If West Ham thought they were coming for a nice easy afternoon stroll they were much mistaken as Southend gave a taste of what the Hammers will have to face every week next season: An opponent eager to take down the former Premier League opponent and raising their game to the max.
A poor start from the Irons as Kyle Walker Peters committed the sin of not remaining on this feet and dived in, giving away a penalty early on as West Ham went behind after a quarter of an hour: Southend had played the better, more joined-up football and looked good for their early lead.
West Ham’s preseason underway with an unfamiliar looking midfield trio of Kante, Lamadrid and Earthy
Kieber Lamadrid – playing in an inside right position – blasted a shot against the post in West Ham’s most promising early foray forward after a Bowen cross. It did seem to take the Hammers about twenty minutes to figure out who was playing where, as Earthy and Lamadrid started to buzz around behind the forwards and Kanté lying a little deeper behind.
An excellent volley well saved from Pablo almost broke his ‘duck’ at West Ham and from the resultant Bowen corner Mavropanos rose in true style to blast a header in, to equalise on the stroke of half time. 1 -1.
Nuno sent out the same eleven for the start of the second ’45, Bowen having a shot well saved early on. Pablo’s swing and a miss just after caused consternation as he stayed down in the box but he limped away eventually, probably embarrassed by the glaring miss.
Second half skipper Freddie Potts
Wholesale changes at 60′ with a veritable queue of subs as the whole side rotated: Ward Prowse, Ajala, Mayers, Battrum, Marshall, Herrick, Potts (c) , Golambeckis, Casey, Fearon and Orford the replacements. Immediately the tempo rose as the young wannabes buzzed around, pressing like crazy and pushing Southend back
Ward Prowse got his free kick at 70 minutes but it was low and well saved. Ajala stood out with a couple of sizzling runs and crosses down the left and Golambeckis later made one bone crunching goal line challenge to deny Southend after a Herrick handling error.
West Ham finished the game far more energetically than they started – they’re youthful substitutes all, to a man, determined to impress and looking 100% committed. Job done, minutes in the legs and another game next week. Observations later. Post your own comments and make your own opinion known.
Didn’t Pablo score in the last friendly?
Yep in the behind closed doors kickabout last week
Sounds like more echoes of the recent past than glimpses of the golden future that was all the talk after Sullivan’s exit. Just a thought, but is Nuno the right person to be deciding the future of the Academy? I am thinking maybe that should fall to someone who will still be there a year from now.