Sure, some nerves on a big stage can be expected, but these bad displays and an apparent inability to defend can’t really be put down to a new home. It’s why teams pay so much in the search for a goalscorer.
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“Eighty percent of the team was here past year”.
Rickie Lambert started it all, then handed over to Graziano Pelle.
Charlie Austin of Southampton at London Stadium, London, September 25.
“We need them every time but we need them now to help us get out of this situation”.
“It’s not good enough but luckily it’s early in the season and we’ve got time to turn it round”.
“We didn’t deserve to be up in the first half, it was a typical nil-nil game”.
“As soon as the game comes it is good until someone punches you in the face, and then we have a problem”.
West Ham produced a desperately disappointing display as Southampton eased to a 3-0 victory at the London Stadium.
It’s a good aim to have, but even so having somebody who buries chances with incredible regularity is still so vital.
The Saints started life under Claude Puel poorly, counterpointing home draws against Watford and Sunderland with away defeats at Arsenal and Manchester United through the course of their first four league matches of the new campaign.
The Hammers suffered a third defeat in their last four “home” matches at the Olympic Stadium – with the only victory during that run coming courtesy of a 96th-minute victor against Accrington Stanley – as the Saints exposed some serious flaws in Slaven Bilic’s side. They need to snap out of it and quickly.
But Austin did not look like a player who has no ligaments in his knee – as Sullivan once questioned – when he tucked in Ryan Bertrand’s cutback five minutes before half-time for a fifth goal in his last four games.
Tadic it was at the center of all Southampton’s excellent attacking play in the second half, finding pockets of space and exploiting them with deft touches.
They was no denying Tadic on 62 minutes as Austin turned provider.
More chances came and went for Southampton before Ward-Prowse rifled past Adrian in injury-time after a Steven Davis cross was deflected into his path by centre-half Angelo Ogbonna.
The former Olympic Stadium is not a happy new home for West Ham, who may well still be smarting from the recent remarks of club great Billy Bonds after he described it as “not a football ground”.
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The goal gave Southampton impetus and Adrian was required to repel a Nathan Redmond effort with his feet, while full-back Cedric Soares lashed into the side-netting with Austin lurking.
