Former West Ham United star Anton Ferdinand says his old side needs to get up to speed quickly after suffering their third defeat in the first five league games of the Premier League season.
The Hammers are yet to win a league game at home, and the 3-0 defeat to Chelsea has already raised questions about the capability of Julen Lopetegui, who took over from David Moyes in the summer.
Their only win so far came at Selhurst Park against Crystal Palace, and pressure is already mounting on the manager. Speaking to Telecom Asia after the defeat, Ferdinand, who came through the ranks at the club and played 138 games for the Hammers, said they need to improve, and that the defeat to Chelsea was simply not good enough.
I have to say that wasn’t good enough, and we have to do way better. I’m not even going to point fingers at anyone, but we have to improve as a team. I think collectively we are better than what we showed today. Yeah, everyone will say it's still early days, but I’m not talking about the results – just the performances. We need to be better going forward, and that’s all I can say for now.
Anton Ferdinand exclusively for Telecom Asia Sport
The defeat leaves the Hammers in 14th place on the league table with just four points. Having brought in a lot of players in the summer, including the likes of Crysencio Summerville and Niclas Füllkrug, the next two games against Liverpool and Brentford will reveal how far they can go this season.
There is pressure from all sides to finish in the top half, especially after spending more than £200 million in the summer.