Ratings & Reactions: West Ham v Villa

[TRO]

15 hours ago, VillaChris said:

Great win. Rumours of our demise have been greatly exaggerated.

Should've been far more comfortable than 1-2 but West Ham are always an awkward side to face with their style and just like last year they will take points off our rivals once they've integrated the new signings into the first 11.

Well done all. That was a statement three points on the opening day.

I concur.

I was not expecting a win there, or a convincing performance, but I got one....but I disagree with those that think West Ham are not a threat.

They will improve for sure, as we will too.....and they will take points of our rivals.

Some of their fans went in to melt down, some others recognised we are a good team.

I thought they proved to be decent opposition, but we deserved it on chances alone.

 

[imavillan]

for the first match of the season that was a pretty solid performance, well drilled and plenty of pace in the team.

Unai got the timing of the substitutions spot on. They made a big difference.

Oh and the new rules introduced for this season said stoppage time will be shorter.

There were a few subs made but I don't understand how they got 7 added minutes.

[TRO]

15 hours ago, Aston_Villan4 said:

Bed-wetters must be feeling pretty silly.

 

NBC crew praising Unai and the subs today and the general depth. Tim Howard saying it’s positive seeing him making these subs knowing how long the season will be.

Or was they commenting on a current game,in pre-season and not a future game like yesterday.

You can only say what you see.

I thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of that game and waxed lyrical about it.....does that mean if we get beat 0-5 next week, we was wrong in our comments on the West Ham Game.

We need to stay in context of what folk are relating to.

 

[TRO]

15 hours ago, OutByEaster? said:

It is entirely in keeping with how crackers Jhon Duran is that he was pointing to the ground to say "I'm staying put" without thinking that the ground he's pointing at is West Ham's pitch.

 

I never read it that way.....I interpreted it as he meant it....but I see how some didn't. Its like ambiguous images, who's right?

but it does highlight how easy it is to misinterpret how folk on the spur of the moment communicate things.

all the more reason for all of us to be more tolerant with nuances of context.

[ferguson1]

I thought it was a very controlled performance overall. Stupid penalty decision aside, we were rarely troubled and should have won by three or four if we’d been more clinical.

The greater squad depth will be so important this season and could be difference in a higher placing or dare I say a cup win. Turning defeats into draws or draws into wins with impactful substitutions. You could see yesterday that every sub played a part in that victory.

Really pleased with how we played and nothing to fear this season. Bring on the Arsenal next week and best of all, that Champions League draw. 

[TRO]

15 hours ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

All of them deserve credit but Onana is a lynchpin

such Intelligent and articulate boy too....that has many spin offs.

He has a thirst for learning....such a massive quality.

Edited August 18 by TRO

[TRO]

17 hours ago, TDR V2 said:

Lol he's actually fouled Cash for that dodgy pen

any other time ( like at the other end) they have a word for that, when it suits......"  a coming together"

Edited August 18 by TRO

[TRO]

15 hours ago, bannedfromHandV said:

We created a lot of good chances today, daft really that their XG was higher (influenced by the penalty of course), if Bailey was a bit sharper he buries that one first half and Duran should have squared for Ramsey to tap into an empty net for his first effort on goal. Loving the pace we had in the last 15 mins with Maatsen and Ramsey on. Lots to be encouraged about and none more so than not suffering a season ending injury, fingers crossed our luck turns in that regard this season.

shows how misleading a stat can be.

[Pelle]

I was really nervous yesterday. We didn't play very well during pre season and Ollie hadn't played a full game since May and, yeah, you know it all as well as I do. It was so good to see us play so well and keep the ball, retain the ball as well as we did for big parts of the game. At the end of the game I was thinking to myself that even I'd be devastated if they equalised I'd still be very encouraged by the way we played. Can we keep this going we will be up there again. 

Onana, who actually looked decent during pre season, was a beast today. That goal was a kind of goal we haven't seen in a long time. And the ex arse and whammer player of a word removed Freddie Ljungberg tried to explain that it should've been called off for a foul from Bailey on their defender by showing it in slow motion that slow that he almost paused the picture.

Anyway, great second goal. Bam, bam, bam, BAM!, and 1-2. Great move. It's so good to have football back. I've been a bit nervous all summer as I have feared that we'd drop this season. I'm not that nervous anymore. Buzzing and I love that we're on our way again. 

[TRO]

15 hours ago, OutByEaster? said:

They wanted us to be more physical and we are - we have players who can make us bigger, stronger and quicker than last season - it'll be interested to see how they develop and whether we can match last years performances.

In a lot of ways today, while the result is excellent, the performance was even better - we created loads of really good chances and allowed next to nothing - we looked a class apart from a West Ham side who are very, very good and whilst we may have caught them cold on the first day before they get their new signings bedded in, they still had a very strong side on the pitch, one that their fans are epxecintg to compete for Europe. 

We look very good.

I think that game showed conclusively how and why physicality is an integral part of top teams.

[TRO]

15 hours ago, Jas10 said:

 

The camaraderie is clear...such an important thing to acquire.

[WHY]

The strength of the squad was there for all to see yesterday. We no longer have a big drop off in quality when making subs. Get 2 more in and with Kamara and Mings to come back it will be even better. 

[onmeedson]

Just validated the value of Unai for me , had a great season last year and has gone on to strengthen the team with power and energy . We look to have far better capabilities than last season and the size and power to add another asset to our game. Duran looks a prospect and a different avenue up front, Bailey playing the cut in role starves Watkins of supply and we need to work on what role our centre forward plays with no wingers to supply. Just nit picking but i believe we have real options now and can sit at the feet of Sir Unai.

[TRO]

1 hour ago, Pelle said:

I was really nervous yesterday. We didn't play very well during pre season and Ollie hadn't played a full game since May and, yeah, you know it all as well as I do. It was so good to see us play so well and keep the ball, retain the ball as well as we did for big parts of the game. At the end of the game I was thinking to myself that even I'd be devastated if they equalised I'd still be very encouraged by the way we played. Can we keep this going we will be up there again. 

Onana, who actually looked decent during pre season, was a beast today. That goal was a kind of goal we haven't seen in a long time. And the ex arse and whammer player of a word removed Freddie Ljungberg tried to explain that it should've been called off for a foul from Bailey on their defender by showing it in slow motion that slow that he almost paused the picture.

Anyway, great second goal. Bam, bam, bam, BAM!, and 1-2. Great move. It's so good to have football back. I've been a bit nervous all summer as I have feared that we'd drop this season. I'm not that nervous anymore. Buzzing and I love that we're on our way again. 

it's not lost on me the level of forensics, sought after we have a goal mouth scramble or score a goal, pales into insignificance at the other end.

The bias has a ferocity of a Nuclear Bomb....how its not called out, I will never know, other than the rule of the pay masters of the indigenous locality, who run the media

 

Edited August 18 by TRO

[TRO]

15 hours ago, Giro said:

Absolutely buzzing with that

Onana’s performance was one of the best I’ve seen from a defensive midfielder at this club 

That's what they look like.

I've been banging the drum until it has a hole in it......This signing was a coup, and testament to the visionary skills of our management.

Most of the time, they are in their late 20's.....to have one at 22, to play like that, and talk like that.................WOW.

[TRO]

14 hours ago, thunderball said:

“Nothing has changed” …….He still wants to move?? Pointing at the ground upon scoring…… ‘ I want to be here’??
 

Just being mischievous….. or am I?

We'll know for sure in time.

[TRO]

14 hours ago, Pinebro said:

We are allowing crosses too often too easily for my liking

It was an issue last season and I saw it again today.

Defensively we shill have a lot of work to do before we can challenge Arsenal

Though I love your optimism

you're observations have merit.....but on the day great win

[Pinebro]

7 minutes ago, TRO said:

you're observations have merit.....but on the day great win

I was quoting a poster suggesting we could win the league this season

[TRO]

12 hours ago, il_serpente said:

I can't believe all the outrage over the penalty.  I thought it was clear as day.   The fact that he got the smallest of touches on the ball is irrelevant.  The ball was not cleared.   It was very much in play and Soucek had a clear oppportunity to get to it but Cash scissored him down.  Remember around 15 years ago when Gabby won a pen against SHA and their defender had gotten a touch on the ball before bringing him down?  The very clear explanation from the officials was that getting the ball first doesn't mean it's not a penalty.  Gabby had a clear chance at the ball and an opportunity to shoot and the Blues player brought him down.   What happened half a second earlier had no bearing on that.   The same was true today with Cash.   Blues fans were outraged back then and people on here had no hesitation in countering that it the touch of the ball was immaterial.  You can't have it both ways.

Neither can they.....because if that had of been Ollie for instance, and Kilman got the same touch, where it was a clear touch, that would have been ruled out.

Mitigation is often forensically sought, when we are involved...is my experience.

[TRO]

3 hours ago, Jas10 said:

Class.

back to his best.