Scott Parker has had his first winless week as West Ham head coach, and it ended with fans chanting that the players were “not fit to wear the shirt.” Blackburn Rovers beat the Hammers 2-1 at Ewood Park, and West Ham dropped to ninth, outside the play-offs for the international break, after a fourth league defeat in 15 games.
The scoreline hid a familiar story. West Ham had 20 shots to Blackburn’s five and had the better of the game for long spells, but Blackburn scored with two of their three shots on target. Another day, another set of avoidable goals. This time the question is whether the player at the centre of them has made his last start.
West Ham began well. They pressed high, moved the ball with purpose and did not concede in the first half, which looked like a sign the slow-start problem was being solved. Max Kilman stepped out of defense to offer an extra passing option, Ezra Mayers and Edvin Austbø linked up well on the left, and Divine Mukasa and Arne Engels were regularly involved. But Blackburn were happy to sit deep and wait, and West Ham could not turn the pressure into clear chances. Jarrod Bowen headed against the post from an Austbø cross early in the second half, and the goal never came.
Blackburn broke on 54 minutes. The ball was delivered into the area down West Ham’s left, Mayers could not stop the cross, and Andri Guðjohnsen converted. Several players could have done more, but it was a goal that Mads Hermansen should have prevented. Seventeen minutes later it was 2-0, when Oladapo Afolayan fired a left-footed shot into the bottom corner after a pass from substitute Yuki Ohashi. Kilman had gone down moments earlier with contact to his face, and too many Hammers stopped playing and appealed for the foul.
Joël Piroe pulled one back on 82 minutes, firing into the roof of the net after Taty Castellanos got down the right and delivered. West Ham never really threatened an equaliser after that, and Mavropanos slipped twice in the closing stages, once gifting Blackburn a counter-attack.
Parker was disappointed and defensive afterwards. “Very disappointing,” he said. “I thought we dominated the first half without really creating too much. Second half, we came out really sharp, really bright and didn’t manage to score the first goal. Their first goal gives us a bit of a hill to climb.”
He was also clear about the second goal. “The second goal is obviously a foul,” Parker said, arguing that Kilman should have been awarded a free-kick. He pointed to how little time he has had, saying he had “one training session, 45 minutes yesterday,” and said the team had shown they could recover from setbacks in midweek. He admitted it hurt to hear the chants from the travelling supporters, but insisted he did not see a lack of commitment from the players.
“We have to do so much more as a squad of players.” – Jarrod Bowen
Captain Jarrod Bowen did not hide from the result either. His message on the club’s official website was that “we have to do so much more as a squad of players,” and he pointed to the international break as an opportunity. “It’ll be really important international break,” Bowen said. West Ham do not play again until November 21, which gives Parker two weeks on the training ground at Rush Green.
There is a lot to fix. West Ham have conceded 23 goals in 15 games, and Parker’s Burnley conceded just 16 across the whole of their promotion-winning season.
The answer to that may decide a lot about the next few weeks. Mads Hermansen has been poor for most of this season, and Saturday added more to the case against him. The first goal came from a cross that a commanding goalkeeper would have dealt with, whether by catching it, punching it or at least getting a hand to it. Hermansen did none of those.
It was not a one-off. Hermansen has kept some clean sheets, but he has been hesitant and indecisive on balls into the box all season, and Southampton and Cardiff both exposed it. West Ham have conceded three goals in a game in three of their last four matches.
There is a fair case in his defence. The Blackburn goal came after a breakdown on the left, and Mayers, Mavropanos and Austbø all share the blame. Alphonse Areola is not a guaranteed upgrade, and some supporters will point out that the problems are across the defense. But a goalkeeper is the last line of defense, and Parker’s best Burnley side was built on a dominant keeper who owned his box. A manager who values that, and who will want to send a message about standards, has an obvious option sitting on the bench.
Parker has not singled out his goalkeeper. But he gave Magassa a start at Cardiff after weeks in the cold, and after Saturday, leaving Hermansen in the team without a good reason would be hard to justify. On the evidence of this season, Areola deserves the next start. If Parker keeps faith with Hermansen after the break, he will be telling the dressing room that the old standards still apply.
Parker has two weeks, a squad that fought back at Cardiff and a fan base that has lost patience. West Ham host Cardiff… no, the next league game is on November 21, and the team needs a clean performance more than anything else.
PLAYER RATINGS
Mads Hermansen – 3
Should have dealt with the cross for the opening goal and was hesitant again on balls into the box. A poor afternoon in a season of them.
Joël Veltman – 5
Steady but unspectacular. Did not get enough protection on the right.
Konstantinos Mavropanos – 4.5
Headed wide from a corner but endured a dreadful late spell, slipping twice and gifting Blackburn a counter-attack.
Max Kilman – 5.5
Proactive in possession and arguably fouled before the second goal, as Parker pointed out. But the second goal still came on his side of the pitch.
Ezra Mayers – 6
Showed promise going forward but was isolated by Blackburn’s double teams and did not get enough cover. A tough first league start at left-back.
Arne Engels – 5
Involved in midfield and took the corners, but could have done more to close down Afolayan before the second goal.
Mohamadou Kanté – 4.5
Quiet and replaced by Castellanos. Kanté’s best position might just be as an attacking substitute until Parker can figure out where to use him best.
Divine Mukasa – 6.5
One of the few players to show real invention, and was involved in the best West Ham moves.
Edvin Austbø – 7
Lively and dangerous, with a lovely piece of skill and the cross Bowen headed against the post. Taken off after Blackburn’s first goal, which was a surprising decision.
Jarrod Bowen – 6.5
Hit the post with a header and delivered an excellent chipped ball for Souček late on, but no goal.
Joël Piroe – 6.5
Hesitated at a key moment in the first half but took his goal superbly.
Substitutes
Manor Solomon – 4.5 Replaced Austbø and never found a way into the game.
Taty Castellanos – 6 Got down the right and delivered the ball for Piroe’s goal.
Tomáš Souček – 5 Headed straight at the keeper from a good chance and played a poor pass into his own area.
Manager – Scott Parker – 5.5
Had almost no time with the squad and his team started well, but the decision to take off Austbø after the first goal looked questionable.
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