Man Utd 0
West Ham 2
Another OT as this abysmal EPL campaign draws towards its end. I watched bits and pieces of the match on my mobile phone and it was not worth the hassle. Some people will argue that the focus is now on the Europa League final and that the players are more concerned on avoiding injury than winning the remaining matches.
My concern is that I continue to see very little quality in the basic skills – keeping possession, forward passing, creating chances, holding the ball, incisiveness. West Ham are not as good as we made them look. They emerged from OT with a 2-0 victory and without really risking a lot.
The first goal was essentially the defence not being able to close the gaps and by the time the cross came in, it the damage was done. Amass could not keep Souček from scoring. The second goal was down to an individual error by Ugarte who was caught daydreaming with the ball. Still, the defensive set up was poor in that instance and it was easy for West Ham to make it 2-0.
The reaction from United was feeble. There was some pressure in the last 10 minutes but we could not create clear chances.
Amorim knows that the EPL form has to change or he will be in trouble by the time November 2025 comes around. By that time we would be around 10 matches into the new season and if the reinforcements that should presumably come in during the next transfer window have not helped our beloved team to start performing like a coherent lot and with an ability to get some decent results, the pressure will be on…big time! My opinion is that a striker who can score goals and keeper who is consistent are critical for this team. Not enough, surely, but the two most important positions to address.
Winning the Europe League would go some way to make us forget this miserable season and possibly make us more attractive to good players who are hungry for success. It could be critical for Amorim to get the players he needs. But its is also going to mean we need to handle the EPL and the CL concurrently and as things stand at the moment, I am not sure we are ready for that yet…Numquam Moribimur!
