Match Day Thread West Ham v Saints, Saturday 29th Feb 2020, 3pm

Need new glasses. Looked at that website and was sure it said 2016. Either that or I have forgotten how to read. I remember the commentator saying that they hadn’t won for 40 odd years. Cue Newcastle win. Sorry!

 

Not surprised by today's result as too many important players missing. The performance against Liverpool showed what West Ham are capable of and I was expecting that we would get a pasting as they were better than us at St Mary's too.

I am not quire sure about Ralph sometimes but the squad clearly needs strengthening. The performances are not always good enough. I do not think we will go down and feel that Norwich, Bournemouth,, Villa, Watford and Brighton have more to worry about. What I think is certain is that the team needs an overhaul in the summer. It did not happen in 2019 but it needs to be a root and branch rebuild. There are too many fringe players. I feel that there always seems to be potential to improve with Ralph yet there are too many times when the results underwhelm to make me 100% convinced. A lot of this is to do with the squad he has inherited.

I would like to see the board get behind Ralph in the summer and see what he can achieve with better quality signings. The backing has been sporadic at the moment and I don't feel that he has been given the tools to do the job. I have to say that I do not think he is a good as some on here believe him to be and I would also add that I do not feel he has reached anywhere near his potential in the 15 months he has been here. There are players he has transformed such as JWP and Redmond as well as work in progress with the likes of Armstrong and Stephens. By contrast, the squad includes players like Boufal who I do not believe will ever achieve their potential.

I would like to see Ralph given an extended contract whilst, by the same token, feel it would not be correct to properly judge him until he has been allowed to strengthen a weak squad. Next season will be a harder league and I feel that without more extensive improvements , the current squad will struggle again. We are luck that there are so many poor teams this season.

 

No need to apologise mate, I wasn't 100% sure anyway and you just made me doubt myself a bit more, rightly as it turned out!

 

How on earth do you positive peeps get through a season thinking the best about each game? I feel dreadful after that, and worse because all week I thought we were going to go there and frustrate the hell out of them.

 

Feel bad about the game, but it isn't the end of the world is the way I look at it.

We had an off day, we move on.

Just the way I am wired.

 

Hmm, so my optimism was misplaced and Lawro's "it's about time WHU won a match" logic was correct. Slightly annoying, that.

Just seen Ralph's post-match BBC interview. Wow, is he cheesed off with the players.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/51691787

 

West Ham losses seem to hit me real bad. The last two before today have been up there as the most painful defeats in recent seasons. Today was more frustrating as our hard work has put us in a good position. But damn, we gave them that today, with our selection, and ineptitude. And that second goal, hang your head in shame Alex, that was woeful.

 

And the positive is that us losing = bad day for Bompey & Brighton.

#EveryCloud

 

Scouse having a bad day too, 2 down to Watford!

 

Regret to say I agree. I had a feeling like many others we could get something out of this game. Yet there lurked in the deep recesses of my mind that yet again we would find a way to lose! It was just a faint feeling but there all the same. I'm really baffled by the selection Ralph chose to put out, in fact I'm pretty annoyed that he seems to be doing the sort of things we were doing back in the Autumn which confused not just us the fans but players too. We have the number of games left to get back in track, but they're not the soft games we could dream of when needing points. We're not going to be drawn into the relegation battle but if the Club wants to sell a shed load of season tickets then this kind of display is not the way to end the season with. I just hope I don't see yet another 'we must get back, try harder,' comments from players or him for that matter. Just sort out the thinking and do the talking on the pitch. Talk about self inflicted damage this was it, yet again! We all know we can do better than this, that's why there's such annoyance on here.

 

Watford have been really on it fairness. Made them look average at best.

 

And after losing their most creative player. Impressive.

 

Make that 3 - 0

 

Our game peeps...

 

Selection may have been forced on Ralph as KWP and Danny may not be 100% after niggling injuries

We need JWP back in the middle asap

 

The less said about it the better!

 

I'm obviously pleased Liverpool lost, but **** me, results haven't gone our way today.

 

Think the results are worse for Villa, Bournemouth, Norwich & Brighton.

 

we will be playing pompey in the championship next year , or I will have a beer .

 

We won’t. We really won’t.

I would bet my house on it.