12:22pm Sunday 7th March 2010
WEST HAM boss Gianfranco Zola admitted he ‘was not expecting’ such a slow start from his players which saw the team fall two goals behind to Bolton inside 16 minutes at Upton Park on Saturday.
The Hammers did not breach the Wanderers’ defence until the 88th minute and, by then, it was far too late to rescue anything from the game.
Young James Tomkins was at fault for Bolton’s second goal, allowing Kevin Davies to hook the ball back into play in trying to shepherd it out of play, in a move that was eventually finished by Jack Wilshere. He was also guilty of mistiming his jump to intercept Chung-Yong Lee’s cross, which was met by Davies for the first after just ten minutes.
And Zola did not hide from the mistakes of his players.
“I’m disappointed,” said the Italian. “I wasn’t expecting that. Nobody was. The way we started the game determined the result.
“They were better than us and took advantage of their opportunities. In the second half it was difficult, we tried until the end but it’s our fault and I have no complaints.”
In responding to Tomkins’ errors, Zola added: “James has potential. He needs to work on his game.”
The Italian also urged his players to retrieve the three points lost in the game by getting results elsewhere. “We had opportunities to come back after the goal but by then it was too late. We lost points today and I told the players we have to go and get them back somewhere else.”
The Hammers will have their work cut out to make up the difference in their next two fixtures, as they travel to title-chasing Chelsea and Arsenal in successive weeks. But, with West Ham having earned a point at Stamford Bridge and the Emirates last season, Zola remains upbeat about their prospects.
“I don’t care if we’re playing Chelsea or Arsenal. Last year we got a point in both games, so you never know. I’m not going to go there already beaten, that’s for sure. In football you never know and I am not going to give up.
“I know we lost a game but there is a lot to play for and we have learned a lot from this game. I want more focus, I want more from the beginning to set the tone. We have to do that. We have to keep our chin up, being down won’t help the situation.”
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