Ahead of Wolves visit To London Stadium tonight, I was expecting West Ham’s media machine to produce the usual ‘Inside Rush Green‘ training video showing the squad hard at work: If only to provide evidence to counter the rumoured splits amongst the squad, I was looking for an opportunity to judge team morale and try to ‘spot’ these missing or present.
However -no video. Make of that what you will. The last club PR photo shoot was from Friday or Saturday morning, (before poor Michail’s crash) and there are four noticeable player inclusions in the images from the ‘training gallery on 7th December ‘.
Definitely on- board for training at least – Edson Alvarez
Amongst those rumoured to “want out”, Edson Alvarez is featured in the training session which would belie the suggestions that he and Lopetegui are not on speaking terms. ‘Veteran’ of previous bust-up Mohammed Kudus is another pictured training, alongside Niclas Fullkrug (good to see him back in training anyway) and rumoured out-of-favour goal keeper Alphonse Areola.
So, perhaps the suggestion that there is a ‘gang of five’ who allegedly want-out is less based on fact than has been suggested?
Certainly there are no signs of Jean-Clair Todibo in the training shoot, which does support the generally accepted narrative that he has been excluded by Lopetegui and now trains with the academy players. Quite how the squad will perform on the pitch tonight is anyone’s guess. Events in the last seven days have been pretty unique in West Ham history.
It suits the narrative of those that would have Lopetegui lose his job but I can’t say I’ve believed any of the stories about players having bust ups with their manager. Unless of course we include storms in a team cup, handbags at dawn or the usual kind of thing that happens in every football dressing room since time began under the category of bust up or altercation.
Yawn…….
Sullivan’s pal has delivered the ‘official’ bs
no such fall out with the players, don’t believe the stories..
I doubt we would have a team if he excluded every player he has allegedly fallen out with.
Lopetegui has a long record of this, everywhere he’s been there have been reports of fall outs.
Most people knew that this was a match made in hell & was destined to fail.
It’s ridiculous to think that if we win tonight, everything will be rosey & our season starts here. Every game will be a ‘must win’, one game to save his job…………..
The board need to stand up & admit that they’ve made a mistake & get rid
Is this the article you said to read later Martin? This is a non-story and lame. Of course players you mentioned are pictured training, they’re professional footballers contracted to the club.
I doubt anyone with more than a couple of brain cells actually believes all the ‘Billy’ that appears on the clickbait rumour mill websites around football these days.
The MSM is definitely culpable in encouraging rumour and ITK commentators seem to make a living out of it.
Another reason that no one will want to come to WHU when they keep hearing things like this AND even more reason to sack the manager and director of Sport who has not help by making them unkeepable promises to get them here
Bore off Annette.
Tim is the reason we actually get players to join. He doesn’t pick the team. What broken promises is Tim making that you keep mentioning but fail to back up?
You wanted Moyes to be Director of Football. It’s perfectly clear you’re gullible, clueless and just talking absolute garbage.