Bilic gets Wat four
West Ham boss is left bewildered by Hornets comeback
AFTER 33 minutes of this game, all appeared happy and well in the world of West Ham United.
In their dynamic new stadium, this football club finally appeared at home. Michail Antonio, the local boy done good and bounding with confidence after his England callup, had already fired two goals.
Frenchman Dimitri Payet, the talented playmaker of this team, was making his first start of the campaign and had already produced what may prove to be the assist of the season.
So this had been a half hour of true promise, all dazzling tricks, fastpaced attacking and wide open entertainment. The famous West Ham Way, we might say.
Against modest opponents in Watford, who had only one point from their first three games, Slaven Bilic’s West Ham appeared for all the world to be home and hosed.
And then, implausibly, this game turned on its head. Within 23 minutes, West Ham’s 2-0 advantage had become a 4-2 deficit. On the touchline, Bilic was staggering around, dazed and confused. Out on the field, his players had lost all sense of purpose and organisation. In the stands, West Ham supporters had turned on one another, engaging in fisticuffs and scuffles that will attract exactly the kind of headlines the club are desperate to avoid as they enter into this bold new era.
So all in all, this became a galling afternoon. ‘I am very angry,’ Bilic said afterwards. ‘The bottom line is if we defend like this, we aren’t going to win too many games.’
This had been helter-skelter encounter from the off, the teams trading blows from one end to the other and attacking with abandon.
England winger Antonio began menacingly, bulldozing away from two players and firing against the legs of Heurelho Gomes. Within five minutes, West Ham had taken the lead. Payet curled a corner in from the left side, Antonio stole a march on Troy Deeney and glanced a simple header past Gomes.
Down the other end, it was Watford’s turn to attack as a smart move freed up Odion Ighalo only for Arthur Masauku to make a perfectly-timed intervention.
West Ham, at this point, were turning on the style and on the half-hour mark, the lead was doubled. Here came Payet’s moment of majesty. He scampered down the right channel, checking back with a Cruyff turn before wrapping his right foot around his standing leg. The rabona cross that followed drew gasps of awe and will grace YouTube videos dedicated to football’s greatest tricks for years to come. Payet’s delivery had curl, pace and precision, landing perfectly into the path of Antonio to nod home.
To Watford’s credit, they produced a blistering spell of attacking play in which they scored four times.
It began in the 41st minute as Ighalo was released by Deeney in the inside-left channel. As Sam Byram backtracked, Ighalo cut in and his low strike got a deflection and wrongfooted Adrian. Game on.
On the stroke of half-time, the equaliser arrived. A long, hopeful ball came over the top and, as Adrian advanced, James Collins retreated, heading the ball over his goalkeeper and allowing Deeney to run in behind. The striker controlled the ball and his hanging, curling shot nestled into the top corner.
After the break, West Ham’s implosion intensified.
Roberto Pereyra, Watford’s £13m signing from Juventus, sped away down the right flank and his cross was superbly finished by Etienne Capoue for his third of the season.
By the 63rd minute, it was four. As Payet looked to break, Holebas won the ball, Ighalo took it on and teed it up for the Greek to finish. They could have had a fifth while the woodwork spared Watford a late challenge at the other end.
‘I’m very happy to come back from 2-0,’ said boss Walter Mazzarri. ‘My players have to believe we can win until the referee blows his whistle. We are building great things.’