Slav gets it all wrong …and it ends in disaster
Irons 1 Swans 4
It was a total and complete Hammers mess from top to bottom and for the first time this season the fingers are pointing straight at the boss!
It’s hard to criticise a man who has got virtually everything right during this wonderful season but this afternoon was his worst day at the office since his arrival at the club.
His decision to again play Michail Antonio at right back was quite simply WRONG with two of the goals coming from that side as the lad tried to cope with a position which is alien to him.
What made it so much worse was that when he did stride forward he was unquestionably the most serious threat on the pitch and caused havoc among the Swansea defenders.
Then after deciding to release him from his defensive duties – dropping Kouyate into the right back role – and watching him cause massive problems, Slav did a U turn, took off Kouyate and sent Antonio back into the role.
It was also hard to work out why if you are going to play Andy Carroll as your central striker crosses into the box aren’t the staple diet.
I can barely remember one.
Then to cap things off as Slav threw strikers on in a bid to save the game we saw midfield almost totally surrendered and the visitors controlled the game pouring through the central area to add a fourth near the end.
We had loads of possession at the outset but couldn’t create any real openings and in fairness to Swansea their goals were all well created and executed via Wayne Routledge, Andre Ayew, Ki Sung-Yueng and Bafetimbi Gomis .
Sub Sakho pulled one back late on although it looked suspiciously as though a defender had got the final touch but there was no serious pressure from the Irons after that, and with the score then at 3-1, a late breakaway gave Gomis his goal.
So we move onto the final game ever at the Boleyn on Tuesday night and we will want better – much better – to this final Saturday.
A sad stat: This was the first time in 60 years Swansea have beaten us at the Boleyn and the simple truth is they thoroughly deserved it.