West Ham Banter Archive January 10 2014

10 Jan 2014 15:09:09
I would like to see the following team out tomorrow in a 4-2-3-1 formation:

JJ in goal
Demel, Tomkins, Johnson, Rat - back four
Noble, Diame - holding
Downing, Joe Cole, Jarvis - spread across the middle
Carlton Cole - up top

If we cannot manage to salvage a goal before 70 mins, it has to be Joe Cole for Morrison and Carroll for Carlton Cole to change the game. Would also like to see Collison come on the pitch if we are ahead to help hang on to a win

I would start with carroll tomorrow, if he is fit enough for the bench he is fit enough to play 65/70, get us 1/2-0 up then bring on carlton.

need to take this risk now


coyi

Carroll would be a risk, I would hate him to get injured with us rushing him back. And if he did get injured you just know BFS's excuse will be "we had to rush him back and he got injured, not my fault" and our season is doomed. I couldn't take that!

Only person I disagree with in the lineup is Carlton Cole. I think he has been a disgrace over the last 6 matches. Not chasing balls down and not closing down defenders and just simply jogging around. For Man City's 4th he actually WALKED past the City player on the edge of the box who had the ball. I never want to see him in a Hammers shirt again if we can avoid it. It is a shame because I have always liked Carlton (despite not thinking he is a good player) but his work rate has been awful this season and he simply does NOTHING for the team. Maiga has not been prolific for us but he at least closes defenders down and makes it harder for teams to come at us waive after waive. Put pressure on those CB's and they may player a longer ball and we can win back possession. Let them pass it and we are doomed. He did exactly that when he came on against Spurs and we turned the game around and won, while when Carlton was on the CB's had no pressure and they just passed the ball around and they came at us time after time.

Let's be fair mate. Allardyce doesn't like him, doesn't want him and treated him rather badly last season by hardly ever giving him a run out.
Suddenly Sam is in a spot of bother and lacking strikers and approaches Carlton to come back and help him out.
If I was Carlton Cole and never felt truly wanted, I feel I too may lack the enthusiasm and drive if I was only on a short term contract with little to no chance of extending it. What excuse do the other players have that underperformed on the day?

To be honest cc work rate off the ball has always been poor

The whole teams work rate is very poor at the moment

10 Jan 2014 11:04:19
I would love to see 4411 tomorrow with Morrison just behind Carroll hope he don't go same 433 (451 as we know it)

He will go 4-3-3 because the whole point of Carroll being there is to get two wingers delivering him crosses. He will attack goal from these or nod back into the edge of the box for (what used to be Nolan) or Morrison/Noble/Diame to have a go

This is the tactic that we will keep as long as we keep Fatboy as manager. Not saying it will or won't work as it got us to 10th place finish last season

Theres no way he would ever play Carroll up front, alone, with no wingers and I make him right

Carroll won't play a full game maybe twenty minutes at the end

10 Jan 2014 10:08:06
AC could be on the bench for Cardiff tomorrow. Maybe a run out at the end of the match could get him ready for Newcastle next week. I do believe that with him back in the starting line up we will see a big difference in terms of play. Downing/Jarvis/Cole can confidently skin the full backs knowing that their crosses won't hit empty space and Diame/Morrison/Nolan/Noble will have something to follow up on at the edge of the box hopefully. Just need the defence to get back and fit, missing Reid big time! Fingers crossed nobody offers for Diame, Reid or Noble too, would hate to see them go, all powerful members of the west ham squad in my opinion

We can only really judge the team when our first team are back fit, aside from poor management when we don't have a fit squad I think we will come good and avoid relegation when our strongest players are back

Agree! My biggest worry tomorrow is Roger Johnson. I hope the City game has him prepared and he can step up.

Agreed Johnson wasn't the best, but who did play well? Got to remember he was playing for Sheffield Weds the week before the Citeh game, can't blame him for taking the opportunity to have another crack at the Prem, or even being picked. He only trained a couple of times with the squad, and he was playing alongside a guy who doesn't often play CB himself, against some of the best players in the world. Bit harsh to make him the scapegoat when there wasn't a single player who showed any fight, passion, commitment or heart for the fight, which is down to a lack of character on their behalf as men, and the lack of motivational ability of the manager. Anyway, here's hoping for three points against the sheep shaggers, COYI's.