Hammers midfielder: We got it all wrong

We got it all wrong by paying Leverkusen too much respect

West Ham midfielder James Ward-Prowse has essentially admitted that the Hammers got their tactics wrong last Thursday night against Bayer Leverkusen. The free-kick specialist confirmed what many already suspected: West Ham were intimidated by Xabi Alonso’s unbeaten team and set up too defensively.

However, JWP is eager to move past both the Europa League quarter-final first leg and Sunday’s lacklustre performance against Fulham in the Premier League.

“It’s not hard to get yourself up for a European quarter-final, so we just need to utilize the time we’ve got, take what we can from the Fulham game, and do what we need to do to come back stronger,” said Ward-Prowse on the official website.

We got it all wrong: Ward Prowse has admitted the Hammers sat back and showed Leverkusen too much respect

He added, “We all know Leverkusen is a good team, but personally, I think we showed them too much respect in the first leg, and we didn’t quite pack the punch that I think we can.

“We need to go into Thursday all guns blazing, and we know the first goal is going to be crucial. We have to make sure it’s us who get that goal, and we need to use the occasion and the atmosphere to our advantage.

“These sorts of nights are what I came to West Ham for, and it’s going to be a really special spectacle. Let’s hope we can create some more amazing memories under the lights.”