David Moyes believes his West Ham United side still have every chance of reaching the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals, despite seeing them lose 1-0 at SC Freiburg in the first leg of their round of 16 tie.
The Londoners looked comfortable for long periods in Germany, only to lose possession, get caught out of shape and concede the only goal of the game to substitute Michael Gregoritsch with just nine minutes to play.
Earlier, West Ham had created a number of good opportunities to open the scoring, with Dinos Mavropanos hitting the post with a header, Jarrod Bowen volleying wide and seeing a curler tipped away by goalkeeper Noah Atubolu, Lucas Paquetá heading over and Mohammed Kudus also being denied.
At the other end, the English team stayed compact in their low block and largely restricted Freiburg to pot shots from distance, only for one lapse moment to cost them on the night and leave them needing to replicate their come-from-behind victory over Sevilla at this stage of the same competition two seasons ago.
There was a moment of late drama, too, as Noah Weisshaupt’s clearance hit Tomáš Souček’s boot and ricocheted onto the home substitute’s arm, which was raised above his head, but despite being sent to the pitchside monitor by VAR Carlos del Cerro Grande, referee Alejandro Hernández waved away West Ham’s penalty claim.
It was a little bit typical of an away tie at the knockout stage.
We were trying to make sure we gave ourselves a really good result here to go back to London Stadium and I thought for long periods it was going to be that way.
But we turned the ball over terribly for the goal when really we hadn’t given them too many opportunities in the second half.
We didn’t play particularly well in the first half and I wasn’t happy with them at half-time, but we improved in the second half and we just didn’t have our shooting boots on tonight.
We missed three or four big chances and all the players had chances from Mo to Jarrod to Lucas, all had opportunities, but we just didn’t connect with them tonight.
We had actually grown and were getting better and if anybody was going to score at that period in the game if was actually probably us.
We’ve missed chances. Jarrod missed a chance in the first half when Mo played him, Paquetá had a header at the back post, and then the ‘keeper made a big save from Jarrod, so we had big opportunities tonight.
Then we had a penalty claim at the end which on other days might go for us but it didn’t tonight.
There were so many things on the pitch that felt as if we didn’t come out on top on all of them. We were second to every ball tonight and I don’t know if we’re frightened of the way referees referee games sometimes, but we came out second on so many things and we ended up losing the game narrowly.
But we have a chance in the second leg, that’s for sure.
We’ll need to play better next week than we did tonight.
I was really surprised we didn’t reach the standards and some of the players were below where we would expect them to be.
We gave the ball away far too much and in Europe it’s more difficult [to get it back].
In the second half we played much better and created some opportunities and found things, but the goal was a sickener, to be honest.
I hope we’ll use the penalty decision as motivation next week.
If we’d had it given against us, we’d probably think it was harsh, but ultimately I have to say what are you doing with your hands above your head?
They’re trying to claim their might have been a slight push and that’s why it wasn’t given, but they should have restarted the game with a free-kick if they said it was a push.
It certainly wasn’t enough of a push to warrant a free-kick, so that shouldn’t mean that it should even come into consideration. The boy has two arms above his head.
In the Premier League, I’m not sure that would be given, but in UEFA competitions in Europe they’re normally given by the referees. I watch Spanish football and German football and nearly every handball is seen.
If you think of the one we had against Kurt [Zouma at Everton] the other day, but we just have to take it and move on.
I’m not worried about turning the tie around, but I am worried about us getting back into right good form and at the levels they need to be to make the difference.
I’m looking forward to the game next week and bring it on and let’s see how we go.
