I feel sorry for those who got caught up in the emotion of last weekend and believed Slaven Bilic had managed to turn a boring, defensive Sam Allardyce team into one capable of mixing it with the top four in the Premier League. I’m not saying many did and I must admit, I was riding high after frantically checking the live text stream whilst on holiday in Italy, as I’m sure were most watching the game but if we learnt anything from this weekend’s result, it’s that there’s still a lot of work to do.
As great as the Arsenal result was, a home fixture against Leicester was always going to be a better gauge of the season ahead. They’re the kind of team we should be beating, especially at home and although everything is up in the air at the start of the season, both the result and the performance were a great disappointment.
In short, we didn’t get going in the first 45 minutes and gave away two easily avoidable goals. Granted, the second-half performance was better but we still struggled in terms of creativity and ultimately, it was too little, too late.
The whole defensive unit should be shouldering the blame for both goals conceded. Winston Reid was caught out of position by a ball over the top and failed to show Vardy inside or down the line. Instead, he stood off the former non-league player and allowed him time to pick out a decent ball to find Okazaki who did well with his initial effort and was quickest to react to the rebound. The second goal was similar to the first in the sense that simple movement to outside the width of the penalty area left our defenders in a muddle. This time, Ogbonna was dragged out wide by Okazaki while the rest of the back four stood like statues inside the 18-yard box and let Mahrez ghost in and slot home with a nice finish.
It’s easy to say the second half was a vast improvement and although the quality and pace of our play did improve, the fact that Leicester were looking to solidify the win obviously played its part. Were it not for Kasper Schmeichel, Sakho could have nabbed an equaliser but if we’re being completely honest, Leicester probably just about deserved the three points. It certainly wasn’t one of our worst performances in recent times but one that quickly dampened the jubilant emotions still present from such a big win only last week.
Obiang managed to impress in his first appearance for the club and Payet was another bright star in my book. He’s not the type of player who will catch the eye for the entirety of a 90 minute match. Instead, he’s a player that will produce powerful and pacey spurts on the ball and the quality of service he consistently provides is something we’ve been crying out for. The way in which he took his goal would have pleased many and I’m sure he’ll prove a bargain come the end of the season if he carries on in the same vein.
As well as the result leaving a sour taste in the mouth, there is probably two other major negatives to take from the game. Adrian’s red card is something we really could have done without, to miss a player that has become so integral to the starting XI for three games, so early in the season is detrimental to say the least. I’ll refrain from commenting on Darren Randolph’s goalkeeping capabilities but the club trying to seal a move for Rob Green ASAP probably isn’t the worst bit of business.
In addition to Adrian’s silly but deserved red card (there’s apparently an appeal on the way but one I wouldn’t expect to be successful), my heart does go out to Reece Oxford. The young lad was the centre of a media frenzy after his performance against Arsenal, and rightly so. His mature and faultless display against The Gunners will now be a distant memory to most after he was hauled off at half-time by Bilic. It’s not to say he played terribly, he just couldn’t handle Leicester’s style of play. Strange as it may seem, Arsenal are probably the perfect team for the 16-year-old to play against. Their accurate, yet often slow and central build up play gave him plenty of time to analyse what was in front of him and read the game, whereas the pace and directness of Saturday’s opponents meant he was sometimes running around like a headless chicken. With even the experienced Reid and Ogbonna getting pulled this way and that, Oxford was unfortunately the obvious option when Bilic had to make some sort of change. The coming weeks will be a real test of his character and having to fight his way back into the side and perhaps prove himself once again is one he probably needed and that will almost certainly make him an even better player.
The final thing to take from the game is something we as fans knew, the coaching staff knew and the board knew. We desperately need another striker! I’m sick of talking about it, I’m sick I’m writing about and like many of you, I’m sick of reading about it. It’s time something actually got done. We all know the final few weeks of the transfer market is when a lot of clubs do some major business and I’m hoping the two Davids have got something up their sleeve that is worth the wait. Whether it be Charlie Austin or Javier Hernandez, one of them or someone with equal ability and Premier League experience needs to be pictured holding a West Ham United shirt aloft, sooner rather than later. The likes of; Nolan, Jarvis, Amalfitano (although I rate him as useful squad player, someone who can’t keep their behaviour in check, doesn’t belong at the club) and Maiga can go. While one of the aforementioned strikers would be a definite contender for the starting XI, someone like Dwight Gale (who clearly isn’t wanted by Palace and could be snapped up on the ‘cheap’) would provide good impact from the bench and with his electric pace and ability to finish, would cause problems either through the middle or from a wide role. There’s probably a few more areas that could be added to and I’d like to see the drawn out transfer of Alex Song go through, with possibly another versatile creative type brought in, not just to make up the numbers but someone that can challenge for a starting place and fill the inevitable void left by injuries and suspensions.
As hard as this weekend’s defeat was to take, it’s one we’ll certainly learn from. I’m sure the majority would have settled for three points from the opening two games, regardless of what game they came from. It’s the next few weeks and fixtures that will be more crucial and hopefully there’ll be positive news to report.
COYI!