West Ham were poor against Liverpool, but there's really no need to overreact

Sunday's Premier League game against Liverpool was an opportunity for West Ham to win an unprecedented seventh straight game in 2021.

The Hammers' perfect calendar year had kicked off with three points at Everton, and most recently had seen Crystal Palace played off the park in a comprehensive - despite what the final scoreline read - 3-2 win at Selhurst Park.

There's even been a smooth road through to the FA Cup fifth round to enjoy, after uncharacteristically comfortable wins over lower league opposition Stockport (okay, not so comfortable) and Doncaster (very comfortable).

So with champions Liverpool due at the London Stadium, there was reason for cautious optimism that David Moyes' Hammers - fifth in the Premier League table, just a point behind Jurgen Klopp's side - may now be ready to step up and put in a performance against a highly esteemed member of the 'big six' - one that could even yield three points.

As it turned out, West Ham were far from ready to topple the Reds, even if their squad was severely depleted by injury and missing key personnel.

Led by the talismanic Mohamed Salah, Liverpool - who let's remember are the champions and do have pretty good squad depth, contrary to popular belief - were far too good on the day, and after the Egyptian had netted his standard brace to put the game beyond the home side, Craig Dawson's late goal was nothing more than a consolation in a deserved 3-1 defeat.

Now, defeat inevitably leads to disappointment, but for West Ham and their supporters, this should be a time for positive reflection, not regret and anger.

Just 12 months ago, the club were pretty directionless and embroiled in a desperate fight for Premier League survival. Moyes had just returned for a second spell in charge, and, truth be told, his re-appointment wasn't a popular decision in many people's books. Morale was low, the team had no identity or shape to it and there was a feeling of dread in the pits of many stomachs - West Ham were a club destined to go down and one that was heading for financial ruin.

So while losing the six-game winning streak being snapped was and is frustrating, it's important to not take Sunday's defeat out of context. Yes, Liverpool were weakened and without the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez, Sadio Mane and Fabinho, and, yes, they haven't been as good as they were last season because of goalscoring issues and having no fit centre-backs.

But, as nice as it would have been for West Ham to put on a display that was characteristic of how they've been playing for the last three months, the Hammers still aren't at the level they truly want to be. That's why Moyes keeps hammering home time and time again that he's not yet satisfied and more can be done; things are good and going well, but they're far from perfect.

Adjusting and changing a team's mentality against the bigger sides doesn't just happen overnight. Scars remain from previous encounters and old habits - shaken off in other games - do return. It's basic human nature. There was also, more than anything else, tired legs to contend with.

Liverpool's squad was nicely rotated, even if it was enforced. Klopp could bring in Xherdan Shaqiri, Divock Origi and Nathaniel Phillips - three players who weren't outstanding on the day, but were fresh, keen to impress and are, well, good. West Ham, on the other hand, could rotate, but it would have been detrimental to the quality of their team. Named was the same starting lineup that had featured against Crystal Palace five days previously, and was pretty much the same lineup - give or take - that's been appearing for much of the season.

Being nothing but honest, West Ham just don't have the quality in depth that Liverpool do, and when you're tired, you simply don't play to your best. That's why the Hammers finished last season 16th on 39 points, 60 behind the Reds' 99-point title winning haul.

That's why some of the social media reaction to Michail Antonio's performance was all the more staggering. He missed a couple of chances, including one he'll probably think he should have taken, yes, and he could - and perhaps should - have scored four against Palace. But social media taking him apart after the game and saying he's not up to it? Come off it.

West Ham would honestly be in the Championship were it not for him and anyone with a shred of knowledge knows that football - and goalscoring, in particular - is a confidence game, particularly when you're conscious of niggling reoccurring injuries and not at 100%.

Everyone associated with the club wants signings, of course they do. And yes, the club's owners have promised to invest, repeatedly spoken of an ambition to push on and so far there's been little to no return on that front.

But now is not the time to press the panic button, fly into a rage about a lack of spending and turn on individuals because of one defeat. The transition from being an average team into a good team is still a work in progress, and Moyes - in conjunction with the board - must be allowed to do it his way in order to build this club properly for the future.

If that means signing Jesse Lingard on loan, not bringing in a recognised striker and needing a bit longer to get it right against the 'big six', so be it.

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