It was a start webbed with nightmares for West Ham United in the Premier League. The team not only lost five on a trot, they also looked to be dropping in the relegation zone. Bilic came under fire from almost every part of England with outcries filling up about performances but the West Ham board were convinced that he would be the man leading them out of dark once again and settling them down for the future.
It’s been a very emotional year for the Hammers. They bid adieu to their famous Boleyn ground and the new London Stadium hasn’t witnessed the performance they expected to see.
West Ham United now looks to be settling in once more. Three wins on a trot against teams you expect them to beat like Burnley, Swansea have seen them climb up to 11th in the table (before today’s loss against Leicester City) but concerns are still there at the back and the firepower in the attack hasn’t at all been seen except for Antonio’s terrific goal scoring ability which has been shown.
2017 will definitely be the year West Ham fans would love to see a turnaround and here are the three players who must step up in the second half of the season to ensure that their team finishes in the top half of the table after a torrid beginning:-
Mark Noble
The most renowned leader of the club performed his heart out last year and those performances put him in the contention for the Euros squad until Roy Hodgson made his own choice. This season, though, it’s been really horrible. The captain has seen his side concede 32 times and even though his pass accuracy has never dropped below 88% so far, he hasn’t covered his defence and the leaks have proven to be costly for the Hammers.
Last season, the icon created over 50 chances and pitched in sublimely at times to compliment the attack and also added 7 goals in 37 appearances but this season it’s been a totally different story. He has struggled to retain the grip in the midfield and attacking wise he’s scored only two goals and has created a meagre 17 chances in 15 appearances.
His shot accuracy too has been dismal and it has dropped down by over 10% since last year to 36% which is not at all a proper sign for someone who’s also famous for his clinical long rangers.
If there’s someone within the West Ham camp who can step up and get others to step up, it’s Mark Noble and each and every fan of the club will be hoping that the man steps up and lives up to his expectations in the second half of the season.
Dmitri Payet
Last season was the season where this gem shone brightly across England and took the English soil by storm. The Frenchman scored 9 out of 30 appearances but most importantly, he created a whopping number of crucial chances (119) which enabled West Ham United to finish so impressively in the table.
His shot accuracy never dropped below 55% and average passing accuracy was 81%. He completed over 900 successful general passes.
This season though compared to that of the last, it’s been a major let down both in terms of attitude, effort and the execution. The player has only got 2 goals in 16 appearances and his shot accuracy has dropped below 50 percent. He has over 81% of unsuccessful tackles made and has just won half of his attempted take-on.
Attitude wise too the player doesn’t show the same drive he did last season. If West Ham United needs important results, Payet is crucial and the lad must step up.
Andre Ayew
12 goals, 34 appearances, 50% shot accuracy, 82% pass accuracy and 23 chances created. Andre Ayew’s move to West Ham was seen as a brilliant move for both parties but sadly it has not at all been as it was expected. A disastrous injury suffered earlier on in the season has seen Ayew miss so many crucial games but his return was marked with a goal going by the latest involvement.
This season the player has made 10 appearances but has scored only 1, created only 4 chances and his shot accuracy has dropped by a horrible 17% to 33.
Having seen Carroll return and score, West Ham fans would be optimistic about Payet and if someone needs to compliment the attack and deliver as per expectations, Andre Ayew is the man who should undoubtedly step up.
