Potters magic falters as Hammers slip to home defeat against Palace
Hope everyone is safe and well.
Apologies for the delay in posting my latest photo diary from the disappointing defeat against our London rivals Crystal Palace. The mixture of work and life balance have been a little tricky recently. The boys have been busy with their cricket training, I’ve been trying to fit in as much running as I can before my 10km race on 23rd February, and its been a bit stressful work wise with setting up our new project – lots of that boring admin work to do sadly.
Team work was something I was thinking a lot about since this match as me and my wife continue with our recruitment of a new post to run our Be Well Together Health Inequalities Learning Disabilities project. We have a plan about what we want to happen and when, the commissioners on the other hand have their own plan, developed without consultation and they then throw us curve balls when they want something done.
In a recent meeting with them, when we raised our concern about how they are just having meetings without us and then coming up with stuff they think needs doing without asking us first, they said ‘Oh, we are just trying to help, we are working on this as a team’ We highlighted that team work involved everyone being on the same page knowing what each person in the team was doing and why and wasn’t about them deciding on their own what was best for the project then telling us what to do! We feel this is going to be a difficult relationship, there is definitely something lost in translation of roles within this new project. Strewth!
Turning to all things West Ham, Potter said he is trying to build foundations for a successful team, bringing the team together and finding a way forward. He has certainly made some good progress in the short time he has been at the club, but the Palace result and performance just shows how much work he needs to do. The players are struggling with confidence and will need some work from Potter in the coming weeks and months, whilst he tries to work with what was left for him by Lopetigui.
There will of course be attempts for some movement in the transfer window, especially for a forward but we may have to accept that not much can be achieved in what is likely to be a tricky January transfer window for us. But what is good to see is how Potter is utilising the academy players and there is certainly some talent there for sure. I was watching Oliver Scarles when he came on for Rodriguez and in the short time he was on the pitch he certainly impressed me.
The performance against Villa was very much welcomed and there are definitely those green shoots of the players understanding and accepting what the new manager is trying to convey to them. I actually thought we could have won that match for sure. It was such a disappointment to see us concede to another home defeat.
Onto the Palace match itself and walking to the stadium with my youngest son we were certainly expecting something from the game – a draw would have made us happy, but a good performance on the back of the win at Fulham would have been just as welcome.
We were running late due to coming back from my son’s cricket training and having to quickly get changed and grab some food before heading off. It was starting to get busy around the stadium as fans filled from different directions to then queue at security, but to be fair, they seem to be checking everyone through more quickly these days, or so it seems. And I managed to ease through even with my camera bag, which has my wallet, tissue, prayer mat, hand sanitiser and keys so it’s easy to distract anyone looking through it away from my new camera kit.
My nifty 50mm lens throws up some good depth of field shots and I quite like this shot of the fans waiting to get through the security checkpoint with the stadium in focus and the fans in the foreground blurred out.
We met my brother, grabbed a coffee for us and some crisps for my boy and then headed into the stands, which were filling up quickly. I do enjoy the feeling of walking up those short steps as the stands come into view and then the pitch itself.
I was wondering if this fan found the name he was looking for – I’ve found my brother’s name, but haven’t found mine as yet.
As the chanting gets underway whilst the teams file out onto the pitch for the prematch line up, I always try to get some shots of fans with their hands held high in the foreground and players on the pitch behind.
No surprises with the line up and formation for this match as Potter is clearly limited for choice, but not having an out and out striker is going to continue to have a huge impact on us for the rest of the season, as it would any team. Potter has inherited an unbalanced side, but you can see what he is trying to do as certain players are starting to gel better across the pitch.
Our tactic seemed to be to get the ball to Kudus, which in itself is ok, but how often are the players watching him run instead of making forward runs to provide options either wide or central? But this is where the team are unbalanced, without Bowen or Antonio we are struggling in the final third of the pitch with little pace or creativity to make something happen in front of goal.
Palace were pressing and we had to keep our focus in defence with Fabianski called on to make some crucial saves. This shot of him saving looks like he has the ball in his hand! These kind of shots are a bit hit and miss and I’m just letting the shutter fire off in the hope of capturing a decent image or two.
We had some opportunities ourselves with set pieces and the crowd were getting behind the team to add some wind to the players sails in the hope of seeing us hit the back of the net.
But time and again we were toothless upfront, despite holding possession, without registering a shot on target all match and only 7 shots in total! Shocking statistics really. And a difficult game to watch without doubt.
It was a relief to hear the half time whistle and see the players file off the pitch for what we hope is a rousing talking to from the manager. It wasn’t working for us and something had to change otherwise we could be looking at another heavy defeat, despite Palace lacking that clinical finish in the first half themselves.
Half time and not much is going on except Lyca time! (I kept thinking the announcer was saying Lycra time and kept wondering what on earth was going to happen!) With a fans quiz to occupy those still at their seats in the stands, I actually guessed this one correctly that Harewood scored more goals than Di Canio.
The mood amongst the fans around us was one of patience, give Potter time, see what he can do in the time he has over the transfer window but also until the end of the season.
The second half begins and Carlos Soler comes on for the ineffective Rodriguez, who I’m not sure about still myself and it is now noted that Tim Steidten has now left the club, and I for one think it’s about time. I am expecting more purpose in our attempts to strengthen the squad – whether we manage to bag a transfer or two this month or over the summer.
Then Jean-Philippe Mateta scores to put the visitors ahead on 48mins from a through ball by Eberechi Eze to fire beyond the diving Fabianski into the bottom corner. Palace were good for their lead given the pressing they had maintained throughout the match and looked in control.
Then Potter throws the dice with a triple substitution taking off Paqueta, Emerson and Cresswell and bringing on Ings, Scarles and Orford. It could either be a stroke of genius with a flourish of a magic wand, or a move that could misfire horribly.
But one positive for me in this match was Scarles, what a promising player he is. Probing forward, confident to get in the tackle and retain the ball, looking to get involved in the game and such awareness to pick out a pass or two and get himself in good situations. Wonderful confidence from such a young lad. I really enjoyed capturing some decent shots of him for the short time he was on the pitch.
But beyond that it was such a frustrating watch and one of those evenings of football you want to quickly forget.
Then Mavropanos gets a red card after grappling with Mateta and then showing a high boot that earned a second yellow card. Another absent player for our visit to Villa, not exactly what we needed going into a tough game, but the performance in the end at that away game was very encouraging.
With just two minutes of ordinary time left, Fabianski takes out Eddie Nketiah in the area and up steps Mateta to slot home the penalty for his brace and seal a win for the visitors. Potter has not had a lot of time with the squad, but my days he must have been thinking ‘What have I inherited here?’
Fan file out of the stadium as the final whistle blows, but I think we all realise that its early days for the new gaffer and its great to see the academy players – although through necessity really – not just warming the bench but coming on and showing what they can do.
Scarles deserved the applause from the fans in the stands after the match. Really looking forward to seeing more of him this season.
Outside the stadium, I capture some shots of fans enjoying the music and a few drinks and a chat about the game before heading home. I wander about while chatting to my brother before heading home myself.
I’m trying to look at different aspects of matches this season and I capture discarded drinks cups and tins with the stadium blurred out in the background before heading up to the Greenway home.
A few diehard fans wait for the players to come out of the stadium car park, the flag has ‘Soucek your my favourite player’ written on it, and he has certainly been a fantastic servant for the club and I’m not surprised he is a fans favourite player.
Overall a very disappointing evening, but I wanted to share this post even though it is late as I feel there are some good shots here worth viewing.
As an update, we saw a very different performance against Aston Villa, and hopefully we will see more of that in the coming weeks, especially with Bowen returning to the team sooner rather than later.
Take care everyone
Dawud
From the Stands 