ZABALETA: NEW DIRECTION.. BUT SAME OLD TROUBLES
PABLO ZABALETA sounded the alarm bells after West Ham’s false start by warning they were facing the “same old problems” – despite a £100million transfer spree.
The Hammers signed nine players during the summer as new manager Manuel Pellegrini was handed an unprecedented war chest to finance his makeover. But veteran defender Zabaleta, 33, who was part of Pellegrini’s title-winning side at Manchester City four years ago, fears West Ham are hampered by familiar drawbacks.
He said: “Psychologically, we need to change a bit as a team.
“We cannot be afraid when we are winning. I thought we had a good 45 minutes in the defeat to Bournemouth but, in the second half, we didn’t have the same intensity and gave them chances to score goals. That is what we have to improve on this season.
“We dropped our intensity and this is the worst thing you can do as a team in the Premier League.
“We gave the ball away very easy, we didn’t create much and, without the ball, we weren’t defensively strong enough. We should have done a lot better. We have a new manager, new players and a new style of football.
“It takes time. But we need to be positive. We’re disappointed – it was a good chance to get three points, but we had the same old problems.”
Pellegrini now faces a testing six weeks, in which West Ham’s fixtures include games with Arsenal, Everton, Chelsea and Manchester United.