West Ham United finally won their first game of the new season on Tuesday night and there was more positivity from new boy Ryan Fredericks.
Manuel Pellegrini came with a big reputation and was backed with unprecedented transfer funds.
A £100 million summer spend ramped up expectations.
But three consecutive defeats has left the Hammers bottom of the fledgling Premier League table.
The 3-1 Carabao Cup win over 10-man AFC Wimbledon is much welcome.
Whether it does much for confidence or not remains to be seen.
‘We are going to keep a lot of clean sheets’
The Hammers conceded after just one minute in that game, the 10th they have shipped in four games this season.
And that continues the club’s shocking record from last season.
In fact it is the 74th goal West Ham have conceded in their last 42 games.
So when summer signing Ryan Fredericks made a big statement on the club’s official website after the Arsenal game it left him open to ridicule.
“I felt like it clicked for large parts of the game today, defensively,” Fredericks told whufc.com.
“It wasn’t attempt after attempt for them.
“If we can limit a team like Arsenal to shots at the edge of the box, through cut-backs and wide positions, then we are going to keep a lot of clean sheets.”
Get house in order ahead of daunting fixtures
West Ham fans will be hoping their summer signing is right.
Fredericks has seen seven goals go in during his two games in the West Ham back four.
They were at Anfield and the Emirates respectively, though.
West Ham’s defenders may not have kept any clean sheets but they showed they know where the goal is against AFC Wimbledon with Issa Diop and Angelo Ogbonna on the scoresheet.
With newly-promoted Wolverhampton Wanderers up next the pressure is on the Hammers to get their first Premier League win of the campaign.
Indeed with Everton, Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham looming in their next five games they had better get their house in order quickly.
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox
