West Ham utterly toothless, and don’t they know it.
This third consecutive 0-0 draw confirmed it; West Ham are simply waiting in limbo, a stasis where defending isn’t just everything, it’s the only thing. Slaven Bilic brought on Pedro Obiang for Alex Song, and Carl Jenkinson for Michail Antonio, with the match still poised at 0-0. But parity on the scoreboard hardly disguised the fact that West Ham had absolutely nothing to attack with, and were aware of it. With a physically spent Nikica Jelavic playing as a lone striker, Bilic’s pauper’s hand was exposed from the outset, and the ex-Hull City man failed, predictably, to offer even the semblance of a threat. Antonio was ineffective, as was Zarate, and Noble and Song seemed much more focused on protecting their back four than adventuring forwards. Kouyate ran a lot, but his industry can’t compete with a passing-machine as refined as Swansea City, and so he too created very little in the way of chances.
Bilic, along with all of the claret and blue army, are desperately awaiting the return of Manuel Lanzini and Dimitri Payet. The former should play on Boxing Day, and the latter will resume training in a fortnight. The only thing to take heart from, and no small amount either, is that this horrid, toothless period has also held in it three straight clean sheets.
West Ham’s defensive display vs. Swansea: 44 clearances 26 blocks 24 interceptions 11 tackles won Brick wall. pic.twitter.com/jQhspNVlR8
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) December 20, 2015
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