Adrian says West Ham United have to 'defend as a team' when they face West Bromwich Albion on Tuesday.
The Hammers conceded three goals from set plays in drawing 3-3 at AFC Bournemouth on Boxing Day, where Callum Wilson’s controversial late equaliser denied them three valuable points.
And goalkeeper Adrian, who kept his side in the game with a series of important saves with West Ham trailing 1-2 before Marko Arnautovic’s double turned the game in their favour, was frustrated by the Hammers’ inability to turn their own penalty area into a fortress, as they had done in recent meetings with Chelsea, Arsenal and Stoke City.
“We worked so hard together to come back and get the result, but we can’t be happy because we conceded three goals,” he told whufc.com. “We need to defend much better and deal with the ball in the air much better. We have to defend as a team.
“We now have a week to rest, to train hard and recover our bodies and minds to be 100 per cent to face West Brom.”
Adrian himself was heavily involved in a game played in truly horrible weather conditions at the Vitality Stadium, making seven saves to keep the Cherries at bay.
Five of those stops came with West Ham trailing 1-2 in the second half, setting the stage for Arnautovic.
We now have a week to rest, to train hard and recover our bodies and minds to be 100 per cent to face West Brom
Adrian
“It was the moment of the game. If they had scored the third one, I think it would have probably killed the game and we would have had no chance to come back.
“I was very busy with some saves to try to help the team and at the end we scored the third one and thought we had got a massive three points, but in the end we had to settle for only one.
“It was very hard because the pitch there is small, every ball in the air is dangerous for the goalkeeper and defenders and it was very windy but, at the end of the day, we are professionals and the climate is for both teams, so we had to cope with this.”
No interview about the Boxing Day fixture could end without discussion of Bournemouth’s 91st-minute leveller, which was scored by Wilson, despite the striker appearing to be both offside and divert the ball into the net with his right arm.
Adrian, unsurprisingly, was unhappy with referee Bobby Madley’s decision to award the goal.
“To be fair, we were a bit disappointed because we had three points in the last minute and then we had the decision from the referee. I don’t know why he changed the decision of the assistant because I think it was a bit offside and also handball, and he also interfered on my way to the ball.
“I’m very disappointed with this, but we got a point and, at the end of the day, we didn’t lose but it’s not enough.”