There was a general feeling that Hammers would find it very difficult to emulate Thursday evening's massive performance, and so it proved. Burnley arrived with a game plan that very nearly worked, however but for the visitors goalkeeper Hammers could and should have run away with the game.
Nick Pope decided to show why he is justifiably in the England squad and how much better he is in the Premier League than England's number one keeper Jordan Pickford. Pope is a serial offender when it comes to putting in superb performances against the Irons, but today's display was off the scale unfortunately for David Moyes and his team.
The hideous injury sustained by Burnley's Ashley Westwood was enough to bring a strong Croatian to tears, as Vlasic, who was making a very rare start, was visibly affected by the seriousness of the injury. The delay served to 'kill' the game off, because after the restart Burnley's Wout Weghorst, another player the Irons once tried to sign but surprise surprise didn't, scored and the visitors were thrown into the ascendancy. So much so that they earned a stonewall penalty that, if converted, could have seen the visitors accrue only their fifth victory all season!
Thankfully young Maxwel Cornet wellied the spot kick and Hammers lived to fight another day, Tomas Soucek had been having a dreadful game but he was there to head home in the 74th minute and save Hammers' blushes. The visitors will feel aggrieved that they were unable to take advantage of a lack lustre Hammers side that was clearly second best to most 50/50 balls and showing the tiredness that will inevitably catch a small squad up by the end of the season!
A point at the end of the day wasn't too bad, but David Moyes and his team have put all their eggs in one basket, hoping beyond hope of reaching Europe next season by winning the Europa League Cup, because there isn't a snowball's hope in hell that they are going to reach there via this season's League position.
Every time there is a sniff of firming up a top six slot due to other team's ineptitude, Hammers fall short and have done so repeatedly because of the ridiculously small squad available. The team has ridden it's luck but luck tends to run out just when you least want it to! - Ed
Comments
Hangover from Thursday night.
Hangover from Thursday night. Bank a point and move on. Special mention to Westwood, hope he recovers fully. Good luck chap!!
We've failed to win any of
We've failed to win any of our games following our Thursday European excursions and the teams in the lower half have often benefitted.