West Ham United were not given a hope going into the game at Liverpool on Monday night but it could be the game that saves their season.
West Ham responded to an early setback to take a shock 2-1 lead in the second half at Anfield.
Uncharacteristic mistakes from star player Lukasz Fabianski proved West Ham’s undoing, though, as they went on to lose 3-2.
That made it 22 points lost from winning positions this season, a new record.
But there was something different about this West Ham performance.
The penny dropped at Anfield
When West Ham lost a seven-goal thriller 4-3 to Tottenham in 2007, the penny had dropped. The club went on to complete a great escape.
This display at Anfield has a similar feel to it.
Here are eight crucial things Hammers boss David Moyes learned from the game ahead of the relegation run-in.
1. Fan protests aren’t affecting the team. There has been an insinuation from Moyes, some corners of the media and the club’s hierarchy that fans protesting against the owners are hindering the team. There have been several calls for those supporters to ‘put their issues to one side and focus on survival’. But the protests neither affected the fans’s ability to support the players nor the performance on the pitch. There is no tension between the fans and the team.
Jez shines like a beacon of hope
2. Jeremy Ngakia is the answer. Just when fans – and Moyes – were worrying about their right-back situation after the injury to Ryan Fredericks, the brilliant young Ngakia shone like a beacon of hope. The harsh truth is that Fredericks has been poor since signing last season and has never established himself in the side. Ngakia looked to be everything West Ham need and even if Fredericks was fit, Ngakia has shown enough to suggest he should be first choice.
3. Mark Noble can’t cut it. As much as it pains us to admit it, homegrown skipper Noble has looked woefully short this season. And he has been a passenger during the last few months in particular. The skipper may well be a vital influence in the dressing room. But on the pitch he offers little and it was brutally exposed at Anfield. With Tomas Soucek’s injury Noble is set to continue in the side regardless. He must find something within him to turn back the clock for these last 11 games.
4. Tomas Soucek makes West Ham tick. Had Soucek not gone off injured West Ham would have taken something from the game. The Czech has been a revelation since signing. His injury is a massive blow to Moyes but he will be back for crucial games throughout March, April and May and West Ham need him. West Ham must survive to be able to make the deal permanent. That should be inspiration enough.
Pablo must play
5. Pablo Fornals is top class and must play. West Ham fans have been furious with Moyes over his treatment of Fornals. The Spaniard struggled at the start of his Hammers career. But by November he was the club’s best performer and carried that form over the winter period. He was immediately frozen out by Moyes, though, and left out of the squad altogether at Manchester City. He replaced Soucek at Anfield, though, and was excellent in his passing, movement, workrate and of course getting the goal which gave West Ham the lead.
6. A case for the defence. West Ham’s defence has been much maligned this season and with good reason. But the performance at Anfield – despite the three goals conceded – proved the backline is strong enough to help turn things around. A clean sheet against Southampton would be a good start.
7. Lukasz Fabianski is human and humble. West Ham’s best player, Fabianski has been guilty of some errors of late against Brighton, Man City and now Liverpool. But he has built up so much credit with his world class performances over the last couple of seasons that he should not let it get to him. He certainly shouldn’t have apologised so profusely after the game to his teammates and the fans. As Noble said afterwards that was not necessary. But it shows the measure of the man and he will be back on top form and will play a key role if West Ham do turn things around.
8. West Ham can stay up. There have been huge doubts about West Ham’s wherewithal to drag themselves out of their perilous position. But they proved they have both the ability and the minerals against the best team in world football. With 11 games to go, West Ham must realistically win four or five of them to survive. Moyes now knows they CAN do it. But that must start this Saturday against Southampton at the London Stadium.
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