Reflecting on Sunday's 4-1 defeat at Chelsea, Alan
Pardew admitted that his side lacked the exuberance and positive
approach that has served them so well this season.
The Hammers boss had been hoping that the midweek break in Dubai would refresh and re-energise his players ahead of the trip to Stamford Bridge but, after seeing the 10-man Blues cancel out James Collins's opening goal with two strikes either side of half-time, he was left to rue a disappointing afternoon in west London.
"We looked okay early on and got a good goal from a set-piece, but the sending off of Maniche seemed to inspire them," said Pards. "Perhaps we felt we were doing enough and would be okay carrying on that way, but it wasn't to be.
"The 10 players Chelsea had out there produced some world class performances and we had problems coping with them, especially Drogba, who was absolutely terrific.
"I kept looking at our team and thinking that we'd lost some of the exuberance and positive approach that we've shown all year, and we can't afford to do that on this kind of stage.
"For us, it's a very disappointing day. We took the trip to Dubai thinking we'd come back and be fresh for this game but it didn't work out that way. As a staff unit, we'll have to look at that and say we perhaps didn't get it right.
"We're going to have to make sure we get back to what we're all about. We've played the system we used today before, but with much more exuberance and that is what we need to find again."
The Hammers boss had been hoping that the midweek break in Dubai would refresh and re-energise his players ahead of the trip to Stamford Bridge but, after seeing the 10-man Blues cancel out James Collins's opening goal with two strikes either side of half-time, he was left to rue a disappointing afternoon in west London.
"We looked okay early on and got a good goal from a set-piece, but the sending off of Maniche seemed to inspire them," said Pards. "Perhaps we felt we were doing enough and would be okay carrying on that way, but it wasn't to be.
"The 10 players Chelsea had out there produced some world class performances and we had problems coping with them, especially Drogba, who was absolutely terrific.
"I kept looking at our team and thinking that we'd lost some of the exuberance and positive approach that we've shown all year, and we can't afford to do that on this kind of stage.
"For us, it's a very disappointing day. We took the trip to Dubai thinking we'd come back and be fresh for this game but it didn't work out that way. As a staff unit, we'll have to look at that and say we perhaps didn't get it right.
"We're going to have to make sure we get back to what we're all about. We've played the system we used today before, but with much more exuberance and that is what we need to find again."