Jamie Redknapp offers verdict on West Ham’s squad, highlights ‘same old problem’

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West Ham United threw away a two-goal lead against Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday.

Pundit Jamie Redknapp has told the Daily Mail that he thinks West Ham United have the best squad in the relegation scrap – but their fragility remains a problem.

The Hammers took on Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday afternoon, which was seen as a big game given that both teams are at the wrong end of the table.

West Ham were 2-0 up through Issa Diop and Robert Snodgrass goals, and whilst the Seagulls got back into the game with a bizarre Angelo Ogbonna own goal, Snodgrass restored the two-goal lead.

David Moyes’ men crumbled though, first allowing Pascal Gross to nip in and score after torrid defending from Diop, before Glenn Murray struck the leveller to give Brighton an unlikely draw.

Letting Brighton back into the game from two goals down not once but twice is truly unacceptable for West Ham, who have now taken just two points in their last give Premier League games.

West Ham sit 18^th, one point adrift of safety, and in real danger of suffering relegation to the Championship unless Moyes can turn things around.

Now, pundit Redknapp – whose father of course managed the Hammers – has claimed that West Ham have the ‘best squad’ in the survival mix, whilst highlighting the experience of captain Mark Noble as another positive.

However, Redknapp thinks the same old problem – throwing away from points from winning positions – is crippling West Ham, and they may need more than 35 points to stay up this season.

“No side in the Premier League have dropped more points from winning positions than West Ham with 19 this season. David Moyes saw the same old problems crop up on Saturday,” said Redknapp. “When scrapping for survival, you cannot let a two-goal lead slip against a relegation rival, but they did that twice against Graham Potter’s Brighton.”

“Of all the sides trying to stay up, I’d say West Ham have the best squad, and they also have an experienced captain in Mark Noble, but they aren’t seeing out games like they should. A total of 35 points would have been enough to survive in 2018-19. In 2017-18, 34 would have done the job. This season, I suspect a touch more will be required to stay up. The title race may be as good as over, but the one against relegation is riveting,” he added.