West Ham United legend Tony Cottee urged the team to replicate their performance levels in the final stages of Sunday’s FA Cup defeat to Leeds.
On Sunday, West Ham’s FA Cup campaign came to a dramatic end following a penalty shootout defeat to the Yorkshire giants.
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West Ham were largely dreadful for most of normal time at the London Stadium but staged a late fightback to take the game into extra-time, forcing a 2-2 draw before subsequently losing 4-2 on penalties.
It all ended in bitter disappointment and Hammers legend Cottee wants to see more from Nuno Espirito Santo’s side in the final seven games of the season.
Cottee urges West Ham to play like they did in the final ten minutes vs Leeds
Writing on social media platform X, Cottee said: “Gutted that we lost in the end but a great effort from 80 mins onwards … We need that level of performance for the remainder of the season!”
It really is of the utmost importance. West Ham are in the worst position of the teams who have been tipped to get relegated this season (assuming Wolves and Burnley are already down) and have to force the issue.
Leeds United's US midfielder #11 Brenden Aaronson (L) vies with West Ham United's English defender #03 Maximilian Kilman (R) during the English FA Cup quarter final football match between West Ham United and Leeds United at the London Stadium
Photo by CARLOS JASSO / AFP via Getty Images
They must be proactive, rather than letting games pass them by and waiting for a moment of brilliance.
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While a trip to Wembley and a first FA Cup semi-final in 20 years would have been nice, all focus must now go on the final seven games of the Premier League season.
West Ham have done a lot of hard work to get themselves into a position where they can realistically dream of survival.
Now, it’s about not throwing all of that away. Performances like the bulk of the one against Leeds – with the obvious caveat that it wasn’t exactly West Ham’s first choice team applied – simply won’t be acceptable.
Frankly, as good as Sunday’s game was, no one will remember it with any great disappointment if West Ham do manage to stay up.
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