West Ham United icon Martin Allen has taken a swipe at Irons defenders Max Kilman and Konstantinos Mavropanos after arguably their worst performances yet in a claret and blue shirt - with Julen Lopetegui’s men being soundly beaten by Leicester City on Tuesday evening.
A goal inside two minutes from Jamie Vardy saw West Ham under the cosh from the get-go, and that was worsened on the hour when Bilal El Khannous doubled the lead. An offside goal from Bobby Decordova-Reid did little to dampen spirits at the King Power Stadium, with Patson Daka getting in on the act as the board went up for stoppage time - and despite Niclas Fullkrug grabbing his first goal in a Hammers shirt, it leaves the club on just 15 points from 14 games.
Allen: Kilman And Mavropanos 'Not Good Enough'
The Hammers stars have not been in fine form
Wolverhampton Wanderers defender Max Kilman applauding supporters
However, despite their attacking downfalls this season, it is their centre-back partnership that has come under criticism from Allen - with the former Irons midfielder having slated the pair for their weak defensive outings.
Max Kilman's Premier League statistics - West Ham squad ranking
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Posting on X (formerly Twitter), Allen claimed that the £178,000-per-week duo weren’t good enough to wear the shirt - regardless of who the manager is, with Lopetegui being under immense pressure already after just four wins in 14 top-flight games. He said:
“Don’t matter who the manager is; these 2 centre backs just ain’t good enough".
Allen, who played 190 league games for West Ham from 1989 through to 1995, evidently wasn’t happy with the performance - and it’s easy to see why. The Hammers had 31 shots all game, with just 10 of those being on target - and with just one goal to show for it, they’re struggling in the top-flight, sitting just six points clear of the relegation zone which could become four if Wolverhampton Wanderers beat Everton on Wednesday evening.
Kilman arrived for £40million from Wolves in the summer, and fellow defensive summer signing Jean-Clair Todibo is set to join for £34million next summer once his obligation-to-buy loan deal comes to an end in June. That is an expensive outlay for the Hammers, given the position they’re in - and it’s clear to see why Allen doesn’t look at the situation favourably.
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Statistics courtesy of WhoScored. Correct as of 04-12-24.