Newcastle clearly weren’t expecting that. Neither were we. High energy, running, closing down. West Ham United’s 2-0 victory away on Monday night at St James’ Park may well have been as a result of a midfield tactical and personnel switch, but the roots of the team’s transformation were more simply traced back to the team working their socks off for the shirt. Or the coach. Or their own pride. Or the fans. Take your pick!
Ironically the words of West Ham United’s former Manager never seemed more apt than in the metamorphosis that overtook the team last night: David Moyes was the one attributed to saying to his squad “If you don’t run, you won’t play.”
The statistics speak for themselves: Second highest-ever total of running by a Premier League team, over 119 kms run – just 700 meters less than the all-time record.
None worked harder than the Hammers two wingers Jarrod Bowen and Crysencio Summerville who popped up again and again to support their respective defenders: Bowen and Wan Bissaka often doubling up on Harvey Barnes when he came on, Summerville appearing as an extra left back frequently doing the same to break down attacks on the Hammers’ left side, especially in the latter stages when Coufal was on for Emerson.
Great game management at the end with the Olé’s ringing out. But I couldn’t help wondering where this energy had come from.
Every club has just had a two -week break, but for West Ham it looks as if the whole squad had an engine oil change & service and then came out especially topped-up with the new club sponsor’s Red Bull ultra.
Whatever it was, let’s hope it is repeated come Saturday for Arsenal’s visit.
Didn’t we see a report recently that we had the laziest team in the Prem, proven by statistics?
Maybe the players got together, or Loppy got them together, realising their embarrassing position, and realised that they needed to try harder to earn their living??
What with the stuff that goes down West Ham way I’m hoping that we passed any doping tests there might have been…
I saw second furthest ran in the premier league this season earlier which is good enough, but if it was ever just wow.
All the players need to match the work rate and running of Bowen and Souchek. Players bought in by Moyes for that exact reason probably. In the Newcastle game all the players were at it. Soler and Paqeta put in a proper shift. All the players were running and tackling and pressing. When subs came on they continued in the same way. That’s the standard now. Maybe it’s clicked with one or two of them.
Europe by Christmas??
COYI
I’m not getting carried away by one good performance.
The majority of the games prior were shocking. Still not convinced he is the man to achieve European football.
It’s great to see such a strong performance but exactly as stated here why did this happen now when previous games haven’t come close? If there is an answer we can hopefully repeat it, if there isn’t we can just as easily go backwards again! Don’t understand why Soler and Pacqueta suddenly switched on for a game.
Probably because they played in positions they’re both accustomed to. Pretty simple stuff really.
I agree with both of you that it is nice to see improvements. As to what the catalyst for those was, hopefully the next few games will reveal. I make no secret of my disdain for Lopetegui because I believe that if he had a clue what he was dealing with, this performance would have happened back around game 3. I just cannot see clear reason for ignoring what has gone before and how that equates to the man’s skill set. I think the result has more to do with the players attitudes and the fact that they have taken some aspects into their own hands. Time will tell