West Ham are in a relegation scrap – however the problem is they don’t seem to be scrapping.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s aspect weren’t simply overwhelmed by Brentford on Monday – they had been outfought. The Hammers misplaced practically 60 per cent of the duels and had lower than 20 per cent of the probabilities.
That was additionally proven within the stands, with empty seats dotted in every single place across the London Stadium because of a boycott towards the working of the membership. It created a hole ambiance, which worsened because of the efficiency on the pitch.
No person representing in claret and blue was up for the struggle.
The two-0 loss to Brentford was Nuno’s first house recreation in cost and West Ham’s new boss is eager to not decide them off one recreation. Nevertheless, the issues on present on Monday night time have been evident all season.
“Shocking, and they’ve been shocking for a while. I can’t think of a less athletic team I’ve seen for a very, very long time in the Premier League,” stated Jamie Carragher on Monday Evening Soccer. “It is one of many slowest groups I’ve seen in Premier League soccer.
“West Ham, with that squad of players, no matter who the manager is, were always going to have a problem because I don’t think they can cope physically.”
The numbers again that up. This season, West Ham rank second-bottom for distance coated within the Premier League. Solely Chelsea have coated much less floor, however the Blues have the second-highest possession proportion within the division. They needn’t set excessive distance numbers as a result of they’re accountable for the ball in the precise areas.
West Ham have the fifth-lowest possession however aren’t protecting the bottom off-the-ball. Their sprinting, pace and excessive depth numbers are all within the backside three – whereas the one working metric during which West Ham rank extremely in is distance strolling.
And even Nuno can not cover from the argument that his group should not bodily in a position to cowl a 90-minute recreation. The West Ham boss recognised his group’s incapability to do effectively within the first 20 minutes towards Brentford, however then dip away from competitiveness.
“It alarms everybody. It’s there to see,” he advised Sky Sports activities Information from West Ham’s coaching floor on Wednesday, 48 hours forward of their subsequent recreation away at Leeds, stay on Sky Sports activities.
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“The team has to be able to sustain the game longer, having more consistent performances.
“I can share with you one easy element: our throw-ins. As foolish because it appears, at a throw-in that’s ours and we lose the ball, we take one minute 30 seconds or two minutes to get better. We’ve to have a look at that.
“We still don’t have a clear idea. We started well [against Brentford] but were not able to sustain it. So we don’t have it.”
The extra you have a look at West Ham’s numbers, the bleaker the scenario will get. If the Hammers handle to work onerous sufficient to get right into a duel, they don’t get on high.
Solely Aston Villa have a decrease floor duel success fee than West Ham this season, whereas the Hammers have misplaced essentially the most duels within the air all time period and received the fewest variety of tackles.
It then leads to West Ham being dominated everywhere in the park. The stress on their objective is unsustainable.
They’ve conceded the highest-quality probabilities heading in the right direction within the Premier League this season – towards Brentford, they allowed 22 pictures and all however two of them got here from contained in the penalty space.
Opposition sides have a lot pleasure towards West Ham the Hammers have conceded essentially the most corners within the league. They might take a leaf out of Leeds’ e-book, with Daniel Farke’s aspect conceding the least.
So no surprise West Ham have the worst defensive set-piece report within the division, with eight objectives conceded from dead-ball eventualities. The stress on their objective is an excessive amount of.
“We conceded set pieces, a lot of them – too much,” added Nuno on Wednesday concerning the Brentford show. “We defended them quite well – we are improving at that aspect of the game. But we have to improve at not conceding them. Some of them are easy situations that we can solve.”
And all this domination from opponents means there may be not sufficient for West Ham to work with on the different finish of the pitch. Solely Burnley have had fewer pictures, whereas solely simply seven per cent of their open-play probabilities created are labeled as ‘large probabilities’. It is even decrease than backside aspect Wolves.
To vary the narrative round West Ham, Nuno has not referred to as for his group to undertake a brand new enjoying type – however to create a brand new sort of participant, because the at present crop is less than scratch by way of work ethic or high quality.
“The moment you realise you have a problem, the priority is now really trying to connect with the players, take the best of them,” the brand new Hammers boss stated.
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West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo admits his aspect are enjoying with ‘anxiousness’, following only one win out of their first eight Premier League video games
“It’s about looking at them individually and going: can we make a different type of player? Improve them and there are a lot of things to be made in that aspect. Then it comes as a team – how can we compete?”
Fully altering the West Ham gamers’ attitudes might assist raise the membership, not simply up the desk but additionally with the temper across the fanbase – particularly at a dire London Stadium.
“What is the engine of the club?” asks Nuno. “It’s the team. Everything goes around the team.”
However the engine is defective. It is chugging in direction of a standstill. And if pressing repairs aren’t achieved, then overlook a relegation scrap, West Ham can be going onto the scrap heap.
Watch West Ham’s subsequent recreation away to newly-promoted Leeds stay on Sky Sports activities’ Friday Evening Soccer this week, kick-off at 8pm
