Whilst I don’t want to focus too heavily on Adama Traoré’s failings in his brief cameo for West Ham against Manchester United, it’s hard not to.
After all, for the majority of a game that finished 1–1 at the [London Stadium](https://www.claretandhugh.info/london-stadium-bio/), the Hammers produced a performance full of teamwork, effort and resilience.
There haven’t been too many occasions this season when West Ham have truly looked like a team. But for large spells against Man U, that’s exactly what we saw — players working for one another, digging in, and putting in a monumental shift.
Which is precisely why the contrast was so obvious when Traoré replaced Crysencio Summerville in the 89th minute.
Make no mistake about it: Nuno Espírito Santo has spent the best part of three months explaining to the West Ham board why the muscle-bound Spaniard was crucial to his game plan.
Sadly, on this occasion, Traoré looked far more concerned about himself than self-sacrifice.
Traoré Didn’t Match the Standards Set by His Teammates
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At one point he put his foot on the ball and delayed when a counter-attack demanded urgency. He also twice failed to properly back up his full-back, Ollie Scarles which is where the cross from the equaliser came from.
In short, Adama didn’t appear to be playing as part of the collective — and was as responsible as anyone else for turning three points into one. It should also be noted that Callum Wilson also chose not to square the ball when West Ham had an excellent opportunity to make it 2-0, so the loss of two points isn’t all on the signing from Fulham.
However, Nuno himself looked less than impressed with Traoré’s lack of contribution, which is entirely understandable. After all, the manager personally pushed for West Ham to sign the winger.
But if this lethargy — and tendency to play for himself rather than the team — continues, I suspect Traoré may find himself warming the bench for the remainder of the season.
Because in a relegation scrap, individual moments matter.
And so does buying into the cause.