Jamie Redknapp has claimed that West Ham star Felipe Anderson needs to start “turning it on” for the Hammers, while simultaneously defending goalkeeper Roberto.
The Spanish stopper was arguably at fault for two of Burnley’s three goals against the Irons on Saturday, but Redknapp has suggested that Manuel Pellegrini’s current problems run deeper than a dodgy keeper.
Writing in a column for the Daily Mail, he said: “West Ham goalkeeper Roberto is being targeted after his mistakes in their 3-0 loss to Burnley, but the reality is nobody is playing well for that club at the moment.
“At the start of the season, I said a standout campaign for Felipe Anderson could see rival clubs come in with £60m-plus bids for the Brazilian. But he has not been turning it on.
“A lot of players there need to pull their fingers out. West Ham have a talented squad, and their struggles are not just down to Roberto.”
OPINION
Redknapp makes a very fair point here. There isn’t a single West Ham player who can hold their head up high at the moment, and while Roberto is enduring a torrid time, there needs to be some focus placed on the players in front of him too. Taking Anderson as an advantage, the Brazilian put in a dire display against Burnley on Saturday. With a Whoscored rating of 5.83, he was nowhere near the being up to speed, and with no shots, key passes, or successful dribbles, it was little surprise to see him given the hook after just 56 minutes. Compared to last week against Newcastle United, when he had three key passes and six successful dribbles, this was a horror show, and while it is clear that he has enough in his locker to be a game changer for the Hammers, the sad reality is that he is not consistent enough to have any kind of meaningful effect for the Hammers at this present moment in time. That has to change.
