West Ham United are struggling under Graham Potter this season.
West Ham lost 3-0 to Tottenham at the London Stadium on Saturday, where Tomas Soucek also saw red for a bad challenge on Joao Palhinha.
The result has left the Hammers in the relegation zone on goal difference, having conceded the most goals in the Premier League this season with 11.
The pressure on Potter is growing by the day, with the media slamming him for his decision-making against Spurs, especially defensively in the second half.
West Ham criticised for poor defending on corners
Pape Matar Sarr opened the scoring at the start of the second half with a header at the back post from a Xavi Simons corner.
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It was West Ham‘s fifth goal conceded from corners this season already, while Cristian Romero also saw a headed effort from a Mohammed Kudus delivery controversially disallowed for a push.
West Ham’s defending from corners this season has seen heavy criticism come towards Potter and his coaching staff for their set-piece set-up, with the Hammers constantly opting for zonal marking.
Writing for The Guardian, Jacob Steinberg has questioned the former Chelsea manager, aiming to understand what West Ham are doing at their Rush Green training ground.
Steinberg said: “Graham Potter hunted for positives. The good news, he reckoned, was that West Ham defended the first nine or 10 set pieces from Tottenham pretty well.
“Hooray. Progress. Unfortunately, the zonal marking system was utterly abysmal when the unchallenged Pape Matar Sarr headed Spurs into the lead after 47 minutes.
“It was a pathetic concession; West Ham’s fourth from a corner this season. What are they doing at Rush Green? Mads Hermansen is not commanding his area, and the centre-backs are poor.
“West Ham lag behind other clubs when it comes to innovation. With direct football making a comeback, why have they not considered hiring a set-piece coach?”
West Ham need to go back to basics
The Hammers have been atrocious at the back this season. There’s no other way to put it.
You cannot concede from set-pieces almost every game and expect to stay in the Premier League, especially when the three teams that have just come up from the Championship have been much better than the three promoted teams were last season already.
Steinberg rightly questioned what they are doing at the training ground, as the zonal marking system is clearly not working, yet Potter chooses to persist with this form of defending.
The Englishman needs to rip up the tactics book and start from scratch, as the way the Hammers are going, there is only one outcome, which leads to Potter’s sacking and West Ham’s relegation.