West Ham United FC went crashing out of the Europa League after losing 2-1 on aggregate to Romanina side Astra Giurgiu.
West Ham United’s Darren Randolph and West Ham United’s Angelo Ogbonna in action with FC Astra Giurgiu’s Denis Alibec
West Ham failed to reach the group stage of the Europa League after losing 1-0 to Astra Giurgiu at the London Stadium.
It is the second successive season that Slaven Bilic’s side have been dumped out of the Europa League qualifying by Astra, having drawn 1-1 in the first-leg.
After the 1-1 draw last week, West Ham found themselves behind when former West Bromwich Albion player Filipe Teixeira finished a swift counter-attack to put the Romanian champions ahead.
But while The Hammers improved after the break, they could not find the breakthrough. West Ham had chances to level up the match, with Jonathan Calleri, Winston Reid and Ashley Fletcher going close but could not force make their chances count as the went crashing out.
West Ham United’s Ashley Fletcher looks dejected after the match
We take a look at the five things we learnt from West Ham’s loss in the Europa League.
Slaven Bilic is not a happy man
Bilic left the London Stadium last night angry and frustrated as his side went crashing out of the competition for the second successive season at this stage. Despite going behind to Teixeira’s goal in the first half, Bilic’s side squandered a number of chances as West Ham saw Astra Giurgiu goalkeeper Silviu Lung in inspired form.
Speaking after the game Bilic voiced his disappointment when the London Evening Standard reported he said: “It’s very frustrating. I would like to congratulate Astra as they deserved it,” Bilic said after the 1-0 defeat. I told the guys before this was one of our most important games of the year because this was a final we needed to win.
The disappointment is massive. We didn’t play good in the first half or with desire as a team. We were second best. I’m angry and frustrated but I’m much more disappointed than anything else because we wanted to go through to the Europa League.”
West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic
West Ham’s London Stadium dream not going to plan
West Ham’s grand masterplan in moving from Upton Park to the London Stadium was built on huge European football nights and the Europa League campaign was to be the start of that.
Yet it has fallen apart just as it was to get going. West Ham fans would have been excited at the prospect of a Europa League campaign, but in their first season away from the Boleyn Ground, that dream has been dealt a devastating blow as they went crashing out of the competition.
Bilic respected the Europa League
12 months ago when West Ham were knocked out of the competition at the same stage by the same opponents, Bilic put out an under-strength side. But despite being knocked out by their Romanian counterparts once again, Bilic put up a fight and put out a stronger starting line-up.
While there were changes, including starting places for Calleri, Darren Randolph, Pedro Obiang and Angelo Ogbonna, Bilic also kept much of his staring line-up from Sunday’s Premier League win over Bournemouth.
Sam Byram, Reid, Michail Antonio and Cheikhou Kouyate all started, but ultimately it was not enough to prevent another disastrous Europa League campaign.
All that hard work was for nothing
All the efforts put in to making one of the Premier League spots to get in to the Europa League last season now appear to be for nothing for West Ham, and that is before taking in to account the mammoth qualifying campaign throughout this summer.
Bilic’s side has squandered a unique opportunity to give the West Ham fans European football and both going forward and defensively they are the victims of their own downfall. At the London Stadium The Hammers had the opportunity to give their supporters a taste of what was to come and blew it from start to finish.
West Ham lack creativity without Payet, but that’s not just their only issue
Against Astra Giurgiu West Ham lacked any real creativity and it is becoming evident that without Dimitri Payet they are struggling to create opportunities. Last season West Ham’s shinning light was Payet but in their loss to the Romanian side it was not just creating chances where they fell down, they struggled to put chances away.
As big as the problem is in creating chances, Bilic’s side were wasteful in front of goal and the biggest indication of this was the act of desperation in throwing James Collins on in the 88th minute and expecting him to lead the line.
West Ham United’s Dimitri Payet warms up before the match
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