West Ham’s capitulation yesterday against a mediocre Burnley side had worrying echoes of twelve months ago when the white flag of surrender was hoisted over London stadium and fans watched in horror as the Hammers threw away 20 points from winning positions.
Relegated by two points, the Irons terrible defending was the sole reason for West Ham playing in the championship this year.
Yet there has been weakening of the defence, not strengthening, Axel Disasi – who joined in January and turned round the woeful back line – returned to Chelsea and ‘nobody’ has landed to bolster the wobbly centre back pairing of Kilman and Mavropanos that duly obliged by handing another two points back yesterday.
Mavropanos with Disasi alongside him looked world class but partnered with Kilman yesterday, the pair looked anything other than secure, and the Hammers’ defensive nightmare duly returned.
West Ham urgently need another ‘Axel Disasi’
Fans await news of a new centre back recruit, hopefully to repeat Disasi’s exploits this year. And, if the standard.co.uk‘s report today is correct, fans will, alarmingly, likely be waiting in vain:
“West Ham’s priorities in the final weeks of the transfer window are in attack, with Nuno appearing to have settled on his defensive options.”
Now that gets the warning lights flashing brightly. Two front-line centre backs plus Golambeckis is all the Irons have at their disposal, other than 34 year old right back Joel Veltman – who can play as a centre back.
It is exactly how this mess started when Sullivan sold Aguerd and didn’t replace him, leaving the Irons with ‘just’ three centre backs.
This season it looks even worse, letting Todibo leave and starting the season with just two. Which, call me a pessimist, sounds like a recipe for disaster.
Disasi is a carrot dangling as he knows whu are on their knees for him to come back.
He signed on last day in January but can’t leave it that late this time.
Stipulated he wanted 2 weeks to make a decision which has passed.
Perhaps whu already know something they haven’t passed on.
Nothing to do with money as terms have been agreed.
There was speculation that Harwood-Bellis was being linked not for the first time.
For me Martin no centre back coming in just means one thing, Championship football for a few seasons. We still need a centre forward and a defending midfielder to close off the area just outside the penalty box. We are nearing the end of the transfer window and still need 3 or 4 players minimum. Looking like more seasons of Championship football guys. Sorry but that’s the way I see it.
Gone very quiet on the Disasi front but I suspect that is who we are holding out for. It is easy to get concerned by all the holes in the squad, but there are still 2 weeks of the window left. Still think there will be alot of loan activity after this weekend when the opening match day squads reveal who is surplus to requirements in the prem. Got to try and keep positive.
I would put Golumbekis in as he can’t be as bad as the softest colossus I have ever seen.
But ultimately we need a new manager that can set the team up to play differently
Kilman doesn’t just scare us, he also makes Dinos a nervous wreck which in turn hampers his performance. I can see Dinos asking to leave if this is it for the defence, his career and reputation is being ruined by this partnership
Defence looks just as it did until Disasi arrived – it was clear as day on Sunday to see we are back where we were defensively and that’s a major concern that Nuno just doesn’t get it , or appears not to because he knows he only has limited ‘available’ funds😫
Simply put I agree with you totally!
Will be there Saturday will all the other loyal fans hoping for better…….hope is a West Ham requirement for any fan.
If you listened to his interview after the match yesterday that’s exactly what he said we were fine defencely but we need something more offencely I couldn’t believe what I was hearing we were anything but fine in defence. But most worryingly this means he is going to stick with these tactics.
Please get rid of him now.
Absolutely right Martin. If only we had a few bob in the bank, then perhaps we could do something about getting Disasi.
It would be disastrous , do the board not realise spending in quality has an upside . We are worth more in the PL than championship they are dicing with promotion if we don’t strengthen in all areas
when is Eddie howe coming to sort the team out
You’re joking aren’t you?
Eddie Howe has a brain in his head
I would like to have Howe here, but West Ham knew he was going to leave Newcastle and they still signed NES to an extension. That would suggest they weren’t interested. Owners don’t like to admit they were wrong. I doubt that Howe would want to have any further dealings with Staveley.