West Ham United as they experience the growing strain. They are just a few days away from their biggest game yet when they take on Crystal Palace this Saturday. Sitting 19th in the Premier League, the club has found life difficult in the backline, especially when it comes to defending set-plays. After a disheartening 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest, manager Graham Potter’s hold on the top job is being watched as closely as the player’s performances.
The numbers paint the picture of West Ham’s catastrophic backline. They’ve conceded the most goals from set pieces in the entire league. All six of those goals came directly from corners. This vulnerability has raised concerns heading into their next fixtures against Crystal Palace and Everton, as they strive to shift their fortunes and climb out of the relegation zone.
Graham Potter, who has overseen eleven home games with only two wins and eleven away games with four victories, faces mounting scrutiny. Though the figures are bleak, West Ham has a long-standing pedigree of loathe to fire managers. Vice-chair Baroness Karen Brady has publicly supported Potter. This indicates that the club could potentially continue to back his leadership, even during the tough times he faces now.
Saturday’s 3-0 defeat at home to Nottingham Forest was preceded by a similarly embarrassing 3-0 loss at home to fellow newly-promoted Sunderland. As fans have pointed out, both defeats took the same song with West Ham conceding early on and not managing to bounce back. To compound matters, home and away defeats to local rivals Chelsea and Tottenham have petrified Hammers fans. For these reasons, fans will take the occasional derby loss provided that the team demonstrates heart and competitiveness. The reality of the recent run of form has left them feeling disenchanted.
West Ham prepares for their match against Crystal Palace this week. Whatever the weather conditions, hope will be high that Potter finds a way to rally his players for a strong reaction. As usual each match will be important to gain valuable points but this one will be a golden opportunity. This provides Potter with an opportunity to cement his leadership as concerns about the team’s performance start to escalate.
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