en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/775847 Comments by alanhantshammer http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2012/03/20/match-thread-west-ham-v-middlesbrough/#IDComment320627362 Come on lads lets not be so negative I for one thinks the pitch looks great and keeping the ball in the sky can only help maintain it in such excellent condition. Tue, 20 Mar 2012 20:41:26 +0000 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2012/03/20/match-thread-west-ham-v-middlesbrough/#IDComment320627362 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2012/03/20/match-preview-west-ham-v-middlesbrough/#IDComment320569897 I think it will be 4-5-1 with Maynard wide right as has been done with Baldock in the past. Not sure if that is any better or worse than 4-4-2 with Noble wide right. Does not feel me with confidence either way. Tue, 20 Mar 2012 19:10:53 +0000 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2012/03/20/match-preview-west-ham-v-middlesbrough/#IDComment320569897 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2012/03/19/purge-your-negative-thoughts-get-behind-the-team/#IDComment320277499 Dave I think the majority of us that post on here would agree that booing the players is wrong and has a negative effect. I believe that most fans don't want to boo and don't want a quiet stadium. Games generally start with the fans getting behind the team but the impetus is lost fairly quickly. Probably due to a combination of many things. we live in a society where people want instant success, a society where freedom of speech IMO is misread to mean you can say what you want regardless of the hurt or offense you may cause. Our expectations are rightly high we have the best squad in the division. All seater stadiums, distance from the pitch all factors that contribute. Away from home we have the mentality that we will be heard dispite being vastly out-numbered and therefore support the team throughout. If the team come out firing and give 100% then the fans will respond however the team need to maintain it for 90 mins and not just 20 min spells. When that effort subsides then it is the fans role to encourage them to try harder booing will not achieve that! Tue, 20 Mar 2012 10:10:13 +0000 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2012/03/19/purge-your-negative-thoughts-get-behind-the-team/#IDComment320277499 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2012/03/19/purge-your-negative-thoughts-get-behind-the-team/#IDComment319824808 I have never booed a West Ham player but have recently expressed my opinions on this site. I am very unhappy about our current style of play and feel that this is an excellent forum to discuss my views negative or otherwise. I have Supported the club since 1967 and after every relegation I have renewed my season ticket so I feel that I have supported the club through thick and thin. My love of West Ham is based on a history of entertaining under achieving football, winning has never been the be all and end all for me. I can not stand the safety first, hold on to what we have got mentality that seems to be the case now. The management and players have to give the fans something to cheer about and we are a fan base steeped in a history of attacking exciting football that has been missing for far too long. Mon, 19 Mar 2012 19:50:24 +0000 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2012/03/19/purge-your-negative-thoughts-get-behind-the-team/#IDComment319824808 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2012/03/10/match-thread-west-ham-v-doncaster-rovers/#IDComment313032644 Time to bring Collins on for a striker to ensure we earn a credible draw after yet another enthralling game. Sam is the master tactition, a possible great 2 points from Watford and Doncaster, lets just hope we don't screw up his press conference by fluking a winner. Sat, 10 Mar 2012 16:43:11 +0000 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2012/03/10/match-thread-west-ham-v-doncaster-rovers/#IDComment313032644 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2012/02/28/the-return-of-kevin-nolan/#IDComment304370580 I have not been overly impressed with Nolan's all round involvement this season. There have been some positives i.e his goals and leadership but also some negatives i.e his lack of pace and the inbalace his inclusion seems to cause in our midfield. One thing that really impressed me during the Palace game was seeing our club captain at the game looking like he was kicking every ball and feeling the misses like a fan. How many modern day footballers even bother to turn up to match days let alone support their team mates. For that alone I have developed some respect for him lets hope for a captains performance on the pitch if he plays at Cardiff. Wed, 29 Feb 2012 07:55:33 +0000 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2012/02/28/the-return-of-kevin-nolan/#IDComment304370580 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2012/02/28/the-return-of-kevin-nolan/#IDComment304366530 I must admit that I admire any player who will pull out all the stops to represent his country regardless of the opposition. I fully understand that he owes a loyalty to his employers but when he was signed he was a current international so we knew what we were getting. Wed, 29 Feb 2012 07:47:30 +0000 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2012/02/28/the-return-of-kevin-nolan/#IDComment304366530 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2012/02/22/you-know-youve-done-a-good-interview-when/#IDComment298915995 Iain I am sure that I am not alone when I say thank you for an enthralling series of articles, not just the DS interview. I surf a lot of West Ham websites and read the main story but rarely any comments. Over the years I have removed a few from my read list, mainly due to the vile or personal comments that some people feel justified in making. I only ever comment on this site as I find most posters are much more mature in their comments and willing to debate rather than resorting to playgroud oneupmanship. I love being able to have a differing opinion to others without having to worry about getting embroiled in petty argument. Whether this is down to your monitoring or just the quaility of posters you attract, this site IMO is by far the best way to discuss all things West Ham. It is easy for me to say ignore the small minded insults on other threads as it is not me being insulted. Thank you for all your good work. Wed, 22 Feb 2012 11:21:57 +0000 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2012/02/22/you-know-youve-done-a-good-interview-when/#IDComment298915995 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2012/02/21/vote-player-performances-v-blackpool-4/#IDComment298822483 I think a straight red is a three match ban when it is for violent conduct. Wed, 22 Feb 2012 08:03:15 +0000 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2012/02/21/vote-player-performances-v-blackpool-4/#IDComment298822483 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2012/02/18/in-conversation-with-david-sullivan-part-1-demba-ba-one-of-the-biggest-mistake-of-my-life/#IDComment296264503 For me it was obvious that a man who had just relegated Pompey was not a candidate to be our manager. I fail to see why GFZ wasn't given the chance to improve on the previous season. He had faults but the league table showed him to be better than Grant. That season there were so many comparisons between WHU an Pompey. Two clubs in financial meltdown full of overpaid under achieving players. The owners made a decision and have since realised that Grant was a mistake, I would be interested to know why GFZ had to go. Maybe given time he would have learnt and progressed as a manager who knows? Lets not forget in his first season the media were touting that he was just completing an apprenticeship before taking the reigns at Chelski. Sun, 19 Feb 2012 08:16:36 +0000 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2012/02/18/in-conversation-with-david-sullivan-part-1-demba-ba-one-of-the-biggest-mistake-of-my-life/#IDComment296264503 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2012/02/15/montano-aims-for-hammers-breakthrough/#IDComment293100985 To answer your question Tom I would much rather pay to watch any team who play football I would prefer them to be home grown. I struggle to justify spending my hard earned cash only to come away from the ground feeling disappointed by the lack of entertainment (at Fratton park recently i was bored rigid). I have lost count of the times I have seen us relagated but still turned up home and away every week. Not any more, supporting West Ham for me has always been a footballing choice, one not based on success. Yes I would rather be in the prem but not at any cost. As for the notion that we have to be in the prem to survive, I don't buy it, the Prem is where we built up our debt and nearly went bust! Controversially I am not sure that I even lust after the sort of success teams like Chelski have enjoyed. When you expect to win every game you sacrifice the chance to feel the unbridled joy of beating the odds and stuffing the likes of the big four. If you expect to win every game then the only emotions you will experience are normality when you win and dismay when you lose. Maybe it is those moments of ecstacy that we sometimes experience that makes the most loyal supporters in the land! Wed, 15 Feb 2012 13:07:19 +0000 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2012/02/15/montano-aims-for-hammers-breakthrough/#IDComment293100985 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2012/01/20/is-nikita-jelavic-really-worth-9m/#IDComment270283700 Our build up play when we are in control of the ball is so pedestrian as we do not have the creativity to open teams up. Sometimes it appears that we are waiting to attract a challange so we can go down and get a set piece which offers us our best opportunity. If we have the budget to be able to buy players for next season then look at potential for sure but for NOW we need a creative midfielder. Someone who can supply Cole and Baldock with the ammuntion so they can show that they are by far the best strike force in the division and fire us to the top. The time for splashing out mega bucks on players like Jelavic is the summer when prices are a fairer reflection of worth. Sat, 21 Jan 2012 07:59:46 +0000 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2012/01/20/is-nikita-jelavic-really-worth-9m/#IDComment270283700 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2012/01/20/is-nikita-jelavic-really-worth-9m/#IDComment270283612 Why pay for anything that you have no capacity to use. The excuses that we are missing too many chances is not a true reflection on our strikers. At Fratton park for example the Pompey keeper had two saves to make one from the pen and one from a back pass from Halford. Our chances were shots from the edge of the box from midfielders who failed to get them on target. As a lone striker Cole has to go wide too often to get the ball and then has nobody in a goal scoring position to find, The lack of service to him when he is central is woeful. I can't think of one chance, half chance or sniff that he had. Sat, 21 Jan 2012 07:59:36 +0000 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2012/01/20/is-nikita-jelavic-really-worth-9m/#IDComment270283612 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2012/01/04/please-please-dont-sell-james-tomkins/#IDComment254860565 Westie boy the transfer window is stressful enough, my eyes were instantly drawn to your capitalised word and for one very scary moment I thought it saids Quashie! I am now off to find some valium!! Wed, 4 Jan 2012 11:43:23 +0000 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2012/01/04/please-please-dont-sell-james-tomkins/#IDComment254860565 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2011/12/25/a-happy-hammers-christmas/#IDComment247541351 Got exactly what I wanted for Christmas my 5 year old son fully kitted out in the home strip and his point blank refusal to take it off. 26 hours so far!!! Mon, 26 Dec 2011 08:47:08 +0000 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2011/12/25/a-happy-hammers-christmas/#IDComment247541351 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2011/10/31/meeting-your-heroes/#IDComment214880181 I met Vince Hilaire in a pub in Pompey one Christmas. He was a good guy to talk football with and a big West ham fan to boot. He had a great story about Alan Ball who during a bit of banter with his players pulled out his world cup winners medal and asked if anyone else had one of these. Vince made the story a lot funnier than I can write it! We got him a bit tanked up and he started performing keepy uppys with a 50p piece, then much to the dismay of a pub full of Pompey fans he joined in with me in a rendition of Bubbles. I can't imagine many current footballers would be seen dead in a back street boozer as they are so far removed from the people that avidly follow them, which is a real shame. Mon, 31 Oct 2011 16:56:52 +0000 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2011/10/31/meeting-your-heroes/#IDComment214880181 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2011/10/21/is-el-hadji-diouf-our-next-signing/#IDComment210548853 Braderz your right mate it is a no brainer. Under no circumstance should EHD ever be allowed near a West Ham shirt. Owners, managers and players come and go the only constant in football is the supporters and it was one of ours that this excuse of a human spat at. Fri, 21 Oct 2011 15:32:43 +0000 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2011/10/21/is-el-hadji-diouf-our-next-signing/#IDComment210548853 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2011/09/09/match-preview-west-ham-v-portsmouth/#IDComment191821935 I think that "not changing a winning team" is a more apt adage than "playing a player who is in form", particularly if that player is here to be developed for someone elses benefit. For me dropping players who have just won convincingly away at a very tough venue is sending the wrong message. Starting the majority of our new signings on the bench tells players that if they carry on performing and winning they will play any slide in form and there is quaility waiting in the wings, As the games come thick and fast then players will inevitably tire so the squad we now have will be able to cope without having to make wholesale changes. Sat, 10 Sep 2011 07:21:42 +0000 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2011/09/09/match-preview-west-ham-v-portsmouth/#IDComment191821935 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2011/08/20/match-preview-west-ham-v-leeds/#IDComment185181233 Paul As much as I want West Ham players to play for England I feel the whole international set up is a feed of the proverbial. How can someone at the FA tell Parker that he needs to be playing in the PL when the same set up picked Bothroyd who was at Cardiff? Sun, 21 Aug 2011 09:09:11 +0000 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2011/08/20/match-preview-west-ham-v-leeds/#IDComment185181233 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2011/08/20/match-preview-west-ham-v-leeds/#IDComment185161937 Luton did do the double over us that season. 1-2 at home, all three goals were pens Stewart and Moss converting them. David Moss yet again got the winner in the reverse. Final score was 3-2 Brooking getting both of our goals. After the first home game of the season we only dropped on more point at the Boleyn when Oldham held us to a 1-1 draw the weekend after a trip to Tblisi. I can't see any reason why we cannot be as strong at home this season it is about time teams started to fear coming to Upton park again. Sun, 21 Aug 2011 07:12:35 +0000 http://www.westhamtillidie.com/2011/08/20/match-preview-west-ham-v-leeds/#IDComment185161937