‘Little frustrated’ Axel Disasi reveals what he told Nuno Espirito Santo after West Ham arrival
Axel Disasi has revealed what he said to West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo after his loan move from Chelsea.
Disasi swapped Chelsea for West Ham on loan for the rest of the season after a difficult year or so at Stamford Bridge.
The centre-back spent the second half of last season on loan at Aston Villa, after struggling for Blues game time, and this term, he spent the first few months jettisoned to Chelsea’s infamous bomb squad.
Before Disasi made his West Ham debut in a 2-0 win at Burnley on 7 February, the defender hadn’t kicked a ball in anger all campaign.
Now, he has opened up on some early frustrations he has had at London Stadium, in a light-hearted way, as well as stating how ready he is for their relegation battle in the coming months.
Axel Disasi easing West Ham fans’ fears after bright start
In recent years, the former Monaco name has picked up the unfortunate moniker of ‘Axel Disaster’ after making a string of errors at Chelsea.
While he is not good enough to get into the team at the west London outfit for the time being, Disasi has made a bright start with Nuno‘s side.
Now, the 27-year-old has set himself the target of getting on the scoresheet, on top of his defensive duties, while asserting he is ready both physically and mentally for the task ahead.
“I hope to get some goals! At the moment, I’m a little frustrated because I’m doing a lot of blocking during set pieces,” a laughing Disasi said on the club’s Iron Cast podcast.
“But I need to get some goals myself! Honestly, I’m calm and happy to be here. I had a great discussion with the coach before the game [his debut at Burnley]. He asked me how I felt, and I told him I felt good both mentally and physically. He put me straight into the line-up.”
Disasi has made three West Ham appearances so far, two in the Premier League and once in the FA Cup. The France international is likely to start against Bournemouth on Saturday evening, too.
Will West Ham be able to stave off relegation?
After West Ham’s defeat to Nottingham Forest on 6 January, the writing appeared to be on the wall for the Hammers and Nuno.
But since then, West Ham have won three of their last five Premier League matches, closing to within three points of safety.
Had it not been for Chelsea’s stunning late turnaround from two goals down, coupled with Manchester United’s stoppage-time equaliser, West Ham would be out of the relegation zone.
One man who has almost single-handedly driven their fightback is winger Crysencio Summerville, who has six goals in his last seven matches in all competitions.
If the former Leeds United star can keep that up, in addition to Disasi shoring up the defence, the great escape may be well and truly on.
For more news on West Ham United, check out Football Insider for the latest updates.