Saturday 9 March 2019 19:46, UK
Manuel Pellegrini was disappointed by West Ham's lack of "sharpness and aggression" during their 2-0 defeat at Cardiff.
Goals early in either half, from Junior Hoilett and Victor Camarasa, gave Cardiff a much-needed win as West Ham failed to threaten Neil Etheridge's goal for much of the game.
Pellegrini says he fully expected a reaction from Cardiff after a run of three straight defeats and admitted his side failed to react to it.
"Not only a slow start, there was a lack of sharpness and aggression," he told Sky Sports. "We talked during the week about playing a team that lost three games in a row, two here at home where they lost 5-1 and 3-0, we knew that before the game but we were not able to react.
"During the game you are trying to find a solution by changing players, changing system but of course, you are worried about why we couldn't start the same way we did against Newcastle when we played with exactly the same names.
"Everyone knew (there would be a reaction from Cardiff) but it is one thing to know it and another to deal with it in the game. It's not easy, that's why football is the most popular sport in the world because it is not easy to understand it.
"Very disappointed. First, because we lost the game, second because didn't play well, third because haven't scored for four games in a row playing away. That's a lot of things that we must review."
