The Premier League, so common folklore would have it, claims to be the toughest in the world and both managers and players can struggle to adapt to the pace and physicality demands placed upon them. West Ham have found out to their cost that some players recruited from outside the English league can struggle with the intensity.
Lopetegui and Steidten have found to their cost that players from their own, known ‘domestic’ leagues have been inadequately prepared. Lopetegui’s Spanish and South American links created a desire to ‘stick with players he knew’ – those who he shared nationality and language links with – and this would have been pivotal in him bringing in both Carlos Soler and Guido Rodriguez.
Fair to say that both have struggled with the pace of the Premier League and I am sure Lopetegui underestimated the steps- up required from their respective leagues.
Neither, frankly, looked fit enough.
Now it seems that Ruben Amorim – who West Ham were close to signing instead of Lopetgui – is already following Ten Hag in making the same mistakes – and he hasn’t even started work yet.
Ten Hag recruited Dutch players, Antony being the prime example – who failed to impact the league despite enormous financial outlay. Now it seems Amorim is doing the same, before he has even started – by challenging Manchester United to reunite him with Sporting’s Gonçalo Inácio, Marcus Edwards and Pedro Gonçalves. (caughtoffside.com)
West Ham could be following down this road just now if we’d recruited Amorim- with incoming transfers focused on the Portuguese top tier. I do believe it is an inherent problem with overseas managers who will ‘stick with what they know’ and recruit players from their native leagues. In many cases, overspend and under performance is the result.
How was not recruiting players an option given the state of our squad after David Moyes had done his thing? Despite signing plenty there are still gaps in the squad.
What Amorim may get correct is playing players in their accustomed positions, having tactics that make sense and not keeping form players on the bench. There’s more to it than recruitment.
You would imagine it was Lopetegui that pushed for Kilman as well. I know he was obviously experienced in this league.
Isn’t that fairly common for any manager though to go after at least a couple of their old players?Can’t think of many examples where that hasn’t happened for both domestic and foreign managers.
Actually I’ll answer my own question. Slot has largely left things as they are at Liverpool without bringing in anyone he knew previously and so far so good.
Excellent point, Martin. Making the most of what the club already has is the challenge. New managers have to retain the value of the existing signings before being able to move them on. Ten Hag made the mistake of jettisoning Ronaldo, Maguire and others. Replacing them with fantasy players who just did not fit in. A common mistake. Wee Davey did something similar at Man Utd when bringing in ex-Everton staff to show and tell his new inherited squad how to play. Never had a hope but the team still did quite well in the circumstances.
Presumably Amorim is expecting to be allowed 4 or 5 seasons before MU begin to show some ‘form’. He will be dumped long before then. Especially if Steve MacClaren is in his ear.
Thank goodness we do not have these problems at West Ham United.
COYI