West Ham United are enduring a torrid season with fingers being pointed in all directions but two players in particular need to take a look in the mirror.
West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic
Slaven Bilic‘s side have lost eight of their opening 13 Premier League matches and look set for an unexpected relegation battle.
The Hammers were also embarrassingly dumped out of the Europa League by Romanian minnows Astra Giurgiu for the second season running.
Fans have been at each other’s throats over issues at their new 60,000 seater Olympic Stadium home and a toxic atmosphere is starting to fester at West Ham as fans grow increasingly fed up.
West Ham’s Winston Reid celebrates the last ever goal at Upton Park
It is a far cry from last season when West Ham enjoyed their best ever points total of the Premier League era, recorded a first positive goal difference since 1986 and finished just four points off the Champions League places in their emotional farewell campaign at Upton Park.
The wheels have well and truly fallen off this season, though, with the blame game now in full swing at the London Stadium.
But two players who need to start practicing what the preach are defender Angelo Ogbonna and left-back Arthur Masuaku.
Angelo Ogbonna has been terrible for West Ham this season
Ogbonna was one of West Ham’s better players last season but has been well short of form this term and was publicly criticised by former Hammer Rio Ferdinand for ‘ambling’ around in the 5-1 defeat to Arsenal.
The Italian has been directly at fault for a number of goals of late particularly against Everton and Arsenal.
Then there is summer signing Masuaku who has been slammed from all quarters after yet another woeful display against the Gunners.
West Ham United’s Arthur Masuaku appeals is the club’s new scapegoat
In 90 minutes of football with Masuaku on the pitch against Manchester United and Arsenal, West Ham conceded eight goals, many from his side.
The former Olympiacos player is fast becoming the club’s go-to scapegoat but both he and Ogbonna have given what can only be described as patronising interviews on the club’s official website this week.
Instead of knuckling down or holding their hands up at their ineptitude, both players talked to whufc.com about the need to work harder – the minimum expectation of any football fan.
Bilic has questioned his squad’s intensity in training and in games
But in light of Slaven Bilic’s criticism of his squad’s intensity in training and games the words seem somewhat hollow.
Masuaku told whufc.com: “Since the beginning of the season we have been enduring a difficult spell but we simply need to keep working hard to change things.”
Meanwhile, Ogbonna also told whufc.com that the side needs to rediscover its form and desire: “Liverpool will not be easy, but we have to be confident. It is one game and we have to fight, work hard and show character to get back to winning ways.”
One thing West Ham fans will all be agreed on is that they would much rather their under-performing players stop the talking and start proving their worth with actions where it matters most, on the pitch so the club can start climbing the league.
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