Nottingham Forest away looms large for Julen Lopetegui’s West Ham United on Saturday. For once, the Spanish head coach has the opportunity – if you can call it that – to send out eleven players in their preferred starting positions instead of trying to shoe-horn talent into compromised available slots. This week thestandard.co.uk praised JLo for his ‘decisiveness’ – now he needs to convince us all that he can be clear thinking when it comes to selection.
The jury is still out.
Mohammed Kudus is suspended: So no more Lopetegui trying to ‘develop’ Kudus as a left winger. Carlos Soler was pressed into left-wing duties against Manchester United and he suffered the same fate as did Pablo Fornals under David Moyes, and was largely ineffective.
All of which could mean a simple decision – play available squad members in their preferred roles! Summerville starts out left. No brainer. Carlos Soler starts in midfield alongside Edson Alvarez and Guido Rodriguez or Tomes Soucek. Genius, these players in roles they are used to – might it catch on?
Lucas Paquetá has been in such poor form and has been ineffective in the last few games: Time for a break either to allow him to get his head together or at least realise that a starting role is not a ‘given’ – it needs to be earned and he has been a passenger for most of this season. Will Lopetegui be ‘brave’ enough to leave him out?
All of the talk this week has been of Carlos Soler returning to PSG at the end of his loan – I’d quite like to give the guy a chance in his ‘preferred’ central midfielder role before we throw him back as a ‘discard’.
Still losing though
The thing is Martin, finally getting it right this time around does not erase the indecision and ineptitude displayed on all previous occasions. He did not come into this job hailed as a novice with potential, he arrived with people trying to be upbeat and focus on the positives in his background while ignoring the negatives. Nothing has changed fundamentally and is not likely to.
Why not simply stick with the 11 who started the second half vs Man Utd. The performance was a massive upgrade on the first half. The midfield may lack creativity and I’m not a huge fan of Soucek but at least he gets stuck in. I fear Soler can’t cope with the physicality of the Premier League.
Totally agree Martin. We saw what did and didn’t work against Man Utd. The first half was beyond dire and I have no idea how Man Utd were not out of sight by the break, many teams would have been. The three subs for the second half made a game changing difference so stick with the changes that worked. Summerville and Alvarez to start. Fabianski did more than enough to keep his place. Todibo had sat out training prior to the Man Utd game so I get that he was a special case, he starts too.