When Nuno Espirito Santo faced the reporters following the full-time whistle at the Gtech Community Stadium, the first question put to him was whether he could understand how his West Ham United side had just lost 3-0.
Nuno certainly feels the result flattered Brentford. And while predecessor Graham Potter had a habit of trying to magic positives out of thin air, the current incumbent had a point.
Taty Castellanos hit the post and the crossbar. Crysencio Summerville and Tomas Soucek struck the woodwork too. Konstantinos Mavropanos had an equaliser ruled out by the tightest of VAR calls; denied yet another goal by the width of his cheekbone.
How do you FEEL about West Ham wanting to keep Nuno next season? 😳
In fact, West Ham United are the first team in the Premier League this season to hit the woodwork four times and have a goal disallowed.
West Ham United did everything but score in Brentford defeat
Ironically enough, Brentford are the only other side to strike the goal-frame four times in a single match. That came in another 3-0 Bees victory over Sunderland in January.
Two of Igor Thiago’s 22 league goals were scored in that triumph over the Black Cats. Another came from the penalty spot on Saturday.
West Ham, much to their frustration, do not have a finisher anywhere near as cold-blooded and dead-eyed as Thiago. Pablo Felipe is rapidly heading towards write-off territory – the shot-shy January signing an unwitting posterboy for the Hammers’ recruitment failures – while Castellanos’ record at Lazio probably should have set alarm bells ringing.
A £27 million centre-forward signed after 22 goals in nearly 100 Lazio appearances. Castellanos has five since\- 654c3s2a joining West Ham. A respectable tally, perhaps, but performances like the one at the Gtech is something fans have become accustomed to already.
Fleetingly impressive but almost always erratic and unpredictable.
On co-commentary duty in West London, Matthew Upson feels questions should be asked of Crysencio Summerville too. His seven goals this season all came in a two-month burst between January and March.
“When he gets the ball, I get excited,” the former defender said.
“[But] for how well he plays and the positions he gets into, [seven goals] for me is not enough of a return. He should be getting into double figures.”
West Ham had their fair share of bad luck at Brentford. But when you see the same problems occur week after week – missed chances proving costly and yet more points slipping away – it starts to feel less and less like bad luck and more akin to incompetence.
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox
