There was some irony in Roy Keane’s bizarre Starbucks rant following West Ham’s defeat at Old Trafford this week, the manner of the Hammers’ defensive implosion suggesting a late-night espresso might’ve been just what was needed.
David Moyes branded the errors that allowed Manchester United to turn the tie around “ridiculous”, but “dozy” would have been just as apt, particularly in the case of Fred’s clincher as Nayef Aguerd nodded off in possession.
Aguerd has been outstanding since the World Cup but the mistake was not entirely without precedent. The Moroccan’s fine displays have been punctuated by the occasional lapse, often ones for which he has himself quickly atoned and never before been so ruthlessly punished.
Moyes believes the summer signing still needs time to adapt to the Premier League, but heading into Saturday’s meeting with Brighton, the longer-standing issue, and more pressing concern, is one of missing collective solidity.
The wide-view picture does not look bad: with 29 goals conceded in 23 games, the Hammers have the best defensive record in the bottom half and have leaked six times fewer than Tottenham, who are fourth.
The issue for Moyes is that when his side are broken down, they - not to put too fine a point on it - almost never win. Those 23 matches have yielded five clean sheets and just six victories, October’s 3-1 triumph over Fulham the sole occasion on which they have been breached and still managed to collect three points. Contrary to United, who if anything grew in belief after going behind on Wednesday, West Ham seem a side whose goose is cooked the moment they concede.
A hitlist of the teams the Irons have managed to shut-out further highlights the extent to which they have struggled to contain any attack even bordering on vaguely competent: Steven Gerrard’s Aston Villa, Bruno Lage’s Wolves, Frank Lampard’s Everton, Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest.
Moyes can be encouraged by the possibility that Brighton’s form in front of goal is suffering its own dip, the Seagulls scoring only twice in three League matches in February, having plundered 14 in the previous five off the back of the winter break.
Things change fast, though, as Moyes knows only too well: a week ago it was scoring that seemed his side’s most glaring flaw, before a sudden burst of four goals in 15 minutes sunk Forest.
That may prove, in time, to have only papered over the cracks, but with Danny Ings available after being cup-tied in midweek, the Scot has reason to hope for a more clinical showing at the Amex than a Michail Antonio-led frontline produced at Old Trafford.
If matched by a more alert display in their own box, West Ham could yet claim their most significant scalp of the season.
