James McCarthy

[whufaninpeace]

Wonder if people would shout up if it happened to like Joey O'Brien.

To be fair, probably not nearly as much! A lot of the outcry is that it did happen to arguably our best player, and one of the best midfielders in Europe at the moment. However, I do believe that the challenge was a bad one, and I wouldn't condone it regardless of who it happened to. Just my opinion, however.

 

[whufaninpeace]

Momentum on the pitch can cause tackles like these to happen is the way I see it. He's a fiesty player but there won't have been any malicious intent on killing Payet; he's not Roy Keane. It was a poorly executed slide tackle but the speed at which he went in for it always meant there was a chance his trailing leg would follow through - it has to.

Awkward tackle, unfortunate injury. Let's hope in the reverse fixture no West Ham player thinks retribution is required.

I agree with everything you say here. I don't believe there was any malice, just a reckless challenge. I'm sure no West Ham player will believe retribution is required (despite some of the fans' best perhaps wishing it), just as I would hope that McCarthy won't commit a similar offense on Payet or any other West Ham player for that matter. I'm perfectly content with the physical side of the game, in fact most of the challenges in this game I was okay with. Even the one where your defender (Mori was it?) came over and hammered Moses near the touchline. Was definitely a foul and a yellow card, as he knew he wasn't getting the ball, but a tackle that more often than not would not result in an injury. Even the challenge on Valencia (completely fair challenge btw) is something I won't complain about, and Valencia might be out even longer. Like you lot have said, injuries happen.

I'm not asking for the game to become non-contact, and I know there aren't any WHU fans who would enjoy that. I just believe (in my opinion of course), that the scissor challenge is one that can be eliminated from the game without ruining the sport. You only see a few of these happen per season, and thousands of other tackles as well, so it's not like the game would be changed forever. I respect if some of you disagree, that's just my opinion on the matter.

 

[blueblue]

Look at the challenge that injured Cleverley. It was completely dissimilar.

It is a contact sport played at incredible pace,bad tackles can be made and players can get injured. I don't believe that Dier wanted to injure Cleverley or that McCarthy wanted to inure Payet.

These things happen.

 

[EFC78]

This response is a bit over the top. To state that Payet is the one completely at fault, and that McCarthy is free of all blame is completely biased. Taking off my C&B specs, I could see how some of it may be Payet's fault. His miscontrol led to the challenge being made in the first place (doesn't mean he needs to be more skillful, as even the best players miscontrol a ball from time to time, yes even Everton players). However, to say that it's all his fault is completely blinkered. Say what you want, McCarthy had some knowledge as to what he was doing. He's a professional football player, he makes hundreds of tackles weekly. I can bet you pretty confidently that he isn't doing any of these scissor challenges in training, no matter how physical the training is. The tackle was made out of frustration, and to let the player know that he was in for a tough battle. He could have easily avoided the scissor motion if he wanted. I don't think he had the intention of injuring, just that he wanted to make his presence known.

I always enjoy the "Anyone who has played the game" or "anyone who has any knowledge will agree that I'm right about everything" comments. I played the game for 20 years at a decently competitive level (not professional by any means). In my time playing, I saw maybe a handful or two of scissor tackles. Not once did I ever see a look of "my mistake" or "uh oh" on the face of the player who committed the offense, when the other player ended up injured and unable to carry on. It was always accompanied by a sheepish grin and a satisfaction of "putting the player in their place". It's a tackle that is made when you aren't necessarily having things go the way you plan, and you get frustrated. I'm not saying McCarthy was proud of injuring Payet, just stating that you can bet he was in control of his actions.

And as for your other post, which I will just respond to here, I agree that a lot of KUMB posters went over the top. It's the internet, a place where people know they can say pretty much whatever they want, without any guilt or punishment coming their way. Each forum has a group of people who go over the top, including this forum. Judging from your posts so far (only the past few that I've seen, granted), it seems that you are one of them that goes over the top in the other direction, the "it's never our fault, our players are complete angels" and "every other fan is stupid and we are the only reasonable ones". Most fans who have responded to my posts have been fairly reasoned and presented their points with only a bit, I would appreciate if you tried to do the same. Stating that Payet was a "coward" or a "shithouse" for getting tackled is idiotic at best. Also, stating that he isn't skillful shows that I should not take your knowledge of the game into consideration. Most of your fans have been able to admit that it was an unfortunate injury, and that they wish him the best in his recovery. You're just taking the West Ham fans' reaction and going the complete opposite direction.

Good post. Our fans saying that Payet was in any way to blame for being on the receiving end of a tough tackle is baffling. Equally as ridiculous as some of your fans over the comments to be honest. Don't see how he's a coward either.

I did mention it in my last post though that I disagree that every scissor tackle is set out with the intention of leaving their mark on the player. I think catcherintheeye was spot on where he said that it can happen as a result of stretching for the tackle. I've seen Dier's tackle a few times and it was a hard scissor tackle but completely legitimate as he went for the ball and won it. It was just unfortunate that Cleverly got caught in between, but that's football.

 

[catcherintherye]

This response is a bit over the top. To state that Payet is the one completely at fault, and that McCarthy is free of all blame is completely biased. Taking off my C&B specs, I could see how some of it may be Payet's fault. His miscontrol led to the challenge being made in the first place (doesn't mean he needs to be more skillful, as even the best players miscontrol a ball from time to time, yes even Everton players). However, to say that it's all his fault is completely blinkered. Say what you want, McCarthy had some knowledge as to what he was doing. He's a professional football player, he makes hundreds of tackles weekly. I can bet you pretty confidently that he isn't doing any of these scissor challenges in training, no matter how physical the training is. The tackle was made out of frustration, and to let the player know that he was in for a tough battle. He could have easily avoided the scissor motion if he wanted. I don't think he had the intention of injuring, just that he wanted to make his presence known.

I always enjoy the "Anyone who has played the game" or "anyone who has any knowledge will agree that I'm right about everything" comments. I played the game for 20 years at a decently competitive level (not professional by any means). In my time playing, I saw maybe a handful or two of scissor tackles. Not once did I ever see a look of "my mistake" or "uh oh" on the face of the player who committed the offense, when the other player ended up injured and unable to carry on. It was always accompanied by a sheepish grin and a satisfaction of "putting the player in their place". It's a tackle that is made when you aren't necessarily having things go the way you plan, and you get frustrated. I'm not saying McCarthy was proud of injuring Payet, just stating that you can bet he was in control of his actions.

And as for your other post, which I will just respond to here, I agree that a lot of KUMB posters went over the top. It's the internet, a place where people know they can say pretty much whatever they want, without any guilt or punishment coming their way. Each forum has a group of people who go over the top, including this forum. Judging from your posts so far (only the past few that I've seen, granted), it seems that you are one of them that goes over the top in the other direction, the "it's never our fault, our players are complete angels" and "every other fan is stupid and we are the only reasonable ones". Most fans who have responded to my posts have been fairly reasoned and presented their points with only a bit, I would appreciate if you tried to do the same. Stating that Payet was a "coward" or a "shithouse" for getting tackled is idiotic at best. Also, stating that he isn't skillful shows that I should not take your knowledge of the game into consideration. Most of your fans have been able to admit that it was an unfortunate injury, and that they wish him the best in his recovery. You're just taking the West Ham fans' reaction and going the complete opposite direction.

I have never said Payet is completely at fault. It is an accidental injury so trying to partition blame to me seems completely futile. For all of the West Ham fans trying to implicate McCarthy in it I pointed out that it would be easier to look your own player. Just as McCarthy can be blamed for cleanly dispossessing Payet of the ball, we can also ask the question as to why Payet allowed a situation whereby the tackle could come in.

It's not Payets fault either, it's an accident however if you are going to push the ball so far ahead of yourself that you invite a tackle then you better be sure you can ride that tackle or you run the risk of getting a freak injury caused from a slide tackle. All my point was, rather than trying to deflect the blame to McCarthy, you should focus on your own player.

I have played the game at a decent level too. I have made McCarthy's tackle hundreds of times and it was very rare if ever a payer got injured. The fact you mention nobody ever looked concerned shows how innocuous it is so why would anybody be worried. Never once when I made such a tackle did I ever mean to hurt or injure the opponent. I wanted to play the ball and the inevitable momentum meant I had to carry one leg over after impact.

Payet is a very skilful player one of the most skilful in the league. In that instance though he lacked the necessary skill to ride the tackle or keep the ball under control. He lacked the sufficient level of bravery to slide in for the tackle. Had he done any of those things he would have avoided injury. I know that doesn't fit your narrative that "McCarthy was a bit to blame" or the goons on KUMB who seem to want to make out he had some malice in it but thats the cold hard reality of the situation. I suggest you go and try and educate the incredulously pathetic mob that has developed on KUMB with that information.

As for the rest, you can go into personal insults to me all you like, or try to minimise and deflect from their abhorrent behaviour all you like, it just reflects on you. I am not the same as them. They are launching a hate mob because your one of our players hate the temerity to try and tackle your star player. They have launched a pathetic hate mob in trying to address it, dragging a decent young footballers name through the mud.

I am trying to address that behaviour square on by giving you the factual information to take back to them. You seem to want to try and fudge the issue with the "they've done nothing wrong and McCarthy is a bit guilty". If you want to carry on with that nonsense you will get short thrift on an Everton forum. We are fundamentally honest and deal issuing statements of truth, however unpalatable. If you want to go cry babying about imaginary bad tackles I suggest the buffoons on KUMB will lap it up and not challenge you on it. They will deflect, lie, misrepresent and hound a young footballer James McCarthy. I won't be privy to that though and all the time you are peddling your nonsense I will challenge it.

I wish Payet a speedy recovery, just as I did to Cleverly when he was injured. I attach no blame whatsoever to either Eric Dier or James McCarthy for executing perfectly times tackles. If it was such a bad tackle why did a replica tackle on Cleverly not even receive a free kick earlier in the season? Why did nobody at Everton make a fuss?

It was an unfortunate injury, I wish him every success with his recovery. McCarthy should not stop trying to make slide tackles and on some occasions this may lead him to scissor the same as ever other player. The Falsification and witch hunt of him needs to stop.

 

[Chang Elephant]

Each forum has a group of people who go over the top, including this forum

Disgrace....name the guilty parties immediately so that they can be perma banned

 

[Robertor]

@whufaninpeace, welcome to GOT mate.

You seem decent compared to some of the weapons on social media, although it's off topic I'd love to know what you make of this temper tantrum seemingly younger West Ham fans seem to have when it comes to playing Everton?

From my end it comes across as a bit of jealousy, not meaning that in anyway patronising or to sound big headed about my team, but it seems to be frustration born out of being unable to beat us, both in individual games and in the league as a whole.

It seems to me like some of your fans go in the way of Newcastle fans, where there's some of them that have a sense of entitlement because they think they're a big club. Obviously social media etc. is the playground for every club's idiots, but to me there seems to be a growing idea of Everton being a rival to West Ham, even when you signed Ogbonna and it seemed to be a huge victory that someone chose West Ham over Everton, without knowing any reasoning behind it or any of the terms.

I stress that I'm not meaning I dislike West Ham or am trying to put the club down in any way, but I'd just love to know where the overzealous interest in Everton has come from with some of West Ham's fans?

 

[whufaninpeace]

I have never said Payet is completely at fault. It is an accidental injury so trying to partition blame to me seems completely futile. For all of the West Ham fans trying to implicate McCarthy in it I pointed out that it would be easier to look your own player. Just as McCarthy can be blamed for cleanly dispossessing Payet of the ball, we can also ask the question as to why Payet allowed a situation whereby the tackle could come in.

It's not Payets fault either, it's an accident however if you are going to push the ball so far ahead of yourself that you invite a tackle then you better be sure you can ride that tackle or you run the risk of getting a freak injury caused from a slide tackle. All my point was, rather than trying to deflect the blame to McCarthy, you should focus on your own player.

I have played the game at a decent level too. I have made McCarthy's tackle hundreds of times and it was very rare if ever a payer got injured. The fact you mention nobody ever looked concerned shows how innocuous it is so why would anybody be worried. Never once when I made such a tackle did I ever mean to hurt or injure the opponent. I wanted to play the ball and the inevitable momentum meant I had to carry one leg over after impact.

Payet is a very skilful player one of the most skilful in the league. In that instance though he lacked the necessary skill to ride the tackle or keep the ball under control. He lacked the sufficient level of bravery to slide in for the tackle. Had he done any of those things he would have avoided injury. I know that doesn't fit your narrative that "McCarthy was a bit to blame" or the goons on KUMB who seem to want to make out he had some malice in it but thats the cold hard reality of the situation. I suggest you go and try and educate the incredulously pathetic mob that has developed on KUMB with that information.

As for the rest, you can go into personal insults to me all you like, or try to minimise and deflect from their abhorrent behaviour all you like, it just reflects on you. I am not the same as them. They are launching a hate mob because your one of our players hate the temerity to try and tackle your star player. They have launched a pathetic hate mob in trying to address it, dragging a decent young footballers name through the mud.

I am trying to address that behaviour square on by giving you the factual information to take back to them. You seem to want to try and fudge the issue with the "they've done nothing wrong and McCarthy is a bit guilty". If you want to carry on with that nonsense you will get short thrift on an Everton forum. We are fundamentally honest and deal issuing statements of truth, however unpalatable. If you want to go cry babying about imaginary bad tackles I suggest the buffoons on KUMB will lap it up and not challenge you on it. They will deflect, lie, misrepresent and hound a young footballer James McCarthy. I won't be privy to that though and all the time you are peddling your nonsense I will challenge it.

I wish Payet a speedy recovery, just as I did to Cleverly when he was injured. I attach no blame whatsoever to either Eric Dier or James McCarthy for executing perfectly times tackles. If it was such a bad tackle why did a replica tackle on Cleverly not even receive a free kick earlier in the season? Why did nobody at Everton make a fuss?

It was an unfortunate injury, I wish him every success with his recovery. McCarthy should not stop trying to make slide tackles and on some occasions this may lead him to scissor the same as ever other player. The Falsification and witch hunt of him needs to stop.

Fair enough, this is a more balanced assessment than the last few comments you have made. I will go ahead and agree that you and I are going to disagree about the challenge, that's what opinions are for. You are allowed to have your opinion on the matter and I'm allowed to have mine. None of these are "facts" like you make them out to be, but opinions. Your opinion is that it was a completely innocuous challenge, and mine is that it's a dangerous challenge, but that he didn't intend to actually injure the player.

Again, I'm not responsible for the fact that reactions from some of our fan base, especially those on the internet, are over the top. You won't find me arguing, because that's what the internet is. You trying to shove your opinions down my throat as "factual information", and have some sort of superiority complex over those fans is something that I won't stop you from doing, but I also won't acknowledge it. You do seem to be tarnishing all West Ham fans with the same brush. Even on that forum, some of the posters have called the reactions over the top. You can't let the overreactions of an internet mob affect your opinion of all West Ham fans. Pretty much every one I have met are fairly reasoned, and support a good team for the right reasons. I don't have any problems with Everton either, hence why I am giving my views about the challenge on this forum in a reasonable manner.

Also, you can't really claim that I'm resorting to personal insults, imply that you are above that, and then go on to hurl insults at myself like "cry baby" and hurl insults at all of KUMB and state how much better you are then them. The "If you want to carry on with that nonsense you will get short thrift on an Everton forum. We are fundamentally honest and deal issuing statements of truth, however unpalatable" statement just makes me laugh a little bit. It's as if you believe this forum is above over-reacting and emotions, and only deal in absolute fact. I won't stop you from believing this, just want to let you know that again, it is an opinion, not a fact. This isn't an attack at this forum btw, just your belief that you lot are above every other forum.

I will once again agree with you wholeheartedly that the over-reaction over there is over the top, and in some cases ridiculous. They are human beings, and let emotions get the best of them, and took it too far this time. I will also admit that when I first found out the news, I was furious at McCarthy. I waited until I cooled down a bit to come post over here, as I felt I would be able to give better input on the matter. There are also people on that forum who are calling them out for their over the top reactions as well. They have differing opinions on the matter, and are discussing it in a way that resembles, for lack of a better word, a forum. I don't post on KUMB, but I follow it fairly regularly, and most of the people over there are reasonable fans, and most of the discussions over there are fair, calm, and collected.

Again, sorry for the lengthy response, but I'm just not a fan of the high and mighty approach you seem to have to this conversation.

 

[whufaninpeace]

Good post. Our fans saying that Payet was in any way to blame for being on the receiving end of a tough tackle is baffling. Equally as ridiculous as some of your fans over the comments to be honest. Don't see how he's a coward either.

I did mention it in my last post though that I disagree that every scissor tackle is set out with the intention of leaving their mark on the player. I think catcherintheeye was spot on where he said that it can happen as a result of stretching for the tackle. I've seen Dier's tackle a few times and it was a hard scissor tackle but completely legitimate as he went for the ball and won it. It was just unfortunate that Cleverly got caught in between, but that's football.

I agree that a lot of the fans on KUMB are going a bit over the top, but that's just the way it goes on a forum sometimes. I'm not a fan of the scissor challenge myself, but I can see your viewpoints on it.

My solution to this is to have different severity of punishment, depending on the tackle. I don't like the ruling that if a player has been punished on the field with a foul call, or a yellow card, that the judgement has been set and their can't be any retrospective action taken. I'm not necessarily talking about this challenge, but challenges in general. I think bans should be handed out by severity of offense, and repetition of actions. If it looks like a nasty challenge, the player should be banned between 1-3 games depending on the tackle. If it is repeated, then increase the ban.

I know most will probably disagree with that idea, but it's just something I think should be implemented, as I'm not a fan of those types of tackles. I respect that some of you are, though, and that's fine with me.

 

[Goat]

I agree that a lot of the fans on KUMB are going a bit over the top, but that's just the way it goes on a forum sometimes. I'm not a fan of the scissor challenge myself, but I can see your viewpoints on it.

My solution to this is to have different severity of punishment, depending on the tackle. I don't like the ruling that if a player has been punished on the field with a foul call, or a yellow card, that the judgement has been set and their can't be any retrospective action taken. I'm not necessarily talking about this challenge, but challenges in general. I think bans should be handed out by severity of offense, and repetition of actions. If it looks like a nasty challenge, the player should be banned between 1-3 games depending on the tackle. If it is repeated, then increase the ban.

I know most will probably disagree with that idea, but it's just something I think should be implemented, as I'm not a fan of those types of tackles. I respect that some of you are, though, and that's fine with me.

Pipe down lad.

It wasnt even a foul, ball was played and your little midget carried on for 20minutes after the tackle.

Hopefully youve enjoyed the first half of the season, I doubt as much as im gonna enjoy your fall down the table tho.

PROPA NAWTY

 

[Prevenger17]

I have never said Payet is completely at fault. It is an accidental injury so trying to partition blame to me seems completely futile. For all of the West Ham fans trying to implicate McCarthy in it I pointed out that it would be easier to look your own player. Just as McCarthy can be blamed for cleanly dispossessing Payet of the ball, we can also ask the question as to why Payet allowed a situation whereby the tackle could come in.

It's not Payets fault either, it's an accident however if you are going to push the ball so far ahead of yourself that you invite a tackle then you better be sure you can ride that tackle or you run the risk of getting a freak injury caused from a slide tackle. All my point was, rather than trying to deflect the blame to McCarthy, you should focus on your own player.

I have played the game at a decent level too. I have made McCarthy's tackle hundreds of times and it was very rare if ever a payer got injured. The fact you mention nobody ever looked concerned shows how innocuous it is so why would anybody be worried. Never once when I made such a tackle did I ever mean to hurt or injure the opponent. I wanted to play the ball and the inevitable momentum meant I had to carry one leg over after impact.

Payet is a very skilful player one of the most skilful in the league. In that instance though he lacked the necessary skill to ride the tackle or keep the ball under control. He lacked the sufficient level of bravery to slide in for the tackle. Had he done any of those things he would have avoided injury. I know that doesn't fit your narrative that "McCarthy was a bit to blame" or the goons on KUMB who seem to want to make out he had some malice in it but thats the cold hard reality of the situation. I suggest you go and try and educate the incredulously pathetic mob that has developed on KUMB with that information.

As for the rest, you can go into personal insults to me all you like, or try to minimise and deflect from their abhorrent behaviour all you like, it just reflects on you. I am not the same as them. They are launching a hate mob because your one of our players hate the temerity to try and tackle your star player. They have launched a pathetic hate mob in trying to address it, dragging a decent young footballers name through the mud.

I am trying to address that behaviour square on by giving you the factual information to take back to them. You seem to want to try and fudge the issue with the "they've done nothing wrong and McCarthy is a bit guilty". If you want to carry on with that nonsense you will get short thrift on an Everton forum. We are fundamentally honest and deal issuing statements of truth, however unpalatable. If you want to go cry babying about imaginary bad tackles I suggest the buffoons on KUMB will lap it up and not challenge you on it. They will deflect, lie, misrepresent and hound a young footballer James McCarthy. I won't be privy to that though and all the time you are peddling your nonsense I will challenge it.

I wish Payet a speedy recovery, just as I did to Cleverly when he was injured. I attach no blame whatsoever to either Eric Dier or James McCarthy for executing perfectly times tackles. If it was such a bad tackle why did a replica tackle on Cleverly not even receive a free kick earlier in the season? Why did nobody at Everton make a fuss?

It was an unfortunate injury, I wish him every success with his recovery. McCarthy should not stop trying to make slide tackles and on some occasions this may lead him to scissor the same as ever other player. The Falsification and witch hunt of him needs to stop.

Holy crap Catcher, how is that novel coming along?

 

[whufaninpeace]

@whufaninpeace, welcome to GOT mate.

You seem decent compared to some of the weapons on social media, although it's off topic I'd love to know what you make of this temper tantrum seemingly younger West Ham fans seem to have when it comes to playing Everton?

From my end it comes across as a bit of jealousy, not meaning that in anyway patronising or to sound big headed about my team, but it seems to be frustration born out of being unable to beat us, both in individual games and in the league as a whole.

It seems to me like some of your fans go in the way of Newcastle fans, where there's some of them that have a sense of entitlement because they think they're a big club. Obviously social media etc. is the playground for every club's idiots, but to me there seems to be a growing idea of Everton being a rival to West Ham, even when you signed Ogbonna and it seemed to be a huge victory that someone chose West Ham over Everton, without knowing any reasoning behind it or any of the terms.

I stress that I'm not meaning I dislike West Ham or am trying to put the club down in any way, but I'd just love to know where the overzealous interest in Everton has come from with some of West Ham's fans?

To be honest, I do hate playing you lot. You have some sort of hoodoo over us. I'm not sure I would call it a jealousy, more just a dreading of playing you. We can almost never win, and we seem to be picking up a fair bit of injuries the last few times we've met (not saying this is due to any challenges, just bad luck). You lot could become a conference team, and Lukaku could become a quadriplegic, and you would still beat us and still Lukaku would somehow score against us. It's the same thing with Anfield for us (not comparing the two teams, just our results against both teams).

Social media is a terrible place to gauge an opinion of a fan base, especially twitter. I use twitter for transfer news, so have to wade through all the so called "banter" between all of the child-like fans of every club, Everton and West Ham included. Every fan base for the most part has a group of fans that have an undeserved sense of delusion, and West Ham is no exception to that rule. Twitter especially is an awful place for that.

For the most part, West Ham fans know their place at the moment. Most of us break the table up into a few sections:

1) Top 4: City, Arsenal, Man U, Chelsea (although Chelsea are doing their best to ruin this, and long may it continue!)
2) 5-7 (usual suspects): Liverpool, Tottenham, Everton
3) 8-10 (and potential newcomers into bracket 2.): Southampton, Stoke, West Ham, Leicester, Palace, Swansea
4) The rest

Now of course there are some teams upsetting the apple cart at the moment (Leicester, Chelsea, Liverpool), but for the most part, this is the blueprint I see the league in for the most recent past seasons. The top 4 is near impossible to break into, there is too much money there. It looks like there are some new teams coming in and trying to compete for the bracket 2, including ourselves, Leicester, Palace, and Southampton. In my opinion there is a fine line between ambition and delusion. We of course would like to eventually become a team that can gate crash the top 4-5, and that could happen with the move to the new stadium and the ongoing rumors of investment that will follow that move. You lot will probably believe that you should be able to break into that group as well, which is entirely possible. It will certainly be interesting to see how things develop over the next few years.

 

[whufaninpeace]

Pipe down lad.

It wasnt even a foul, ball was played and your little midget carried on for 20minutes after the tackle.

Hopefully youve enjoyed the first half of the season, I doubt as much as im gonna enjoy your fall down the table tho.

PROPA NAWTY

Fair enough if that's what you believe, I believe differently. I do believe he should have come off though, as carrying on may have exacerbated the injury.

I have most definitely enjoyed the first half of the season, just as much as I will enjoy maintaining that for the rest of the season. I believe we will finish in the top 8-9, which I will be perfectly content with this season. Payet's injury is a blow, but we have Lanzini to fill the void, and he is some player. We also have Song returning this week, and have players such as Obiang, Moses, Antonio, Valencia (if he isn't injured again), etc to fill the hole left by Payet in our midfield. Our strength in depth is incredible at the moment, and I'm excited to see where it takes us. Good luck to you lot for the rest of the season, it'll be interesting to see how we both fare.

 

[Goat]

Not even a nibble.

Im done.

 

[EFC78]

I agree that a lot of the fans on KUMB are going a bit over the top, but that's just the way it goes on a forum sometimes. I'm not a fan of the scissor challenge myself, but I can see your viewpoints on it.

My solution to this is to have different severity of punishment, depending on the tackle. I don't like the ruling that if a player has been punished on the field with a foul call, or a yellow card, that the judgement has been set and their can't be any retrospective action taken. I'm not necessarily talking about this challenge, but challenges in general. I think bans should be handed out by severity of offense, and repetition of actions. If it looks like a nasty challenge, the player should be banned between 1-3 games depending on the tackle. If it is repeated, then increase the ban.

I know most will probably disagree with that idea, but it's just something I think should be implemented, as I'm not a fan of those types of tackles. I respect that some of you are, though, and that's fine with me.

Hopefully this incident will be put to bed shortly and both sets of fans can look forward to our teams having a go at getting in to Europe. I've got no problem with West Ham and I think your normal match going fan is probably similar to ours in that we appreciate where we are as clubs and don't get too carried away. Some of your lot have gone a bit over the top like we've said on here, but this forum has it's fair share of knee jerkers as well so it's not as if we can make out like we're above all that either lol.

Good luck for the rest of the season and well done for coming on and giving your point without insulting us like the other West Ham fan did. Think you made a lot of valid points.