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Declan: “We can’t keep talking about the last two years”

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Declan Rice takes on Youri Tielemans

Declan Rush has made his frustration at West Ham’s form and position crystal; clear.

The captain will now be off to join the event in Qata knowing that he and the squad have a major job on their hands when he and the others involved return.

But it is clearly a position he doesn’t believe they should be having to retrieve given the quality in the squad.

says his team retain the belief and confidence required to turn their Premier League campaign around in the New Year.

The 2-0 defeat to Leicester City sees us in 16th in the table and Rice after James Maddison and Harvey Barnes fired the Foxes to the points at London Stadium,

As a result Rice was left to lament the impact of key lapses costing the Hammers points in recent games.

He knows how the team will have to hit the ground running at Christmas and show the quality that he insists is within the squad and do it on a consistent basis.

He said: “We got in a huddle before the game and did something we don’t usually do and everyone was really up for it today.

It wasn’t a case of effort, or not working hard enough, it was a case of two mistakes really and two goals for them, but we also had chances and didn’t score.

It’s a game of fine margins, but we need to be doing better with the quality of players we have.

It’s kind of been the theme for this season. We’ve been unlucky in a way and there’s been loads of results where we should have had something from the game.

There have been games we’ve lost where we’ve deserved to lose too, but today I didn’t see a dominating Leicester performance, I saw us having more of the ball, us piling the pressure on more, but they were the ones with two goals and that’s what you need.

They walked away with three points, we’ve walked away with nothing and now we’re scratching our heads. It’s down to us to pick it up.

It’s not a team reflective of where we are in the table.

There’s still full belief, full togetherness and like I said it’s down to us really. It’s the fine margins of keeping the ball better, passing the ball better, not making the mistakes we’re making on the ball, not trying silly passes that we’re trying.

We need to cut the mistakes out of our game – it’s two counter attacks and two goals today and it’s so frustrating, because I don’t see opposition sides giving up those chances, but I see us letting them up for the opposition and it can’t be like that.

We’ve done so well over the last two years, but we can’t keep talking about the last two years now because the team is the best it’s ever been. It’s probably one of the best West Ham teams ever and we’re underachieving at the minute.

We can’t be where we are in the table, we know that as players, we know that as a group, but it’s down to us to pick it up.

We know the quality we’ve got, it’s about us doing it on the pitch – we are doing it in spells, but we need to turn those spells into goals and then hold onto the lead.

We have had some wins this season, but it probably hasn’t been a win where we’ve run out comfortably. A few things need to change, but we’ve still got full belief and confidence as a group, and I’m sure we aren’t going to be where we are at the end of the season.

There’s a break now, but it’s massively important that we stay positive. We will turn this around. At the moment it’s a little dip. It happens in football, not every team is unbelievable week in, week out.

We take it on the chin, we need to go again and be back ready for Boxing Day.”

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Hugh Southon is a lifelong Iron and the founding editor of ClaretandHugh. He is a national newspaper journalist of many years experience and was Bobby Moore's 'ghost' writer during the great man's lifetime. He describes ClaretandHugh as "the Hammers daily newspaper!"

Follow on Twitter @hughsouthon

8 comments

  • Ray1962 says:

    if you want to keep Rice then support him and the manager. i,m very sure they read this blog site as many do but if you intensify what your feelings are then that transmits to all of the squad. the fanbase is what matters to the team SO SUPPORT THEM AND THE MANAGER we have been here so many times over the years and YET you forget what has our manager done nothing more than give us respect. I want a tough manager who will see his team do well. i also remember he was Alex Fergusons first choice at Manu and there was a reason for it. just remember as i,m very sure the board DO

  • Budgie says:

    Well said Declan! It’s the players as well as the coaching team who need to sort this out in the 23 games left of season. There is a greater risk if we change horses(manager) now with all the upheaval and new manager wanting different players to fit his way forward. There is a dearth of potential replacements out there if you discount Pochinetto and Tuchel and they seem to have ruled out going to anyone other than an existing champions league club. At least Moyes has a good pedigree of getting teams out of the manure!

    • johnham1 says:

      You cannot be serious that the players are at fault. It is as clear as day that the manager is the problem. You are basically saying hyscteam selections no matter who the opponent should be defensive, you are basically saying you agree that Soucek and Bowen have to play irrespective of how they perform, you accept the dire performances and inept in game management. The manager must go jiw as he will never change.

  • master says:

    He’s hardly likely to call out Moyes. Moyes has done a lot for us. He’s also got us into this situation.

    Anyway, we created some half chances in yesterday’s match didn’t we? Any clear cut chances?

  • Clive says:

    Rice also said that speculation the manager could be sacked was a nonsense. He also said we should look at what Moyes has done for the club and that there’s no way there should be pressure on the manager because he’s been unbelievable for us. Rice thinks the blip is down to the players underperforming and I happen to agree with him.

    • U expect him to blame the manager?

      • LetsGetHammered says:

        No Hugh, we expect you to continually do that. How about you tell us who you realistically think would be a better replacement.

        • I think they really have to push to boat out initially and go for Poch or Tuechel although I do’t think they will get them for obvious reasons. I like Cooper at Forest but not sure he could handle the huge earners as like Potter at Chelsea they are used to the big boys

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