Hammers Chat

Whiskyman wrote: ↑Fri Nov 20, 2020 2:42 pm

h69 wrote: ↑Fri Nov 20, 2020 12:04 pm

Yes, he was no worse than others v Fulham but when did he last have a decent game ? Top players can indeed adapt or at least make themselves a nuisance. He is more suited to German football IMO as Chicharito was to be honest and really is not suited to our type of game....ditto Anderson.

The last game I can recall him playing anything like an acceptable standard was the home game against Southampton just before the shutdown, when he played as part of a front two alongside Antonio. A system which worked well that day.

Giving the bloke some benefit I don't think he's played too often since then, at least certainly not full games. Something of a catch 22 of course when performances, even in short cameos, don't justify an extended run in the team.

h69 wrote: ↑Fri Nov 20, 2020 2:51 pm

Whiskyman wrote: ↑Fri Nov 20, 2020 2:42 pm

The last game I can recall him playing anything like an acceptable standard was the home game against Southampton just before the shutdown, when he played as part of a front two alongside Antonio. A system which worked well that day.

Giving the bloke some benefit I don't think he's played too often since then, at least certainly not full games. Something of a catch 22 of course when performances, even in short cameos, don't justify an extended run in the team.

I dont disagree that he is a decent technical player but players like him are dying out in our league. In my opinion this is the most physically demanding and fastest paced league in Europe. Its not always the most technical and many players from Europe have had to adapt. Some make it and some dont....it can take time. I think that is why so many young players are thriving.

I really hope he finds his feet in the PL because he seems a genuinely nice guy and I believe he is liked and joins in a lot of the banter with the lads in training and seems quite happy living in the UK (with what you are allowed to do here at the moment anyway.

I have never thought he was lazy but just lacks a bit of mobility and that is a problem as he is just too easy to mark. Like Carroll before him, that really only leads to options around crossing which Antonio seems also to like anyway.

Sakho was a good example of a player who was OK technically but was strong and quick and look at his impact before he downed tools. We would be better getting a player like that in my opinion. For example, I would take Son ahead of Kane anyday.

Whiskyman wrote: ↑Fri Nov 20, 2020 4:40 pm

h69 wrote: ↑Fri Nov 20, 2020 2:51 pm

I dont disagree that he is a decent technical player but players like him are dying out in our league. In my opinion this is the most physically demanding and fastest paced league in Europe. Its not always the most technical and many players from Europe have had to adapt. Some make it and some dont....it can take time. I think that is why so many young players are thriving.

I really hope he finds his feet in the PL because he seems a genuinely nice guy and I believe he is liked and joins in a lot of the banter with the lads in training and seems quite happy living in the UK (with what you are allowed to do here at the moment anyway.

I have never thought he was lazy but just lacks a bit of mobility and that is a problem as he is just too easy to mark. Like Carroll before him, that really only leads to options around crossing which Antonio seems also to like anyway.

Sakho was a good example of a player who was OK technically but was strong and quick and look at his impact before he downed tools. We would be better getting a player like that in my opinion. For example, I would take Son ahead of Kane anyday.

The sheer volume of fixtures does, I agree, make the PL a very demanding league physically but clubs at our level don't have the same level of fixture congestion as the European competing ones and Haller hasn't been used a great deal and I don't think the physical element of the game is much more here than it is in Germany. In all honesty I think Haller, certainly not the first striker with a degree of pedigree we've failed to get the best out of, was bought in panic when it was clear Gomez didn't want to come. Gomez is more suited to the spearhead role than Haller and we would probably have been better off turning our attention towards players who were proven in the role we wanted him for (I do accept he was signed for Pellegrini's system , not Motes') rather than trying to accommodate him into our system.

We have had Hernandez, good enough to score shedloads for Mexico and play for two of the biggest clubs in world football with some success, and Zaza, good enough to be selected for Italy and turn out regularly for Juventus. But both were written off as "shit" by many of our fans. Perhaps it is the recruitment of players that needs to be looked at more intelligently. Then we may see players slipping more seamlessly into the team structure.

Newmarket wrote: ↑Fri Nov 20, 2020 8:47 pm

Whiskyman wrote: ↑Fri Nov 20, 2020 4:40 pm

The sheer volume of fixtures does, I agree, make the PL a very demanding league physically but clubs at our level don't have the same level of fixture congestion as the European competing ones and Haller hasn't been used a great deal and I don't think the physical element of the game is much more here than it is in Germany. In all honesty I think Haller, certainly not the first striker with a degree of pedigree we've failed to get the best out of, was bought in panic when it was clear Gomez didn't want to come. Gomez is more suited to the spearhead role than Haller and we would probably have been better off turning our attention towards players who were proven in the role we wanted him for (I do accept he was signed for Pellegrini's system , not Motes') rather than trying to accommodate him into our system.

We have had Hernandez, good enough to score shedloads for Mexico and play for two of the biggest clubs in world football with some success, and Zaza, good enough to be selected for Italy and turn out regularly for Juventus. But both were written off as "shit" by many of our fans. Perhaps it is the recruitment of players that needs to be looked at more intelligently. Then we may see players slipping more seamlessly into the team structure.

Have to say , I agree with your comments about the Bundesliga .
Up until about 18 months ago I would watch lots of Kraut football , and I mean FULL matches not highlights and at that time I would have said that generally the Bundesliga was every bit as physical as our league , the most similar to ours for certain.
FC Hollywood & Dortmund being possible exceptions , though of course they were certainly capable of mixing it with the Mainz’s and Freiburg’s of this world ...

Of course that may have all changed since then

BCHammer wrote: ↑Sun Nov 22, 2020 9:01 pm A little quiet on this thread today