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There is no better example of West Ham’s malaise than their inability to raise themselves for this game. Tottenham Hotspur had an excuse given that their season rests on whether they hold their nerve when they head to the Arctic Circle for the conclusion of their Europa League semi-final with Bodo/Glimt this week, but there are no such silver linings at the London Stadium. This has been a campaign to forget for West Ham, who seem destined to finish in 17th place after going eight games without a win, and only a major overhaul of a tired, ageing squad this summer will ensure that they do not endure more turmoil next season.
There has been no uplift since Graham Potter was hired in place of Julen Lopetegui in January. West Ham have taken 14 points from 15 games under Potter and they attacked this visit from Ange Postecoglou’s B team without any discernible enthusiasm. A passionless 1-1 draw, secured by Jarrod Bowen cancelling out Wilson Odobert’s opener for Spurs, was deservedly greeted by boos at full-time.
West Ham’s visionless board should be alarmed by the sense of apathy in the stands at kick-off. Some fans were still strolling to their seats, plenty had not bothered to turn up and there was silence when the teams emerged. Spurs, who made eight changes from their 3-1 win over Bodo/Glimt last Thursday, could not have asked for a gentler welcome. There was no flow to West Ham and the hospitality extended to them going out of their way to help the visitors into the lead after 15 minutes of soporific football.
The sight of Max Kilman, who has been a disappointment since his £40m move from Wolves last summer, failing to clear his lines before Odobert made it 1-0 summed up the extent of the damage Potter has to repair during pre-season. The centre-back had time to deal with a harmless ball down the left flank but played himself into trouble by twice wafting half-hearted clearances against Mathys Tel. A nothing situation turned into one fraught with danger because of Kilman’s clumsiness, leaving Odobert to stroke home his first league goal of the season after Richarlison dummied Tel’s pass into the winger’s path.
Potter has to eradicate such insipid defending. West Ham, whose appeals for handball by Tel in the buildup went unheard, do not help themselves. They remained careless in possession and did not look like a happy, engaged team for much of the first half. Niclas Füllkrug, a forward who occasionally breaks into a jog if the mood takes him, yelled at Alphonse Areola for one wayward goal-kick.
It is a surprise that Bowen wants to stay and fight. West Ham’s captain would not be short of suitors were he to press for a move but his motivation has not dropped once this season. If only others in claret and blue were as driven as Bowen. The winger never stops going and West Ham were again indebted to him when he equalised in the 28th minute.
The goal was instigated by Mohammed Kudus switching play to Aaron Wan-Bissaka on the right. The wing-back had too much time and he made the most of it by sliding a pass to Bowen, who encountered no resistance as he darted away from Ben Davies and dribbled inside before threading a low finish through Guglielmo Vicario’s legs.
Yet if that was a reminder of how easy it is to make chances against Spurs, West Ham looked determined to match them for defensive ineptitude. They could have trailed again when Lucas Paqueta lost possession in midfield, only for Richarlison to shoot wide from a tight angle.
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West Ham remained vague and disjointed at the start of the second half. Jean-Clair Todibo sent a simple pass out for a throw. Kudus, displaying all the motivation who knows he will be sold this summer, gave Archie Gray an easy afternoon. Füllkrug, who had the gall to criticise his teammates after West Ham’s draw with Southampton last month, used an afternoon in the company of Postecoglou’s reserve centre-backs to confirm that he is unsuited to the pace of the Premier League. Spurs threatened through Tel, who shot straight at Areola.
Potter stood on the touchline, trying to convince his team to push up. It seemed a thankless task. Pape Matar Sarr shot over for Spurs, who will hope that James Maddison, Son Heung-min and Dominic Solanke return to fitness in time for the trip to Norway. Vicario denied Bowen and James Ward-Prowse whipped a free-kick over in added time, but the final 30 minutes were absolutely dreadful. Paqueta appeared to be crying when he picked up a late yellow card. He was not alone in feeling miserable.
