Pulis plucks Lambert from bench to punish wasteful Hammers
YOU are only as good as the players on the pitch — at least that’s what we’re told. But try telling that to West Bromwich Albion and Tony Pulis.
Trailing 1-0 at half-time, Pulis proved that good, old-fashioned management is still as important as a £50million signing.
Within five minutes of introducing Rickie Lambert at half-time, the England striker had earned his side a point, albeit via a wicked Winston Reid deflection.
But Pulis admitted: ‘We could have been more than a goal down at half-time. We were fortunate. So we sorted a few things out at halftime and it was time for Rickie.’
To make matters worse for Slaven Bilic, his injury concerns in attack were compounded by Diafra Sakho limping off with a thigh strain in the second half.
With Enner Valencia and Dimitri Payet also on the sidelines, the West Ham manager said: ‘We are waiting for the specialists’ diagnosis, but it doesn’t look good. Losing Sakho worries me more than the result. But moaning about our injuries is not going to help us.’
Having missed an eighth-minute chance, Mauro Zarate spectacularly fired the home side in front after 17 minutes. West Brom were furious referee Martin Atkinson awarded the Hammers a free-kick after Gareth McAuley was judged to have fouled Sakho just outside the area.
The striker appeared to be backing into his opponent and Pulis said: ‘It was a soft free-kick. I’ve watched it again.’
Zarate showed no mercy, striking a sumptuous set-piece past Boaz Myhill. It was brilliant, postagestamp stuff.
Cheikhou Kouyate should have made it two with a free header before Manuel Lanzini’s longrange effort was saved by Myhill. The impressive Lanzini was again foiled in the 29th minute before Sakho and Victor Moses squandered two more half-chances for the home side. On another day, West Ham would have sealed the three points by half-time.
Pulis had options on the bench, calling on Lambert ahead of Saido Berahino and Victor Anichebe to replace the ineffective Stephane Sessegnon. The switch saw West Brom revert to a 4-4-2, with the former Liverpool striker playing alongside record signing Salomon Rondon up front. It paid off.
Lambert was claiming for a penalty when his fierce effort appeared to strike the onrushing Reid’s hand in the 50th minute. A splitsecond later he was celebrating as the deflection took the ball past helpless goalkeeper Adrian.
Lambert then saw a low curling free-kick turned wide by Adrian on the hour mark as West Bromwich tried to really make the London
club pay for their wastefulness.
A minute later, the Spanish keeper produced a breathtaking save. When Darren Fletcher’s cross reached Rondon six yards out, their seemed only one outcome. But Adrian conjured a point-blank stop before James McClean lashed the rebound over the bar.
Bilic made his own tactical intervention, throwing on Andy Carroll in place of Pedro Obiang as he also switched to 4-4-2 with 26 minutes to play. West Ham’s new-look strikeforce lasted all of eight minutes, however, as Sakho limped off after chasing Moses’s pass.
Nonetheless, West Ham had chances to win it late on. Jonas Olsson threw his body in the way of a Carroll shot in the 82nd minute. Two minutes from time, Moses fired a 14-yard volley narrowly wide before Myhill parried Aaron Cresswell’s injury-time free-kick.
SUPER STAT: West Ham have conceded in nine successive Premier League games — the worst current run in the top flight.
WEST HAM UNITED (4-2-3-1): Adrian 7.5; Jenkinson 6.5, Reid 7, Ogbonna 7, Cresswell 6.5; Obiang 6.5 (Carroll 64min, 6), Kouyate 7; Zarate 7.5 (Antonio 82), Lanzini 8, Moses 6; Sakho 6.5 (Jelavic 74, 6). Subs not used: Spiegel, Tomkins, Song, Cullen.
Scorer: Zarate 17.
WEST BROMWICH ALBION (4-2-3-1): Myhill 7.5; McAuley 6.5, Dawson 6.5, Olsson 7, Evans 7; Fletcher 7, Yacob 6.5; Sessegnon 5 (Lambert 46, 7), Morrison 6.5, McClean 6.5; Rondon 6.5. Subs not used: Lindegaard; Gardner, McManaman, Anichebe, Berahino, Chester. Scorer: Reid 17 og. Booked: Olsson, Yacob.
Man of the match: Manuel Lanzini. Referee: Martin Atkinson 6.5.