West Ham’s ninth place is lying to you

Ninth in the Championship, one point off the play-offs. West Ham’s position suggests promotion remains within reach. Their defending tells a more worrying story.

They have conceded 23 goals in 15 league games, including five in Scott Parker’s first two matches. The managerial change has brought a new face to the touchline. So far, the same problems remain.

No other side in the top ten has let in more than 19.

West Ham’s leaky defence in numbers

It has been coming for a while. West Ham started the season brilliantly going forward. They thumped both Wrexham and Lincoln 6-0 and briefly sat top of the table.

But the goals at the other end have never stopped. A 3-1 home defeat to West Brom cost Nuno Espírito Santo his job, and Parker’s first two games have shown the problem has not gone away.

His first match was a 3-3 draw at Cardiff. West Ham deserve credit for coming back from three goals down, but you cannot go 3-0 down in Wales and expect to be promoted.

Then came Blackburn last Saturday. Rovers broke down the right in the 54th minute and Fevrier picked out Andri Gudjohnsen, who dived in to head home from six yards. It was far too easy. Dapo Afolayan then doubled the lead, and although Joël Piroe pulled one back, Tomás Souček missed a glorious chance in injury time, as ESPN reported.

That was their first away defeat of the season and their third loss in four league games.

The goalkeeper question

The obvious place to look is in goal. Mads Hermansen has struggled badly in recent weeks, and fans have noticed.

Alphonse Areola would be the natural alternative, but he was a late omission at Blackburn and needed a scan. Aaron Ramsdale and Santiago Beltran have both been linked as possible January arrivals.

Whoever starts against Preston, the problem is bigger than one position. West Ham have been too easy to cut open.

Why West Ham still believe

None of this means promotion is beyond them. Parker has won promotion from the Championship with Fulham, Bournemouth and Burnley. He knows what this division needs, and it usually starts with not conceding.

The squad can score, too. Few Championship sides have the attacking quality West Ham can put out, with Jarrod Bowen, Piroe and Souček all capable of deciding games.

That is why this break matters so much. The international break gives him valuable time to work with the players available, and tightening up the back line will be top of the list.

What comes next for West Ham

The fixtures do not give him long to bed anything in. Preston visit the London Stadium on Saturday 21 November at 3pm, and three days later West Ham travel to Portsmouth.

Two wins would strengthen their play-off challenge. More defensive mistakes, and the talk will quickly turn to whether this squad was built for the Championship at all.

Ninth place looks respectable. The goals against column says otherwise, and now Parker has to fix it.

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