This one stayed free from trouble, though the atmosphere grew gradually more rancorous as it became clear West Ham was heading to another defeat, its fifth from six Premier League games this season.
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Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse celebrates scoring their third goal. I don’t think it can get any worse.
In their four successive defeats in the league, West Ham have conceded 14 goals and have fallen to 18th. When you are losing it is (a flat atmosphere).
“To be honest I think we could have kept playing until tonight and I don’t think we would have scored”.
And, with West Ham captain Mark Noble using a television interview to describe the defending as “laughable”, Bilic was forced to concede his players’ morale is at a low ebb.
Masuaku was signed by Bilic in the summer from Greek giants Olympiacos after first-choice left-back Aaron Cresswell’s injury ruled him out for the year, but now his replacement faces six weeks on the sidelines – with knee ligament damage. ‘It is very, very frustrating.
The Hammers had only one shot on target and did not force Saints keeper Fraser Forster into a proper save throughout the game, which drew to a close in a near deserted ground.
“It is my responsibility”, he said. I do not want to point fingers at individuals.
In times of need you need your big players to stand and be counted for; Dimitri Payet did not do that today. “Most of it is about confidence because these are the same players and the same manager that were doing things a year ago – 80 per cent of the team is like that”.
‘These are the same managers, players and crowd as past year.
“He did enough last season to warrant patience at this stage”.
While Southampton’s reasonably poor start to life under Claude Puel has largely gone unnoticed, the lack of starts for Charlie Austin has served as a source of frustration to those on the South Coast.
‘You’ve got to work hard for each other. It is a chain.
The clubs have met 28 times in the Premier League era, with West Ham taking the three points on twelve occasions, compared to Southampton’s seven. I am a hard worker. “And if anyone asks me am I giving up, I am not”.
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The Hammers continue to resemble a lottery-winner rattling around their new mansion, with fans and players alike looking uneasy in their new surroundings. It’s not happening at the moment and it’s not just one game, it’s four games in a row. Earlier this season, he copped a stray elbow from Manchester City star Sergio Aguero who copped a three-match ban.
