West Ham United started their campaign under Manuel Pellegrini in the worst way possible as they suffered a disappointing 0:4 defeat at the hands of Liverpool.
Mohamed Salah opened the scoring in the first half before Sadio Mane struck a brace to seal all three points for the Reds. And in the dying embers of the game, it was Daniel Sturridge, who completed the rout with a goal from his very first touch of the game.
The disappointing defeat is definitely an alarming sign for Pellegrini, whose team were completely outplayed. It’s evident that the former Manchester City boss may have a tough job on his hand despite the big-name signings.
In this article, we will discuss three things West Ham need to do differently if they are to bounce back to form this season.
Pellegrini needs to address the wobbly defence
The defence has been a weakness for West Ham United during the last couple of years. They struggled to cope with the attacking movement of Liverpool despite playing a low-block.
Declan Rice, in particular, was taught a key lesson in the first half as the likes of Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Naby Keita bombed forward at regular intervals. The young defender often looked out of depth and vulnerable as the Reds completely exposed the West Ham backline.
Highly experienced centre-back Angelo Ogbonna could also do very little to stop the onslaught from the Merseyside giants.
After ending last campaign as the joint leakiest side in the league, Pellegrini definitely has a job in hand in terms of his side’s defensive solidity. But, on a positive note, the Londoners will have a far easier challenge of facing Bournemouth in their next game, which will be an opportunity for them to bounce back.
Jack Wilshere needs to have a defined role
A lot of West Ham’s attacking game revolved around Jack Wilshere. But, his role in midfielder was rather undefined to some extent.
The former Arsenal superstar was deployed as the number ten just ahead of Declan Rice and Mark Noble. It made sense given the fact his midfielder partner was tasked with the responsibility of screening the defence while Wilshere was supposed to use his technical prowess to create chances for his team.
But, it hardly worked as Wilshere was completely isolated largely thanks to Liverpool’s relentless pressing. He did perform rather well when he shifted to a deeper role following the introduction of Robert Snodgrass.
Pellegrini needs to define a clear role for Wilshere before it gets too late. But one thing is for sure, the former English international definitely has the quality which West Ham have been lacking over the years.
New signings need to perform
Last but not the least, it’s the new signings that need to have a better effect if West Ham are to make an impression this season.
Despite the addition of Felipe Anderson, the Hammers created very little in the final third, which will serve as a huge worry for Pellegrini.
The Chilean mastermind introduced the likes of Javier Hernandez, Andriy Yarmolenko and Robert Snodgrass in the second half but they too failed to make an impact as West Ham could manage only two shots on target in 90 minutes.
It remains to be seen if those players can live up to their expectations in the next game against Bournemouth.
