[Albion] Fannying about at the back

[Icy Gull]

Did we take it to a new level today?

Steele seems even more of a risk taker than Sanchez and holds onto the ball until the last second.

We had a couple of heart in the mouth moments today where it went wrong and West Ham got the ball, luckily they didn’t make us pay

Some of the passing between Steele and the defenders in our box was intricate and drawn out in the second half and had me off my seat applauding as we eventually found so much space in midfield to launch an attack

I bloody love our fannying about at the back…and it hasn’t really cost us enough for me to even think that I want us to stop doing it

Thoughts? Anyone still think we should stop doing it? I noticed sharp intakes of breath followed by laughter by the fans around me today. I didn’t hear a single shout of “get rid of it” today

 

[Tom Bombadil]

Surely if it's at the back it's arsing around. Fannying is at the front

 

[Albion Robster]

Steele is much better with the ball at his feet than Sanchez. Looks very comfortable and confident playing DeZerbiBall in the 18 yard box.

 

[emphyrian]

It is deffo hearts in mouth moments but I can say that about most of our play at the moment. One minute passing it around in our box for chuckles to Mitoma or March jollying down the wings or the little through balls into the other box and shots galore

 

[Rookie]

Best comment of the day for me was ‘we are playing too much football’. I don’t understand how these people still don’t get it after Poyet, Oscar, Potter and now RDZ

 

[jcdenton08]

Without meaning to sound condescending to some sections of our fans at matches, there’s an element of “educating” them about our footballing philosophy and this has naturally taken time. We are playing football right now (and also prior under Potter) that has been alien to us for every single fan’s lifetime.

What I really do like is both Sanchez and Steele are perfectly happy going longer when needed under pressure or if it presents an opportunity to attack.

 

[Hugo Rune]

Did we take it to a new level today?

Steele seems even more of a risk taker than Sanchez and holds onto the ball until the last second.

We had a couple of heart in the mouth moments today where it went wrong and West Ham got the ball, luckily they didn’t make us pay

Some of the passing between Steele and the defenders in our box was intricate and drawn out in the second half and had me off my seat applauding as we eventually found so much space in midfield to launch an attack

I bloody love our fannying about at the back…and it hasn’t really cost us enough for me to want us to stop doing it

Thoughts? Anyone still think we should stop doing it? I have noticed sharp intakes of breath followed by laughter by the fans around me today. I didn’t hear a single shout of “get rid of it” today

The closer it gets to us cocking it up and losing possession, the more our opponents get confident, waste energy and ultimately, get out of shape. We then punch back very hard indeed. I’m sure Potter tried to get us to do something like this against Liverpool and Citeh in his first season. Wasn’t so funny then!

 

[jcdenton08]

Surely if it's at the back it's arsing around. Fannying is at the front

Perhaps they’re American…?

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

Yeh. Do we have to continually go through the turgid monotony of watching our team constantly shredding teams through the massive gaps in the midfield we've been able to create by luring them in and playing through them with one touch football?

 

[Bozza]

Time and time again West Ham's pressing players must have been thinking "That's it, we've got them now" just as, Houdini-like, we slip it through them and are suddenly breaking, at speed, with numbers.

I hope MOTD show the full passage of play that led to the penalty because that came from some top-class fannying.

 

[dazzer6666]

Absolutely love it. I know we’re going to properly louse it up at some point but it’s brilliant to watch……pinging pass after pass, under immense pressure in tight areas but creating massive gaps as the oppo think they’ve got a chance of stealing it. There were multiple examples today, just fantastic.

 

[jcdenton08]

Absolutely love it. I know we’re going to properly louse it up at some point but it’s brilliant to watch……pinging pass after pass, under immense pressure in tight areas but creating massive gaps as the oppo think they’ve got a chance of stealing it. There were multiple examples today, just fantastic.

It’s the old rope-a-dope!

 

[Icy Gull]

The closer it gets to us cocking it up and losing possession, the more our opponents get confident, waste energy and ultimately, get out of shape. We then punch back very hard indeed. I’m sure Potter tried to get us to do something like this against Liverpool and Citeh in his first season. Wasn’t so funny then!

He did and from memory it was Propper who cost us against Liverpool and United in successive games, although it could have been City and Liverpool.

 

[jimhigham]

Seeing how we’ve just beaten our record goals tally in the Premier League with FIFTEEN matches to spare, I reckon it’s fine to trust the management on this one.

 

[Washie]

Time and time again West Ham's pressing players must have been thinking "That's it, we've got them now" just as, Houdini-like, we slip it through them and are suddenly breaking, at speed, with numbers.

I hope MOTD show the full passage of play that led to the penalty because that came from some top-class fannying.

It was the same for the lead up to the corner that we scored from.

 

[Farehamseagull]

We were quite obviously taking the piss at times in the second half. Was wonderful to see!

 

[Farehamseagull]

It was the same for the lead up to the corner that we scored from.

Was going to say the same thing. Said that to my boys straight after we scored - that corner came about because of football that came straight out of the ‘fannying about at the back’ book. The ultimate example of risk and reward.

(I did also say to them what a shame we didn’t score from that move as we’re never going to score from a corner again).

 

[Bozza]

We were quite obviously taking the piss at times in the second half. Was wonderful to see!

I think Sarmiento was getting dangerously close to the "being kicked into the stand for taking the piss" line in the closing stages.

 

[KZNSeagull]

We see them practice the fannying in their training videos. I wonder how much they do a day 'cos they are all getting very, very good at it.

 

[Shooting Star]

Things that never get old: Caicedo receiving the ball and turning to go forward, or pinging it to the flanks, indicating we've broken the press. I bloody love it, even if I have shouted "boot it" at the TV seconds before.