“Very angry today…” – Niclas Fullkrug fumes at West Ham teammates in ‘angry’ post-match interview
Niclas Fullkrug Blasts West Ham Teammates After Frustrating Draw with Relegated Southampton
Niclas Fullkrug didn’t hold back in his criticism of his West Ham United teammates following their disappointing 1-1 draw against Southampton at the London Stadium on Saturday.
Coming off a narrow loss to Liverpool thanks to a late Virgil van Dijk goal the previous weekend, the Hammers were hoping to bounce back against a Southampton side already relegated from the Premier League.
Jarrod Bowen put West Ham ahead early in the second half, but a stoppage-time equaliser from Lesley Ugochukwu denied them all three points. The result extended West Ham’s winless streak to six games, and fans voiced their frustration by booing the team off the pitch at full-time.
Speaking after the game, Fullkrug delivered a scathing assessment of his team’s mentality and performance.
“It’s a mindset issue,” the German striker said. “I’m not just disappointed—I’m furious with how we played after going ahead. We stopped pressing, we lost all urgency. It was hard to get the team to push up the field again.”
He added: “There were moments when we showed our quality—keeping possession, creating chances, getting in behind. But then the motivation dropped. Honestly, we were s*, and that makes me really angry.”**
Fullkrug went on to highlight a recurring problem in the team’s approach.
“It’s not the first time we’ve scored and then immediately started lumping long balls forward. We stop trying to play football. We drop deep and sit back—it’s not how we’re supposed to play. We played with purpose for the first 65 minutes, even if it wasn’t perfect.”
“After the goal, half the team wanted to push for a second, while the other half just wanted to defend. That kind of disconnect doesn’t work. We need to find unity, clarity in our approach, and everyone has to buy into it.”
According to Fullkrug, the coaching staff have been clear about the game plan—it’s now on the players to execute it.
Despite the result, West Ham remain 16th in the Premier League with a 15-point cushion above the relegation zone, where Ipswich Town, Leicester City, and Southampton currently reside.
