Sky Sports pundit Chris Kamara has destroyed the defensive performance of West Ham’s Pablo Zabaleta after his side conceded twice in defeat to Everton.
The Irons saw Kurt Zouma power home a header from a corner to give the Toffees the lead before Bernard managed to score a tap in after a cross in front of goal from the right wing to secure the 2-0 win.
Kamara was left blasting the effort – or lack of – shown by Zabaleta in tracking the Brazilian winger for Everton’s second, insisting it was “lazy” from the Argentine.
He told Sky Sports’ Goals on Sunday (31/03, 11:28): “Lazy defending, Pablo Zabaleta there, you have to say just follow your man, follow your man! He’s behind you, he’s behind you – there he goes, and sticks it in the back of the net.”
Opinion
Zabaleta is going to come under all sorts of criticism for his performance against Everton and rightly so. As Kamara says, he just let Bernard drift away to score the Toffees’ second goal and simply put, someone of the defender’s experience should not be allowing that to happen to him. He should have known where his man was and tracked him stride for stride, getting into a position where he can cut out the cross or at least ensure Bernard does not get on the end of it. Instead it was a case of too little, too late, with the Brazilian finding the time and space just to dink the ball into the back of the net, Zabaleta chasing shadows in his last ditch efforts to get back. Lazy from the veteran full back? Perhaps. Unacceptable for someone of his quality? Definitely. Big improvements are needed at the back in east London.
