OPINION
Everyone at West Ham United would have been feeling positive – if not mostly relieved – after Tuesday night’s victory over AFC Wimbledon in the second round of the Carabao Cup, and rightly so.
It was their first win of the season, and even if it was not in the Premier League, it sets the tone for this weekend’s clash against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
One player who stood out from the rest was Felipe Anderson, who replaced Pedro Obiang in the second half in order to add an extra bit of attacking spark.
However, that did not stop boss Manuel Pellegrini from criticising him following the game, even though he was arguably the best player on the pitch in the second half.
“Felipe needs to adapt his style of play to the Premier League a little bit more – not to run with the ball so much because it’s difficult here with so many fast players,” he told club insider Claret and Hugh.
The Brazilian needs to ignore this criticism and concentrate on his own game, as his ability was one of the reasons the Hammers grinded out a win yesterday.
Without his confidence to run at players in attack, West Ham would be far less potent up front than they are now – and they cannot afford for that to happen, seeming as they have no points on the board.
The 25-year-old – who is the club’s record signing at £48 million – will be the player that helps define West Ham’s season, and he cannot do that if he is being told to slow down when going forward.
He has the advantage of being new to the Premier League, which means that most teams are not used to his playing style – and this is something that Pellegrini should be encouraging, rather than putting a stop to.
The midfield maestro must block out this criticism from his manager, and do what he does best – run at players and go forward.
