Pushing aside last weekend’s disappointing loss to the Reds at Anfield, this Sunday marked and all round improvement in a match that West Ham could have easily won. It was simply an enthralling game for all those involved, and whilst Manchester United’s last minute equalizer certainly broke a few Hammers hearts inside Upton Park this weekend, the West Ham faithful nonetheless left the ground with a great deal of pride in their team, and optimism for our upcoming matches.
Big Sam’s boys broke the deadlock early in the second half through Chiekhou Kouyate, whose neat skill in the opposition’s half was enough to see the Senegalese enforcer strike home his second goal in the claret and blue. Despite the likes of Matt Jarvis and Mark Noble then coming close for the Hammers, as well as Radamel Falcao spurring a golden opportunity in the latter stages, Daley Blind managed to sweep one home in the last minute, rescuing a well fought point for his side.
It says a great deal that a side as big as Manchester United, with their vast array of high profile names and expensive players, were forced into playing the long ball, and clawing onto a measly draw away from home. Marouane Fellaini proved the difference for the Red Devils, whilst the rest of their stars were kept relatively quiet.
Also, our new ‘Betway’ sponsor simply looked awful and has somewhat killed one of our nicest shirts in a long time, It’s not nice to have another betting company as our sponsor, and even worse to be on the end of another collapse from Alpari, after experiencing a similar situation with XL Holidays.
Adrian – The Spaniard simply had very little to do the whole game, despite doing well to save a couple of shots from Angel di Maria and Robin van Persie respectively.
Carl Jenkinson – It was great to have the Arsenal loanee return to first team action again, and despite the fact that his clearing header seemingly set up Daley Blind for his last minute finish, Jenkinson’s overall performance deserves praise yet again. He is now reaching a level of consistency that is starting to prove any potential doubters wrong.
James Tomkins – As he had to face a barrage of elbows from the likes of Van Persie and Fellaini, one of which reportedly breaking his nose, Tomkins done exceptionally well at keeping this make-shift defence solid and tight for the majority of the match.
Cheikhou Kouyate – With his well taken goal aside, Kouyate still deserved to take home the man of the match award with a really great display. His performance was in tune with the whole team, strong at the back and powerful coming forward. Kouyate’s ability to hold the ball up and break up play was simply second to none against United.
Aaron Cresswell – Another strong performance from Aaron Cresswell, even if the former Ipswich Town man was at his absolute best this weekend.
Alex Song – Skillful, strong and hard to knock off the ball. Whilst a few of Alex’s balls were a bit too nonchalant on Sunday, the Cameroonian nevertheless provided yet another great showing in the claret and blue.
Mark Noble – Nobes certainly showed a return to form this match, as he was absolutely everywhere when needed and ran his socks off for the entire 90 minutes. He seemed in tune with the rest of the team, and on song himself, which has been something that we haven’t quite seen from Mark Noble in recent outings. The man from Canning Town could have, and maybe should have, finished the game late on, but his shot was unfortunately straight at David de Gea.
Kevin Nolan – Believe it or not, Kevin Nolan’s second half showing against the Red Devils really was a joy to behold. The skipper put in many fine balls to start attacks, as well as breaking up many of the opposition’s near attempts. This deeper position suits Nolan a lot more than his usual CAM role, and whilst one good showing doesn’t make up for a whole host of bad ones, if Kevin Nolan is to remain in the starting XI, lets hope he pulls out a few more performances such as this one.
Stewart Downing – Another great showing from Downing, who has proved what a great player he can be in his more free flowing role down the middle.
Enner Valencia – We saw an impressive return to form from Enner this weekend, who when playing alongside Diafra Sakho, really comes into his own. He chased down the Manchester United back four all game never giving them a moments rest. As good as Andy Carroll has been in recent weeks, this is the kind of showing the Upton Park faithful want to see from their forwards. Valencia was replaced late on by Matt Jarvis, who gave West Ham a bit of energy coming forward, if not much else.
Diafra Sakho – Another strong performance form Sakho, who has well and truly become a solid fan favourite this season.
Sam Allardyce – As Big Sam had his hands tied regarding the likes of James Collins and Winston Reid being ruled out through injury, the West Ham boss done well with his team selection and nearly saw his side take all three points as a result. Some would have liked to have seen the inclusion of Morgan Amalfitano however, who has definitely impressed so far this campaign.
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