West Ham banter 5

11 Oct 2026 07:39:04
{Ed's Note - OptimumShots has posted a new article entitled, Who Are the Two Mystery Groups Interested in Buying Everton?

10 Oct 2026 14:55:25
Next week should be interesting. Lose and we are 7 points adrift.

10 Oct 2026 10:13:57
Watching last nights game we are going to get nowhere when our backs are tippy taping the ball back and forward, our build up play is far too slow. How can we play one upfront at home to QPR who offered nothing going forward, they came for a draw and got it.

Nuno is not the manager to take us back up, teams will now know how to set up to frustrate us in future games.

10 Oct 2026 10:31:53
Next 4 games will sort the men from the boys.

10 Oct 2026 18:04:24
Maybe my memory getting weak, thought Brooking said this was going to be a procession, I said not, and it won't be need to average close to 2 points a game, we have the squad, but something just not right, we start too slow, invite pressure, that's become a regular thing, going behind early, we have to change this pronto.

10 Oct 2026 18:43:01
I think alot of the blame sits with nuno. Its his job to get this lot fired up but we start games fast asleep with no urgency to take the game by the scruff of the neck

Too many players seem to be in dreamland with 500 passes played between cbs and full backs going nowhere. This allows defences to set themselves and then we struggle to break them down

If only we had a manager who would make brave decisions and could get them fired up from the start. Stop inviting teams onto us and get at them.

11 Oct 2026 07:40:47
It would help if we had a striker on the pitch. It wasn't until Peroe came on that we really improved. Tatty was really poor yesterday but was being played up front on his own. But also playing Souchek was a disaster especially after an injury. Nuno is back to his mystifying best making stupid decisions thinking he can outsmart everyone when most of us know it's gonna fail.
When you look at it in the round he hasn't been at all successful. We get a few games where things look like they have changed, like wolves, derby and Wrexham but it never seems to be backed up with more wins.

I don't share Brookings ‘rose tinted' optimism but this league is not as difficult as many predicted. It is in the way of game scheduling, but that's the same for all teams. The quality of opponents and their lack of depth is really poor. We have a far superior squad than most and we should have more points on the board by now.
Unfortunately I think we are stuck with him as nobody in the boardroom will get shot of him. Until we narrowly miss out on promotion. Having said all this he should still get us promoted but then what.

11 Oct 2026 09:29:30
Again and again he makes mistakes with his ridiculous decisions and seemingly unable to make brave decisions and dropping players who arnt performing.

11 Oct 2026 20:25:01
From watching and reading many of the usual websites. I think there is a real annoyance building with Nuno. Many of whom are not usually so critical. Everyone is saying the same sort of thing, a couple of decent games than back to low block low energy performances with wrong choices and formations, and playing a useless keeper when we have a decent keeper on the bench who never gets a look in.


Will the discontent filter through to the board.

10 Oct 2026 09:20:03
That was crap, how many games is that now where we go a goal down, our build up play was too slow, side to side across midfield and I just knew we would miss that pen, how can you spank Wrexham one week then play like that the next, we should be strolling this league as it's there for the taking.

10 Oct 2026 19:41:46
Stevie66 I believe it to be a coaching method.
Look how Walker Peters managed to get in possession 3/4 in to QPR half but didn't pursue the bar line instead played the square ball lost possession leaving him and Bowen out of possession for QPR to mount a counter.

10 Oct 2026 09:06:59
Two games now against Millwall and this lot we started with our thumbs up our ass. Its as if we think we can just coast through games, turn it on for 15 mins and win and I guarantee this attitude will cost us at the end of the season

And in all honesty me and my boy are sick to death of seeing this dross from a team thats capable of so much more.

10 Oct 2026 06:43:00
I like nuno as a person and a manger, but I personally think he's not right for us, his playbook is a post it note And I truly believe it will be our undoing. Didn't see the game forgot we were playing. From reading other posts, i think it was far too early to be starting soucheck. Makes no sense to everyone but nuno.

10 Oct 2026 09:13:30
Apart from about the last half hour, we looked lost. Nuno is clearly not a good manager and the international break has confirmed that Kilman and Pablo are both still useless.
I can only assume that the referee didn't see Soucek get the ball for his incorrect penalty decision.


When we finally woke up in the second half, it was too late. We should have played at that tempo from the start. I had this gut feeling Bowen would miss that penalty. Two points thrown away.

10 Oct 2026 10:35:18
Nuno is a charlatan any manager that drops a centre forward ro make way for souchek to sit between the 2 central defenders as some kind of deep lying playmaker ( one with no ability as a footballer) in a derby at home tells you all you need to know about the bloke complete clown.

10 Oct 2026 14:11:06
I have flip flopped in my opinion of the manager. I want any manager we have, to be a success even if I don't rate them, even BFS! I try to give him the benefit of the doubt from time to time but overall we get crap performances and results we then get an uplift in form and results and think we have turned a corner only for 3 games later back to our erratic selves. Not sure everything is his fault as many of the players seem incapable of stringing 3 or more passes together.

But overall he has to go even in this easy division. But sadly our new top man DK made keeping Nuno his priority. With all the upheaval around Sullivan and him stepping away it was the ideal opportunity to get a new man in and a clean slate but we never took it. Now we are lumbered because DK ain't gonna take the decision that is required.

10 Oct 2026 14:51:28
The manager needs to be Braver. As it's costing us points and it happened last season as well. We should be winning this league comfortably.

10 Oct 2026 15:45:28
Yeah your all bang on. Heis still too cautious and this lot need a manager thats gonna put a rocket up the backsides for performances like last night and Millwall

Too inconsistent even at this level. If we lose next two then what.

10 Oct 2026 00:48:10
I just knew we were going to miss that pen but we were not good enough through out the game, we've got to win our home games, how many games is that that we've gone a goal behind?

10 Oct 2026 08:57:59
Stevie, as great goals as Bowen has scored I have never rated him as a Penalty taker! Pens should be hit at least several feet high as Keepers always go to ground, only got to guess right & they save, might look good when they go the wrong way, but useless hitting the ball at ground level!
We were useless for 75% of the game & outplayed by QPR who were far the better team for that period! ⚒⚒⚒⚒.

10 Oct 2026 09:00:34
In all 3 London championship derbies this season so far we've been awful looks like we've not been up for it but the other team has from 9 points in those games we have 2, playing Souchek was negative from the start and whilst it wasn't a penalty he caused the situation in the first place with a terrible pass, nor playing piroe which has worked with him and taty up front for the sake of shoe morning souchek in was a masterstroke by our awful manager

We still have the best squad in the league technically but lack leadership. and guts but we keep making it hard for ourselves these teams come to the London stadium and will defend with thier lives don't give them something to defend!

10 Oct 2026 09:19:25
I thought we were dreadful last night until we scored. Totally agree that TS should never have started even if he hadn't had the injury I don't think he should start and be used as a sub. I couldn't see how well Solomon was playing from where I stand in the ground yesterday, but bearing in mind he had just played 4 games in 10 days he should have been rested. I do sometimes wonder what they do in these international breaks as we always seem to come back looking tired and clueless.


One thing where I have been negative about in the past where I think I should balance things up was Pablo. I thought he (and Piroe) really made a difference and did show some nice touches and got stuck in.
Sadly the defence as usual was dreadful KWP and Killman in particular. He has to give Golumbekis a chance he is so much more composed.

10 Oct 2026 14:57:11
Chelmsford 1944. QPR came to try and frustrate us and that was all. they never looked like scoring all game. Got lucky with their penalty decision and that was it. Only threat to west ham in this league is the cowardice of the manager.

10 Oct 2026 18:43:56
Ahreed Hammer.

09 Oct 2026 21:58:26
You cant play one half of a game, then miss a penalty, this is a cruel,league, and can't say we deserved more.

09 Oct 2026 20:50:53
Never a penalty in one million years, var would have proven that, but poor don't seem to have any ideas, must improve massively second half.

09 Oct 2026 19:26:26
Soucek starting. KWP at right back? I'd have had Kante starting with veltman. Lets see cause this could be a good test tonight ? Few sticky games coming up so a win tonight would start us of nicely.

09 Oct 2026 20:23:57
Kante banned. Would rather Orford develop than Soucek start. Get he gets goals but hes not great in possesion when we are expected to have a lot of it.

09 Oct 2026 20:38:55
And soucek gave away the dubious penalty. Gonna be a long night.

09 Oct 2026 20:47:11
Soucek shouldn't be in the starting 11, hopefully be subbed for 2nd half.

09 Oct 2026 20:56:33
Poor decision to start Soucek who is clearly not ready. Our centre forward touched the ball just twice in the first 25 mins — and both were to kick off! This formation and these tactics are plainly not working. A second half change is desperately needed.

09 Oct 2026 21:02:29
i fear he will take mukasa off before soucek. A lot of QPRs conceded goals this season come from range.