West Bromwich Albion 0 - West Ham United 3

Summary:

Albion's brief return to form at Spurs was brutally snuffed out by West Ham at the Hawthorns as they received a timely reminder that they're not yet safe from relegation with only Villa and Newcastle currently unable to catch them.

Jonathan Leko was handed his first start at the expense of Stephane Sessegnon, and showed some good touches and effort - but that was about the only glimmer of hope with Albion looking slow and ponderous compared to their visitors.

Dimitri Payet proved a thorn in Albion's side throughout and set up the Hammers' first goal with a cross that was headed home by Cheikhou Kouyate just after the half hour mark. Kouyate then turned provider when he fed the ball to Mark Noble whose tame shot rolled almost apologetically into the corner of the net right at the end of added time in the first half. With ten minutes left, Payet fed Andy Carroll to cross for Noble to volley home his second and kill what little was left of the game and most of the crowd.

Albion remain in 13th place, level on 41 points with next week's destination, Bournemouth.

Update

Ok, relax, we're safe. Norwich's defeat by Arsenal means they can no longer catch us either.

Cannock Steve:

Jees. Why did I go again? Our Lack of quality is apparent, played well first twenty minutes missed a few decent chances then useless for next seventy admittedly against a better team. Gifted 2 goals and it was game over after 45 + 2 minutes. Poor marking by Evans for first took a backwards step when the cross came in, fletcher lack lustre tracking back then stopped just outside the box leaving Noble to finish unchallenged for the crucial second.

Leko was our one shining light. Need people who can create, excite and finish, the size of the challenge in summer is increasing by the week it seems, only person with harder job than the new Dan Ashworth is the guy who puts together the season highlights DVD - 32 goals and a handful of decent performances stretched over 90 minutes? Good luck with that.

Tide is firmly turning against Pulis and surely things are happening behind the scenes to ensure we don't struggle next season, there are far too many average players in our current sq uad and some poor signings bought by Pulis himself. Two pivotal questions for the post season, how much in the kitty and can we trust Pulis with it? An increasing number of season ticket holders are waiting for the answers to those before they renew.

Johno:

We were no match for a far more creative West Ham side but nevertheless we were better than in the previous two home games. We show no creativity and that is because Pulis does not know what the word means.

I thought the shape of the side was right but surely Gardner in the slot behind the striker is a joke! With no Morrison the player to be given that position is Sess. He is the only creativity we have.

Thanks for keeping us up TP but please now move on!!

Talyllyn Baggie:

Well, that's it. West Ham deserved their victory today. In many ways, they are the side we should be, given a little more investment and a coach with a less attritional approach.

we used to look forward to going to the game, but it's now a chore. All around me, people are not renewing, so the price of taking the sky shilling will be rows of empty seats watching the same attritional rubbish, as we get relegated next season.

It was summed up by our relative counter attacks - West Ham were quick and incisive but we were slow and ponderous - on several occasions we seemed to break & then stop and pass back, when a surge forward may have given us an edge.

At least we are not the Villa, but maybe next season.

Steve Fereday:

Who cares??

Bag Pulis the bus parker. Time to look forward.

Who is next? Please bring us attacking football.

What the bloody hell have we become??

Jeremy Peace - fancy a pint?

Brendan Clegg:

Lots of comments already that I agree with.

The only thing to look forward to for the game for me on the train up was Leko starting. And in the end he turned out to be the only real positive from the game. I thought he started really well and for the first 30 minutes or so he absolutely ran Cresswell ragged every time he got the ball. In truth he put some big chances on a plate for Gardner - one on the deck where he had two chances to finish from 10 yards and failed, one header at the back post that he somehow put wide and in between that he squandered a great chance, shooting and forcing a good save when Rondon was square for a tap in.

We really needed to score one or two at this point and it might've been a different game. We were much the better team for this period but West Ham's althletism and quality grew into the game and they took an undeserved lead when we switched off from a 2nd phase after a corner.

The second goal before home was total killer because at that point we looked like we might get back into it - a very poor goal right before half time that came largely again from our midfield not having the pace or power running backwards to track.

2nd half we huffed and puffed a bit. Leko's impact was reduced by Pulis moving him to the left so he was on his wrong foot. He was still our best player but not as dominant.

Saido came on and missed the target from a really good chance - a goal then might of stirred us into life.

Sandro for Yacob seemed like a totally pointless sub to me - a waste because it meant it we could only bring on Sess or Roberts but not both. Yacob and Sandro are so similar and the benefits of one over the other so marginal you have to wonder what the point was at 2-0 down?

Sess came on far too late and almost straight after the impressive Payet was allowed to run half a pitch between 3 or 4 players before feeding Caroll, who crossed for their third - the 3rd time a West Ham centre midfielder ran untracked to score in the game. In my opion Yacob would've taken him out on the half way line. We'll never know.

I left with 10 to go (the longest I can recall for some time) and Halford's Lane was again jammed solid.

I think Leko showed enough to get another start - he was out best player although it wouldn't be unfair to say that a more experienced player would have defended the 3rd better.

There is so much to read into the bench and selections - all the more ridiculous considering our terrible run of form that Poc isn't given a chance. Morrison looks gone. McManaman nowhere. Lambert preferred to Anichebe.

Pritchard would be a much better option than Gardner in the Mozza role - nowhere near a squad. I doubt we'll ever get a decent loan from a top side again given our track record on them under Pulis.

If we lose Morrison and Sess I worry even more about the Summer rebuild. It feels almost inevitable we'll be in for Crouch and/or Walters. We should have 30 million to spend, maybe 40-50 if Saido goes. I don't trust Pulis with that money at all.

• Foster - 5 Not convincing today. Nor is Myhill but on balance he shouldv'e retained his place.
• Daws - 6 Tried but not at his best.
• McAuley - 7 Funny game really, we conceded 3 but he dealt directly with their forwards quite well. All their chances came from midfield runners.
• Olsson - 7 Same as McAuley really, didn't do much wrong individually.
• Evans - 6 Quality on the ball was in general good but not great for a couple of their goals. Didn't seem to trust McClean with the ball but who can blame him.
• Leko - 7 Strong, tricky, quick but most importantly had quality in the final 3rd. Pulis must be wondering how the devil he'll make a fullback out of him though.
• Fletcher - 5 2nd game running where the opposition were too quick and strong for him. Tried.
• Yacob - 6 He pressed quite high only for us to lose the ball cheaply which often leaves him very exposed for pace. Did his job though.
• Howling Mad McClean - 4 It was pretty bad. Unbelievably stupid foul in the first 5 minutes but he somehow escaped a booking. Quality was dreadful
• Gardner - 5 Ran hard and found good positions (or rather, other players found him) but missed chances you have to take, first touch was very poor and was too slow in speed and speed of thought. Was even worse when shifted to the wing although not his fault.
• Rondon - 6 Ran and battled for periods and did create things for others but the service is so bad it is becoming hard to judge again. Looked defeated the longer the game wore on.

• Saido - 5 Big chance and he fluffed it. Looked off the pace again.
• Sandro - 5 A decent shot aside I don't see what he offered.
• Sess - 5 too little too late to make an impact.

Davie Moyes? Gary Rowett?