“To be fair, we started well if we are talking about being behind the ball and closing the opponent down, after a couple of games when we were not defending well as a team and conceding eight goals in a couple of games”. The latest was a 3-0 loss to Southampton overnight with the spotlight coming on a faltering defensive unit where Reid is one of the king-pins.
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And the home side found themselves with a mountain to climb when Austin turned provider to set up Dusan Tadic after 62 minutes, playing in a first-time pass that Tadic took around the keeper before sliding home a low finish.
Noble said: “Eleven goals conceded in three league games before this game was laughable – and it’s not good enough”.
Payet’s influence grew as he fired wide from the edge of the box and Zaza saw an effort cleared off the line by Virgil van Dijk after more good work from the French midfielder. These are the same manager, players and crowd as previous year.
The France global, who scored nine league goals and created another 12 in his debut season at West Ham last term, was hardly involved on Sunday until he sprung into life in the second period, testing Southampton’s defence with his tricky runs and shots. “I can’t believe how poor they were”, said Redknapp on Super Sunday. I told the players after Watford or West Brom there is no need to panic.
Austin scored with the visitors’ first shot on target after 40 minutes, the striker finishing first time from a Ryan Bertrand cross for his fourth goal in five games.
“It’s happened for four games now and we have to change it big time, though we can’t change the whole team now. Everything that was average last season is way below par this”.
‘The credit was there for a lot of them and now that credit is gone and I will pick the team purely on training. “We lost the game 3-0 at home and we deserved to lose”.
“Adrian pulled off some good saves and on the bright side, I don’t think it can get any worse”. “The players are good with each other – they are maybe too good with each other”.
Manager Claude Puel said: “The first half was hard. It was important to correct that”, said Puel.
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“For me it’s important for him and the team that he can score different goals and I think he score with his first chance in the first half”.
