West Ham banter 2

01 Oct 2025 07:39:05
{Ed's Note - Rewz has posted a new article entitled, The Next Manchester United Manager Faces A Massive Task

30 Sep 2025 12:50:56
OK. Having slept on it, I think we deserved our point and maybe should have got all three. Not if you'd listened to the biased commentating on Sky. According to that, Everton dominated the match! Absolute nonsense.
I thought Summerville was magnificent. By far our best player. Diouf, although a bit iffy defending at times, was also worthy of mention. Füllkrug was ineffective and gave the ball away far too often. Fernandes looked a bit suspect, as did Magassa, who I think was withdrawn because he was below par and not because he was on a yellow card. Others were on yellow cards, but didn't get substituted. Paqueta didn't have a good game. Areola looked solid and Potts deserves starting. He looked good. Kilman and Mavropanos probably need replacing, but I think Nuno will keep Kilman. Bowen was his usual self and Walker-Peters was OK, but is more a back-up to the more talented AWB when he returns. I hope Nuno starts Potts alongside Paqueta and Diouf, with both Scarles and Marshall given chances. Things are looking up on the pitch, but we still need changes in the boardroom. Brady and Sullivan OUT!

30 Sep 2025 14:42:22
Pretty good assessment there. I’d agree with most of that. I do think the game changed when Potts came on and that not to slag off the young Magassa he will be an important player for us all being well and an improvement on JWP. Potts is really good but it’s hard to identify why he doesn’t do anything dramatic but he just kept us ticking over and moving forward and winning tackles. I haven’t seen anything to justify Fernandez fee but hopefully he will come good. Paqueta was poor but again lost or gave the ball away whilst trying to get us on the front foot.
I’m probably on my own here, but I thought Killman played well. He definitely wasn’t worth anywhere near his purchase fee but thought he was okay at first he hasn’t been good for some time. Mav was poor last night but I think most of us see there is a reasonably decent player in there. I think this guy will switch between back 4 and back 5 depending on who we are playing.
One swallow don’t make a summer but the second half especially was really encouraging

30 Sep 2025 15:33:36
One thing Nuno needs to do quickly is replace Bowen as captain. He’s our best player and obviously loves the club, but a leader he aint. And we need a new vice-captain now that sense has prevailed and JWP is toast. Who would we like to see fill those posts? Somebody on YouTube suggested Soucek. He has all the qualities other than talent. Another possible candidate is Kilman, given his history with Nuno, but I don’t think he’s good enough to stay in the team. He might improve under Nuno. Maybe AWB? Let’s face it, there aren’t that many candidates. What do others think?

30 Sep 2025 15:52:47
I think AWB would be a decent captain or vice. This will cause controversy but I think Paqueta although he does throw himself on the floor a lot!
If he can get Killman playing well again then maybe him
Alvarez would have made a good captain as he captains Mexico
But to be honest I think he will have to stick with Bowen because he did so for the first match would be awkward taking it away. But agree he’s not a natural captain

30 Sep 2025 17:53:36
I don’t think you can take away the captaincy now, how would that make Bowen feel, other clubs would be straight in for him thinking that he would be pissed off with that and try to get him out.

30 Sep 2025 21:13:18
Bowen has done nothing wrong to have it taken away. He’s our best player by a street. Why remove it.

30 Sep 2025 23:47:37
I have never felt Bowen was Captain material but the problem has always been who is in our squad. Kilman was capt at Wolves and did well but needs to improve his game first. The fact that we don’t have a natural captain highlights a big problem for us, no natural leadership on the pitch when we’re up against it. This also needs sorting in January

01 Oct 2025 00:38:57
Dabber, maybe you can explain the concept of captaincy to Brooking and that it’s not reliant on being the best player?

01 Oct 2025 07:52:22
Totally right Dabber. It’s not a criticism of him as a player, he has been great . But as I said it would be difficult to take it away now. But Nuno does seem good at diplomacy. We do have a lack of leaders I hope AWB comes back into the side he is a possible.

01 Oct 2025 07:53:54
Fulkrug could be another but his current form doesn’t guarantee a place in the team

01 Oct 2025 08:17:01
Bowen is our best, most reliable and loyal player, it would be insulting to take it away from him, I think Captaincy is a load of b———s anyway, the Manager is the supposed Captain on and off the field! He would be right to get the hump if that happened and I hope Nuno would be a much better man manager than that if he did that and would go down in my estimation if he insulted Bowen in that way!
Bowen is a credit to our club and many of our younger players would look up to him& want to follow him as an example of how a professional player should behave! ⚒⚒⚒⚒

01 Oct 2025 09:00:25
Brooking, best player he may be but having your Captain play so far up the pitch generally doesn’t work. Positionally they are better in the midfield where they can dictate play or one of the centre backs as they can see everything that's unfolding in front of them. Look at Rice and Noble before him then Zouma. Also the captain needs to be vocal. If you watch the pre-match huddle it’s always Fulkrug doing the talking and motivating. Perhaps he wants the role and it’s causing friction, who knows. I will say where Bowen has shown captaincy qualities is off the pitch when interviewed after a loss, his diplomacy is excellent

01 Oct 2025 09:56:04
Dabber, Fulkrug! That’s about all he can do, talk, waste of money, however I do agree midfield is the best position to see what’s going on, however I say it would be an insult to Bowen to strip him of that privilege! ⚒⚒⚒⚒

01 Oct 2025 11:45:36
Chelmsford, totally agree with you, Fulkrug needs to let his feet do the talking but he does stick his oar in during pre-match huddle and Bowen should be doing that. I can’t agree with you that the captain role is bo***x as the coach picks the team and tactics but the players have to deliver during the game. When heads drop it is the captain on the pitch that rallies the troops ….look what a difference Bobby Moore made. I love Bowen but shouldering the responsibility of having to defend some of that lot in interviews seems to be weighing him down. He might actually feel relieved to be relieved of the captaincy ??‍♂️

01 Oct 2025 11:46:07
Bowen gives me the feeling he is like a young lad who just wants to play and doesn’t want the responsibility. So I don’t think he would be over bothered if captaincy was taken away. But I think the manager would be able to tell if it was going to become an issue which non of us would want. I tend to think defenders have been our better captains. Moore, Bonds, even Julian Dicks to a degree, but I wasn’t too keen on him. Moore and bonds weren’t overly shouty but all the players had full respect for them.

01 Oct 2025 14:38:32
I think we must give Nuno and Bowen some credit. The two would probably sit down and talk it through. Bowen is no fool and he probably realises he is not suited to the captaincy, so I doubt he would feel upset. Give the lad some credit. Dabber is right about the problem with suitable alternatives, but I should imagine Bowen himself might have a suitable suggestion to offer Nuno. The captaincy is an important position, not only as the public image of the club, but also for encouragement and enthusiasm on the pitch during a match, and that is certainly not bollocks!

01 Oct 2025 14:47:09
Recall Alvarez and give it to him ??, you could easily sell it to Bowen as its world cup.year and he needs to concentrate on football, I'd like a more vocal captain to be honest, someone who isn't afraid to let the team know they aren't performing, the fact Bowen is the captain highlights a real lack of leaders within the squad.

01 Oct 2025 23:40:56
I agree that Alvarez would be ideal, but it all depends on the conditions of his loan and whether or not the lad wants to play for WHU again.

02 Oct 2025 11:59:12
Alvarez isn’t the worst shout but he’d need to curb his recklessness, no good having a captain getting cards and serving bans. If he can sort that out he could be a very good option

02 Oct 2025 14:05:03
Agreed, but on the other hand it shows he has passion. Just what we need.

03 Oct 2025 12:32:36
Bowen all day for me. Man leads by example, no-one else does.

30 Sep 2025 11:20:20
In the cold light of morning, I’m still a damned sight more optimistic than I was a couple of days ago.

30 Sep 2025 12:34:41
Be interesting to see how we do against arsenal after he's had a full week, wouldn't have been my first choice appointment but second half especially we were much better last night, hopefully a weeks training he can improve our defending

30 Sep 2025 06:21:26
Wow what a different level of performance in 3 days.

Agreed with all of you. Bring Marshall in, give him a shot

Onwards and upwards. Now if only we had a decent striker lol

30 Sep 2025 09:41:45
Fullkrug has had enough chances and should be moved on in Jan for whatever we can get for him. We need a young, pacey striker so give marshall chances till jan

30 Sep 2025 17:08:59
⚒?Most of us all saying the same, what a great improvement?Fulkrug get rid, he clearly wants away as he was anonymous! Summerville magnificent, think Nuno was thinking of Saturday taking him off! Lots to look forward to now hopefully Potter gone, Nuno will now make them more resilient to corners and crosses and defensively as a whole? Not expecting us to suddenly leap into the top 6/8 by Xmas, but give us some decent performances and not have to be embarrassingly beaten by 4/5 goal margins! ⚒⚒⚒COYI

30 Sep 2025 07:39:08
{Ed's Note - KingKenny1809 has posted a new article entitled, Thoughts On The Liverpool v Crystal Palace Match

29 Sep 2025 22:44:24
Imagine if Nuno had had a week to work with the players and not 2 days.
The owners had written off 3 points and will crow about earning 1.
We could have had 3.
Now imagine if Brady hadn't convinced Sullivan to keep Potter on long term and we'd had a Professional for preseason and the opening 5 games.
BS OUT

29 Sep 2025 22:14:02
SATISFIED, with that, good fight back well deserved point, gives us some hope for Arsenal, few more days to work with the team, wed!thurs Friday, got to get tighter on corners and cross balls that's Arsenals Forte

29 Sep 2025 22:05:20
Great point and really good performance, personally thought we were better than Everton overall.

29 Sep 2025 22:00:54
Much better, our left looks dangerous, i'd drop paqueta and Fulkrugg and going forward play.
Areola
WP mavro kilman diof
Magassa potts
Bowen fernandes summer
Marshall

29 Sep 2025 22:29:09
Fulkrug gave the ball away quite a bit and wasn’t a threat. Amazed he didn’t bring Wilson on. Good result.

30 Sep 2025 21:15:31
Wilson ahead of Fulkrug

29 Sep 2025 21:57:09
Well, I enjoyed that game. First time for ages. A well deserved draw. Happy with the team selection, and the tactics. What a difference a Premiership coach makes!

29 Sep 2025 22:12:06
Second half was decent at least they showed a bit of passion when went 1 down rather than rolling over, potts coming on coincided with us getting much better, diouf and summerville were really good

29 Sep 2025 22:26:30
Also happy mate, much much better

29 Sep 2025 22:31:50
Thought you wanted Xavi and didn’t fancy Nuno?

30 Sep 2025 06:34:26
I think Diouf could end up being a real bargain. Everton weren’t bad first half we were miles better second half, but if it wasn’t for Grealish and Dewsbury Hall they would have had no threat at all.
The fans were great and for large periods it sounded like we were at home. And good to see the way the manager went over to our fans at the end and how he was received by them .

30 Sep 2025 06:36:29
Oh yeah and I did like the rendition of “ Sully, you’re a c**t, Sully Sully you’re a c**t booming out around the stadium

30 Sep 2025 08:40:30
It’s one drawn game Brooking. ? Let’s wait and see what happens long term, but anything’s an improvement on Potter who, if I remember properly, …well, you were singing his praises until recently!
If you read what I said, I’m not against Nuno. I still believe there are better coaches that would suit WHU and Xavi is one of them. Silva is another. The clubs problems go a lot deeper than just changing the coach. In the meantime, let’s all be pleased the football is better.