The FA Cup defeat to Manchester United last night is something West Ham will want to forget in a hurry.
The Red Devils were tactically astute and stopped West Ham from playing to their strengths. The lack of crosses to Andy Carroll was an issue for the Hammers and the fact that the team only responds when going behind is a problem.
Although it is easy to focus on the negatives, the team have battled hard all season and there is still plenty to play for. The big positive West Ham can take from the FA Cup run is the form of goalkeeper Darren Randolph. He made some fantastic saves last night that were typical of all his performances this season.
A fine reaction save to deny Marouane Fellaini and an intelligent stop to keep out Jesse Lingard’s one-on-one has many fans suggesting he should get a shot at the number one spot ahead of Adrian. Although the Spaniard has not been in the best of form recently, it seems harsh to justify dropping him for Randolph at this stage of the season.
The most important thing to consider is the fact that the Hammers have two excellent goalkeepers and competition for places means that Adrian will have to get back to his best quickly in order to cement his no1 spot.
Darren Randolph has shown that he is more than capable of performing at the highest level, offering the best standard of competition for Adrian. The Spaniard is still one of the finest goalkeepers in the league and it will take a lot to topple him, but it is good knowing we also have one heck of a back up if things start going wrong.
Should Randolph start ahead of Adrian or is the Spaniard still West Ham’s no1? Comment below
