Grant backs Green to react positively
West Ham United manager Avram Grant has backed goalkeeper Robert Green to react like a man after his latest blunder.
Green failed to control the ball from a Didier Drogba free-kick during West Ham's 3-1 loss to Chelsea, which led to Salomon Kalou scoring Chelsea's second goal. Green also allowed a Clint Dempsey shot to roll into the net during England's World Cup group game with the USA in June.
Green is now under intense pressure from all angles to react to the incident. Grant has said that he will keep faith in the West Ham 'keeper because he is still the best in his position at the club by some distance.
Green will receive a lot of verbal abuse when West Ham now play away. There are many things he can do to react in the right way. However, there can be no question that the mental side of his game will now be affected.
React in the right way
The most obvious thing Green can do to get over his latest howler is train hard until the next Premier League game. The press at West Ham United's training ground will be focusing on the goalkeeper and it will be his first chance to show he's forgotten about his recent blunders.
Green is a goalkeeper that self-admittedly likes to review his own game and analyse his own performance. If there is something technically wrong with the way he's playing in goal then he will get the issue sorted out sooner rather than later.
Green is a key player and a key person at the club. The club looks to him for support and representation away from football. He is a strong person and should react positively if he is challenged away from the training ground or playing arena.
Grant said: " Sometimes supporters love you, sometimes they are against you. You need to do your job no matter what. Rob is a tough guy. He's a good goalkeeper and he needs to react like a man."
Mental side
Robert Green would not be human if he did not have the errors against the USA and Chelsea in his mind. The biggest challenge he will face is getting over the battle that is going on inside his head.
This will be difficult because there will be a lot of football-related matters that appear in the written, visual and online press. It is difficult for any top football player to get away from the world he constantly lives and breathes.
Grant added: "You can imagine his mood. But this is the life of a sportsman, of football players and managers. I don't know if the World Cup is on his mind. You'd need to ask him. He's a good goalkeeper. Let's say he was not happy with his performances sometimes but this is part of the game."
Betting advice
The problems with the West Ham team are not the goalkeeper but in other areas. The West Ham defence is too loose and needs to tighten up ahead of further games. This should ensure the side concedes fewer goals and wins more matches.
It's very difficult to back the side at the moment because it's tricky to see where they are going to win a game. The best option is to bet in play with West Ham. This will allow you to watch how the side starts to play in each game and you can take advantage of a particularly good performance.
Don't be afraid to lay down bets on individual West Ham players. The club still has more than enough talent to score good goals.
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