‘There’s no point lying... we didn’t want it enough’
NOBLE’S HARD TRUTHS AFTER HAMMERS FLOP
MARK NOBLE sat West Ham’s players down after this abject FA Cup exit and accused them of simply not working hard enough.
The Hammers captain missed a glorious injury-time chance to wipe out Conor Townsend’s early goal for West Brom.
But a draw would have been ill-deserved after a tepid performance against a Championship side who made eight changes and played the last 17 minutes with 10 men following the dismissal of Semi Ajayi for a second yellow.
Noble, 32, was not even supposed to be playing after a run of hard games but he had to be brought on at half-time by David Moyes to bring any sort of life to the side.
So he was furious with his team-mates. “I said to them after the game we have already changed managers so now we have to look at ourselves,” said Noble.
“No one else. Did I give enough today? Did I work hard enough? Was I good enough?
“When you are a footballer you know whether you have done it or not and you look in the mirror when you go home and say, ‘Did I quite do it today?’
“And for 95 per cent of us the answer is no.
“I told them that the club have paid a lot of money for a lot of players. The people who brought those players in obviously see something in them. So they have got it.
“You could be technically the worst player in the world at this club, but if you chase someone down, tackle and get a throw-in in their half or win a corner, then you will get 60,000 cheer you. It is what the fans want to see. It is not rocket science. That is West Ham.
“They want to see people working hard. If you do that with quality you will win games. But today was not the level I expect – that West Ham expect. At some point it will catch up on you.
“I see people on TV giving interviews where they try to paper over the cracks. But there is no point me lying about it. Sometimes people want to hear honesty.
“It was not good enough for this football club.”
Noble’s message has to hit home quickly. Liverpool visit the London Stadium on Wednesday and a relegation battle with Brighton looms three days later. “When you lose to a weakened Championship team – let’s get that straight – it’s not good enough,” added Noble.
“Now it’s going to be tough. It is a relegation battle for sure. But do I believe in the players? One hundred per cent.”
WEST HAM (4-2-3-1): Randolph 5; Zabaleta 5, Diop 5, Balbuena 4 (Ogbonna 46, 6), Cresswell 4; Rice 6, Sanchez 4 (Noble 46, 6); Fornals 5 (Antonio 46, 6), Lanzini 4, Ajeti 5; Haller 4.
WEST BROM (4-2-3-1): Bond 6; O’Shea 7, Ajayi 5, Hegazi 7, Townsend 7; Brunt 6, Barry 7; Phillips 6 (Tulloch 62, 6), Krovinic 8 (Bartley 74), Edwards 7; Austin 6 (Zohore 70, 5). Sent off: Ajayi 73.
Goal: Townsend 9.