OPINION

West Ham suffered a 1-0 defeat courtesy of Newcastle United on Saturday to ensure they finished last in the Premier League Asia Trophy.

The Hammers struggled to get a foothold in the first half against the Magpies and it was no surprise that they went into the break 1-0 behind due to Yoshinori Muto taking his chance to score.

While Manuel Pellegrini’s side did up their game in the second half, it was still a disappointing performance as the Magpies’ win never really looked in doubt.

Forever West Ham noticed these three things in the 1-0 loss to Newcastle United:

Reid needs time

Seeing Winston Reid in action once again will make any West Ham fan nostalgic after all the 31-year-old defender used to be a permanent fixture of the Hammers’ first-team having made 223 appearances for the club.

However, the centre-back has had a terrible time with injuries in recent seasons and even the most avid Hammers fan may have forgotten about his existence from time to time.

Reid didn’t make any appearance for Manuel Pellegrini’s side in his 2018/19 campaign as the knee injury he suffered in March 2018, saw him rooted to the sidelines for a staggering 484 days. (Source: Transfermarkt)

The defender featured in the heavy defeat to Manchester City and started the clash with Newcastle on Saturday.

During the game with the Magpies, Reid looked a solid presence at the back and was constantly getting in the right positions to stop the Magpies extending their lead.

Yet it was clear to see that the defender was still trying to get back up to speed after a long time out, as some of his passing were uncharacteristically sloppy as for the last three seasons where he has been active, his pass completion rate has always been above 80% (Source: Transfermarkt).

Cullen has to go

Oh, Josh Cullen. The Hammers midfielder started the clash with the Magpies and it was clearly his chance to prove he is good enough for the first-team.

However, the 23-year-old was a passenger during the game and didn’t put his mark on the match, as he needed to in order to prove his worth.

Reliable Hammers source ExWHUemployee previously reported on Twitter that pre-season was make or break time for Cullen, and you feel his latest ghost-like display has sealed his fate, and he’ll soon be heading to the exit door.

Wilshere is class

West Ham were lacklustre in the first half against Newcastle, and one of the main reasons why their performance improved was because Jack Wilshere entered the game.

The 27-year-old came on and instantly grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck.

Wilshere constantly tried to run at the Magpies, played passes which cut through their team and just looked a level above his teammates.

When you consider that the Hammers midfielder struggled to shine in his debut season at the club in the 2018/19 campaign, it was so promising to see him look so fit and sharp.

Wilshere only managed eight appearances last season, due to an ankle injury keeping him on the sidelines for 193 days, as per Transfermarkt, but he’ll surely be a mainstay in the upcoming campaign based on his latest display.