If West Ham continues on this path, their upcoming match against Freiburg on Thursday could potentially be their final opportunity to experience European football for a period of time.
Despite Danny Ings’ nostalgic appearance and goal to secure a draw, concerns remain about the team’s inconsistent tactics under David Moyes, as shown in the messy 2-2 draw with Burnley.
Many supporters strongly believe that Moyes should leave when his contract ends this season, and they had plenty of evidence to support their stance.
The manager of West Ham expressed disappointment over their performance in the first half, stating that they did not give themselves an opportunity to compete. Burnley, on the other hand, were pleased with their chances of avoiding relegation thanks to a spectacular goal from David Datro Fofana and an own-goal from Konstantinos Mavropanos. The slow start from West Ham ultimately led to their downfall.
There could be a clear reason for West Ham’s initial lack of energy in their recent match. Due to their Europa League defeat to Freiburg in the last-16 round, the team had limited time to prepare for their game, despite remaining in seventh place. However, there may also be larger underlying problems at play. West Ham is known for their cautious gameplay and tendency to allow their opponents to control the pace. This strategy becomes more difficult to watch when they retreat too deep, especially against a less skilled team like Burnley.
The frustration is that West Ham were dominant after half-time, the introduction of Michail Antonio unsettling Burnley and creating space for Jarrod Bowen, Mohammed Kudus and Lucas Paquetá. For Moyes, the question is whether to be similarly bold 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.
The Burnley striker’s impressive shot, which rose high and fast, came in the 11th minute after getting past weak attempts from Phillips and Nayef Aguerd. Aguerd, who was playing in the place of the rested Kurt Zouma, was too relaxed in his role in central defense. Mavropanos, who ended the first half by inadvertently scoring a goal for Burnley, had difficulty with basic tasks. Bowen, who was often left alone at the front, had trouble staying onside.
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Phillips faced a challenge in returning to top form after spending an extended period of time on the bench for Manchester City. Filling in for Álvarez, the midfielder appeared to lack both confidence and physical readiness during his third start on loan from City. With Southgate in attendance at the London Stadium where Burnley dominated over Phillips, he will need to consider whether to include him in the squad for England’s upcoming matches against Brazil and Belgium.
Southgate likely took note of West Ham’s improvement after Álvarez replaced Phillips. Ward-Prowse, who was slow, was also replaced by Antonio, and this caused Burnley to struggle at the beginning of the second half. Paquetá, who was more threatening after shifting to a different position, easily went past James Trafford and scored a goal with a low finish.
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Vincent Kompany expressed his frustration towards the timing of the two goals in the game, but also found encouragement in Burnley’s determination. Despite their pursuit of a third goal with Fofana and Jacob Bruun Larsen’s close attempts, the pressure continued to build on the other end. Paquetá and Kudus had opportunities to score but missed, and a deflected cross from Vladimir Coufal struck the bar.
The atmosphere at West Ham became intense. Ings subbed in and scored a goal which was later disallowed due to Antonio being slightly offside before assisting his teammate. The match was extended by eight minutes and West Ham launched another attack. Kudus displayed skill by sending in a cross from the left, allowing Ings to control the ball with his chest and score his first goal of the season by powerfully kicking the ball past Trafford.
Burnley, whose deliberate slowing down of play angered the audience, reacted. Sander Berge, who avoided a potential handball penalty in the last minute, and Josh Brownhill came close to securing a victory. West Ham also made an effort, with Antonio missing the mark and Ings hitting the crossbar from a distance of 18 yards. However, the resulting draw did not benefit either team greatly.
Source: theguardian.com
