After Slaven Bilic's side threw away a two goal lead to draw 2-2 with lowly Crystal Palce yesterday the blame has focused very firmly on Michail Antonio. With the game deep into injury time Antonio passed up the opportunity to run the game out when he had possession in the opposition's corner and instead gave the ball away softly.
Palace duly took the opportunity and scored an dramatic 97th minute equaliser with the final kick of the game. Apart from the loss of 2 valuable points, the goal took the gloss off of a good week for the club where they put an embarrassing defeat to Brighton behind them with a cracking win away to local enemies Tottenham. The goal may even tilt the balance against Bilic who is struggling to hold onto his job.
However, the ire being directed towards Antonio is distracting from some pretty awful facts about the game. Palace are a poor side yet they totally dominated the second half and deserved at least a point. The Hammers had two shots on target through the whole match compared to Palace's haul of seven. With 43% possession we managed just two corners to their eleven. Joe Hart had a great game - he needed to!
The reality is that we were bosses by a very limited side who are bottom of the league and could not hold out despite having a two goal lead. That's the form that makes for relegation worries. With our current squad that seems unthinkable but we know all about getting relegated with a strong squad as the Cole-Lampard-Defoe-Di Canio etc team proved in the past.
Hmmm.
Totally agree 2 very strange substitutes how many managers replace there 2 full backs during a game changed the whole match BILLIC DOES this week in week out he is just not good enough he must go before its to late and we get relegated
ReplyDeleteYes we would have been lucky to get all 3 points but Antonio's use of the ball in that last minute was naive beyond belief. I think he has hasn't been the same since the Chelsea interest and now the big wage rise has gone to his head. He now thinks he has made it and that genuine honest hard working player has all but gone.
ReplyDeleteNot sure about Cresswell but Zabaletta had been booked and Zaha was creating a new a*shole for him. So taking him off for Antionio seemed like a good idea however Antionio played like a sunday morning player with a sunday morning football brain
ReplyDeletebilic has to go he is clueless when it comes to substitutions he has cost us dearly
ReplyDeleteGive terry Westley a chance to manage first team done brilliantly with the under 23s
ReplyDeleteAntonios STUPIDITY cost US a win, end of debate. But lets all blame Noble, Slav, the board,,,anyone BUT the real culprit, a footballing half-wit who could have stood on the ball for TWENTY SECONDS TO KILL THE GAME !!!!!
ReplyDeleteOgbonna and Antonio...take a bow muppets
ReplyDeleteMark Noble having a go at Palaces Cabyes attitude at end of the game should be more concerned with his own teams performance what on earth is going on at our club PATHETIC
ReplyDeletehey david I was actually rooting for westham thank God the results went in their favor does your blog provide an option to best writing service too that kind of help would be appreciated
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