“West Ham don’t look alive” Carragher brutally rips in the West Ham PL run saying Last Season hero needs to step up performance.
Jamie Carragher hasn’t held back in his criticism of West Ham this season, and after recently targeting Edson Álvarez for his red card against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup, he has now turned his focus to another West Ham player.
This time, one of Álvarez’s teammates was in Carragher’s crosshairs, as Julen Lopetegui’s tenure as West Ham head coach has gotten off to a rough start.
The Hammers have only managed five points from their first six Premier League games, and many of their key players have underperformed. While Lopetegui shares some of the blame, his players have largely let him down this season. Now is the time for West Ham’s senior leaders to step up.
One player, in particular, has been far from his best, and Carragher didn’t hold back in his critique.
Jamie Carragher slams West Ham player
West Ham drew 1-1 with Brentford on Saturday, but the match began disastrously when Bryan Mbeumo scored within the first minute. Carragher, speaking on Sky Sports, laid the blame squarely on Emerson Palmieri for the poor start.
“This is just about being alert, having pace and energy,” Carragher said. “West Ham don’t look switched on, especially the left-back Emerson. He was beaten on the first run, Ajer puts the ball in, and look at Emerson—he needs to be closer and more aggressive.”
He added, “Again, they win the second ball, and you can see how sharp [Fabio] Carvalho is. You still need a great finish, but Emerson wasn’t alive to the danger.”
Carragher’s criticism hits the mark. Emerson has been caught out too often recently, and his lapse in concentration cost West Ham early on against Brentford.
Emerson Palmieri must improve
We know how good the 30-year-old can be when he’s at his best, and West Ham need him to return to the form he showed last season if they are to have a successful campaign. Emerson has slipped into bad defensive habits and hasn’t posed much of an attacking threat either.
His poor form may be linked to the fact that Lucas Paquetá hasn’t been playing wide on the left this season, which could be affecting Emerson’s play. Lopetegui might need to consider moving Paquetá back to the left to help bring out the best in both players.
Ultimately, though, the responsibility falls on Emerson to step up his game. Jamie Carragher’s sharp comments after the Brentford draw have left the West Ham left-back with no room to hide, and now Emerson must respond and prove he’s still a vital part of the team.