Jamie Redknapp has compared West Ham United to the Harlem Globetrotters.
Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp
Pundit Jamie Redknapp has told the Daily Mail that West Ham ‘took their eye off the ball’ against Watford on Saturday, and were somewhat comparable to the Harlem Globetrotters.
The Hammers were looking for a second Premier League win at their new London Stadium home having beaten Bournemouth earlier this season, and it all looked to be going their way inside the first 35 minutes.
West Ham United’s Michail Antonio celebrates scoring their second goal with Dimitri Payet and team mates
Michail Antonio scored twice to put West Ham 2-0 up, heading home two Dimitri Payet crosses – the latter of which was a stunning rabona cross from the Frenchman.
Whilst West Ham were pulling off all the tricks and flicks, Watford rallied to produce a stunning comeback, eventually winning 4-2 thanks to goals from Odion Ighalo, Troy Deeney, Etienne Capoue and Jose Holebas.
Watford hitman Deeney told BBC Sport after the final whistle that he felt West Ham were ‘mugging them off’ with all their audacious skills, which ignited Watford’s fight back.
West Ham United’s Dimitri Payet
West Ham have been heavily criticised for signing too many attacking players over the summer and not enough defenders, and now Jamie Redknapp has had his say.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, pundit Redknapp shared what James Corden told him about the game, stating that he didn’t want rabonas, but wanted points instead.
Redknapp ultimately criticised West Ham for showboating too much and taking their eye off the ball, comparing them to the Harlem Globetrotters, an exhibition basketball team who perform every trick in the book – a damning comparison that manager Slaven Bilic will hope to prove wrong in the coming weeks.
West Ham United’s Adrian, Dimitri Payet and team mates look dejected
“I was in LA filming A League Of Their Own this weekend and was with James Corden while West Ham were playing Watford,” said Redknapp. “When I showed him Dimitri Payet’s incredible rabona cross for Michail Antonio’s goal that put West Ham 2-0 up, Corden — a Hammers fan — said: ‘I don’t want rabonas, I want three points!”
“As much as we all love to see the Harlem Globetrotters, West Ham took their eye off the ball with all their showboating and made some sloppy defensive errors as Watford completed an astonishing comeback to win 4-2,” he added.
Do you think Redknapp’s comparison is a fair one?
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