West Ham have been leaking goals of late, much to Ian Wright’s bemusement.
Ian Wright during the Pro-Am
Pundit Ian Wright has told The Sun Goals Podcast that he wonders just how much work West Ham United are putting into defending after their latest defeat.
The Hammers lost 4-2 for the second week in a row, as after losing to Watford at the London Stadium, they were then beaten by West Brom on Saturday afternoon.
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic before the game
That’s now 13 goals conceded in just five Premier League games this season, with one clean sheet in there against a 10-man Bournemouth side.
Only one team – Stoke City – have conceded more goals than West Ham so far, and their defensive frailties don’t seem to be improved no matter what personnel changes are made to the back four.
West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic
That very fact means manager Slaven Bilic is receiving most of the blame, with some suggesting that West Ham’s approach is simply too cavalier, and they are being picked off at the back.
Now, former West Ham striker and current pundit Ian Wright has questioned the club’s training methods under Bilic, asking just how much work is being put into make the Hammers a cohesive defensive unit.
Wright told The Sun Goals Podcast that Bilic was a ‘top, top defender’ during his playing days with West Ham, and thought the Croatian would make defending his priority given his style as a player.
BT Sport’s Ian Wright before the match
Wright feels that West Ham simply aren’t training enough on communicating as a unit, and not just from their performance against West Brom, but also with the goals they conceded against Watford too.
“Bilic described the fourth goal as ‘amateurish’, and after seeing the goals they conceded against Watford last week, how much work are they doing on their defence?” asked Wright. “Yes, there are individual mistakes, but communication has got to be the priority when you’re dealing with the defence.”
“When you look at Slaven’s team, I have to say I’m not sure how much work they’re putting in defending as a team. I can’t see it. They’re not doing enough on it. As a defender, surely you’ve got to be starting from the back, and we’re not talking about a two-bob defender in Slaven, he was a top, top defender,” he added.
It’s a major criticism of Bilic, who needs to turn things around quickly despite last season’s seventh-placed finish – starting with Wednesday’s EFL Cup tie with Accrington Stanley.
Do you feel West Ham’s defensive problems start with Bilic?
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