Canada-based supporter James Sneddon gives his verdict on Saturday's game.
Saturday’s 3-1 defeat to Crystal Palace could be taken as an indicator of West Ham’s recent dip in form.
Following the loss, the Hammers have only recorded one win in their last ten and taken eight points from a possible 30.
If a good start to the season plays a big role in determining where you’ll be come May, then Sam Allardyce must be kicking himself. The post-Christmas period has proven to be the downfall as of late and there has been a lack of consistency in form.
West Ham’s first win of 2015 came on 18 January and after a dip in-form the manager said they “needed a reality check.” But it wasn’t the sign of more positives to come; three defeats and two draws followed against Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur in games where the opposition equalised at the depths of injury time.
The game against Crystal Palace was a challenge in itself. Under new manager Alan Pardew, Palace had an unbeaten away record of four wins in four on the road and were a rejuvenated side from the one in the first half of the season. Compared to West Ham’s form being more than below-par, Crystal Palace made the short trip to E13 as arguably the favourites.
The game started off with the Hammers testing the Eagles, but they looked like a desperate side rather than one wanting to hand it to Palace. Mark Noble had the best chances early on and West Ham made something, but the opposition took the lead with four minutes left until the break. Miscommunication in the defence allowed Glenn Murray to head the ball and, although Aaron Cresswell did his best to clear it, the ball slipped under the number three and Palace were ahead. Big Sam looked on with a face like thunder.
West Ham will need to learn from their mistakes if they are to change this, and the next two goals further demonstrated that. Defender Scott Dann was completely unmarked to double the lead. The claret and blue looked like a side with no game plan and no hope of recovering.
The away side tripled the lead with another feeling of déjà vu; Glenn Murray headed again from a cross, marked this time by Winston Reid. Murray was dismissed a few minutes later for fouling Reid, and Ecuadorian Enner Valencia pulled one back for the Hammers.
But it wasn’t good enough and Sam Allardyce said in his post-match interview how he was “shocked” by the defeat because his side didn’t do what he asked. The dream of European football is fading quickly, and Big Sam faces an enormous task to make things better swiftly, with Chelsea next up.
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of West Ham United