Hendrick on West Ham Win: “That Second Half Was a Horror Show” | OneFootball

Liverpool’s Win Over West Ham Dissected

Liverpool’s Nerve-Shredding Victory: Raw Reaction

Liverpool’s narrow 2–1 win over West Ham was as much about resilience as it was about moments of brilliance. The latest Post-Match RAW on Anfield Index featured an unflinching breakdown of the match by Trev Downey, Dave Hendrick, and Karl Matchett, offering scathing honesty and sharp insight, with Dave emphatically stating, “Allison was man of the match by a country mile.”

It was a match that begged to be dissected, not celebrated.

Defensive Frailty and Tactical Substitutions

The defensive issues that haunted Liverpool in recent fixtures were once again laid bare. Hendrick noted that “Robertson against Fulham was disgraceful,” and that his reintroduction into the side was symbolic of Liverpool’s decline during the second half. In analysing the calamity of West Ham’s equaliser, he added: “Robbo has made a mess of it because he came on and decided he was going to make a mess of things today.”

Matchett echoed this by calling Virgil van Dijk’s second-half display “proper rubbish,” highlighting how “he was very reactive, not proactive in his defensive work.”

The conversation shifted into Liverpool’s substitutions, which Dave described as “strange subs,” and symptomatic of Arne Slot’s disconnect with certain players. “He doesn’t like a lot of his squad,” he said bluntly, criticising the inclusion of players who “don’t really warrant any minutes when there’s other players in the squad more deserving or in better form.”

Midfield Concerns and Summer Priorities

Throughout the podcast, the trio agreed that Liverpool’s midfield is in a state of disarray. Dave questioned why a young academy midfielder couldn’t be on the bench “instead of having two goalkeepers there,” and continued, “We’ve got an issue in midfield right now – a pretty significant one.”

Karl pointed to Dominik Szoboszlai’s cameo as a symbol of the midfield’s weakness, saying: “He was brought on to give us more solidity in midfield, and he had all the solidity of a morning after a feed of Guinness.”

Slot’s reluctance to use certain players, such as Darwin Núñez – allegedly “ill” but sat in the stands – adds fuel to speculation. Dave didn’t hold back, suggesting, “Darwin has the hump… we tried to push him out the door in January… and I think he’s had the hump ever since.”

Photo: IMAGO

Van Dijk’s Redemption and Late Match Madness

Despite a largely ineffective display, Van Dijk became the unlikely hero, heading home the winner from a late corner. Yet even in triumph, concerns loomed. Trev observed, “It didn’t feel like we were in any way secure after that goal went in,” and Karl described the closing moments as “absolutely stressful,” pointing to the “clown show clearance by Ibou Konaté” as evidence of Liverpool’s shaky finish.

The moment of magic came via a Mallister corner which Dave described as “a lovely finish – everything about the goal is lovely.” Still, he concluded the second half was “a horror show,” despite the win.

Final Verdict: Win Masks the Work Ahead

For all the faults laid bare, Liverpool did collect three crucial points. Yet the tone of Post-Match RAW was anything but celebratory. “Did we deserve to win? Maybe a little bit, yeah… but that second half was a horror show,” said Hendrick. Karl added that the game “highlight[s] the need to do a few things this summer.”

Arne Slot now faces a week to reset, reassess and prepare for the run-in. The truth remains: Liverpool won, but the performance raised more questions than it answered.