West Ham United’s pursuit of maintaining a clean sheet has proven fruitless since January 2nd, and the team is determined to terminate this streak in their forthcoming fixtures.
Former West Ham player Frank McAvennie, renowned for his 119 appearances for the club across two spells, has recently issued severe criticism amidst the Hammers’ struggles in preventing goals.
McAvennie’s remarks specifically targeted two players, Mavropanos and Zouma, advocating for the club to offload the underperforming duo. Both players were acquired for a combined total of nearly £50 million in transfer fees.
West Ham told to sell Mavropanos and Zouma in the summer transfer window
In statements provided to Football Insider, the speaker expressed reservations regarding the defensive capabilities of Mavropanos and Zouma, suggesting deficiencies in their athleticism and performance. Criticism was particularly directed towards their perceived inadequacies in maintaining defensive solidity, potentially leading to conceding goals, with a lack of confidence expressed in their ability to secure clean sheets. The recent match against Burnley saw Mavropanos inadvertently scoring an own goal, while Zouma’s form has been noted as inconsistent compared to his earlier seasons with West Ham. Statistical analysis indicates that, among Premier League teams excluding the bottom three, West Ham ranks among the highest in terms of goals conceded, trailing only Brentford and Nottingham Forest. This defensive vulnerability poses a significant concern for manager David Moyes, whose priority may involve addressing these issues during the upcoming summer transfer window. Despite these defensive challenges, West Ham’s forthcoming fixtures include a Europa League encounter against Freiburg and a league match against Aston Villa on March 17.