Green Street Hammers
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VAR would have boosted West Ham, but draw was fair result

By Scott Johnson

LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 20: Lucas Perez of West Ham United goes round Kasper Schmeichel of Leicester City to score before it is disallowed during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Leicester City at London Stadium on April 20, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Stephen Pond/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 20: Lucas Perez of West Ham United goes round Kasper Schmeichel of Leicester City to score before it is disallowed during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Leicester City at London Stadium on April 20, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Stephen Pond/Getty Images) /
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West Ham fans are all cursing the lack of technology as Perez was disallowed a fair goal. But once again we are looking at the wrong demons.

Don’t get me wrong, if VAR was in use in the Premier League as it should be and we go 3-1 up as we should have done then there’s no way that Leicester fight back to take a share of the points. However if you replay that match time and time again then I think West Ham have to accept that a draw was fair. Despite seemingly controlling large periods, we were far from incisive.

Time and time again this season, as with previous seasons, we are left moaning about officials and their decisions. However those tend to even out over a long period of time, and we need to face up to the real demon plaguing the club. A tendency towards mediocrity.

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Leicester are a solid side and have come back to life under Rodgers as they fight for places under a new manager and a previously out of reach 7th place. In the last few weeks the Hammers have not continued to push as they have done  previously (Man U match excepted) and the standard of player has been revealed. Average.

Marko Arnautovic has shown that without the passion he’s just not a great ball player. Felipe Anderson seems to have lost that extra half yard of pace and the desire to go past players at this stage of the season. Each player who we previously relied on for that something extra is simply playing within themselves as they wind down. Except for Declan Rice, who simply doesn’t understand anything less than 100%.

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So whilst we can moan about referees and other big teams always getting the call, this has always been part of football, and I think it will improve but not be eradicated when VAR is installed next season. However the issue we need to tackle, and one that is in our own hands, is that the core of players we rely on is distinctly average. Whether Pellegrini gets the best out of those average players or upgrades the overall level is up to him and the board, but if we don’t we will be in the same place next season: Wondering why that when marginal decisions don’t fall our way, we have the results of an average Premier League team.