Angelo Ogbonna has answered West Ham United’s call many times in his eight years in Claret and Blue – and the Italian answered that call again repeatedly in Saturday’s 1-0 Premier League win at Fulham.
Recalled to the starting XI by manager David Moyes alongside fellow long-serving defender Aaron Cresswell and the ever-dependable Vladimir Coufal, the trio provided the much-needed defensive stability that had been absent in the midweek defeat by Newcastle United four days previously.
Playing in partnership with another no-nonsense defender in Kurt Zouma, and in front of a flawless Łukasz Fabiański, Ogbonna was part of an impregnable back line that frustrated the Whites and, one or two moments aside, restricted them to speculative shots and cleared the dozens of crosses and set pieces they delivered into the visitors’ penalty area.
The result was a scrappy but vital away victory – just the second in 14 attempts this season and the first since Aston Villa in August – and jubilant full-time scenes on the pitch and in the packed Putney End Stand at a sun-drenched Craven Cottage.
Speaking to West Ham TV after joking he might receive a call from Italy head coach Roberto Mancini, the 34-year-old was proud to have played a part in such a resilient performance when his Club needed him most of all.
I think we needed to do something to bounce back and the thing is that I can never say we don’t have character.
For a long time, West Ham, since I joined this Club, it has shown that character is the main thing and the first thing.
The old players always show me some things like that and it comes naturally to us. For me, even for the players and for the Club, it was really important.
The only things I didn’t like was when people were in doubt about our character. I think it’s something in our veins.
We know the importance of the game, of the league, and everything.
Most of the players who played on Saturday have played together for the last two years, so we know each other.
The situation was really important for us and, more than tactics, we showed what kind of men we are and it was really important to do something like that.
Sometimes you need luck, but you need to chase that luck and it’s not something that you just hope for.
Maybe we didn’t play our best game, but sometimes even last year or two years ago we didn’t play our best, but we showed defensively that we’re really strong and everything came from that.
We got confidence and everyone wanted the ball and played better and that’s very important.
I know I’ve said it many times, but basics are very important and we got the basics right, and that was very, very important.
The job is not done because the expectation of everyone is higher.
The Premier League, with all due respect, is not another league. It is very competitive.
Now we’ve got the Europa Conference League as well and we need the momentum, and to have the momentum you need to show something on the pitch, show your character.
Not every game is like this, and you can feel a little bit tired, but you have to get something from the game and not give up, and on Saturday we did that, we did something important.
My vision is game-by-game.
I don’t like to go too far forwards, as every game is important and everything comes from our performance and our desire.
We showed something on Saturday that we brought to the training ground and then we brought to the game.
