Joe Cole destroys Pablo Fornals in West Ham United defeat v Olympiacos
Joe Cole has slammed Pablo Fornals for his defensive performance against Olympiacos, saying the West Ham United man defended like a “mannequin.”
The Hammers’ impressive unbeaten run in Europe came to an end on Thursday (26 October) night as the Greek side ran out 2-1 winners thanks to Konstantinos Fortounis’ first-half strike and an own-goal from Angelo Ogbonna moments before halftime.
Fornals, who has been a regular in the Europa League this season once again started in an attacking midfield role, but failed to impact the game positively before being hooked by David Moyes before the hour mark and Cole was lefty frustrated by the Spaniard’s defensive work.
Speaking on TNT Sport at half-time (26 October, 18:40) he said: “West Ham dropped way below the standards that this group of players have set. Not tight enough to allow a cross to come in like that. That could have come in for about five seconds, then Ogbonna I think he’s suffering from not playing regularly, he made a mistake in the first half.
“When you’re a winger and you’re going all the way back with your full-back, you’re there to try and stop the cross, not be a mannequin and these little details all add up. This group of players over the last three years have been on it on Thursday nights and they didn’t do the basics tonight and they’ve been punished.”
Needs to do more
Fornals has been in some terrible form for West Ham throughout this season and it doesn’t appear as though the Hammers midfielder is particularly bothered about trying to recover his fledgeling career at the London Stadium as he continues to struggle in the Europa League.
The manner in which he failed to close down Rodinei for the home side’s second goal was nothing short of lazy as he just afforded the Brazilian plenty of time and space to swing a cross into the area under absolutely no pressure from the Hammers midfielder.
Given the impressive form of the other players who are currently occupying the Spanish midfielder’s position in Moyes’ side, Fornals has to do more in his limited opportunities to show that he is deserving of adding to his single start in the Premier League this season.
Currently, he is doing little to suggest he even deserves to make the bench and with his contract expiring at the end of the season, you doubt those in charge at the London Stadium will be too desperate to extend his stay in East London.
In other West Ham news, Moyes could revive Jadon Sancho’s career like Jesse Lingard’s if the Hammers move for the winger