West Ham United defender Emerson must prove point against Udinese after dreadful start
West Ham will face Udinese in their next friendly game on Saturday [10 December] in Italy, and Emerson needs to prove a point.
Emerson wasn’t seen during training ahead of the clash against Cambridge, but he did return to action and got some minutes in that game.
The Brazil defender is expected to start and he is looking forward to the “tough game” ahead.
“It’s good to be back in Italy for a game, and for me it’s always good to be in Italy,” said Emerson to Football.London.
“For us, it’s a tough game for sure because Udinese are playing well this season, so we have to prepare well and play well to win the game.”
The 28-year-old left-back joined in the summer transfer window from Chelsea, and he has been absolutely dreadful so far.
While other summer signings at the club haven’t been prolific either, Emerson has failed to make any sort of impact.
He has made three starts in the Premier League so far and looked completely out of place.
Emerson started against Southampton in the 1-1 draw on 16 October, a game where he managed only 27 passes, and failed to make any clearance and interception, as per Who Scored.
He was equally below par in the London derby against Chelsea, and he also fared poorly against Aston Villa.
Against Chelsea, he managed zero tackles [Who Scored] and had zero output going forward. For a player of his caliber and experience, he should be doing a lot more.
He has scored one goal in the Europa Conference League for the Hammers, but surely David Moyes needs more from him. The club need more effort from him.
These games are very important as preparation for the return to the Premier League, starting on Boxing Day away at current leaders Arsenal. Emerson needs to improve, and that too quickly.