‘I’m actually happy with West Ham dressing room incident I’ve heard’ – Irons hero
West Ham frustrations were on show for all to see in the 3-0 defeat against Sunderland.
On opening day, West Ham travelled to Sunderland and suffered a heavy defeat as Graham Potter looked to kick-start his first full season in charge of the Hammers.
It is fair to say that this went as badly as the Englishman could have expected, with little positivity to speak of, as Alan Shearer described the performance against Sunderland as “worrying”.
The likes of Niclas Fullkrug, Lucas Paqueta and James Ward-Prowse failed to have a positive impact, much to the frustration of Jarrod Bowen at full-time at the Stadium of Light.
This seemingly sparked tension among the Irons’ squad, which ended with reports of problems in the dressing room, something which former midfielder Martin Allen was happy to see.
This story includes exclusive comment from former manager Martin Allen.
Allen loves West Ham passion after Sunderland defeat
There is no hiding away from how poor the showing was against the Black Cats, especially given how unsettled their side must be after so many new signings.
In the end, there were very few plus points to take away for the London Stadium faithful, especially as frustrations looked to have spilt over.
At full-time, Luca Chianti claimed there was a “minor incident” in the West Ham dressing room in Sunderland, although contrasting reports have since suggested that this is untrue.
Regardless of this, former Leicester City and Brentford manager Martin Allen has shared his belief that this sign of passion would only be a positive for the Hammers after a mixed performance in the north east.
Speaking exclusively to West Ham Zone, Allen said: “I thought the first half, West Ham played well.
“They weathered the storm of a fantastic atmosphere at the Stadium of Light. Bowen had a couple of chances, Diouf had a great chance but in the second half Sunderland were the better team.
“They were much much better and West Ham faded. Of course, that will be a big concern for Potter.
“I imagine that there were words said after the game by unhappy players, I’d imagine they were arguing and making their feelings known.
“If it was the other way, with them laughing and joking, then I would have a serious issue with that.
“But the fact they are pointing the finger and arguing, I’m actually pleased to hear about it.“
West Ham must learn quickly from Sunderland mistakes
If there was some sort of squabble in the dressing room, it could prove to be the rocket that the Hammers squad needs to get back into shape quickly.
Former West Ham midfielder Allen was pleased to see it and seems to believe it will make a difference in the coming weeks.
There are big clashes coming up against Chelsea, Nottingham Forest and Tottenham, three fixtures which will be far from easy for Potter and Co.
| Date | Venue | Team |
| 22 August | Stamford Bridge | Chelsea |
| 31 August | City Ground | Nottingham Forest |
| 13 September | London Stadium | Tottenham |
| 20 Aseptember | London Stadium | Crystal Palace |
| 29 September | Hill Dickinson Stadium | Everton |
It will certainly be interesting to see how the English head coach can get the best out of his squad, especially after such a frustrating opening day.
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