SUPER SAINTS SINK SINNERS
Bilic is powerless as slick Southampton coast to easy victory
WEST Ham’S early season has moved quickly from uncertainty through disappointment and now into the dangerous realms of farce. manager Slaven Bilic must shiver when he wonders where his team are heading.
Do not be fooled by what could generously be described as a late rally from West Ham. Yes, they should have been awarded a penalty and there were was a toe poke from centre forward — if we can call him that — Simone Zaza that was cleared off the line.
But West Ham’s late forward movement was an afterthought, the type of ‘everybody out of the trenches’ stuff that teams resort to when all seems lost.
more telling about this side and the way they have regressed in the unfamiliar and uninspiring environs of a new stadium is what happened in the previous 70 minutes. That was where this game was not so much lost as surrendered.
It featured hapless defending, uncertain goalkeeping, hopeful tumbles in the penalty area and, in the first half, a cross from the dreadful manuel Lanzini that would have landed in the nearby Westfield shopping centre had it not been gobbled up by the cavernous stand on the far side.
Lanzini was taken off by Bilic at half-time, the only question being whether he had enough gumption to find his way into the shower without being led by the hand.
He was not alone. West Ham’s players failed their manager from one to 11, or, in modern parlance, numbers 13 to 30.
Southampton were not much better for 40 minutes. Their first goal, scored by the impressive Charlie austin, set a tone that rarely looked like changing.
But the fact that West Ham succumbed against such modest opposition speaks volumes.
many people expected a settlingin period after the move from Upton Park. Nobody expected this. West Ham are unrecognisable from the progressive, vibrant, brave team of last season. Confidence has left them like water down a drain and Bilic looked incapable of reversing the trend yesterday.
West Ham captain mark Noble described his team’s form as laughable and suggested it was hard to see it improving. as alarming as it was candid, that opinion was hard to counter.
For half an hour here nothing much happened as both teams seemed short of ideas. Once Southampton scored a fine opening goal, however, West Ham had no answer and that is always a bad sign.
austin’s goal was his fifth in four games and came after intelligent movement saw him drop off the West Ham central defenders to sweep a first- time shot across goalkeeper adrian from 12 yards.
But to look at the build-up was to find clear evidence of West Ham’s problems. Southampton’s approach down the left — involving Dusan Tadic and Ryan Bertrand — was too easy. No pressure on the ball, no sense of growing danger.
This is how it has been all season. Shaken by the goal, West Ham didn’t respond, they regressed. Twice more before half- time, Southampton found sight of goal as adrian saved from Nathan Redmond and full back Cedric shot into the side-netting.
at half-time, Bilic did all that he could. Only weak managers do nothing and his removal of Lanzini indicated at least that he has the courage not to worry about reputation. Sadly for Bilic, things got worse immediately.
West Ham remained supine through the centre and Southampton looked to kill the game off, Cedric and Tadic bringing decent saves from adrian.
With the margin only 1-0, West Ham remained in the game, theoretically at least. But then Cheikhou Kouyate surrendered possession cheaply in his own half and quick passes from Redmond and austin played Tadic clear to ease past a goalkeeper who committed himself far too early.
With half an hour left, we wondered how the home fans would react. Stewards were seen heading for the concourse but it was unclear whether that was to quell trouble or beg people to come back.
Some fans did go home then. Those who stayed witnessed signs of recovery as Dimitri Payet’s shot was blocked and Sofiane Feghouli’s follow-up struck Bertrand on an arm. It should been a penalty but referee Jon moss was unsighted.
With the stadium suddenly in voice, Payet shot wide and michail antonio headed over. When Zaza’s effort was cleared off the line by Virgil van Dijk with 13 minutes left, a comeback seemed possible, if not especially likely.
But West Ham needed a goal then to fuel them and when it didn’t come they retreated, territorially and emotionally.
Soon it was adrian who was again under pressure and when antonio allowed Redmond to breeze past him in stoppage-time, substitute James Ward-Prowse was able to pass the third goal into the net.
The good news for West Ham is that their next game is against lower-table opposition, middlesbrough. The bad news is that it is at home. This may get worse before it gets better.