I have not felt angry about the club for a while, but I felt anger on Saturday. I’m not angry with the owners – I don’t think that will achieve anything. They are here for the long haul. (Although there is talk of a stay away protest for the Liverpool game) I am not angry with Moyes, he was badly treated the last time he managed us and now he has inherited a team in a torrid state and low on confidence and quality. He is doing the best he can.
But I am angry with the team. Where is the passion? Where is the desire to change things on the pitch? Where is that extra half a yard to make the tackle? Pick up on the second ball? Make a run off the ball to give your team mate options for passing? The lack of passion and desire was demonstrated by Haller – a player who has continuously underperformed for us – who just turned a strolled back when the ball went out of play near the end of the match instead of rushing off to get the ball and hurry the opposition along.
Moyes was brave enough to make three changes at half time, but it was too late. Antonio has been greatly missed, his passion, pace and movement and desire to get forward, take players on and make things happen are what we lack across the pitch. His run onto the pitch just before half time roused the crowd for sure.
Ajeti did well, but with a lazy strike partner in Haller, he can’t be in two places at once. Bilic set his team up to cancel us out, and fortunately we let them do that. Any team who comes to London Stadium know we do not use the width, do not run at teams and take our sweet time to pass the ball sideways and backwards allowing the opposition to regroup and regain possession.
Teams know that we are soft at the back and the thrashing at Leicester last week highlighted how flat footed we are at the back when teams come at us. That match did not put me in the right frame of mind to witness our exit from the FA Cup at the hands of Bilic and his Championship leading team.
I am also angry that we are in this position now after all has been said and all the investment made in the team and with the stadium to take us to the next level. I don’t think Moyes can perform miracles and we need to hope that there are three teams worse than us otherwise we will find ourselves in the Championship next season. We will wave at Bilic as his team swap places with us – imagine that?
Liverpool on Wednesday and then Brighton on Saturday. Its hard to say what will happen for sure, but with the fans becoming increasingly unhappy with how they perceive they club is being run like a circus it could turn ugly again like that home game against Burnley the other season with fans running onto the pitch and being tackled by players. Maybe it needs to get to that before we see some real changes at the club.
From the Stands 