Rita Guarino's West Ham tenure has gotten off to a disastrous start, as the London-based side suffered a crushing 5-0 defeat at the hands of Chelsea. The Women's Super League title contenders left the Hammers reeling with a series of defensive errors and careless possession, leaving new head coach Guarino with significant work to do.
Guarino acknowledged that her team can learn from their mistakes, particularly in terms of organisation and minimising easy errors. While she has faith in the quality of her players, it's clear that they need to raise their standards if West Ham are to avoid falling further behind Liverpool at the bottom of the table.
The Chelsea attack was clinical and ruthless, with Sandy Baltimore scoring twice and Lauren James and Alyssa Thompson finding the net once each. The visitors' dominance was evident from an early stage, with a combination of defensive lapses and careless play allowing them to take control of the game.
Guarino's tactics were questioned, as she made three changes in an attempt to spark a turnaround. However, it was too little, too late, as Chelsea continued to pour forward. The final scoreline was sealed when Viviane Asseyi handled the ball in her own box, allowing Baltimore to step up and dispatch the penalty with ease.
The West Ham boss admitted that it was a tough game against a top-class opponent, but made it clear that her team need to do better if they are to mount any realistic challenge for the title. With 10 games left in the season, Guarino will be under intense pressure to get results and prove herself as a capable leader.
For Chelsea, the victory was a welcome boost after a warm-weather training session in Portugal had given them a fresh feel. The team looked sharp and raring to go, and it showed on the pitch as they ran riot against their London rivals.
Sonia Bompastor's side will be delighted with the three points, which maintains their six-point lead over Manchester City at the top of the table. The manager made clear her focus on making sure her team put in the best performances possible in each game, and fight until the end to achieve their goals.
As for West Ham, Guarino has a mountain to climb if she is to turn fortunes around in East London. A tough start to her tenure will only serve as a warning sign, but it also presents an opportunity to make amends and get back on track. Can she and her team rise to the challenge? Only time will tell.
Guarino acknowledged that her team can learn from their mistakes, particularly in terms of organisation and minimising easy errors. While she has faith in the quality of her players, it's clear that they need to raise their standards if West Ham are to avoid falling further behind Liverpool at the bottom of the table.
The Chelsea attack was clinical and ruthless, with Sandy Baltimore scoring twice and Lauren James and Alyssa Thompson finding the net once each. The visitors' dominance was evident from an early stage, with a combination of defensive lapses and careless play allowing them to take control of the game.
Guarino's tactics were questioned, as she made three changes in an attempt to spark a turnaround. However, it was too little, too late, as Chelsea continued to pour forward. The final scoreline was sealed when Viviane Asseyi handled the ball in her own box, allowing Baltimore to step up and dispatch the penalty with ease.
The West Ham boss admitted that it was a tough game against a top-class opponent, but made it clear that her team need to do better if they are to mount any realistic challenge for the title. With 10 games left in the season, Guarino will be under intense pressure to get results and prove herself as a capable leader.
For Chelsea, the victory was a welcome boost after a warm-weather training session in Portugal had given them a fresh feel. The team looked sharp and raring to go, and it showed on the pitch as they ran riot against their London rivals.
Sonia Bompastor's side will be delighted with the three points, which maintains their six-point lead over Manchester City at the top of the table. The manager made clear her focus on making sure her team put in the best performances possible in each game, and fight until the end to achieve their goals.
As for West Ham, Guarino has a mountain to climb if she is to turn fortunes around in East London. A tough start to her tenure will only serve as a warning sign, but it also presents an opportunity to make amends and get back on track. Can she and her team rise to the challenge? Only time will tell.
i mean what's going on with their defense?? they're getting smashed 5-0 it's like they can't even defend themselves 
and rita guarino's tactics are all over the place too... making three changes and expecting them to just magically turn around? 
not buying it 
. i'm keeping an eye on this though, west ham needs a win stat 
and guarino needs to figure out what's going on ASAP 
They got thrashed 5-0 at home by Chelsea and it's like they forgot how to play football altogether 
. I mean, I know they can learn from their mistakes but five goals against them? It's just not good enough. The players need to step up their game big time if West Ham wants to compete for that title. And what was with all the changes on the pitch? Trying to change the script mid-game doesn't work, girl! 
Still, I gotta give credit to Chelsea, they were clinical and ruthless, no doubt about it. 
that game was a disaster for West Ham, they just got thrashed 5-0... 
i mean, you gotta feel for Rita Guarino, new head coach and already under so much pressure 
still got to give credit to Chelsea though, they were on fire 
sandy baltimore scored twice and lauren james too... 
but for West Ham, it's like 10 games left in the season and they're already in a hole 
gotta stay positive and see if they can bounce back, but i'm not holding my breath 
. I mean, 5-0 is just ridiculous 
! Can't she just make one decent substitution or tactic without it backfiring? 
It's gonna be tough for them to climb out of this hole, but you never know what can happen in football...right? 
guarino needs to figure out a new strategy ASAP 
or they'll be stuck in last place 
meanwhile, chelsea is on fire 
lauren james and alyssa thompson are also on point 
gotta give it to guarino for trying out new tactics though 
.
. Viviane Asseyi's mistake cost them the game, and it's gonna take more than just one player to fix that 
- are they in crisis mode or can they regroup? Guarino's tactics were called into question, kinda like Boris's Brexit strategy 
. I love how passionate and honest she was in her post-game interview though 
it's gonna be an interesting ride for west ham fans 
the team needs to up their game & get that confidence back ASAP! 
also Chelsea looked super sharp today, they're definitely on fire 
but we shouldn't write off West Ham just yet, they still got a lot of potential 
at least chelsea looked sharp and ready to go after that warm-weather training session 
The pressure's on Rita, can she turn it around?!