Match verdict by Hughie Southon
The score line said this was close…the performance said something quite different.
For this was a bleak reminder of what we had seen so frequently as we struggled our way through so many games this season against teams considered vastly inferior to us when proving to be otherwise.
Ok, there was far more on this for the Foxes than the Hammers but that doesn’t excuse a pretty lifeless performance and a defeat despite another Pablo Fornals strike.
It may well have been a performance from a team with other things on their mind – Prague on June 7 but that can’t be used as an excuse.
Once again we failed to make many chances against a team that showed a lot of enterprise and no little ability
It was also a big shame that Declan Rice’s last game – as will surely prove to be the case – should end in defeat on a day when he again was top player.
Jarrod Bowen’s absence until late on clearly made a difference to our offensive work and Flynn Downes showed that he isn’t quite there as a Premier League player.
We really need to win in the Conference Final as this could be remembered for what is was – a pretty awful season in the League.
So it really is a case of Come on you Irons.
Today was a real reminder why Moyes needs to go irrespective of what happens in Prague. Playing a team who were low in confidence he again plays 2 defensive midfielders instead of going with a Rice, Paqueta and Fornals midfield. We go two down and keeps the 2 defensive players on until Manu arrives in the 85th min. We have seen this all season in our 20 odd league defeats. He wont change and next season he will be without rice so he will becone even more defensive by signing players who flaunt movevthe ball forward. Btw Downes meeds to be allowed to play at a lower level too as he us nowhere near a PL player now. The owners need to do the tight thing for everyone including Moyes or ve prepared to pay a very heavy price..
I find it hard to criticise the game, who’s going to go in full throttle and risk getting injured? (and rightly so IMO). Leicester had it all to play for, we had nothing apart from maybe momentum.
Typical of some fans too “Downes deserves at start” – then moan at two holding midfielders
I find some of the reactions to Sundays game bizarre to be honest
But then, many of us Hammers fans do love a moan