Headline on Skysports.com! Surely he can heal that himself?

Credit where credit is due, I think Carroll is playing probably his best overall game consistently for West Ham than his other seasons. On another thread I touched on whether we needed another type of play for the new stadium. Maybe we need a more mentally tougher type of player? So many players have been have been wildly inconsistent this year. The few players I believe that have achieved adequate consistency are Reid, big mick,obiang and Carroll. All these come across to me as mentally strong. I can waver feghouli as he is still adjusting to a new environment and maybe ogbonna playing through injury. The rest I have to question.

i was baffled by this to be honest. carroll had a great game again, he looked a threat hanging around the edge of the box always waiting for the cross to the far post. why did bilic decide to take him off at 55 mins? i know it was 3-1 but when you consider who we have on the bench..the likes of calleri etc what would have happened if soton had pulled in back to 3-3? who was he then going to bring on to try and get the 3 points back? i know its hindsight but i for one was astonished to see carroll go off so early and the 'shut up shop' started. i like the antonio carroll combo although i thought antonio wasn't very effective today at all. whats your view?

I think its Disgraceful the way they have given all this publicity to Mancinni just because he turns up in the stands at the Olympic I thought I saw Conti in the Stadium as well did'nt hear nothing about him though did we. So we lost 5-0 in the cup and 4-0 in the prem so wot! We are still 11th. What a liberty to give Mancinni the opportunity to say if he got the chance to coach in the Premiership he would not turn it down. He certainly knew what game to turn up at. Secretly Billic must be fuming by this attempt to put extra pressure on him and I have every confidence in him, when Payet left every fan got behind Super Slaven Billic so are the board having 2nd thoughts? I dont know why I think he has done a great job up to now. If you remember a few seasons ago mancinni did exactly the same thing with Mark Hughes when he was at Man Citeh And nicked his job so lets hope The slimy little b*str*d does'nt pull of this charade of again. I think if Billic had 5or 6 bad resultsaround Easter time things might be differet but after one loss of 5-0 I think this is right out of order. Coyi

ayew brothers scoring with andre getting winner from spot.

not related to us i know, but i keep an eye on other clubs and managers. with mourinho's ridiculous claims that man u remain 'unbeaten' after losing to hull and the over the top lovefest between him and his players all the time we now have Klopp constantly in the news. if he's not complaining about how well his team played only they 'didnt score' (er isn't that the point of winning?) he's complaining about the wind affecting his team…yes the wind….has anyone ever seen a 'bias' wind? that is it affects one team but not the other? its getting sad seeing these grown men act like children, rummaging around for excuses all the time and defending their players to the point of absurdity…one minute klopp is mr funny, having a laugh and chuckle with the interviewer, next he's bitter and rude….Pep has lost the plot completely making remarks that are simply those of a man with a massive ego suddenly being found out, mourinho keeps putting himself in the news as if he is the only thing that matters in world football, wenger is still at the usual winging (and now added touchline violence to his skills) and klopp is fast becoming the man who promised much and delivered nothing.

the bar has been raised again. After chelsea signed Moses who would have thought City would tempt Jesus to join them?

Jose Mourinho has told Sir Alex Ferguson that Manchester United is "his house, always and forever". - ever heard anything as pathetic? these two should get a room…or maybe they have.

payet is not the first and won't be the last. pampered multi millionaire who thinks his station in life as someone who kicks a ball around a field for 90 mins a week somehow makes him entitled to act like a complete prat to get whatever it is he wants and when he wants it. I've heard he's 'homesick'…his wife can't settle….its all crap. some people are stranded a world away from their loved ones working 24/7 just to stay afloat. payet as ashes said on the main thread is an hour flight away and can afford a private jet there and back ffs. he has more spare time than a retired person. as for his wife's side of the story…its utterly pathetic. we had the same with behrami. these wives live in unlimited luxury. you mean to tell me she can't settle wherever her husband is for two or three years even if she can fly home anytime she wants? they all must think we are utter fools who will believe that their precious lifestyle needs are anything other than whinging, childish, unprofessional and selfish. men work on oil rigs for months at at time, truck drivers are away from home constantly….do they have hissy fits with their bosses ? no of course not as they can't and even if they could they appreciate the fact they have a job. i say that clubs around the world should put an end to it by putting clauses in their contracts that say any player refusing to play, making excuses that are not in line with what the club accepts, and any player trying to instigate his own transfer out of a club when under contract should face severe punishment i.e. huge fines and being banned from playing in the first team. as it is now payet is laughing all the way to the bank knowing he still cashes his cheques of 120,00 a week and doesnt need to lift a finger. well i;ll lift a finger….right here…up yours mate.

There's been a lot of talk about team formations this seasons, our and everybody else's. Anyone who ever had the pleasure of watching Dutch 'total football' last century will know that the best teams are like a great band: the rhythm (formation) is there to give the players an agreed reference point but the greats will turn it inside out when they please.
So the Palace game was interesting in that bringing on Byram for Ogbonna was clearly intended to add width - and to free Antonio. And where did that should-be-Hammer-of-the Year end up? Just about everywhere on the pitch and making three goals.
I thought that what looked like 4-2-4 (or was it 4-4-2?) seemed to offer a simpler plan and somehow freed the players to do their stuff.
I don't care a lot for the way the Subbutteo pieces are laid out at the start, just so long as they can move when and where they are needed.