Comments on: West Ham United – Going long and backwards under Big Sam

By: Tom Burford

Tom Burford — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 14:50:40 +0000

I haven’t read so much dross for a long time.

How on earth is this club going backwards? We have tried to play this so called “West Ham Way” for over a decade now with no success. And don’t forget that we were relegated with the Joe Coles, Michael Carricks and Jermain Defoes in 2003 adopting this supposed beutiful style of football. Under Zola and Grant we tried to play this attacking style and constantly let in more than we scored.

Big Sam has introduced tactical prowess where previous managers this decade have failed. Everybody sings Pardews praises, but lets not forget we actually finished 6th the season we went up not 3rd. Last season we also broke a club record for away wins.

When we go in front I am now confident we can win a game, a feeling I haven’t had for a long time.

And with the backing of our chairman and looking to upsize to the Olympic stadium. This is a club going forwards, not backwards.

Football is a changing game and for teams like west ham, their interest needs to be winning football matches. With the squad we have we’ve over achieved this season, in my opinion. Win matches, stay in the league, it’s that simple.

When people talk about the flair players of the past, despite their rightfull place in West Ham folklore, there was a lot less pressure to win games, trying their best was enough and even losing was softened if they team played well. Because of the money in the game now teams can’t afford to be relegated, hence the reason we have to play winning tactical football. The have been a lot of games when Sam has been in charge where we have stolen the points when we haven’t been the better side, and would have gone home with nothing in previous years.

I think back to games like QPR away this year where we won the game due to being solid at the back and seein the game out. Everyone knows how many winning positions we threw away under Zola an Grant, because as managers they were tactically inept.

Lay off Big Sam, he was the best possible appointment for us last year. And he is going to lay the foundations for West Ham to be a massive club in the future.

Come on you Irons

By: Chris Snelling

Chris Snelling — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 12:33:36 +0000

This, an article first published Septamber last year, is being rehashed now? Why? Lazy journalism to start with and even lazier publishing. Obviously not enough crap going on in the transfer window……oh and yes….what is that Redknap chap doing at the moment?

By: RexHammer

RexHammer — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 11:58:20 +0000

This is lazy, generic journalism at its best. As many people have commented before, you have opted to jump on the anti-sam bandwagon and copy what your journalist brothers are saying.

When Big Sam come to the club, it was in complete turmoil both on and off the field. The managers had completely lost the changing room and we collected so much dross along the way.

Big Sam came in, got rid of all the dross and won the dressing room back, also the players look a lot fitter than before. We also have a proper captain in Kevin Nolan. Yes, he can go missing for large sections of the match, but he is our top goalscorer and is 10 times the captain that Matthew Upson ever was -not that you would know as you most probably thought it was Scott Parker like all your other buddies.

Before writing another article bad-mouthing our club, why not have a look on West Ham forums/blogs and see what the FANS are saying, rather than taking the lazy route.

By: Stevieray

Stevieray — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 21:23:55 +0000

I can only assume the writer of this article did not bother to watch the Fulham game. He just jumped on board the juggernaut of lazy journalists who repeat the same old tired and false mantra which will please everyone except West Ham supporters and fans of the game that is football who can watch a game and treat it on it’s merit
It has little resemblance to the truth.

He will be a very successful journalist as the truth is hardly the realm of the majority of many journalists these days.

Never let the truth get in the way of a good story is a notion which he has very much bought into.

By: Simon

Simon — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 20:42:12 +0000

You are an idiot who clearly does not watch football or use their brain. Lazy inaccurate rubbish. You insult Bolton fans and are disrespectful to a successful manager. I guess you don’t watch live games except on TV. You need to try writing about something you know a little bit about. Also, what is this rag that actually published this?? Pathetic .

By: Marc

Marc — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 14:56:23 +0000

What absolute drivel!

I don’t know which West Ham / Fulham game you watched, but from where I was sat, that was the beautiful game and it’s prettiest. Pass, move, skills, pace, technique. The whole lot.

Yes, there were times, when a diagonal to AC was pumped and/or floated up to the big man, but if you had a 6’4 striker (Who by the way, happens to be regarded as 1 of the best target men in the Premiership – possibly the world) and just signed as you’re “marquee” signing, why the hell wouldn’t you look to play to him??

Lazy writing, lazy writer, pointless SA bashing that is certainly not coming from a West ham fan. Us fans, while we may not like everything he does, certainly respect Big Sam for (With the massive help of the Dave’s) sorting out a team that was going nowhere fast.

If West Ham vs Fulham was us playing hoofball, I’ll take 35 more games of that please!!!

By: Johntan

Johntan — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 10:14:07 +0000

They put in to place the idea of it when Johan Cruyf was manager in 1988. The idea of total football. He made the every age group in the club play the same way. He said that maybe we wont see the benefits of this for 10 years but when that time comes barca will have the most technicly gifted players in the world. He was right. I agree that for a long time they have played total football but not until quite recently (last 6/7 years) have they attempted to control the game entirely and remove most of the risk of the opposition scoring by just nearly completely monopolising possesion. This is not just having say 60% this is more like 70%-80% every match. They also have a 7 second rule for getting back possesion. When they loose it, which is almost always in the opposition half, they pile on a huge press for seven seconds which will nearly always result in a tackle for possesion or a long punt up the field where their centre halfs or goal keeper will just deal with it. If the ball is retained for them seven seconds the press will become slighlty less intense. This method of defending was devised by Guardiola and has been a big key in them having such high percentages of possesion. I think it is too simplistic to just say that Barca play good football. They play extremely well thought out football. This is the type of football that will bring success in the future although I think there will always be room for other styles of football. That is what makes football interesting. Currently only Barca, a few other Spanish teams and Swansea are attempting to play this way and if they stick at it im sure they will have success. I would love if Allardyce would recognise this and start puting systems in place for our next generation to be up there with the barca youngsters tecnichly. I am however sure that Allardyce, who is a smart man, does recognise that playing the ball long predominently will only get you so far and then he’ll have to change it up after a couple of seasons of mid table. I am looking forward to seeing how/if he will do that.

By: Jamie

Jamie — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 08:37:04 +0000

Barcelona have always played this way, mate. Much longer than you’ve been alive probably.

By: Johntan

Johntan — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 22:43:54 +0000

Name a worse team to watch from a neutral point of view then. I would give you Stoke but just about every other team seeks to play a more progressive style than us.
Are you trying to say that Man Utd play the same style of football as us? If so you are deluded. They play a quick counter attacking style much like we did under Pardew and when they do have a spell of solid possesion (not just transition possesion) they try to pass there way through teams. We get about 40% possesion Id say on average in most matches and that is not because we are soking up pressure and hitting quick on the break it is because when we get the ball we aimlessly lash it up the pitch.
Look I am not trying to call for Allardyce’s head as I think what he is doing is probably the best thing for the club and I can actually see us finishing 10th ish this year. I just don’t see us ever really finishing higher than that in the future. I mean look at Stoke. They play the same way as us generally (Fulham game aside) but there about 3 years ahead of us with there project and can you ever really see them progressing from mid tableness? I can’t. In fact I find it easier to see them sliping down the league as teams who do attempt to play ball and not just stifle start to get there just rewards. I just fear that with Allardyce in charge for the long term that we have no hope of significantly progressing.

By: Gary

Gary — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 18:26:07 +0000

I went horseracing last week. Standing by the winners enclosure the victorious horse was led in and had its saddle removed.

As it did, from its steaming, sweaty backside came the biggest flatulant gas explsoion I have ever heard. I couldn’t put it into words.

I am just commenting here to congratulate you because you just have in the above artcile.

Total and utter ill-informed tripe. West Ham played plenty of football against Fulham, and tried to do so against Swansea, who did not even look like scoring until West ham gave them two goals.

After that they were chasing the game.

Villa parked the bus leaving Darren bent with just three touches on the ball the whole game.

Fulham were passed off the park, as well as the threat from carroll and company.

If you are using articles like this to help find yourself employment, I feel you really need to actually research your subject, rather than rehash old stereotypes.

I am a West ham fan, and although I can’t say I was overly enamoured when Allardyce joined, I can honestly say i have been very pleasantly suprised.

We have played better passing football than we did under Zola, Grant and even Curbishley.