Unlike those heavy defeats against Sunderland and Chelsea, Mads Hermansen could not really be blamed directly for any of the three goals West Ham United conceded to Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
Hermansen marked his Hammers debut with a ‘big mistake’ on the opening weekend.
Despite pulling off one superb earlier stop which meant Hermansen earned a Save of the Month nomination, Sunderland’s stoppage time clincher came when Wilson Isidor’s speculative shot from distance skipped over his outstretched arm and into the back of the West Ham United net.
One week later, while Rob Green did his best to defend the £18 million summer signing from Leicester City, there was no place for Mads Hermansen to hide as he fumbled the ball at the feet of a grateful Moises Caicedo.
Now, on the face of it, there wasn’t much the Dane could do to prevent Pape Sarr, Lucas Bergvall and Micky van de Ven scoring three unanswered goals in just 17 second half minutes at the London Stadium.
But former Tottenham goalkeeper Paul Robinson saw little in Saturday’s derby to suggest that Hermansen could be the solution to West Ham’s set-piece problems.
Mads Hermansen during Nottingham Forest v West Ham United - Premier League
Photo by Nigel French/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images
Paul Robinson shares Mads Hermansen fears as Tottenham cruise past West Ham United
Robinson watched Hermansen closely at Leicester when the Foxes were relegated last season. He has serious reservations about the 25-year-old’s ability to command his penalty area, with Sarr the latest to score from a cross into the Hammers box.
“Graham Potter has got problems,” Robinson, who earned 41 England caps between 2003 and 2007, tells BBC Sport. “I was surprised when they signed Mads Hermansen.
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“He was susceptible last season and, watching him today, he has not left his line once. You need help from the goalkeeper and that has not come from Hermansen.”
Remarkably, West Ham have now conceded six goals from corner kicks already this term. Hermansen has been beaten eleven times, meanwhile, in just four matches.
Hammers News can confirm that some at West Ham felt even before a ball was kicked against Tottenham that Lukasz Fabianski could be back in the starting XI sooner rather than later. Another helpless Hermansen performance will only add ammunition to the argument that the Hammers would be more secure with a returning 40-year-old between the sticks.
Former England keeper says Tomas Soucek red card was the turning point
On a day when Tottenham appeared to target Hermansen from set-piece situations, a red card for Tomas Soucek gave Spurs an advantage they would ram home in emphatic fashion.
“The immediate second goal after the sending off finished West Ham off,” Robinson adds. “They started well in the first 20 minutes, they pressed as a team. Their performance against Forest, not many people saw that coming.
“In the first 15 minutes you could see cohesion and understanding, but Tottenham grew into the game.
“We all love excuses. With 10 men, it is always difficult. The sending off was a pivotal part of the game. That is what finished the game off. Potter will look towards that, but it was the clearest of red cards.”
West Ham will now be without Soucek for the upcoming matches against Crystal Palace, Everton and Arsenal.
Who starts in goal for those fixtures, meanwhile, could make for very interesting viewing.