Carroll - It was shocking

Andy Carroll

 

  • Andy Carroll admits West Ham United produced a 'terrible performance' at AFC Bournemouth
  • Striker said the Hammers 'didn't really get going' in their 3-2 defeat at Vitality Stadium
  • No9 felt the visitors could have had a penalty awarded for handball late on

“It was a terrible performance from us.”

Andy Carroll gave that brutally honest assessment of West Ham United’s 3-2 Premier League defeat at AFC Bournemouth.

Despite their hosts missing two first-half penalties, Michail Antonio firing the Hammers into the lead and Andre Ayew equalising with just seven minutes remaining, Joshua King’s hat-trick ensured Carroll and company departed the Vitality Stadium with nothing.

“We didn’t really get going and their two penalties could have really finished the game, but we kept ourselves in it and got back into it late on, luckily, but I don’t know what went on from then on,” he observed. We went gung-ho and lost the game.

“We were just all over the place. We spoke in the dressing room after the game and every player agreed they just weren’t at it. I think it was just a shocking game for everyone.

“We came down and felt well but didn’t really get going at all. Obviously we got the two goals, but it wasn’t good enough.”

We spoke in the dressing room after the game and every player agreed they just weren’t at it

Andy Carroll

The Hammers trained hard in the days leading up to the game, having pushed Chelsea all the way at London Stadium on Monday evening.

With a near fully-fit squad and Michail Antonio returning from suspension to score the opening goal at Bournemouth, one might have expected West Ham to go on and condemn Bournemouth to a sixth defeat in nine matches.

Instead, they allowed Eddie Howe’s side to play their open, attacking brand of football.

“I haven’t got a clue what happened, but it was a bad day at the office,” Carroll confirmed.

The No9 admitted both Bournemouth penalties were rightly awarded, but felt referee Bobby Madley could have given the Hammers a spot-kick of their own when his cross hit Adam Smith on the upper arm late on.

“With the way I saw them, I thought they were both penalties, to be honest, but we could have had one when I crossed the ball and it has hit his hand when it wasn’t in a natural position,” he said. “I thought we could have had one, but it wasn’t given.

“Their second goal also hit their lad on the hand and it’s bounced into King’s path, so that could have been disallowed.

“It was just one of those days when we didn’t get the decisions and it didn’t really happen.”

While Carroll was clearly hugely frustrated by Saturday’s performance, it should be said that the defeat was West Ham’s first on the road since New Year’s Eve.

“We need to get this performance and whatever caused it out of our systems,” he concluded. “We need to start again against Leicester next weekend, put it right and get the three points.”