Defensive frailties, Poor conversion rate – 3 things we learned from West Ham’s disappointing loss to Wolves

Three things we learned from West Ham United’s loss to Wolverhampton Wanderers

Much was expected at the London Stadium when the esteemed Manuel Pellegrini took up the reins to bring back an ailing team. The former Manchester City manager has lost all four games as a West Ham manager so far.

Wolves winger Adama Traore downed a fatigued Hammers in the dying minutes of the game to pile up the pressure on Pellegrini. Despite making a number of high-profile signings over the summer, the Irons have been unable to click into place and deliver so far.

West Ham go into the international break with 4 losses on the bounce and are languishing at 20th place. The former Manchester City manager is definitely experienced enough to know he needs to make amends soon.

Here are three talking points from West Ham’s loss to Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Defensive frailties

Pellegrini acquired the likes of Fabian Balbuena, Ryan Fredericks and Issa Diop to bolster his backline and though all of them have looked good individually, they seem to be lacking a sense of cohesion.

It’s always difficult when the backline consists of newly signed players and so far, West Ham’s defence doesn’t seem to have an idea what to do. The Hammers have conceded 10 goals in 4 games, which is the most by any club. Their defence has only been able to manage a tackle success rate of 56% and has been leaking goals from all sides.

Offensive instability

Pellegrini brought in stars like Felipe Anderson, Andriy Yarmolenko, Jack Wilshere and Lucas Perez to strengthen his attacking set-up. Just like the defence, the Hammers’ frontline often seems to be playing in different gears.

Arnautovic has looked good as always but the others haven’t been fluid in their distribution and supply. When a large number of new signings arrive, it usually takes a while for the players to get acclimatised to each other’s playing style. This is a classic example of what’s going on with West Ham.

Poor conversion rate

Despite their four losses, the Hammers have shown glimpses of quality going forward. But it is their poor conversion rate that often returns to haunt them when the final whistle blows. Just 15 of their total 42 shots have been on target, with Pellegrini’s men averaging a shot accuracy of just 36%.

Read more: With 214 appearances for West Ham, Pellegrini shouldn’t think twice about sign this talented free agent

The Irons have only been able to muster a total of 2 goals in their last 4 games. This is largely due to their poor conversion rate and the lack of understanding up front.