It seems something of a head scratcher. Sitting in the stands as a supporter, the issues facing West Ham‘s defence seem abundantly clear, as they do for the TV armchair viewer who has the benefit of endless replays and punditry to pick through the error-strewn latest West Ham “disappointment” as the Hammers went two goals down to a modest Charloton Athletic side.
However the manager and coaching staff – and, presumably, the recruitment team acting on their instructions – seem oblivious to what is staring West Ham United in the face – again.
So far the Hammers have managed to recruit a winger, a striker, a right back and a midfielder. All important.
But the lesson from last season seems to be the Hammers’ blind spot right now and it is costing them dear.
As Roshane Thomas, writing in the NY Times sums up, encapsulating the same thoughts as everyone – outside of West Ham’s dugout apparently – lamenting the absolute ineptitude of the Hammers’ centre back pairing of Kilman and Mavropanos:
Urgent Kilman upgrade required : Mavropanos needs a more reliable partner or West Ham will continue to pay the price.
“..Mavropanos looked more assured and confident when he was partnered with former loanee Axel Disasi. The Greece international was better with this decision-making but has seldom shown those characteristics alongside Kilman.
It is a partnership that does not work but West Ham’s central defensive options are threadbare. The only other recognisable alternative is summer signing Joel Veltman, who is naturally a right-back but can play centre-back”.
Recruiting a replacement for Disasi should have been the absolute top priority.
West Ham have made a massive error by holding on, hoping for the former Chelsea loanee to return this season, despite West Ham’s drop out of the top tier.
I know it, you know it, Roshane Thomas knows it: Only West Ham’s recruitment team have failed to get the memo this summer but now have a massive panic on to upgrade Kilman ( with one week of the transfer window remaining) or risk sentencing themselves to second division mediocrity this season. And possibly beyond.
A solid, no nonsense CB with leadership capability to take over as captain, urgently required and only one week left to accomplish it. Otherwise, mid-table will be an achievement.
A new c back to replace Kilman is priority The man is not capable at this level And imn afraid to say the same goes for Scarles Untill we face up and say it as it is we will be on a downward trend for a long period of time
How can a team who has 78% possession, twice as many shots and occupies penalty area significantly more lose.
Again wasn’t so much up front problem it was defence roll on Emmanuel Fernandes Koppen needs to get on phone to his Scottish mates.
Does very little else.
Alvarez anyone?
Yes, we need new centre backs, but even that is only papering over the cracks.
The club is in complete disarray both on and off the pitch. The brief spark of optimism early in the summer has disappeared and most of us knew this season was not going to be a stroll in the park. The Burnley game proved that.
Then we get a couple of new faces in and they’re thrown straight into the team with barely any time to acclimatise. And one of those plays in a position he’s unfamiliar with. It’s farcical.
Long season ahead boys and it won’t be pushing for promotion or one of the playoff slots. It’ll be staving off another relegation
I hate to say it so early in the season, but our manager is not the guy for the job. Tactically inept, poor team selection, poor substitutions, appears to have minimal motivational skills, and so on. We should have hit the ground running in this league, but all the distractions since last season ended, have destroyed that.
Until the board issues sort themselves out, we have a manager that can get this team to gel and inspire some passion and pride into the team, and the dressing room gets cleared of the troublemakers, we are going to struggle. A couple more signings are not going to change that.
Kilman has looked good taking the ball out of defence, Dinos we know can play, but the pairing has simply never worked. Either you spot something that you can fix, or it is just they do not work well together and you have to change. Apparently at Wolves, Kilman was more a sweeper style player in a 3-man back line – completely different to a more forward 4-man defence – that, right there, could be the problem.
You have to go through all the permutations to find a pairing which works with clearly defined roles, while still looking for a Disasi/Dawson style of CB. In the meantime it may be that Casey/Dinos works better than Golambecjis/Dinos, but you do not know till you try.
We change managers, we bring in players, the result is the same old. I believe the problems with the club are far more deep rooted.
I’d argue it’s not just the CBs. Charlton easily exposed us down the flanks too. KWP lacked pace and they were getting behind him easily. Scarles seems devoid of confidence.
Don’t worry i hear we are getting in a Glasgow Rangers CB he has to be good to play for them and in the Scottish Prem right!
26% win ratio with this pairing.
That ratio usually results in relegation.
That win ratio gets managers sacked.
In other words, why are they both playing and still even considered.
Answer – It’s the circus West ham.