Slaven Bilic has slammed West Ham’s defending after seeing his side throw away a two-goal advantage and slump to a 4-2 defeat against Watford.
Advertisement
The Hammers and Hornets have been busy during the transfer window, with Watford playing their part by spending fifty million pounds on midfield and defensive players, adding to the risky duo in attack of Troy Deeney and Odion Ighalo.
“On the defensive level we were very afraid, mainly because West Ham played well and put pressure on us”, Mazzarri said.
“At half-time, we spoke with the players, we adjusted a couple of things”.
West Ham United have threatened life bans for violent spectators after a series of fights broke out between Hammers and Watford fans at Olympic Stadium on Saturday.
New signings Isaac Success and Stefan Okaka have been brought in to give Ighalo and Deeney serious competition for their places, which was lacking last term, and Mazzarri said: “We can say from this week the job that I perform can be judged”.
West Ham were boosted by the return of Payet to the starting line-up for the first time this season and the France playmaker would have given the hosts the lead if not for an instinctive stop by Heurelho Gomes – who had previously denied Antonio.
Eight minutes into the restart, Watford were ahead as Capoue was left free at the far post to rifle the ball home.
“It’s hard to explain”.
Ighalo went close for Watford after only minutes but his left foot strike hit the side-netting.
“In the second half we didn’t have that space behind them”.
A minute later, Ighalo’s goal-bound shot took a slight deflection and went wide.
Nearly as captivating was Deeney’s lob of goalkeeper Adrian in first-half injury-time that enabled Watford to enter half-time all-square and West Ham’s fretful back four never recovered.
The defeat is a third of the league season for West Ham, who sit 17th in the fledgling standings and have already crashed out of the Europa League.
The rest of the match looked to be beyond doubt, as West Ham were happily carving their merry way through the Hornets’ faltering defence.
Advertisement
The rush for the exits soon got under way, which was hardly a vote of confidence in the team.
