Andy Townsend was the co-commentator during West Ham United’s encounter with Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in a tie that had to be rescheduled due to storm Ciara. The Hammers were woeful as they failed to register a shot on target against the reigning Premier League champions and are languishing in the relegation zone with just 12 games remaining. Though David Moyes’ selection and caution with introducing substitutes did not impress the former Republic of Ireland international and he let his feelings be known.
What did he say?
When speaking in commentary on Sky Sports during the match, Townsend said: “I’m surprised we haven’t seen [Jarrod] Bowen [sooner].”
“You can’t play like this every week hoping to stay in the game. At some point you’ve actually got to go and try to win one of these games,” added Townsend.
He continued to lament Moyes’s side by saying: “The kit man could have just folded his [Ederson] kit up and put it on the peg for the next game. It’s not even been a contest. This is the most straightforward three points City have had all season.”
Drab Hammers offer little threat to City defence
As per WhoScored, the Hammers failed to register a single shot on target and retained just 23 per cent of possession, after recording a woeful 69 per cent pass accuracy. Summer arrival and leading goal scorer Sebastien Haller did not feature for only the second game this season, and in his absence, the Hammers were left looking incredibly blunt in forward areas. Additionally, Moyes did not introduce Bowen, the January signing from Hull City, until his side were two-goals down with 11 minutes remaining on the clock, which Townsend suggested, from his surprise, lacked ambition and desire to win the match.
A Further unexpected selection may have come via the fact another summer addition, Pablo Fornals, was left out of the matchday squad entirely in spite of the Spaniard having provided the second-highest number of assists for the Hammers in the Premier League since arriving in England, three. The Hammers missed his creative capabilities, even if he was only introduced from the bench.
