First chance to post something since getting back from the game yesterday. Lots of stuff been said already from others that I agree with, but a few things that stood out:
- First half was fascinating, in that while both teams were poor, with West Ham it felt like they were actually poor (it was stunning how static their movement was out of possession, and it didn't improve much in possession either). With Wolves, it felt like watching a good team play a pre-season friendly. No urgency, rather than a lack of quality. It came towards the final 20 or so minutes of the match, after West Ham also woke up after half-time, but there was never any real feeling of threat or danger. If anything, it felt like an inevitable 0-0 bore draw where any goal conceded by us would be down to a defensive mistake or some set piece screw-up. I was in with with the home fans and they were justifiably furious at how clunky and plodding their team was. Pellegrini has a lot of work to do.
- Jota and Costa were both frustrating, but Costa grew into the game I thought, while Jota didn't. If Cavaleiro was fit right now I don't think there'd be any question that he'd be starting ahead of Jota right now. Jiminez, outrageous miss aside, had a good game, but I worry about him burning out Kevin Doyle-style if we don't bring someone in in January (especially if we manage a cup run) to help share all that running duty.
- Traore's an interesting one. He had a mixed game, I felt, compared to his other sub appearances, but then part of that he plays football in such a frustrating way. He might have incredible pace and acceleration, but when he isn't on the ball (or, even more so, when we aren't in possession as a team at all), he looks kind of lost, and has a tendency to stand still and watch the game happen around him. You need him to be in a team with players that will win the ball back for him (he's not going to track back like any of Cav/Costa/Jota, and he can't tackle as well as any of them either), then lay it off for him to run on to; if you pass to him when he's got his back to goal, he can sometimes outmuscle an opponent with his strength to turn it, but it's not guaranteed. Very, very well-taken goal at the end though, and he did have some good moments before then, exposing West Ham's general lack of decent pace. If Nuno can coach some better general awareness of the game into him, or at the very least get him to offer something off the ball, then he's going to be a monster of a player. Until then, he's such a glass cannon that even with Jota and/or Costa in poor form, I don't know if he's worth a start at this level in games other than those against relegation fodder.
- Credit for a solid cameo from Leo Bonatini, too. We don't play with a standard number 10, but that's probably the best way to think about him. (Or, as the player that Joe Mason wishes he was.) He links midfield and attack so, so well, and that's exactly what we need to get the best out of Troare when our other inside forwards aren't clicking. Cavaleiro will, by rights, take that role away from him when he's back from injury, but on this evidence he's dealing with the switch up in division fine, as long as we don't expect him to actually score goals.
Also, first trip to London Stadium since the Paralympics, it's still such a good stadium. I live about 20 minutes' walk from it and the Olympic Park is such a great space as well. Just... it's rubbish for football. There isn't a big enough bubble machine in the world that's going to fix that.
- First half was fascinating, in that while both teams were poor, with West Ham it felt like they were actually poor (it was stunning how static their movement was out of possession, and it didn't improve much in possession either). With Wolves, it felt like watching a good team play a pre-season friendly. No urgency, rather than a lack of quality. It came towards the final 20 or so minutes of the match, after West Ham also woke up after half-time, but there was never any real feeling of threat or danger. If anything, it felt like an inevitable 0-0 bore draw where any goal conceded by us would be down to a defensive mistake or some set piece screw-up. I was in with with the home fans and they were justifiably furious at how clunky and plodding their team was. Pellegrini has a lot of work to do.
- Jota and Costa were both frustrating, but Costa grew into the game I thought, while Jota didn't. If Cavaleiro was fit right now I don't think there'd be any question that he'd be starting ahead of Jota right now. Jiminez, outrageous miss aside, had a good game, but I worry about him burning out Kevin Doyle-style if we don't bring someone in in January (especially if we manage a cup run) to help share all that running duty.
- Traore's an interesting one. He had a mixed game, I felt, compared to his other sub appearances, but then part of that he plays football in such a frustrating way. He might have incredible pace and acceleration, but when he isn't on the ball (or, even more so, when we aren't in possession as a team at all), he looks kind of lost, and has a tendency to stand still and watch the game happen around him. You need him to be in a team with players that will win the ball back for him (he's not going to track back like any of Cav/Costa/Jota, and he can't tackle as well as any of them either), then lay it off for him to run on to; if you pass to him when he's got his back to goal, he can sometimes outmuscle an opponent with his strength to turn it, but it's not guaranteed. Very, very well-taken goal at the end though, and he did have some good moments before then, exposing West Ham's general lack of decent pace. If Nuno can coach some better general awareness of the game into him, or at the very least get him to offer something off the ball, then he's going to be a monster of a player. Until then, he's such a glass cannon that even with Jota and/or Costa in poor form, I don't know if he's worth a start at this level in games other than those against relegation fodder.
- Credit for a solid cameo from Leo Bonatini, too. We don't play with a standard number 10, but that's probably the best way to think about him. (Or, as the player that Joe Mason wishes he was.) He links midfield and attack so, so well, and that's exactly what we need to get the best out of Troare when our other inside forwards aren't clicking. Cavaleiro will, by rights, take that role away from him when he's back from injury, but on this evidence he's dealing with the switch up in division fine, as long as we don't expect him to actually score goals.
Also, first trip to London Stadium since the Paralympics, it's still such a good stadium. I live about 20 minutes' walk from it and the Olympic Park is such a great space as well. Just... it's rubbish for football. There isn't a big enough bubble machine in the world that's going to fix that.
