Dion Dublin blasts ‘shocking’ Thilo Kehrer, shares Under-11s verdict after West Ham United loss v Newcastle United
BBC pundit Dion Dublin blasted West Ham United defender Thilo Kehrer for his “shocking” “under-11s” defending in their 5-1 defeat to Newcastle on Wednesday night [5 April].
A rampant Magpies capitalised on some poor West Ham defending to hit five goals at London Stadium and pile even more pressure on Hammers manager David Moyes.
And Dublin had his say on Kehrer’s dreadful defending for Newcastle’s second goal after Brazilian Joelinton was allowed to roam across him and breach West Ham’s slack defence.
Speaking on BBC’s Match of the Day on Wednesday night (5 April, 15m50s), Dublin said: “I mean look at that. That’s Under-11s defending. It’s absolutely shocking. How can you not see the man that’s outside of you and comes across you? He didn’t even see him and look, he’s not even running with him. There’s a golden rule in football and if there’s no pressure on the ball, stay with your man. And he doesn’t do either.”
Dreadful
David Moyes will be raging at the Hammers’ dreadful defending there, and it wasn’t just his centre-backs who let him down but the forward players for their lack of intensity and pressing from the front.
They allowed Fabian Schar the freedom of the London Stadium to drive forward and pick out Joelinton with a superb lofted pass.
Kehrer will be kicking himself for allowing the Brazilian to run across him like that when the basics of defending are to follow your man. How is he being picked to play for Germany with defensive showings like that? It is indeed under-11s defending.
When you’re down at the bottom in desperate need of three points, such defending can pull you into deep trouble and that’s what the West Ham United players will be fearing as they now face another tough test on Saturday [8 April] against Fulham at Craven Cottage.
Will their dreadful defending occur once again in West London? Surely not right?