If this is the approach West Ham plans to continue, their match against Freiburg on Thursday could potentially mark their final experience with European soccer in the near future.
Despite Danny Ings’ impressive performance as a substitute, it was not able to erase the doubts that arise when David Moyes’ counterattacking style leads to disorganized tactics, as seen in the 2-2 draw with Burnley.
Many supporters believed that Moyes should leave when his contract ends this season, and they had plenty of evidence to support their view.
The West Ham manager noted that their slow start in the first half prevented them from having a chance in the game. Burnley, on the other hand, were able to keep their faint hopes of survival alive due to impressive goals from David Datro Fofana and an own-goal by Konstantinos Mavropanos. The manager acknowledged that his team’s lack of urgency was a contributing factor to their loss.
The obvious explanation for the early lethargy is that West Ham, who remain seventh, had little time to prepare after their 1-0 defeat against Freiburg in their Europa League last-16 tie. A more troubling thought, though, is that wider issues are at play. After all, it is not as if West Ham regularly storm out of the traps. They are a cautious side, prone to letting their opponents dictate play, and it can be tough to watch when they fall too deep, particularly against a team as limited as Burnley.
West Ham was in control during the second half, thanks to the addition of Michail Antonio which caused Burnley to become unsettled and made room for Jarrod Bowen, Mohammed Kudus, and Lucas Paquetá. Moyes now has to consider if he should take a similar risk against Freiburg.
West Ham, who have not kept a clean sheet since 2 January, need more drive in the middle. A functional trio of Tomas Soucek, James Ward‑Prowse and Kalvin Phillips did not do anything to stop Burnley from getting a feel for the ball before Fofana put them ahead with his third goal since joining on loan from Chelsea.
In the 11th minute, the Burnley forward managed to score a remarkable goal past Alphonse Areola after evading weak challenges from Phillips and Nayef Aguerd. Aguerd, playing in place of Kurt Zouma in the center of the defense, was too relaxed. Mavropanos, who accidentally gave Burnley a second goal by deflecting Josh Cullen’s cross into the net, had difficulty with basic actions. Bowen, playing alone up front, continuously strayed into offside positions.
Next was Phillips, trying to regain his form after spending a prolonged period on the bench for Manchester City. Filling in for Edson Álvarez, the midfielder seemed lacking in both assurance and physical condition during his third appearance on loan from City. With the presence of Gareth Southgate, who witnessed Burnley dominate Phillips at the London Stadium, a choice must be made before announcing England’s squad for friendly matches against Brazil and Belgium.
It is likely that Southgate observed West Ham’s improvement after substituting Álvarez for Phillips. The slow-paced Ward-Prowse was also replaced by Antonio, and this caused Burnley to be pressured at the beginning of the second half. Paquetá, who had become more threatening after shifting to a central position, effortlessly weaved through and placed a powerful finish beyond James Trafford.
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“If I only consider the timing of the two goals, that amounts to two bothersome occurrences in the match,” remarked Vincent Kompany. He found encouragement in Burnley’s determination as they pursued a third goal, with Fofana and Jacob Bruun Larsen coming close, but the pressure ended up growing on the opposite side. Paquetá and Kudus both missed opportunities to score, and Vladimir Coufal’s deflected cross ended up hitting the crossbar.
West Ham became very agitated. Ings entered the game and his goal was deemed invalid after a VAR review revealed that Antonio had slightly strayed offside before assisting his teammate. The game continued for an additional eight minutes and West Ham launched another attack. Kudus made a strong cross from the left and Ings skillfully controlled it with his chest, spun around, and scored his first goal of the season by powerfully shooting past Trafford.
Burnley, who angered the fans at home with their time-wasting tactics, made a comeback. Sander Berge, who escaped a handball call in the last minute, and Josh Brownhill came close to scoring the winning goal. West Ham showed some signs of life, with Antonio’s shot going wide and Ings hitting the crossbar from the edge of the box. However, the draw did not bring much benefit for either team.
Source: theguardian.com
