Any kind of back-line leadership was conspicuous by its absence this afternoon. I was looking for a player stepping up and pulling the side together at two-one down, instilling a ‘keep it tight’ notion to prevent further goals going in. Instead, West Ham looked disjointed and lack lustre, leaderless and rudderless at the back.
Look at the new recruits in the side: Wan Bissaka, Todibo, Kilman, Rodriguez- all just nine games in to their Hammers careers. They can’t be expected to launch into expletives to inspire or shock their team mates into pulling together.
None of the three ‘seasoned’ Hammers stood up and shouted. Emerson, Paquetá and Soucek (who captains his country) all failed to demand more from the back two lines.
Leadership is not about the armband. This is not a criticism of Jarrod Bowen who put in a shift tracking back and also spent half his game in the wrong half to allow him to influence the defence and midfield. Someone needs to step up or be appointed to act as Lopetegui’s lieutenant.
The wisdom of appointing a vice captain who never sets foot on the pitch is looking pretty flawed right now: Soucek or Kilman would feel more able to pull the backs together if they had the title instead of Aaron Cresswell.
Work it out, West Ham, someone needs to step up and shout. Mark Noble would have bawled out his team mates and simply demanded more after West Ham went behind. How we miss someone with the balls and the authority to step forward and show the way.
A second red card of the season already -still only October – screams lax discipline and the coaching team have to address this. It seems as though everyone is looking around waiting for ‘someone else’ to step up.
