Stuart Pearce has identified West Ham’s “biggest problem” ahead of what he says is a “massive” game against Nottingham Forest this weekend.
The Reds legend has a foot in both camps, having played for both clubs and managed Forest twice, having more recently been assistant boss and first team coach to under pressure Hammers’ manager David Moyes until the end of last season.
Forest started the season as favourites to go straight back down but 23 games into the campaign and the East Midlands club have risen to 13th place in the Premier League table while West ham are floundering at third from bottom ahead of this Saturday’s relegation six pointer in the capital.
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“The biggest problem they’ve got is scoring goals, for some reason,” said Pearce, speaking on talkSPORT. “You thought last summer when (Lucas) Paqueta and Maxwell Cornet came through the door that they would have added goals to the squad but, for whatever reason, that’s not ended up coming to the fore.
“Defensively they’ve conceded 29. If you compare that with Southampton’s 40, Leeds’ 39, Bournemouth’s 44; these are teams in and around them at the bottom that have conceded vastly more goals. But it’s just scoring goals that has been a real, real problem. I don’t know whether it’s certain individuals or form.”
Reflecting on the weekend’s 2-0 defeat at Tottenham, Pearce added: “In the first half I thought they done quite well in the game, I thought Tomas Soucek was very good in both boxes, done really well. But if you don’t break the deadlock when you’re on top or doing okay that’s a problem. They’ve looked a little vulnerable in the last couple of weeks.
"They’ve got a massive one at the weekend, home to Nottingham Forest. I think everyone up to 12th place, including Crystal Palace, will be looking over their shoulder, I really do. It’s chopping and changing so quickly, Everton, Bournemouth and Southampton all winning (at the weekend). It’s so tight down there.”
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