West Ham 1-5 Chelsea: Undesirable information, ‘scandalous’ defending and relegation fears for West Ham

There was “scandalous” defending on the pitch and “sack the board” chants from supporters leaving the London Stadium early, as West Ham have been thrashed 5-1 by Chelsea on Friday evening.

Followers would possibly surprise how, on a night the place their workforce have been embarrassed by their rivals, no West Ham participant was even booked.

The disastrous derby – on the again of a bruising 3-0 loss at newly-promoted Sunderland on the opening weekend – has already sparked speak of a relegation battle and under-pressure Graham Potter seems in determined want of reinforcements earlier than the switch window closes in simply over per week’s time.

However with issues throughout the pitch and confidence battered, Potter now has an enormous process on his arms to choose up his gamers earlier than Tuesday’s Carabao Cup journey to Wolves to cease this alarming begin to the season spiralling uncontrolled.

“I know we’re only two games in, but that’s a squad that’s going to be in a relegation fight unless they give the manager some help,” stated Sky Sports activities’ Jamie Redknapp. “They need four, five, six new signings. They haven’t got the quality.”

They did not have the appliance on Friday evening, both, with Redknapp slamming the defending from Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Jean-Clair Todibo within the first half. “When your players are defending like that you have no chance,” he stated.

By no means earlier than have West Ham conceded eight objectives of their first two video games of a top-flight season – however it was simple to see how they’ve managed it this time, with poor marking, an absence of depth in their very own field and an incapability to be first and even second to crosses into the field.

Bodily, the midfield was overpowered by a Chelsea workforce who solely returned for pre-season a little bit over two and a half weeks in the past. It’s in determined want of an injection of power after additionally being discovered at Sunderland.

“Fuming” was the phrase captain Jarrod Bowen used to sum up his emotions about the entire scenario. He had been feeding off scraps for a lot of the sport, attempting to make one thing occur amid his workforce’s largely toothless attacking efficiency.

“We gifted the goals away,” he stated. “Everyone has to look in the mirror and be brutally honest. We have to have a reaction.”

However how possible is that to come back?

In addition to their file variety of objectives conceded this season, Potter now has the undesirable file of being the primary West Ham supervisor to fail to achieve double figures for factors in his first 10 house video games.

His total file is the second-worst of any West Ham supervisor within the Premier League period.

“Clearly what we’re doing at the moment isn’t enough,” he conceded in a deflated interview with Sky Sports activities.

West Ham followers booed the workforce off at half-time and the few remaining when the ultimate whistle sounded did the identical. In addition they turned their ire on the membership’s hierarchy.

This summer season the membership fulfilled their obligation to purchase Todibo – who was hooked at half-time when Potter ditched his back-five plan – and paid charges for Malick Diouf and Mads Hermansen, the goalkeeper who was relegated with Leicester final season, spilled a cross for a Chelsea purpose and who, in line with Redknapp, must be taken out of the workforce.

The one different additions have been the free signings of Kyle Walker-Peters and Callum Wilson.

With Mohammed Kudus, Aaron Cresswell, Vladimir Coufal, Lukasz Fabianski, Danny Ings, Kurt Zouma and Michail Antonio gone, it is honest to query whether or not West Ham’s switch enterprise has left them weaker than they have been earlier than.

They’re definitely in a worse place after Friday evening. Alarm bells are ringing – and it is solely August.