From Mads Hermansen to Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Jean-Clair Todibo to Max Kilman, a furious West Ham United fanbase were not short of potential scapegoats during Friday’s London Stadium drubbing at the hands of Chelsea.
‘As bad as it gets’ was the assessment of Jamie Redknapp, the Sky Sports pundit barely able to believe his eyes as Aaron Wan-Bissaka gifted Chelsea three goals in the space of just 19 first-half minutes.
Jean-Clair Todibo, part of a West Ham United backline who have now conceded eight goals in the first two matches of the new Premier League campaign, did not fare much better. Todibo, a £35 million permanent signing from Nice, was replaced at the break.
And then there’s Mads Hermansen. Rob Green, a Hammers shot-stopper himself back in the day, can only imagine what is going through his head right now.
Jamie Redknapp urges West Ham United to drop Mads Hermansen after Chelsea nightmare
If the £18 million signing from Leicester City had been asked to imagine a worst-case scenario situation when joining West Ham a fortnight ago, he still could not have envisaged life in London starting as badly as this.
Hermansen made a mess of two Chelsea set-pieces, gifting the visitors’ their fourth goal with a horrific flap before Trevoh Chalobah’s 58th minute tap-in had the home support heading for the exit in their thousands.
Now, Graham Potter expressed his total faith in Hermansen after critics rounded on the Dane at the Stadium of Light. If some felt he could have done better with Sunderland’s opener, there was no doubt Hermansen made a ‘big mistake’ as Wilson Isidor rounded off a thumping victory for the top-flight returnees.
Now, Redknapp cannot help but wonder if Potter has a very difficult decision to make. Does he take his summer signing out of the firing line, and risk doing further damage to his self-confidence, in the hope that short-term pain leads to long-term gain?
“I have seen some defending in my life. That was as bad as it gets,” Redknapp began. “I highlighted Todibo and Wan-Bissaka at half-time. Defending the back post, checking your shoulder, knowing how to defend… I wasn’t a massive fan of Todibo on a loan, let alone at £35 million.
“The goalkeeper doesn’t make it any easier. He’s having a really difficult time. He probably needs to be changed because he’s not come here full of confidence. He’s already made some high-profile mistakes.
“Areola might have to come in. At least he’s got some experience!”
“I look at [Hermansen] and think he needs a rest. He’s got some high-profile games coming up here [at the London Stadium]. He doesn’t fill the goal, doesn’t fill me with confidence.
“I’m not saying he can’t be a good goalkeeper or a success, but sometimes you look at him and do him a favour.”
Graham Potter may be to blame for Hermansen struggles, Rob Green thinks
Rob Green knows better than most the position Hermansen finds himself in, both literally and figuratively.
A former West Ham glovesman from 2006 to 2012, Green bounced back from an infamous blunder on the biggest of stages during England’s nightmare World Cup campaign in South Africa.
The one-time Hammer of the Year is hoping Hermansen can also prove his critics wrong in time.
Green argues that the 24-year-old has been treated somewhat ‘unfairly’ too. Thrown in to make his West Ham debut days after joining from Leicester and without a full pre-season under his belt.
“Not to deflect away from the goalkeeper situation, you’re coming up against Chelsea, get the basics right! They’ve conceded three from set-pieces, two from how the crosses came in last week. At the moment, the goalkeeper is in with [those overall problems] defensively,” Green says.
“He played one game in pre-season, Hermansen. He hasn’t played since April [due to injury]. He’s been thrown in and its been a lot to ask of him.”
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox
