaz Te.

Barnsley vs WHUFC 06/04/2011Championship

I watched this round a friends house, so i cannot really comment on tactics, and ebb and flow, as i was half on this on half elsewhere. BUT.

0-4 to West Ham and an all time away wins in a season record. Nice work chaps.

The front 3 seemed to actually be a front three with Nolan, Maynard, and Vaz Te, involved and all scoring. nice chip from Noble for his one as well.

Barnsley were poor thought, almost completely bereft of ideas.

The real issue is that we are now third, and if Southampton win, 6 points of auto promotion with 5 games to go. If we need to overtake Southampton, they need to lose three games (goal difference), and Reading 2. At this stage of the season, that is a tall ask. So it looks like we could have 90 points and be in the playoffs. Obviously Sam’s plan of averaging 2 points a game to guarantee promotion was spot on. Shame he never set the team up with a chance of doing that until its too late.

Brum on Monday. MASSIVE.

WHUFC vs Middlesbrough 20/03/2012 Championship

Is this the night Sam lost the Boleyn ?

This game was rubbish, for both teams from start to finish, and the draw was fair. Also fair play to the Boro lads coming down that far on a Tuesday, and having to suffer a game of such low quality. Also, apologies to any one who tuned into Sky, as a neutral, to catch this “top of the table” clash

Now onto the meat and veg. We were poor, and played the old one up front game again. How many times do I have to say this Sam, Carlton Cole cannot play every ball up in the air. The guy is good on the ground and can bring others into play, but you continue to choose to use him as a traditional target man. David Cross left some time ago.

Noble and Nolan were inefficient, and Noble looked like he had been on a treadmill all day, he was that slow. Tompkins has to come out of the midfield, you are destroying a lad who could be a United legend, and if we don’t go up, will definitely leave at the end of the season.

Greenie was getting v.frustrated with the teams lethargy, and this has to stop. If you have a plan, stick to it, else change the plan.

Maynard was completely wasted on the wing. This is not his fault. Yet another who must be wondering why he is there.

Then we come to the tactics. Once we went one nil up (to a lucky goal, but we had had all the pressure to be fair), why did CC and Maynard have to leave the pitch immediately ? Did you not think they may go on to score another, as Boro would have to open up. Collison has been poor all season. This was the time to introduce Morrison, to inject some pace and vision into proceedings.

Once they equalised (great goal by the way), you almost admitted this by bringing on Baldock.

Sam , you are losing the home crowd. We don’t expect to be winning leagues all over the place, and knocking out Barca in the CL, but we do expect common sense.

You have done well thus far, but you have to play to our strengths, as well as the weaknesses of the opposition. I’m sure you heard the Paulo Di Canio calls , the same as I did. If backed by the board i think you can do a job for us in the Premiership, but currently the main objective is the Championship. A win on Saturday is a must.

Stand firm, keep the faith !

MOTM: N/A (it really was that bad)

WHUFC vs Doncaster Rovers 10/03/2012 Championship.

After the disappointment of our midweek draw against Watford. This was a welcome game to have, against a Donny team that have been near the bottom all season.

We started with Collinson and Vaz back in. Vaz had a perfectly good goal overruled after 20 seconds for an alleged foul on the defender. Not sure if you know Vaz, but he’s not the bullying kind ! Then CC hit the bar, and finally after waiting all of nine minutes we went one nil up, after Tompkins headed a great ball back across goal for Nolan.

i really thought this would be a rout for WHU. But as usual at home , we sat back and the game drifted into nothingness until the second half. It really was that bad.

Donny started to get on top mid way through the second half and WHU’s defending was spacious to say the least and Donny got their reward with an equaliser after 73 mins.

2 home daws in a week at this stage of the season is suicide , and Reading are now on equal points, but our goal difference keeps them out of the automatic promotion places.

We have to put teams like this away, and comfortably. And this is where we fail. We cannot put teams to the sword. I have to blame the manager. He has bough a raft of strikers this term with no real impact from any of them. CC is the only one playing well, but with no support is becoming a scapegoat. Sam needs to sort this as a matter of extreme urgency. Sam also needs to look at the tactics, that say as soon as we go behind or the opposition draw, we should go ultra long ball. This has only crept in for the last 2 games, but needs to dissapear ASAP.

I said playoffs, at the start of the season, and I hope I’m wrong, but it’s out go my hands and up to Sam to install some fight into his front line! And deliver some creativity into the mid field. I think with the personnel we have this is quite easy, but they need to play closer, and Nolan needs to stop wandering.

One other thing that is bothering me is the following. When I watch Premiership football, it seems way above what I see at Upton Park. If we do go up this season, i fear for the next one !

MOTM Carlton Cole. Did a lot of work for not a lot of return from his teammates.

WHUFC vs Watford 07/03/2012 Championship

Yet another freezing cold evening took mrben09 to the fortress of Upton Park, for a semi local derby with Watford. A team that used to have such luminaries as John Barnes, Luther Blissett, and Elton John, are now a confirmed championship side, but should of provided no competition to a Hammers team that so convincingly beat Cardiff the previous Sunday.

Collinson and Vaz Te were dropped from the starting line up for Matt Taylor and Julien Faubert, a move that i saw as positive and that nearly reaped rewards, as MT hit the bar after about 50 seconds from a 35 yrd shot. I’m afraid after that we huffed and puffed, and apart from a sitter missed (a recuring theme this season, Sam, get these guys practicing ) from Faubert following a MT cross, we stumbled towards half time. The front line appeared to be not engaging with the rest of the team, apart from flashes of co-ordination from CC.

The second half proved a different proposition with WHU pummelling the Watford penalty box but with no end result. I say penalty box, as shots were thin on the ground. With about 20 to go, i pointed out to Angry John, that Watford seemed to be getting on top. At that very minute, Watford scored a goal out of nothing, with a long range grasscutter, hitting the inside of the post and its one nil Watford.

Then it became charge of the light brigade stuff, with long balls to CC, and follow ons. To be fair CC played really well for all of the second half, winning about 80% of balls in the air, and laying off well. With about 8 to go of nomal time, Vaz Te managed to get on the end of a cleared corner to shoot through several players and equalise. Good news, but still we ploughed on. Due to a serious injury to a Watford player early in the secong half, there was 12 mins of extra time. More bluster from WHU, but no goals.

So in short, a disappointment for WHU fans, but a point at at the end of the day, that we needed to dig out. This is good practice for next year (assuming promotion). MOTM James Tomkins, who pretty much collected everything aimed near him all night, and made some crucial interceptions, and appears to be learning well from Faye.

Cardiff City vs WHUFC 04/03/2012 Championship

Watching a game on the telly, when it’s raining outside is never a bad thing. I could claim a family connection today as apparently Don Cowie is a second cousin of mine, but as we have never met and he doesn’t read this, I’ll leave it there. Don, if you do read this , Hi Cus. LOL.

West Ham had lost Winston Reid and Faubert during the week, so Nolan came back post ban, and Tomkins moved back into the back 4. Lansbury came in to the midfield after his 2 goals for the under 21’s during the week. With Maynard and Vaz Te up front, I assuming Sam wants a quick front line. Nolans reinclusion meant Noble had to drop into a holding and carrying role, despite playing at his best in the last 3 games, in a further forward position.

The first 15 passed with no excitement, but both teams had half chances. Cardiff were showing no signs of tiredness after their Carling Cup exploits the previous week. Maynard missed an absolute sitter in the 20th after a nice head back in from Collinson.

After 35 Gesate had the be replaced for Cardiff, after pulling a hamstring, so maybe there were some cup final gremlins about.

At the 42 minute mark, Collinson broke up play to get the ball through to Maynard. He delivered a great ball through to Nolan who struck a sublime pass into the net. That was the first shot on target in the whole game. One nil WHU, half time.

Early in the second half Faye played a beautiful ball to Vaz Te, who rounded the keeper, but was cut off from putting into an empty net. 2 minutes later Vaz Te showed some serious inexperience in not putting Nolan through. Maynard missed another stone wall chance after headed a pass back straight to NM on his own, who then shot straight at the keeper.

At 61 mins Faye got away with murder father he blatantly brought down an oncoming Cardiff player in a great position. Everyone saw it, except the ref

CC came on shortly afterwards for Maynard. wrong decision IMO. Should of taken off VT if anyone. Whittingham hit the post with a fantastic free kick from some distance at 67. Cardiff at this stage were in the ascendency and WHU were starting to look sloppy, and tired.

For the last 15 Gary O’Neill came on for Lansbury, who had been quiet. In the 76 minute McCartney ran over the half the length of the pitch, go a luck bounce of a defender and pushed it in the bottom corner to register his first goal for WHU in this spell of his tenure.

So another hard won 3 points for west ham, but we do need to look at some issues within the team. Vaz Te needs to get some bottle and put his foot in when needed. Collison played better than recent weeks, and maybe now will take to the left hand side, instead of wanting to play in the middle.MOTM for me was again Mark Noble. He had a very solid game and shepherded the Cardiff middle well.

The main issue I now have is this Portsmouth business. Why should anyone lose 6 points after working hard for 2 good wins. Should this happen and we don’t go up, it will be a disgrace and give Southampton effectively another 5 points. I don’t care if Pompey play their youth team in a park every week, they have to see out their fixtures. I do feel sorry for their fans, but ,I have no sympathy for bad management of both money or personnel.

WHUFC vs Crystal Palace 25/02/2012 Championship.

After the midweek drama against Blackpool with Robert Green’s red card, Lansbury’s heroics, and another 10 man win for West Ham, all we needed was a nice incident free quiet day. It was quiet alright, more due to the match being devoid of any drama, than for any good reasons.

Palace were the better team throughout . WHU were terrible. This maybe down to tiredness, of consistently being a man down, or a bad day at the office. Bottom line is that, if we play like that in the prem, then we lose 3 or more nil.

Noble had another good game, as did Faye, but my MOTM was Rob Green, who’s saves kept WHU in the game, and kept the score down to 0 0.

Collison has to pull his finger out. He was at least 2 yards off the ball all game. If he doesn’t get up to speed, he will have to leave. It’s that simple.