West Ham Zone View: Journalist right to tear into one Hammer v Everton
West Ham United’s clash with Everton on Saturday, which ended in a 1-1 stalemate, was a game that was rather low on quality.
There was the odd bit of ability, a good cross here and there – which led to both teams’ goals – but for the most part it was a turgid affair.
One of the Hammers stars who most disappointed was playmaker Manuel Lanzini, who has had a dismal season in truth.
He still seems to be suffering the ill effects of the injury which kept him out of the majority of last season, because he’s not looked the same since.
Irons correspondent Sam Inkersole certainly wasn’t impressed by the Argentine international’s Saturday offering.
“On the hour mark, [David] Moyes made a substitution from his lack of options on the bench as he replaced Pablo Fornals with Arthur Masuaku – Manuel Lanzini could count himself lucky,” he wrote on the Football London website.
“It was another ineffective game from the Argentine who is struggling to recapture the form of when Moyes was previously in charge and he flourished.
“Moyes is hoping that Lanzini will get back to the form that saw him, Joao Mario and Marko Arnautovic shine to fire the Hammers to safety back in 2018 but there is only so long the Scotsman can wait for ‘The Jewel’ to get it right.”
Inkersole is absolutely right to tear into Lanzini, here, because he was absolutely woeful against the Toffees.
The 26-year-old was eventually withdrawn himself, of course, but Inkersole’s right that it was a tragedy that Fornals was brought off before him.
Lanzini failed to register a shot, a key pass or a successful dribble, while he was caught offside once, dispossessed twice and had three unsuccessful touches.
All this unsurprisingly contributed to an awful WhoScored rating of just 6.33. Only two Hammers starters achieved a worse rating.
In truth this was more of the same from the playmaker, who has failed to deliver on the faith the club has repeatedly shown in him.
It’s time for him to knuckle down and find the form that made him one of the most beloved players in east London.
In other West Ham news, a former England international has claimed that one Irons star is a completely different player under Moyes.