Mads Hermansen pinpoints where West Ham teammates ‘could have been sharper’ in Bournemouth draw
West Ham were held to a frustrating 0-0 draw at home against Bournemouth on Saturday evening.
The Hammers created several clear-cut chances and will be disappointed not to have taken all three points.
The good news is that it was another impressive defensive display, with Mads Hermansen keeping a clean sheet.
The Danish goalkeeper has since explained what his teammates needed to do better with the ball to win the game.
Mads Hermansen highlights West Ham’s problem against Bournemouth
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side created an expected goals value of 3.15 against Bournemouth, according to The xG Philosophy.
Therefore, one would assume that West Ham’s finishing was to blame for not winning the match.
However, Hermansen pinpointed the Hammers’ inability to keep possession as the only downside to an otherwise strong performance.
“I think it was quite an even game, to be fair. We had some good opportunities, but so did they, and we perhaps could have been sharper when we had the ball at times,” the goalkeeper told the West Ham website.
“We did a lot of work in our half, and a lot of our good opportunities came from counter-attacks, but I think sometimes we maybe could have kept the ball a bit better.
“They were dangerous on the counter as well, so maybe we could have played it easier on the ball, but otherwise, I think we did well.”
The statistics back up Hermansen’s claim, as West Ham only had 43 percent possession against Bournemouth.
So close yet so far… 😮💨
What did you make of the stalemate with Bournemouth?
The Chelsea loanee has made an immediate impact in East London, marshalling the defence and progressing the ball from the back.
Considering he did not make a single appearance for the Blues in the first half of the season, Disasi has not taken long to find his feet.
“I actually asked Axel after the Burnley game when he last played, and when he said it was April, I was a bit shocked,” Hermansen said.
“He’s brought a lot of stability to the defence, and on the ball as well, he is really good. Together with Dinos [Mavropanos], I think he’s been amazing.”
