Dozy defenders are to blame as Wilson meanders like Messi
WHERE to begin? This was a day West Ham got it all wrong and eventually got what they deserved against a Bournemouth team ready to exploit their weaknesses.
Manager Manuel Pellegrini promised an entertaining and attacking brand of football at the London Stadium but, in all the excitement, they forgot how to protect a lead.
West Ham fielded an outdated 4-4-2 formation with no holding midfielders and no legs in Mark Noble or Jack Wilshere, exposing the back four time and again.
After scoring a penalty opener through Marko Arnautovic, they let Callum Wilson waltz through their defence to get Bournemouth back into the game. Fans likened Wilson to Lionel Messi for his run and solo strike but West Ham’s criminal defending allowed it to happen. The same went for Steve Cook’s winning header.
Brazilian Felipe Anderson, the £ 36 million club- record summer signing from Lazio, looked uninterested on the left wing, particularly whenever dispossessed.
Declan Rice, the West Ham starlet who is close to signing a new contract, was dropped from the squad completely after starting in last week’s 4-0 defeat by Liverpool. Michail Antonio and new arrival Ryan Fredericks suffered the same fate despite not suffering from any injuries.
Pellegrini afterwards turned down the opportunity to brief Monday’s newspapers but goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski, who produced several super saves, asked fans for patience.
‘It’s not great but we have to keep looking forward, keep working,’ said Fabianski, whose club spent close to £100m in the summer. ‘It takes time to bed in. Hopefully it will happen sooner rather than later. It’s not ideal to lose on my home debut.’
Next up is Fabianski’s former club Arsenal — as well as Chelsea and Manchester United before the end of September — and Pellegrini is under pressure to have his ideas take shape.
‘It will be another important game for us, another challenge and another opportunity to put ourselves back on a good track,’ added Fabianski. ‘It’s always important to get that first win under your belt because it also helps you release a lot of pressure.
‘Especially with a team like we have where there is a lot of expectations with new players, a new manager. The fans are excited, we are excited but it’s all about staying cool in tough situations. It will take time to click.’
Eddie Howe’s Bournemouth have now won their opening two games and they are encouraging Wilson to embark on a season that eventually gets him noticed by England.
‘Do I like playing against West Ham? It seems that way, doesn’t it?’ said 26-year- old Wilson, who has scored five times in five league games against the Hammers.
‘I scored a hat-trick at Upton Park in our first season in the Premier League but I’ve had two serious knee injuries since then.
‘I’ve never been called up — there was talk of it, but I never really listened too much to what was being said in the background. It would be nice to force my way back into the picture, but that’s for later.’
Bournemouth believe part of the reason they have secured back-toback wins is not changing their squad too much in the summer. West Ham did, and they have work to do.