Irons beaten but let’s not have a panic attack

Hopefully Sanchez can bring more strength to the midfield party.

By Hugh Southon

Those of us who live their lives in a Hammers bubble rather than the wider football world (err that may be a memo to myself) will have been bitterly disappointed this afternoon.

Having spent the summer focused on the enormous and optimistic changes that have taken place inside our club, it’s all too easy to realise to forget the sort of money spent on the red side of Merseyside – home of last season’s  Champions league finalists and a certain Mo Salah!

They, my friends are one hell of a side and just as was the case when we visited their near neighbours Man U last year, to be beaten by the same scoreline, we travelled on a wing and a prayer rather than in any realistic ‘we can win it’ ambition.

I couldn’t get a stream today and have to rely on a variety of differing views on individuals and tactical approach but my one fear ahead of the game was the midfield.

However, those in that area played today is immaterial really although I believe they were outnumbered and out pressed from what I’ve been told – no surprise there.

I have written before that this is an area that worried me and it will be interesting to see if  Carlos Sanchez can bring some real strength to the midfield party after Nobes, Dec and Jack and later Snoddy seem to have been put on the ropes.

The reality is  that expecting an overnight miracle from a team with a handful of pre-season excursions under a new boss who wants them to adapt to a different style whilst make a rapid assessment of their abilities, is a very big ask indeed.

To expect it to happen at Anfield is…., well, almost in the land of fantasy!

Yeah, I know I bleated on about first day shocks and travelling in optimism in my pre-match blog but listen “I’m an Iron!” It’s what we do 🙂

Sean wrote earlier that however good a manager Pelerini may be, gelling the team together will take a number of games – he nailed it.

At the end of it all, nothing much has changed – we expected to get beat by a very good team and we did. We wait for Bournemouth but let’s not imagine that is going to be easy either. They are a very competent and reasonably settle Premier League side. We will remain a work in progress for a few weeks.

We are just 90 minutes into the new season with a nearly entirely new team. A lot of patience will be required.

COYI