‘What worries me the most’ – Slott defends Salah misfire amid criticism
Video credit: SNTV
The Hammers’ four points were their worst result from their first nine league games, equaling the combined total of the 1932/33 Second Division season and the 1973/74 Top League season (an era when two points per win).
First-half goals from Brenden Aaronson and Joe Rodon hurt Leeds, before Matheus Fernandes halved the deficit with an impressive header late on.
Lucas Paqueta also had a shot ruled out for offside in the first half, but an injury to Olly Scarless added to the East London side’s misery.
Reflecting on the match, Bowen told Sky Sports: “Obviously it wasn’t good enough, we had a good start against Brentford and we wanted to do the same.
“But we defended our goal really poorly. Then we almost got it back. The keeper made a good save on my attempt and then again from a corner kick. We just didn’t have enough courage and didn’t do a good enough job at the end.”
“When you get a goal back, it’s disallowed. It always felt like one goal and you always get a little bit of confidence when you score a goal. We did it, but it was too late. It wasn’t enough.”
The result leaves West Ham languishing in 19th place in the Premier League table, with Bowen aware his side are currently in a relegation battle.
When asked about the reason for the poor performance, Bowen added: “There’s probably a lot of reasons, but when you’re second from bottom in the league and have only won one game all season, it’s a small dressing room.
“I’ve been going out and doing interviews for the last few weeks, and I’ve been saying the only way this is going to change is if our players step up, roll up their sleeves and get ready to fight. We’ve got to work harder week in and week out.”
“It’s easy to hide or be scared when things aren’t going so well, but it’s easier said than done, but we have to do it, that’s my only mindset.
“And that’s what I’ve been telling the players: Roll up your sleeves and go for it, because no one’s going to give us this.”
“This is the Premier League and we need to take it seriously. We are in a real situation and we have to face that reality. The sooner it starts to hit everyone, the sooner it needs to change.”
“You can’t come out here and say something different. You can’t say anything positive or anything like that. We have to face the reality of where we are. We’re in second place and we’re in trouble now. We have to accept that.”
Nuno Espirito Santo has now failed to win any of his four Premier League games in charge, but Bowen said his players should take responsibility for their plight.
“We all have to go out there and fight as a team above all. We’re not talking about performances, it’s about the Premier League. This is the most difficult year.
“I’ve had a lot of ugly wins over the years. We haven’t had great records, but we’re getting results. We’re not doing it, we’re not playing well, and we’re not getting results.”
“We are the ones who have to change it, and we are the ones who can change it. We have to stand up now.
“We talked as a group. It’s also up to the players. We can talk to each other and have honest and open conversations. It has to come from within, from the drive and hunger from within. I think the players have it, but we need to show it more.”
“This table shows we can do a lot more. Nine wins, one win and we are second in the league.”
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