Does that feel like a missed opportunity after a pleasing first half?
Yes, there’s bits of it. We didn’t defend well enough on a couple of occasions. We gave them too much encouragement at the start of the second half, played three or four balls back to the goalkeeper just after the kick-off. We had a bit of control, but we played it square and back, which let Tottenham come on. We get caught on the ball twice in that opening, it felt like ten minutes, period at the start of the game. I think we just gave them encouragement to come on to us and we didn’t get over it. But ultimately, we made a couple of really poor mistakes for goals which at this level and with what we’ve got, we can’t afford.
Is it a psychological problem for your players when you are in the bottom three?
If we have, they’ve been here before. Most or a lot of them will know how to handle it.
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What is the best way to handle it, is it to not look at the league table?
I’ve not even thought about it yet but I do know that I’ll be looking to see the players, seeing the colour of their eyes in the next week. I can imagine what the colour of mine will be.
Do you feel the defensive mistakes partly undo the improvements made in recent games?
Yes. I think we’ve not been scoring enough goals so what that has meant is that we need to try and make sure we don’t concede any goals. We went to Newcastle and we went a goal down and we nicked a goal from a set-piece. We played Chelsea, went a goal down and got one back and because we were, in the main, relatively strong defensively, it gave us a chance to get something from the game. Today, the first question when we came in is for a long period in the first half, we played really well both in defence and actually, our play was good, but we didn’t focus enough right at the start of the second half. Tottenham got a little bit of encouragement I felt from how we started and ultimately, it came down to a couple of really poor actions defensively. But, in saying that, it would have been good if we could have created more chances and created more opportunities than we did today because it’s something going forward, we’re going to have to find a way to get more chances.
Is that period at the start of the second half where you lost the game today?
Well yes, because I think if you are still 0-0, then you are right in the game. You can be on the ball and you can be under pressure a lot, but the minute when you go 1-0 down, we are actually opening up. I actually felt at the start of the second half, we went more open than we’d been for long periods in the first half and that wasn’t by design, that’s for sure.
How frustrating was it to concede as soon as you bought Said Benrahma and Danny Ings on? Did you try to bring them on earlier?
I think we tried to get the boys on probably four minutes earlier, I think the period of play just didn’t quite get it. But look, I thought the boys were doing a good job in the main, we went a goal down. A lot of the stuff the players did today was decent, just the bits that really matter was the defending and the smaller chances we got to score, we didn’t make enough of it. We didn’t look a threat at set-pieces as much as we maybe should have been as well.
What was the thinking behind starting Flynn Downes, having also given him starts at Anfield and Old Trafford?
I thought Flynn did really well. He helps me in doing a little bit when I need a little bit of a tactical change and we changed a little bit tactically today for the start of the game in the hope to get through 60/70 minutes where we could have tried to go again. I thought Flynn played well.
West Ham have only won on league game away this season, why do you think that is?
I couldn’t give you a complete answer. Scoring goals is obviously one. Defensively, we’ve shown improvement. I know we’ve lost 2-0 today, but we’ve not lost many games by multiple goals and that’s because we work and we try to make sure we don’t concede to give us a chance of winning. You’re right, our away form, we can’t put our finger why this year, and in recent seasons, we’ve been much better.
How is Jarrod Bowen and what are his chances of facing Nottingham Forest on Saturday?
I’ve not checked it. I thought it was a poor decision that it wasn’t a yellow card. I thought it was very simple. We’re now giving bookings where we’re seeing somebody touch somebody’s toes by a couple of inches, if you know what I mean. This was a whack around the shins to me. I was a long way away, so I might be wrong but my first thought, and I’ve not had a chance to see it again, my first thought was it was a pretty clear booking and what it led to was because I don’t think the referee got that decision right.
How big is the game with Nottingham Forest?
Very big, very big. Every game is big, today’s was big, every game is big. If you’re trying to make the word big sound bigger than it should be, I don’t know if I can do that. Ultimately, we treat every game with the same level, but I totally get your message.
Do you feel aggrieved at the challenge on Bowen, especially when Michail Antonio was booked for a tackle on Harry Kane, where he didn’t touch him?
I’ve not seen that one, so if you’re telling me he didn’t touch him, I can’t be sure. That would be a little where that doesn’t look ridiculous where one doesn’t get a booking and the other one would.
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