A few days off for most players and coaches will inevitably be followed by West Ham ‘working hard’ to improve before the Newcastle trip. Sitting 14th in the Premier League with just three wins under Lopetegui, all is not well at London Stadium. Especially galling after the £140 – ish million spent in August. Critics- me included – have bemoaned amongst other things the lack of a striker under thirty and the constant chopping and changing of formations and squad members.
However – those issues are not the main challenge. There seems a consensus building now as to the real problem stopping this West Ham team progressing.
The defence seems less wobbly now Kilman and Todibo are bedded in and fitter, faster and more used to each other. Aaron Wan-Bissaka if left to play as a conventional right back is a brilliant defensive asset. Emerson Palmeri can perform decently as a left back: The real problem lies ahead of the back four.
In a ‘TalkSport’ rant, published by givemesport.com today, journalist Will Pugh has obviously been watching the same midfield as me and he concludes:” The midfield is horrendously weak, trying to get rid of Soucek, as in, was a symbolic thing to, you know, sweep out what was there of Moyes: Guido Rodriguez is terrible. Carlos Soler looks like he might be a perfectly average, fine player one day, but he’s certainly not up to it now, and you can see the frustration.”
Carlos Soler and Diego Rodriguez
“Alvarez has been sent off twice this season. Kudus got sent off at Tottenham, he’s now serving a five-game ban, and you can just tell the players are frustrated and are not enjoying it.”
And let’s not even talk about the demise of Lucas Paquetá as our creative player. We all understand why. But no creativity means you can have anyone starting up front – they simply won’t get the ball.
Forget a striker, until there is a faster, more mobile midfield with players that can pick a pass through to the front line, West Ham will struggle to link up back and front play and will find their defence- whoever is selected-continually overrun: That is where the urgent action is needed come January.
Why is Lopetegui on holiday in Spain now ? It’s Monday and so clearly JOKEpetegui isn’t going to be sacked and so he should be working hard to get the players to understand his tactics over the next two weeks . Westham will struggle to get a single point before 2025 and still I wonder if Sullivan would sack LOSEpetegui .
Let’s hope it’s a permanent holiday, he reminds of Peter stringfellow, that’s right a beach bum.
Hope he stays out there and he’s already been told not to return!
I’m more than likely completely wrong but as our midfield is rubbish and slow why not try Wan Bissaka in mid field and Coufal R/back with Andy Irvine in mid field. They have 2 weeks to try AWB in that position with Andy Irvine. Just a thought ? after all Rice was originally defence and then went into mid field and look how he turned out ?
If Moyes hadn’t vetoed the younger dynamic and mobile midfielders Tim profiled we wouldn’t be in this mess 🤦♂️
Manu Kone would have suited us perfectly 🇫🇷
Only cost Roma €18m – think Kalvin Phillips cost us £6m loan fee and £150k p/w
4 4 3 . With kudus and pacqueta in the 8 and 10 roles . With Alvarez holding. It’s not rocket science. Jimmy left Bowen right . Ings up top with Antonio alongside guilherme soler and soucek off the bench .
Kudus, and alvarez are banned for starters, lopetugui has no clue whatsoever and clearly needs to go right now, appoint a new manager and he has 2 weeks to train and get us playing, the defence sorts itself, we have to go with what we have until January, so i think we should switch to 442 summerville left bowen right play Antonio and ings up front together, soucek and Irvine in cm, at least give it a try it can’t be any worse than what we have seen all season long so far. Then come January soler and Rodriguez can be sent packing the pir of them would struggle in league 2, sign a quality striker young un, a CD for cover and younger but quality keeper and ffs sake sign a dynamic box to box pacey midfielder who can pass a ball and run, why is George earthy out on loan he is a far better option than paqueta, soler or Rodriguez at this moment in time, not getting Duran, emille Smith Rowe were massive errors no doubt about that Tim buck your ideas up. Red bull model my ass, all we got was more older and past it models.