Joe Cole rages at what he saw in West Ham win v Leicester – ‘Abysmal’
Joe Cole was left raging after what he saw as West Ham United beat Leicester City in the Premier League.
The London Stadium hosted Leicester on Thursday (27 February), and the Hammers got another three points after Tomas Soucek’s strike and Jannik Vestergaard’s own goal in the opening 45 minutes.
The Czech international surprisingly started after his underwhelming display against Arsenal in the 1-0 win at the Emirates on Saturday (22 February).
Ruud van Nistelrooy’s team were second best for most of the game, and they were on the receiving end of Cole’s rage after their first-half performance.
Leicester defending v West Ham enrages Cole
Leicester’s defending against the Irons in the first half was atrocious and abysmal, Cole says.
The Englishman was disappointed by the Foxes leading up to the East London club’s opening goal in the 21st minute.
Cole felt sorry for Van Nistelrooy after the terrible display from the East Midlands outfit in the opening 45 minutes and slammed them for allowing the Irons to score their first goal.
Speaking on TNT Sports (27 February), the ex-Hammer said: “You feel for Ruud, the defending was atrocious, abysmal.
“West Ham should have no chance there, [Leicester] have got nine players behind the ball.”
“It was terrible.”
Potter gets expected win over Leicester
Potter was expected to beat Leicester as they have struggled to get many victories since the Dutch manager’s arrival.
The Foxes had lost 10 of their last 11 games in the Premier League before the match at the London Stadium, highlighting their poor form.
While the former Chelsea boss initially struggled at the Hammers, he seems to have found the formula recently.
Potter set his team up to perfection against Arsenal, and the Irons have the opportunity to build a winning run as they look to end the campaign on a high note.
| Premier League table | Points |
| 15. West Ham | 33 |
| 16. Everton | 32 |
| 17. Wolves | 22 |
| 18. Ipswich Town | 17 |
| 19. Leicester | 17 |
| 20. Southampton | 9 |
The East London club have had a poor season by their standards as they sit near the bottom of the table.
Julen Lopetegui was expected to bring European football back to the London Stadium but was sacked after struggling for half a season.
The fans won’t get carried away after beating Leicester, as tougher challenges are ahead for the Irons in the coming weeks.
Newcastle and Everton will be the Hammers’ next opponents in the Premier League before the international break, and supporters will want to see similar displays from their team.