‘Shocking’ – Issa Diop slaughtered for first-half performance in West Ham v Kidderminster
West Ham defender Issa Diop turned in a ‘shocking’ performance in the first half against Kidderminster in the FA Cup, in a stinging rant by Standard journalist Jack Rosser.
The Hammers struggled through the opening 45 minutes of their FA Cup fourth-round tie against sixth tier Kidderminster Harriers, but it was Diop who suffered the most.
The 25-year-old French centre-back was bullied by Harriers striker Amari Mogran-Smith and made several big errors during the opening 45 minutes, which led to him being dragged off by David Moyes.
Writing on his personal Twitter account Rosser said, “To be generous, Diop has made a shocking start. Gave away the free-kick, collided with Areola for the goal and now gives another free-kick away on the edge of the box.”
The first free-kick mentioned ended up as a goal for the home side, when Diop and Areola crashed into each other to allow Alex Penny an easy tap-in. Diop was then replaced at half-time by Craig Dawson.
Level
West Ham made sure to keep hold of Diop during the January transfer window because they have been struggling in defence with injuries this season.
But the more he plays in the first-team, the more regularly he seems to disappoint and convince fans that he’s not of the level required to take the team forward.
He’s been rash, disinterested and despite once looking like a very good prospect he has stagnated over recent years and looks a shadow of his former self.
His future at the club looks bleak anyway considering David Moyes’ wish to bring in a new central defender during the winter window and the summer now, but he needs to up his performance level for the rest of the season.
With a top-four finish up for grabs, West Ham need everyone at their best and that includes Diop.
In other West Ham news, ‘Humongous’ – David Moyes makes bold transfer claim on West Ham ace in 2022