Ipswich boss labels West Ham long ball merchants and Alan Shearer rips him apart
West Ham ran out comfortable 4-1 winners against Ipswich Town in the Premier League but they didn’t impress the visiting manager.
When West Ham were looking at candidates to replace David Moyes in the summer, Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna was reportedly considered.
The former Man United coach was one of a plethora of names linked with the Hammers after impressing by leading Ipswich back to the big time with consecutive promotions.
In the end Julen Lopetegui was the man West Ham went with.
But the Spaniard found himself under immense pressure as Ipswich visited the London Stadium.
West Ham had only won one Premier League game in Lopetegui’s first six before facing McKenna’s side.
It has been performance levels and the lack of a discernible style that has been just as frustrating as the results, though.
That all changed when the Tractor Boys rolled into town.
Lopetegui had set an unwelcome new record by presiding over the first West Ham team to ever lose their opening three home league games of a season.
The heat was very much on to ensure that record was not extended.
Going into the game Ipswich were tipped to cause the Hammers problems.
They did in short spells after West Ham took the with one minute on the clock thanks to Michail Antonio’s one-touch finish – on his first touch no less.
But further goals from Mohammed Kudus, Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paqueta sealed a straightforward – and much-needed – Hammers victory.
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Ipswich boss labels West Ham long ball merchants
It seems McKenna was far from impressed by Lopetegui’s Hammers, though.
The Ipswich boss labelled West Ham long ball merchants and Alan Shearer has ripped him apart.
Ahead of the game, McKenna rather bullishly claimed Ipswich were ‘looking forward’ to playing against West Ham and suggested they could cause them problems.
Now McKenna seems to have had a bowl of sour grapes washed down with a pint of bitter after the defeat to the Irons.
Lopetegui has been tasked with changing West Ham’s style.
But speaking on BBC’s Match of the Day, McKenna reckons the Hammers are a direct, long ball side.
“It was a poor game for us and a strange game,” McKenna said.
“We were competitive for long spells of the first half and we gave away a goal early, came back with a good attitude. We conceded poor goals at poor times and in general we didn’t deal with the direct play well enough.
“They are the first team we’ve faced with that style, a lot of direct balls to Antonio, a lot of balls to (Tomas) Soucek and we didn’t deal with those well enough and made poor mistakes for the goals that made the game difficult and took all the momentum away from us.”
Shearer was running the rule over the game on Match of the Day. And Lopetegui found an unlikely ally in the big Moyes advocate.
Because the Premier League’s record goalscorer tore into McKenna for his assessment, saying the Ipswich boss has got it all wrong and that West Ham were simply far too good for them.
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Shearer rips McKenna apart for West Ham claim
“I didn’t quite agree with Kieran McKenna, I thought West Ham were a lot better than he thought they were and said they were in his interview after the game,” Shearer said.
“I thought they (West Ham) played some really good stuff at times, particularly in forward positions, they were just too good for Ipswich.
“Their passing, their movement, when they got balls into the box they wanted it more than Ipswich did and that was a regular thing.
“They looked quick and really skilful in those positions… Kudus was on form, Bowen was on form, Paqueta was on form, Antonio was (too). So when you’ve got all those guys that are clicking – they had 13 shots on target which tells you how dominate they were.
“They were enjoying themselves, they were just too quick, their passing and movement was just too much for Ipswich. I understood what McKenna was saying but didn’t really agree with it.
“Big win for him (Lopetegui), great for the fans… thoroughly deserved.”
Have stat McKenna
I think that’s what’s referred to as being put back in your box for McKenna.
But just to dot the i’s and cross the t’s – here’s what the stats say.
West Ham had a whopping 23 shots in total – 13 of them on target.
Ipswich had nine and just two on target.
The Hammers had more possession than a team led by a manager renowned for dominating that aspect of matches (53 per cent to 47 per cent).
Lopetegui’s side played 66 more passes, had a better pass accuracy percentage (87 to 83) and better discipline with no cards to Ipswich’s one.
