Sunderland were beaten 3-1 by West Ham on Saturday lunchtime.

Sunderland defender Dan Ballard has delivered a frank assessment of his side’s chastening 3-1 defeat against West Ham on Saturday afternoon.

The Black Cats found themselves 3-0 down by half-time, with Brian Brobbey pulling a consolation goal back for the visitors at the London Stadium after the interval.

Regis Le Bris’ men also had to manage without talismanic captain Granit Xhaka, who missed out on the contest through injury, and speaking to the club’s official website afterwards, Ballard pulled no punches in his evaluation of a disappointing afternoon.

What did Sunderland defender Dan Ballard say about defeat to West Ham?

Reflecting on the trip to East London, the towering centre-back said: “It wasn’t our day on Saturday. We started the game really poorly and made three mistakes for the goals. They were three poor goals from our point of view, especially considering how strong we have been at the back at times this season. It was a really difficult day.

“We need to look at ourselves. We lacked intensity and that little bit of bite. When you aren’t at your best, the small things don’t go your way. We didn’t contain them in the first half and didn’t give ourselves a chance to get back into it.

“We were always going to miss a player of Granit’s quality, but we have a great squad here and players who can step in when needed. He has played every game so far, but when he isn’t there we need to step up, and I think we can do that.

“We haven’t been great on the road this season. It’s a tough league and we’ve faced some really strong opponents. We need to find a way to bring the same energy and fight to away grounds because we haven’t picked up enough points.”

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What else has been said about Sunderland’s loss vs West Ham?

Ballard comments echo the sentiments expressed by teammate Noah Sadiki in his own post-match interview. The DR Congo international said: “It’s obviously disappointing. I don’t think our intensity was where it needed to be in the first half, and at this level you get punished for that. West Ham were sharp and we allowed them too much control early on.

“The second half was much better from us. We showed more energy, more aggression, and we played with the belief that we know we have. Brian getting his goal is a big positive, he’s been in good form and that’s his fifth of the season, which says a lot about his quality.”

Sadiki also took time to acknowledge the travelling Sunderland supporters, who once again made themselves heard in the capital. “Our fans were unbelievable again,” he concluded. “They never stopped backing us, even when things weren’t going our way. We’re grateful for that support, and we’ll give everything to repay them in the next game.”

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