Under 23 manager Dmitri Halajko lamented his side's inability to make their most of lengthy spells of possession against Wolves on Friday.
A youthful Hammers side, containing many Under 18 players went into the game full of confidence, having despatched London rivals Chelsea the previous weekend.But despite exerting excellent spells of pressure, his side were unable to break down a resolute Wolves defence.
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Halajko felt his team can perform much better - despite missing several regulars
Halajko felt his team can perform much better - despite missing several regulars
Speaking after the game on Friday, he told whufc.com: “It was a game where we had plenty of the ball – more than enough of the ball to win, without a shadow of the doubt – but we didn’t really capitalise on that.
“In the second half, we had over 25 crosses, which shows how dominant we were in terms of territory. Most of the game was played in Wolves’ half, and quite a lot of it in their third, so we were certainly the dominant team in terms of territory.
“Our quality wasn’t there today. It wasn’t at a high enough level to really break them down, really hurt them or win the game, so that’s the disappointing part of it.”
With eight changes made to the matchday squad, the young Hammers struggled to make the most of their opportunities and never managed to find their usual cutting edge in front of goal.
Halajko explained: “I think the quality of our final ball was poor today – the quality of the cross. We did get down the sides a lot, and that was probably our main threat in the second half, but then when we got there or had an open cross, we made unforced errors and didn’t manage to pick out our man.
“A couple of times we did, and we worked it to someone, but the technical quality of the finish wasn’t good enough.
“We certainly had the bodies there, and we certainly had the ball in the right place, but then we didn’t have the technical quality or the calm head needed in those key moments.”
With several players either loaned out to Championship sides or away on international duty, Halajko also opted to rotate a few of the more experienced players out of the squad.
Reflecting on his players’ performances, he said: “I think it was a game where everyone had some good bits, but also some bits they were disappointed with.
“I don’t think we had many people who had an outstanding game because they didn’t affect it enough, certainly from an attacking point of view. I think it’s an opportunity missed for the team and as individuals as well.
“Some of the lads who didn’t start the last two games have been training a little bit better than they showed today, which is a disappointment for them because that’s not what they want or what we want.
"And some of the lads who played last week didn’t manage to replicate that performance again. Everyone was just a little bit below par from the expectation levels they would set themselves, and we would set them also.”
Yet there is still a strong core of talent in the side and having performed poorly in the second half against Brighton a few weeks ago, the Hammers fought back to beat Chelsea in the following game. And it is this ability to rectify performances that gives the manager hope.
“The players have got a weekend off first,” Halajko noted. “That’s not something they always get during the season, so hopefully that’s a time to relax and recharge. Then, Monday will be the time to work hard, get on the training pitch and get ready for Leeds.”
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