adminDivine Mukasa was among several West Ham United players who failed to impress as the Hammers suffered a disappointing 2-1 defeat against Blackburn Rovers on Saturday.
Scott Parker is still searching for his first victory since taking charge at the London Stadium, having now gone two matches without a win. His opening fixture ended in an entertaining 3-3 draw against Cardiff City in midweek, but his side were unable to build on that result at Ewood Park.
Although Joel Piroe managed to score a late consolation goal for West Ham, earlier strikes from Andri Gudjohnsen and Dapo Afolayan had already put Blackburn in control of the contest.
The defeat represents another setback for the Hammers, who have now dropped outside the Championship playoff positions. Unlike their midweek encounter, when they fought back from three goals behind to secure a draw, Parker’s men offered very little encouragement against Blackburn.
Several players struggled to make their presence felt, with midfielder Divine Mukasa attracting particular criticism for his performance.
Divine Mukasa criticised after costly mistake against Blackburn
Mukasa was handed a starting opportunity but failed to make a meaningful contribution before being substituted in the 78th minute.
His performance came under scrutiny from former Arsenal winger Perry Groves, who highlighted a disappointing moment involving the midfielder during the first half.
Speaking live on talkSPORT 2, Groves criticised Mukasa for wasting a promising attacking opportunity with a poorly executed pass.
He said: “That’s a lazy pass from Mukasa following some good play from West Ham. He misses the pass completely.”
The incident occurred when Mukasa attempted a relatively straightforward pass towards Mohamadou Kante but failed to find his teammate, allowing the ball to travel through to Blackburn goalkeeper Balazs Toth.
Although it might have appeared to be a minor error, it was another example of West Ham’s lack of quality and concentration throughout the afternoon.
Mukasa will undoubtedly be disappointed with his display, especially as West Ham continue to struggle during what has been a frustrating start to the campaign.
Blackburn vs West Ham statistics reveal frustrating performance
Despite losing 2-1, West Ham could point to several statistical areas suggesting they were unfortunate not to get something from the encounter.
Parker’s team registered an expected goals figure of 1.33, slightly higher than Blackburn’s 0.97, indicating that the visitors created opportunities capable of producing a better result.
The Hammers also dominated the shooting statistics, recording 20 attempts compared to just five from their opponents. However, only five of their efforts were on target, while Blackburn managed three.
West Ham enjoyed 65 per cent possession, demonstrating their control of the ball for significant periods of the match.
Unfortunately for Parker, possession and chances counted for little as Blackburn proved more clinical in front of goal, scoring twice while the visitors could only find the net once.
Having taken charge during a difficult period, Parker will now have an opportunity to work with his squad during the upcoming two-week international break.
West Ham are scheduled to return to action against Preston, and the manager will know that a significantly improved performance is required if his side are to get their season back on track.
admin
