News

Fifteen Goals In Eight Games Says it Loud And Clear

|
Image for Fifteen Goals In Eight Games Says it Loud And Clear

After such a disappointing result at Spurs on Saturday, criticism of the back line’s performance is widespread today.  The Standard sums it up pretty well : Wan-Bissaka, Todibo and Max Kilman mean three quarters of Lopetegui’s new-look back four are summer recruits, but having now conceded 15 goals in eight games there are no signs of establishing cohesion or of Lopetegui building a solid defensive base.”

The truth is, the only real option for Lopetegui if he wants to change West Ham’s back line is to bring in Mavropanos instead of one of his other two centre-backs. The Greek started in the losses against Aston Villa, Man City and Chelsea so is hardly a ‘magic bullet’ to shore up a leaky back line. The solution is more likely to be a tactical switch borne of necessity.

Lopetegui had come to West Ham seen as an ‘antidote’ to David Moyes and perhaps felt the pressure to be more expansive: In several games he has been found out by pushing full backs so far up the pitch that West Ham capitulated on turnover of possession with Wan-Bissaka or Emerson out of position.

Relying on a slow and steady Rodriguez or Alvarez or a clearly currently inadequate Paquetá to cover and fill the gap has failed miserably.

The Standard again:” An out-of-sorts Lucas Paqueta picked up a needless yellow card in the first half and had precious little attacking or defensive influence against Spurs: Tomas Soucek put in another battling display, but Guido Rodriguez continues to struggle to acclimatise to the intensity of the Premier League.”

That’s where the changes need making. A Porous midfield will still leak whoever is in the back line.

Carlos Soler is certainly capable of replacing Paquetá and performing far better: Alvarez didn’t start against Spurs and whatever the reason, needs reprogramming by Lopetegui alongside Soucek who at least got stuck in on Saturday. Tinkering around the edges with a Mavropanos switch won’t cut it: The tactics and naive strategy of asking the full backs to join the attack need a reboot too.

Share this article

From the old Bobby Moore Upper to the Billy Bonds' stand these days I've been watching since '03 and a supporter since about 1970.. 'Football is Life' oh yes. Let it raise your spirit but never darken your mood. Life's too short not to enjoy the journey with our Claret and Blue heroes n' villains.

15 comments

  • Robbie beasley says:

    Such a lack luster performance from West ham ,they are looking no different from last season. No attacking football , still playing the ball across the back . Getting caught out too many times, struggling to get any momentum up the field. I have been a supporter all my adult life I’m now a pensioner. Seen great players come and go.we have a loyal support for our team. Need to start playing some attacking football.
    .

  • Dave says:

    It will be interesting to see without Kudos for a few games.
    The amount of times he loses the ball and flings his hands in the air instead of getting back is unreal.
    pacqueta is exactly the same.
    Man u got rid of bassaka because he was a wink link when going forward, he needs to just stay at right back and let the wide guys get on with it. He’s not an attacking player.
    Similar with Emerson, he doesn’t have the legs to get back after he’s gone forward.
    We haven’t had a centre forward for 3 years, absolute joke when most clubs have 3.
    Another reason is we’re trying to play out from the back with a bang average goalkeeper who can’t pass the ball , he brings pressure onto us every time.
    You can only play a passing game with players who can pass, and we have a team of players who can’t pass it.
    Keeper, bassaka, coucek, kudos, Antonio and Pacqueta just gives it away in the wrong areas, that’s 6 of the team who can’t pass a ball….
    Quality.

  • Clacton Rd Iron says:

    We are all getting upset about Lopetegi and his tactics – doesn’t matter who is in charge cuz no matter how hard you polish you can’t get a shine on a Douglas Hurd.
    Transfers have been terrible – and still no forwards of any note since Scammaca
    Lucky for us as in what seems so many previous seasons there are three terrible sides in the league – for 24/24 it’s Ipswich, Soton, Wolves & maybe Leicester/Palace – who can really see better than 14th/15th this season.
    NB is there a statto out there who can tell me if e we have ever had a worse calender year than 2024 = it’s something like 5 wins in 36 games

  • Andy Stone says:

    With the attack that we have albeit minus a striker most of the time there isn’t the need for so much support from the fullbacks, we will still get goals. The crosses our fullbacks are being instructed to provide through this high risk strategy are to who? Antonio can barely move after a trans Atlantic jolly so why take the risk.

    As already commented, we don’t have the midfield to support the current tactics. This tactic will only work if the opposition are equally as naive or more so as seen with Ipswich.

  • D says:

    IMO AVB has been one of the best players with the exception of the Spurs and Chelsea games where we shed the most goals. But for some reason AWB seemed to have been instructed to play much further up field in those games.
    I think Man City do a similar thing where the full backs push forward which leaves just the centre backs in defence. They can get away with it against the right sides (like us ) as their midfield is so good. Our midfield is no where near good enough to play this type of suicidal football. I can’t believe AWB would just push forward and not track back unless he was being instructed to do so. Not sure Rodriguez is good enough especially on his own he needs Alvarez with him. As for Paqueta he has to be dropped even though He is one of our most gifted players. If he had a normal job he would have been sacked by now.

  • John Ayris says:

    Yes it’s the weakness of the midfield that’s the issue, it exposes the defence. Paqueta definitely needs to be dropped, he’s doing nothing well, bring Soler in. Alvarez is a nailed on starter one of the first on the teamsheet surely.

  • Rob says:

    Stop blaming the back line, it’s further up the field where the problem is. No press from the front line means their centre backs walk round with the ball while ours are always under pressure. The midfield is even worse. Slow, always look tired. Their team walk or pass through them our back line then have a player coming towards them and one to mark. Need I say more! There is also a keeper who can’t pass to a team mate.

  • It’s the hope that kills you says:

    Todibo looked fine, but you can’t have their midfield steaming towards ours. Paqueta lost the ball a load of times and it cost us. Alvarez did fine last year, let him give Rodriguez a break, and Soler for PaddyPower Paqueta please. Soucek??? I don’t know. Perhaps him trying to read Paqueta’s intentions has been confusing him. Other than that, for all but 7 minutes we gave a big six club and even time of it.

  • B says:

    Maybe the ‘solution’ is to not have a fixture list that starts off playing the majority of the first 8 games against top 5 opposition.
    Losing to City, Chelsea, Villa, Spurs, draws away at Fulham & Brenford, and wins against Palace & Ipswich.
    What are the expectations?

    • B says:

      Thankyou that’s exactly what I think and luckily you are using the same name as me so it saved me from having to say it. Whoever thought there would be more than one B in the world.

    • Legin says:

      I’m with you. The headless chickens are running around or is that the stuck pigs squealing? Whatever way you look at it the fixture list hasn’t been kind and in the words of one of our greatest leader, Lance Corporal Jones, “Don’t panic” there are still 90 points to play for and if we can convert some of our flashes of brilliance, that I’ve witnessed so far, in to a more consistent delivery, I think we’ll be fine. Anyone who believed that things would be significantly different, immediately, is clearly deluded.

    • Chris W says:

      Yep you’re right, it has been a tough start fixture wise, but with all the money spent and the high hopes you’d think that West Ham would at least look competitive, instead of that in most of these fixtures we’ve looked an absolute shambles, in a different league and not in a good way!

  • JB15 says:

    Without getting into a debate about Lopetegui himself, the obvious switch is to a back 5 which, despite being seen as defensive, doesn’t need to be the case.

    Kilman Todibo and Mavropanos as a back 3, with Emerson LWB and AWB as RWB. This would also allow Todibo and Kilman to step out of the back and have more protection behind them.

    I can’t see any other solutions

  • Tony says:

    Areola has had a shocking season, no one mentioning that, maybe time to drop him.
    Soler for paqutea – Agree.
    kilman is not the same player he was at Wolves, and tbh i think he is getting away with it in media, he has looked bang average.
    Todibo will take time to settle to the PL, so need to cut him some slack.
    AWB- gone massive off the boil can see why man utd let him go cheap.
    Soucek – for me best player this season, working hard and trying, should be captian.
    Rodriguez – massive out of his depth.
    Kudus – you can see he is not bonding with manager and been played out of postion.
    Bowen – close to been best player so far, always gives it his all.
    Antonio – no where near good enough.

Comments are closed.