Back from the game - West Ham

[West Stand Man]

Does that guy actually make contact with McAnuff for the sending off?

Yes.

[facaldaqui]

Disgraceful comments from Claridge, he was almost excusing the dreadful racked studs challenge on Kebe because he's not English. Not one mention of how bad that challenge could of been to his knee. Tosser.

I was dismayed at Claridge's comments. Nothing wrong with him deprecating Kebe, but to make out that what Kebe did was worse than what Collison did is one-eyed. I used to take the mickey out of the opposition when I played--if you can get an edge on them that way you do; it's within the rules and I was hardly ever booked. For Claridge then to compound his simplistic views with something close to racism was just jaw-dropping. English players don't mock the opponents? You must be joking. Robbie Fowler was English, wasn't he, when he showed his arse to Le Saux?

[West Stand Man]

Apparently nutmegging a defender is now to be banned in English football. It is unsporting to embarrass a player like that - forget that it takes skill and the crowd love it. It is also not on to clearly out jump an opponent in order to head the ball - that is 'heightist' and cause upset and embarrassment to shorter players ....

No, none of that is true, but it really is laughable that a simple bit of showmanship is being made such a fuss of. I, for one, was delighted to see the old Jimmy back yesterday. He tormented the WHU defence and that was the icing on the cake.

[melonhead]

Quite! Claridge is an utter prat and I can't quite believe he's got that job (or that I'm defending him - first time ever!) But for people to suddenly be playing the racist card at him is quite laughable.

The fact is that 90% of people on here are thinking like fans, without understanding how players (or ex-players) think. To fans these are the opposition so it's OK to mock and abuse them - but to the players they're fellow professionals and there are expectations in how they treat each other - there's an understood level of mutual respect (no matter how badly they're winning/losing) and an unwritten rule that you don't publicly take the piss.

making a mug of the opposition is one of the greatest feelings ever when playing football!
& proffesional players do it all the time. no difference from ronaldo trying the 15th step over in a row imo.


& i seriously question your use of approriate here

And they can expect the approriate reaction from an opposition midfielder

[LoyalRoyal22]

First half summed our season up in my opinion and why we will probably finish about 10th. Solid all over the pitch, Back four possibly stronger than last year, Wingers playing ok but not brilliant, central midfield lacking creativity, and two strikers that both could do with a target man next to them. Second half showed what we do well, defence stayed solid, and we upped the tempo and got the wingers in behind, and we took our chances.

We need a high tempo to make up for the lack of quality in the final third

Really enjoyed the game. URRRRRZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

[Ian Royal]

Quite! Claridge is an utter prat and I can't quite believe he's got that job (or that I'm defending him - first time ever!) But for people to suddenly be playing the racist card at him is quite laughable.

The fact is that 90% of people on here are thinking like fans, without understanding how players (or ex-players) think. To fans these are the opposition so it's OK to mock and abuse them - but to the players they're fellow professionals and there are expectations in how they treat each other - there's an understood level of mutual respect (no matter how badly they're winning/losing) and an unwritten rule that you don't publicly take the piss.

Perhaps they should instigate an unwritten rule where they don't try and deliberately hurt their fellow professionals, specifically try to wind them up into a frenzy or trick the ref into sending them off. Personally I'd consider that far more important to the game than "not taking the piss a bit".

[URZZ]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PC-pe3x-TA8

Great video of the game btw

[RoyalBlue]

You do realise, Snowball, that none of the players you mention are English...

Imagine if it was a West Ham player who did that to (say) Pearce, and he then clattered him. What would be the reaction of Reading fans?

This weekend my world has come crashing down around me. All of these years I have been living under the incorrect belief that God aka Robin Friday was English.

Last night I found out that he wasn't because English players don't take the piss out of their opponents!

[pace=forster]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PC-pe3x-TA8

Great video of the game btw

''Happy birthday Churchy!!''

[URZZ]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PC-pe3x-TA8

Great video of the game btw

''Happy birthday Churchy!!''

Lol yer, quite a few cringe phrases, along with the couple during the entrance to the ground but still, great footage!

[LoyalRoyalFan]

Fantastic performance. We played as a unit and we looked very comfortable.

Man of the Match - Mikele Leigertwood - Fantastic performance. Didn't put a foot wrong. Got stuck in and moved the ball well. Every single one of the players deserves praise after the win. Even Ian Harte and Federici

Really good atmosphere and great to see the Madejski full again. West Ham fans leaving was a highlight

[sandman]

Quite! Claridge is an utter prat and I can't quite believe he's got that job (or that I'm defending him - first time ever!) But for people to suddenly be playing the racist card at him is quite laughable.

The fact is that 90% of people on here are thinking like fans, without understanding how players (or ex-players) think. To fans these are the opposition so it's OK to mock and abuse them - but to the players they're fellow professionals and there are expectations in how they treat each other - there's an understood level of mutual respect (no matter how badly they're winning/losing) and an unwritten rule that you don't publicly take the piss.

Personally I prefer the written rule where you don't rake your studs down another competitors leg.

[URZZ]

If you can't take a bit of banter you shouldn't be anywhere near a football pitch, end of discussion. Personally would love to see more of what Kebe did, and not just from RFC, nothing wrong with entertainment

You see what Collison did on FIFA when you're tonking someone and playing keepball, but you cannot graze people's legs in real life without good cause

[melonhead]

was the best bit of the game

instant on your feet moment

be gutted when that lanky wonderful guy goes

[URZZ]

'greed, if he played like he did yesterday, every game, we would undoubtedly win the league. No exaggeration, when Keb-ay plays well, we are SO on top of our game - but he defines the word inconsistent

ala Leicester at home in April, https://www.facebook.com/video/video.ph ... 0078635597

[Para Handy]

Still enjoying reading KUMB and all the strangulated vowel messages. Yeah, yeah, you're West 'am. Our nasty winger took the piss out of you... yeah yeah. Maybe he'll be struck down by Saint Trevor or Carlos the Pope Tevez eh...? or maybe even beelzebub himself. You know, the porn baron bloke. Tomas Repka's dad.

Quite frankly, I'm amazed at your lots indignation considering the amount of reprobates you've had playing for you.. Slaven Bilic getting Laurent Blanc sent off still winds me up although I accept he'd left you by then and you all hate him now. Di Canio... Macavennie, Julian Dicks... and you lot are crying over Jimmy pulling his socks up. Ha ha. Still salt of the erf you west 'am boys.

[FiNeRaIn]

Still enjoying reading KUMB and all the strangulated vowel messages. Yeah, yeah, you're West 'am. Our nasty winger took the piss out of you... yeah yeah. Maybe he'll be struck down by Saint Trevor or Carlos the Pope Tevez eh...? or maybe even beelzebub himself. You know, the porn baron bloke. Tomas Repka's dad.

Quite frankly, I'm amazed at your lots indignation considering the amount of reprobates you've had playing for you.. Slaven Bilic getting Laurent Blanc sent off still winds me up although I accept he'd left you by then and you all hate him now. Di Canio... Macavennie, Julian Dicks... and you lot are crying over Jimmy pulling his socks up. Ha ha. Still salt of the erf you west 'am boys.

This x100, west ham fans are prime examples of arrogant modern day fans. They think because we have a new ground and have been traditionally smaller that we are a " plastic set of fans"...muppets. Our club was made a good 20 years before them and whilst we haven't achieved more than them in history 90% of our fans are from the area and are based locally...not essex and random places all over the south like most of their support is. Lets face it west ham are seen as a trendy working class club..big congrats to them for that, that doesnt take away the fact that most of their support doesn't even reside in east london. They are a smaller time glory hunters club because it was fashionable to support them.

[Bandini]

Still enjoying reading KUMB and all the strangulated vowel messages. Yeah, yeah, you're West 'am. Our nasty winger took the piss out of you... yeah yeah. Maybe he'll be struck down by Saint Trevor or Carlos the Pope Tevez eh...? or maybe even beelzebub himself. You know, the porn baron bloke. Tomas Repka's dad.

Quite frankly, I'm amazed at your lots indignation considering the amount of reprobates you've had playing for you.. Slaven Bilic getting Laurent Blanc sent off still winds me up although I accept he'd left you by then and you all hate him now. Di Canio... Macavennie, Julian Dicks... and you lot are crying over Jimmy pulling his socks up. Ha ha. Still salt of the erf you west 'am boys.

On the plus side, "Irving Boleyn" is a cracking username.

[Basingstoke Royal]

This is a good one.....

"Time to look on the bright side...just think of the poor Reading fans who have to watch that rubbish every week, have that pi$$ poor support every game and live in that cack place with that muppet Plod.

Now i know why i hate Ricky Gervais SO much"

[Para Handy]

Still enjoying reading KUMB and all the strangulated vowel messages. Yeah, yeah, you're West 'am. Our nasty winger took the piss out of you... yeah yeah. Maybe he'll be struck down by Saint Trevor or Carlos the Pope Tevez eh...? or maybe even beelzebub himself. You know, the porn baron bloke. Tomas Repka's dad.

Quite frankly, I'm amazed at your lots indignation considering the amount of reprobates you've had playing for you.. Slaven Bilic getting Laurent Blanc sent off still winds me up although I accept he'd left you by then and you all hate him now. Di Canio... Macavennie, Julian Dicks... and you lot are crying over Jimmy pulling his socks up. Ha ha. Still salt of the erf you west 'am boys.

On the plus side, "Irving Boleyn" is a cracking username.

Yeah, the West 'am boys know how to do cultural humour, that's for sure.