Sunday 21 February 2010

When Did Diamanti Stop Being An Impact Player?


So tell me, when did Diamanti stop being an "impact player"? When I was complaining about Zola wasting this special talent by leaving him on the bench, the "Zola Can Do No Wrong" brigade kept coming on here, telling me he was an impact player!

"Impact player", I asked, "well why not let him make an impact from the first minute instead of from the 65th?"
"You don't understand", they said, "you don't know anything about football. Diamanti is the classic impact player, you bring him on when the opposition tires. Why waste that potential against fully conditioned teams?"

Well those "experts" wouldn't have had Diamanti on the pitch when Parker won that free kick against Birmingham! And, of course, Diamanti would not have been there to take that brilliant free kick yesterday in the second minute of the game!

Impact players! Bloody idiots! Diamanti has looked like a 90 minute impact player to me, not the 30 minute merchant that Zola's can't think for themselves acolytes believed! And interestingly, since Clarke has wrestled control of the tactics, Diamanti has shown that he can defend too!

Remarkable that!

42 comments:

Stani Army said...

There were times when we won free-kicks around the opposition box and Diamanti was not on the pitch, that I was puling my hair out.

BUT, I do think Diamanti has become a better player for it. I firmly believe that he has got the message and the hard work he clearly does off the ball is as a direct result of him being dropped previously.

I would have loved him to play all those previous games but we cannot deny that something good, if not better, has come from him being made to work for it. Some would say its serendipity, others would say it's good management.

We have a gem in him though and not all the teams around us, if any, has one of those.

Hammersfan said...

I think Clarke has chewed his arse Stani.

Anonymous said...

It doesn't take a genius to work it out but when he arrived here he wasn't fit enough and hadn't adapted to the league, he has now so no surprise starts regularly.

Hammersfan said...

So why the nonsense about him being an impact player? And why was Jimenez allowed to start when clearly not adapted to the league? Hmmmm. A hole in your logic there!

Unknown said...

When he started tracking back.

Hammersfan said...

So when Clarke took control Alex?

Unknown said...

The reason he wasnt on the pitch for most games when we first signed him is he wasnt fit enough, he still isnt 100%, he's t about 80% now, it is going to take any 2nd devision player time to adapt to a professional league let alone the premiership, it was only just over a year or two ago he was playing in the minor devisions, it's been quite a dramatic step up for our rising star, can't wait until he's 100% and then we need to all pray sully doenst sell him

Anonymous said...

ah shaduppa ya face.

Gorgon

Hammersfan said...

Says who Benni? Where do you guys get this crap from? Italian footballers are meant to be fitter than our mob. We were supposedly crap under Turds because of outdated training regimes - it was the Italians who were going to sort all that out! You change the evidence to suit your argument! Absurd!

Unknown said...

"A hole in your logic there!"

Do you not think, given your not having been in and around the changing room there could be many many holes in your logic also.

In actual fact, where is the bloody logic in this 'article'? Oh I know where it is, your depression lead you to find something else to complain about.

Damn, it must be hell being you.

Unknown said...

Also I should have, if you had spent more time reading up on the West Ham news rather than thinking up your next rant you might have seen as we did the history of Diamanti.

I agree, it's a shame he wasn't played more regularly. Hasn't made me write articles on something I know next to nothing about though. Do you actually know a single person inside the club? (WHUFC not THFC)

Hammersfan said...

Does it matter? You accept the point! He should have been played earlier!

Unknown said...

Yeah, probably, assuming Clarke taking over equates to going 4-4-2. He's been much better playing down the left wing. He was man of the match for me yesterday.

Anonymous said...

It doesnt take a geneis to work out that he wasnt fit when he first came to club whilst also needing time to adapt to the best league in the world. It seems that you claim to know more than a very experienced footballer, who has been around for years learning off of the best managers in the world. Some of your opinions on this silly little blog offend me as i have had a season ticket for as long as i remember and even after back to back wins i still see a muppet like you draining all the positives from our beloved club like some sort of leech. I would also like to ask you if you understand the term football SUPPORTER?

Straight4ward said...

I stand to be corrected but I'm unaware of Zola ever referring to Diamanti as an "impact player". That is an expression, currently much in fashion, that has been used by commentators, fans and on here on numerous occasions but not by Zola, I believe.

As other posters have already pointed out, Diamanti needed time to adjust to the pace of the game here.

That is simply a matter of Zola exercising his judgement. After all, he is perfectly placed to judge. He not only has first hand experience of the different demands and pace of Italian and English football but has been working with Diamanti since his arrival at the club and has seen his fitness and sharpness improve.

No doubt, Zola would have liked a fully ready Diamanti from the off but he's had to work with him to get him to this level.

I've liked Diamanti since he arrived and am delighted that he's now getting full games but I'll back Zola's judgement over mine,or yours for that matter, any day of the week.

Earlier in the month you said of Behrami
"Yes the guy is all energy and enthusiasm but what does he actually contribute in the final third of the pitch? It is rare to see Behrami play a killer pass and even rarer to see him have a shot on target or break into the box, never mind score."

Perhaps you could claim that this was your David Sullivan moment, your way of motivating Behrami.
Without his early strike yesterday the game could well have had a different outcome.

Anonymous said...

fanno: anti depressants are really called for and NOW! I think the blog would be all the better for it or your glass and this blog will be for all eternally half empty.

This latest utterance is ridiculous - read it again... can you really not understand that Diamanti has been developing, learning and adjusting to our league? he has also had to learn not to be so selfish and become a team player. He was very inexperienced when he come to us from Livorno as they only just achieved promotion to Serie A last year. All his experience is mainly from the Italian lower divisions from Serie D to B.

I think calling the very people who visit and comment on your blog "bloody idiots" only alienates people and turns them against you... I really can't think of any other footballing blog, West Ham or otherwise where the blogger is so comprehensively disliked.

One thing that is obvious through your posts is that you seem to have little appreciation for time, it takes time to develop a player, it takes time for footballers to recovery from injuries and it takes time for them to get back their full fitness.

Remember patience a virtue, I think your blog would be all the better for a more upbeat and optimistic approach. West Ham supporters have had it tough this year and I think you'd be negative if we were in the top 6 battling for Champion League places.

Hammersfan said...

S4W, I don't say that Zola ever claimed Diamanti was an impact player, that was the prats trying to justify the decision to leave him out!

Hammersfan said...

1739, the article is about the idiots who were terming Diamanti an impact player, not about Diamanti himself!

Hammersfan said...

And 1759, I think "bloody idiots" is mild in comparison to the insults fired in my direction! The insult is not aimed at the many readers, many of whom visit the blog and do not feel the need to insult, but at the few!

Anonymous said...

So we're prats now are we?

try this book recommendation..... "how to make friends and influence people"

Hammersfan said...

LOL I don't need virtual friends, I have real ones! You should try it!

Anonymous said...

@straight4ward - I believe fanno is deluded enough to believe that the owners and players of West Ham read his drivel.

I really cannot understand what pleasure he derives from supporting (as he claims) West Ham, I've looked through his blog and I cannot find any reference to his love or indeed any happiness that is derived from supporting our beloved team.

Today he asked us to cheer Tottenham to forth place. I cannot imagine ANY West Ham fan in jest or otherwise suggesting such a thing, I believe fanno suffers from an acute inferiority complex which leads him to write evermore ridiculous blogs, he does this for one reason alone. It's all about the counter (so last century) on the home page of the blog, the more visitors he gets to the site he feels compensates for his feelings of inadequacy.

The man has issues and it is glaringly obvious through his writing, either that or this a spoof blog designed to depress and ridicule West Ham supporters, either way the man is a disgrace.

Diamanti said...

everyone hates you

Hammersfan said...

LOL So last century! I love it! Surely the one with "issues" is the guy who keeps returning to a blog he claims to hate! Why? Why would anybody do that? Masochism perhaps? If I get my kicks from seeing the hits go up, and you hate me, why keep returning? Please explain!

Anonymous said...

Your like the Sun newspaper. Keep on printing rubbish and one day when it comes true you will say "see told you. you heard it here first"

I reckon one day you'll write something worthwhile. Ah shit, that won't happen!

Oh well, you heard it here first!

Hammersfan said...

Read my half time report for the Hull game!

Anonymous said...

fanno: it is last century - you're insecure - counters!? no one uses them anymore - it's there because you have a tragic and deflated ego

I think claiming that your detractors are just one person is denial of the highest order.

John said...

Playing him on the right seemed a strange way of helping him to adapt or even seeing if he had adapted

Hammersfan said...

LOL John, quite!

I don't think I've called the detractors one person, I've referred to them as the few. That few used to claim I was the only visitor to this site. I guess the hit counter has silenced that claim. Think there's been 8000 hits over the weekend? Not bad for a sad arse Spud in a bedsit who doesn't know what he's talking about!

Anonymous said...

i have visited this blog four times in the last month coz the head lines r sometimes interesting. I then arrive at the same coclusion each time, hammersfan is a complete cock who knows nothing about football and creates his own fiction. clark in control now , it has always been a partnersship and u know no different. ill give u some feedback from one of the few prats _you r a cun*

Hammersfan said...

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Keep coming back you mug.

Hammersfan said...

2234, you know so much about our club that you don't even know how to spell Clarke's name. Bloody says it all!

Anonymous said...

fanno: it's not about hits mate, that's why no one uses counters anymore, because they know that these days it's about quality over quantity.

Try a bit of quality with a positive slant and you never know people might actually start enjoying your posts.

Less is more

Hammersfan said...

Guess that depends what you are after mate. I can sit here, work, watch TV, read, look in here from time to time, hit off a blog...truth is, the blog entertains, even if the "entertainment" is infuriating. The hit count does indicate that the snowball is gathering snow.

Anonymous said...

fanno: more and more people take illicit drugs these days but that doesn't make it ok

If you can't do quality just say so.... but if you do manage I'll be the first to congratulate you.

T.I.S said...

Do not understand how Faubert wasn't Man of the Match personally, his second perfect through ball to Cole of the season was delightful to watch. I enjoyed the banter with Rob Green, good to see he has a sense of humour.

Unknown said...

why don't you just say you were wrong? it was nice to see quite a few posts also backing me on what I told you, because he wasnt fit and still is not 100% fit, thanks lads, stay off the apple juice fanno

Anonymous said...

ben @0310 - you've got more class and I don't expect HF to say he was wrong - because he never is - hahaha

Hammersfan said...

I am wrong about a few things actually, and I will post this evening about one of them. But I called for a left footer on the left flank and I was right, and I called for 4-3-3 to be ditched and I was right, and I called for Diamanti to start and I was right. And the twats he called him an "impact player" were wrong. That is self evident!

Anonymous said...

Fanno: what is wrong with you, what is the problem, Viagra should help, it happens to a lot of men of a certain age and weight.........

Hammersfan said...

Look 2059, I keep telling you, I don't need Viagra, I just don't find you attractive. I'm not gay so please stop sending me those pictures of you in stockings and panties!

Anonymous said...

The last 10 posts on West Ham Till I die received 915 replies which is an average 91.5 replies per post

The last 10 posts in this place received only 119 posts (of which most slagged you off) which is an average of 11.9 replies per post

Which makes their blog is 768% more interesting than yours

It you use the same ratio at your current counter visit of 274349 it means over the same period they've received millions and millions more hits than you.