Thread by @AnalyticsUtd_

🚨 West Ham 1-2 Eintracht Frankfurt
🔎 Analysis & Review Thread

A narrow loss after a poor performance in the first leg of our Europa League semi-final. Let's look at what went wrong and what we need to change to win the tie in Germany.

Questions encouraged, RTs appreciated! 🧵

1' 0-1 Knauff

49 seconds into the game and we're behind. An absolute shambles of a goal to concede so early in such a big game.

Kamada picks the ball up five yards inside his own half and carries 30 yards fwd before connecting a pass to the penalty area completely unopposed.

This is going to take a few tweets to break down.

1. No one knows what to do when Frankfurt's attackers all drop in.
2. Rice has to engage.
3. Rice's failure causes further mistakes.
4. This is a typical Frankfurt move. How are we allowing this in minute one? What was the prep?

The move ends with Borre turning unopposed inside the box and switching it to Knauff without anyone looking even remotely prepared for it.

Did we not watch a single video on Frankfurt before the game? Stunning that we've been undone by their most common move in minute one...

There are loads of individual mistakes that make this goal possible but the key issue from the players is Rice allowing Kamada to progress this far without ever getting close to him.

Bigger than that is the obviously bad preparation/communication from the staff...

Let's look back at Frankfurt's last #UEL match where they won a penalty in the second minute and scored in the fourth. Sound familiar?

Oh, look: It's all the same movements!

Unbelievable that we allowed ourselves to be caught cold just as Barcelona did.

We've started with a 5212/523 defensive shape where Lanzini, Bowen and Antonio are left high so that we can try and catch Frankfurt on the counter.

Problem: We're easily outnumbered in midfield.

It's easy for Kamada/Lindstrom to drop and carry beyond Rice/Soucek on the outside.

So many structural issues in the first ten minutes that you have to wonder what on earth we've been doing in training?

Who is going to step out and engage when the forward(s) drop-off? The lateral CBs or the middle CB?

No communication or organisation back there so far.

We're still inside the first ten and Kamada has again carried fwd unopposed due to the chasms either side of the midfield.

Lindstrom has again dragged the opposite flank narrow. And Knauff is in behind Fornals once more.

This is how Frankfurt play. Why are we making it so easy?

Okay, so the only reason I could understand us doing this is because we think Frankfurt will be so soft to the counter that it'll be easy for us to get in behind on turnover...

So, Cresswell fires it straight forward after that interception but Antonio is caught offside.

And that happens because Hinteregger and Toure hold a really aggressive line on halfway as the ball is turned over.

While Antonio has just has to bust a gut to maintain pressure on Hinteregger/Trapp/Tuta because we're one player short in the press due to the back five...

Not a particularly revolutionary observation that a team that plays this system every week might be better at it than us.

Right, I'm going to slow things down now so we can actually get through the game...

14' Big chance.

As I mentioned pre-match, Tuta's inclusion would open space for Bowen as he regularly overcommits, forcing Hinteregger/Toure to slide across and opening the gap.

We exploit that brilliantly here through Fornals/Antonio/Soucek before an incredible Trapp save...

15' Good opportunity to point to our use of a four in possession which has dramatically increased over the last few minutes as we've finally taken some control of the game.

Rice often positioning himself so that he can drop into a three should we lose the ball with Fornals high.

19' Chance.

Frankfurt are so dangerous from defensive set-pieces with the explosive pace they have on the counter and it's a big mistake from Bowen to allow Knauff to steal the ball and charge forward...

Fantastic scramble defending from Johnson and Rice saves us.

21' 1-1 Antonio

Nice set-piece routine to draw us level after a fairly soft FK was given against Lindstrom.

Frankfurt switch off at the near-post when the cross goes to the back and Borre/Kamada are caught ball-watching as Zouma heads it across.

Antonio there to squeeze it in.

A quick look at how dysfunctional our press is in this 523 shape...

We're outnumbered as a result of the set-up and you've got Lanzini in a position where he has to screen multiple options intelligently despite screening arguably being one of the weakest areas of his game.

37' Big chance.

Great opportunity for Antonio after some brilliant pressing from Bowen and Johnson secures a high turnover.

Has to turn and shoot here rather than trying to play through Tuta to Lanzini.

39' Big chance.

Another Frankfurt counter off another defensive set-piece. So frustrating that we've allowed this twice now through Bowen and Lanzini mistakes.

They're far too dangerous off these situations to be so casual...

Quick pause to give some credit to Jarrod Bowen who has shown really good understanding of how to play against Frankfurt's aggressive back three and attack the exposed spaces.

He's had a strong individual first half performance.

HT 1-1

Terrible start followed by continual usage of a defensive structure that allowed Hinteregger time on the ball and conceded too much room in the half-spaces for Kamada/Lindstrom.

We improved on the ball over time and had some good moments but we can be so much better.

HT ratings

Areola - 6
Dawson - 4
Zouma - 8
Cresswell - 7
Johnson - 9
Soucek - 7
Rice - 8
Fornals - 7
Lanzini - 4
Bowen - 8
Antonio - 7

Johnson has done a good job on Kostic, Bowen great on the turn and Rice dominant in midfield. Individual performances not the problem.

And if you're wondering why that first half took so much longer than normal...

Trapp - 8
Tuta - 5
Hinteregger - 9
Toure - 6
Knauff - 9
Sow - 6
Rode - 7
Kostic - 5
Lindstrom - 8
Kamada - 8
Borre - 8

Hinteregger the best player on the pitch. Frankfurt's front three all v good.

If you lot only knew how much goes into calculating these ratings...

Doing it for one team requires ludicrously detailed notes, doing it for two teams is bonkers.

46' Change of shape.

We've come out for the second half with a slightly altered shape. Antonio is now pressing fwd onto Hinteregger to stop him from being able to supply balls through the middle.

This concedes more space for Frankfurt to progress down the flanks.

49' Chance.

Beautifully constructed move down the left as Rice frees himself to charge forward through combinations with Lanzini and Fornals.

Antonio pulls his cross back but Soucek gets his shot all wrong.

Rice advancing beyond the midfield is crucial in getting at Frankfurt.

Really good to see a much more coherent pressing structure early in the second half.

Clear that the aggressive approach is designed to force Frankfurt's lateral CBs to play forwards with Rice/Soucek committing high to deny balls along the floor into Kamada/Lindstrom.

Better.

54' 1-2 Kamada

What a goal. Wow. That's a stunning move back to front from Frankfurt.

We had several opportunities to do better there but credit where credit is due.

Crisp, incisive, excellent stuff.

Frankfurt are moving the ball well and doing it quickly but there's no excuse for so many players to be caught on their heels.

Rice should be seeing the danger and acting. And Dawson is completely flat-footed, not for the first time in this game, as Sow runs through.

Lastly, Zouma completely fails to react/move throughout and allows Kamada to run off his shoulder and slot the rebound home after Areola's save.

Really poor defending but it's important to focus on the quality that Frankfurt showed here.

These Hinteregger passes are so good!

Going behind again has triggered another change of shape and we're back in a much more familiar 4231.

62' Lindstrom off, Hauge on.

Big blow for Frankfurt who lose Lindstrom to a hamstring injury. He's been excellent.

66' Lanzini off, Benrahma on.

Much improved second half performance from Lanzini but Moyes opts for more dynamism and risk-taking with us chasing the game.

Fornals moves to the centre with Benrahma coming on on the left.

68' Well, that's close...!

Ridiculous effort from Benrahma drifts just past the top corner and flicks off the outside of the post.

He's immediately injected loads of necessary energy and directness.

Frankfurt are just about hanging in there at the moment.

72' Chance.

Soucek does well to intercept Hauge's pass and Fornals turns a lovely pass through for Bowen who rolls Toure, as he has done all game, and dribbles away towards goal.

He has to release Benrahma but holds onto the ball too long, allows Tuta to drift and loses it.

76' Chance.

We're doing well not to score here. Lovely combination between Benrahma and Cresswell down the left but Antonio drifts away from the goal rather than attacking the space to be able to meet the obvious cross.

77' Chance. How many do we need!?

Incredible ball from Rice over the top for Benrahma. He brings the ball down so well and chops inside Tuta to create the angle to hit the far corner but then he just puts it miles wide...

Antonio is on too if he just slides it straight across.

79' Big chance.

Huge opportunity for Frankfurt to take a two-goal lead as Kamada goes through from Borre's pass after a loose ball from Fornals.

They've been clinging on for the last 10-15 and this really would've killed the game given the timing.

Off Dawson and onto the post.

89' Chance.

He's made mistakes on both Frankfurt goals but that aside, this Declan Rice performance has been incredible.

Steps inside Hauge brilliantly and plays an inch-perfect ball over the top for Benrahma here. Great cross but Bowen heads over under pressure from Toure.

Sometimes Rice can just grab a whole game and take complete control. He's had a vice-like grip on this one for the last 20 minutes.

Some player...

90+2' So close.

Can we just pretend this went in and Bowen won the Puskas...?

Lovely combination between Cresswell, Benrahma and Rice on the left, brilliant ball in by Rice and what an effort from Bowen. So incredibly unlucky to see that come back out off the bar.

Can't believe it hits Trapp's arse to stop a Soucek tap-in without bouncing into the net...

What are the odds?

90+2' Big chance.

Huge opportunity for Soucek from the resultant corner as Trapp misjudges the cross...

Soucek can't quite get over it with the net gaping in front of him. Can't believe that the score is still 1-2!

FT 1-2

Paid a very heavy price for a terrible opening 10-15 minutes where we played directly into Frankfurt's hands.

But we had Frankfurt on the ropes for most of the game after moving to a 4231, it's clear what we need to do in the second leg...

Player ratings from #WHUFC 1-2 #SGE

Areola - 6
Dawson - 5
Zouma - 6
Cresswell - 7
Johnson - 7
Soucek - 7
Rice - 9 ⭐️
Fornals - 6
Lanzini - 6
Bowen - 8
Antonio - 6

Benrahma - 8

And Frankfurt...

Trapp - 7
Tuta - 7
Hinteregger - 9 ⭐️
Toure - 6
Knauff - 7
Sow - 7
Rode - 6
Kostic - 6
Lindstrom - 7
Kamada - 8
Borre - 7

Hauge - 4