00:002-1 at Stamford Bridge to the home side and they took the lead fantastically West Ham
00:09through Jarrod Bowen. It was a well-rounded Green Park performance and maybe just didn't
00:15have that finishing blow at times in the game. How do you summarise the game? What are your
00:20feelings because, albeit if you went there and you'd have not been taken, you may not
00:26know what sort of West Ham you're going to get. It's, as you've mentioned before, a bit
00:29more of an identity in the Green Park. They were very solid at times as well and they
00:33were sort of unlucky on the night.
00:36We frustrated them, especially in that first half. I thought we went there with a very
00:40clear game plan and it wasn't ultra defensive like we've been used to. We had our moments
00:46and, especially in the first half with Bowen's goal, we took our opportunities when they
00:50came. It was, like you said, a classic Green Park performance but the thing that pleased
00:57me the most is that, given the amount of injuries that we've still got, obviously Evan Ferguson
01:02couldn't play because he signed too late, there's still a number of first-team players
01:09that would have bought strikes at the start of the XI that aren't there. Jarrod Bowen's
01:12return has been a huge boost for us but, beyond that, Pak Attar was missing with a growing
01:18problem that he picked up in the last game. Edson Alvarez was missing in midfield, Falkoog
01:22still injured, Antonio still injured. Somerville was supposed to only be out for two weeks
01:26and it's been a month now since we haven't seen him for a month. So there's a lot of
01:29players there that we're still waiting to come back. So to go to Chelsea, go 1-0 up,
01:36put in a performance like that and come out of it feeling quite disappointed and feeling
01:40quite unlucky that we didn't take something from the game, perhaps not win but at least
01:45take something from the game, given the nature of Chelsea's two goals. The second one being
01:49incredibly fortunate and the first one, there were question marks of it as I found in the
01:54build-up. So I think we can come away from there feeling pretty positive that, yes, we
02:00didn't win but we caused Chelsea problems and it's a sign, hopefully, of things to come
02:05under Grandpa. They're only going to continue improving and we get players back from injury,
02:10we've got the new signings coming in as well. It was a performance and a game where I think
02:16a lot of West Ham fans would be going, I don't mind the fact that we've lost there. For me,
02:20it was all about the performance. And if you look at the footage after the game, a lot
02:24of West Ham fans stayed and clapped the players. We've not seen that very often this season.
02:31So I think that is also a good sign that the fans recognise that we're going in the right
02:36direction under Grandpa. It's still early days. He needs a lot more time, he needs a
02:42lot more players and he needs probably the summer transfer window to really make an impact.
02:48But there are green shoots there and I think that's the most positive thing at this stage.
02:52Obviously, Jarrod Bowen coming back into the side, getting a goal as well. What's that
02:58sort of been like? Is that sort of feeling a bit like a new signing at this point? He's
03:01so good. He's had such an amazing last couple of seasons or so. I mean, West Ham fans must
03:07be so happy that he's back and backing the goals as well.
03:10Yes. I mean, seeing his name on the starting line-up and the team sheet, just a huge confidence
03:17boost. It really felt like with him playing, we can win any game it feels like sometimes
03:23because he's so clinical in front of goal. And he runs, he's constantly running, giving
03:28everything for the shirt. He's the club captain. So just having a player like Bowen fit and
03:33available doesn't just give the fans a boost, it must give the squad a boost as well and
03:37the dressing room a boost. And Grandpa said before the game, he was delighted to finally
03:43be able to select him because he'd been injured ever since he arrived at the club. And it's
03:47just a huge boost. And given how good he is, his stature, what he's already achieved at
03:54the club, the way that the club clearly feel about him, the way the fans feel about him,
03:57it's so important to have a player like that fit and available. Because he's also the one
04:04that a lot of the other players will be looking up to as well in terms of effort and ability.
04:09If the rest of the squad see him chasing down and pressing in the 89th minute when we're
04:14two or three nil down, then he's still running and trying. So he's a really good role model
04:19as well to have in that squad. So he's fit, he's back, he obviously got his goal, a well-taken
04:24goal. And now we've just got to make sure we keep him fit for the rest of the season
04:28because we're going to need him.
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