SAINTS 1-1 West Ham // Post-Match Reaction

[Saint-Armstrong]

Gastón Ramírez gave Saints the lead before a deflected Carroll free-kick levelled it up.

 

West Ham never really went for it and seemed pleased with a point.

 

 

What are we thinking.....?

[RobM]

They came for the draw, we let them have it. Not a bad performance, not a terrible result, but we should have done better.

 

Ramirez should never be allowed to take set pieces again, not until he learns how to take them anyway.

Fox wasn't awful, had some good moments, wasn't as much of a liability as usual.

JRod made a huge difference when he came on.

 

Overall, not terrible, but we should have won that.

[Sheaf Saint]

Meh.

 

Not a bad performance overall, and frustrating to concede from a deflection. I'll take that though. WHU defended very well.

[Black Sea Saint]

Can we at least put this "top six next season" nonsense to bed now?

 

Thought West ham had the upper hand, bullied us off the ball. A point was probably not a bad result to be honest.

[Lighthouse]

A draw will do. After the last 3 wins we can't really complain.

 

Both teams edging towards mid table obscurity, none of our rivals have won either. Pompey lose and are as good as down.

 

I'll take it.

[obelisk]

Scrappy thread and a scrappy game. Weather didn't help I suppose. Looked like hard work. Could've had all 3 points but could also have thrown away the one.

 

Not too disappointed.

[The Kraken]

Would have liked to have seen what happened had we been able to play JRod from the start. He was outstanding when he came on and made a real difference.

 

Decent performance but a bit toothless up top. Gaston got the goal but did little else other than woeful dead ball deliveries. Very subdued game from Lallana too. Jack Cork was immense, my MOTM for a brilliant performance and goal saving header in defence. We were the better side but West Ham are extremely solid and held out quite comfortably in the end.

 

Can't complain really, and its another point on the board.

[SaintRobbie]

Happy with that. I predicted 1-1 when I heard Shaw and Jay Rod were suffering.

 

Good enough. Shame not to win but good enough.

[MOSaint]

If only Rodriguez hadn't been ill in the week, West Ham struggled to deal with him when he came on.

[JoeShmoe]

Amazing how JRod has suddenly become so important for us

 

OK game, think we really need to work on our set piece delivery though, corners and free kicks - plus keep Ramirez away from all of them. That shot from 40 yards out was just stupid

[Edmonton Saint]

I am thinking we do we always go to pot whenever we score? Took the lead and then had a five minute spell of fannying around, gave away a needless free kick with another rash challenge by Hooiveld and then we never really looked like pushing onto get a winner. And on a separate note, I hope we can get in a player in the summer so we don't have to rely on Puncheon, Gives away the ball too often and never looks like he will beat a man. Was hoping that perhaps Mayuka may have been given a chance with the game poised at 1-1 as Rodriguez certainly unsettled them with his pace when he came on.

[trousers]

 

[SO16_Saint]

I am very impressed with our close control and first touch - especially when we fizz the ball in to feet at close range

[Crab Lungs]

Christ, they're **** - but percentage football obviously works.

[lloydie]

 

 

charge your phone mate

[Minsk]

Scrappy thread and a scrappy game. Weather didn't help I suppose. Looked like hard work. Could've had all 3 points but could also have thrown away the one.

 

Not too disappointed.

 

Would have liked to have seen what happened had we been able to play JRod from the start. He was outstanding when he came on and made a real difference.

 

Decent performance but a bit toothless up top. Gaston got the goal but did little else other than woeful dead ball deliveries. Very subdued game from Lallana too. Jack Cork was immense, my MOTM for a brilliant performance and goal saving header in defence. We were the better side but West Ham are extremely solid and held out quite comfortably in the end.

 

Can't complain really, and its another point on the board.

 

Thanks guys, saved me the bother of typing. Fully agree with both.

[Avenue Saint]

Strong physical side that lot. More than held our own.

 

Clash of styles but will take a point. One of those days, could easily have gone either way, although the 3 points wouldn't have been undeserved.

 

Onwards and upwards.

[Dr. Kucho]

1 point closer to safety.

 

Poor game, though we did play some good stuff at times. Still work to do on set pieces on the training ground, defending and attacking them. Tough away game next week against Swansea, can Schneiderlin play? I thought he was close to a 1 match ban with the yellow cards he picked up this season.

[scotty]

Great goal from Gaston, but why in the name of christ is he taking our set pieces? Three appalling deliveries, all from really dangerous areas. Fox's dead ball a minute from time was far more threatening. Surely we must have somebody who could do a better job of it than Ramirez?

[SaintRobbie]

MATCH STATS (BBC)

Possession : 58% Saints 42% West Ham

Shots: 15 Saints 6 West Ham

On target: 11 Saints 4 West Ham

Corners: 7 Saints 4 West Ham

Fouls: 9 Saints West Ham 18

 

Basically - despite having a virus or three we outplayed the cheating Londoners.

 

We was robbed. West Ham will be the happier team with this result.

[Dalek2003]

1-1 good result for both clubs and as the game went to the last 15 minutes both sets of players probably happy to settle for a draw.

 

Just hope Wigan and Slumerland lose their game in hand. Norwich looking a bit dodgy !

[OttawaSaint]

A bit unlucky. They defended well, we passed it around nicely. Should have won. Carrol miss-hit that free kick, and got a lucky deflection. Gaston has to not take any more dead balls, I can deliver a better set piece than him, and that is saying something. Overall a bit meh, but a point is good I guess.

[jasonb]

A fair result in the end for me. I don't think we were at our recent fluent best and a lot of credit has to go to West Ham for that. They perhaps sacrificed their own performance to try and nullify us and I thought they did that extremely well. They got men behind the ball and made it very difficult for us to play through the lines.

 

I don't think West Ham necessarily offered too much going forwards as a result of their game-plan but they showed flashes of quality and on another day could well of nicked that one. They certainly weren't all "hoof" like our crowd seemed to enjoy intimating. Indeed, we got it forward quickly just as much. However, we arguably had some of the better possession. They had the threat from set-pieces especially corners. I was glad they put in two duffers towards the end that didn't beat the near-post.

 

I thought Ramirez was his usual self, flashes of inspiration and then utter garbage. The goal was very composed and tidy but the free-kicks, which resulted in him being hauled off, were awful. Rickie was well marshalled by West Ham's center-backs who I thought were brilliant. A real wall to have to go through at times. They were busy in midfield too and worked very hard for their manager and fans.

 

Any point in the Prem is a good point and against a well organised team like West Ham has to be respected.

 

I perhaps think Ponch's annoyance in hauling off Ramirez and replacing him with Punch probably nullified the threat of Rodders who looked a right handful down the right for the minutes he was on... very direct and obviously brimming with confidence.

 

Oh and finally, a word about the conditions. Fair play to both teams on any sort of game as that wind seemed pretty bad at times.

 

My MotM goes to Cork. I thought he looked very composed when many around him were the complete opposite, especially towards the end of the first half.

Edited 13 April, 2013 by jasonb

[suewhistle]

Thought West ham had the upper hand, bullied us off the ball. A point was probably not a bad result to be honest.

 

Quoi? Too much absinthe, mon gars.

[CWD]

WHU defended well to be fair and until Jay Rod came on we just weren't running at their defence enough. They dealt with lambert in the air all day. Not much we could do about the goal but the free kick should never have been given away in the first place, Hooiveld is prone to silly mistakes like that, which is why we need to strengthen at CB in the summer.

 

I'm concerned with the panicky moments in defence that we seem to have a couple of times a game, we struggle with getting the ball clear, and Carroll almost scored from it today.

 

Thought Ramirez (appalling free kicks and corners aside) was very good today as was Clyne, but MOTM goes to Cork. What a player he is becoming.

[Dalek2003]

Reading and QPR def down now. Portsmuff looking down the barrel of a gun.

[scotty]

Gaston has to not take any more dead balls, I can deliver a better set piece than him, and that is saying something.

 

How long have we all been saying that? And why is he still taking them?? Even the manager today got frustrated enough to sub him after the last fiasco.

[Window Cleaner]

1 point closer to safety.

 

Poor game, though we did play some good stuff at times. Still work to do on set pieces on the training ground, defending and attacking them. Tough away game next week against Swansea, can Schneiderlin play? I thought he was close to a 1 match ban with the yellow cards he picked up this season.

 

 

Yellow card amnesty for 10 cards is tomorrow so with 9 Morgan doesn't get a ban. Now moves on to 15 before the end of the season so none of our players can now get suspended for accumulation of yellow cards.

[niceandfriendly]

Jos saying his tackle wasn't a foul but from what I saw it was another terrible lunge from him and was a definite foul, but I admit my stream was dodgy so I may be wrong.

[Saint-scooby]

Take hard fought point, as stated above not running at 100%, slightly sweeter with the result at Brentford

[trousers]

5 game unbeaten run. 11 points from 15. Tidy,

[St Jim]

Disappointed after being infront but would have probably taken a draw before the game.

 

Thought Cork was excellent, my m.o.m. especially in the first half.

[suewhistle]

Based on the dodgy stream I was watching, all I can say is that I'm glad I don't watch WH every week...

[DT]

Safe. Told hammers fan mate it would be a draw so happy enough.

[stknowle]

We were the better side, had more of the ball and would have been a travesty had we lost. BUT credit to Wham who clearly set out with a 'try not to lose and if we nick it happy days' mentality. Very solid, the next step in our development is how to break down and beat this park the bus approach.

[Leslie Charteris]

At the moment, West Ham are to football what today's weather is to a beach holiday, so I'll take a point.

It just seems a bit disappointing in the light of recent results but 10 points from the next four would be pretty handy!

[Window Cleaner]

Thought we needed a bit more sharpness in the last 20 yards today. We would have had that if JRod had been fit to start. Not great games from Lallana and Lambert today. Still pleased enough with the draw.

[JoeShmoe]

Agree with the comments about their defense, they were very good all day against the crosses and didn't give Ricky too much space

 

As soon as JRod came on with pace they were less sure though, maybe Mayuka could have got a run?

 

Thought Cork was MOTM but poor game from Lallana

[The Kraken]

If anything today provided me with a bit more evidence that Ramirez and Lallana on the pitch at the same time isn't the way to go. We looked much better with JRod on; Lallana and Ramirez are a bit too similar and I just don't think it has worked for the most part. Also JRod provided some much needed pace, and actually ran at the West Ham defence which put them on the back foot and created openings.

 

Didn't think I'd be saying this only a month ago, but JRod is becoming invaluable to us. His confidence is sky high, and while his technique still needs plenty of work he was an avenue that we just didn't have before he came on and gave them all sorts of bother.

[itchen]

I don't remember the phenomenon of every outfield player going to the far left hand quarter of the pitch every time they got a goal kick since we've been back in the top flight. Playing West Ham today was like a flashback to League One. Awful football. That said, it obviously works for them and we couldn't beat them. I'd hate to watch it every week though.

 

Thought Davis and Cork were tremendous. Fox also had a good game and I think blocked a certain goal. We're happy to lay into him when he messes up so it's only fair to praise him when it's due. I think we'd have won with a fit Rodriguez on from the start. But, in the end, probably a fair result.

 

Just one of those meaningless mid-table fixtures. Isn't it nice to be able to say that?

[jasonb]

I often read other fan's forums as I know many on here do. I enjoy reading KUMB and have been doing so post-match this afternoon. I appreciate a few on here got over excited and were predicted drubbings etc (never going to happen). However. a fair few were also trying to bring some perspective.

 

They are generally a decent bunch but I get slightly irked at anyone else other than pompey calling us scummers... Bournemouth do it and Brighton started too as well. We only have one rival. We don't care about any other team. Pre-match banter is all it is. Get over yourselves KUMB if you think we give two ****s about you! Most of us don't.. sorry about that :-)

 

I do love all the cockney/Danny Dyer speak though... "muggy" being my personally favorite!

[SNSUN]

Davis MOTM, honourable mention to Cork, Morgan, Clyne and Jay. Poor games from Ramirez (despite the goal) and Rickie. Full reaction when I can feel my fingers again.

[Wes Tender]

You can see why many West Ham fans despair at the team they have become and the football they play under Allardyce. A more niggly, cheating, diving, cynical team of hoofers I've yet to encounter in the Premership this time around. Does Allardyce coach them to dive the minute that someone breathes gard down the neck, or are they that type of player to begin with? Take that overpaid, over-hyped Donkey Carroll for example. As well as being a mystery why anybody would be mad enough to think that he is worth £35 million, it is incomprehensible why such a big lumbering oaf cannot keep his feet when challenged to the ball by a much smaller player. One can only conclude that he does it to gain an advantage via a free-kcik, in other words, he is a cheat. What a shame though that the referee didn't realise that they conned him every time. Even the one awarded to them that resulted in their equaliser didn't look justified to me. I'll have to wait and see it on MOTD.

 

We passed the ball about nicely, generally didn't fall victim to their hoofballs and were the better team. But without Rodriguez to provide his energy and cutting edge, a draw was a reasonable result. Rodriguez showed enough in that last sector of the match to suggest that had he been fit enough to start, he would have been the difference between 1 point and 3.

 

Another match where we were unable to play the Pochettino high pressing game, but Plan B looked quite a bit like Adkins' style of having us play, trying to keep the ball away from WH and passing it about probing for an opening. Generally good performances from most of the players, particularly Cork, Schneiderlin and Clyne. Ramirez is frustrating. OK, he scores the goal to give us the lead, but then had a succession of dead ball situations where he failed to deliver a decent ball.

 

It would be good to finish ahead of WH this season, so I hope that they get nothing from their game in hand. I suspect that following Reading and West Ham, Swansea and West Brom are going to be matches that much more suit our style of play and if Shaw and Rodriguez are both back, our chances of the points will be much better.

Edited 13 April, 2013 by Wes Tender

[Saint Charlie]

They are so bad to watch but get results.

 

Clumsiness from Jos costs us again...

[CB Saint]

Carp weather

carp game

carp ref

carp opposition

fair result

[The Kraken]

They are so bad to watch but get results.

 

Clumsiness from Jos costs us again...

 

He really does have an uncanny knack of letting down otherwise decent performances with stupid, needless mistakes.

[Olallana]

Can people even call that football what they are trying to do?

Feel sorry for their fans to be paying to see that every week.

 

Btw, who is the biggest idiot.....Carroll, Nolan or O´Brien??

 

 

And Carroll, you are no superstar, you´re just a reject out on loan....

[Saint Charlie]

He really does have an uncanny knack of letting down otherwise decent performances with stupid, needless mistakes.

 

He just isn't good enough at this level.

[for_heaven's_Saint]

The game was pretty much everything I though it would be. ****e conditions against a team playing ****e 'football'.

[um pahars]

Got dragged down to their level and never managed to impose our game on them.

 

Morgan's early yellow (deserved IMHO) meant he seemed to be treading on eggshells. Shaw's absence hampered us down the left, but on the other hand Clyne was good down the right.

 

Without Rodrigues the set up didn't look balanced and don't think Lallana or Ramirez really delivered. Lambert too often on his own.

 

Probably settle for a point, and glad I don't have to watch West Ham every week. It might make for a safe Premiership finish, but feck me they were so awful to watch (wrestling cum rugby).